1 Peter 2:11-25

“Living As Strangers”

September 25, 2016First Baptist ChurchJackson, Mississippi

USA

What’s the number one thing?

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The Glory of God!

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1 Corinthians 10:31

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

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First Baptist Church Jackson Mission:Multiply Disciples to Live Like Jesus.

http://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M824600c9534029193ceef79dc4fff8fcH0&pid=15.1

September Memory Verse

John 14:6 (ESV)6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

References

•MacArthur, John, MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Nelson Publishing, 1997).

• ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2008).

•Dr. John Piper, Desiring God Ministries, Sermons on 1 Peter.

Introduction to 1 Peter 2

• The Apostle Peter was living in Rome when he wrote these letters in 64 AD.

• The letters are addressed “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia”.

• These are Christians (Jewish and Gentile converts) living under Roman Government occupation.

Peter’s Letters to Christians in Asia Minor in the 1st Century

Christians Living Under Roman Occupation

•Nero was the Roman Emperor and had a drive to build more structures in Rome.

•Nero blamed the Christians for starting the fires that destroyed Rome in 64 AD.

•Persecution of Christians escalated after the fire.

“Nero fiddled while Rome burned”

Roman Culture in 64 AD:

•Roman religion was viewed as a social activity that promoted unity and loyalty to the state.

•Christians were viewed as hostile to the state.

•Romans had many pagan gods (idols) for every occasion.

•Christians were viewed as superstitious because they worshipped privately in homes.

Roman Culture in 64 AD

• The Roman government offered no rights or protection for Christians or their worship practices.

•Persecution began as discrimination and escalated to seizure of property, torture and death.

•Roman emperors began to believe that they should be worshipped as other gods with statues of self.

Peter’s Theme for Letters to Christians:

How are Christians to live and honor God in a hostile world?

Peter tells Christians to whom they belong.

1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:11-25 Overview:

•Peter teaches Christians how to live a righteous life in a hostile world.

•Christians are foreigners in a secular society because their citizenship is in heaven.

•Peter addresses 3 areas of relationships where Christians should be noticeably different.• (1. Non-believers, 2. Government, 3. Employees)

1 Peter 2:11-12 addresses the two most important issues in the universe.

1. The salvation of the soul.Matthew 16:26 KJV26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

2. The glory of God.1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Christians living as sojourners and exiles:

1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

“as sojourners and exiles”

Philippians 3:20 ESV20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

• Sojourner – a person who resides temporarily in a place.• Exile – a person not living in their homeland.

This world was created by God but is occupied by Satan after the fall of man.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV4 In their case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1 John 2:16 ESV16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

“abstain from passions of the flesh”

• In order to have an impact on the world for God, Christians must be disciplined in an inward way by avoiding the desires of the fallen nature.

• Fleshly lusts include more than sexual temptations in Galatians 5:19-21.

Paul describes sinful nature.

Galatians 5:19-21a ESV19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21a envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

• Abstain – to hold oneself voluntarily; a choice to make.• Self-control – One of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians

5:22.

A step further

• Jesus further defines fleshly passions: Matthew 5:27-28 ESV27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

• Paul to the Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

“which wage war against your soul”

• Fleshly lusts are personified as if they were an army of guerrillas who incessantly search out and try to destroy the Christian’s joy, peace and usefulness.• The goal is your soul – (Where will you spend

eternity? Heaven or Hell?).• The spiritual battle ends forever at death or rapture.

Spiritual Warfare – 2 Types

1. The sin in ourselves – our sinful fallen nature described in Romans 6:12-13.‐ You are on offense.

2. Attacks from Satan – Ephesians 6:10-12.‐ You are on defense.

1. Your sinful nature:

Romans 6:12-14 ESV12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

2. Attacks from Satan:

Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

How does 1 Peter 2:11-12 work?

• “…abstain from the passions of the flesh…keep your conduct honorable…”

• The battle against the passions of the flesh is at the level of our desires and the resulting manifestation in our behaviors.

• The battle begins with our desires (thoughts).

Introduction reminder for verses 13-17:

•Peter was writing to Christians living under an oppressive Roman government.

• These verses probably caused much discussion and disagreement among Christians – as it does today!!

Christians as citizens:

1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

“Be subject (submit) for the Lord’s sake”

• The absolute in this verse is “for the Lord’s sake” and not “submit”.

•Relating to authority is a Godward relationship and not a man-ward relationship.

• The Bible is not a book on how to get along in the world, but a book about how to live for God in the world.

Role of government defined here:

•Verse 14 …sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.

•Role of punishment of evil behavior and praise good.

•Biblical role of government is to restrain evil.

Paul affirms this in Romans.

Romans 13:1-2 ESV1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Paul affirms this in Romans.

Romans 13:3-4 ESV3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

Paul affirms this in Romans.

Romans 13:5-7 ESV5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Government was part of God’s plan at creation.

Genesis 1:28 ESV28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

• Subdue – to bring under control.

•Dominion – wise management.

All governments have this in common: The legal use of force.

• Since the fall, the legal use of force has been granted to government for the purpose of punishing lawbreakers.

•Mosaic law contained prescribed punishments for those who broke the commandments.

• The government may exercise force in ways that are illegal for an individual.

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good…”

•Obeying authority is the will of God.

•By doing good, your accusers will have no acceptable grounds to slander or persecute you.

•Governments can become corrupt and Christians will suffer for doing what is right.

When do you disobey government?

Acts 5:2929 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.

•No earthly authority should lawfully forbid what God demands.•No earthly authority should command what God

forbids.

“live as people who are free”

• Your freedom stems from a total commitment to God.

• Freedom in scripture is not a license to sin, but expresses itself in devotion to what is good.

• Freedom also means you are not tied down to the things of this world.

everyone, brotherhood, God, emperor

1. Honor everyone – every person is God’s creation.

2. Love brotherhood – love and honor all Christians.

3. Fear God - do not fear man, fear God only.

4. Honor emperor – The emperor (king) is just a man who God has placed in an authority position over you.

Reminder:

•Peter is not teaching us how to get along in the world, but how to live as a Christian in a world that is hostile to our faith and our actions.

•A Christian’s behavior is contrary to his fallen nature.

•Christianity is the making visible of an invisible God.

•When someone sees you, they are seeing Jesus.

Difficult Bosses:

1 Peter 2:18-19 ESV18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.•Respectfully submit to just and to unjust bosses.• The clue is “mindful of God” – living for God.•Christians do refuse illegal & unethical directives.

1 Peter 2:20-21 ESV

20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:22-23 ESV

22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

• Jesus trusted the injustices committed against Him and His suffering to God.

1 Peter 2:24-25 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

• Jesus is the protector of a Christian’s soul.

Lesson Application: You might be a sojourner and an exile if…

1. You don’t drift with the flow of culture.2. You stand out and don’t fit in well in the world.3. You meditate on what is right “for the Lord’s sake”.4. You ponder what is “good for the soul and the

Glory of God”.5. Your behavior and reactions to injustice look very

different than what is normal for the world.

Final Scripture for “Living As Strangers”.

Philippians 3:20-21 NIV20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Next SundayOctober 2, 2016

1Peter 3:1-12

“Living In Relationships”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

John 3:16 ESV16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 14:6 ESV6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 3:23 ESV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a ESV23a For the wages of sin is death,

• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life

to pay the penalty for our sins. • The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death

explained in Revelation 21:8.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Revelation 21:8 ESV8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Romans 5:8 ESV8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 6:23b ESV23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Revelation 21:7 ESV7 “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be conquers.

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 10:9-10 ESV9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:13 ESV13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Plan of Hope & Salvation

If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/