Peter the Man (4)

Introduction: Peter's Preparation for Writing 1 Peter

0:05 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, January 11, 1998, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, when we turn to that portion of God's Word that we have come to identify as 1 Peter, the first words that confront us are, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to elect sojourners of the dispersion. When we turn to the opening words of that portion of God's Word, we do not find, to all,

0:46 to all of the churches in all ages from God the Holy Spirit.

0:54 Now, that's true. That portion of the Word of God that we call 1 Peter is indeed addressed to all of the churches in all ages, and it is indeed from God the Holy Spirit. For all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable. But God did not send that letter.

1:18 This letter, down from heaven, wrapped in special angel's paper with a tag on it saying, to the church, from God the Holy Spirit. That is not the way God gave us that portion of His Word. This letter, like every other portion of the Word of God, comes to us as the very words of God in and through the words of God. This letter, like every other portion of the Word of God, comes to us as the very words of God in and through the words of God.

1:48 This letter, like every other portion of the Word of God, comes to us as the very words of God in and through the words of God. This letter, like every other portion of the Word of God, comes to us as the very words of God in and through the words of God. And each of the penmen is an instrument in the hands of God upon which God plays the precise tune that He has chosen to play. But He plays it in such a way that it partakes of the character of that instrument.

2:08 And so, in preparation for our consecutive expositions of that portion of the Word of God that we call 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 1 Peter, we have been spending several weeks looking at some of the biblical materials that give us insights to the life of Peter, particularly those aspects of his life in which we see the Lord uniquely preparing Peter that as an old man, a short time before his martyrdom, he would be able either to sit and to write or to sit or stand and dictate these words, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

2:52 to elect sojourners of the dispersion. And in our previous three studies, we have sought to look at only a specimen of the biblical materials that give us some insight into precisely how God prepared this man, Peter, to write precisely the letter that he did. And I want to underscore that this is not a digressionary exercise. It is in many ways a vital and a necessary exercise if we are to have a more accurate understanding and application

Major Events in Peter's Spiritual Pilgrimage: Prelude to Pentecost

3:32 of the contents of that book that we call 1 Peter. Thus far we've looked at the major facts concerning Peter's background as that was shaped by the all-encompassing providence of God. And then we began to look at the major events in Peter's spiritual pilgrimage as those events were governed by the all-transforming grace of God. And in the Gospels we started with the first encounter with Jesus in John 1 in which the Lord looks into Peter's face and says, Your name?

4:13 Is this, but it shall be this. And he cryptically conveys to Peter that in fellowship with Jesus he shall be made into a rock. And then we concluded with that touching incident of our Lord's restoration of Peter and recommissioning him to his apostolic task as found in John 21. Now this morning we want to continue considering together some of those major events in Peter's spiritual pilgrimage as those events are governed by the transforming grace of God

4:53 and in particular how those events uniquely prepared him to write the letter that he wrote. And having left now those major events and only a specimen consideration of them as found primarily in the Gospels, I want you to turn with me now to the first chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. And what we are going to consider this morning is four categories of events that I will call the prelude to Pentecost. Peter's further preparation to compose that letter that we call 1 Peter.

The Post-Resurrection Appearances of the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:1-3, Luke 24:36-43)

5:37 And I did not know how else to describe these four categories of events other than the two of them. and to call them a prelude to Pentecost. And the first of them is the post-resurrection appearances of the Lord Jesus. Acts chapter 1 and verse 1.

5:57 The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day in which He was received up after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also showed Himself alive after His passion by many proofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days. Now as Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, begins to write the book of Acts, he makes reference to his former treatise

6:41 and says, that it described and recounted the things that Jesus began both to do and to teach until the day He was received up and the Gospel of Luke, as we'll see later on in our study this morning, does indeed end with the ascension of our Lord Jesus and gives us some very helpful details as they relate to Peter's preparation to write the letter that we shall be studying. But he does, underscore for us that these particular events focused upon the apostles whom He had chosen. The end of verse 2. He was received up

7:24 after He had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. And in the providence of God, we read about that specific act of choosing them in Matthew chapter 10. Out of the vast multitude of the disciples, those who had attached themselves to Jesus, had embraced Him as their rabbi, He selected twelve to be apostles. To them He gave unique and non-transferable authority and power as apostles.

8:02 And here, Luke tells us, He gave to them unique privileges. After He had given commandment through the Spirit unto the apostles, whom He had chosen, and then notice the first thing that Luke tells us in this account of the first chapter of Acts. To whom He also showed Himself alive after His sufferings by many proofs, appearing to them by the space of forty days. Now it is clear that these chosen apostles were the unique recipients of these

8:46 recurring post-resurrection appearances of the Lord Jesus. And these appearances or presentations are called demonstrative evidence, undeniable proofs that He was indeed the living Jesus. He presented Himself uniquely and especially, though not entirely exclusively to the twelve or to the eleven, but in a very special way unto these apostles, it is to them that He showed Himself alive after His suffering by demonstrative evidence,

