Part 1: Monday Night Study at the Smith's

1 Peter: Lessons in Discipleship
Part 1: Seguridad (Security)

Intro:
Every Monday night we have the 4o/4o’s over for dinner with the purpose of living out together Acts 3:42, here are the notes from our study. We want to be intentional about accomplishing these four things 1. Devoting ourselves to the apostles teaching 2. Fellowship 3. Breaking of bread (eating together and partaking in the Lords supper) and 4. Prayer. Our group of 4o/4o’s are very strong individuals, from dealing with the climate, cultural changes, language difficulty for some, church culture differences and life together we are surprised by their determination at every corner. Everyday is incredibly busy with 6:oo devotionals, school from 8:oo to 1:oo, work three days a week with a local church or hospital in the afternoons for the 4o/4o’s, homework, and church 4 nights a week. The agenda and opportunities to spiritually be stretched are deliberately difficult now to prepare them for a non-stop ride we are all about to experience in a little over 4 months. Because our group is constantly being required to prepare and receive information for classes, we want to make Monday’s a fun time of discussion and practical study in the apostles teachings.

With our goal being to create the foundations of indigenous churches, we really want to distance ourselves from what we have to offer to a church plant in Peru and rather leave that to the people here to shape how it looks. Our role isn’t to bring the American culture to Peru but rather to bring Christ and inspire others to lead these indigenous churches. Thus we have decided that Monday’s we will study 1 Peter, because as I studied it I was struck by it’s perfect outline of how we should begin our discipleship process. I have included our bible study outline for you to follow if you’d like. I have also created an illustration that I hope will help our group to remember this book and the outline for discipleship evangelism. Our goal is to raise up leaders and right now, this is the most important thing we can learn while preparing for our jobs in Puerto Maldonado.
I first read through 1 Peter, God’s grace is what stuck out to me but then as I read it in light of our current situation in Iquitos and my current opportunities with Jair and Pool (whom you will hear about in blog posts to come) that I was struck by it’s perfect description of our walk of faith and outline for discipleship. There are five distinct chapter that perfectly follow the path we should look to follow as we disciple a new believer, with the end in mind of preparing them to become Christ like servants.
Our legacy here needs not be in buildings, intentions, but rather in people. Disciples firm in their faith, prepared to live Holy lives, prepared to submit and suffer and serve for Christ. My hope is that this model will help us all to remember the stages that believers follow as you disciple and raising up leaders.

Illustration:
1. Vs. 1:3 - 12 Security
2. Vs. 1:13 - 2:10 Sobriety (Holy living)
3. Vs. 2:11 – 3:12 Submission
4. Vs. 3:13 – 4:19 Suffering
5. Vs. 5:1 – 14 Service

The video illustration outlines the book and first two verses of 1 Peter and is a result of contemplating the 4o/4o’s current living situation. Rats, bats, bugs, leaky roofs, frogs and cucarachas.

Explanation: Peter starts with here at our basic level of need. Love. Peter is saying that God loved us before he even knew us. I think that says a lot. We typically love people after we get to know their character and who they are. God is saying I love you and I can't wait to get to know you. We all have a desire to be known and a desire to know our creator. And this is what I told Jair the first night we met. That God loved me even when I was junk and I love him even though I don’t really know him. But just as God wants a relationship with us, I can’t wait to get to know him. Getting to know him is inconsequential to me loving him. The same is with Christ dying for people that are currently filled with sin. It's incredible and we need to begin with love and a desire to get to know those that we disciple.

Application:We then read through the following verses and assigned one work descriptions of these verses. For each of the verses this is what they came up with in reference to Security (our shield) in our faith.

1. 1-2: Love: explained Jesus dying for sinners. 2. 3: Mercy: giving us new birth in Jesus through his resurrection 3. 4: Inheritance: imperishable, forever with Him 4. 5: Protection: by God’s power through faith 5. 6-8: Praise: Rejoice: In the salvation we have received in faith

Conclusion: We need to begin our discipleship with love and then follow up with the basic foundational understandings of who, what, when, where, why and how of Christ’s sacrifice. We need to preach that in Christ there is security from our former path of destruction and sin. And a new security, protection and inheritance in Christ that allows us to REJOICE.