Thank you so much for welcoming us to your country, and to your city, and to this church. This is a remarkable room. My, my, my, what God has wrought here. I am delighted. What a privilege to be here, to be in this — and to be with fellow exiles, and refugees, and sojourners on the planet.

Navigating Through 1 Peter

This book, 1 Peter, is addressed to exiles, strangers on the earth. So if you feel totally at home here, this book will go by you or either awaken you to your alien status here. And it, among all the books of the New Testament, is the one that is most focused on suffering.

Suffering is everywhere in the New Testament. The Bible is not a naive, unrealistic book. This book is predominantly about suffering, how to live under it and in it, especially suffering brought about by the hostilities of an alien culture in which we are exiles.

So that’s where we are going to find ourselves now for the next five hours or so together. And if you have a Bible or you just want to use the book here, this is great, can just follow along listening to the ESV in here, and we will be looking at as much of it as we can.

I have no idea how much we’re going to get covered. If I had to guess, I would say half of it maybe, but we would be jumping around, so it won’t be as though chapters four and five don’t get any attention at all. But I know I cannot teach all five chapters to the measure that I would like. And so heavy, heavy, heavy on chapter one, a little less on two, and then light on three, four, and five probably. We’ll see, I don’t know it.

There’s going to be a phone number. I don’t know whether they’re going to put it up right now or not that you can text to your questions. We won’t do them tonight, but tomorrow we will do the questions, and I’ll just stop periodically or either at the break times they’ll bring me the questions, and I’ll try to respond to what you’re saying.

I know it’s a lot of people and doing questions is hard on the floor. I love that. I love immediacy when you can hold me accountable that I didn’t run off and get help somewhere and just say, “I don’t know. I don’t know.” Which will certainly be the case because there are things in this book that puzzled me yet and I don’t have the last word on them. So we’re doing this together and praying that the Holy Spirit will give us light. So that’s where we’re going.

And I have an iPad up here with a free app on it that you could use. There’s nothing fancy about this. I think the app is called “neu.Annotate+” — maybe plus costs a dollar, I’m not sure. But that’s what we’re doing here with as far as putting the text on the screen.

The Relevance of 1 Peter

It’s astonishing to me how relevant this book is in our present situation. And I don’t claim to know Canada or even the fullness of the United States. People used to ask me when I was studying in Europe, “What’s happening in America? In the church?” I’d say, “Goodnight. Well, do you mean Maine or Southern California?”

It’s just unbelievable how your country’s bigger, I think, and it’s incredibly diverse what’s going on. So I don’t claim to know the situation, but what I do know is, increasingly this book is becoming relevant in America, in Syria, in Ethiopia, in Iraq, in London. This book is increasingly relevant because I’m just going to do a survey with the texts in a minute to just show you the scope of the focus on suffering in 1 Peter.

Pesecution and Hostility

But before we go there, a little stage setting. When I think of persecution or hostility in the culture, I’m thinking from the most mild-rolling of the eyes from a colleague that hears you’re one of those born-again types to an increasing hostility of our culture where if you take stands about the uniqueness of Christ or that Christianity is the only way, or certain views on sexuality, you’re just going to be completely out of step with where things are going and that will move from discomfort, to ostracism, to hostility, to worse.

We’ll see where it goes, but the book is relevant. There are weekly displays, it seems, of hostilities from ISIS, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, all the manifestations of the worst manifestations of Islam and the murderous effects — Monday, for example, of the Ethiopian Christians that were both beheaded and shot. I just want to read you, if you didn’t watch the video or read the video just so that you can hear what is coming.

And the reason I say what is coming is because I live in Minneapolis. Minneapolis has between fifty thousand and eighty thousand Somalis on Monday. Six of them — six men between 19 and 21 were arrested. Arrested for trying to go to Syria to work for ISIS. Those guys probably live within walking distance of my house. They probably walk by my house. I know where this community is situated. I can walk there.

I see Somalis on the street every day, not all of them. I mean, the mom who’s of this one kid is in there and said, “We didn’t come here to have that happen.” It’s not like you can paint with a broad brush, so don’t hear me saying that all Somali immigrants are potential ISIS members, but there is a vulnerability.

And my point is, should I not expect that they’re going to get an email from the leaders in Syria and in Iraq and saying, “You don’t need to come here to do the work. You live 50 yards from a house of the people of the cross. Take them out. Figure it out.”

