God’s Life-Giving Word
Sermon Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Spiritual Vitality
1 Peter 1:3-13 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 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 at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Outline
God’s message of grace is life giving.
1. Where it comes from
vv10-11 “the prophets… searched and inquired carefully… the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted…”
v12 “… announced… through those who preached the good news… by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”
2. What it is focused on
v11 “Spirit of Christ… predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories”
v13 “the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”
v12 “they were serving not themselves but you”
3. How it transforms
v13 “therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you”
Prayer of Confession
Our Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth, you alone have the power to give and sustain life. In folly and with ignorance, we go astray. We have more confidence in what we see than in what you say. We trust our own understanding more than we trust yours. Because of this, we act in ways that are dishonorable. We don’t promote and sustain life. Instead we hurt, harm and damage. Forgive our offenses. Open our ears to hear your word of grace, and renew our minds so that we understand all things rightly. Thank you for Jesus, predicted by the prophets, announced by the apostles, and believed on in the world. Our hope is fully in the grace revealed in him. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What difference does it make that the prophets predicted the coming of Jesus? Why is that important?
What changes if your starting assumption is that the Bible is the very word of God, as compared to thinking it is a book written by humans (like any other book)?
What are the implications for how we are to hear God’s message and handle God’s word? How are we to read the Bible in order to rightly understand it?
How does the whole Bible bear witness to the sufferings of Christ, and the “subsequent glories”? What do we do with the many specific parts that don’t seem to have anything directly to do with that? How do we understand how it all fits together?
How does setting our hope on the grace that will be revealed at Christ’s return help us now? Why should we live differently today if this is true? What does it look like?
What does it mean to be sober minded? What is needed to think clearly and understand wisely? How should your choices be informed by living in God’s grace?
Are you encouraged by the good news? Does it help that the prophets struggled to serve you, who benefit from hearing of God’s grace? How can you experience more of the “good” in the good news?