Table of Contents
I Peter 1:22-2:3 Manuscripted Sermon
“An Unnatural Love … A Supernatural Book"
Proposition
Introduction
I. We should cultivate an unnatural love for each other.
A. Our love should be sincere.
B. Our love should be sacred.
C. Our love should stretch.
II. We should crave a supernatural Book.
A. An Elimination
B. An Illustration
C. A Motivation
D. An Experimentation
Conclusion
I Peter 2:4-12 Manuscripted Sermon
“The Believer's Benfits as God's Building Blocks"
Proposition
Introduction
I. Believers have the benefit of offering sacrifices.
II. Believers have the benefit of an original status.
III. Believers have the benefit of an obtainable Stone.
IV. Believers have the benefit of opportunities to shine.
V. Believers have the benefit of obliterating sin.
Conclusion
I Peter 2:13-17 Manuscripted Sermon
“Answering to Authority”
Proposition
Introduction
I. The Correct Response – “Submitting”
II. The Critics Reaction – “Silencing”
III. The Christ-like Role – “Serving”
IV. The Concluding Reminders – “Showing”
A. Show no favorites.
B. Show love to all believers.
C. Show fear to God.
D. Show respect to authority.
Conclusion
I Peter 2:18-25 Manuscripted Sermon
“When Life Isn’t Fair”
Proposition
Introduction
I. Submit to authority
II. Shut your mouth
III. Set your focus
IV. Suffer with patience
V. Suffer with purpose
VI. Study the Savior
A. He is our Standard for suffering – We have a Hero
B. He is our Substitute for our sinning – We have Hope
C. He is our Shepherd for our straying – We have Help
Conclusion
I Peter 1:22-2:3 By Donny Varney “An Unnatural Love … a Supernatural Book”
Proposition: The only way to cultivate an unnatural love for others is by craving a supernatural Book.
Introduction:
Some things in life come naturally for us. However, other things are very unnatural for us. Let me give you a couple personal examples of what I mean by those two statements.
Since as long as I can remember, I have always been an extremely competitive person. It comes very natural for me to make just about everything into a competition. Just going to eat with my wife will spark my competitive spirit. It would be a rare dining experience for Becky and me, if I didn’t convince her to play “the penny game”. It is a simple game that consists of three pennies that serve collectively as a soccer ball and your thumbs and index fingers as a soccer goal. Whoever has the most goals when the food comes out wins! But it doesn’t stop there. It would be equally rare if I didn’t insist that we play the “guess how much the bill came to game” when the bill came to our table. Whoever guesses the closest to the actual total of the bill wins! You see, for me, competition comes very natural. I enjoy it, embrace it and I create it even when it is not necessary.
However, not everything in life comes that naturally for me. I hate to admit this, but I am terrible when it comes to directions. You may say that I am “directionally challenged”. I see some people who just seem to know their way around no matter where they are. It is almost like God placed a compass inside their head and there is no way they will ever get lost. But for me, it wouldn’t matter if I had a compass in my right hand and pin point directions to a certain place in my left hand. If I just make one wrong turn I end up getting so turned around in my head that it will take me ten more wrong turns before I finally get back on the right path. A sense of direction (when it comes to traveling or really anything that involves finding a destination) does not come natural to me in the least.
A few years ago, I read a true story that beautifully illustrates someone doing something that would be very unnatural for most people to do.
While on a three-story scaffold at a construction site one day, a building engineer tripped and fell toward the ground in what appeared to be a fatal plummet. Right below the scaffold, a laborer looked up just as the man fell, realized he was standing exactly where the engineer would land, braced himself, and absorbed the full impact of the other man’s fall. The impact slightly injured the engineer but severely hurt the laborer. The brutal collision fractured almost every bone in his body, and after he recovered from those injuries, he was severely disabled.
What that laborer did for the building engineer was certainly unnatural. My first instinct would have been to get out of the way. In many ways, that story illustrates how Christ was our Substitute who took the full impact of our sinful weight and rescued us as we were falling down toward an eternity in hell.
The fact of the matter is this: we all have things that come naturally for us and we all have things that are very unnatural for us. In this message I would like to challenge us from God’s Word to do something unnatural. In fact, the only way we will be able to do this unnatural thing is through the power of something supernatural.
Let’s take a look at our text in I Peter 1:22-2:3. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
This passage in I Peter challenges us in two different areas and also describes for us exactly how it should look to do the things that are asked of us. We are challenged to cultivate an unnatural love and we are challenged to crave a supernatural Book. Our love should be sincere, it should be sacred, and it should stretch. As we look at how we can truly crave God’s Word, we will see an elimination, an illustration, a motivation, and an experimentation.