9:31 by many undeniable proofs. Now what is Luke referring to when he says that He presented Himself to them with many undeniable proofs? Well if you turn with me to Luke chapter 24 you'll know what Luke had in mind. In Luke chapter 24 we have one of the examples of these presentations of the Lord calculated to be an undeniable proof to the apostles whom He had chosen that the Jesus whom they were now looking upon was indeed the very same Jesus with whom they had toured

10:14 through many parts of Palestine, whom they had seen arrested in the garden, who had been crucified. It was this Jesus, not a phantasm, not an apparition, not a ghost, not a near relative who happened to look like Him, but indeed the very same Jesus. And here in Luke 24, beginning at verse 36, we see one of these instances that constitutes the undeniable proof, the demonstrable evidence that He was indeed the Jesus who had been crucified and buried

10:56 but was now alive from the dead. Luke chapter 24 and verse 36. If you notice verse 33, they rose up that hour, returned to Jerusalem, found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And they are rehearsing what happened in the way and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

11:25 This is the end of the account of those two that were on the road to Emmaus when the living Christ drew near to them, walked with them, ate with them, revealed Himself to them. Now these two pass on this news to the eleven and some others gathered with them. Now verse 36. And as they spoke these things, He Himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, Peace unto you.

11:55 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit. Their first response was not, Oh, your report is true. You've told us that you saw Him. That you ate with Him.

12:10 He was revealed to you in the way. Now we see. No, no. Their testimony at this point meant nothing to them.

12:17 They were terrified. Not filled with joy. Terrified. Filled with fear, thinking they were seeing an apparition.

12:25 They were seeing the kinds of things that are reported in seances. When people supposedly see an apparition of some departed loved one. They see a face and they see a face. They see a form.

12:40 But if they reach out to touch it, their hand goes through it. It has no physical, corporeal substance. Now that's what they thought they were seeing. Now we can't go into why did they think that.

12:51 But the text clearly says they were terrified and fearful, supposing they beheld a spirit. And He, Jesus, said unto them, Why are you troubled? And wherefore do questionings arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.

13:16 Fix your eyes upon My hands and My feet. Why not My face? My hands and My feet. The hands that a few days before had been pierced.

13:36 See My hands, My feet, the very ones that were impaled upon a cross. See My hands, My feet. He goes further. Handle Me.

13:57 It says don't only use your faculty of sight. Use your sense of touch. Handle Me. Go ahead, if you think I'm an apparition, put your hands on Mine.

14:11 Poke My side. Drop My face in your hands. Handle Me. Let the sensation of substantial matter make its way through the nerve endings of your fingers and register on your brain that I am no apparition.

14:31 I am no phantasm. I am no ghost. And as surely as your eyeballs picking up the image, flashing on your retinas, send a message through the eyeball and through the eye nerve, the optic nerve to your brain, saying this is indeed the hands and these are the feet of Him who was crucified. Now use your faculty of touch.

14:58 Handle Me. For a spirit has not flesh and bones as you behold

15:11 to whom He showed Himself alive by demonstrative evidence, by undeniable proofs. Look at the text. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And one of the most strange verses in all of the Bible.

15:37 And while they still dis for joy. You read the preceding context and these two characters on the road to Emmaus, they're down in the dumps, their chins are dragging on the road because of unbelief. They said, Don't you know? And He said, Why are you so sad?

15:56 Are you the only one who's been around here these days and you don't know all the things that happened to this Jesus whom we had hoped would be the Redeemer of His people? Think of the humor of that. They're talking to the one about whom all of these events circled. And He said, You're the only one who doesn't know what's happened?

16:15 They were dejected for unbelief. For He said, All fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said. So the chapter begins with the dejection of unbelief. And here is unbelief in the midst of joy.

16:31 And while they still disbelieved for joy and wondered, He said unto them, Have you here anything to eat? Now what's He doing? Was He particularly hungry? There's no evidence that in His glorified state He needs food to sustain the life of His glorified body.

16:51 He's not there gnawing hunger pangs, saying, Somebody got a crust of bread for a hungry Savior? No. Look at the passage. And they gave Him, a piece of a broiled fish, and He took it and ate before Him.

17:10 With glorified teeth, He bit off the piece of broiled fish. And with glorified teeth, He chewed it. And with a glorified, many demonstrable evidences, showing Himself alive. That's what He's doing.

17:39 And in that, forty day period, and we have some other examples of this, you remember in John 21, they've been toiling all night, and they see the Lord Jesus on the shore, and He's prepared breakfast for them. In these instances, in John chapter 20 as well, with doubting Thomas, Thomas says, I'm not going to believe your report, until I see with my own eyes, and touch with my own hands. What does the Lord do? He appears in the midst, and He says, Now Thomas, go ahead and touch, go ahead and see.

18:12 And Thomas the doubter, becomes Thomas the worshipper, who falls down, not before a phantasm, not before an apparition, not before a noble idea, that their loved and beloved Rabbi, had somehow in spirit, come back to them, and was, no, he fell down before, a corporeal, touchable, feelable, risen Jesus, and he said, My Lord, and my God, and in flesh Lord, and in flesh God, in a resurrected body, that had teeth that could chew,

18:57 and a throat that could swallow, and hands that could be touched, and feet that could be grasped. And so when the text tells us, to whom, that is to the chosen, apostles, he showed himself alive, by many, demonstrative, evidences, by many, undeniable, proofs. This is the manner, of those proofs, given, by, the risen Christ. Now you say, Pastor, that's all very interesting, and I'm a Christian, and I find it thrilling, to see that.

