Sunday School Lesson June 21, 2020

Subject: The Testimony of Our Hope

The Point: Our hope in Christ points others to Him.

The Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-15

Study The Bible: 1 Peter 2:4-6

1). When we hope in Christ, we are never put to shame.

4. As you come to him, a living stone — rejected by people but chosen and honored by God —
5. you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6. For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.

Lasting truths from 1 Peter 2:4-6

• Peter’s recognition of Jesus as a living stone points to His divinity and His resurrection from the dead.
• When we place our hope in Christ, we will not be disappointed because we believe He has conquered death and lives forevermore!
• Since we have a living Lord who redeemed us from our sins, we can trust Him and never worry about our sins or shame.

1 Peter 2:7-10

2). Others may reject Christ, but we stand confidently because of who we are in Christ.

7. So honor will come to you who believe but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected — this one has become the cornerstone,
8. and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.
9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Lasting truths from 1 Peter 2:7-10

• The living stone to those who believe becomes a stumbling block to those who do not believe in Christ.
• If we reject Jesus as the Messiah, then we stumble and trip over the Rock. It is at this precise point that every person must make a decision about Jesus Christ.
• We are a people that belong to God and serve Him.
• We are God’s children and recipients of His mercy.

1 Peter 2:11-15

3). Our lives can lead others to glorify God.

11. Dear friends, I urge your as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
12. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander your as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
13. Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority
14. or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.
15. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

Lasting truths from 1 Peter 2:11-15

• While we remain in this would, we will experience a spiritual battle.
• People will glorify God when looking at our good works on the day He visits us.
• We are to submit to authority for the Lord’s sake.
• Peter wanted to empower us to focus on doing good rather than become overwhelmed with our critics.