peter: be who you are

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SERIES: THE MAIN THING

SESSION TWO, WINTER 2018

PETER: BE WHO YOU ARE NEW TESTAMENT INTRO: HOW ARE THE BOOKS ARRANGED? A. By Genre. The four Gospels come first, then the Book of Acts (the story of the early church), next the twenty-one ___________ and finally the Book of Revelation. B. The Letters are organized by _________. First Paul’s 13 epistles, then the book of Hebrews, then James, then the two by Peter, next the three by John and finally Jude. C. Paul’s Letters 1. First come nine letters sent to ____________. 2. Then four addressed to individuals. They are not arranged chronologically but generally by __________. The letters in the New Testament are occasional documents. Occasional: intended for a particular occasion All of the New Testament letters were written to address a particular event or set of _________________.

WHO WAS PETER? He was a fisherman by trade and one of the privileged 12 who walked with Jesus daily for three years. Within that group he was part of an _______________ along with James and John who enjoyed special access to Jesus. He was brash and impetuous by nature, often speaking before he thought. After the resurrection of Jesus, he was the early church’s principal _______________. Peter performed many miracles and healed the sick. He was the first to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, ensuring that Christianity would become a faith for the whole world, not just a sect for pious Jews. Originally named Simon, Jesus gave him the name “Petros” which means _______ or stone. His missionary work took him to Palestine, Antioch, Asia Minor, Corinth and Rome. Two epistles in the New Testament are ascribed to Peter.

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WHO WAS PETER’S AUDIENCE? Most likely ___________ who had come to faith in Christ and who lived in Asia Minor. 1 Peter 1.1: To God’s elect … scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.

WHAT WAS THE OCCASION OF PETER’S LETTERS? 1. The believers in Asia Minor were becoming ______________ from living in a pagan society and because they were starting to be mistreated and persecuted (1 Pt 4.12). 2. False teachers were troubling the churches in this area with erroneous teaching (2 Pt 2.1-3).

Peter’s Core Message: Be Who You Are. “You are not who you were. You have a new identity; you are part of a new family; and you possess a new purpose. Now live that way and be who you are.” He tells his readers: you are born again (1 Pt 1.23) and purified (1 Pt 1.22); you are strangers and aliens in this fallen world (1 Pt 2.11); you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God who have been called out of the darkness into the light (1 Pt 2.9). 1. YOU ARE _________. 1 Peter 2.9: You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. The Greek word for holy is “hagios” – its basic meaning is “_____________.” It’s used to describe something that is set apart from other items that are similar, so it can be used for a particular or special purpose. When the term is used in a spiritual sense, it designates something that has been set aside for ______ and his purposes. In the New Testament all believers are referred to as “holy,” not because they are morally ________ or spiritually advanced, but simply because God has claimed them, set them apart for himself, and has called them to live for his purposes. When we think about being holy, we usually turn it into a list of do’s and don’ts. But Peter tells us holiness is __________________ in the world. It’s living each day and each moment knowing that you have been claimed by the God of the universe and called to serve him. Being holy is not an activity; it’s an __________. 1 Peter 2.11: Dear friends, I urge you … to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Holiness is saying I don’t belong to my desires, or to what makes me happy, or to the American dream or to a materialist culture. I belong to God.

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2. ___________ AND STRANGERS 1 Peter 2.11: Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Once we put faith in Jesus, we’re supposed to have the sense that this world we’re living in is an awfully strange place. Jim Morrison: People are strange when you’re a stranger. Many folks accept Jesus, go to church, believe they’re going to heaven and think the same way they’ve always thought about ________________. Part of our problem in living out our new identity in Christ (and one of the reasons Peter had to write his letters) is that the world doesn’t like people who are different. The world does not like people who are different, but the world ________ people who are different. 1 Peter 4.3-4: For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do – living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. The world doesn’t need people who are _____________ and judgmental. The world doesn’t need people who are superior or standoffish. But the last thing the world needs is for the people of God to live like the people of the world. Your friends and neighbors and family members who aren’t believers may want you to be like them. But they need you to be like ________. I Peter 2.12: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 3. A _________ 1 Peter 2.5: You … are to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. A. A Priest represents ______ to others. “You are the only Bible some people will ever read.” You will represent God to your nonbelieving friends. You will represent God to your family, especially to your children and your grandchildren. What would your children believe God is like from your example? How do you portray the spiritual life to them?

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B. A Priest represents ________ to God. In the Old Testament a priest made offerings and sacrifices on behalf of the people. He stood between God and them to _____________ for them. And we are to do the same for our friends and our family members, especially our children and grandchildren. We are to bring them before the throne of grace and pray that the Holy Spirit will be at work in their lives – protecting them, directing them, and bringing them to God.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND SERVICE 1. Spring Mission Trip to Honduras: April 18-21. You can register on the church website under “Missions.” Always a great trip. $1300. We always need scholarships if you can’t go. We’ll build a house, put in concrete floors for families living in dirt and most likely build a church. 2. What A Boy Needs to Know. Thinking single moms (and others) might appreciate some Christian men teaching their sons some practical stuff. So, what do boys need to know before they become men? Practical things like how to tie a tie, change a tire, jump start a car, carve a turkey, talk to a girl, say no to peer pressure. And some good lessons about character and spirituality also. If you have “a particular set of skills” you can share, let me know. I’ll ask for what to include for the boys in weeks to come. 3. ReEngage - Every Tuesday Night, 6:30 pm in the Harvest. Marriages in any condition can benefit, whether you are struggling to get along, your marriage is broken, or you simply want to grow closer together as a couple. Show up any week, no need to register. For more info go to https://www.thewoodlandsumc.org/reengage

The Woodlands United Methodist Church www.thewoodlandsumc.org