Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text     MS Word The Spirits In Prison 1 Peter 3:18-22       Bobby Stafford

The spirits in prison

introduction:  (mid 60s AD) 1^st Peter written during time of intense persecution. Countless Christians were suffering for their faith. (1 Peter 3:13-17  encourage to follow the example of their master, Jesus Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 3:18-22

Body

1.       “In Spirit” – How (VS 18)

a.       Purpose/result of Christ’s suffering? Bring us to God- reconcile us.  Had to die “in the flesh” - physical body.  Jesus did not die in his spirit, though jesus went to paradise.

b.       It was “in this spirit” That he preached to “spirits in prison”  Preached in the Greek means to proclaim a message.  (herald)

c.       “Spirit” that part of a human that is not subject to death, James 2:26.

2.       Ecclesiastes 12:7 “In Prison” – where (vs 19) “spirits” had died and were in the spirit world- hadean realm- disembodied spirits.

a.       “In prison” - in restraint because of evil and wicked ways – 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.

b.       One compartment in hades- torment, tartarus.

3.       In former times – when (VS 20)

a.       These disobedient people lived during the time of Noah- specifically that. During which Noah preached while building the ark. These were now “spirits in prison” -when Peter was writing his epistle. They were not given a second chance- Hebrews 9:37. Everyone lost in torment would repent if given a second chance!  “Rich man and Lazarus” no need for a hell- it would be empty! But Jesus says the majority will be in hell.  Matthew 7: 13, 14.

4.       In the waters of the flood

a.       The water was the means of death to all those who rejected the preaching of Noah- disobeyed message of Christ through his agent Noah. Only eight souls were saved by these waters. A tiny percentage. 

b.       Why death by water?  The water washed sin from the earth and saved Noah and his family.  In a like figure water saves us in baptism by washing away our sin.  1 Peter 3:21

5.       Invitation

a.       Read  1 Peter 3:21-22. 

b.       The water itself had no saving power in the flood nor does water have any saving power in baptism today.  The power is in God.

c.       The waters of the flood separated the godly from the ungodly-the waters of baptism do the same.

 

Lesson outline by Bobby Stafford, 

 

 

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