Relevance of Post-Resurrection Appearances: Validation of Peter's Apostleship and Our Salvation

19:36 But what relevance does that have, to first Peter? That's a fair enough question. And it's on me, to answer the question. And I want to answer it, at least in two ways.

19:47 First of all, it comprises for us, the validation, of Peter's credentials, as an apostle. You're there, in one of the congregations, in Asia Minor, somewhere around 64 A.D. And one of the elders, or one of the leaders in the assembly, stands on a given Lord's day, and says, we have a letter, from the beloved apostle, Peter.

20:15 And it begins with these words, Peter, an apostle, of Jesus Christ. And someone who's come out, of somewhat of a pagan, skeptical background, raises a hand, and says, Mr. Elder, excuse me, I don't want to disrupt the worship. But who's this guy, Peter, that he writes, and says he's an apostle?

20:35 What are his credentials? And I would hope, the man would have wisdom, to say, well I don't want to disrupt, the flow of Peter's letter, to us now, but my brother, I'll be glad to meet with you, after, and I'll tell you. And then if he knew, what he ought to know, he'd sit down, and he'd say, look, this guy, Peter, he is no bogus apostle. For that first century, was plagued, with false apostles, and would be apostles.

21:00 Peter himself, in his second letter, had to talk, about their many, false teachers, and Paul, in second Corinthians, had to contend, with false apostles. And one of the, non-negotiable requirements, for a true apostle, among others, was this, he had to have seen, the living Christ, with his own eyeballs. Right here, in Acts chapter one, look at the, scriptural evidence, for that statement. In this period, prior to the outpouring, of the spirit, on the day of Pentecost, as they are worshiping, in the temple, the end of Luke 24, and spending time, gathered in an upper room, to pray, Peter rises up,

21:44 Acts 1 15, and in those days, Peter, here we see, him in his natural place, of leadership, stood up in the midst, of the brethren, and said, and then in the next verses, we read, how Peter, directs their minds, to Old Testament scriptures, with reference, to Judas' defection, from the apostolate, and the fact that, God would raise up another, to take his place. Now then, verse 21, Of the men therefore, that have accompanied with us, all the time, that the Lord Jesus, went in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day,

22:26 that he was received up from us, of these, must one become, a witness, a witness, and in its primary meaning, it does not mean a herald, one who reports a message, with proper authority, but a witness, one who can, tell what he has seen, and heard. One must become, a witness with us, of his resurrection. And Peter, in setting forth those requirements, among the men, who would be considered, as Judas' replacement,

23:08 gives as an indispensable element, in the requirement for an apostle, that he had accompanied with, the Lord Jesus, from the baptism of John, until his ascension, that he might be among other things, an eyewitness, of the resurrected Christ. And so, Peter, when he writes, Peter, and, he can write as one, who was not only chosen, by the sovereign will, and purpose of Christ, to be among the twelve, not only one to whom, was given, those unique powers, and authority,

23:52 given to the apostles, so that he could say, the signs of an apostle, were done in me. Even to the point, where we read in the book of Acts, where people would, come within his shadow, and they were healed. But he could also say, I was an eyewitness, of his resurrection, by many incontrovertible, demonstrative evidences, and undeniable fruits. I have seen, I have beheld, the risen Christ, in the language of John, in first John, that which we have seen, that which we have heard, that which our hands have handled,

24:37 of the word of life, that we declare unto you, that you may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship, is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. This is absolutely, critical. The only way, you and I, can enter in, to living spiritual fellowship, with Jesus Christ, is through the witness, of his apostles. That's crucial.

25:01 And if I'm staking, my soul's eternal well-being, the issues of forgiveness, and the knowledge of God, upon the testimony of another, I want to know, he's the real thing, bearing witness. And so, God has underscored, and validated, Peter's, credentials, as an apostle, in these many, post resurrection, appearances, and secondly, he has wonderfully, validated, our salvation. Notice in the opening paragraph, of first Peter, when Peter begins, this eulogy, that has many parallels, to the opening paragraph, in Ephesians, that you considered, briefly this morning,

25:45 in the adult class. Peter begins, verse three, blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who according, to his great mercy, begot us again, unto a living hope, by what? By the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead. He grounds, this whole salvation, upon the fact, and validity, of the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead.

26:20 Blessed be the God, who has begotten us, unto a living hope, a salvation, that goes beyond this light, and on into the age to come, and it is grounded, not upon a vapoury, ephemeral, flimsy, religious notion, that somehow or other, Jesus lives on, in the hearts of his people, and in some way or other, we can say he lives, and has not been contained, in Joseph's tomb, nonsense. When Peter writes, by the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead, he's talking about the Jesus, who said, see my hands, my feet, handle me.

