ANCHORED TO THE ONE TRUE GOD PT. 1| 1 PETER 1

[Music] [Music] [Music] first Peter chapter 1 and if you're turning in your Bibles and getting ready we are starting today our verse-by-verse steep teaching of first Peter and I've been meeting people who've been coming here on Sundays but we've been in this series and so they've not attended what is called expositional or expository teaching that is our mainstay here at this church we do do that on Wednesday nights but Sunday starting today we go back to what we have done for decades at this church and are you guys there are you ready I'll read listen I'll read the odd-numbered verse and you read the even-numbered verse we're only gonna be looking at these two verses this morning I'm gonna be honest with you we're gonna be looking at verse 1 let me be really honest with you we're gonna be looking at the first word that's found in verse 1 today but I'll read the first verse you can read the second verse out loud if you would first Peter chapter 1 Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontius Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia beautiful father we thank you for your amazing word and God we pray that as today we embark upon our journey in my heart anyway in my mind it's as though we're backing the car out of the driveway right now we are about ready to begin a thousand mile journey and so father as we begin to march through this amazing book I know that this is the book that you would have for us to study you've made that clear to my heart and I asked father by your great grace that you would make it clear to all those who study with us from this moment on and we do know that over time should you grant us Lord time and the opportunity that there'll be others that will view this there'll be those that will view online that will be those that are viewing by TV or by radio in the future and as they listen in and God we pray that you had not only anointed every week but in our meditations of it and that you would reinvent it every time it's heard and listened to because we seek one thing Lord and one thing only and that is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ so thank you father we pray in Jesus name and all God's people said amen so you may be see at a church and do have your Bibles or open your Bibles to first Peter chapter one we're looking today at a message that we're gonna entitle for the next week or so anchored to the one true God in fact that is our theme for this series in 1st Peter is anchored and this anchoring comes out of the word usages that Peter employs during his teaching of these first five chapters so look today in your note-taking and I do stress that I told you on Wednesday bring your notes bring your pens pencils be ready because for 55 minutes we'll have our college room class on Sunday mornings and that's really getting back to the bread and butter of this church if you want to be entertained go somewhere else if you want to learn about God's Word then this is where you want to be and we want to march through the Bible and we don't want to leave what any zone or one stone unturned we want to look at at all and that's how the Bible listen everybody that's how the Bible becomes our foundation that's how the Bible becomes our anchor in life because and if you know this you know this if you don't know this you will know this and here's the worst part of all if you don't know this and you never know this then it's a tragedy and here's what I'm talking about God's Word set deep as an anchor in our very fiber of person who we are that when the storms hit us that when life rages against us by whatever means you've got something better someone to hang on to every one of us in life will experience the hardships turmoil and difficult of life you will experience it but where do you go and to what do you hang on to and so I'm really blessed glad happy to be looking at this first epistle of Peters it's known by the way in background as a universal epistle some the Puritans would call it an epistle of catholicity see what does that mean well the word Catholic means universal forget about the Catholic Church that word Catholic means that which is universal Apple Computer is Catholic Microsoft is Catholic what does that mean it's universal it means it's all-encompassing and the and the amazing verbage and word usage and delivery of Peters epistle is Catholic or bears catholicity meaning it's not only written to the 1st century Church it's engineered by the Holy Spirit for every believer of every age even out now to the 21st century this book proves the authorship of the Holy Spirit in many ways coming from Peter first of all Peter was a fisherman we all know that Peter was a man who trafficked with Jesus for three and a half years in ways of closeness that maybe we can ask Peter when we get to heaven right I mean we only know what's recorded in the Bible can you imagine spending three and a half years with Jesus personally the things that you would have known listen if you're a Galilean like Peter was the word Galilean whenever they went down to Jerusalem it would be like I don't know how to equate this it would be like somebody going from MIT - what - romper room I mean if you lived in Galilee and you went to Jerusalem you were considered the country bumpkins of those people from Galilee talked funny they had a little twang and they're in their way and their mannerisms they were uneducated the Bible even tells us that when after the resurrection of Christ and the disciples were baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit the Bible tells us that Peter and James and others were preaching the gospel and people were getting saved in fact Peter how'd you like to have this happen you may be here today and you want a real small church she said what am I doing here the church is too big I understand that I'd like to Pastor a small church also a lot less hassle a lot less problem big Church big problems you I want a small church I can't go to a big church I get