back to indexBerean Community Church Bible Study 1/26/2022 - 1 Peter 1:3-9
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For our build, just make sure we stay on the tempo. 00:02:28.880 |
Yeah, cuz I feel like there are times where we might lag a little bit. 01:30:06.600 |
>> All right, I'm gonna give you about a minute to just wrap it up. 01:31:21.600 |
All right, if I can call your attention back up here real quick. 01:31:26.600 |
Let me pray for us and then we'll jump into a little bit of a wrap up of the study. 01:31:38.600 |
Father, we thank you for giving us the opportunity in our groups to just wet 01:31:48.600 |
I pray that it would cause us to hunger to know more and 01:31:55.600 |
And that the study of it really would grow us in our faith. 01:31:59.600 |
And that when we do have trials in our lives, when we do suffer, 01:32:06.600 |
I pray for your help to communicate the important highlights of this passage. 01:32:19.600 |
As a first thing that I wanna call our attention to is, 01:32:24.600 |
I'm gonna just look at like, you guys went into the nitty gritty of each verse. 01:32:30.600 |
I wanna give you like little bigger pictures for today. 01:32:36.600 |
And so I'm gonna be looking at this section in bigger broad strokes, okay? 01:32:41.600 |
So the first thing I wanna look at, next slide. 01:32:51.600 |
If you guys notice, there's a couple mentions of the Holy Spirit. 01:33:01.600 |
And so there's a mention of the triune God in this one sentence. 01:33:06.600 |
And when we look at this one section, there are certain things that we 01:33:11.600 |
understand about the process of our salvation, and we understand of God, okay? 01:33:16.600 |
So the first thing that I noticed as I was preparing this is, 01:33:20.600 |
there are things that the triune God is actively doing, okay? 01:33:27.600 |
The first thing is, he's the one who's causing rebirth. 01:33:40.600 |
If you grew up in the church, that's like, yeah, I've heard that many times. 01:33:43.600 |
But like, that's actually a very rich theological point, right? 01:33:50.600 |
The second thing is that he raised Jesus from the dead, and this theme will come up again, okay? 01:34:00.600 |
And he raised from the dead and gave him glory. 01:34:03.600 |
So we're going to revisit this theme of the resurrection. 01:34:05.600 |
And is the resurrection absolutely essential for our salvation? 01:34:12.600 |
Yeah, okay, so that's an important truth, okay? 01:34:20.600 |
And he is the agent of our protection in and for salvation. 01:34:24.600 |
So these are the things that God is doing for our salvation, okay? 01:34:30.600 |
And then the latter part of this sentence, you're going to see how he's always been planning this, okay? 01:34:42.600 |
So God predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow in his communication to the prophets. 01:34:49.600 |
God revealed to the prophets the plan of salvation, okay? 01:35:00.600 |
And then also, God preached the gospel in advance through all the men who had written down the Old Testament. 01:35:11.600 |
So this was always God's plan, and so we see that, okay? 01:35:16.600 |
So this long sentence in the Greek, theologically super rich, God is doing almost everything, right? 01:35:28.600 |
So we are completely, completely at the mercies of God for our salvation. 01:35:35.600 |
Would you guys -- do you see that in the scripture? 01:35:40.600 |
We're only responding agents, so there's nothing that you and I are doing to earn salvation. 01:35:48.600 |
But you'll notice I put the "therefore" there in verse 13. 01:35:54.600 |
The "therefore" in the English language is very important because you always want to ask, "What's this 'therefore' -- 'therefore' -- what's the purpose of that?" 01:36:02.600 |
It's giving you a great statement and an expected application. 01:36:06.600 |
And you're going to see verse 16 of chapter 1, "Be holy, for I am holy." 01:36:13.600 |
So there is an expectation of the Christian who's been saved. 01:36:17.600 |
But we're going to be looking at another week of, like, a lot of theology here of how we are saved. 01:36:29.600 |
So in this section, we see what the normal Christian response is. 01:36:38.600 |
So God -- He does the -- causing the rebirth. 01:36:47.600 |
And you notice in verse 6, it's "to greatly rejoice." 01:36:52.600 |
And we'll discover that this is a very, very, very significant word. 01:37:24.600 |
And all we respond in is faith and joy and love. 01:37:31.600 |
Now, if you guys notice, the ESV leaves out the word "greatly." 01:37:56.600 |
And I'm going to call your attention to this again later. 01:37:59.600 |
But "agaliaste" means you are rejoicing because God's eternal plan was fulfilled. 01:38:19.600 |
So it's different from just "Cairo," which is just a regular rejoice. 01:38:26.600 |
But here, Peter uses "agaliaste," which is like you exult. 01:38:33.600 |
Which is strange because you're suffering, but you, like, exult. 01:38:42.600 |
But one thing that I want to call our attention to -- next slide -- is protection. 01:39:02.600 |
In Ephesians, we read that what's in us as a seal, it's like a signature, that it will come to pass. 01:39:20.600 |
And the word -- it's like a fortress protection. 01:39:27.600 |
So 1 Peter 1.5 says, "Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." 01:39:39.600 |
But what is mentioned often in the book of 1 Peter? 01:39:51.600 |
If we are protected by the power of God, what are we protected from? 01:39:55.600 |
Maybe most of what we're protected from might not be -- we're not protected from the effects of a fallen world. 01:40:13.600 |
