Preaching from I Peter affords a wide variety of possibilities for both traditional and contemporary models of expository preaching. Among these is the direct biblical sermon presenting an exposition of truths specifically taught in a passage of scripture. This should be the kind of sermon most often preached to offer the most wholesome   pulpit   ministry for the people. But variety is the spice of life! Consider also thematic preaching from I Peter. A topical, or thematic sermon is expository preaching too, if indeed it presents an exposition of biblical truth with hermeneutical accuracy. Other forms of expository preaching from I Peter could include the biographical sermon, the dramatic monologue, the dialogical sermon, the life-situation sermon, the homily, or the multiple-passage sermon.

Because sermon preparation appropriately begins with the preparation of the preacher himself, I Peter will prove to be especially helpful. Most effective pastors let God’s Word speak to them personally first. In the process of listening to God they realize they are “sitting where the people sit.”^[1]Ezekiel 3:15. See also Henry Mitchell, The Recovery of Preaching (New York: Harper and Row, 1977), pp.30-53. They know that their own hurts and problems are situations they have in common with members of the congregation. As pastors find answers for their own needs they are in a better position to meet the needs of others with scripture.

Simon Peter could speak convincingly to people who were struggling with problems in the first century because he himself had such an interesting record as a stumbling, faltering, sometimes failing disciple. There were times when he must have almost lost hope, but the Savior was always with him to revive that hope. The climactic event in this revival of hope was, of course, the resurrection. This “living hope to which we have been born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” became for Peter something of an overarching theme for this epistle.^[2]1 Peter 1:3. So it can become in the life of the preacher today.

One young pastor recently related in a sermon he preached during one of life’s darkest hours for him how God had used I Peter to speak to his unique needs. After having lived for most of his life with a minimum of problems, and a maximum degree of success, joy and blessings, he rather suddenly found himself surrounded by trouble. His church was struggling financially. There were the usual staff problems. The sick and the sorrowing were calling him night and day. The burdens of the pastorate bore down upon him. Not everything seemed to be going his way anymore. Even the preparation of sermons became drudgery. In the midst of his discouragement, his young wife became critically ill. For a time she was threatened with the possibility of death. Life seemed to be tumbling in upon him and their two little children. Providentially this young pastor was working on a Ph.D. dissertation on “The Concept of Christian Hope in I Peter.” Listen to his testimony.

When my second most treasured joy in life, next only to my Lord, was threatened with death, I was drawn daily to examine the words of I Peter. Out of this epistle came living hope. In my despair I was the subject of a hellish hunger. God offered me heavenly hope for food in that hour of pain tucked neatly between the assurance of God’s work in the past and his promises for the future. This living hope slices through the clouds of darkness and lightens each day with joy.^[3]Dana T. Land, “Our Living Hope,” Unpublished sermon preached at Grace Temple Baptist Church, Denton, Texas, January 17, 1982.

I seem to remember a sermon C. H. Spurgeon preached on the experience of Thomas with the risen Lord. Thomas in his faltering faith had said he would have to put his finger in the wounds of Jesus before he would believe the resurrection. The Savior insisted on giving him that proof and Thomas believed. But I recall that Spurgeon prayed after his sermon “Lord, you have done even more than that for us. You let Thomas touch your wounds, but with your loving hand you have touched our wounds!” I Peter will speak so forcefully to the preacher who studies it that he will have a powerful message to share with his listeners. Always begin your sermon preparation by letting God prepare the preacher! Let I Peter speak to you personally. You probably will do some confessional preaching! To say the least there will be a sympathetic pastoral quality in your sermons.

Reading I Peter prayerfully in several translations is an appropriate way to begin preparation for preaching from this epistle. Normally I begin with the King James Version for my devotional reading. Recently I have enjoyed reading the New King James Version of the New Testament. The Revised Standard Version and The New American Standard Bible always prove helpful for more serious reading. For this particular study I have found The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips most interesting. I have also found value in the New English Bible, The New Testament in Today’s English Version (Good News for Modern Man), and The New Testament—A Translation in the Language of the People by Charles B. Williams. For comparison of words and phrases I have used The New Testament from 26 Translations.^[4]Curtis Vaughan, The New Testament from 26 Translations (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967).

 

Sermon Ideas from First Peter

Discovering the idea for the sermon is for many preachers one of the more difficult assignments. For that reason preaching from I Peter should be a real pleasure. Sermon ideas seem to jump from almost every paragraph. In so many ways people m the twentieth century are experiencing circumstances that recall the struggles of first-century Christians. It seems just a little easier to move from the “then of scripture” to the “now of contemporary application” when the biblical material is I Peter.

