I. WE NEED A NEW WORLD!

A. How do “new people” navigate within an “old world”?

B. The division in the world is a manifestation of the division that runs through human hearts.

1. What if the axis of evil that runs through the human heart was replaced with the life of Christ…could the world be made new?

II. SEEK PEACE…REALLY? 1 Peter 3:8‐12

A. The peace‐poor have become the peace‐full and are now to live as peace‐seekers in the old world.

1. What kind of peace? What kind of person? What kind of power?

B. The person who seeks peace is honest about the difficulty, commi

I. INTRODUCTION

The resurrection of Jesus marked the beginning of a new world!

II. “DON’T BE AFRAID…” Revelation 1:12‐18

“…I am the Living One…I was dead but behold, I am alive forevermore…”

III. “COME UP HERE AND I WILL SHOW YOU…” Revelation 4:1‐2

“…a throne standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne…”

IV. “WHY ARE YOU WEEPING?” Revelation 5:1‐4

“…because no one was found worthy to open the book (set the world right)…”

V. “STOP WEEPING…” Revelation 5:5

“…worthy is the Lamb that was slain…”

VI. “AND I SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH…” Revelation 21:1‐5

The truth of Easter is the world reborn!

GOOD READS:

VINEYARD BLOG – A SHARED JOURNEY ‐ www.vineyardneworleans.org/asharedjourney

A new blog from Phil Jeansonne has been posted! Journey together with the people of the Vineyard Church of New Orleans as we seek to become the people we so desire to be. Feel free to comment, object, or ask questions. This is, after all, a shared journey.

I. INTRODUCTION

Main Text: 1 Peter 3:1‐7

II. THE CULTURAL CONTEXT

A. In the ancient world…

1. The father held all power and ruled the family and was owed all allegiances

B. In the kingdom that Jesus brought to the world…

1. The patriarchal culture was applied to God the Father

2. 1 Peter 2:9‐10; Galatians 3:26‐29; 1 Corinthians 7:29‐31

III. THE INTERPRETIVE KEY

A. “Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)

1. This was not a command but a result of the fall!

2. When applied as a command it reduces marriage to a power struggle!

B. In the kingdom of God we see something completely different going on…

1. Philippians 2:3‐5; Ephesians 5:21‐25

IV. THE REVERSAL

A. The kingdom reverses the effects of the fall, although it is planted in the soil of the current culture.

B. Wives submit to husbands but differently than before…

C. Husbands now submit to wives as well…

1. Both are free from other allegiances and the curse thereby allowing them to live as new humans in an old culture

GOOD READS:

VINEYARD BLOG – A SHARED JOURNEY ‐ www.vineyardneworleans.org/asharedjourney

A new blog from Phil Jeansonne has been posted! Journey together with the people of the Vineyard Church of

New Orleans as we seek to become the people we so desire to be. Feel free to comment, object, or ask

questions. This is, after all, a shared journey.

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 What does submission look like to you? What has affected your view more than anything else?

 What did your parents’ marriage do to your view of marriage?

 Can you speak of any posi

I. THE CHALLENGE OF JESUS

A. Lord, stir us! (Luke 23:1‐5)

1. Jesus comforts the afflicted but also afflicts the comfortable!

B. Lord, silence us! (Matthew 27:12‐14)

II. SUFFER WELL (1 Peter 2:18‐25)

A. A different kind of purpose

B. A different kind of revolution

C. A different kind of power

GOOD READS:

Hauerwas and Willimon

Watchman Nee

Gregory Boyd

FURTHER DISCUSSION:

• In what ways did people try to claim Jesus for their advantage? What was his response

to their attempts?

• What was your initial response to the statement concerning Jesus comforting the

afflicted and afflicting the comfortable? Do you see yourself as afflicted or comfortable?

• Can you think of any current examples of people literally suffering for their faith?

• Have you ever been treated unjustly, for doing the right thing? What was your

response?

• Is there an overarching reason for suffering like this without retaliation?

I. INTRODUCTION

1 Peter 1:11-20

II. SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

A. What is submission?

1. Submission versus obedience

B. To whom do we submit?

C. For what reason?

III. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

A. What is it?

B. When should it happen?

C. How should it happen?

GOOD READS:

Hauerwas and Willimon

Watchman Nee

Gregory Boyd

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 If you were a Christian living in Syria today; would you join the revolt against Assad? Why or why

not?

 Doesn’t Peter’s approach lead to passivity? If not, then how should Christians take a stand against

injustice where it is found?

 How did Jesus address the ugliness of the world while being submitted to the authorities?

