Sunday Morning Service – January 26, 2025
Psalm 34, 1 Peter
Thank you for this church that your saints have built and populated for God almost 200 years. We thank you for the pastor you’ve given us, all the people that are here to worship you. We’re so grateful for it. Father, just ask that this service would be pleasing to you. For it’s in Christ’s name we pray, amen. I’ll be reading from Psalm 34. I will praise the Lord in all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the Lord. Let all who are helpless take heart, come let us tell of the Lord’s greatness. Let us exalt His name together. I pray to the Lord and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy. No shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I pray. And the Lord listen, He saved me from all my troubles. The angel of the Lord is a guard. He surrounds and defends all who fear Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him. Fear the Lord and view His godly people for those who fear Him will have all they need. Even the struggle in our lives sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. Come my children and listen to me and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right. His ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil. He will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken hearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to rescue each time. From the Lord protects the bones and the righteousness, not one of them is broken. Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteousness will be punished. But the Lord will redeem those who serve Him. No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned. Good morning everybody. Good morning. I’m glad you’re here. This morning we’re going to do a reading for the entire book of 1 Peter. And as a council we decided to do that this morning for a number of reasons. One, we’re studying 1 Peter. And sometimes when you’re just studying shorter passages, you don’t get the entire context of the letter. So I think it’s important that we just take time to read from beginning to end to see the entire flow of the passage. Also last week we were assigned the homework of reading 1 Peter. So we’ll do it together this week. So next week when pastor returns and says, “Did you read through 1 Peter?” we can all say yes and he’ll be very impressed. But also I think whenever we read just through chapters or specific verses, like I said, we lose the context, we lose the flow. It’s a letter. It’s meant to be read from beginning to end. It’s meant to be read out loud to a congregation to hear, to receive the words of the Lord. So I’ll read the first part and then I’ll pass it on to Rich next. But just kind of settle in. It’s going to be a long reading. Just enjoy it. Maybe read along up on the screen, read along in your Bible and just see what happens. See what happens. Enjoy it. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To God’s elect, exile scattered throughout the provinces of Pontius, Alatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood. Grace and peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. For you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophet who spoke of the grace that was to come to you searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you when they spoke of the things that have now been told to you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you have when you live in ignorance. But just as he called you as holy, so be holy and all you do, for it is written, Be holy because I am holy. Since you call on a father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear, for you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God who raised him from the dead and glorified him. And so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply from the heart, for you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourself of all mammals and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slandering of every kind. Like newborn babies, create pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in salvation. Now that you have tested that the Lord is good, as you come to him in the living stem, rejected by humans, but chosen by God and precious to him, so also I am in living, unlike the living stems are being built in spiritual health, to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in the scripture it says, “Exceed I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen, precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now, to you who believe this stone is precious, but to those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become cornerstone, and a stone that caused the people to stumble, and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobeyed the message, which is also what they were destined for. But 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 the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received me. Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wages war against your soul. This shuts good lives among pagans that though they accuse you, you do not, you are doing wrong. Let me see your good deeds and glorify God in the day he visits us. Submit yourself for the Lord’s sake to every human authority, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or the government who are sent by him to undo those who do wrong and to command those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of holy people. Live as a free people, but do not use your freedom to have the cover-up for evil. Live as God’s slave. Show proper respect to everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Slave to the irrelevant fear of God. Submit yourself to your master, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. God, but now is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it. But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable. Before God, do this you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. Being committed, no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled his insults at him, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins and his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed, for you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives. When they see the purity and reverence of your lives, your beauty should not come from outward adornment such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their building God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her Lord. You are her daughters. You do not do what is right and do not give way to fear. Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs to you of the gracious gift of life so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, be like blinded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing because to this you recall so that you may inherit a blessing for ever would love life and secret days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good. They must seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Who is going to harm you if you’re eager to do good, but even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats. Do not be frightened, but in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscious so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slaver. For it is better if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good and for doing equal for Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous were the unrighteous to bring you to God. God was made alive in spirit after being made alive. He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the art was being built. In it, only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also, not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscious toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. We have spent enough time in the past during what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They were surprised that you now unjoin them in the reckless while living and they keep abuse on you. They will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason, the gospel was preached, even those who are dead, who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live accordingly to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray above all love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others. As faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms, if anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. Anyone serves, they should do so with the strength that God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Dear friends, do not be surprised that fiery ordeal has come on you to test you. Is there something strange or happened to you? Rejoice in somebody as you participate in the suffering of Christ so that you may be overjoyed and his glory is revealed. If you were insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed. The spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal or even as a mentor. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household. And if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who have now obeyed the gospel of God? And if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So that those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s suffering who also will share in the glory to be revealed. These shepherds of God’s flock is under your care, watching over them as God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve. Not lording it over those who trusted you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory. You will never fade away. In the same way you were younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility towards one another because God poses a proud, vicious favor to humble you. Humble yourselves therefore under God’s mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and with sober mind, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for something to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of suffering. And the grace of God who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen. With help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I bring to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast to him. She who is in Babylon, choosing to together with you, sent you her greetings and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of blood. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. May God have his blessings at the reading of his word.
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