I. We should cultivate an unnatural love for each other. (1:22)
The kind of love that Peter is challenging us to have is far from natural. It is very clear that the Pharisees did not have this kind of love. Jesus had this to say to them in Luke 11:42, “But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
John 15:13 tells us the ultimate expression of this unnatural love. “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” As incredible as that sounds, John 13:35 tells us that this kind of love is what all believers should have for one another. It is a distinguishing characteristic that the watching world should notice about us. It says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Love is a word that gets thrown around quite a bit in today’s society. It is a word that is spoken often, yet practiced little. So what words would describe the kind of love that Peter is calling us to? Let’s take a closer look.
3 words that describe this unnatural love:
A. Our love for each other should be sincere (1:22)
The word found in the KJV is “unfeigned”. This carries the exact opposite meaning of the word “hypocritical”. It is a kind of love that is not two-faced. It doesn’t say one thing yet do another. It is genuine. It is real. It is authentic. It is open and honest. It is straightforward. It is truthful. It is direct. It is sincere!
I dare say there has not been one day that has gone by in my marriage with Becky where I have not said “I love you” to her. But do I dare say (or day any husband say) that there has not been one day of my marriage where I have acted unloving to my wife. The fact of the matter is that it’s very easy to be hypocritical in our love for people… even people who we really love.
We would probably all agree that it is our actions that speak louder than our words. Someone has said it this way: “our talk talks and our walk talks, but it is our walk that talks louder than our talk talks”. Jesus gives us all a sobering warning to not speak words carelessly and to not speak hypocritically. The passage is found in Matthew 12:33-37. “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account therof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Romans 12:9 is probably the clearest verse in all the Bible on the subject of love and how our love should be sincere. It is a short, simple verse, but it gets right to the point. “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” The word “dissimulation” in that verse literally means “hypocrisy”… let love be without hypocrisy. You can’t get much clearer than that.
B. Our love for each other should be sacred (1:22)
The phrase used in the KJV is “with a pure heart”. The reason I have used the word “sacred” is because it carries the idea of something being “holy” or “sanctified”. The concept that Peter is trying to get across to his readers is that our love should be wholesome, unpolluted and untainted. There should be no strings attached in our love for each other. Our love should be out of a pure heart with pure motives.
C. Our love for each other should stretch (1:22)
The word used in the KJV is “fervently”. This word carries the idea of doing something passionately, zealously, eagerly, enthusiastically and fanatically. The word “fervently” is actually a physiological term meaning “to stretch to the furthest limit of a muscle’s capacity”. Another phrase that accurately describes this kind of love is the phrase “to go all out”.
Throughout my senior year of high school and during the summer months of my college years I worked as a shoe salesman at JC Penney. Something that will always stick with me from my experience working there is a quote that hung in a very prominent place in the workroom (the place where all the employees had to clock in and also the place where we had our lunch breaks and any important meetings). The quote read: “It is the service you are not obligated to do that customers value most”. Do you want to guess who the author of the quote was? It was James Cash Penney himself! Now I did not do everything by JC Penney’s standards I’m sure, but one thing I tried hard to emulate was that quote. If a customer came to the shoe department wanting to know where the bathroom was, I didn’t just point in a general direction and say “over there”. I stopped what I was doing, stepped away from the counter and walked them to where the bathrooms were located. They didn’t expect me to do that. I certainly was not obligated to do it, but I can tell you one thing – it was that kind of service that customers appreciated most. James Cash Penney was right.
I use that illustration to show what kind of love Peter is calling us to. It’s a kind of love that goes the extra mile. It’s a kind of love that stretches. It will stretch your comfort zone. It will stretch your schedule. It will stretch you mentally. At times, it will stretch you physically.
II. We should crave a supernatural Book. (1:23-2:3)
So the kind of love we are being called to is not exactly easy you may say. I would agree with you and then I would take it one step further. Not only is it not easy … it is not possible. That is, unless you have the Truth living inside of you through a supernatural Book.
In verse 23 Peter reminds his readers of the seed that was sown into the heart of all Believers. It is not a corruptible seed, but an incorruptible seed – the Word of God, which will live forever.
Peter then goes on in verses 24 and 25 to compare God’s Word to all of mankind (flesh). He says that all flesh is like grass and flowers. Just like the grass withers away and the splendor of a flower only lasts for a while, so all of flesh will eventually die off. In contrast, the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word which was preached to us.
Peter is reminding all Christians of the glorious reality that the same supernatural Book which contains the Truth that saved us is the same supernatural Book that can help us to love the way we ought. All we need to do is allow ourselves to be transformed by it’s teachings and that can only happen by craving it as our source for help, guidance and wisdom. As we look at Peter’s second challenge, which is to crave this supernatural Book, let’s focus in on 4 different parts of Peter’s challenge on craving God’s Word.
4 parts to Peter’s challenge on craving God’s Word:
A. An Elimination (2:1)
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,”
Before even mentioning the craving of God’s Word, Peter gives believers some preliminary measures that must be taken. We must first eliminate (lay aside) any and every part of our lives that could potentially be a hindrance to our desire for God’s Word.