27:05 I am the substantial, corporeal Jesus, whose hands broke the loaves, and multiplied them, and fed the thousands, whose hand touched the leper, who spoke at Lazarus' tomb, and he was raised, from the dead, I am no other, I am the resurrected, the living Christ. So that when we pick up an epistle, and we will, in opening up that opening paragraph, see the strategic place, of the resurrection, and our salvation, we are not dealing, with a notion, we are dealing,

27:47 with that which was set before Peter, with demonstration, demonstrative evidence, undeniable proofs. Glorified hands to be touched. Peter had touched them. Peter had seen them.

28:03 Do you see how God was graciously preparing him, that when he'd be an old man, some 30 plus years after the resurrection, he would be able, to write to people, way off in what was then, the uttermost part of the Roman Empire, a little north and a bit east, and say, blessed be the God, who has begotten us, unto a living hope, by the resurrection, of Jesus Christ, from the dead. And if any were to question, the validity of his credentials, he could say, he showed himself, living to be, by many undeniable proofs.

The Post-Resurrection Instruction by the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:3, Luke 24:44-49)

28:47 But then there's a second, collection of events, or facts, in this prelude to Pentecost, and it's what I'm calling, the post-resurrection instruction, by the Lord Jesus. And now we're back in Acts 1, following the track laid out by Luke. Not only, the post-resurrection appearances, of the Lord Jesus, but secondly, the post-resurrection instruction, by the Lord Jesus. Picking up the reading, where we left it off, a few moments ago, verse 3, to whom he showed himself alive, after his suffering,

29:31 by many proofs, appearing unto them, by the space of forty days, and speaking the things, concerning the kingdom of God. So he was both presenting himself, after his suffering, by many proofs, by the space of forty days, but also, speaking particularly, things concerning, the kingdom of God. He was giving them, a post-resurrection, concentrated, extensive seminar, on the relationship, of all that he had done, and all that he was going to do,

30:15 after Pentecost, with respect to the nature, the establishment, and the extension, of the kingdom of God. The reign of God, in grace, and power, culminating, in the new heavens, and the new earth. Well, what went into that, speaking about the kingdom of God? Has God given us anywhere, any hints, as to what the particulars were, that will help us to know, how that, in a special way, was an ongoing aspect, of the Lord preparing Peter, in grace, to write his letter.

30:53 Well, yes, especially Luke. Never forget, Luke and Acts, were written by the same man. Yes, the Holy Ghost, gave him the words. But the Holy Ghost, used Luke the physician.

31:04 Luke with his trained mind. Luke with his logical mind. And we read in Luke chapter 24, another example, or a clear example, of what Jesus was doing, when he was instructing them, concerning the kingdom of God. Luke chapter 24, after this post-resurrection appearance, that becomes one of the undeniable proofs, that he is the living Christ, to the same group, we now read in verse 44, after he had eaten the fish, and he said unto them, these are my words, which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you,

31:49 that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me. Now that's technical language, to describe the whole Old Testament. Those were the categories, that the average Jew would have heard, from his infancy, if he were reared in a pious home. Instead of saying the Old Testament, they would have heard constant reference, to the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.

32:17 That was a category, those were categories familiar, to these men of Jewish background. Now note verse 45, then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures. Now pause for a moment. Those of you who have been here, for Pastor Lamar's expositions, of the upper room discourse, you remember all that Jesus was saying, to the eleven, about how it was necessary, for him to go away.

32:45 The helper would come, and when the helper came, he would instruct them, he would teach them, he would tell them things, that Jesus could not yet tell them, they weren't able to bear them. So there was, there was yet to be, an augmented dimension, of spiritual insight, after Pentecost. But this is after the resurrection, and before Pentecost. This is during the time, when Jesus is instructing them, concerning the kingdom of God.

33:14 And here's a specimen, of what he said. He opened their mind, that they might understand the scriptures. And he said unto them, thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead, the third day, and that repentance, and remission of sins, should be preached in his name, unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

33:43 Now without going into any great detail, do you see the very clear, overarching emphasis, of this aspect of kingdom teaching? Prior to Pentecost, and the heightened insights, that would be given, when the spirit was poured out upon them, and came to take a permanent dwelling, in the new covenant temple of God. Our Lord Jesus brought them, to a very fundamentally new level, of insight to the Old Testament scriptures. And particularly with reference, to showing them, in the Old Testament, the centrality of the saving work, of Messiah.

34:27 He was showing them, from their Old Testament scriptures, from which, in a distortion of those scriptures, they had concocted, their skewed messianic hopes, and were thinking of a Messiah, promised in the prophets, who would come upon a white charger, and smash Rome, and bring Israel to a place, of dominance, and the kingdom of God upon earth, issuing forth its scepter, from Jerusalem. Skewed notions of the kingdom. Some of it was still resident, in their hearts, right here in Acts chapter 1. They say, Lord do you at this time, restore the kingdom to Israel.

35:09 Much more was to be taught, with the coming of the spirit at Pentecost. But here at this point, our Lord is showing them, the centrality of the saving work of Christ, in the Old Testament. Secondly, the necessity of proclaiming, this saving work. Look at the passage.