But that doesn't mean while we traverse this life that we're not going to suffer. 01:40:35.600 |
God is absolutely just eternally guaranteed our salvation. 01:40:55.600 |
And what I noticed as I was looking through this thing is just in this sections that we looked at today, I don't know if you guys picked up on it. 01:41:04.600 |
There's a role of faith that's very, very highlighted in this. 01:41:11.600 |
So it's -- verse 5 is the first mention of it. 01:41:15.600 |
We are protected by the power of God through faith. 01:41:20.600 |
Verse 7 talks about, like, our being tested so that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold, right? 01:41:39.600 |
So the only reason I want to call this to your attention is if you're going through this very carefully, don't get so lost in the details that you don't see, like, the themes that are, like, repeated a few times. 01:41:54.600 |
So there is something that is connecting the Christian faith to the outworking of God's protection in our lives. 01:42:11.600 |
And that's something that I want us to kind of explore as we go through the next four or five chapters. 01:42:17.600 |
Okay, what is the relationship between God's characters and our faith? 01:42:33.600 |
NASB says, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." 01:42:52.600 |
Every now and then I hit one that's really good. 01:42:56.600 |
Some of you are like, "I only have three questions for this verse. 01:43:07.600 |
So when I go through a verse, I try to exhaust as many questions as I can. 01:43:11.600 |
And so these are the questions that I came up with in verse 6, "Don't judge me." 01:43:16.600 |
What is the "in this" that the Christian rejoices in? 01:43:27.600 |
When I just looked at just the English, I was like, "What's this greatly rejoice?" 01:43:31.600 |
Is this like a -- just a super joyful response? 01:43:36.600 |
What is the relationship between suffering and rejoicing? 01:43:39.600 |
It appears that the rejoicing here and in verse 8 are both in the passive voice. 01:43:45.600 |
What kinds of trials were the believers undergoing? 01:43:48.600 |
Does this verse exclude mundane frustration and sadness and headaches? 01:43:59.600 |
What role does the "if necessary" play in the understanding of this passage? 01:44:08.600 |
Is Peter stating a fact or issuing a command? 01:44:18.600 |
So I actually did like a little word study for what that was. 01:44:23.600 |
I was like, "This is strange that the ESV would leave this out, and this is used twice in what we're looking at today. 01:44:31.600 |
So I actually just -- because I have a Bible software, so I clicked on the usages of this word. 01:44:39.600 |
And before I did that, the image I got in my head, because I was teaching our Sunday school kids this, 01:44:49.600 |
we're looking at like what does Jesus tell us to rejoice in? 01:44:57.600 |
And I thought it was cool, and I'll explain why I thought it was cool when Luke 10 came into my mind. 01:45:03.600 |
"The 70 returned with joy," and usually the word for joy is kairo, okay? 01:45:09.600 |
"Saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.' 01:45:14.600 |
And he said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 01:45:19.600 |
Behold, I have given you authority, tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 01:45:29.600 |
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'" 01:45:42.600 |
Yeah, the 70 go, they come back, and they're like super thrilled. 01:45:46.600 |
If I had crazy ministry success, if I preached and people came to faith, 01:45:56.600 |
and if I, like, cast out a demon out of somebody, right? 01:46:00.600 |
If someone was sharing me their problems, I gave them counsel, and somehow their problems all went away. 01:46:07.600 |
If I was a good pastor, I feel like I would have reason to be just joy-filled, right? 01:46:16.600 |
If I had supernatural power where I could actually control demonic elements, I think it would be pretty cool. 01:46:25.600 |
But what Jesus tells his excited disciples, these 70, he goes, "Don't rejoice over that. 01:46:33.600 |
Rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 01:46:43.600 |
But next verse, but let me read for you ... Actually, go back, go back. 01:47:03.600 |
And this is the only time in all the scripture where Jesus greatly rejoices. 01:47:11.600 |
I already ruined my own surprise, but I just got excited. 01:47:13.600 |
I know how to communicate this, but just read with me, all right? 01:47:17.600 |
"At that very time, he rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I praise you, O Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, 01:47:30.600 |
that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 01:47:38.600 |
Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in your sight.'" 01:47:43.600 |
And I was fascinated, so I clicked on "rejoice greatly," and that was a very different word from Cairo. 01:47:50.600 |
It was the greatly rejoice that 1 Peter mentions. 01:48:03.600 |
So in my software, it said this agaliao is used only 11 times in all of scripture. 01:48:14.600 |
Of all of these cases, there's almost like a heavenly party rejoicing kind of a feel when God's great plan of salvation is being revealed or fulfilled. 01:48:27.600 |
And the only time where Jesus is agaliao, rejoicing, is when he sees his disciples coming back. 01:48:34.600 |
They're all excited, but he tells them not to be joyful about that. 01:48:38.600 |