that but what do you do when Peter delivers his first sermon in Jerusalem on the southern steps he preaches a message and 3,000 people get saved in that minute you go from a country bumpkin preacher preaching a simple Street message in Jerusalem to a mega church in minutes and then a few days later went by and Peter wound up preaching again and another several thousand got saved absolutely remarkable what happened what happened to this man Peter a fisherman a Galilean will he met Jesus and the Bible tells us the book of Acts that the critics the scribes and Pharisees heard their preaching and saw them in the streets with such boldness and the Bible says that they concluded that these uneducated men had been with who Jesus that's the key today by the way what God considers uneducated you might say well that's not me I have a PhD from Yale or wherever listen you may be impressed by that but God is not impressed with that okay you may frame it and put it on your wall that's for people to see so you feel better about yourself listen God doesn't care about that hallelujah church praise God that he takes losers and he brings them into his kingdom and he anoints them with His Holy Spirit and they become witnesses of his to the ends of the earth now just because you're educated doesn't mean you're handicapped I'm picking on you right now God can use your great education but maybe you're not educated today and God can use you if you're willing and Peter is a tremendous example of that very truth Peter was anchored to Jesus Christ in a very powerful way so as we begin today and maybe a little bit next week we're just breaking into the introduction of all this being anchored to the one true God and that's my prayer that you would understand that as we go through this book why well because of the timing mark this down in your note-taking the timing this book was written by Peter somewhere around 62 to 64 AD and it's very important that you know that 62 to 64 ad in four years of this writing Peter will be crucified in Rome upside down he was actually asked if he he was told that he was gonna be crucified Peter asked because he felt unworthy to mimic his Lord because of his failure of following Jesus you gotta remember it now he's an old man feels as though he had not represented Christ right in his life was not worthy to be crucified upright like Jesus was and Peter so goes Church rumor Church history Peter petitioned his his accusations and those that had condemned him the Roman Empire he asked if he could be crucified upside down so what they did was is that they formed an X and fastened two parts of it into the ground and by that they crucified Peter inverted and that's how he died just four years after the writing of this book why 62 to 64 AD because number one watch this all of Paul's writings had already been completed the Apostle Paul all of Paul's writings had been written by Paul and had been circulated to the churches Peter comes along and now Peter is in Rome we'll see you next week that it was authored from Rome and Paul had already been there Paul just previously we don't know if it was a six months to a year we're not sure Paul had already been beheaded many scholars believe while Peter was in Rome so listen put yourself in Peter sandals you're in Rome there's a great persecution going on against Christians they take the leader of the church in Rome it wasn't Peter my Catholic friends I hope you know that the Bible says it was not Peter I know Catholicism teaches Peter was the first pope but that's not true Paul was the first one to found the Christian Church in Rome Paul did that and Paul dies now they behead Paul's second Timothy chapter 4 his head has lopped off his shoulders Peter's in the vicinity and they're arresting Christians from 62 to 64 AD a persecution began a persecution began that you're all to some degree familiar with it's the famous Roman persecutions in fact today if you go to the Colosseum which I believe every Christian should go it's very emotional if you've ever been very moving and I'm grateful to the Italian government and the Department of Antiquities for this because in recent years when you go now to the Colosseum when you're standing there there's a huge cross that's been erected and it there it says to the testimony the first century Christian believers and it's a powerful declaration because so many Christians died that you know about from history in that brutal Coliseum in fact let me read something to you about it by the way give you a little quiz before I do that at this time from 62 to 64 AD Peter is speaking riding from Rome and this is what's going on Nero is having Christians arrested why anybody know why because listen on July 19th 64 AD Nero's insecurities had reached the level watch this Nero the infamous emperor of Rome was not only hated by Christians are feared by Christians by his antics but he was feared by Romans and he was a very insecure guy and he he was not content to be the ruler of the world the pontiff is Maximus Nero but what he wanted was immortality and what he believed is that if he could take the eternal city and rebuild it that he would be forever in embossed in in history forever now Church the last person you want to rule your kingdom or your land is a very very insecure person you want to know why when people are insecure they do horrible things people who are insecure make for tyrants they make for despots they make for killers and by the way go look throughout human history go study the life at a remarkable life of Adolf Hitler and you'll be shocked when I say remarkable to take Adolph Hitler's life just change his name and you can apply that to a study of a guy by the name of Saddam Hussein you ever heard of him go look at the life of Saddam Hussein it mimics the life of Adolf Hitler remarkable go read the life of what you can read the life of a guy by the name of Osama bin Laden Charles Manson on and on it goes people who are severely mistreated grew up to severely mistreat they were insecure and they