35:27 Not just to the favored Jews, at Jerusalem, but proclaiming it, in His name, to all the nation. Now put yourself in the place of the Jew. After Pentecost, after years of maturation, when we come to Acts chapter 10, Peter is still unwilling to go, and sit down, and have a meal in a Gentile's house. This was a radical, thing to their minds, in their narrow categories.

36:02 Though Jesus, prior to the cross, had said, a time is coming, when men shall come, from east, and west, and north, and south, and sit down, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom. Our Lord had not been silent. He had shown by His own example. He had healed a Gentile.

36:22 He had reached out, His favor and mercy, to Gentiles on occasions. Much to the offense of His Jews. His opening sermon, in His hometown on Nazareth. He shows how God had a heart, for Gentiles in the Old Testament.

36:37 But this, was deeply embedded in their thinking. This narrow, exclusivistic spirit. And it was in Peter. And so the Lord, who has been gently dealing with it, in the days of His humiliation, now in this post-resurrection, intensive seminar, on the kingdom of God, not only shows the centrality, of the saving work of Christ, in the Old Testament.

37:04 A saving work, that rests down upon His death, and His resurrection. But the necessity, that this work be proclaimed, among all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And notice thirdly, the unique place of the apostles, in this task. You are witnesses, of these things.

37:29 What things? The death, and the resurrection, on which the salvation rests. Which was now to be proclaimed, among all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. These in a unique way, they were the only, eyewitnesses of those events.

37:49 We bear witness to them, based upon the apostolic testimony. I go back to verse John 1, 1 to 3. That which binds us, to the faith of God's people, is the validity, and the accuracy, of apostolic testimony. But here, Peter and the others, are given a new level of understanding, that the kingdom is not going to be, a triumph of the Jewish nation, over the Goyim, over the hordes of the Gentiles.

38:23 Whatever that kingdom is, it is going to be a kingdom, that rests down, upon the saving acts, of the Messiah, in death and resurrection. It is to be a kingdom, that will extend, to all the nations, not by sword, but by proclamation, of the very truth, that up till now, was such a stumbling block to them. That the way Messiah, comes to the great kingdom, promised to Him by the Father, is by way of the humiliation, and degradation of the cross, and the triumph of an open tomb. You ask again, what relevance does that have to 1st Peter?

Relevance of Post-Resurrection Instruction: Peter's Understanding of the Kingdom and Old Testament

39:03 Why in the world, can't we just start 1st Peter 1? I hope no one is thinking that, but I know human nature well enough to know, I got a sneaking suspicion, there might be one or two thinking that. Well, I hope you eat your unspoken words, once we get into 1st Peter, because you'll see again and again, the relevance of all this, but let me just trace out one or two lines, to help you at this point. When Peter is an old man, sits down, to write or to dictate a letter, to a region that is, as I've already alluded, in his day, the uttermost part of the earth.

39:40 If you look at a map of the Roman Empire, as it had extended its rule, in the day that Peter lived, you would see to the north, and a little to the east, that region up there, was the outermost part of the earth. The empire extended further north, as you went west, that was the uttermost part of the earth. Can you imagine Peter, whether he was at this time incarcerated, and waiting for his execution, we don't know, but most likely at Rome, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, when you were a young man, you could go wherever you wanted, you were carefree and happy like any kid, but when you're old, people are going to bind you, and take you where you would not go.

40:23 This folk he's signifying, by what death he should glorify God, and when he writes what we call, second Peter, he says, I know that the time is soon coming, when I'm going to shed this earthly tabernacle, I know that soon I'm going to die, I'm going to lay down my life for the Savior, whom I so tragically denied, but who so graciously restored me, allowed me to be part of that special, intensive, post resurrection, forty day instruction in the kingdom, and now I understand what he meant, as I could never understand then, you Peter, along with your fellow apostles, you are witnesses of these things,

41:08 beginning from Jerusalem, to the uttermost parts of the earth. Can you imagine what probably, I can't say for sure, because I don't have the text to prove it, but surely again, feeling the reality that these were human beings, with human emotions and reflections, surely somewhere along the line, when Peter pens or dictates, Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to elect sojourners of the dispersion, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, how the words of Jesus would have washed through his mind,

41:50 unto the uttermost part of the earth. Now I understand, now I enter in, as I never could have before, to the expansiveness of the heart and the saving purposes of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, almost every commentator who has studied this book and written upon it is careful to point out, that if you take the total number of verses in 1 Peter, I think there are 105, and you total up all of the quotes, all of the allusions, all of the references, all of the images drawn directly from the Old Testament, they have stated, that proportionately,

42:34 there is a greater density of Old Testament, quote, allusion, reference, imagery, in 1 Peter, than in any other portion of the New Testament. Now how'd that happen? Well you say, the Holy Ghost! Yes, the Holy Ghost.

42:50 Yes, granted. But he doesn't work magically. He works on us as human beings. He works on us and in us supernaturally, but not magically.

43:05 He was with them 40 days, teaching them concerning the kingdom of God. Where did Peter, with his narrow Jewish prejudices, come to the place where he's prepared, as we will study in the book, God Willing and God Sparing Us, take so many passages, that in our first reading of them, we would see nothing in that that applies to congregations, primarily comprised of Gentile believers. Those who were no people, whom he now calls, with the very terms that God used, of ancient Israel, a holy nation.

