This week we are beginning a new series in
1 Peter called ROOTED: Living Scattered, Not Shattered.

Our recent lives and cultural moments have been characterized by personal trials, political unrest, cultural upheaval, health concerns, relational turmoil, economic uncertainty, and varying degrees of individual and corporate trauma. What many in our society believed was a time of relative peace and prosperity has been uprooted as faith in our institutions, and even our neighbors, has been shattered and replaced with great fear, distrust, and division. While the societal fissures have always been present, these recent waves of turmoil have seemed unrelenting and overwhelming. This has caused us to be highly reactive, often discouraged, and at times experiencing crushing despair. The strength and stability of what we have been rooted in is revealed in times of great trial, suffering, or difficulty. Many of us are realizing our roots are too shallow and weak to sustain us in the storms of life. We need to be rooted in something deeper and more life giving than ourselves and our circumstances. We need to be rooted in a life that flows from the life giver, we need a real living hope beyond what we see and have now.
We need to be part of a people who are united for a greater purpose than our current growing tribalism. We need good news greater than our current events. We need to be rooted in what is real, true, and eternal. When we are rooted in the transcendent, we are not reactive to the temporary.

We can be ROOTED because Christ is IN US! In Jesus Christ we have a hope, identity,
purpose, and destiny that is both timely and transcendent. 1 Peter helps us be ROOTED in who we are, where we are going, and how we live today in a world uprooted from the truth of God. We are not planted in a perfectly cultivated orchard, protected from harm. Instead, we are scattered in an inhospitable wilderness. If we are going to survive and thrive, we need to be deeply rooted to remain both faithful and fruitful in the face of significant adversity. This begins by us asking a key question of ourselves. Who am I? This is an existential question of identity we all wrestle with. It is essential to understand who we are first for us to effectively navigate what we do and how we respond to the world around us. While we grow and change during our lives, our sense of identity must remain rooted in something or someone greater than us.

PART I | Who is Peter? | 1 Peter 1:1a
1 Peter 1:1a| Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
Peter the Rock - Named Simon Peter, he was a hard-working Jewish fisherman from the poor region of Galilee. Called by Jesus to become a disciple, Peter spent the next 3 years following, and helped facilitated Jesus’ earthly ministry. Bold, brash, and at times foolish, he was a witness to many of Jesus’ miracles, sat under His teaching, and also saw Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. Peter, like us, was imperfect and impulsive. He desired to be faithful but experienced

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great failure. Peter as a disciple gives all of us great hope that Jesus remains faithful for us even
when we are faithless. Peter is:
Fishermen to Fisher of Men – Peter is called by Jesus from his life vocation of fishing to
becoming His first disciple. As Jesus was preaching to a crowd near a lake. He got in Peter’s
boat to speak to the crowd on the shore. When Jesus was done, He told Peter to put out his
nets. Reluctant, after a long unfruitful night of fishing he relented and was rewarded with an
overwhelming catch. Humbled and afraid, Peter was encouraged by Jesus’ calling to become a
“fisher of men”. Leaving everything he had, Peter began to follow Jesus.
Fickle – Peter regularly vacillates from faith to denial, and from rejecting to receiving. At one
point he affirms Jesus has the very words of life, is the Christ, and “the Son of God”; the next
minute he tells Jesus to retract His promise of facing a death sentence on the cross. During the
last supper, as Jesus is serving the disciples by washing their feet, Peter says no because
Jesus is too great for this humble act. When Jesus says it is necessary to be served in this way,
he instead asks Jesus to wash his whole body. Peter often speaks without thinking and
misunderstands the point of Jesus’ teaching.
Feisty – Peter is a great example of “shoot first, aim second”. When he sees Jesus walking on
the water in the Sea of Galilee Peter immediately jumps in to be with Jesus and even walks for a
moment before faltering and falling. When Jesus is being arrested in the Garden of
Gethsemane, Peter draws a single sword against a large cadre of troops even cutting a soldiers
ear off before Jesus tells him to relent.
Famously Failed – On the night Jesus was arrested, tried, and beaten, Peter “the rock”
crumbled under the pressure of the moment. While he was ready to lead an armed rebellion
early in the night, by the time the rooster crowed Peter cowered under the questioning of a
teenage girl. He denied he even knew Jesus not once, but three times fulfilling what Jesus said
at the Last Supper. Seeing his Savior look him in the eyes during his last denial left him weeping
and ashamed.
Forgiven – While reeling from shame, news of an empty tomb gave Peter hope that just as
Jesus had foretold Peter’s faithlessness, He also foretold his own death AND resurrection. He
runs to the tomb, famously slower than John. While Peter briefly returned to his life of fishing he
is met again by Jesus. As complete as his failure is, his forgiveness is comprehensive. Over a
meal Jesus restores Peter not once but three times. As famous as his failure, his forgiveness
and restoration is memorialized by John’s Gospel.
Flawed – Even after his restoration he was still an imperfect disciple. He was given the vision of
food being clean, the gospel being not just for Israel, but was good news for all people. Peter
even ministered to a Roman Officer. He ate with Gentiles, yet later he distanced himself from
those of other races when the Judaizers came to visit. It was such a conflict with the true Gospel
that the Apostle Paul called him out to his face for being inconsistent. Peter has been cancelled
numerous times but in Christ He is uncancelable.