The phrases “putting aside” or “laying aside” simply mean to strip off, to take away, to abolish, to eradicate, to do away with, to get ride of, to remove, to eliminate. The same idea is found in Hebrews 12:1 where it says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Again, this concept is found in James 1:21 where it says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls.” It is interesting to note that James places the same premium that Peter does by mentioning the “elimination” of the bad before receiving the good (God’s Word in both cases).
I have always enjoyed running. I ran in track from 6th grade all the way through 12th grade. During my college years I ran in 3 marathons, and more recently in 2006 and 2007 I ran in the New York City Marathon and the Chicago Marathon. Whether I was running a short distance like a 100 meter dash or a 26.2 mile marathon, I would have been the object of everyone’s laughter if I showed up at the starting line in a snow suit with my winter boots. Why? Because you don’t want anything to get in the way of your performance when it comes to running, and certainly a heavy snow suit with big winter boots is going to be a hindrance, not a help.
That is the preliminary point Peter is stating in verse 1. Just like you need to lay aside the snow suit and the winter boots before running a race, so you must put aside things in your life that are going to hinder you from desiring God’s Word. Peter specifically mentions five things that can get in the way of our passion for God’s Word– malice, guile, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking.
“Malice” carries the meaning of hatred, cruelty, mischievousness and overall general wickedness.
“Guile” means deceit or dishonesty. You can trace the origin of the word “guile” to fishing … specifically with bait on a fishhook. Guile is like a fisherman who tries to trick and deceive the fish with a little worm on a fishhook. It is deceiving, crafty, cunning and misleading. That is guile.
“Hypocrisy” means two-faced or insincere. It is like an actor who wears a mask in an attempt for the audience to believe he is someone who he really is not.
“Envy” carries the idea of resenting others prosperities. It is different from jealousy and in many respects worse. Jealousy says “I wish I had what he has”. Envy says “Not only do I wish I had what he has, but I wish he didn’t have it”.
“Evil speaking” falls under the category of gossiping. It describes someone who is seeking to defame another’s character.
By the wording used in verse 1 it is clear that this “elimination” is a preliminary step in craving God’s Word, and it is a step that must be taken for the believer to fully crave God’s Word. Let’s now turn our attention to the 2nd part of Peter’s challenge on craving God’s Word.
B. An Illustration (2:2)
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,”
If I were to take a poll and ask 100 different people to give me the top 3 reasons why they think newborn babies cry I am sure we would get several different reasons. Some may say because the baby is tired. Others may say because the newborn is too cold or too hot. Still, others may say because the newborn isn’t getting enough attention. Perhaps others would say because the baby’s diaper needs changed. All of these would be good reasons as to why a newborn cries, but I dare say that there would be one reason that I have not mentioned that all 100 people would give as one of there three reasons. You want to know what it is? You already know what I’m going to say – because the newborn is hungry. And what is the primary food/drink the baby is hungry for? MILK!
So what does a newborn baby have to do with God’s Word you may ask? The point Peter is making is this: just like a newborn baby earnestly desires (craves) milk, so the believer should crave God’s Word. The word “desire” means an intense, recurring, insatiable passion for something; to long for. It is that kind of desire that we ought to have toward God’s Word. Could a newborn baby go a day without milk? Could the baby go a week? The answer is no. The baby’s greatest need in life is milk. The cry for milk from a newborn baby is unmistakable. It is persistent, unyielding, unremitting and relentless. It is that same kind of passion and hunger that we, as Christians, need to have for God’s Word. Now let’s turn our attention to the third part of Peter’s challenge on craving God’s Word.
C. A Motivation (2:2)
“that ye may grow thereby:”
Possibly the greatest basketball player that this world has ever or will ever see is a guy by the name of Michael Jordan. In an interview several years ago
What is true about playing in the NBA is also true when it comes to our walk with God. We must always have a righteous sense of discontentment realizing that we have not arrived yet. Paul said it this way, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14). When it came to knowing Christ more (Philippians 3:10), Paul realized it was a process of growing in his walk with God each day as he strove and reached and pressed toward that mark.
I remember in a high school English class having to come up with “oxy morons” for a particular assignment. An “oxy moron” is when you take two words and put them together yet they don’t make sense. Some examples of this would be: ‘clean dirt’, ‘dangerously safe’, ‘honest thief’. May it never be said of us that we are a ‘retired Christian’. That should always fall in the category as an oxy moron. No matter how old we are or how long we have been saved, may we always strive to grow in our walk with God through the craving of His Word.
D. An Experimentation (2:3)
“If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious”
Finally, Peter reminds Christians of something that they already know to be true…namely, their personal experience of God’s graciousness. The word “tasted” could just as easily be translated “experienced”. And the word “if” could just as easily be translated “since”. The same idea is found in Psalm 34:8 when the psalmist says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him”. Peter’s point is that we have all experienced or “tasted” the graciousness of God. If nowhere else, we have all experienced His graciousness at salvation. I would say we could all testify to many (perhaps innumerable) times where we have experienced the graciousness of God.
