Living Stones

May 22, 2016

When we hear the word, “house,” we think of a building. When we hear the expression, “house of God,” we think of a church building or a temple. We picture a structure made of wood, brick, and stone. Such buildings are not alive because the materials they are made of have no life in them. Buildings do not live.

This morning as we continue to look at First Peter, we are talking about a house that is actually alive. This house is not made of wood, brick, or stone because it is made of people. The Church is the living house of God in the world.

I. AS THE CHURCH WE WORSHIP GOD. 2:4-8

Now that may sound a little obvious to you. I mean, what else would you do in a church but worship God? But we need to flesh this out and Peter helps us by the way he describes the church. He doesn’t actually use the word, “church.” Instead he talks about living stones in v.5. So what is that all about?

In v.4 Peter says, “As you come to him.” Who is “him”? Well the very next line says that he is rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God. So we’re talking about Jesus. In 2:3 we again see that “him” is the Lord, Jesus Christ. But v.3 is quotation from Ps.34 and in Ps.34 it refers to God. So I want to point out that “him” refers to Christ and Peter is taking this Old Testament reference to God and applying it to Jesus, showing his deity.

But why does he call Jesus a living stone? Well, in v.6, 7, and 8 Peter quotes from the Old Testament books of Isaiah and Psalms. There are a number of prophecies about a stone in the Old Testament. In Is.28:15 we read about a tested, precious stone which is a sure foundation in Zion, the city of God, Jerusalem. It is a foundation stone of justice and deliverance. Jesus is the fulfillment of these stone prophecies. He is the foundation of all that God is doing in the world.

In v.5 Peter tells us that believers are also like living stones and we are being built into a spiritual house. Well, what is a spiritual house? It is a temple. The word, “house” often refers to the temple in Jerusalem. And what is a temple? It’s a place where you meet with God. God dwells in his temple. Now this gets pretty cool.

In the Old Testament God revealed his presence to his people in a pillar of cloud. When God told Moses to build the tabernacle, we read in Ex.40:34, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Many years later when Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem we read in IKgs.8:10-11, “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD."

But God did not dwell in the temple forever. In Ez.10-11 we read of how the glory of the Lord departed from the temple because of the sins of the people of Israel. Finally, Mal.3:1 tells us that a day would come when Lord would suddenly come to his temple. But that day never seemed to arrive. The Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple and then it was rebuilt. When Herod came to the throne, he undertook a complete rebuilding of the temple. But the presence of the Lord did not come back to the temple. In fact, Herod’s temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.

When Jesus carried on his ministry at one point he was at the temple and in a very provocative statement, Jesus said in Jn.19:21, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking about the temple of his body.” Men and women, Jesus is the new temple. The fullness of God dwells in Jesus. If we want to know and worship God we must go to Jesus. He is the temple.

But there is another piece to this. Here in 1Pt.2:5 Peter tells us that we are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house. Jesus is the Living Stone, the foundation stone and today the church is the temple, the house of God. We are living stones because we have the life of Christ in us. In Jn.14 we learn that Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell within every believer. God in all his fullness inhabits his church, his people. The church is the dwelling place of God. And finally, in Rev.21-22 we learn that a day is coming when there will be a new heaven and earth and the temple of God will be the whole earth, for the glory of God will fill the whole earth.

Now this is profound. For while Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth and has all authority in heaven and earth, the church of Jesus Christ is the primary expression of the fullness of God on the earth today. And notice what Peter says. We are a holy priesthood and as priests we also offer spiritual sacrifices in worship of God. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Rm.12). We sing to the Lord in worship (Heb.13:15). We give of our resources to enable the work of God to continue on the earth (Phil.4:18). We offer ourselves in service to God in doing good to others (Heb.13:16).

When a person enters into life with Christ through faith that person is filled with the presence of God and brought into the church of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Believers in Christ are the center of the worship of God on the earth today. Is God worthy of our worship? Absolutely. Surely this demands that we give ourselves fully to the privilege of worship. Peter says in v.7 that this is honor for us.

Unfortunately Peter reminds us in v.7-8 that many stumble over Jesus Christ the cornerstone of God’s temple, the church. They are offended by Jesus. It offends them to hear that Jesus is the only way to find life in the kingdom of God. It offends them to have to surrender their lives in faith to Jesus in order to find life. They would rather create their own lives and kingdoms in disobedience to Christ and the gospel. To reject Christ is to embrace a destiny of being shut out from the presence of God and all his love and goodness. Now let me ask, are you alive in Christ? Are you part of his spiritual temple, the church, offering spiritual sacrifices? Or are you dead in your trespasses and sins?

