Covenant Naples

No matter the cost, no matter the difficulty, no matter the alienation and ostracization, no matter the suffering it will cause, the holy man does what his Lord says to do. Today’s passage looks at not only the why of holiness, but also the what and the how.

Sermon Outline:

I) The Why of Holiness

II)The What of Holiness

III)The How of Holiness

Discussion Questions:

The message begins by connecting Reformation Day to holiness. How does this connection help reframe our understanding of “justification by faith alone”?

Holiness is both a gift and a requirement — that you are “saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” How can this tension between grace and holiness be understood and applied in daily Christian life?

In today’s culture, holiness is often viewed negatively as “judgmental” or “intolerant.” What practical steps can Christians take to pursue holiness without falling into self-righteousness or snobbery?

The message describes holiness as obedience to God “no matter the cost.” How do modern distractions, pressures, or relationships challenge that kind of total obedience today?

The passage concludes that true holiness depends on the work of the Holy Spirit through the “ordinary means of grace.” How can believers more intentionally structure their lives around Scripture, prayer, and worship to grow in holiness?

1 Peter 1:8-12

Peter encourages believers by reminding us of the wonder of salvation and our hope of future joy, which was foretold by the prophets and secured through Christ’s death and resurrection. This is grace so marvelous that even angels long to gaze upon it!

Outline:

Be encouraged: your salvation does not depend on sight.

Be encouraged: your salvation brings glimpses of future joy, even now.

Be encouraged: salvation through Christ’s humiliation and exaltation is not a surprise.

Be encouraged: salvation was accomplished with you in mind.

Be encouraged: salvation is something even angels long to look into.

Sermon discussion questions:

1) 1 Peter 1:8a speaks of the saints' love of Christ. If you did a heart check right now on your love for Christ, what would you say is your depth of love for him?

2) Peter says we “rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” How have you experienced small glimpses of future joy in your life recently, even in difficulty?

3) As you read through the Old Testament, what are some of the connections you see to Christ? Why would Peter say that seeing those connections are an encouragement in your walk with the Lord? What does that practically mean for how you read the Bible?

4) This passage was meant to be an encouragement to the churches it was read to. In what ways is this passage an encouragement to you?

Our past rebirth into a future inheritance gives us a living hope in the present, even in suffering. There are three things described in this passage that we can praise God for no matter what we may be going through today.

Sermon Outline:

I. Praise God: we have been born again

II. Praise God: we are being guarded

III. Praise God: we are being refined

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Peter begins not with the believers’ suffering but with praising God? What might that teach us about how to approach our own seasons of suffering or discouragement?

2. Why is it important to remember that our salvation is rooted in God's mercy rather than our own merit? How does this truth affect the way we relate to God and to others?

3. Peter describes our inheritance as “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” How does this promised inheritance differ from the things we typically hope for in this life? What practical difference could that make in the way we view success, loss, or aging?

4. According to verse 7, trials test and refine our faith like fire purifies gold. How can understanding this purpose help us respond differently when we face future trials?

5. What does it mean that God guards us through faith rather than from all suffering? How does this promise give you confidence about persevering in your faith until Christ returns?

First Peter is addressed to Christians who are suffering on account of their distinctiveness. Peter wants to encourage Christians that, though suffering is unpleasant, it is not an indication that God is not with us. Rather, it is a sign that he has chosen us for himself.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. In what ways do you personally feel like an outsider because of your faith? Are there particular situations at work, school, or in relationships where your values make you stand out?

2. How does understanding yourself as actively chosen and loved by God from before time began change the way you think about your identity? How might this truth help you when you feel rejected or excluded by others?

3. What does it mean to you practically that you “were bought with a price” and are “not your own”? How should this truth shape the way you live?

4. How do you normally respond to feeling like an outsider or exile? Where do you need to experience more of the grace and peace that Peter pronounces in verse 2?

If we were to sum up the final message of the book and the message of Joshua as a whole, it is this: God is faithful, and we can trust him. Those who do will find themselves caught up in a much bigger story than themselves and will make an impact that will last far beyond their years. We don’t remember Joshua today because Joshua was a great man, though he was. We remember Joshua today because he trusted in a great, promise-keeping God. May we learn to do the same.

We conclude our series in the book of JOSHUA: Trusting the Promise-Keeping God, with The Impact of a Servant of the Lord.

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What helps a person remain faithful to God’s calling over the long haul? What kinds of things tend to cause people to lose heart or give up?

2. Joshua was only called “the servant of the Lord” after his death, when the full course of his life could beseen.

3. What does this title tell us about the kind of life God honors?

If your life were summarized in one phrase today, what would it be, and what would need to change for“servant of the Lord” to describe you?

4. Whether you have children or not, how can you actively participate in sharing God’s faithfulness with the next generation?

5. What practical steps can you take to ensure the stories of God’s deliverance are not

forgotten?

6. What does it mean for a believer to “die in hope”? How does trusting in Jesus, the greater Joshua, shape the way we view both our present struggles and our future beyond this life?