That’s going to come. I mean, why wouldn’t that be happening now? I just think it’s astonishing that since 9/11, nothing of a major sort like that has happened. Absolutely astonishing that it hasn’t happened. Why hasn’t it happened? So, it says in chapter four, “Do not be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes upon you” (1 Peter 4:12). If my house gets burned down, I’ll not be surprised. If I get shot crossing the bridge from 18th to 17th Avenue. I won’t be surprised.

So please just know I’m going to read this to you. Now, this comes from the tape that was put out on Monday. “All praise be to Allah, the Lord and cherisher of the world and may peace and blessing be upon the prophet Muhammad to the nation of the cross.” I love that title. I love that title. “The nation of the cross” — isn’t that beautiful? That’s what they call us. First, they called us “Christians in Antioch” and we sort of adapted that and be okay with that. Now, we’re being called “the nation of the cross.” What a magnificent title. Happy to wear that one.

To the nation of the cross, we are back again on the sands. . . . [Muslim] blood is the purest blood because there is a nation behind them (which) inherits revenge. And we swear to Allah: the one who disgraced you by our hands, you will not have safety, even in your dreams, until you embrace Islam. . . . Our battle is a battle between faith and blasphemy, between truth and falsehood, until there is no more polytheism.

And pause. I think what they mean by that is Trinitarianism, which is sad, isn’t it? We must work very hard. If you know Muslim people, if you have Muslim friends, work hard to help them understand you’re not a polytheist. We are monotheists. There is a way to understand the Sonship and the Spirit, the deity of the Son, the deity of the Spirit, the deity of the Father, that doesn’t make us worshipers of three Gods.

So it is sad that there are misconceptions of Christianity — that God has a son by having sex with Mary. Those kinds of distortions. And you are responsible. You, Christians, are responsible to help Muslim people not believe those misconceptions, but there they are.

[So] until there is no more polytheism — and obedience becomes Allah’s on its entirety. The sea, you have hidden Sheikh Osama Bin Laden’s body in, we swear to Allah, we will mix it with your blood.

So that’s not from a movie score. That’s from Monday’s execution of dozens of Ethiopian Christians, your brothers and sisters. And here we are, talking about 1 Peter written into that situation almost. I’ll come back to why that’s almost and not quite. So there’s the context of what we’re dealing with.

Methodology of ‘Look at the Book’

And before we jump into 1 Peter and I give you the overview and we plow into chapter one, let me talk a little bit about method.

Look at the Book was conceived a few years ago as I was watching Khan Academy online. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Khan Academy. Khan Academy is just brilliant, I think. Began by a fellow trying to teach, I think algebra to his cousin who lived in another city and was doing it online and somebody got ahold of it and then Bill Gates saw it, and bang — four million people go to Khan Academy every day and learn how to do everything from art history, to economics, to algebra.

And I watched them do it. And all it is a black screen with numbers appearing or it’s just unbelievably simple. And I watched and I said, “I want to do that with the Bible. I really want to do that with the Bible.” This is so good, so helpful to me to learn economics with Khan Academy, doodling on a blackboard called the web.” So that’s the conceptual origin of this and there’s nothing proprietary about it.

You can just do it tomorrow as far as I’m concerned. Use everything, copy us, whatever works in your small group or your church that you can learn here. But the idea is there are these two or three focuses. I’ve always got behind me the sense of don’t just get meaning and apply it, which is what I did, preaching basically for 33 years in my church. Get meaning and show them as best you can. How you got it. That’s the effort.

I’ve got two things going on. The third thing I had in mind here is just this application piece, the difference it makes in our lives. When you get ahold of something with good method and you’re confident, you’ve really gotten what the text means. So it’s important I think, that we start with some reflection on meaning. Let me see. Oh, I can see what I did change the order here. So I’m going to go with the order that’s on the slides, otherwise I’ll get everything goofed up. So we’ll come back to method in a minute and we’re going to do an overview.

Overview of 1 Peter: A Focus on Suffering

So right now I want you to see in 1 Peter just going to do a flyover, not read the whole book, but half a dozen texts. I’m going to read them and you should be testing right now — testing my claim that this book is pervasively about suffering or about living in a hostile situation.

So let’s just quickly get the overview here. This is 1 Peter 1:6–7, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” So that term right there is huge — various indeed they are from beheading to bullets, to the rolling of the eyes and everything in between. “So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor.”