II. AS THE CHURCH WE DECLARE THE PRAISES OF GOD. 2:9-10

If you know Christ then you have an amazing destiny, and I’m not just talking about our future in the new heavens and new earth. I’m talking about the present. Peter is defining who we are. We are, in fact, the people of God. And here is a surprising thing. The four phrases in v.9 are phrases that were applied specifically to Israel, the people of God in the Old Testament. I believe that God has a future for Israel, in the sense that a day is coming when many Jewish people will turn to Christ. But I also believe that there is only one people of God. The people of God are those who are in Christ Jesus. The church is the people of God and all the promises that were made to Abraham and his seed are brought forward to the church through Christ who is the seed of Abraham, according to Paul in Galatians. In Gal.3:29 Paul writes, “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

There are many races in the world today, but there is only one chosen race, made up of followers of Christ. There are many nations on the earth today, but there is only one holy nation. It is the church of Jesus Christ. There are many religious leaders, but there is only one royal priesthood, followers of Jesus. We who know Christ are his possession. He has bought us through his death and resurrection. We belong to God. What an honor!

Now I don’t know what this does for you, but I believe this knowledge should shape the way we think about ourselves and carry ourselves in this world. Paul says, “You are not your own.” In other words you do not own yourself. You say, “Wait, Isn’t this my body?” Not really. Your body belongs to Christ. Sure, you are free to watch, read, and listen to what you choose, but if you are a follower of Christ you will choose to watch, read, and listen to things that are honoring to him. Sure, you can think about whatever you want, but if you belong to Christ you will want your thoughts to track with the mind of Christ.

This is not a restriction on our freedom. This is a recognition that belonging to Jesus holds the greatest potential for joy, meaning, and purpose in life. In Rm.14:17, Paul reminds us that, “…the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Who doesn’t want righteousness, peace and joy? If you would even just get in the habit of reminding yourself on a daily basis that the Holy Spirit is in you and that you belong to God, it would do a world of good for you. Paul doesn’t say, feel the Spirit. He says walk according to the Spirit. By faith walk according to the Spirit and you will not gratify the sinful desires that reside in our flesh.

And then the fact that we are the people of God ought to shape how we carry ourselves in the world. Israel was called to be a light to the Gentiles. God’s purpose in calling Israel was not to create some exclusive, self-obsessed nation that would proudly look down on everyone else. But that is exactly what happened. The people of Israel took pride in the fact that they were God’s chosen people who had been given the law of God. But what happened? Israel turned away from God in idolatry and unbelief and still claimed to be special because God chose them. Israel was not a light to the Gentiles. Israel became like the Gentiles and God removed himself from Israel because he was not wanted. He is still not wanted.

When Jesus came he said that he was the light of the world. But then he said that we are also the light of the world. And Peter tells us that we have the honor of proclaiming the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Listen to Is.43:20-21. “The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

The world is in darkness. You and I have been called out of darkness. We have received mercy through Jesus Christ. We have become the people of God through Jesus Christ, and now we are in a position to declare the wonderful truths about forgiveness and life in Christ.

But do not think that this is just a bald, bold stating of the gospel. The gospel should not be presented in a vacuum. The gospel is meant to be accompanied by righteous living. We don’t just focus on the news that our sins can be forgiven. That’s not the main point. The main point is that our sins are forgiven so that we can enter into the wonderful eternal life of Christ now. We present the good news because it is good news to us for living life now. We are living the good news!

My concern is not with how many people you witness to. I am concerned with helping us see that gospel witness flows out of gospel living. If we are prospering in Christ we will declare his praises because we are experiencing his goodness and love deep in our lives. But we must also see that life in Christ is surely meant to be lived in the fellowship of the local church. It seems that we have separated life in Christ from his church as if the gospel is only about my life with Christ. No. We are living stones being built into a spiritual house of God.

I don’t know if you have driven by St. Luke’s at the corner of Lake and Lathrop. If so you have seen that the whole building is surrounded by scaffolding. Obviously the building is in need of tuck-pointing. The mortar that holds the building stones together is deteriorating and if it’s not repaired those stones may begin to fall out. That would be dangerous.

Now men and women, the church of Jesus Christ is being built with living stones. But I am concerned because on any given Sunday it seems that the living stones have fallen away from the spiritual house. This puts the whole building in jeopardy. Well, are you a living stone? Are you in Christ? Do you have life with Christ? If so, you belong here with the other living stones. Amen.

Longing for Spiritual Nourishment

May 15, 2016

Is there anyone here who does not want to eat? Sometimes when a person grows old and comes to the end of their lives, on some level of being they decide that they will not take another bite of food. They just stop eating. You can try to get them to eat. You can put the spoon up to their mouth, but if they don’t want to eat they will not eat. It is a sad reality to see.