So what Peter is telling us is that since we have already experienced the graciousness of God, we should continue to seek Him and crave after His Word because we know from personal experience that it will be rewarding beyond measure. The concept is actually quite simple. It is like me going to a Starbucks Coffee house and ordering a Java Chip Frappachino. After I have consumed the Java Chip Frappachino I come to one main conclusion: I love it! So when I go back to Starbucks a couple weeks later guess what I order? The Java Chip Frappachino. Why? Because I have already experienced or “tasted” that it is good and I have no doubt in my mind that my future experiences with the Java Chip Frappachino are going to be similar.
Conclusion:
We, as Christians, can be sure that God’s Word will not disappoint us or let us down. It is something worth craving after. And, as we have discovered in this passage, it is something we are commanded to crave after. God’s Word is eternal and has the power to change lives. All flesh and the things of this world will wither up and die like grass, but God’s Word will endure forever.
God is calling all Believers to love each other in a way that is very unnatural. This can only be accomplished as we crave after God’s Word … a truly supernatural Book.
I Peter 2:4-12 By Donny Varney “The Believers’ Benefits as God’s Building Blocks”
Proposition: Believers, as God’s “building blocks”, have special benefits that must be understood, enjoyed and acted upon.
Introduction:
There are probably many thoughts that come to your mind when you stop and think about the term “benefits”. The idea of “benefits” can be taken to mean many different things. Most people with jobs immediately think of things such as health benefits or fringe benefits. If you are a child you probably think about “play time” or maybe “snack time”. If you’re a student you think of things like Christmas Break or receiving your long awaited degree. If you are near the age of retirement you are probably thinking about social security or your 401k plan. If you are single than you probably think about the benefit of freedom and flexibility. Those who are married would quickly recognize the benefit of companionship and mutual love with their spouse. If you are married with children you would probably speak of the benefit and joy of parenting as you play a tremendous role in the growth and development of another human being - - your child!
Hopefully the point is clear that the concept of “benefits” can mean something different for everyone. With this message, however, I would like to mention some of the benefits that all believers have in common as God’s “building blocks”. Each of the five benefits that this passage covers should be thoroughly understood, enjoyed and acted upon.
There are several texts in I and II Peter that do not flow nice and neatly with an easy-to-follow logical outline. This text happens to be one of them. John MacArthur had this to say about this text in particular:
Peter is not like Paul, if you haven't discovered that yet. Peter doesn’t have that logical, precise, sequential kind of mind where everything can be easily outlined and flows in perfect order. Peter seems a bit more emotional, a bit more scattered. He makes a point, goes and makes another point and then comes back to his first point...sometimes a little harder to track.
In this particular section, he does that. He weaves his way in and out of some very wonderful points. He bounces back and forth from new revelation to quoting the Old Testament, eluding to the Old Testament. He seems to be literally filled with the knowledge of the Old Testament and it's as if it's in him so deeply that it comes out almost inadvertently. And so while he's speaking something new and fresh, there is yet something old in the revelation of the Old Testament that is inherent in it. And we're going to see that as we look at this tremendous passage before us.
Let’s take a look at the passage found in I Peter 2:4-12. “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Here in this text Peter gives us at least five different benefits that all believers should understand, enjoy and act upon as God’s “building blocks”. We have the benefit of offering sacrifices, the benefit of an original status, the benefit of an obtainable Stone, the benefit of obliterating sin, and the benefit of opportunities to speak. As I already mentioned, this is not an easy-to-follow passage of Scripture. Therefore, the five main points of this message will overlap and crisscross each other to one extent or another. Let’s first look at the believers’ benefit of offering sacrifices.
I. Believers have the benefit of offering sacrifices. (v.5)
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
The idea of offering sacrifices should be understood as God-honoring works done for Christ’s sake under the direction of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God’s Word. The New Testament provides several examples of what Peter had in mind here.
Romans 12:1-2 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. So here we see how the believer should offer the sacrifice of his own body.
Hebrews 13:15 says, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” This verse makes it clear that our praise to God is a sacrifice we should offer to God.
The very next verse in Hebrews gives us two more sacrifices that should be offered to God – doing good and sharing one’s resources. “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:16). The word “communicate” carries the idea of sharing one’s resources.
Romans 15:16 says, “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost”. This verse tells us that we should be seeking to bring others to Christ and offer that very service as a sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1,2 says, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour”. These verses are telling us to walk in love just as Christ did as a sacrificial offering to God.
I Timothy 2:1-3 says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour”. This passage makes it clear that our prayers can and should be viewed as a sacrifice offered to God.
