Genesis 2:7-9, 15-25; 3:1-21

7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

1 Peter 4:1-19

Introduction: The Real Identity Thief

It’s the last Sunday of summer, and we’ve not quite wrapped up 1 Peter.  By now, though, hopefully Peter’s big goal in writing his letter is clear: He wants to make sure we know who we are. 

Peter wants us to be confident in our Christian identity. To know we are God’s “elect.”  We are the chosen ones. (Sorry, Trump, it’s not just you who’s been chosen by God.) We are God’s precious— far more precious than Gollum’s powerful ring.   We are God’s very “special, beloved, possession.”  

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Introduction: Be a Baby

This summer we’re doing an 8 week series on Peter’s letter.  In our introductory sermon we noticed how Peter keeps emphasizing our double-identity: we are chosen by God our Father. But we are also aliens in the world. The world should find us strange, odd, curious, weird. Not that I’m asking us to be especially weird. At least, I don’t really want ME to be weirder than I already am.  

But if we are following Jesus we will be out of sync with our culture, with our neighbours, with our colleagues.  Our values and our goals and our whole perspective on life will be weird to others, and that should not surprise or alarm us. Our way of looking at popularity, at our jobs, at money, at other people, and even the way we see ourselves… is going to be odd, if we are following Jesus.   

The Power of One Thing

Psalm 27
Sermon by David Innes

1 Peter 1:1-12
Sermon by Tim Kuepfer

Introduction: Chosen?

Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect.... chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father... God’s chosen. 

So, is that also me? Am I one of God’s chosen ones? Am I one of God’s elect?

Peter knows he is.  Jesus came right up to him, personally, on the shore of Lake Galilee, looked into his eyes: “Follow me.”  What could Peter do? He chose to stand up, leave his nets, leave his family... and follow. He was called. He was chosen.  “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, God’s elect, God’s chosen.”

But Jesus hasn’t exactly done that for you… or me, right?  Peter even points out the difference in verse 8: “Though you have not seen him (as I have), you still love him.”  

Yes, but… what if I’m not chosen. Peter knows Jesus chose him and loves him.  The big question Jesus asked Peter over and over was, “Do you love me?” 

1 Peter 1-5 

New International Version (NIV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.