The Alley Church Podcast

1 Peter 1:10–16 - The Wonder of Our Salvation

There are few things more beautiful than standing on a mountain ridge at sunrise. The valleys are still dark, the air is crisp, and as the first light begins to crest the horizon, the exhilaration of the first glimpse of the sun and its warmth soothes every cell of your being.  Peter is taking us to a high place spiritually. He wants to lift our eyes above our daily concerns in the dark valleys below, the everyday trials, concerns and stress, and he wants with our eyes on Jesus to take us to higher ground in our minds. He wants us to gaze and show us the breathtaking panorama of God’s plan of salvation. Many of us spend our days focused on practical matters. We think about work, family, unpaid bills, health concerns, livestock, relationship issues, weather, repairs, and responsibilities. Peter does not dismiss those concerns. In fact, he writes to believers who are suffering and facing a lot of difficulties.  Yet before he speaks further about their hardships, he wants them to consider the Old Testament prophets and the age of grace that they foretold was coming.   Let us read 1 Peter 1:10–20 nkjv. (10) Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, (11) searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. (12) To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into. (13) Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14) as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; (15) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16) because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:6-9 - Why do Christians suffer?

We are in a series called: When Life Gets Hard and we are learning from the Apostle Peter, who was one of Jesus' closest disciples and he was one who knew suffering and experienced great persecution. He is writing to believers who had never seen Jesus, yet had a deep faith in Him, and He is encouraging them as they too were suffering and enduring trials. He is also including us here.  When I was a kid, my dad and I loved to go back packing, and sometimes we’d see amazing wildlife. And while hiking along he’d exclaim out of the blue, there they are. What? Big Horned Sheep! And I would be looking in the wrong direction. So he would take his huge hand and physically turn my head so that I would see what he was referring to.  Peter is taking our collective heads and is turning our gaze away from our present circumstances to an unimaginable future reality that God has prepared for us who love Him and are called according to His purpose, and that is our eternal inheritance. Last week, in vs 3-5,  we learned three great truths: • 1st: We have been born again with changed minds that desire to know and do the will of God, because we have a living hope based on the truth of Jesus' resurrection from the dead.  • 2nd: We have received an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, reserved for us in heaven. • 3rd: We are being guarded by God's power through faith until the day our salvation is fully revealed. And because of that we can rest and be at peace when it seems like our lives are falling apart.  Peter wanted suffering believers to know that their future was secure because of what God has done for them. But that naturally raises an important question. If we have a living hope... If we have an eternal inheritance... If we are being guarded by God's power... Then why is life still so hard? So difficult?  Why do Christians suffer? Why does God allow grief, loss, disappointment, sickness, persecution, and hardship? Why do I have so many BIG emotions & triggers? The Christian life is lived between two realities: presently, we live in a fallen world with everyday struggles, and at the same time we long for our future home without the effects of sin in the glorious Kingdom of God.  REALITY! And while we wait for that glorious day, God is at work—preparing us for His eternal Kingdom and the vehicle for this includes various trials, not fun. Let’s read the passage. NLT this week 1 Peter 1:6-9 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. NLT

1 Peter 1:3–9 - Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3–9 Series “When life gets hard” Last week, we saw that Peter was writing to believers who were suffering, scattered, and struggling to remain faithful in a hostile world. And that has not stopped. For us in this country the hostility is not so overt, but covert, it's subtle, and we don’t realize it because we are not beaten for our faith, or thrown in prison.  by drawing people's attention from the truth to that which seems like truth.  Peter reminds us that following Jesus has always come with a cost. Our hope is not rooted in this temporary life/world—it is rooted in the eternal promises of God. We learned that our identity is not found in relationships, success, or the comfort of approval, but in the fact that we are God's chosen people and citizens of a heavenly kingdom. Shandel in whom christ dwells. Most importantly, Peter showed us that our salvation is secure because it rests in the completed work of the trinity, the Triune God: chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, and redeemed by the Son. No matter how difficult life becomes, as a believer you can stand firm because God knows you, God is shaping you, God sees you and God has secured your eternal future through Jesus Christ. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I Peter 1:1-2 - When Life Gets Hard

We are about to spend the next few months discovering…“How to stand firm and live faithfully for Jesus when life gets difficult.” I Peter 1:1-2  - right after James before 1 John which we did too. The letter was written around 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero.  History: Written by Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ Originally named Simon  He addresses the letter as Peter, which means “rock”, the name the Lord gave him

Prayer pt 2 - The Spiritual Battle of Prayer

“Prayer is not preparation for the battle; prayer is the battle.” 2 Cor 10:3-6 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.