Now unfortunately the same can be true for those who profess to be Christians. There are people who make some profession of faith in Christ. They claim that Christ is their Lord and King, but there is no desire for spiritual nourishment. Can you believe it? It is a sad reality to see. A sign of Christian faith is a longing for spiritual nourishment. How can you know if you have this longing?

I. ARE YOU PUTTING OFF SELF-CENTERED LIVING? 1Pt.2:1

In 1:22, Peter calls Christians to love one another earnestly from a pure heart. Here in 2:1 Peter defines what that entails from a more negative perspective. The truth of the matter is that Christians continue to be plagued by the remnants of our sinful nature. After all, we have been born again through the living and abiding word of God. The source of our life has changed and so our lives have changed. Paul tells us in Rm.6 that we have died to sin. We have been set free from sin. Nevertheless, the sinful habits, desires, and thought patterns continue to reside in our bodies. God is working to change us from the inside out while we cooperate with God by making changes in our thoughts and actions from the outside in.

The list in 2:1 reflects a self-centered way of life. It is a way of living that focuses on protecting one’s ego at the expense of others, promoting a certain image of oneself, and gratifying self-centered desires. Think about it. Malice and slander are directed towards others who get in our way, point out our flaws, or who hurt us. We seek revenge by lashing out in anger, being passive aggressive or belittling. Our goal is to do harm, inflict pain. Have you ever heard a professing Christian say, “I can’t forgive that person.” That is a form of malice. Or we slander someone. We try to make them look bad so we can feel better about ourselves. If there are things in our life that we don’t want others to know about we practice some form of deceit. We lie in some way. If we want others to think that we are better than we really are, we practice hypocrisy. And when we want something with intense desire we envy others who have the thing we want. Envy often leads to holding a grudge against a person. Envy often leads to taking matters into our own hands to get what we want, often without thinking about how our actions may be causing harm to others.

Think about your family life, your married life, and your interactions at work. This is where we are most apt to see the behaviors Peter is talking about. How quickly we become angry. How quickly we become defensive. How quickly we can be sarcastic and dismissive. How quickly we can become selfish. And unfortunately these behaviors are even found in the church. After all, churches are comprised of redeemed sinners. But all of this is the way of the world apart from Christ.

Many of us are inclined to gloss over these things. We might say, “You’re too sensitive. Don’t be so thin-skinned.” Or, “Everybody is like this.” Or, “I’m only human.” We might say, “I can’t help it. It’s just how I am.”

Peter will not let us gloss over these things in our lives. He tells us to put these things off just as we might take off dirty clothes. In other words, this is something that Peter expects us to do. Paul says the same thing. He says, “Put to death the misdeeds of the body.” Now you may not know exactly how to deal with some specific area of sin. But you can surely ask God to open your eyes to see your sin more clearly. You can surely take the step of admitting this sin to a trusted friend. You can surely make a point to apologize to the person you have sinned against. And if you have done something that has hurt another person, or if you are holding something against another person, you can take steps to make it right, unless you are too proud to take these steps. Above all we must rely upon the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to resist these sinful ways of acting.

This is not the way we roll as Christians. If we make allowances and excuses for ourselves, we are just like the world. How on earth can we bring Christ to the world when we are not being like Christ?

II. ARE YOU GROWING UP INTO SALVATION? 1Pt.2:2

We’ve all heard stories of people who died in an accident or other medical situation and who had some kind of out of body experience. And then amazingly, they were revived. People who have been delivered from certain death usually have a new outlook on life. They are not the same. They begin to make changes in their living. Some of these changes take place right away. Suddenly they are deeply grateful for every day of life. Other changes occur over time. Maybe they launch out into an entirely different career.

Those of us who have embraced Jesus by faith as our Savior, Lord, and King, have been delivered from death: physical death, spiritual death, and eternal death. Sin always leads to death. But when we embrace Christ our sins are forgiven and we are given his eternal life to live under his good rule.

People who receive the life of Christ, begin to make changes in their life. They begin to grow up into salvation. If you are not growing up into salvation you probably do not know Christ. So how do we grow up into salvation?

Peter says, “like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk.” Now there are two aspects of this statement that we need to look at. First, Peter is not saying that all of his readers were new converts or spiritually immature. We sometimes assume this is what Peter is saying because Paul, and the writer of Hebrews use similar words to refer to immature believers. For example in 1Cor.3:2, Paul writes, I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.” In Heb.5:12-13 we read, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”

Here in 1Pt, Peter is saying that our desire for spiritual nourishment ought to be as intense as a newborn infant’s desire for its mother’s milk. This desire should be the norm for every believer no matter how spiritually mature or immature we may be. Instead of longing for the things of this world to nourish our lives, instead of allowing malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander to dwell in our hearts, we long for spiritual nourishment.