These are seven primary examples found in the New Testament that show us the kind of sacrifices Peter probably had in mind as he penned verse 5. Let’s now look at the believers’ benefit of an original status.
II. Believers have the benefit of an original status. (vv.5,9,10,11)
“lively stones … chosen generation … royal priesthood … holy nation … peculiar people … strangers and pilgrims”
When I use the phrase “original status” I mean the following: unique, one of a kind, special and distinctive. Our status as Christians is original. Throughout this passage we find Peter addressing Believers with all sorts of different names. Each of these names has a specific God-given meaning with each name explaining in a different, unique way how privileged we are as God’s children.
“Lively stones” is a term signifying the privilege of eternal life that we share with Christ. Ephesians 2:19-22 is another great passage that pictures believers as living stones. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit”.
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“Royal priesthood” is a term that demonstrates the access we have to God.
“Holy nation” is a fairly simply phrase with ‘holy’ meaning set apart and ‘nation’ literally meaning people. Putting the two words together signifies believers as a people who are set apart for a special God-given purpose.
“Peculiar people” indicates believers as “a people for God’s own possession”. This is the same name that believers are called in Titus 2:13-14, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
“Strangers and pilgrims” are terms Peters used to remind believers that we are not truly members of our world’s society. As the old song goes, “we are just a passing through… our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue”. Hebrews 13:14 (speaking of believers) says, “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come”. The word “strangers” literally means “alongside the house”. That description is fitting for believers who live alongside those who live in this world’s system, but don’t actually go inside and get involved in it’s practices.
All of these names point to the truth that believers are not their own, but that they are set aside or “set apart” for the purpose of their Master. I Corinthians 6:19-20 underlines this truth perhaps better than any other passage in God’s Word. “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's”.
Indeed, believers have the marvelous benefit of an original status. Let’s now look at the benefit of an obtainable Stone.
III. Believers have the benefit of an obtainable Stone (vv.4,6,7,8)
“living stone … corner stone … stone which the builders disallowed … stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence”
Another theme that is interwoven throughout this text is Jesus Christ as the believers’ obtainable Stone. By “obtainable” I simply mean that He is accessible, reachable and available to all of His children. In I Corinthians 15:12-19 Paul explains that if Christ is not risen from the grave than we, as believers, are the most miserable people on planet earth. However, Jesus Christ is alive! He is risen and therefore, we can call to him as our living Stone.
Christ is also our corner stone. He is essential to life for believers. He is indispensable. He is our foundation. He is the center of our universe, the center of our lives and the center of our message to the world. Without Him, as our corner stone, our whole life collapses.
Even though Christ is indispensable, essential and foundational to every believer, He is considered the stone “which the builders disallowed”, a “stone of stumbling” and a “rock of offense” to those who do not believe.
Josh McDowell was absolutely correct in his book “More than a Carpenter” when he said that Jesus can be only three things to people – Lord, Lunatic or Liar. There is no room for Jesus to simply be a good man who did many wonderful things and died a tragic death. The message he left while on this earth doesn’t allow for people to think that of Him. To those who reject Him as their Savior, Jesus is extremely offensive, abrasive and uncompromising.
For those who believe, Peter says, “we will not be confounded”. In other words, we will not be disappointed. God will do everything that He says He will do. We have no reason to question or wonder if what He says will come true. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is our Rock!
IV. Believers have the benefit of opportunities to shine. (vv.9,12)
“that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: … Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
The Greek word for “shew forth” appears only once in the New Testament. It means “to publish” or “to advertise”. We, as believers, have the awesome privilege (benefit) of being God’s message bearers. Romans 10:15 says “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” God considers our feet “beautiful” as we walk this earth proclaiming the excellencies of Christ. It truly is a humbling thought that we, as believers, are given the opportunity to shine as lights in this dark world.
In verse 12 we find Peter challenging believers along the same lines as verse 9. He tells us that in order to effectively shine as lights for Christ we must have transformed inner lives that can be noticeably seen to the outside world. When believers take advantage of the God-given opportunities to shine for Christ it always results in God receiving the glory.
V. Believers have the benefit of obliterating sin. (v.11)
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”
This is a powerful verse that portrays a war going on inside a believer. Thankfully, as believers, we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to obliterate sin. The word “obliterate” simply means “destroy”. Galatians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:5 are good verses to look at when trying to pinpoint what the “fleshly lusts” are.
In the latter portion of Romans 7 Paul describes the ongoing battle that all believers face. In verse 23 of chapter 7 he actually uses the same “war” terminology as Peter does. “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members”. In Romans 8 Paul explains how believers can win this battle against our “fleshly lusts, which was against the soul”. Paul says in Romans 8:13 “but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”. Therefore, the key to destroying (obliterating) sin in our lives can only be found through the power of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh”.