became horrible leaders dangerous people and this was Nero and so he wanted to immortalize his name forever so you know what Nero did Nero and I'm not making this up this is in Roman history Nero engineered the burning of Rome he actually gave orders to his guards that if you see citizens trying to put out the fires block them from putting it out he wanted Rome to burn because he wanted to get the credit for rebuilding Rome so he had a plan if you have a devious plan like that and you don't like what a group of people are all about listen carefully a group of people who now watch they were Romans predominantly they were citizens of the Empire Judaism was tolerated and approved by Rome it was okay to be a Jew and practice your Hebrew Scriptures fine but then came along Jews who began to say that Jesus was the Messiah that the Old Testament Scriptures taught that he was the Savior that he was the Messiah that the Old Testament Scriptures of Judaism were none other than the prophetic word of God and that the fulfillment or the coming of Jesus Christ was none other than the coming work of the redemptive King they would say that in Judea in Jerusalem Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and for that listen for that he's to be worshipped if you're insecure and you want all the worship and you hear somebody else's to be worship that scares you does it not number two there was a lot of secrecy about this sect of Judaism that's how it was viewed these people that were called of the way they were viewed as a sect mi Borneo they were viewed as a sect of Judaism but this sack had some strange practices number one they met in secret did you know that the Rome accused the Christians in Rome of me in secret but that wasn't true the meeting and secret rumor came because the Christians and by the way this is true also and it's doctrinally accurate they would say we're going to have communion but communions only for the believers so if you're here at the service today they would say I would say the same thing today if you're here at service today we're gonna have communion but it's unlawful according to 1st Corinthians chapter 11 the writings of the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of God that a non-believer should never take communion did you know that everybody see someone's gonna ask me pester you mentioned communion how can we don't have communion on Sunday mornings because there's a lot of non-believers here you want communion come Wednesday nights first Wednesday night of the month every first Wednesday of the month we have communion why it's reserved for believers the Bible says only believers can partake of communion unbelievers are not there to abstain they're just stay out of that Rome said that's weird chalk one up for weirdness number number three on this thing was we've noticed listen we've noticed that when they greet each other the men give each other a kiss and the women give each other a kiss this is actually hilarious listen Rome calling Colleen what's the same the kettle black how does it that's the pot wait calling the kettle black I was right the first thing okay saying that Rome said we think that that gathering propagates homosexuality men kiss men women kiss women we don't we don't approve are you kidding me Rome Rome almost invented it so mark another one up and then they began to say that there's salvation and no other than this one called Jesus and that got the other religions of Jupiter and Athena and Diana as Zeus 360 gods that wrong worshipped and even Moore's demigods were made up that angered the Empire you tracking with me now all of these things began to stack up against the Christian witness and it was perfect for Nero to launch his reign of persecution which broke out and round and it swept over the entire Roman Empire millions of Christians were slaughtered over time and there's a record by the way of a historian that watched it Tacitus the famous Roman historian in his book of the annals chapter 15 section 44 I read him verbatim but by all human efforts all the lavish gifts of the Emperor he's trying to bribe the people and the propitiation of the Gods did not vanish the sinister belief that the configuration of Rome the burning of Rome was the result of his own order consequently to get rid of that report Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures upon a class of people hated by all for their abominations these called Christians by the populace Christo's Christ Jesus from whom the name had its origin he suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one procurator Pontius Pilate and a most mischievous superstition thus checked for the moment again broke out not only in Judea the first source of the evil but even Rome they're talking about the spread of Christianity or he is talking about the spread of Christianity where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their Center and become popular interesting accordingly an arrest was first made of all the Christians he's referring to those in Rome then upon information disseminated an immense multitude was convicted not so much of the crime for firing the city burning down the city as of hatred against mankind listen you can accuse Christians a lot of a lot of things but it's interesting the previous and the following Roman Empire will book Roman leader we'll both write that if you wanted to see the most loving people at all look at those Christians Nero says no no they're hateful he labeled them haters it wasn't the justification in his mind let's kill them because they burned Rome no he was guilty of that he deflected and you know what he did to take the deflection to this to the most beneficial direction in his interest he blames the Christians and he says these people are exclusive these people hate these people are self-righteous these people are homophobes Islamophobes think of it does that not sound familiar isn't it interesting now I'm gonna say this really quick I don't want it it's a diversion from what I'm talking about but