Sermon Snippets with Max Taylor

077. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 20: Compelled to Live for Christ

1 Peter 3:13-17 
 
Here we see a compelling case to live for the Lord in righteousness, joy, holiness, and the peace that comes from a pure conscience. As believers, we can expect suffering and persecution, but we can still remain joyful and experience God’s peace through the rough times. Though these trials are hard and painful, suffering for well-doing produces sweet fruit unto the Lord. Our responsibility is to maintain a good conscience, keeping God preeminent, and sharing our hope with others irrespective of what we are going through. This is acceptable with God. May we learn to handle suffering graciously, allowing it to sanctify God in our lives and point others to the hope that is found exclusively in him.

076. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 19: Commitment to Christ & Courtesy for Others

1 Peter 3:8-12 
 
When we come to these verses, it is easy to start with the applications in our relationships with others, however we must be properly aligned with Christ first. Only when He is preeminent in our lives can we truly live out these results towards others. This section actually has much more to do with our standing with God than with others. Ultimately, it is God’s watchful eye that we should be seeking to please. Be sure to listen in to this coming Monday’s episode on the Give Attendance to Reading Podcast to hear our special episode with guest Caison Britt!

075. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 18: The Husband’s Compassion

1 Peter 3:7 
 
This week we are looking at several ways the husband is to show compassion for his wife. He should (1) pursue his wife, (2) prioritize his wife, (3) protect his wife, (4) be present with her, (5) pray with her, and ultimately picture Christ to his bride. His role should be to lift up his wife, recognizing her calling and gifting, and push her to be the godly woman she is called to be. God is the one who instituted marriage and He knows how it is meant to be conducted. Hopefully some of these thoughts are helpful as we each attempt to live for Him in His plan for our lives.

074. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 17: The Wife’s Character

1 Peter 3:1-6
 
This passage focuses on the kind of person a wife should be, it is completely focused on her character above her appearance, possessions, and showiness. This is not how the world typically measures a person’s worth, but it is what God is concerned with. According to this passage, a wife should be (1) arranged under her husband, (2) adorned in the heart, (3) ascribed with humility, and (4) attendant to her husband. The reason I feel confident to speak on these matters even as a single guy is that it is what God’s Word clearly teaches, and the Word of God illuminated by the Spirit of God is sufficient to teach us all things about doctrine and practice. For more on the role of the Holy Spirit’s guiding into all truth, listen to next week’s episode on the Give Attendance to Reading Podcast, where we discuss this topic in greater detail.

073. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 16: Suffering for Christ

1 Peter 2:21-25 
 
Christ is the greatest example of suffering, and He endured all of it without ever reviling, threatening, or complaining against God. As Christians, we are called to follow suite. We must be willing to suffer in order to follow Christ because, as Jesus said, the servant is not greater than his master. May we consider the cost of discipleship and determine to sacrifice whatever necessary in order to follow our Savior, committing the keeping of our souls to Him.

072. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 15: Our Suffering

1 Peter 2:18-21
 
What an encouragement to know that Jesus can relate to all of our suffering! There is a suffering that we are called to endure and a suffering that we should escape from, and we will touch on both of those in this episode. If you suffer unfairness or slight mistreatment, we are called to endure that with patience for the sake of the testimony of Christ. But I want to be clear that God is not calling anyone to stay in an abusive situation. If you are suffering abuse, you need to know (1) God is not okay with the wrong that has happened to you, (2) hope is only found in Christ, and (3) you should get out of that situation no matter how hard it is. Find people to help you leave that situation. We will continue to discuss suffering next week and later in chapter 4 of 1 Peter.

071. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 14: Submit Yourselves

1 Peter 2:13-17
 
What does it mean to be submitted and who should we be submitted to? The basis of our submission must be a yielding to God. From that will flow our submission to one another, to the government, and even submission through persecution. I hope we will not view submission as a bad thing, it is a beautiful description of what we are to be as the family of God. We will continue with the thought of submission through persecution next week, hope you’ll tune in!

070. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 13: A Prayer to Pilgrims

1 Peter 2:9-12
 
We are chosen (not ordained to be saved, but entrusted with the highest of callings) to demonstrate the very brightness and nature of God. We are called to be kings and priests unto God. And as such, we must abstain from our sinful tendencies. Prone to wander, the composer wrote. This passage shows us that we are to see the holiness of God, show forth the holiness of God, and then have a holy hatred for sin. Only by seeing the purity of God and showing the ἀρετὴ or brightness of Him can we truly lead a life that is holy and victorious over sin.