This is precisely why “obliterating sin” is considered a benefit. Only believers have this powerful God-given privilege. All others are left to their own devices to try to win this battle and 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 makes it clear that it will be a losing battle. It says “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war against the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Verse 4 is making it very clear that we cannot win the war against our flesh by simply relying on our flesh (even a very disciplined flesh). We need the Holy Spirit to obliterate sin and only believers have this benefit.
Conclusion:
Someone has said “with great privilege comes great responsibility”. I believe that is true. Believers must realize that there is a certain “weight” to these benefits. These are not benefits simply to be enjoyed. A true understanding of these benefits (which hopefully has been accomplished) will generate a certain degree of responsibility within the believer to act upon the benefits which they have in Christ.
I Peter 2:13-17 By Donny Varney “Answering to Authority”
Proposition: All Christians must correctly respond to authority in a way that will silence critics and also demonstrate the Christ like role of being a servant.
Introduction:
Authority is something that all of us have to deal with in life. If I were to poll people on their views of how one should respond to authority, we would certainly get some interesting responses. As I would poll people I’m sure I would run into people who are “fed up” with how their boss treats his/her employees. I would probably hear about how unfair a police officer was when he gave a ticket to an undeserving driver. A college student would probably tell me a story about how unrealistic and demanding her teacher is in one of the classes she is taking. I am sure I would listen to people complain about our economy and how it’s the government’s fault.
One thing is for sure – we all have authority that we must answer to. So how do we respond to authority? What if our authority is being unfair? What if we don’t agree with them? Let’s take a look at I Peter 2:13-17 to find the answers to these questions and others like them.
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”
In this passage Peter addresses the issue of authority and the response Christians ought to have toward it. There are at least four parts to Peter’s teaching on authority: The Correct Response – “Submitting”, The Critics Reaction – “Silencing”, The Christ-like Role – “Serving” and The Concluding Reminders – “Showing”. Let’s take them one at a time.
I. The Correct Response – “Submitting” (vv.13,14)
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
The first question that comes to most people’s minds (probably due to sinful nature) when it comes to submitting is “why”. Romans 13:1,2 give us the answer. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” One main reason Christians should submit to authority is because authority is established by God. We should submit to authority (as Peter says) “for the Lord’s sake”.
The next question that might come up when dealing with submitting is “to whom”. In this text Peter specifically mentions kings and governors. The Romans 13 passage indicates everyone who is a “higher power”. Later on in this passage Peter commands Christians to honor ALL men. Clearly, the point here is that Christians should submit to all those who are in authority.
Verse 14 lays a Biblical purpose for why government exists. If I were to give a six-word summary on why government exists according to God’s Word this is what it would be: “punish the evil, praise the good”. That’s exactly what I Peter 2:14 is saying. Let’s now look at how critics (foolish men) react when Christians respond correctly to authority.
II. The Critic’s Reaction – “Silencing” (v.15)
“For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”
Here in this verse we find yet another reason why Christians should submit to authority … it is God’s will. Not only that, but this verse tells us that when we respond correctly to authority it is like putting duck tape over the mouths of every critical unsaved person that is watching us. You know the people I am talking about. We all have critics. We all have unsaved critics. We all have people in our lives that are watching every move we make waiting for us to mess up so that they can convince themselves that there is no difference between them and us.
Someone has aptly put it this way: “the qualities we have of which we don’t speak of are the qualities that cause critics not to speak”. Proverbs 22:1 tells us that a good name is to be chosen over great riches. Christians should live a life of integrity in their dealings with all men (including authority) so that the name of Christ is not diminished but rather magnified.
III. The Christ-like Role – “Serving” (v.16)
“As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”
This verse speaks to the heart of our Jesus. Mark 10:45 says “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Just a verse earlier Jesus told his disciples that the one who is a servant to all is the one who is greatest. God is calling all Christians to submit to authority, but not just to submit - - He wants us to serve.
Romans 6:16-22 is a good parallel passage to I Peter 2:16. It says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”
That text in Romans is teaching some of the same truths that Peter is addressing here in verse 16. Since we, as Christians, have been freed from serving sin and are now servants of God we should never use our “freedom” to cover up the evil and sinfulness of not submitting to authority. The KJV phrases it as “not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness”.
The concept of serving your authority goes beyond the 40 hour job you may have at work. The question you need to ask yourself is not so much whether you are submitting to your boss (or whoever the authority may be) while at work. But what act of kindness have you done for your boss outside of work? When is the last time you served your teacher on the weekend? Have you ever done something nice for a government official for no reason except because you wanted to serve him/her. These questions hit the mark as to what our role should be as Christ-like servants to our authority.
Finally, Peter wraps up this portion of his letter with four concluding reminders. They are almost like a collection of “catch-alls”. In case he missed something in the previous verses he wants to make sure he covers all his bases on this subject of authority.
IV. The Concluding Reminders – “Showing” (v.16)
A. Show no favorites.
“Honour all men.”