We’re going to come back. This is just to give you a flavor of the whole book. First Peter 1:11: “The prophets were inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.” So he can’t even bring up Christ without saying “First sufferings, then glory. First sufferings, then glory.” That’s the way it was with Jesus, that’s the way it’ll be with you. Don’t get them reversed and don’t think all the glory comes now, that’s the main problem with the prosperity gospel.

The main problem with the prosperity gospel is not that it’s all faults, but that the timing is off. Too much now, not enough suffering, not enough teaching on suffering, not enough understanding of suffering and the bringing into the present age what is promised for later. Maybe we’ll say more about that as we go.

First Peter 2:12: “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers [indeed they do], they may see your good deeds.” Oh, how we should labor right smack dab in the middle of Vancouver or wherever you’re from, that you and your family and your church have a reputation for doing good things that will cause people to glorify God.

First Peter 2:18: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” Amazing. You kidding me? “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (1 Peter 2:19). So different than the words we hear today, right?

“For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?” (1 Peter 2:20). Big deal you should be beaten. But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure. That’s a gracious thing in the sight of God. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example” (1 Peter 2:21). I hope we get to that.

First Peter 3:9: “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” So evil is coming, reviling is coming. Don’t return it.

First Peter 3:14–15: “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness.” And this word is fear and we’ll talk about that when we get there. The word fear is translated to respect on three or four places where I wish it were fear, we’ll see.

First Peter 4:1: “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” It’s a perplexing verse, but here’s the point I wanted to draw out. Christ suffered — get ready to suffer.

See, the other problem is if you have an understanding of the work of Christ that says he took it so that I don’t have to, that’s true, but it’s just off by a thousand years. He did die for you so that you won’t have to take it in hell. He did die for you, so you don’t come under the wrath of God. But we’re going to see in 1 Peter 2:13–25 how clearly he took it to model for you how to take it.

With respect to this, they are surprised. Your former colleagues are surprised that you don’t join them in the flood of debauchery, debauchery, and they malign you. So there’s just ordinary that’s not getting shot in the head. That’s just — you used to go to the party, that kind of party where they were swapping out girlfriends and staying up all night and having sex, and getting stoned like crazy. You don’t do it anymore. And they think, “What? What’s with you? What a killjoy.” That’s what they’ll say, some of them. And so that’s there in 1 Peter.

First Peter 4:12: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” Oh, in America anyway. You’re America too, aren’t you? In the United States, anyway, we do think it’s strange. That’s not who we are. We don’t get persecuted for being Christians in the United States of America for goodness’ sake. We started better. So when it starts falling apart, which it is, and this happens, it feels strange. And that’s because the last 300 years have been strange, really strange.

Historically, the United States of America has been a very strange footnote in the history of the world and quite out of the ordinary that we would be culturally so shaped by Christianity, that when I was a teenager, we could have devotions in homeroom in a public school with Philip Rovner, my Jewish friend, sitting on the front row taking it. That’s the land I grew up in. We were a superficially Christian land. And now that falls apart and we think, “No, this is strange.” No, that was strange.

“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings.” That’s a miracle. “That you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13). That’s not a miracle. That’s natural. That’s normal. See that glory? You won’t have to work to be happy.

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Peter 4:14–16).

A couple more, I think. “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.” So judgment starts with us. “And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’” (1 Peter 4:17–18).

That’s a huge question we’ll be tackling, really? So you’re saying God wills it? Well, there it is. “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator,” he looks like he’s willing the suffering, and he’s faithful to you in it (1 Peter 4:19).

First Peter 5:8: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering.” So what he has in mind when he says, “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion” is this suffering because it says, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering.”

So this is what the way the devil eats Christians is by hurting them so that they get mad at God. The devil only has two weapons. I mean, deceit is his fundamental weapon, but he expresses it in two ways: pleasure and pain. Pain to make you mad at God. Pleasure to say you don’t need God. He’ll do it either way, mainly in Vancouver, it is the latter.

Plenty of pain here, I am sure. Plenty of pain. I was talking with one pastor earlier today about pockets of the population here where there’s plenty of desperate pain, but goodness gracious, I was talking about the real estate prices and all this stuff here. The devil’s design here mainly is wealth and prosperity so that you don’t need God. And when pain comes, you get mad at God and he wins both ways. And so suffering is mentioned here as the devil’s strategy.

Okay. That’s the overview. Just to get the sense that in those, what, I didn’t count them, six, or seven, or eight texts, the focus again and again was suffering.