Joshua reminds Israel in this text that they have been the recipients of centuries of God’s faithfulness and rescue. Yet he knows how prone they are to forgetting what God has done for them. If they forget, they will slide into serving the idols of the surrounding culture. And so will we. We must make a decisive determination regarding whom we will live for, whom we will serve.

Sermon Outline:

I. A History Lesson

II. A Decisive Choice

III. A Renewed Covenant

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Joshua reminded Israel of God’s gracious acts in their history before calling them to renewed commitment. What specific acts of God’s faithfulness in your own life or family come to mind, and how does remembering these strengthen your loyalty to Him?

2. What “default idols” are most tempting in your own life or in our culture (money, beauty, approval, success, etc.)? What does it practically look like to put away these false gods in your daily life?

3. For those with children at home: how are you intentionally leading your household to serve the Lord? For everyone: what specific practices or rhythms have you established (or want to establish) to pass your faith on to the next generation? Where might God be calling you to take greater initiative?

4. How does Jesus’ call to take up our cross daily sharpen our understanding of what true commitment looks like? How does this differ from the way Christianity is sometimes presented?

One of the great dangers for us as God’s people is to forget God's history of faithfulness. When we forget, we will likely drift into compromise and reap the consequences of disobedience. But God loves us and has shown us how we can avoid the consequences of mission drift.

Sermon Outline:

I. Remember God’s History of Faithfulness

II. Cling to God in Loving Obedience

III. Be on Guard Against Gradual Compromise

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Share a specific time when God showed His faithfulness in your life. What practices help you regularly remember and celebrate God's track record in your life?

2. Can you identify areas in your own life where you might be experiencing “mission drift”? What circumstances or influences tend to pull you away from your core identity in Christ? How can we help each other stay on course?

3. What specific areas of obedience require the most strength and courage in your current season of life?

4. What are some of the most subtle or appealing idols in our current culture? How can you tell when something good (work, money, success, etc.) is becoming an idol in your life?

5. If you knew with absolute certainty that every promise and warning in God’s Word would come true, how might it change the way you live this week?

Theological error, idolatry, and sin are serious matters that cannot be ignored because they are a constant threat to the unity of God’s people. In this passage, we see the necessity of pursuing the peace and purity of the church.

Sermon Outline:

I. Because the LORD is God, We Must Cling to Him in Wholehearted Devotion

II. Because the LORD is God, We Must Pursue the Purity of the Church

III. Because the LORD is God, We Must Pursue the Peace of the Church

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. The word “cling” used in Joshua’s instructions is the same word used to describe how a husband and wife should hold fast to each other in marriage. What does it look like practically to “cling to God with loyalty, faithfulness, and affection” in the midst of busy daily life? What threatens to pull your affection away from Him?

2. The altar built by the eastern tribes was misunderstood as rebellion. Can you recall a time when you misjudged someone’s motives (or were misjudged yourself)? What would it look like for you to be slower to assume and quicker to ask questions in those situations?

3. The western tribes feared the altar represented idolatry because sin spreads and affects the whole community. In what ways have you seen sin (whether your own or others’) impact your family, church, or community? What does “guarding the purity of the church” look like in practice?

4. When the misunderstanding was cleared, Israel rejoiced that “the LORD is in our midst” (v. 31). How does pursuing peace with one another help us experience and display God’s presence today?

5. How does this central confession that “The LORD is God” give us unity as believers even when we disagree about lesser matters? How could remembering this confession change the way you approach conflict?

Left to ourselves, our communities fracture into injustice, vengeance, and idolatry. That does not make us unique; in fact, it is the common point of unity we share with people across the world and across the ages. We are not capable of creating communities of justice and mercy apart from God’s truth.

Sermon Outline:

I. Communities of Justice and Mercy

II. Communities of Truth

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. The cities of refuge were meant to ensure both justice and mercy. How does this balance challenge our own tendency either to minimize sin or to pursue vengeance? Where do you see these temptations in your own life or in our culture?

2. The manslayer had to run to the city of refuge to be safe. How does this imagery point us to Christ as our ultimate refuge? What does it mean practically for us to “run to Jesus” when we feel the weight of guilt and sin?

3. God scattered the Levites throughout the land so that his truth would be widely known and taught. In what ways can we be effective in spreading truth through our communities?

4. How should Christians faithfully engage the public square without arrogance or despair?

5. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past give us strength and hope to live as communities of justice, mercy, and truth today?

How long will you put off taking possession of what God has promised you? The inheritance for God’s people today is not in the Middle East, but we do have an inheritance. How do we properly respond?

Sermon Outline:

I. God has secured our inheritance

II. Faith gratefully receives the lot God gives

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. What areas of spiritual growth or obedience might you be “putting off” despite knowing God has already provided what you need? What practical steps could help you move forward?

2. God’s promises are meant to be “stimulants, not sedatives.” How does that change the way we think about God’s grace and the call to pursue holiness (see 1 Peter 1:13-16; 2 Peter 1:3-5)?

3. What aspects of your life circumstances (family background, abilities, challenges, etc.) have you struggled to accept as part of God’s sovereign plan? How might viewing these as your “lot from the Lord” change your perspective?

4. Read 2 Corinthians 8:13-14. In what ways might God be calling you to share your abundance (time, money, skills, resources) with others in need?