Do you have a longing for spiritual nourishment? We sing a chorus called “Good, Good Father.” At one point the lyrics go, “As you call me deeper still, into love, love, love.” The Lord is always calling us to go deeper into his love. Do you hear his call? Do you desire to grow? If this desire is not in you something is amiss in your life.

But then we must think about the phrase, “spiritual milk.” What is Peter referring to? Many jump up to 1:23 where Peter says that we have been born again by the living and abiding word of God. They point out that spiritual milk is the word of God. But we must remember that most people in Peter’s day did not have a copy of the word of God. In fact a good number of these people may have not been able to read. So what is Peter referring to? Well I believe Peter is referring to any and every resource that will help us grow in salvation. We will pursue prayer, fellowship with believers in worship, hearing instruction in righteousness through preaching and teaching, and seeking to obey all that Jesus commanded us by walking in the Spirit. And for us who do have the word of God, it surely means that we will read and consider this book, allowing it to shape our lives in Christ.

If you have ever read any of the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, you know that the story is about 4 children named Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter who magically find themselves in another world called Narnia, ruled by a good lion named, Aslan. Aslan is the Christ figure in the land of Narnia. They experience many adventures, but then they return to our world and discover that no time has passed. You might say that they were living in two worlds simultaneously. What they experienced in Narnia changed them forever. We who know Christ begin living in the kingdom of God under the rule of Christ, even as we continue to live in this world in which there is much darkness. As we long for spiritual milk we grow in salvation and as we grow in salvation we bring the light of Christ to this world of darkness. And one day we will receive the fullness of salvation, the inheritance that is waiting for us.

III. HAVE YOU TASTED THAT THE LORD IS GOOD? 1Pt.2:3

Growing into salvation is based on the fact that we “have tasted that the Lord is good.” This expression comes from Ps.34:8, where it says, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Those who have a longing for the pure spiritual milk are those who have already tasted of the Lord’s goodness.

Now I want to say that everyone alive has tasted something of the goodness of the Lord. Paul tells us in Rm.2:4 that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” In Acts 17:25 Paul told the Athenians that God, “…himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” So you see there is a sense in which everyone has tasted that the Lord is good. We refer to this as common grace. But here in 1Pt.2 I believe Peter is referring to the experience of coming to know Christ, of receiving his forgiveness of sins and new eternal life. We sing about this in the old gospel song. “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart. I have light in my soul for which long I have sought, since Jesus came into my heart. I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray, since Jesus came into my heart. And my sins, which were many, are all washed away, since Jesus came into my heart.”

You see this is tasting of the goodness of the Lord on a much deeper level. Everyday God gives us life and breath, but not everyone experiences the forgiveness of sin and life in Christ. Only those who look to Jesus in faith to receive these blessings come to know Christ on a very personal level as their Savior and Lord. Think of it in this way. Many people witnessed the healing miracles of Jesus. They tasted something of the goodness of the Lord by virtue of what they saw. But those who were actually healed entered into the goodness of the Lord on a far deeper level of experience. Their lives were changed. Those who receive the blessings of God’s common grace taste something of his goodness, but those who by faith receive the forgiveness of sins and life in Christ taste the goodness of the Lord in a deeply personal, life-changing way.

What we receive by faith in Christ during our life on earth is wonderful, but it is just a foretaste of what is in store for us. Paul says the same thing. In Eph.1:13-14 Paul says that we, “…were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” In Rm.8:23 Paul says that, “…we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” What we receive through faith in Christ now is amazing, but in many ways it is only a taste. It is like the Lord’s Supper. It is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet when we sit at the Table of the Lord.

So I want to ask, have you tasted that the Lord is good? Have you entered into life with Christ and in Christ and through Christ? I’m not asking about church membership or baptism. I want to know if Christ is your life? Have you come to him for forgiveness and eternal living? Have you tasted that the Lord is good? If so, do you long for more of his goodness? You cannot taste of the goodness of the Lord without wanting more and more.

I believe it is true that everyone is born with a need for love. That need is first met or not met in our family of origin. As we grow this need turns into desire, longing. When the need and desire is not met it does things to people. Some build thick emotional walls of loneliness and self-sufficiency. Where this need is met, people grow up to form close relationships, the closest human relationship is found in marriage. But wait! There is an even closer relationship. It is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When a person enters into the love of God through Christ our need for love is met at the most significant level possible. And the more of Christ we have, the more of Christ we want. So this morning I’m wondering. Do you know Christ? Do you want Christ? Do you want the spiritual nourishment that enables one to grow into salvation? It’s the most important question of your life. Amen

The Lord's Supper

May 1, 2016

For a number of years I have been thinking about the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. I’m sure that many of you are aware of the various ways in which the Lord’s Supper is understood. Catholics believe in transubstantiation. The bread and the wine become the actual flesh and blood of Christ. They take Jesus’ words very literally. “This is my body. This is my blood.” For Catholics, the Lord’s Supper is a means of saving grace.