43:47 People for God's own possession. He takes terminology, right out of the Old Testament, when God speaks to his Old Testament people, Israel, and he says, you are now the Israel of God. That didn't just happen, folks. It didn't happen overnight.

44:09 May I say it reverently? It didn't just happen with the mighty rushing of the wind and the infilling of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost. No little part of it was our Lord's 40 day period instructing them in the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And no doubt, as most of the commentators point out, the things that are in Peter's first letter are things that he had on many occasions in his down-to-earth pastoral interactions with the people of God in various places throughout the many years of his ministry.

44:47 Remember, these are the matured, ripened words of an old man who has served Christ for approximately 35 years. And out of the richness of all of that interaction and encompassing the fruition of that 40 day instruction in the things concerning the kingdom of God, Peter is able to give us this richness of Old Testament quote, allusion, analogy, and imagery. And he's not doing it like the lovesick man who everything he sees...

45:25 Have you ever been around someone like that? You can't talk about a thing but what he finds a bridge to the one that's made his heart go flip-flop and flutter-flutter. You ever been around someone like that? It's a kind of pleasing discussion.

45:38 It's a kind of trust that you feel. This person is so cross-eyed, head over heels, quote, in love. Can't hear a chirping of the bird, can't drop a glass on the floor and shatter...

45:49 He can't do a thing but what he says, oh, you know, that reminds me of... And everything is some kind of a sentimental umbilical cord to his beloved or her beloved.

45:58 Well, when you see Peter constantly dipping into the earth, is he some man under the influence of an unprincipled infatuation with Jesus? No, not at all. He is a man laying out what Jesus himself taught, that in turn...

46:15 Remember when he recommissioned him? When you are turned again, strengthen your brethren. Do you love me, Peter? Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, shepherd my sheep.

The Explicit Command and Promise Concerning the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, John 14-16, Luke 24:49)

46:28 And here the Lord was wonderfully preparing him to fulfill that task. Well, then there's a third element in the overture. As God is preparing Peter, for this work that he will do as an old man in giving us this letter, and it's what I'm calling the explicit command and promise concerning the Holy Spirit as given by the Lord Jesus. And now we're back in Acts 1.

46:55 We're working our way through these opening words as our framework. Note now, verse 4. And being assembled together with them, he, that is Jesus, charged them not to differ and depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, you heard from me. For John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

47:29 Now, after Luke records that our Lord had showed himself alive by many proofs, appearing to them by the space of forty days, secondly, speaking the things of the kingdom of God, he then directs us to this explicit command and promise given by the Lord Jesus with respect to the coming of the Holy Spirit. He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise heard from him, a promise which fulfills the words of John the Baptist. Do you remember way back when Jesus first appeared, John pointed to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God and then he said,

48:13 I baptize with water, this is the one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit. And so John's words are brought forward here by Luke in conjunction with what is called the promise made by Jesus. And here again, those who've been for the expositions of the Upper Room Discourse, you remember how again and again in John 14 and 15 and 16, Jesus spoke of the coming of the Helper, the Comforter, the Paraclete, the one called alongside to help. And he promised again and again that he would come.

48:53 But now, how is all this tied up with preparing Peter to write a letter to suffering saints some 30 years later? Well, let's just look very quickly and we'll not expound the verses, but just by way of remembrance for many of you, turn to John 14, verses 25 and 26. These things have I spoken unto you while yet abiding with you, but the Comforter, the Helper, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. Here our Lord makes a prediction that we can call without any stretching of the significance of the word,

49:37 a promise whom the Father will send in my name. He shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. Here is a dimension of the Holy Spirit promised uniquely and particularly to the eleven that the Father would send the Spirit in Christ's name and He would teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. Now over to chapter 15, verses 26 and 27.

50:13 But when the Comforter, the Helper, is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall bear witness of me. And you also bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. You see, this is not a general promise to be applied one to one to all believers in all ages. It has applications of a broad nature.

50:46 But this is a distinctive word to those who had been with Him from the beginning. A distinct ministry of the Holy Spirit who would bear witness of Christ. And they would then bear witness to those realities concerning Christ. And then chapter 16, just one other reference, 12 to 14.

51:07 I have yet many things to say to you. 16, 12. But you cannot bear them now. Howbeit, not after I am raised from the dead, and I purpose to open your mind and give you a greater understanding in many dimensions of the nature of my kingdom.

51:24 No, He is looking beyond that. However, howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He shall guide you, that is, you, eleven, who have been my companions, He shall guide you into all the truth, for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever things He shall hear, these shall He speak, and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come. They are given a promise that in conjunction with the Spirit's unique ministry to them as apostles, they will be able to map out aspects of things to come,

52:07 as well as a fullness of understanding of the truth. He will lead them into all the truth. Then in Luke 24 and verse 49, one other reference from the Gospels, and then I hope you'll see how it all comes together. After that word or description of His post-resurrection kingdom instruction, the Lord says in verse 49, Behold, I send forth the promise of My Father upon you, but wait in the city until you be clothed with power from on high.