I don't believe as Solomon I Solomon said there's nothing new Under the Sun I believe that's that's a hundred percent true what I believe that we are watching in this day and age is a revival of the demonic powers that influence the thinking of a culture and what worked then will work again in its coming back I believe it's coming back Church the same demons that will torment the culture and a society through yielded means will say the same things and right now Christians because we know what we believe we believe also that the Bible announces that there's a heaven that there's a hell that God loves us that he died on the cross for our sins in Christ rose again from the dead for our justification that message demands that every man woman boy and girl understand that Jesus died for our what and that's the problem you cannot go around and tell people that they're sinners so that they can be saved and go to heaven forever no that's illegal almost you'll be persecuted for that and it's happening it's happening again it's happening last month in Detroit Michigan where a church went out to invite people who are questioning their gender to give encouragement the invitation went out to moms to bring their daughters because the church was going to show them the womanhood of women women celebrating women to be feminine and they were viewed as being hateful and hostile and now the government of Michigan the state Democrats by the way I'm not don't get upset I don't like Republicans or Democrats there's there's a couple of Democrats I know in Washington they're nice guys and there's some Republicans I know that are nice guys I'm not endorsing or condemning a party what I am saying is Democrat leadership in Michigan have gotten together and they're launching an attack against the pastor they're launched an attack against the church they're calling for a full financial investigation what does finances have to do with their doctrine listen there they want to review sermons they want to take a look at the church they're considering revoking its 501c3 existence to be a church in Detroit in Michigan in the 21st century in the United States of America what's going on it's a resurrection of a demon spirit to go after God's people it's coming again absolutely remarkable but I'm still reading from Tacitus chapter 15 section 44 accordingly an arrest was made of the Christians then upon information disseminated an immense multitude was convicted so much for the crime of fire in the city as of hatred against mankind mockery of every sort was added to their deaths they were covered with the skins of animals wild beasts they took the skins of animals and they stitched it around them they put the guy inside the lady inside and they stitched the animal clothes on them like like like a deer deer outfit and then what does it say release them to the wild dogs and thereby they perished some were nailed to crosses like their Christmas like their Jesus didn't Hey go on not now not now go online just Google Isis crucifying Christians when it pops up on Google hit image just hit image you'll see Christians in Syria in northern Iraq crucified crucified there all the way down to two year old babies crucified on crosses why isn't people talking about this it's not popular to talk about this it's too shocking to talk about this it's happening again and Nero is a master at it listen to this once daylight had expired others were doomed to the flames and burned alive to serve as a nightly illuminations along the streets and at Nero's pleasure and I can't tell you some of the other things that he did there too demonically sensual but he when he saw Christians burning that would excite him to no end ladies and gentlemen there's stuff going on in America today that has no explanation except in my opinion the the influence of demonic activity everybody's yelling right now I'm going nuts about gun control regarding what's happened in Florida and nobody's talking about dealing with the issue of the spiritual condition of the nation guns don't kill anybody it's a wicked heart that is full of hate and trying to destroy people we've got to get to the heart it's a hard issue it's a hard issue but no one will talk about the deep thing we'll listen we're going to have more laws we're gonna spend more money we're gonna get more cops on the streets we're gonna lose more freedoms and nothing's going to change until you address the human heart from which all of this comes from but you can't talk about that publicly because that gets the municipalities and the powers that are upset and so it's gonna continue just as it is and they're all dancing around the problem it's the human heart and so persecution was listen persecution was destroying the church I put that in quotes because guess what happened persecution hallelujah never destroys the church persecution always purifies the church always in fact I'm convinced to this I don't believe Satan wants to persecute the church any longer the way that we would think or the way that he has seen in the past but yet it happens because every time it does false believers run out the door true believers stay and even in the face of martyrdom guess what happens to the unbeliever the unbeliever says I don't have anything worth dying for in my life those Christians they know what they believe so much that they're willing to die for what they believe I don't have anything like that to live for and you've got to ask yourself that question do you have a faith in Christ that you're willing to die for Peter lived now a long life he's old Peter now he's old and some of his apostles that trafficked with them are now dead Peter the man who once denied Jesus remember on that night of Jesus's crucifixion or arrest he knew the sting of denying Christ and Peter wasn't going to go through that again written from Rome the Bible tells us if you look back at verse one it says right there that he writes it to those who are aware to the dispersion that are in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia when I say Asia not the Asia you're thinking about Asia would be the region of just south of the Black Sea on your map in your head your geography it's over here actually Black Sea Turkey this way Black Sea over here at the Caucasus Mountains and it predominantly covers today what we would say is Turkey up from Lebanon Syria over the arm of Turkey bridging into Europe that's Asia are known as Asia Minor this is a huge region a huge region in fact you guys can we just show the map I kind of caught you off guard there we'll put hide the map at the end we'll just throw it up there now this is a huge region you see the area where you see Asia and Galatia Cappadocia that is that is Turkey today you see Damascus in the bottom right hand corner of course of Syria but all of this region is an area that if we were to go way left to the screen you would see Italy the bhoot Sicily on the end right so you would see Rome Peters writing from Rome and sylvania s-- Silas will keep will take this epistle and he'll walk it all across Europe is that amazing he'll walk that thing across Europe and get it to the churches that are in all of this region from the Black Sea all the way down to the Mediterranean into the Aegean Sea and why what's the big deal because Peter listen Church Peter is writing to a group of people who are watching their brothers and sisters either a die because they're followers of Jesus or the spectre is looming over their heads that they're gonna die for being Christians and I'm gonna ask you no answer out loud I'm gonna ask you it what would you do if something happened in this nation something happened in this state where there was an onslaught against Christians because remember Satan is a gradualist he starts slowly little bit at a time little bit he creeps he's a creep he's a creeper he's not done somebody just asked me last service do you think Satan can read our minds that's impossible that's an attribute of God you see yeah but it's like he knew listen he's old you know he's been around a long time he's dealt with a lot of people he knows I don't think we're all that complex personally I think Satan and his minions have lived long enough to figure out I kind of know how ninety-three percent of humans are going to decide when they're in this kind of a situation do you know Sam do you know what I'm saying I think yeah I think he's very good at guessing and so the enemy is attacking Christians are standing and the specter of fear is upon them to make a decision for Jesus Christ and Peter's writing to them and I think I actually think that a believer like Peter who over the years it's a beautiful name who over the years has seen God's faithless because you got to remember let's put us listen again let's let's think about Peter you guys have have you ever denied Jesus let's be honest okay wait let me really let me take that back everyone raise your hand yes you have I got you Hey this is how he's all hudley offended at that Oh grow up listen listen this is this is what happens you know when the Holy Spirit says tell that person right there about me and you don't do it you're denying Christ we all do that what happens all done when when you're at work and somebody's saying a filthy joke and you hear that you hear God say to you tell a guy to knock it off tell the guy tell the guy hey man there's ladies in the room or tell the guy hey man that's offensive and you don't do it are you with me we're all guilty of that we're all guilty of that here's a man who's writing to us Peter who denied Jesus Christ in the moment of Jesus's greatest need who was one back to Christ and I want to hear from him don't you I want to hear from a man who survived denying Jesus Christ I want to hear from a man who lived a life in a hostile Roman world that was Antichrist anti-christian and lived long enough to write about it we're going to learn so much of God's grace of God's power we're gonna learn so much about this book being anchored to the hope of God in the midst of suffering Peter is all about suffering if listen if the New Testament had a correlation to the book of Job its Peter Peter is going to tell you Peter could preach to job and it's truly amazing so over the course of the next couple of months or years going through Peter you ought to be encouraged you ought to be encouraged but Peter was a man who according to history the Bible teaches us that he was a very strong man I'm not going to read the entire portion you can look it down later in John chapter 21 the Bible tells us that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead that weekend but the disciples were not fully convinced they had they were filled with a lot of fear and doubt and and Peter by trade by trade Peter was what a fisherman by trade and so by the way he was fishing when Jesus met him the Bible tells us that Peter had a brother remember what his brother's name was Peter and Andrew Peter and Andrew were brothers James and John were brothers Peter and Andrew worked for James and John's dad mister Zebedee both the boys James and John Zebedee jzy Peter and Andrew worked for jz fish company the Bible tells us in Luke chapter 5 that they had a company together they actually had a company they were a fishing company they knew how to fish but the Bible tells us something about Peter and John chapter 21 Peter the Bible tells us they're all on the boat fishing in fact it's kind of cute because they're all disgruntled and bummed and Peter said I've had enough of this I'm going fishing what do you you know that makes sense right when you're when your world is getting rocked it's actually therapeutic to go do something that you like to do and that you know how to do did you know that you know that's normal human behavior when when men get upset what do men do oh okay now what is going on in here today they sit silent no don't they go golf or something what do you do what do you go to the gym you go run is that I don't know what you do I think eating is approved of God to do but so a man does what does