Lutherans believe in consubstantiation. The actual flesh and blood of Jesus is co-mingled or ubiquitous with the bread and wine. The bread and wine do not change but the actual flesh and blood of Jesus is present. For Lutherans, the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, “a means of grace by which the participant’s faith is strengthened.”

Zwingli, a protestant reformer and contemporary of Luther, who helped to inspire the development of Baptist believers, took a much different view of the Lord’s Supper. He believed that it is strictly a memorial service in which we remember the benefits of Christ’s death. Zwingli took Jesus’ words, “This is my body; this is my blood” in a metaphorical way. The bread and wine represent the body and blood of Jesus. They are symbols only.

In 1529 a meeting took place between Luther and Zwingli, known as the Marburg Colloquy, to see if they could resolve their differences. Using Jn.6, Zwingli would hear nothing about the actual presence of Christ in the bread and wine or that the Lord’s Supper was a means of grace. It was a heated three days of debate. On the last day 15 articles of faith drawn up by Luther were agreed upon. The 15th article dealt with the Lord’s Supper. Now think about this. They parted in disagreement, but Zwingli accepted 14 of the 15 articles and agreed with 5 points of the 15th article. The Lord’s Supper became divisive. According to the Evangelical dictionary of Theology, “The agreement concluded with the conciliatory statement: ‘Although we are not at this present time agreed, as to whether the true Body and blood of Christ are bodily present in the bread and wine, nevertheless the one party should show to the other Christian love as far as conscience can permit.” After the Conference it wasn’t long before there was more bickering over the Lord’s Supper.

There is a part of me that wishes the Christian Church had not felt the need to go into detail about how the Lord’s Supper works. In some ways it seems that when we define it we control it. Part of me wishes the Church had been content to embrace the mystery of it.

But right now, I’m sure that many of you are thinking to yourself, “Yeah, but what about John Calvin.” I’m glad you mentioned his name. John Calvin developed a middle way between Luther and Zwingli. And I want us to consider Calvin’s view. Men and women, it is my belief that at the Lord’s Table believers fellowship together as we feed on Jesus Christ.

I read a transcript of the Marburg Colloquy. One of Zwingli’s points was that Jesus is currently at the right hand of God the Father. He is still incarnate in his body. The implication is that Jesus is not in the actual bread and wine. He’s not here because he is there with the Father, wherever that is. After all, the scripture tells us this. In Acts 2:32 Peter, in his message on the day of Pentecost said about Jesus, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” And there are other verses that tell us that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father. Luther agreed but would not yield from Jesus’ words, “This is my body; this is my blood.”

Calvin agreed with Zwingli on this, but according to Baptist theologian, Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Calvin also agreed with “Luther that the bread and cup were more than naked signs. They were symbols that conveyed through faith the reality of that which they signified, namely, the real spiritual presence of Christ with His church.” How could it be that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father and yet spiritually present at the Table?

Again, according to Timothy George, Calvin said that, the Holy Spirit so united the believers on earth with the risen Christ in heaven that “their souls are truly nourished from the flesh of Christ...In communion the Holy Spirit lifts our hearts up to the heavenly sanctuary where Christ is the Host at the banquet table of the redeemed.”

Let me quote from Calvin’s Institutes: “But though it seems an incredible thing that the flesh of Christ, while at such a distance from us in respect of place, should be food to us, let us remember how far the secret virtue of the Holy Spirit surpasses all our conceptions, and how foolish it is to wish to measure its immensity by our feeble capacity. Therefore, what our mind does not comprehend let faith conceive—viz. that the Spirit truly unites things separated by space. That sacred communion of flesh and blood by which Christ transfuses his life into us, just as if it penetrated our bones and marrow, he testifies and seals in the Supper, and that not by presenting a vain or empty sign, but by there exerting an efficacy of the Spirit by which he fulfils what he promises. And truly the thing there signified he exhibits and offers to all who sit down at that spiritual feast, although it is beneficially received by believers only who receive this great benefit with true faith and heartfelt gratitude.”

So essentially what Calvin is saying is that when we come to the Lord’s Table and eat the bread and drink the cup believers are nourished by the body and blood of the Lord through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Now at this point some Baptists begin to squirm a bit in their seats. Calvin is basically saying that the Lord’s Table is a means of grace, not saving grace but sanctifying grace, if you will. Something is really taking place at the Table in the bread and the cup.

