Aug. 2 – 1 Peter 1:1-12, “Born Again to a Living Hope”

Aug. 9 – 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, “Grow Up into Salvation”

Aug. 16 – 1 Peter 2:4-10, “A People for His Own Possession”

Aug. 23 – 1 Peter 2:11-20, “Living as Servants of God”

Aug. 30 – 1 Peter 2:21-3:7, “Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness”

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By God’s grace and for His glory, I have had the incredible privilege of leading seven mission trips every summer from 2009-2015 to a little town called Dénia on the east coast of Spain. We took teams to lead VBS-style activities throughout for a week at the “Alfa y Omega” school that was attached to the Església Baptista Dénia (Dénia Baptist Church). We would serve all morning with the kids, then work in various maintenance and landscaping projects in the evenings. And on Saturday, for the adventurous, we would take a 12-mile hike up Montgó, the mountain that sits directly behind the city of Dénia. The climb and return took over 8 hours to complete and was somewhat treacherous … At one point, hikers needed to scramble over boulders and crawl along ridges with precarious falls on either side. The switchbacks that lined the side of the mountain were created with such a steep grade that even the fittest among our group needed frequent breaks as we climbed. Each year, there were many in our group who questioned their decision to climb the mountain instead of enjoying a day at the beach. 

            

And I often found myself in the role of motivator, constantly encouraging those who were struggling on the hike. During particularly complex parts of the journey, I would say things like, “This is the hardest part! Come on!” And then, an hour later, I might end up repeating myself, “Ok, this is the hardest part!” I think the students (and chaperones) began to doubt my credibility … 

 

But, the reality was, I knew what was in store for them. I knew the incredible views of the coastline and the Balearic islands that awaited them from the top. I’d been there before. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, referencing Moses looking into the Promised Land at the end of his life in Deuteronomy 34, “I’ve been to the mountaintop!” On the night before he was killed, Dr. King told a packed house in Memphis:

 

“Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop ... And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”

                  

This month, we begin a new series in 1 Peter, a letter written to encourage believers to keep going when times get tough. Throughout this month, we will be called on to keep going, even in the midst of suffering and pain and loss. The apostle Peter writes this letter to churches scattered throughout Asia Minor, subjugated under the mighty forces of the Roman Empire. Believers were constantly tempted to reject the gospel, the good news of who God really is and what He’d done for them in Christ. Churches were gospel outposts on the frontiers of the world where Christians faced increasing persecution. What message did struggling Christians need to hear? 

                  

“Keep going. This is the hardest part. There is a glorious reward at the end. It will be SO worth it.” How did Peter know that what he was saying was true? Did he have credibility writing this letter? Yes! Peter had walked with Jesus in this world. He saw the empty tomb with his own two eyes. He watched, astonished, as Jesus ascended to heaven. Peter also understood the heart of the gospel – why Jesus died and was resurrected. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV). When believers remember what the gospel has secured for them, they are assured (and constantly reassured) that they not only will survive whatever ordeal they find themselves facing, but one day soon they will receive an “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). 

            

My prayer for us throughout this month is that we would all recall afresh how the good news of Jesus transforms our earthly trials and tribulation. May 1 Peter be the voice assuring us as we climb, “Just a little further. Don’t give up. It’s going to be SO worth it.” Singer/songwriter Andrew Peterson reminds us of this glorious reality in his song, “All Things New”: 

 

The world was good, the world is fallen
The world will be redeemed
The world was good, the world is fallen
The world will be redeemed

So hold on to the promise
The stories are true
That Jesus makes all things new
(Dawn is upon you)

Rise up, oh, you sleeper, awake (rise up, oh, you sleeper)
The light of the dawn is upon you

 

                  

Grace and peace,

 

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