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Call to worship: Isaiah 44:1-8
Text: 1 Peter 5:12-14
Sermon Outline:
- Peter's closing exhortation: stand firm in the true grace of God, 5:12.
- Stand firm in the one Gospel message.
- Stand firm as the collective Gospel messenger.
- Peter's supporting pillars for this:
- Steadfast Silas, 5:12a-b.
- Messed-up Mark, 5:13d.
- The chosen 'she' at Babylon, 5:13a-c.
- Your loving local church, 5:14a.
- Peter's prayer for the peace we share in Christ, 5:14b.
Prepare
Discussion Questions:
- Read 1 Peter 5:12-14. I went back and read the entire letter to my children recently. Let me encourage you to add that to your reading as we bring this great letter to a close.
- What is the main exhortation of the letter? See 5:12. What is the true grace of God according to 1 Peter? Why do we need the exhortation to stand firm in it? What does it mean to stand firm in it?
- Who is Silvanus, and why would he add credibility to what Peter has urged upon us? Read Acts 15:22, 32, 40, 16:19-30. Who is Mark, and why would he add stability to the call to stand firm in the true grace of God? Read Acts 13:13, 15:38 beside 2 Tim 4:11.
- Take a guess as to the chosen 'she' who is at Babylon. Why might 'she' be an encouragement to these persecuted believers in Asia Minor? Is the exilic nature of the church part of our understanding of the church? Is it something we avoid or, at cost, embrace if only to have fellowship with Jesus? Does how we perceive the church at present make a difference in how we perceive church life and ministry moving forward?
- How would a loving local church be a pillar of support for suffering saints? Go back to 1 Pet 1:22-2:3 and 3:8 and 4:17-5:5. Peter ends the letter as he began, with a prayer-wish for our felt-peace in Christ. How does this, how does He hold us fast as we make our way Home? We titled this series 'a living hope for holy living when that life is hard.' How, I pray, do we have a better sense of the Christian life and the church's calling today than we did at the start of February?