May 19 2013
First Peter, Suffering

How do I share Christ’s sufferings?

“Rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13).

What did Christ’s sufferings accomplish and how do I share in them?

What did Christ’s sufferings accomplish?

(1)    To satisfy God’s wrath against sin (Rom 3:25)

(2)    To become a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)

(3)    To give eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16, 1 Pet 1:3)

(4)    To reconcile us to God (Rom 5:10, 1 Pet 3:18)

(5)    An example for how we are to live (1 Pet 2:21)

(6)    That we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet 2:24)

What do my sufferings accomplish?

(1)    Tested faith: and subsequently, or hopefully, sanctification (1 Pet 1:6-7)

(2)    Rejoicing: a chance to be like Christ (1 Pet 1:7, 4:13)

(3)    A realization that I need Christ; I am inadequate to satisfy God’s wrath or make payment for sin (1 Pet 3:18)

(4)    A chance to be a witness (1 Pet 2:12, 3:15)

(5)    My sufferings do not accomplish salvation or make me right with God

How do I share Christ’s sufferings?

(1)    First and foremost, you must be in Christ, trusting in what Christ’s sufferings accomplished (1 Pet 1:3)

(2)    Be holy, as God is (1 Pet 1:15)

(3)    Subject yourself to human institutions that may act unjustly (1 Pet 2:13)

(4)    Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Pet 3:15)

(5)    Arm yourself with the thinking that you will suffer (1 Pet 4:1, 12)

(6)    Suffer for doing good, just as Christ did (1 Pet 4:17-18)

May 12 2013
First Peter, Hospitality

Three Ways Any Christian Can Practice Hospitality

(1) Invite Church Members To Your Home: In the book Transformational Church, the authors say, “People are not just looking for a ‘friendly church,’ they’re hungry for friends.”  As you depart for Sunday lunch, consider the possibility of continuing your fellowship in a more intimate setting.  A simple practice to begin, is to sit down with the church directory regularly and determine whom you might bless (and be blessed) by spending time together.  This provides a practical way to carry out the command to be hospitable (1 Pet 4:9).  Worship and fellowship corporately with the body is oftentimes made sweeter through the fulfillment of this command.  Its neglect often results in coldness, superficiality, or both.

(2) Invite Neighbors To Share and Show Christ: The second greatest commandment (after loving God) is, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mat 22:39).  To fulfill this, we must show love and hospitality to those God has placed near us.  But like the Pharisee, we may ask, “Who is my neighbor?”  Start by taking the word literally and reach out to those in your neighborhood and anyone God brings to your attention. Your home provides you a venue to not only tell a lost neighbor about the love of Christ, but show him as well.  Christ did not come to earth on the weekend to die for your sins and return immediately to the father, but dwelt among us.  Likewise, he does not save the believer, and take him immediately out of the world, but leaves him as a witness to those whom he dwells near.

(3) Invite Visitors At Church To Lunch: Tim Chester, in his book A Meal with Jesus, says, “In the ministry of Jesus, meals were enacted grace, community, and mission … they embody and enact our mission.  Community and mission are more than meals, but it’s hard to conceive of them without meals.”  The act of sharing a meal with others breaks down barriers, cultivates friendships, and embodies grace.  In Luke, Jesus was often described as either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. The universal and timeless truth that everyone needs to eat has not changed over the millennium.  Break bread; share and show Christ.

May 06 2013
First Peter, Francis Schaeffer

Hero of the Faith: Francis Schaeffer

Image

In today’s sermon I quote Francis Schaeffer’s book, How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture.  For those of you unfamiliar with Schaeffer, he was a 20th century American theologian, pastor, and philosopher of sorts.  He sought to answer questions and skepticisms found prevalent in his day (and ours).

Francis Schaeffer was born in, educated in, and pastored in Pennsylvania.  But he is best known for his work in Switzerland where he started L’Abri (French for “shelter”).

There in his home, Francis, and his wife Edith, lived their lives as a demonstration that God exists.  People from all walks of life, from all over the world, flocked to their door to ask Schaeffer questions about faith, life, reason, etc.  Unbelievers received two things there: (1) Detailed answers to their questions, and (2) A demonstration that God exists.

