Jeff Shelnutt Sermons

Elders in the local church are under-shepherds, serving the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. As those who give spiritual leadership and oversight, elders are called to shepherd the people of God humbly, willingly, selflessly, and by example.

The Lord is concerned about the purity of His church. It is here He begins to lovingly discipline those who follow Jesus. This discipline arrives in the form of trials. Peter alludes to two Old Testament passages, he ask two questions, and he encourages Christians to respond in two ways.

In this passage Peter speaks about three things that are strange for everyone but Christians. First, suffering is normal in the Christian experience. Secondly, rejoicing in suffering is normal. Thirdly, feeling no shame for suffering is normal. It is possible for the Christian to rejoice in trials as he anticipates the future joy of Christ's return.

One of the ways the Lord preserves His church in a world hostile to it is through the gifts He gives to His church. Peter talks about these gifts in two broad categories: speaking and serving. Every Christian has received a gift and is responsible to use it in service to God's people. From this passage we consider how to recognize and use your spiritual gifts.

Peter could accurately write "the end of all things is near." From God's perspective, everything after the resurrection of Jesus Christ is included in the ending. With this is in mind, we are told to keep three things in focus: disciplined prayer, fervent love, and uncomplaining hospitality.

Baptism is a declaration that the Christian stands on the spiritual victory Jesus Christ secured through His resurrection. How do we live out of that which Jesus accomplished on our behalf? This passage tells us. It has to do with our choices. We must 1) choose obedience, 2) choose real pleasure, and 3) choose to remember the dead.

This is a notoriously difficult passage to interpret. Much of the difficulty for the modern reader is not knowing what was going through Peter's mind when he wrote it. There is a way to look at this passage, however, that brings clarity. And through understanding Peter's intentions, we gain a deeper understanding of the significance of baptism.

We understand by this point in Peter's letter that followers of Jesus will face, at least on occasion, antagonism for living out their faith. We need something more than understanding. We need to be ready. In this passage, there is 1) a reason for readiness; 2) the hope of readiness; 3) acting out of readiness, and 4) the results of readiness.

A close look at the book of First Peter shows that Psalm 34 undergirds much of Peter's reasoning. Here he quotes from Psalm 34:12-16. In how Peter handles and applies this OT passage to his contemporary situation, we learn how to better apply the psalms to our lives. We discover three things about Psalm 34: 1) the context; 2) the instruction; and 3) the meaning.

When the Christian faces antagonism or hostility for his faith, there are two responses. One is toward those who are in the church, his brothers and sisters. The other response is toward those without. The truth is, when we bless those who curse, we are fulfilling the very purpose of God.