Consider preaching an introductory sermon from I Peter in which you seek to introduce the entire book—its author, its recipients, its historical background, its theological perspective, and its relevance to our times. Before teaching a book of the Bible for a week, or in the beginning of a series of sermons from a given book, it is always wise to discover an appropriate theme of the book. There is usually one passage of scripture that seems to summarize or at least suggest that overall theme. Prepare a sermon designed to set the stage, create interest, and stimulate the people to study the book for themselves.

Some have regarded portions of I Peter as a sermon designed to be used at the baptism of new Christians. Although it has many characteristics of an epistle it does at least have a distinctive homiletical nature. Its unity as a book would indicate that it can be reviewed attractively in one sermon. Each preacher will need to satisfy himself with some over-arching theme that is consistent with hermeneutical accuracy. “Assurance in the Midst of Suffering,” “Steadfastness in Persecution,” “Hope in the Face of Wrong,” “A Christian Concept of Hope,” and similar themes have been suggested for such sermons. One of the more attractive suggestions for a theme-of-the-book title comes from Dwight Stevenson’s book entitled Preaching on the Books of the New Testament.^[5]Dwight Stevenson, Preaching on the Books of the New Testament (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1956), p. 190. He developed the theme “The Highway of Hope.” He also suggested “The Easter Cross” and “Suffering in the Light of the Resurrection.”

Your “theme-of-the-book” sermon would likely have a multiple-passage text. Choose three or four key verses to support the three or four main truths that are legitimate subdivisions of the unity of the theme you have chosen. Be careful to maintain unity. Avoid the temptations to preach three or four inadequate sermons within the time limitations of one preaching event. Understand that in the first sermon some ideas may be presented that will be developed more fully in later sermons or study sessions. Be sure to keep that promise to your people!

One possibility for a multiple-passage, theme-of-the-book treatment of I Peter might make use of Stevenson’s title “The Highway of Hope.” In the introduction the preacher would want to capture attention by means of   an attractive   illustration—preferably one of a contemporary nature in which some courageous Christian lived victoriously in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. Move from there to a brief survey of the first-century circumstances addressed by I Peter. Read a brief key passage that represents for you the theme of Christian hope, such as I Peter 1:3-12. Do not attempt a comprehensive exegesis in this first sermon. This is an overview! Let this sermon be an attractive, exciting book review. The major points of this sermon will be supported by the flavor of the whole book. Some preachers may not want to read specific verses at this time, but others will feel more comfortable to refer to passages in support of these general ideas from the entire book. Major points for this kind of sermon might be as follows:

1. The Highway of Hope Begins with Our Special Salvation (Use passages such as 1:2-3).
2. The Highway of Hope Is Traveled in Christian Fellowship (Use passages such as 2:5-10).
3. The Highway of Hope Guides Us through the Trials of Life (Use passages such as 4:12-19).
4. The Highway of Hope Delivers Us Safely Home (Use passages such as 1:3-7, 5:4).

On some occasions I have enjoyed beginning a January Bible Study series with a dramatic monologue. Some pastors who have already proved their ability in developing direct biblical sermons and are well known for their skills in expository preaching may want to try this. When I taught the book Exodus I presented a historical overview of the book as if Moses were speaking to Israel just before his death at Mt. Nebo. In another January   Bible   Study I played the part of John Mark reviewing the experiences he had had with Jesus, Peter, and Paul and showing how Peter had influenced his writing of the Gospel of Mark.

In presenting a dramatic monologue to introduce I Peter a pastor could assume the role of Simon Peter. Be careful not to try to include too many details of his life. Pick out those that would most clearly have bearing on the contents of this epistle. Dr. A. T. Robertson’s comprehensive work on the life of Simon Peter will be helpful to read in preparation for such a monologue.^[6]A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Simon Peter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974).

Begin with a careful explanation of what you plan to do. Call for generous use of imagination. In your introduction you might say:

Today’s message is a dramatic monologue. I need your help. The effectiveness of this experience for you depends on your willingness to worship and your ability to become a little child again-to use your imagination vividly! May we pretend for a while that my name is Simon Peter; that this is not 1983, but the first century. We are in a house in Rome. Silvanus, my dear friend, has just come to visit with me: Because he is so much more skilled in writing than I am, we are discussing the possibility of his helping me write down some things God has laid on my heart. We are concerned about our Christian brothers and sisters who are scattered over the world. Many of them have lost hope. In their despair they need our encouragement. Because my own life is a testimony of what Jesus Christ can do for a struggling Christian I believe God wants to use me to give a message of hope to others in their hours of trial. The resurrection of Jesus changed my life! It restored my hope! It has power to do the same for anybody.