Schaeffer believed—that in order to share Christ—we need to take away the false props that people are standing on: be they psychological, intellectual, sociological, etc.  If he only had an hour to share with them, he would spend 45 minutes showing them their real dilemma (morally dead, separated from God) and 15 minutes sharing the gospel.  He said, “Unless he understands what is wrong, he will not be ready to listen to and understand the positive.”

In 1 Peter 4:4, unbelievers are shocked when you no longer join them in sinful behavior.  What is implied in the text is that you are still conversing and interacting with old, unbelieving friends.  It is imperative that you push them to the logical end of their worldview—as those who will give an account (v.5), as those under judgment—then share the hope of Christ.

Apr 28 2013
First Peter, Judgment

Who are the spirits in prison in 1 Peter 3:19, Two Views

1 Peter 3:18-20 gives us the context; it says,

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water.

(1) First view (Thomas Schreiner, John MacArthur, among others share this view): Many conservative scholars today believe these spirits in prison are fallen angels that Christ pronounced judgment on (after his death and resurrection).  They say that Peter was influenced by 1 Enoch, a book of Jewish pseudapigraphal, or counterfeit, writings that claim to be written by whomever they are named for; but they were actually written some 200 years before Christ.  1 Enoch is about the Enoch in Genesis who was taken to heaven.  1 Enoch mentions fallen angels who marry and sleep with women in Noah’s day, producing children.  That’s what they believe Genesis 6 is about (quoted here in 1 Peter); that evil angels corrupted the human race by marrying and breeding with them.  And so God destroyed them in the flood and now preaches judgment on them.

(2) Second view (what I think; Wayne Grudem and Augustine share this view): The context of 1 Peter gives us a clue.  In 1 Peter 1:10-11 we see that the Spirit of Christ indwelt Old Testament prophets; He spoke in them and through them.  And so it appears that Christ is preaching through Noah to those who would not repent during the time it took Noah to build the ark.  In fact, 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah a herald, or preacher of righteousness.  Noah must have had conversations with his contemporaries about why he was building the ark, warning them of the coming judgment.  So, Christ spoke through Noah to living people on earth; not angels, but living, breathing, sinful man—those who did not repent, those who were judged, and those who now reside in prison in spirit form, waiting for that great day of final judgment.  God had said that His Spirit would not dwell with man forever (Gen 6:3), yet mercy was extended through warning.  That warning was refused.  I think that best fits the context.  People are going to revile you even when you do right, but just as Noah did, appeal to them with a good conscience telling them of the deliverance available, to flee from coming judgment.

Regardless of what view you take, Peter’s main point remains: God is righteous in his judgment, just as He was in the days of Noah.

Apr 21 2013
Apologetics, First Peter

Cultivating Apologetic Opportunities

In today’s sermon, Peter tells you in 1 Peter 3:15, to always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”  In short, Peter is calling you to be ready to share your faith, particularly with unbelievers.  What are some ways you and I can practically do that?  Are you intentional about making opportunities to be with and share with unbelievers?

In their book Everyday Church (the book I’d mentioned last week that uses 1 Peter as a model for the church reaching the unchurched), Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, pastors in England, quote another pastor in Texas on 8 ways to be intentional in cultivating relationships with unbelievers:

(1) Eat with non-Christians: Go to lunch with a co-worker, have them to your house, strike up conversations with them at restaurants, invite them to a cookout or picnic—flee the Christian subculture.

(2) Walk, don’t drive: get to know the people around you.

(3) Be a regular: not hard to do in a small town where there’s not 20 options for haircuts, food, etc.

(4) Hobby w/non-Christians: fish, hunt, sew, or join a club.

(5) Talk to co-workers: use breaks intentionally to get to know people, let them know you’re praying for them, get to know them outside of work.

(6) Volunteer w/non-profits: food pantry, Salvation Army, Northern Tier, etc.

(7) Participate in town events: instead of watching TV go to what’s happening in town: PA in the Wilds, carnival, Canoe/Kayak Classic, Open Mike, etc.

(8) Serve your neighbors: weeding, mowing, checking mail for elderly, offer to pick up groceries when you’re going, help them unload their car, etc.