This is the same idea that James speaks of in James 2. God shows no partiality. Therefore, neither should we when it comes to showing respect to people.
B. Show love to all believers.
“Love the brotherhood.”
John 13:34,35 tells us that our love for one another is what will show the world that we are who we say we are. I John 3:23 commands all Christians to love one another. This is a teaching that is repeated throughout the New Testament.
C. Show fear to God.
“Fear God.”
Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10 mention how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fearing God means respecting those who He has placed as authority in our lives.
D. Show respect to authority.
“Honour the king.”
Romans 13:7 tells us to fear those to whom fear is due and to honor those to whom honor is due. Because we know that authority is God-ordained and God-established, if we don’t submit to it than we show the world that we don’t respect God either.
Conclusion:
The message here is clear. The correct response to authority in our lives is to submit. When we do that … it causes our “critics” to stop in silence and take notice of the consistent God-honoring life we are living in front of them. But as we have learned, God expects more from Christians than simply submitting to authority. He wants us to be a servant to them. When we follow this Biblical pattern for “answering to authority” we show the watching world several things: We don’t play favorites. We have a genuine love for our fellow believers. And we fear God because we respect and submit to the authority that HE has placed in our lives.
I Peter 2:18-25 By Donny Varney “When Life Isn’t Fair”
Proposition: When treated unfairly, Christians should submit to authority, shut our mouth, set our focus, suffer with patience, suffer with purpose and study the Savior.
Introduction:
Have you ever been treated unfairly? We could probably all answer “yes”. Often times when we get treated unfairly it seems our society has taught us to fight back with everything within us and perhaps we will get our way. I have done that before. I remember this one time when I was eating at Pizza Hut with my wife. We were finishing up our meal and had just received the bill and I noticed that we had been overcharged. I brought the bill to our waiter and explained what had happened. To my surprise the waiter insisted that I was wrong and told me I needed to pay what it said to pay on the bill. To make a long story short – I finally convinced the waiter that he was wrong. You see, our society has taught us (or at least me) that if you fight long enough and hard enough for your “rights” you’ll eventually get them.
The problem is that it doesn’t always work that way. Not every situation ends up getting resolved like my “pizza hut illustration”. During my summer and winter breaks of my college years I worked at JC Penney… at least most of my breaks. It was Summer break heading into my junior year of college and I was told by my boss that I would ALWAYS have a job when I came back for breaks. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when I was told they didn’t have a spot for me to work for that particular Summer Break. I really needed the money and I was CERTAIN that they had lied to me. After much discussion and after every conceivable effort on my part to have this job, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. It was completely unfair. But what was worse about the situation was the fact that there was absolutely nothing I could do to make it right.
That is a very petty illustration when you compare it to Peter’s life. Peter knew all about life not being fair. He witnessed the greatest injustice in the history of mankind take place – the murder of Jesus. Tradition says that he was forced to watch his wife be crucified for her faith in Christ. Tradition also says that Peter was crucified upside down for his faith. Peter was writing to Christians who knew what it was like to suffer unjustly. The Christians in Peter’s day were under intense persecution. Christians were Nero’s scapegoats as they were being blamed for
Let’s take a look at I Peter 2:18-25. “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
When treated unfairly …
I. Submit to authority (v.18)
“Servants, be subject to your master”
The phrase “be subject” literally means “to line up under”. Peter is telling Christians that we must obey those in authority over us. It is a very simple, straightforward command – obey.
II. Shut your mouth (v.18)
with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”
It is not just the nice authority that we should obey, it is the “mean” and “unfair” authority in our lives that must be obeyed as well according to this verse. “With all fear” is a phrase that means “without bitterness or negativity”. The same command is found in Philippians 2:14 when Paul tells us to do all things without murmurings or disputings.
“Froward” is a medical term that means curved or crooked. The word is found in Philippians 2:15 when Paul speaks of a “crooked and perverse world”. Peter is challenging us to do something that does not come natural to any of us, yet we find this concept in other places in Scripture. Romans 12:17-19 says, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” It is not our place to retaliate against God-given authority in our lives. Instead, we should simply keep our mouth shut and leave the vengeance with God.
III. Set your focus (v.19)
“For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”
The phrase “conscience toward God” means at least three things: a general awareness of God’s presence, acknowledging God to be in control of every situation and seeing things as God sees them. This concept is repeated throughout the Bible. Genesis 50:20 Joseph (speaking to His brothers as he looks back on them selling him into slavery) says, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive”. Romans 8:28 talks about how we, as Christians, can be confident that God is working everything together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
“This is thankworthy” is a phrase that basically means “this finds favor with God” or to put it another way, “God is pleased when we suffer for His sake”. Ephesians 6:5-8 is a good passage that makes the same point Peter is making. “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.”