Following this introduction relate several key events in Peter’s life in which his hope may have grown weak. Show how his experience with Jesus restored his confidence and gave him new vision. Keep in mind that he is talking about a letter he plans to write or a sermon he is preparing. Let this dramatic monologue be a kind of book review for the studies or sermons that will follow.

Some sermon ideas will come to you as you read I Peter and discover some excellent sermon titles in the verses themselves. These are especially attractive if they are titles   that have contemporary appeal and furnish a unity that can be subdivided into major points   with ideas from the text itself. In I Peter 1:2 The New American Standard Bible   refers   to the “fullest measure” of grace and peace. Consider for a title “The Full Measure of God’s Grace” for a textual sermon. Your major points might be:

1. God’s Grace Springs from His
2. God’s Grace Is Made Effective by the Sanctifying Work of the
3. God’s Grace Produces Obedience to Jesus Christ.
4. God’s Grace Abounds in a Full Measure of Peace.

Make sure you develop your own sermon structure based on a thorough exegesis of the entire epistle and give specific attention to   hermeneutical accuracy in handling each verse or passage. No attempt will be made in this article to present exegetical materials. These are to be found in the other articles that deal with historical background, authorship, grammar, word meanings, etc. Suggested outlines are given to show the value of unity, order, proportion, and progress in sermon structure. The discovery of arrow words in titles that are repeated in the major points does produce these qualities of good sermon structure.

“Born Again to a Living Hope” would be an appropriate title for an expository textual sermon on I Peter 1:3. The major points could be:

1. God’s Mercy Has Caused Our New
2. Our New Birth Produces a Living
3. Our Living Hope Is Validated by the Resurrection of Jesus.

Notice that this outline illustrates a ladder type of   structure in which one major point is built upon the preceding one. This verse contains a number of tremendously rich ideas expressed in words that can be explained interestingly and will suggest helpful illustrations that will shed light on the truths.

Another example of a textual outline for expository preaching may be seen in I Peter 1:4. An attractive title might be “Our Perfect Inheritance.” The major points which come from the verse itself and the immediate context could be stated as follows:

1. Our Perfect Inheritance Comes to Us from a Loving Father.
2. Our Perfect Inheritance Is Beyond Reach of Decay (Notice the three negative terms here and refer to I Peter 5:4).
3. Our Perfect Inheritance Is Reserved for Us in Heaven (Notice the force of the perfect participle-reserved).

“Protected by God’s Power” is an attractive title that comes directly from The New American Standard Bible in I Peter 1:5. In developing a textual sermon you will want to explain the use of a military term- guarded, preserved, kept. Major points bearing out this idea are as follows:

1. God’s Power Keeps Us through Faith.
2. God’s Power Guides Us throughout Life.
3. God’s Power Guarantees Our Future Security.

While some sermons from I Peter may be textual expositions, more of them will likely be expositions of blocks of scripture consisting of two or more verses. The discovery of manageable “thought blocks” of scripture is a part of the skill of the successful expository preacher. Remembering the frame­work of time for preaching and being careful that each sermon should be a unity, the wise preacher selects his text with unusual care. Paragraph divisions in some of the contemporary translations are often helpful. An   example is the paragraph in I Peter 1:6-9. The words rejoice, praise, glory, honor, love, and, joy suggest the unifying theme could be “Joy Inexpressible.” That idea flavors the entire paragraph. An alternate title might be “When Words Fail.” Another possibility would be “The Joy of Life’s Trials.” Consider these major points:

1. God s People Can Rejoice because Trials Are Necessary and Temporary (6).
2. God’s People Can Rejoice because Trials Prove the Genuineness of Our Faith (7, 9).
3. God’s People Can Rejoice because Trials Result in Praise for Our Lord (7-8).

