First Peter, Chapter 1. Today, even though it's a special Sunday in that we are preparing

to hit the streets as aliens, I'm going to begin the series on 1st Peter, which will carry us all the way

through the fall, probably through the spring, and probably through next year. Because as I planned the sermons for the fall,

I will finish chapter one on the last Sunday of this year,

Lord willing.

We will spend four weeks on the two verses that I'm going to read you this morning

because they are so laden with God and with truth and you will see that as we get into it.

And as I was reflecting about the streets and what we're going to be doing in about 30 or 40 minutes,

this word aliens or exiles is very relevant. I hope I can make that

plain so that you will feel what it means to be an alien out there on the street.

But let me read the verses with you.

Versus 1 and 2 of 1st Peter, chapter 1.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout

Ponte's Galatia, Kepadocia, Asia, Bithinia, who are chosen, according

to the foreknowledge of God, the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled

with his blood, may Grace and peace be yours in fullest measure. Now if you were to begin a letter like that

writing to somebody they would shake their head and say you wouldn't read the Bible too much or

something like that. We put our names at the end, they put their names at the beginning, everybody knows that. Peter, he starts with Peter. And then you say, dear so and so, who you're writing to, and let me just say a word about those two things who it is its writing and to

whom he was writing. We all know Peter unless you are completely outside the pale of churchianity, which some of you are, I suppose.

So let me say a word about Peter. I love Peter. My father almost named me Peter, but my mother won out because Peter Piper

would have been a hardship all of my life. Peter was my father's favorite apostle, so he shifted to John, second best, he thought.

Peter was one of those inner three around Jesus. He was a fisherman, he was married, he traveled, he left everything.

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