The Church as a Counter-Cultural Community in 1 Peter 3:8-12

In previous sermons, the Apostle Peter has described how Christians are exiles and resident aliens in their own nation because the Gospel has influenced how they live out their lives (e.g., citizens to the state, servants to masters, wives and husbands in marriage). Now Peter is going to back up from these specific roles to look at the church as a whole and describe how it is formed into a counter-cultural community with counter-cultural hearts. The Gospel makes the Christian’s heart sympathetic, compassionate, and tender towards others (3:8), which is so unlike the hearts we see on cable news and social media. Porter will apply the passage to the racial divide in our nation and discuss how Christians with sympathetic hearts may seek peace (3:11) by entering into the lament of those who are grieving and seeking to do good (3:11). The bulletin is posted here.