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Faithful – Peter had a long, enduring, and impactful ministry. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he
preaches an amazing sermon to thousands in Jerusalem during Pentecost in Acts 2. When
faced with prison from the religious leaders and told not to preach, he says “We have to follow
God and not man.” He leads, plants, and strengthens churches across the known world. Finally,
facing martyrdom by crucifixion, he says he must be hung upside down to not be confused with
His Lord Jesus.
Foundation of the Church – Jesus calls Peter “Petra”, meaning “Rock” and says He will use
him to build a church the gates of hell will not be able to withstand. He is not alone, he is not
THE Rock, but he is a living stone being built up by Jesus for Jesus. Has he sinned and failed?
Yes. Yet, His failure did not define him, He lives as we do in light of the resurrection of Jesus.
The resurrected Jesus restored Peter and continued to be the “rock” Jesus used to build His
church. Jesus‘ church has advanced across time, place, cultures, class, and languages for the
last 2,000 years. It brings together and is built up by imperfect people, just like Peter and us; all
worshiping and relying on the perfect Jesus. Peter is an Apostle, messenger, ambassador, who
speaks and writes with the same authority of the Old Testament Prophets who gave words of
warning, repentance, encouragement, and endurance. With both humility and authority Peter
writes to give hope to the church.
PART II | Who is this letter to? Who are we? | 1 Peter 1:1b
1 Peter 1:1b| To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia,
Who is it too? Elect Exiles – After several decades of church planting, there are Christians
scattered across the known world, yet not shattered by the circumstances of the world. In likely
the mid-60’s AD, 1 Peter was written to a network of churches planted across “Asia”, what is
modern day Turkey. The list of these cities/regions is most likely the route this letter took in
being circulated among the churches. These fellowships are all rooted in and among a society
that has great resistance to and rejection of Jesus and His people. For these Christians need to
navigate the tension of being both chosen and known by God AND far from home in a foreign
and hostile land. They are both honored and used by God while being shamed and rejected by
the world. They’re hurting and despairing; wrestling with life in a culture that is opposed to
Jesus. While outright persecution and martyrdom are not normative yet, storm clouds are
mounting on the horizon as marginalization and reviling increase. Peter is in Rome where the
persecution is beginning to heat up. He knows cultural norms emanate from Rome so the
people in Asia Minor are only a few seasons away from what Peter is experiencing. He wants
them equipped to endure and flourish. They need hope, reminders of what is true, instructions
for how to persevere, and encouragement to live with joy in all circumstances.
Scattered - The “Dispersion” ties them to the Israel as the people of God. Peter writes to remind
them they have been brought together as a holy priesthood and are being built up into a spiritual
temple all resting on the cornerstone of Christ Jesus. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, they