a woman do when she's upset when she needs guys see that see how they responded like that shop in fact I heard one woman hero during my right say shop shop that's big shopping but you go to a place where it's like you're not gonna unwind I'm just gonna get I'm gonna get a Peter says I can't handle this I'm going fishing and all the disciples said we're going with you no no that was good news to Peter but they all got in the boat and they're out on the water and the Bible tells us that as they fished all night long they caught nothing and as the morning was dawning they looked on the shore there's a man standing on the shore that they did not recognize it says and from the shore you hear this petty on petty on in Greek what is this what is this little boys someone's on the shore shouting to a bunch of men in a boat little boys have you any food now I don't know if you're fishermen and you've been up all night and you have not one fish in your boat and somebody from land says hey little boys got any food then fighting words right Wow are you serious I wonder what was going on in their minds who is this Yahoo on the shore because it says they didn't know who it was and they answered back listen they answered back in the Greek all may what soul may answer certainly nothing the word means there's no fish to catch that's what the word means no fish to catch you person without a boat standing on the shore it's an awesome moment Jesus has got to be having fun with that and the Bible tells us that John the author of John's Gospel John John it's his boat company his dad's company John leans over to Peter and says it's the Lord how did John know I don't know it doesn't say John says it's the Lord and the Bible says read it later John 21 it says Peter stood up and put on his outer garment it means he had his undergarments on it's it's not exactly Fruit of the Loom it's a little bit more than that but not much now listen it says Peter put on his robe do you put on your robe to jump on the beach jump in the water no Peter puts on the robe dives in in fact the Bible says that he plunged into the sea the word plunged in Greek means he threw himself into the water there's no organization to it he he's getting his robe on he's good or not he just flings himself into the water and the Bible says he swims 100 cubits to shore it's a hundred and thirty yards 130 yards longer than a football field what does that tell you about Peter passionate impetuous wanted to be with Jesus in that sweet by the way listen are you are you here today and you're one you see pastor go back to the thing you mentioned a moment ago about about denying Jesus Christ I haven't gotten past that yet well listen you can get past it now the very one that denied Jesus to his face is the first one in the water when John said it's the Lord Peter didn't say how do you know he doesn't even ask Peter doesn't say are you sure just at the thought of it being Jesus Peter says to himself I'm assuming that wasn't there Peter must say to himself I'm not letting him get away again and he dives in head over heels swims to shore 130 yards and the Bible says that when they got when the boat arrived on the shore that all the fishermen tried to pull the net what had happened said Jack I thought you said they didn't catch any fish they hadn't got any fish but what happened was when Jesus said little boys do you have any food and they responded no certainly not no way no fish to be caught it's the famous line Jesus said cast your net on the other side of the boat non fisherman from shore telling fishermen where to put their net amazing you think there's more fish on one side of the boat then on the other side of the boat have you ever noticed when you go down to the Newport Beach Pier there's people fishing on one side of the pier and on the other side of the pier they're all in the exact it's nice evenly distributed until guess what happens watch it next time it's amazing and if a little nine-year-old catches a fish on the right side of the pier and then that little nine year old catches another fish on that same side of the pier guess what happens all these grown-up experienced fishermen start going and they start putting their poll on the it's a fact they put the poll on the other side of the pair the same amount of fissures on both sides it's not the sides of the pier but when your god from the shore and you can see the fish and you know the fish and you know the fishermen who are fishermen but they can't catch fish how did the fish know to go into the net how did the fish know to be on the right side of the boat they didn't Jesus must have whispered in fish talk swim into that net the Bible says that the net was almost beginning to break and by the time they get the boat to the shore the Bible tells us that the disciples tried to pull the net to the shore they couldn't do it then the Bible says Peter went up and grabbed the net himself and Peter pulled the net onto the shore and the fish were 153 and they were shocked that the net didn't break Peter did that he was a big man according to church history he was huge Peter was no doubt being a fisherman sun-bleached leathered fishermen up all night up all day hard job and strong no girlie man tough guy a man's man I say that to you today think about that a man's man that when this man saw Jesus his only meaning in life was to get to him even if it was big jumping into that water Peter let's remember who we're talking about it's Peter who when they thought they were gonna die in the boat remember in the storm was raging it was Peter and I love it you want to talk about a fleece you know you know what if Li says Lord you want me to have that job if you have if you want me to I'll say yes their job show me a sign God show me a sign if the Sun comes up tomorrow that would be a sign show me a sign you know how we set that up God if you want me to buy that house or that Ferrari have me breathe three times must be the Lord okay that's insane okay don't do that don't do that but in that