Embrace Weird | 1 Peter 1:1-12 Notes
Embracing Weird: Living as God’s Chosen People in a Secular World
In a world that increasingly views Christianity as strange or offensive, believers face a crucial question: How do we live faithfully when we no longer fit the cultural mould?
The answer might surprise you: We embrace the weird.
The Genius of Early Christianity
“The early Christians, from just after the time of Jesus through to the fourth century, lived in hostile, pagan cultures. And yet they were astonishingly successful. They turned world history on its head. They were successful in living authentic Christian lives, and they were successful in spreading the message of Christ. They were weird, according to the standards of their societies and times. Their weirdness was Jesus-centric. Jesus was the subject of their vision, the standard of their lives, the heart of their message.” [Greg Sheridan in ‘How Christians Can Succeed Today: Reclaiming the Genius of the Early Church’]
Today, Western culture has shifted to a post-Christian, neo-pagan phase. Christians increasingly feel like strangers in their own society. But here’s the remarkable truth: this is exactly where God’s people do our best work.
Who Are We? Elect Exiles (from 1 Peter 1:1-2)
The Apostle Peter wrote to Christians scattered across Asia Minor, addressing them as “elect exiles.” This phrase seems contradictory—elect means selected, while exile means rejected. Yet there’s no contradiction. God’s people are rejected by this world precisely because God has elected them.
Think about the incredible privilege of being chosen by God. Of all the people He made, if you belong to Christ, He chose you, not because of anything you’ve done, but because God graciously chose you.
This election involves the entire Trinity: The Father foreknew us—to foreknow is to forelove. The Spirit sanctified us—set us apart to belong to God. The Son welcomed us—through Jesus Christ’s blood, we’ve been welcomed into a covenant with God.
Where do you look to understand who you are? It’s easy to be defined by relationships, sexuality, financial security, or career success. But our primary identity is found in God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
What Do We Have? Hope and Joy (from 1 Peter 1:3-9)
God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This isn’t wishful thinking—this is certain hope, alive because Jesus is alive.
The empty tomb of Jesus guarantees that we, too, will have empty tombs. Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us. Though our earthly bodies are fading, we have a salvation ready to be revealed when we will be raised imperishable with all of God’s people to everlasting life.
When we realise we have hope in heaven, it liberates us to be joyful even now—even amid trials. Our faith is more precious than gold, tested by fire. God uses suffering for our good and His glory, purifying our faith in preparation for Christ’s return.
A Story of Suffering Well
In 177 AD in Lyon, France, a young slave girl named Blandina faced brutal persecution. By every worldly measure, she was the weakest person in the room—a slave, a woman, physically frail. But when Roman authorities tortured her, demanding she deny Christ, her spirit remained unshakable. Throughout her tortures, she would only say: “I am a Christian and nothing vile is done among us.”
She knew who she was. She knew what she had. When Blandina finally died, her fellow Christians said it was as if she had been invited to a wedding banquet rather than being thrown to the beasts.
Embracing Weird Today
You may never face what Blandina faced, but you will face a world that thinks you’re weird for following Jesus. The question is: Will we embrace it?
We know who we are—elect exiles, chosen by God. We know what we have—living hope and inexpressible joy through Jesus Christ. Being weird isn’t a problem to solve. It’s one of our greatest assets for the sake of Jesus.
Blandina Image from “Our Church Speakers”
HOME GROUP QUESTIONS
KICK OFF
Share a time when you felt like you didn’t fit in or were considered “weird” because of your beliefs or values.
What stood out to you from the sermon, and what questions did it raise?
Prayer for our time in God’s word.
READ 1 PETER 1:1-2
- What do we learn about the author and recipients of this letter?
- What does it mean to be “elect exiles”? How do these two seemingly contradictory words work together?
- Where are you tempted to look for your identity besides Christ?
READ 1 PETER 1:3-5
- Why is God worthy of blessing and praise?
- Why is the resurrection of Jesus so central to our hope? What would be missing if Jesus only died but didn’t rise again?
- How does knowing your hope is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” bring perspective to disappointments in this life?
READ 1 PETER 1:6-9
- How is the gold metaphor helpful for understanding our faith?
- How is it possible to “rejoice” while being “grieved by various trials”?
- How have you seen God refine your faith through trials?
Prayer: In response to the passage.
Vision Prayer: Father God, by your grace, enable our church to be a city of refuge within the city of Brisbane. Empower me this week, by your Spirit, to offer one person the refuge, security, and hope found in Christ Jesus. Amen.