52:45 You see, the emphasis here is in the coming of the Spirit. They will be clothed with power tied in with Luke's words in Acts 1-8. You shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. You shall be My witnesses, both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the uttermost part of the earth.

53:03 The primary emphasis in Luke-Acts in these two passages is the coming of the Spirit as endowment with power to bear their unique witness to Christ. But in the upper room discourse, the verses I've read emphasize the ministry of the Spirit as teacher, illuminating, bringing to remembrance what Jesus had said to them, giving them understanding in the things concerning Jesus, leading them into all truth, showing them things to come. So the explicit command and promise concerning the coming of the Spirit as given by the Lord Jesus focuses on both of those dimensions of reality. Now you say again, but Pastor Martin,

Relevance of the Holy Spirit's Promise: Equality of Experience and Peter's Dogmatism

53:47 what in the world does that have to do with understanding 1 Peter? Well, it's one of the most precious things to me, and it's gripped me in my preparation, and I pray God it will increasingly grip me in the days to come. When you read through the book of 1 Peter, there's not one hint that Peter even suggests that his experience of Christ is superior to the experience of those elected, sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia. Not one hint of a suggestion, though they've never seen Christ, chapter 1, verse 8,

54:31 whom having not seen, you love. But when he describes the salvation they have, how does he describe it in verse 3? Look at it in chapter 1. Blessed be God, and the Father of us, our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

55:05 He says your salvation and mine are in precisely the same category of divine privilege and blessing. How can that be? He walked with Christ. He touched with Christ.

55:24 He performed miracles in the name of our dear Christ. Surely he had something better than we have, than those people up there in Asia Minor had. You find one shred of evidence of that in the book of 1 Peter, and I'll be in your debt to point it out to me as I've read the epistle through over and over, as I've listened to it on cassette tape over and over again while patting my feet on my treadmill. Not one shred of evidence.

55:52 Why? Because Peter understood what the Lord Jesus told him. He said, I've got to go away. There's something better to come even to you who have seen me with your eyes, touched me with your hands.

56:06 It is expedient for you that I go away because until I go away the Spirit cannot be sent as the crowning act of my messianic and redemptive activity. And if he doesn't come, you will not be led into all the truth. You will not understand the full significance of all that I've done in my life and death and resurrection and in my heavenly session at the right hand of the Father. You will not understand it and in turn, you will not be able to bear witness of it here at Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.

56:43 Peter, you'll never be able to sit down and write a letter, Peter, Apostle of Jesus Christ, to elect sojourners of the dispersion and speak of this glorious salvation. Unless I go and the Spirit comes. I can't read you. Have I conveyed something of the wonder and the glory of that?

57:07 You've secretly thought many times, oh, if only I could be one of those that saw the Lord Jesus, touched him. If only I could have been there when I saw his hands break the bread and multiply it and multiply it until thousands were fed. If only I could have been there when he said, here are my hands, look at them. Here's my body, handle me.

57:29 Surely I would love him more. No, you wouldn't. It is the bond of the work of the Holy Spirit uniting us to Christ, revealing Christ through the apostolic documents that makes Christ as precious as he will be to any redeemed sinner this side of the consummation of redemption. And here the Lord was graciously preparing Peter to come to that experiential knowledge of that.

58:00 He said, you see, one of the stumbling blocks for skeptical scholars when they read the book of 1 Peter and study it and try to say, Peter never could have written it. You know what the stumbling blocks, one of the stumbling blocks is? Is he makes so little references of personal interaction with Jesus in the days of his flesh. And they say, surely if he had been the Peter of the gospels, he would have all the time been talking about when I was with Jesus.

58:25 You know how people name drop when they spend a little time with an important person? They look real humble, put their hands in their pockets and say, oh well, when Bill and I were walking down the White House lawn, oh Bill and you, Bill who? Oh Bill Clinton. Oh you were with the president.

58:40 Oh yeah, well shucks, one much. Isn't that what we do? We name drop. Thinking something of the shadow of an important person is cast over us.

58:50 And this is a stumbling block for the liberal commentators. They say, Peter isn't name dropping. Well, why isn't he name dropping? Because he understood this reality.

58:58 That he came to a knowledge of his savior by the spirit that he never had in the days of his intercourse with him in the flesh. And he knows that all believers have that same privilege. And so he doesn't treat them as first class citizens. He said, we're in this together.

59:14 Blessed be God who has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And he's not astounded that people who've never seen him love him. Whom having not seen you love and throw him into the water of the water of the water and evermore he says you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. They disbelieved for joy when they saw him resurrected in the days of this flesh.

59:42 He says, in true well grounded faith you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. So, there was no superiority complex. And the second connection in this I have to stop with this command and promise about the holy spirit there's no tentativeness.