storm they all thought they were gonna die says the Bible and Peter sees Jesus walking on water and Peter does the ultimate he shouts to this personage that's in the water and he says lord if it's you command me to walk on the water now ladies and gentlemen that's a fleece for your next job or whatever you want to do ain't no way Peters gonna walk on the water and that's God's in it and Jesus says come on and the Bible tells us Peter in a storm I wouldn't even be in a boat in a storm Peters in a boat and then he gets out of the boat and he steps on the water and Peter walks to Jesus on the water I love the sky you've got to love this guy and of course he's so human cuz the Bible tells us when he began to look at the waves what does that mean if he's looking at the waves he's not looking at Jesus oh my gosh the world's falling apart yes it is no no it's not no the world's all falling together if you know your Bible but this has happened and that's happening fall them together it's all coming together if you know your Bible it's not falling apart but where do you go in a storm do you walk to Jesus in an issue of life are you going to Jesus and the things of this life Stalin jizz and difficulties or have you taking your eyes off of Jesus Peter is going to be teaching us that in the midst of rejection cruel treatment from the world that God has not forsaken us in fact this is this is going to be serious people are not going to like to hear this but when somebody tells you over and over again that your suffering is because you don't have enough faith if you're suffering is because you haven't tithed enough if your suffering is because you keep looking at the wrong thing and you need to buy my book to think more positive about yourself really tell that to Peter tell that to those are in Asia and Cappadocia in both in iya right tell it to them Peters gonna tell you that the only way that you and I can spiritually develop and grow is if you and I go through life's sufferings with Jesus can I read to you the fine print ladies and gentlemen every one of us believer or non-believer will go through difficulties in life please listen this is so elementary if you're here today and you are a full-blown atheist Satanist warlock witch whatever you might be do you understand something you're still gonna get cancer or you're still gonna get bone disease or bubba's osteoporosis or we have said these things befall all of humanity you can be the most saintly saint the most godly person in the world and die of full-blown cancer because my body your body has been sold into sin our bodies bear the pain of sin we live in a sinful world so don't write me later say I can't believe you sued that because I I believe I'll never get sick well you just keep believing it will just laugh at you and you get sick the but well come on the book well pray for you after we laugh alright but the truth is this the Bible tells us it's through suffering that we become more like Jesus see if we live in a westernized version of the gospel nothing Bad's gonna happen eat I'm gonna be rich I'm gonna be smart I'm gonna be rich somehow I'm gonna be more beautiful than I am this moment no no you're not no that's not how it works ladies and gentlemen Peter writes to us and says in the midst of suffering you can embrace the suffering listen because a Satanist a godless person even a very moral unbeliever you go through this life suffering with no hope you have nobody to hold your hand and I'm not talking about your friends I'm talking about there is a hand that will hold your hand in the midst of pain and sorrow and suffering it's so invisible but you feel like you squeezed in your hand it's Jesus Christ walks all of us kids the valley of the shadow of death and I'm telling you right now everyone's gonna go through troubles why don't you today decide to go through your life's troubles with meaning and purpose and victory why would you go through your life troubles with loss mayhem and destruction it's gonna happen why not go with Christ when I do it to God's glory and know him oh it's absolutely awesome God's promises to us and so Peters writing to a people that are going to be and have already been greatly greatly attacked the Bible tells us that Peter is an apostle of Jesus Christ so wait a minute did he write that correctly shouldn't it say Peter a fisherman of Jesus Christ no did Peter fish anymore maybe for fun maybe for his family whatever but that's not listen fishing is what he did a fisherman was not who he was Church family the days and I have no inside information I'm just saying the way the world is going things could get real rough I want Peter I prayed long about this book this is unusual for us because we did this book I think 18 years ago here at this church we've never redone a book and I prayed hard and I over and over again I felt strong felt strong about Peter keep coming back could it be that in your life or in my life or in our life but the days or the future ahead is gonna demand that you and I draw from Peter Peters writing to believers you there's not an evangelistic verse in this entire book did you know that oh great how's my friend gonna get saved and I brought him here today can't you can't you kind of sugarcoat it a little bit pastor no actually if they're really thinkers if they're if they're into reality then I think they heard something a moment ago that's got them thinking already and that is yeah you're right you know what I've seen good people and bad people go through very very hard things and and I think I think the hard things in my life have gotten me thinking it's one of the reasons why I'm here right now and that guy stand out of there said earlier that is Jesus who came and died on the cross and rose again from the dead for our sins and if I stop and think for a second nobody in this room is pointing at me but I can point it myself someone may be thinking today of the sins that you've racked up in life number one because you're smart I want to ask you how do you know their sins how