 “The attitude of a citizen of the kingdom must be that we would rather lose by naively following a

‘power under’ approach than win while trusting a ‘power over’ approach to issues.” What do you

think of that statement?

QUESTIONS EVERY ETHICAL AND EFFECTIVE LEADER MUST ANSWER

 From where have I come?

 Why am I here?

 Who are we together?

 Where are we going – where are you taking us?

 How are we going to get there?

 How can others get meaningfully involved?

 What is it going to be like or how is it going to feel as we go?

MATTHEW 11:25-30 (The Message)

 God reveals his ways to ________________________ people.

 A pattern for life: “As the Father send me…so I _______________ you…”

 We are invited into the very workings of the __________________.

 Following Jesus is the way to ________________.

 It is the way to real _______________________.

 Christianity is ___________________ to Jesus.

 Is this really possible: ___________________ unforced rhythms of grace?

 How will it feel as we go? Not _____________ or ill-fitting…

 How does one keep _________________ with Jesus?

 Following Jesus: the _________________ and ________________ life.

DISCUSSION:

 What has Christian life felt like as you’ve tried to get meaningfully involved?

 Jesus’ vision for following him as the people of God.

I. WHAT DOES GOD THINK…? (1 Peter 2:4-10)

A. About Jesus… (1Peter 2:4-8)

1. What others said about him

2. What God said about him

3. What do we say about him

B. About us… (1Peter 2:5;9-10)

1. A house

2. Chosen race

3. Holy nation

4. Royal priesthood

5. A people for his own possession

C. About the church… (1Peter 2:9-10)

1. His people

2. His reflection

GOOD READS:

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

- How do news reports that are not favorable to the church affect you?

- How do you handle your own thoughts and criticisms of both the universal and local church?

- What is your role in correcting the ills of the church?

- What did Peter’s words about the beauty and glory of the church do for your image of the church?

- How would you describe the mission of the church as described by Peter in this text?

- As we move forward into this study it might be good to begin discussing your thoughts on the role of the church as it relates to the state. 

I. THE QUESTION OF MORALITY (1PETER 1:13-2:3)

A. Is there a right and wrong? How does one decide right and wrong?

B. What is the foundation of morality?

1. A socially constructed consensus versus a divine imprint from the Creator

II. HOLY…REALLY?

A. God is holy…what does that mean? (Leviticus 19:2)

B. What does it mean for us to be holy?

1. The content of holiness has both personal and social components.

III. HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY BE HOLY LIKE HE IS HOLY?

A. The first imperative is redemption. (1 Peter 1:18-19;23)

B. The second imperative is to be empowered to live differently. (1 Peter 1:13)

C. The third imperative is to take this life seriously. (1 Peter 1:17)

D. The fourth imperative is to live in community. (1 Peter 1:22-23;2:1-2)

GREAT READS:

Resident Aliens 

Stanley Hauerwas & William H. Willimon

After You Believe

N. T. Wright

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

What were your thoughts on “be holy like God is holy” before you heard this talk?

Have your thoughts been changed? If so, how?

What role does willpower play when it comes to holiness?

Why do you think Peter places such emphasis on living life in community?

I. EXCURSION ON SUFFERING (1 Peter 1:6)

A. The nature of suffering in the New Testament

1. Social exclusion that is a result of salva

I. FALSE, UNREALISTIC, AND FOND HOPE

A. The modern, western world has two dominant ways of viewing the future.

1. The myth of progress

2. Gnosticism: “We are stardust…”

B. Even the fond hope of life after death offers no hope for the here and now!

II. THE CHRISTIAN HOPE (1 Peter 1:3-12)

A. “A living hope” (verse 3)

1. One implication of the resurrection is a living hope…literally living!

2. We are citizens of the future world to come but the present reality is that God is

now making it visible here…in us!

B. “A full hope” (verse 4)

1. This world but not as it is now; God is not preserving it as is but he will

completely restore it as it should be.

C. “A sure hope” (verse 5)

1. We are a protected people, kept for the full hope/inheritance.

- Protected by grace through faith

- Protected from what or for what?

D. “You will have trials” (verse 6)

1. The question of trials

2. The result of trials

3. The temporary nature of trials

III. CONCLUSION

GREAT READS:

Surprised by Hope - N.T. Wright

Resident Aliens - Stanley Hauerwas and Will Willimon

DISCUSSION:

- How have you personally been influenced by the myth of progress?

- How would you explain the term “Gnostic Christian”?

- What is Peter getting at with this “living hope”?

- How do you handle the trials of life? Describe times when you handled them poorly

and/or with living hope. What were the results?

- Why do you think the world needs the outpost of the kingdom? (the church)