I’ve been a Baptist for most of my life. I am in agreement with believer’s baptism and other Baptist distinctives. But when it comes to the Lord’s Supper, I am moving away from Zwingli. And I’m not alone. In fact I am in the company of historic Baptist beliefs.

I never knew this, but the Second London Confession drawn up by Baptists in 1689 had this to say regarding the Lord’s Supper. “Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements in this ordinance, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of his death; the body and blood of Christ being then not corporally or carnally, but spiritually present to the faith of believers in that ordinance, as the elements themselves are to their outward senses.” This is what Calvin was teaching.

Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers and a Baptist, also believed that the Lord’s Supper was an external means of grace through which believers are nourished in the Christian life. Spurgeon said, In the Lord’s Supper, believers have the blessed privilege of going ‘right through the veil into Christ’s own arms.’” Listen to this extended quote from Spurgeon, “Whenever we repair to the Lord’s Table, which represents to us the Passover, we ought not to come to it as a funeral…This is my body,’ said Jesus, but the body so represented was no corpse; we feed upon a living Christ. The blood set forth by yonder wine is the fresh life-blood of our immortal King. We view not our Lord’s body as clay-cold flesh, pierced with wounds, but as glorified at the right hand of the Father. We hold a happy festival when we break bread on the first day of the week.” I’ve never heard these kinds of words in my Baptist background, and yet these are Baptists speaking.

J.I. Packer wrote a very influential book that many of us may have read. It is called “Knowing God.” Listen to what Packer recently said about the Lord’s Supper. Referring to the bread and wine he says, “They remain bread and wine, but as we eat the bread and in our hearts say, ‘Lord Jesus I take you as the bread of my life,’ and as we drink the wine, and say in our hearts, ‘Lord Jesus how could I ever thank you enough for shedding your blood, for my salvation,’ we are nourished inside. That is to say, we are strengthened, refreshed. We find new joy in our hearts and we go on our way with a new lightness in our steps.”

Men and women, the symbols do not bring spiritual nourishment in and of themselves. The symbols point to our living Savior. Spiritual nourishment comes through the Holy Spirit in the receiving of the bread and cup. I have come to believe with our Baptist forebears that as I receive the Lord’s Supper with a humble heart of faith, I am feeding on the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, receiving the spiritual refreshment that J.I. Packer is referring to. I look forward to the Lord's Supper this morning. I no longer take it in stride. Rather, it is becoming refreshment for every stride I take.

At the Marburg Colloquy, Luther and Zwingli had bitter words for each other. They both apologized and asked forgiveness. But both had unkind things to say about each other after the Colloquy. The Lord’s Supper is not something that should divide us. It is not my goal this morning to make anyone feel that they should agree with me. My goal is to encourage us to draw near to Christ as he invites us to eat and drink at his Table. After all the Lord’s Table points us to another Table of the Lord. It is the Table that we will gather around when we are with him in his Eternal Kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth. As the Jewish celebration of Passover developed over the years, it began to incorporate what Don Carson refers to as a wish-prayer. The Jews would say, “Next year in Jerusalem!” Paul tells us that in the Lord’s Supper we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. In other words the Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We receive Christ and look forward to being forever with the Lord. Amen.

Public Christians

April 24, 2016

What do you think about the world we live in? It is pretty crazy, isn’t it? There is so much corruption and oppression and brutality and abuse and deceit and pride and arrogance and immorality. We turn on World News Tonight to find out what’s going on and we turn it off as we shake our heads. Do you know what the world needs? I do. The world needs to see more of you and me. You and me hold the only means by which the world can be delivered. And that means you and me need to get out a little more. Do you know what I’m saying?

Right now the only people who can offer deliverance to the world are you, me, and all other committed followers of Jesus Christ. Men and women, the life received in salvation is intended by God to be lived in this world.

I. BE HOPEFUL. 1Pt.1:13

One of Peter’s emphases in v.3-12 has to do with the living hope that is our in Christ. It’s a living hope because Christ is our life and our hope and he lives in us. Because hope has to do with the future, we are looking forward. This is why Peter tells us in v.13 to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us when Christ returns. There is an inheritance waiting for us. It is the completion of the grace extended to us in Jesus Christ.

Those who are born again, live in light of the future. But this is easier said than done. In v.13 there are two pictures or metaphors which help us get an idea of how to do this.