The choice of a longer block of scripture is sometimes necessary to avoid dragging a series of sermons out so long that the people lose interest. A responsible stewardship of the use of scripture to give adequate treatment to all parts of the Bible in a reasonable length of one’s ministry calls for this. Two or three paragraphs that may be discovered to have an attractive unifying theme can be used for one sermon. Explore the possibilities for this kind of expository sermon in I Peter 1:13-25. Keep trying until you achieve a title that is contemporary, hermeneutically accurate, provides a unity, and at the same time is divisible. Compare these options and then develop a better one yourself: “The Secret of Self Control,” “Believe and Behave,” and “A Call to Holy Living.” In using any of the above titles some imperative sentences could be your major points:

1. Become the Master of Your Own Mind (13-14a).
2. Don’t Lose Control of Your Emotions (14b-16).
3. Remember the Price of Your Redemption   (17-21).
4. Respect One Another in Sincere Love (22-25).

I Peter 1:13-25 is full of meaning. Make sure you never settle for a skeleton outline! Study each of the key words in the passage. Refer to the other articles in this issue of The Southwestern Journal of Theology for a comprehensive treatment of this rich passage. “Flesh out” your own sermon structure with solid exegetical meat. The   purpose   of   this article is to sharpen your skills in discovering sermon ideas, formulating the title and outline, and gathering materials that can be presented forcefully in good oral style. There is no substitute for careful exegesis of   the material. Never attempt to proclaim what you cannot explain! The one most important of the functional elements of preaching is explanation. The arrangement, the illustration, the application, and the exhortation are of little value apart from responsible exposition of the truth of the passage. Homiletics is a helpless sham apart from accurate hermeneutics.

“The Living Stone,” “The Stone the Builders Rejected,” or “Building God’s Holy Nation” may be considered as titles for I Peter 2:1-10. Each preacher will want to be the author   of his own title and the architect of his own sermon structure.   To stimulate your own homiletical skills examine these possibilities for major points under the title, “God’s Living Stone.”

1. God’s Living Stone Calls Us To a Growing Salvation (1-3).
2. God’s Living Stone Builds Us into a Spiritual Temple (4-8).
3. God’s Living Stone Makes Us His Proclaiming Missionaries (9-10).

The introduction for such a sermon on I Peter 2:1-10 would necessarily include references to Isa. 28:16, Eph. 2:20, and other passages that deal with the theme of the building stone. Make clear the illusion to Christ and his people. Under each of the major points provide for clear explanation of the truths from the passage that have been stated in the major point. Never use as a major point an idea which is not clearly taught in the scripture. There should be positive biblical authority for everything contained in the sermon. For that reason major points need to come from the mind of the preacher as he has discovered them for himself in scripture.

Most translations recognize I Peter 2: 18-25 as a paragraph or section of the chapter. The unifying theme is “The Example of Christ’s Suffering” and that might be an appropriate title. Some may prefer “Suffering Like Christ” or “The Witness of Our Suffering” or “The Blessedness of Suffering for Christ.” Major truths from the passage from which to develop an outline could be:

1. Make Sure Your Suffering Is Not for Your Wrong Doing (20).
2. Recognize That Suffering Is Often Undeserved (19).
3. Follow Christ’s Example As You Make Suffering Redemptive (21-25).

In connection with your presentation from I Peter 2:18- 25, attention can be given to the material in I Peter 3:8-22. Some preachers may choose to have I Peter 3:8-22 as the primary text for a message on Christians dealing with suffering and use I Peter 2:18-25 as a climactic illustration relating to the redemptive sufferings of our Savior.

An attractive title for I Peter 3:1-7 is “The Eloquence of the Silent Witness.” This can be developed into a good one-point sermon. The introduction would make a contrast between the use of verbal argument and dynamic witness through Christian behavior without words. The passage furnishes its own application and illustrations. The relationship between husbands and wives in Christ leads logically into the next paragraph dealing with a broader application in the Christian   community before returning   to the theme   of suffering as a Christian. In preaching on home relationships, the preacher will want to give attention to Eph. 5:22-23 and Col. 3:18-19. These three passages are important in studying their similarities and differences.

No series of sermons on this epistle would be complete without treatment of the very interesting passage in I Peter 3:18-22. Make sure you are confident in your interpretation of “proclamation to the spirits in prison” and “brought to safety through the water.” The message should be clearly Christ centered. Avoid tricky titles and uncertain interpretation.

“The Saving Power of the Eternal Christ” may be a title under which this material may be handled as follows:

1. The Death of   Christ Is a Once-for-All Event (18).
2. The Compassion of Christ Is a Universal Appeal (19- 20).
3. The Salvation of Christ Is a Complete Transformation (21).
4. The Exaltation of Christ Is a Glorious Reality (22).

