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This Week: He Entrusted Himself to the One Who Judges Justly

Pastor Tom 2009This week Pastor Tom will preach on 1 Peter 2:22-25:

“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Here are some questions to consider in preparation for Sunday:

  • Read Psalm 82.  What is the plea of the Psalmist here?  To whom does he make his plea?  Why?
  • Read Isaiah 53.  Is this an accurate prediction of the sufferings of Christ?  How so?
  • Read Mark 8. Was Jesus aware of his coming suffering?  Why this sharp rebuke of Peter?  How might this exchange have informed Peter about unjust suffering?

If you’d like to review last week’s sermon To This You Were Called, here are a few questions:

  • Read 1 Peter 2.  Review your sermon notes.  How do these ideas about slavery apply to us?
  • Read Philemon.  What insights do you gain about slavery and how the people involved were to deal with one another?
  • Read Romans 6.  Why are believers called slaves here?  What does that mean for you?

If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here:

[mejsaudio src=”http://pasadena-ep.org/wp-content/uploads/sermonstom_2013-01-20_To_This_You_Were_Called.mp3″]

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To this you were called

This Sunday Pastor Tom will preach on 1 Peter 2:18-21:

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (NIV)

Here are some study questions to help prepare for the sermon:

  1. Read Leviticus 25.  How do these rules about redemption of slaves pre-figure our condition in Christ?
  2. Read Ephesians 6.  Compare what Paul says here to what Peter says in this week’s text.
  3. Read Romans 14.  What application does Paul make for all of us using slave and master?
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Seven Years of Advent sermons

Each year Pastor Tom preaches a short Advent series.  This year he preached on the three offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King.  The last sermon focused on the uniqueness of Christ as the God-Man like no one else.  Here is a quick run-down of the last few Advent series.  Click on the links to see the sermons associated with each series.

Pick one of these sermons and give it a listen!

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This Week: The Stone the Builders Rejected

This Sunday’s sermon will be on 1 Peter 2:7-8:

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

Here are some questions to consider this week to prepare for the sermon:

  • Read Psalm 118.  Who is the Stone that the builders rejected?  How does the Psalmist respond to this idea?
  • Read Isaiah 8.  Who is the Stone in this chapter?  What is the context of this chapter?
  • Read Matthew 21.  What is the context?  How does Jesus apply the stone prophecy?
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The Living Stone

This Sunday Pastor Tom preached a sermon on 1 Peter 2:4-6 entitled The Living Stone.  Here are some study questions to consider this week:

  • Read 1 Peter 2 and review your sermon notes.  What does it mean that we are a spiritual house?
  • Read Isaiah 28.  How is Isaiah’s prophecy interpreted in the New Testament?
  • Read Ephesians 2.  How does Paul use the “building” metaphor?  How does this fit with what Peter said in 1 Peter 2:4-6?

If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here:

[mejsaudio src=”http://pasadena-ep.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/tom_2012_11_11_the_living_stone.mp3″]

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Our Salvation

This Sunday Pastor Tom preached a sermon on 1 Peter 1:8-9 entitled Our Salvation.  Here are some study questions to consider this week:

  • Read 1 Peter 1 and review your sermon notes.  Why is it important that we recognize that Christ is not physically present with us?
  • Read 2 Peter 3.  What is kept in store for us?  Why would this lead us to joy now?
  • Read Acts 16.  What was the jailer commanded to do?  Had he ever seen Jesus?  How then was this command possible?

If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here:

[mejsaudio src=”http://pasadena-ep.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/tom_2012-09-23_Our_Salvation.mp3″]

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Calvin on First Peter

To prepare for the series on First Peter, Pastor Tom has recommended looking up some background information on the letter, e.g. who wrote it, when, and why?

Here is an excerpt from Calvin’s introduction to his commentary on First Peter (full text available here).

 The design of Peter in this Epistle is to exhort the faithful to a denial of the world and a contempt of it, so that being freed from carnal affections and all earthly hindrances, they might with their whole soul aspire after the celestial kingdom of Christ, that being elevated by hope, supported by patience, and fortified by courage and perseverance, they might overcome all kinds of temptations, and pursue this course and practice throughout life.

This Sunday’s sermon will address 1 Peter 1:1-2.  Here are a couple questions to consider:

  • What does Ephesians 1 say about our being chosen?  What comfort is this to a believer?
  • Read Hebrews 9.  What is the significance of the sprinkled Blood?  How does this direct us to Christ?
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Nick Hathaway: Jesus Overturning

On Sunday, Pastor Nick Hathaway from Liberty Church PCA preached on Matthew 21:12-17:

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’”

The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,

‘From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise’?”
And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

If you missed the sermon, you can listen to it here:

[mejsaudio src=”http://pasadena-ep.org/wp-content/uploads/sermons/nick_2012-09-2_Jesus_Overturning.mp3″]

 

Here are some questions to think about:

  • Read Malachi 3:1-5.  Was this prophecy fulfilled in the cleansing of the temple?  In verse 5 the Lord says who he will be against.  Who is he for?  Read Psalm 69:9,26,33.  How or why would anyone reproach the Lord?  If the Lord has struck someone down, made them needy, wounded, or imprisoned how should we act toward such people?  What does this have to do with zeal for God’s house?
  • Read Isaiah 56.  To whom does the Lord wish to give a monument and a name to in his house?  Who will the Lord bring to his holy mountain to minister to Him and pray to Him?  Who does the Lord condemn in this passage (verses 9-12)?
  • Read Jeremiah 7:1-15.  Where does the Lord tell Jeremiah to stand to deliver his message?  Where do you think the men of Judah were placing their trust (verse 4)?  What sin is listed right along with murder and idolatry (verse 6)?  What happens if they obey (7)?  How had the temple become a den of robbers (Look at the example of Shiloh in 1 Samuel 2)?  How can people rob God?