Apr 14 2013
Church, First Peter

How to live in Community as a Church (1 Pet 3:8)

In their book, Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission, authors Tim Chester and Steve Timmis use the book of First Peter as a basis for determining how the church reaches the un-churched.  Towards the end of the book, they say this, “If you want to keep a professional view of church with a detached life from other believers, you do not understand the gospel.”  Throughout their book, they propose an alternative—what they call “everyday” church, meaning that our life is something that we are continually living out together in community.  The church is not an event; it’s a group of people.  They assert, “You never really know what drives you until you live in community.”

First Peter 3:8 gives you and I, our mindset for living in such a community.  If we are to truly have “communion” with one another, then the 5 adjectives in this verse must define who we are corporately.  We are to have (1) unity of mind, (2) sympathy, (3) brotherly love, (4) a tender heart, and (5) a humble mind.  Notice that each of these attributes are behaviors that are practiced with others; they are others-focused.

In order to embody these characteristics it is imperative that you and I crucify our own agendas that we might attain unity of mind; it is imperative that we saturate our minds with Scripture so that God may speak and that we might be humbled in our thinking; it is imperative that we be people of prayer, offering tender-hearted, sympathetic petitions for one another; it is imperative that we do not forsake the gathering of ourselves together that we may better practice brotherly love (and that happens inside and outside of the church building).  In saying all that, my point is this: it is difficult—to near, impossible—to attain unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind if our time together is limited to one day a week.  How are we to be the spiritual house Peter spoke of (1 Pet 2:5) if we spend most of our time residing outside of the body of Christ?  God has given each of us 168 hours a week; can’t we spend more than 1 or 2 with He and His people?  God is calling you and I to live in community.

Apr 07 2013
First Peter, Marriage

How to be an Exemplary Husband or Wife

Do you have the same view of marriage that God does?  In Genesis, God created man in His image; He also created all of the animals and had the man name each of them.  But a suitable helper was not found among any of them.  So God created woman from man.  And in so doing, God established an order to His creation.  He didn’t create multiple wives or another man to be his partner, but a woman.  This eliminates the question as to whether or not other marital options exist (polygamy, homosexuality, etc.; see Rom 1: 24-27, 1 Cor 6:9).  And there in the garden, the pattern is established: a man shall leave his father and mother and they shall become one flesh.  What were once two separate individuals, one unit now exists.

But what are the roles for each and what are some ways we can determine we are living up to them?  Ask yourself the following questions and invite your spouse to do the same:

WIFE (see 1 Pet 3:1-6, Eph 5:22-24)

(1) Would your husband consider you to be submissive?  Would your friends say the same (who see your relationship with him)?

(2) Do you find it difficult to submit to God and His Word?

(3) Do you spend more time in primping (putting on makeup, buying clothing) than you do with the Lord (prayer, Bible reading, church)?

HUSBAND (see 1 Pet 3:7, Eph 5:25-33)

(1) Would your wife say you understand her or at least try to?  Do you listen to her, prefer her, continue to regularly get to know her and her heart or have you grown callous as if there’s nothing left to know?

(2) Do you love your wife as Christ loved you (sacrificially, helping her grow in holiness, speaking the truth of God’s Word to her)?

(3) Do you love your wife as much as you love yourself?  Do you nourish and cherish your relationship with her?

TO BOTH: In what ways have you embraced the cultural view of marriage (ex. – convenient, self-focused, conditioned on feelings of love) rather than the biblical one?

Check out the sermon from this week for more on this subject.

Mar 31 2013
Atonement, First Peter, Resurrection

2 things that make Christianity unique to other religions

In short, they are Substitutionary Atonement and Resurrection.  In today’s sermon we primarily look at the death of Christ and His atonement (payment) for sin.  Without Christ’s payment, you and I would not have a means to be made right with God.  Without it, our religion would be one of works: do what you can to be a good person and hope and pray that God is merciful in the end.

But the crucifixion of Christ is not the end of the story.  If it were, perhaps our faith would have little difference with other religions.  All religions have a teacher and example—whether it be Muhammad or Buddha or L. Ron Hubbard.  Most religions also have their martyrs.  But none but Christianity has a living Savior.  Christ’s death is crucial to our faith.  But it is not finally effective without the victory of the resurrection.