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(and we) have a real living hope, giving them endurance to faithfully engage with the world and
relationships they are planted in. He seeks to root them in their present identity IN Christ, their
future WITH Christ, and their lives lived now FOR Christ. The desired fruit of being rooted is
both hope & holiness. Suffering is real, tension is real, and so is hope.
Who are We? (1:1b) - Elect Exiles – The people of God in the world have paradoxical identity.
We are simultaneously chosen by God yet chastised by culture. We are gathered together in
Christ, yet scattered in the world. We are part of a new kingdom, yet living in a foreign land. We
are strangers (sojourners) in the familiar places we dwell yet destined for a forever home we
have never known. While currently persecuted to varying degrees, we are promised eternal
blessing. When we forget one of these things get wonky. If we only live out being in exile we will
despair and cower in fear. When we only remember we are chosen we ill disengage and be
puffed up with pride. We need to remember and embody a comprehensive identity.
Sojourners & Saints - It is an archaic word. They are not in their homeland, they are not from
here, they will not stay here forever. Yet they are actually rooted here and now, until it’s time to
go home. Saints is an identity given to us by God because of the work of God that is enduring,
not something we achieve or earn.
Christians across all places and times will find themselves in times of trial, difficulty, and even
persecution. In the midst of great suffering, we are given a greater hope because we are not
alone. While living scattered in the world we have other Christians around us in our local church,
our surrounding community, and other churches. We are encouraged that we are part of a
global church with people from every tribe, tongue, and nation represented; each facing unique
and universal challenges of remaining faithful and unbroken in a broken world. Finally, and most
importantly we have Jesus as our chief shepherd who loves, protects, provides, and leads us
through the valley of suffering to eternal glory and rest with Him. In this world we may be
scattered, but we will not be shattered when we are Rooted in Christ.
PART III | Who is God? How does that impact our identity? | 1 Peter 1:2a
1 Peter 1:2a | 2  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the
Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
Who is God? (1:2a) – Trinity – The Romans had a literally pantheon of God. Pluralistic, tolerant
as long as your highest allegiance is to the state and her Caesar. The reason the Christians we
the subject of scorn and marginalization is they claimed not to worship a god, but THE God.
Jesus who said I am the way the truth and the life. It was the exclusivity of Jesus they found the
most offensive. Other gods were appeased or manipulated to stay wrath or receive blessing. But
not the God of the Bible, not Jesus. Our identity is not rooted in what we have done, but in what
God has done for us. God alone, three-in-one, saves and sustains.
God the Father – Loving intentionally. This is what characterizes a good Father. Protection,
provision, and presence are all given to His children. Because God is eternal, He has great