The phrase, “preparing your minds for action,” literally reads, “gird up the loins of your minds.” This phrase has little meaning to us today because we don’t dress like they did in Peter’s day. Back then men would wear a long outer shirt that went down to the ankles. If you had to run it was difficult. So the shirt would be pulled up and tucked into the belt. This became a picture of preparing oneself for action. Using this metaphor, Peter is telling us that we need to be able to think in a certain way so as to fix our minds on the hope, the grace, to be given us when Christ returns.

A second metaphor has to do with being drunk. Someone who is drunk is not in control of their mind or body. Peter tells us that when we are born again to new life in Christ, it is important that we keep our minds clear and focused. It is difficult to set one’s hope on the grace of God to be revealed if our minds are clouded with other things.

Now what is this all about? The world has always been in competition with the grace and mercy of God in salvation. The world offers many compelling alternatives to the life God gives us in Christ. Of course, there is nothing that can surpass life in Christ because life in Christ not only meets our deepest need, it provides the greatest opportunity for living a fulfilling, meaningful life for eternity. The hope of the believer grows brighter. We have so much to look forward to. And yet, the world presents many shiny, attractive alternatives. How can this be? It is because the world is material and physical and appeals to the body and the mind. But all that is of the world is temporal. Peter reminds us in v.7 that even gold is going to perish. Now life in Christ is also material and physical, but it never ends. When we seek to find fulfillment in the world we will never be fully satisfied. The world will give you a good run for your money, until your money runs out. Christ will satisfy you forever.

In eastern religions, your life basically comes to nothing because you are just absorbed into whatever there is and who knows what that really is. In Christ your life has eternal meaning in the eternal kingdom of God. One does not become nothing. One becomes their best self, all that God created us to be through Christ.

So it is important that we not allow the world to cloud our minds so that we are focused only on this world. This world is passing away. I have jury duty on the 25th. I need to call in on the 24th to see if they need me. I’ve got that date on the calendar, in my phone, taped to the wall because I don’t want to forget. In a similar way we must keep our mind focused on the hope of God’s grace that is coming. We must set our hearts and minds on things above because that mindset will help us live for Christ in this world. Christians ought to be the most hopeful people in the world. We have everything to look forward to.

II. BE HOLY. 1:14-16

The idea of being holy begins with the assumption that a person has heard God’s call to salvation in Christ and has responded positively to that call. They have been obedient to the call of God to be saved. What is more, such a person has been born again into the family of God. They are obedient children.

Now one comment before going further. Becoming a child of God takes place when a person responds to the message of the gospel in a heartfelt decision of the will to embrace Christ. We don’t earn life in Christ; we receive life in Christ. Eternal living and forgiveness of sins is a gift that God offers to all who embrace Christ by faith. When a person embraces Christ in this way, God comes to live in that person and begins a work of transformation in that person’s life. It is a transformation that occurs from the inside out. It is a transformation that involves our living a holy life. As our heart is transformed our conduct begins to change.

But it is important to see that this transformation involves our cooperation. Our being transformed into holy people will not take place against our will. This is why it is so important to understand that when a person turns to Christ it involves a surrendering of their will to Christ as their Savior-King.

Before coming to Christ, we were ruled by our self-centered passions and desires. Life was all about satisfying and gratifying ourselves apart from God. This is true even for religious people. There are many religious people who use their religion to affirm and gratify themselves. Peter says, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. You see, it is still possible to live according to those sinful passions and desires even after we come to Christ, because our bodies are so accustomed to sinful, selfish actions and behaviors. And so as God begins his work of transforming our lives there is quite a battle that ensues. Will we yield and surrender ourselves to the good work of God in us or will we follow our sinful passions and desires?

Peter says, “Hey, you have been adopted into the family of God and so it is important to bear the family resemblance in holy living.” Just as God, our heavenly Father is holy, so we want to be holy. As we offer ourselves to the inner transforming work of God in our hearts, we apply ourselves to holy living in our conduct, so that our conduct begins to reflect the character of Christ. What God is doing on the inside begins to be reflected on the outside.

How do we apply ourselves to holy living? Well, a good starting place is to look at the life of Jesus to see what his holy life was like. In the Scripture, especially the New Testament, there is much written about holy living. The more our mind and heart is saturated with the word of God, the better able we will be to conform our conduct in holiness. But making strides in holy living will also involve spiritual activities like prayer, worship, giving, serving, fasting, to name a few. We don’t do these activities to earn points with God. We do them to make room for God in our lives as we interact with Him. Dr. Craig Dykstra writes, “The life of Christian faith is the practice of many practices,” not because this is something we accomplish, but because these practices are the “habitations of the Spirit.”

We cannot be holy in our conduct apart from the work of God in our lives. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Apart from Jesus we can live for ourselves and do a lot of damage, but apart from Jesus we cannot be holy. But nor can we be holy without putting forth every effort to obey all that Jesus commanded.

