PETER TO THE CHURCH

I PETER 1: 1-3

I.                   PETER KNEW WHO HE WAS

A.      HE KNEW HIS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

1.      THE TRIALS OF LIFE HAD ALREADY EXPOSED THESE

2.      JESUS HAD ALREADY  IDENTIFIED THEM

B.      HE KNEW HIS GIFTS AND HIS CALLING

II.                PETER KNEW HIS POSITION IN THE BODY

A.      TWO COMMON ERRORS

1.      TO ASSUME A GIFT OR CALLING THAT DOES NOT EXIST

2.      TO FAIL TO RECOGNIZE A CALLING THAT DOES EXIST

B.      PETER ACTED UPON HIS GIFTING

1.      HE DID NOT MERELY HAVE A TITLE

2.      HIS MANNER OF LIVING DEFINED HIS TITLE

C.   HE DID NOT HAVE TO STAKE CLAIM TO SOMETHING OTHERS                  

       HAD NOT ALREADY RECOGNIZED

III.             WE NEED TO KNOW WHO WE ARE

A.      WE ARE STRANGERS

1.      WE DO NOT, NOR WILL EVER, QUITE BELONG

2.      WE ARE TRAVELERS PASSING THRU THE WILDERNESS TO OUR PROMISED LAND.

B.      WE ARE THE ELECT

1.      THE SPECIAL CHOSEN ONES

2.      PRECIOUS TREASURE

3.      THE FAVORED ONES

C.      WE ARE THE FORKNOWN OF GOD

1.      “THE LORD KNOWETH THEM THAT ARE HIS”

2.      CHOSEN IN CHRIST BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD

3.      HE MADE US WORTHY, WE WERE NOT CHOSEN BECAUSE WE WERE  WORTHY.

D.      WE ARE SANCTIFIED OF THE SPIRIT

1.      HE CALLS US

2.      HE TRANSFORMS OUR HEARTS

E.       WE ARE THOSE CALLED TO OBEDIENCE

1.      OBEDIENT TO HIS WORD IN GENERAL

2.      OBEDIENT TO HIS LEADERSHIP IN PARTICULAR

F.       WE ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SPRINKLED BY THE BLOOD

1.      THE CLEANSING POWER OF THE BLOOD

2.      THE KEEPING POWER – ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN TOUCHED YOU CAN NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

3.      THOSE CALLED TO LIVE UP TO THE EXAMPLE THE SPRINKLER HAS SET FOR US

IV.             WE NEED TO KNOW OUR PROVISION

A.    GRACE

1.      UNEARNED FAVOR

2.      UNDERSERVED FAVOR

B.     PEACE – BECAUSE WE ACCEPTED THE PEACE GOD EXTENDED

TOWARDS US:

1.      WE CAN BE AT PEACE WITH OURSELVES

2.      WE CAN HAVE PEACE TOWARDS OTHERS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ATTITUDE OR ACTIONS TOWARDS US.