60:04 Peter you have and here I struggle for words and I came up with this you have a calm gracious dogmatism you never sense that Peter's uncertain about what he's saying whether he's giving an insight to the significance of the work of Christ he can say he has gone to the right hand of God principalities and powers being made subject to him he doesn't say he's gone to the right hand of God

60:35 I saw that and I have a sneaking notion that perhaps in some way or another he's got a unique place of authority there is a calm gracious dogmatism to all that he writes whether writing about this glorious salvation in chapter 1 verses 3 to 12 or practical duties to wives and husbands to suffering saints whether giving comfort in the midst of suffering there is nothing tentative nothing apologetic we are led down the path of

61:05 truth by a guide whose steps are firm and resolute however it's not the bombast of the Peter of the Gospels blurting out Lord you're never going to go to the cross not while I'm alive Jesus said I'm going to die Peter says Lord this will never happen he kept behind me Satan everybody else forsakes you not me Lord courage is my strong point you may think we're all going to forsake you but not me Lord

61:37 it's not the bombast of that old Peter it is a quiet calm humble dogmatism and what lies at the root of it he is the man who knew the promise was fulfilled graciously in him he had been baptized in the spirit on the day of Pentecost the promised helper had come and now for over 30 years that help

62:08 had been teaching Peter bringing his to his remembrance all that his Lord had said to him giving him insights into the significance of what Jesus had said and done showing him things to come so that in this letter no fewer than four times he speaks of the revelation of the Lord Jesus the coming of the Lord Jesus with a quiet calm certitude and he never could

Closing Application: Peter's Witness and Christ's Judgment

62:39 have written that letter had not the promise been given and fulfilled as Jesus promised it would well I had hoped to take the fourth strand the sight of the ascending Lord but that'll have to wait and I'm determined that I'm not going to rush over these pivotal things because I believe in the long haul those of you who are serious about the word of God will be appreciative and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that I've done a responsible job as an expositor of the word of God and I will have a good conscience that word but now in closing some of you've been sitting here saying there you go again pastor martin for the life of me you obviously believe what you're saying you're obviously excited about it but frankly i see no bridge between anything you've said and where i'm at well my dear friend

63:24 if that's where you're at may i lovingly ask you to turn with me and look at one closing passage in the word of god acts chapter 10 where we have a record of this man peter preaching he's preaching in the house of a gentile military man named cornelius and this peter who is preaching says in acts 10 and verse 39 we are witnesses of all things which he jesus did both in the country of the jews and in jerusalem whom also they slew hanging him on a tree him god raised up the third

64:06 day and gave him to be made manifested not to all of us but to all of us and to all of us and to all of us and to all of us and to all of us all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. Sound familiar? Why does Peter bring that into his preaching? A bit of personal history.

64:30 We were of the number of those chosen as peculiar witnesses of the risen Christ. He ate and drank with us after he rose from the dead. Verse 42, And he charged us to preach unto the people and to testify that this is he who is ordained of God to be the judge of the living and the dead. To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name everyone that believes on him shall receive remission of sins.

65:01 You see what Peter is saying? You may want to be indifferent to this Jesus, but I want to tell you something. The fact that he...

65:08 He was raised from the dead. And we ate and drank with the risen Christ. This is not religious theory. This is not our truth, just for us.

65:19 But we have no grounds to impose it on you as your truth. He said this very Jesus charged us to preach, to tell all men that this very Jesus has been appointed by God to be judge of the living and dead, and that this Jesus is the only one, the only way to find divine forgiveness. And my unconverted friend who is sat here this morning, young or old, your heart is cold as stone to everything I've preached this morning. There hasn't been a twinge of wonder, a twinge of affection to this Jesus.

65:56 You can't afford the luxury of ignoring him. He's risen from the dead. And he will be your judge, whether you're alive at his coming or you die, and a thousand millenniums pass, before he returns, the heavens will be split with the thunder of the voice of the archangel and the trump of God, resplendent with the brilliance of this very Jesus coming on clouds of glory. And he will judge you.

66:26 And in the light of that, you better take seriously the glorious truth that that same Jesus charged them to preach, that all who believe in him will have forgiveness of sin. But he that believeth not shall be dead. And you can't afford the luxury of sitting back as a spectator this morning, saying, well, the preacher did his thing. He earned his pay for the morning.

66:54 He obviously believed. You can't afford that luxury, my friend. This Christ will summon you to his throne. And he will say, depart, you cursed, or come.

67:09 God grant you be among those to whom he says, come, you blessed. And dear people of God, admire the wisdom of God. And admire the wisdom of God. And admire the grace of God that had you in mind when he was fashioning Peter to give us the book that we call First Peter.

Admiration for God's Wisdom and Grace

67:29 He had you in mind, had me in mind, that we might be enriched in our pilgrimage as he fashioned the man who would write Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to elect sojourners of the dispersion in Montville, in Montvale, in Boonton, in Ponton Plains, in Pequonic, in Caldwell, in West Caldwell. Oh, may we admire such a God and love him and serve him with all our hearts. Our Father, we thank you.

68:10 Oh, how we thank you and praise you for your tender care for your people, for your infinite wisdom, for your manifold grace. And we pray this morning that your word will be blessed to the salvation of sinners. And to the strengthening and the upbuilding of your saints. We would be bold to ask that you fulfill your word given to the prophet Jeremiah.

68:38 I will watch over my word to perform it. Oh, Lord, do that for our good and your glory, we plead in Jesus' name. Amen.