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confidence in how history unfolds and resolves even when what we are unsettled by what we
see as uncertainty. We are loved intentionally.
God the Holy Spirit – Clean, Set apart, Pure and Powerful. We have been chosen, not
because God foreknew we are the good or clean ones, but because He knew because of our
sin we were defiled and disobedient. We have been chosen to be clean. We are made Holy to
live holy. We are empowered to live a new life.
God the Son (Jesus Christ) – Savior King & Perfect Sacrifice – We are led by Jesus, we are
loved by Jesus through His sacrifice for us. We may be disobedient but Jesus has been
perfectly obedient for us. We maybe be defiled by sin but we have the perfect sacrifice in Jesus.
This sprinkled is a reference to the old temple sacrifice paying for sin. Jesus is the spotless lamb
slain for sin. We may be in the world, but we have a King in Heaven reigning. We may be
scattered, but we have a good shepherd. We are redeemed & reconciled.
We are chosen based on Father’s past plan. We are purified by Holy Spirit’s present power in
us. We follow faithfully because of the Son’s work to save us on the cross and His future
promise to return. Your eternal identity will impact your present perspective. What and where is
your citizenship? Who is your king?
PART III | What is He accomplishing? How do we live out our Identity? | 1 Peter 1:2b
1 Peter 1:2b |May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 
What is He accomplishing? (1:2b) – Exponential Blessing –These are not throw away
greetings, they are outworking of our new identity in Christ. Grace is unmerited favor and
blessing. Getting something as a gift we did not earn, but we do get to embody. Peace is not
only the absence of conflict, though our conflict with God as sinners is over, it is the presence of
wholeness.
So what does this all add up to in terms of our identity? We are: Chosen by God, Rejected
by the world, Scattered in our communities, Gathered into a church as part of THE Church,
Known, Loved, Clean, Empowered, Sacrificed for, Led, recipients (and conduits) of grace, made
whole, reconciled to God, with a mission to multiply.
How does this help us navigate the world and times we are in? Regardless of present
circumstances, we are assured God is at work giving grace to His people and making peace for
His people. We live scattered, not shattered when we have grace and peace multiplying
individually and collectively, especially in response when the world, the enemy, and our own
heart and flesh begin to push against us.
When the enemy says you are a sinner, we say yes, saved and sprinkled clean by the
blood of Jesus.

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When we feel like a homeless orphan, we remember we are an adopted son or daughter
with a forever home.
When the world multiples division, we press into our God given unity as the church in the
Holy Spirit.
Where the world multiplies hate and condemnation on one another, we multiply mercy
and compassion to othes.
Where the world multiplies fear intensity and uncertainty increases, we multiply faith and
calm down Resting in the certainty of the goodness of the Father.
Where the world promises Heaven on earth through humanistic utopian totalitarianism.
We pray His Kingdom His Kingdom Come His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We
act towards that and rest in the promise of a new heaven and earth.
Where the world multiples disobedience and defilement, we multiply grace and live out
Spirit fueled obedience.
When the world multiples persecution, we multiply perseverance.
When the world says, “You make your own identity.” We remain rooted in the identity of
the one who made us.
This isn’t rah rah, let’s take the hill, it is rest in the Gospel because Jesus hung on the hill
for us.
We can only remain ROOTED because of the Gospel where we are brought into family by
the grace and mercy of God alone. God made us and the world good. We were in communion
with Him and a lush garden and commissioned by Him to be fruitful across the earth. But we
rejected His authority in favor of an empty promise of a better life relying on ourselves. We
uprooted and untethered ourselves from the source of truth, life, beauty, and purpose. The
result was exile from the garden, a painful existence scattered in the world, and ultimately
shattered by death. Yet in our exile God still elected us for salvation with great mercy and grace.
The perfect striving, completed work, and legacy, has been accomplished by Jesus Christ (God
the Son) in our place; living the perfect life we have and not dying the death we all deserve for
sin, and rising again so we can be alive now and forever with Him.
In Christ we have been reborn, we are being renewed, and we patiently await His glorious
return. Because of Jesus' effort for us, we’ve been adopted by a Father (God) who loves us. He
picks us up, He carries us, He encourages us, and He empowers us (by the Holy Spirit) to walk
in the ways and places He sees fit for us. We walk with the knowledge that He’s the one who

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brought us here for our growth, our good, and His glory. We are humble because we know how
weak and dependent we are. We are joyful because we know how loved we are. We are
encouraged because we know where our strength is found. We invite everyone and let them
know life with God is not dependent on how they endure, but is rooted in a God who has big
enough shoulders to carry all His people. Our desire for meaning, enjoyment, and purpose
cannot be satisfied apart from God. Rather it can only come from the unearned grace of God in
Jesus Christ who gives us new abundant life pursuing His mission and enjoying His favor. Be
Rooted in your identity as you Trust Jesus!