When treated unfairly it is crucial that we keep our focus on the things above (Colossians 3:2). That is perhaps the best and only way to gain perspective in the midst of unjust treatment.
IV. Suffer with patience (v.20)
“For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”
When Peter asks the question, “What glory is it?” the answer is rhetorical. There is no glory. There is absolutely no glory or cause for praise to the person who “suffers patiently” for something that he deserved. However, if you suffer for doing what is right you do well. Matthew 5:11,12 shares this thought. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” The reality is that all those who live Godly will suffer persecution (II Timothy 3:12).
V. Suffer with purpose (v.21)
“For even hereunto were ye called:”
The fact of the matter for Christians is that we have been “called” to suffer for Christ’s sake. We find God calling Paul for this purpose in Acts 9:15,16 as He is talking to Ananias. “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of
There are at least four reasons/motivations/purposes for our suffering.
1.) It pleases God (I Peter 2:19)
2.) We can better comfort those who go through similar trials (Romans 12:15)
3.) It matures us (James 1:3,4)
4.) It deepens our knowledge of God and gives us more understanding in our
fellowship with Him (Philippians 3:10)
Finally, when we find ourselves suffering unjustly, we need to look to our Savior and take a close look (study) at the example He left for us.
VI. Study the Savior (v.22-25)
There are many things that come to people’s minds when they here the word “Jesus”, but there is nothing that defines His ministry on earth more than what He did on the cross. John MacArthur had this to say about “the suffering Jesus”.
If one were to survey a typical cross section of people in our society about who Jesus was, the answers would undoubtedly include the following accuracies: He was the Christmas child in the Bethlehem manger; He was the young man from the Nazareth carpenter shop who on one occasion confounded the religious teachers in Jerusalem; He was a humble and loving teacher; He was a compassionate and powerful healer who cured diseases and raised the dead; He was a courageous and insightful preacher who stirred the multitudes as he explained God’s will; and He was the perfect example and the ideal model of manhood.
Each of the foregoing images of Christ is true and instructive to some extent. But one could affirm all of them and completely miss the point of His life and ministry. One image of the Son Of God supersedes all others in significance and is crucial to the purpose of His incarnation. It is that of Jesus as the suffering Servant and the crucified Savior. At the cross He most clearly displayed His deity and humanity together and completed His redemptive work, the atonement for sin-the reason He came into the world. The apostle Paul summarized the supreme importance of His death and resurrection: “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified”.
A. He is our Standard for suffering – We have a Hero (vv.21-23)
“because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”
The term “example” literally means “tracing under”. It is the picture of taking a stencil and outlining it to get an exact replica. We should try to pattern our lives and our reaction to unjust suffering just like Jesus. The steps that we are told to follow in this passage are down a path of unjust treatment, yet we find that Jesus “did no sin” and “reviled not again”. Our natural response in the moment of injustice is to get even and to fight back, yet we find Jesus saying things like, “Father, forgive them”. Truly, Jesus is our Hero when it comes to someone who we can look up to and try to emulate. In the midst of all the suffering Jesus was experiencing the Bible says “He committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously”, meaning that He kept His focus. Jesus kept the big picture in mind and He committed Himself to His Father. Oh, how we need to be like Christ and be willing and ready always to give our situations and trials over to God.
B. He is our Substitute for our sinning – We have Hope (v.24)
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Truly, Christ (who knew no sin) became sin for us! He took our place on the cross so that we could have new life in Him. Through His substitution we now have hope of a future with Him forever in Heaven. Here in verse 24 we find that Christ kept His purpose in the forefront of His mind – “that we …should live unto righteousness”. He never lost sight of that.
Whatever our unjust treatment is that we are going through or will go through in the future, we must keep in the forefront of our mind that there is a purpose for it. We can’t lose sight of that. We can’t lose hope. We must remember that it was through Christ’s stripes that we are healed!
C. He is our Shepherd for our straying – We have Help (v.25)
“For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”
This verse is a constant reminder to Christians of the patience of God. He is the longsuffering Shepherd. He is our Help. He is our Guide. Even after salvation we continue sinning and yet our Shepherd is right there helping us and guiding us patiently.
Conclusion:
When life doesn’t seem fair we must remember this wonderful passage of Scripture. It provides hope, help, purpose and perspective in the midst of pain and suffering. I had a teacher in college that would always give us a “quote for the week”. There was one quote that to this day has stuck with me and I think it is fitting for this passage in I Peter. “Sometimes the darkest cloud in your life can bring the heaviest shower of blessing”. You never know what God’s purposes are for why we may go through certain things. As the prophet Isaiah said: His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
While at college at Northland there was a “hallmark” that was mentioned from time to time – “God never promised an easy path”. When I think of that statement it reminds me of this poem. I believe this poem makes for a fitting conclusion.
God hath not promised
Skies ever blue,
Flower-strewn pathways
Always for you.
God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pan.
But He hath promised
Strength from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.