do you know that's a sin it could be all the way from I murder that man - I told a white lie and yet you know down deep inside its book it's bothering you right now it's on your conscience how do you know that if your thought about that how is it that your conscience which is a scientific mystery the human conscience consciousness is a mystery to science how is it that you have guilt and remorse conviction of sin because God speaking to you he's real and he's saying to you I want you into this family and then on top of that all the hardships that are coming in life God says I'll walk you through them I'll take you all the way through them and not only through them I'm gonna use them I'm gonna use them in your life to make you more like my sons so that when you come like Peter to the older years of your life you'll be a seasoned Saint your life will have value you'll have something to say instead of just saying something because Peter was great in his early days it was so fun to read the Gospels and watch Peter make mistakes because it's so encouraging the Bible tells us when Jesus there appeared in Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration Peter James and John were there and the Bible says because Peter didn't know what to say he said and he starts talking that's Peter picks up the musket shoots the thing gets it ready and then he aims that's Peter Peter Jesus says I'm gonna go to the cross and I'm gonna die and Peter rebukes Jesus you know what you're talking about God excuse me but it's me Peter remember that and Jesus says get thee behind me you love this guy and I want to hear from him because he's a man who suffered he's a man who denied Jesus and when Jesus was getting ready to ascend back to heaven listen to this Jesus told Peter and I bet it was ringing in his ears before Jesus left Jesus told Peter Peter Satan has asked me if he could have you by name you guys all hear that can you imagine hey Peter just what Peter Satan just appeared to me and he was asking me if he could have you rip you up just tear you to shreds Jesus tells us to Peter I love this and I'm pictured Peters like wow that's heavy man I don't wish that on anybody and Jesus said when you return Peter strengthen your brethren excuse me what Jews Jesus I thought you just said when I returned for me to be an inspiration to my brothers yeah that's exactly what I said well where am I going well say fast for you and he's gonna rip you up when you come back take what you've learned and communicate it to others I love that you never buy a book written about marriage from someone who's never been married right when pastor Steve made the announcement about the upcoming course on communication in relationships everybody who's married here went oh man whoa why cuz we all need help we all of this difficulty all of these challenges we grow in these things God uses them and you know is a great work God called Peter to be an apostle if today you're a Christian need to ask yourself this question and don't stop asking God until you get the answer what has he called you to be to do because please understand this Peter is Peter and Jesus loves Peter Peter loves Jesus Jesus invites Peter to go and do the work of the kingdom listen please whatever that scorecard report card displays about his Apostleship is irrelevant to the magnitude of love Jesus has for Peter are you with me Church God loves you if you preach a good message or a bad message God loves you if you've been a bad husband or a good husband God loves you if you've been a rebellious kid or an obedient kid God loves you but the love of God doesn't leave you where you're at the love of God changes you and Peter is the man that we're gonna learn from on how he can take a galilean from the north of the country of Israel and come upon him by the power of the Holy Spirit and use him to touch the world God may not have apostles in the world today as he did then but I know this God loves you and that doesn't change your relationship is who you are with Jesus but what you do is what you do with Jesus you have a relationship to Christ that's who you are but what you do about that relationship doesn't define you it's what you do does that make sense and from this moment on you need today go forward and boldness and ask God Lord I'm Mike and what am I Lord of the Lord Jesus Christ what am i and you'll find God tapping on your shoulder at work at play at home on the street and he's gonna speak to you and when he speaks you listen father we thank you for your love and for your truth for us the glorious fact that Peter an apostle root word to that is one that sheds or shares and spreads the message Peter was a fisherman possessed by the Holy Spirit with a message it's that message that you used in that man that opened up doors for him that he might travel the known world in your name to be arrested and beaten in your name and to die in Rome in your name so father we pray in Jesus name that our lives you would even now father baptize us afresh with the power of your Holy Spirit that God from this moment forward we would experience Lord a greater sensitivity of heart toward your leading and father that we would embrace because we belong to you we would embrace all that comes our way that we might be wholly righteous dedicated servants of the Most High God we praise you father in Jesus name and all God's people said a man church let's stand and close as we worship Him now together

Channel: Real Life with Jack Hibbs

Views: 43,091

Keywords: anchored in the lord, pastor jack hibbs, saint peter, apostle peter, st. peter, introduction to 1 peter, 1 peter, 1peter, first peter, 1 peter 1, 1 peter chapter 1, jack hibbs, 1 peter bible study, bible study in 1 peter, book of 1 peter, one true god, why does god allow suffering, why does god allow pain, persecution, persecuted Christians, Christian persecution, a living hope, jesus, calvary chapel, real life

Id: _VARjet7_OE

Length: 60min 23sec (3623 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 18 2018