He tells them to be joyful that their names are written in heaven, that their eternity is secure, that they are saved, that they are being saved. 01:48:46.600 |
He rejoices in this great plan of the salvation of God. 01:48:52.600 |
And then I look at the other three usages, or the other usages. 01:48:56.600 |
There's only 11, and three of them are in 1 Peter. 01:49:00.600 |
So when I look at that, I'm like, "I don't know what to make of this yet, but I'm going to share it, even if it don't make no sense." 01:49:09.600 |
You're getting this unfiltered, like, "Is that cool, or am I just the only Bible nerd in the room?" 01:49:17.600 |
There's something about this exalting agaliao joy that is not just the simple Christian joy that we're talking about here. 01:49:30.600 |
You know, I think the last time I was humanly just super, super, super, super joyful, I think it was 2020, and you guys might laugh at me. 01:49:42.600 |
But June 2020, the Lakers won the NBA Finals. 01:49:48.600 |
Four months later, who won the baseball World Series? 01:49:54.600 |
I remember the '88 World Series championship. 01:49:56.600 |
I was running around as a 10-year-old kid, jumping up and down in front of my black and white TV all by myself in my room, like, "Ah, they won!" Right? 01:50:23.600 |
There is nothing that you and I can experience on this earth that's incorruptible. 01:50:35.600 |
But if I'm honest with you, there are times I would be happy not to see them for an hour. 01:50:42.600 |
I would be very joyful to not see them for an hour. 01:50:47.600 |
When I first used to get a phone call from Becky, it'd be like, "Hey, hi!" 01:50:52.600 |
Now it's kind of like, "Hi, what do you need? 01:51:04.600 |
But what we're looking at here is what God is protecting is our eternal security and the promise that we will know God, we will see Him face to face. 01:51:31.600 |
Because this was what God was planning from the beginning of the foundation of the world to save lost sinners. 01:51:39.600 |
So who cares what happens while you're on this side of eternity? 01:51:44.600 |
You greatly rejoice that your names are written in heaven. 01:51:48.600 |
Whether you enjoy earthly success or earthly failure. 01:51:52.600 |
Whether you experience ministerial victories or hardship. 01:52:00.600 |
Even if the most beloved people in your life all get sick and all die. 01:52:08.600 |
How many of you guys know that every person that you love will die? 01:52:19.600 |
Because then they will see God face to face if they know the Lord. 01:52:24.600 |
So this joy that Peter is mentioning here, I haven't quite made a conclusion yet. 01:52:35.600 |
But when I discovered this just through a simple search, I was like, there is something going on here that I want to explore. 01:52:42.600 |
And I'm going to explore when I have more time. 01:52:49.600 |
You dig and you dig and you dig and you dig and you dig. 01:52:52.600 |
And every now and then you'll hit a random diamond that should trigger worship and elation. 01:53:02.600 |
So the thing that I gleaned from verses 3 through 9 is my faith in God may not guarantee any comfort, any pleasure, any earthly ministerial success. 01:53:17.600 |
But my faith in God gives me access to heaven. 01:53:26.600 |
And that is unfading, undefiled, and it is incorruptible. 01:53:31.600 |
And my homework is to learn how to greatly rejoice. 01:53:41.600 |
And the next thing I'm trying to figure out is like, okay, this is a response. 01:53:53.600 |
And so that's the process of the inductive study. 01:53:57.600 |
So I'm hoping that the little nuggets that I found today are helpful for you. 01:54:04.600 |
I want to look into this agaleao a little bit more. 01:54:08.600 |
But I found it very curious that there's one time where Jesus does that. 01:54:12.600 |
And it was the same Luke 10 passage that I was thinking of when it came to like, oh, what do I need to be joyful of? 01:54:24.600 |
So I have a couple discussion questions for you. 01:54:29.600 |
The thing that I want you guys to break up and pray together over is are there trials or other difficult circumstances that are in your life that you need prayer over? 01:54:43.600 |
We lose sight of the preciousness of our salvation and we grumble and complain. 01:54:48.600 |
And what can the group members do to help you fix your eyes on Christ? 01:54:55.600 |
The second one is in what ways can this group help you -- help remind you of -- okay, my English -- I think I got so excited about the agaleao, my English went bad. 01:55:09.600 |
What ways can your group help to remind or rekindle you of your joy? 01:55:31.600 |
But what are things that should cause our eyes all to fix our hope not on the things here but in what is secure? 01:55:38.600 |
So, the second question is -- can I just quickly go to the next slide? 01:55:43.600 |
Verse 13, if you look at your Bible, it starts a new section. 01:55:49.600 |
So, when you look at that -- and some of you are looking at this like, then why are we going up to verse 13? 01:55:59.600 |
The reason we go up to verse 13 is so that after this long sentence of theologically rich stuff, there's a "therefore" in verse 13 that I want us to spend a little time, like, focusing on as well. 01:56:13.600 |
There's an immediate application in verse 13. 01:56:22.600 |
But for the rest of our time, share with the members in your group just your answers to these questions and pray for each other. 01:56:38.600 |
If you guys are on the side or in the back, please do help put up the chairs after you're done. 01:56:48.600 |
Finish off your Bible study time with your small group.