1 Peter: Is All of This Worth It?Sample

For more than thirty years Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and more of Jesus’ followers had been spreading the good news throughout the Roman Empire. Here, in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, churches had sprung up among new converts. They were gentiles, not Jews, who had chosen to turn away from worshiping pagan gods and to turn to worshiping Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life. In doing so, they were also turning away from their culture, from their families, from their neighbors. Their decision meant rejection, ridicule and scorn. And the rumors from Rome made them wonder if more intense persecution might be coming their way.

ASK:

-What comfort would these rejected individuals have found in Peter’s description of them as “elect” or “chosen”?

-Having been “exiled” from the culture around them, what comfort would they have found in being part of a church body?

TAKE A NEXT STEP:

Are there rejected “exiles” living in your midst? Whether they are Christians or not, how might you extend a Christ-like attitude toward them?