“The Grace of Christian Humility” is a possible title for proclaiming the truths in I Peter 5:1-11.

1. Christian Humility Is Essential to Church Fellowship (1-5).
2. Christian Humility   Provides Relief for Life’s Anxieties (6-7).
3. Christian Humility Stimulates Alertness for Life’s Temptations (8-10).

These skeleton outlines are indeed inadequate within themselves. They are intended to be suggestive ideas. Each preacher will want to use his own inventiveness and imagination in developing outlines with which he is comfortable and that he can call his own. Do notice, however, that the outlines here have titles that were suggested by the passages in I Peter and that each one can be subdivided in the major points which may be derived from the passage. Wherever possible give preference to the present tense in major points.

 

Sermon Illustrations for I Peter

Because one of the dominant themes in I Peter is “Chris­ tian Hope in the Midst of Suffering,” the preacher will want to be alert for illustrations relating to people who demonstrate this vital hope. Denominational periodicals, the daily newspaper, biographical books, and the preacher’s own experience in dealing with people will provide a wealth of materials. The examples that are included here are only suggestive. Resourceful preachers should not be satisfied with less than interesting materials with which to shed light on biblical truth.

Missionary Howard Shoemake was for many years a Southern Baptist missionary to South America.   Throughout his life he had maintained a vigorous, healthy body. In 1978 he learned that he had multiple myeloma (cancer of the bones). He was told that he had but a few months to live! He was frustrated and depressed. He almost lost all hope! He prayed that God would spare him the pain and let him die quickly.

A physician who had lived with cancer for years and was still active in the practice of medicine gave Shoemake and his wife some advice about living meaningful lives. He was able to restore their Christian hope.

As Howard Shoemake continued his treatment for cancer he discovered that God had given him the kind of Christian hope he could share with others. He discovered that he had an instant rapport with people who were sick and discouraged. When he came to Dallas, Texas, in 1981, a new ministry opened up for him at Baylor University Medical Center’s Sammons Cancer Center. There he not only undergoes treatment, but through a program called “Can Surmount” he visits fellow cancer patients and stimulates their hope. He shows them how life can always have fulfillment, meaning, and even joy and victory.^[7]For more details see The Baptist Standard, March 31, 1982, p. 8.

Another illustration gleaned from biographical reading is the story of Dr. Jeff D. Ray. For many years he was Professor of Preaching at Southwestern Seminary. He taught until he was more than eighty years of age. There was a trail of trouble that wound its way throughout his life. For some years Jeff Ray had to be both a mother and a father to his children because of the death of his wife. One night he received the cruel news of the tragic death of his beloved son. It was a crime that was never solved. The calamity seriously threatened to crush the father completely. He determined to quit teaching and to quit preaching. He was dejected, unable to take interest in anything, and was ready to say “I cannot go on!”

Mrs. L. R. Elliott, wife of the librarian at Southwestern at that time, sent Dr. Ray her scrapbook, filled with poems and articles that had encouraged her. Dr. Ray turned listlessly through the pages of the scrapbook. Suddenly his eye fell on a title that caught his attention. It read, “I Won’t Let Go!” “Why,” he said to himself, “that’s just what I have been wanting to do. I’ll see what the author has to say.” Here’s what he read:

I Won’t Let Go!
I want to let go, but I won’t let go.
There are battles to fight,
By day and by night,
For God and the right –
And I’ll never let go.
I want to let go, but I won’t let go.
I’m sick, tis true,
Worried and blue,
And worn through and through,
But I won’t let go.
I want to let go, but I won’t let go.
I will never yield!
What! lie down on the field
And surrender my shield?
No, I’ll never let go!
I want to let go, but I won’t let go.
May this be my song
“Mid legions of wrong –
Oh, God, keep me strong
That I may never let go!”
-Author Unknown^[8]Georgia Miller Ray, The Jeff Ray I Knew (San Antonio: Naylor, 1952), p. 148.

He closed the scrapbook, got up from his couch of grief and despondency, turned his back forever and successfully on the thought of giving up and quitting. He returned to the classroom and to the pulpits of the churches to preach. For many years he had the poem printed and reprinted to share with each of his classes.

The poem contains something of the general theme of the book of I Peter. God’s people are never to let go. They are assured of God’s love and of his guarantee of ultimate victory. Their hope in the Christ of the resurrection carries them through all of life’s trials.