I need to hear this as much as you do.  Growing up, I noticed a fixation upon the resurrection in the teaching I received, to the point that I perhaps neglected to fully understand the need for atonement (a payment for my sin). I have been guilty of now fixating on the atonement to the neglect of the resurrection.  But Christ’s death and resurrection cannot and should not be separated.

Imagine if you and I were with the disciples after Christ’s death, but had not yet experienced His resurrection.  Can you remember the hopelessness?  Can you recall the lack of understanding that their sins had been paid for?  We need the resurrection.  It is our victory cry.  It is our assurance that we have been made alive in Christ and await the day of final consummation.  And so we proclaim with Peter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Pet 1:3).  Praise God for the resurrection. Christ is at His Father’s right hand, interceding for us (Rom 8:34).

Mar 24 2013
First Peter, Government

Can a Christian be civilly disobedient?

How do we balance the call in Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 to be subject to government and yet still stand up for injustice and tyranny in our government?  In Romans, Paul says that God established the government, which suggests that your obedience to it correlates with your recognition of God’s sovereignty.  In 1 Peter, Peter calls us to be subject to every human institution, whether it’s the emperor or whomever else, even when it was that emperor, Nero, who ultimately killed him according to Christian tradition.  Both Paul and Peter are telling you to be subject to a government that is in direct opposition to you and your message.  Your call is not one of revolution, but subjection.

This call to be subject to government is often one of the most neglected commands in Scripture.  As some of us American Christians see our government straying far from our ideals and what our nation historically stood for, we can be tempted to kick against the goads; feeling justified in our rebellion and complaint.

Yet there are times when civil disobedience may be called for.  Ecclesiastes 3 says, “For everything there is a season … a time to kill, a time to heal … a time for war, and a time for peace.”  Our dividing line for civil disobedience should not be dictated by our level-headedness or lack thereof; neither should it be dictated by right-wing, pseudo-Christian media moguls who claim to speak for us.  Our dividing line for civil disobedience is God Himself.  When told to do something in direct violation with God’s expressed commands, Peter says in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.”  God, Himself, through His Word determines our obedience or disobedience to government.  We honor the emperor (and his government) but we fear God (1 Pet 2:17).  If my government tries to limit what I say from God’s Word, then I will obey God rather than government.  If they arrest me for speaking out against societal injustice then I will be an ambassador in chains (Eph 6:20).  Be subject to the government insofar as it allows you to be subject to God.  For more on this subject, check out this week’s sermon.

Mar 17 2013
First Peter

Exiled Priests at War

In 1 Peter 2:9-11 we get the picture that Christians are an exiled priesthood at war.  This is loaded imagery and strong language.  Let’s unpack these three images in brief (exiles, priesthood, war).  We’re given the picture in verse 11 that Christians are sojourners and exiles in this world.  In other words, we don’t belong here.  Much like the Israelites who were exiled far from their homes in either Assyria (for the Northern Kingdom of Israel) or Babylon (for the Southern Kingdom of Judah), we live in a land that is not ours.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus calls His children to the Kingdom of God.  And though, Peter never uses that language in his letter, it is clearly implied when he speaks of us as exiles.  We are exiles who have an inheritance that is kept in heaven for us (1 Pet 1:4).

In verse 9, Christians are referred to as a royal priesthood (also a chose race, a holy nation, and a people for His own possession).  This was language reserved for Israel in the Old Testament, which is now applied to all of God’s people in the New.  In Exodus 19:6, God refers to Israel as a kingdom of priests.  And part of their role as priests was to reflect God’s glory as His treasured possession among all peoples (Ex 19:5).  Christians may be exiles to the world, but they are priests unto God who reflect His glory to the nations through their witness.

Finally in verse 11, Christians are pictured as exiles that abstain from the passions of the flesh—their old way of life—which wages war against their souls.  But this is not a war with flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12).

So, if you’re a Christian, you are an exiled priest at war.  To the world: you don’t belong.  To God: you minister and reflect His glory and call.  And as far as your old way of life: you are at war with it.  The Keswick passive idea of “let go and let God” is missing in this passage.  But if you’re not a Christian, you’re a citizen of this world, who may have a false peace with your worldly passions, and live as an enemy of God (James 4:4).

← Older posts