III. BE FEARFUL. 1:17-21

You might be scratching your head here. Be fearful? Is that how God wants us to be in our relationship with him? God is our heavenly Father who loves us and cares for us. We bring our requests to him in prayer. So why should we fear God, our Father?

We fear God because as God he is the Judge. His righteous character sets the standards for righteousness and morality. And just because we enter into his family through Christ does not in any way diminish who he is. He is no less of a judge just because he is our heavenly Father.

When we think about God as Judge, it is very easy to think of God as being mean, that God is a mean judge. But that is not true at all. Peter says that God is an impartial Judge. He is fair. His judgments are right and true. If you had a choice between having a human judge or God as your judge, you would definitely want God. You will always get a fair shake. God is far more gracious and just than you or I could ever be.

But why would Peter emphasize this? I think Peter wants us to see that we must never think that because we are in God’s family he will suspend judgment on our actions. There are believers who sort of have the idea that, “since my sins have been forgiven through Christ, I’m home free. I can pretty much do as I choose because, hey, my sins are forgiven. God loves me.” That kind of thinking is not taught in the Bible. But many a professing Christian has used the forgiveness of Christ as freedom to sin. The writer of Hebrews points out that like any loving parent, God disciplines his children for their good. He employs trials and hardship to help us learn to be obedient to him. So we fear the Lord because He is God and we do not want to be at odds with him.

But we also see that this fear of God is related to the high cost of our salvation. Salvation is free to us because Jesus died and rose again for us. When we realize what our salvation cost Jesus, we do not want to live in a way that shows that we treat his death and resurrection lightly. Yes, we all sin, but when we brazenly sin in the face of God thinking that God will give us a pass, we are trampling underfoot the Son of God and we are not recognizing God for who he is. Men and women do not think that God will just overlook our sin. His love, righteousness, and justice will not allow him to do that. And his love, righteousness and justice should hold us back in the face of temptation and sin.

IV. BE LOVING. 1:22-25

When we think about our salvation in Christ, and come to see how God is working to transform our lives, we gain a new focus in life. We are looking to the future when we will be with Christ. As our hearts are transformed we seek to conform our conduct to that of Jesus Christ, to be holy. Not only that, but we gain a new appreciation for who God is. We humbly fear him and are sobered by Christ’s death and resurrection in our behalf. But in v.22-25 we learn that as God transforms our lives we gain a new love for others, especially those in the Church. Those who are in Christ are children of God and selflessly seek to love one another.

There is nothing in the world like the church. The church is not an organization, although churches need to be organized. Nor is the church just an affiliation, although we affiliate with each other. People in the church are not held together by taking oaths and promising loyalty to each other. We are not held together by paying dues. No. The church is held together by the love that God pours into our hearts as a result of our coming to know Christ. We are born again not through our own feeble efforts, but by the living and abiding word of God, which as Peter reminds us in v.25 is the gospel, the good news about life in Christ.

This matter of loving our brothers and sisters in the church is important and challenging. Loving others is not easy. Even in our earthly families we often struggle to love each other. It seems to me that Peter is saying that love for one another is only really possible when we know Christ and are seeking to live in obedience to him. When we are living in obedience to him, his love is better able to flow through us to others because we will be captivated by God and not ourselves.

So let me ask, do you have love for the brothers and sisters in the church? Many Christians attend church and have little interest in sharing the love of Christ with their brothers and sisters in Christ. We live largely to ourselves and the community of Christ, the church that God has placed us into is often little more than a venue for combined individual worship. We are to love one another earnestly from a pure heart.

So what should we do? Well first you need to know what your life is about. Is it about following Jesus or not? Have you repented of your sins and turned to Jesus in faith to receive new life in his kingdom? And if so, what has come of it? How is your life different? When people at work or in your neighborhood get to know you, is it evident by the way you live and talk that you are a follower of Christ? I’m not even talking about sharing the gospel. What about the way you live? If Christ is your life then should not others see Christ in you as Peter tells us in this passage? The life received in salvation is intended by God to be lived in this world. Amen

What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?

April 17, 2016

Do you know what it means to be a Democrat or Republican? I mean, we all get it that if you are a Democrat you will vote for a Democrat and Republicans vote for Republicans. But what does it really mean to be a Democrat or Republican? Can you articulate the principles and platform of the party you subscribe to? I imagine that many of us would struggle to explain what our particular affiliation means. Many people are not interested in that level of detail.

So let me ask this question. What does it mean to be a Christian? One would hope that those who profess to be Christians would be able to answer that question, but I wouldn’t count on it. When the meaning of being a Christian is reduced to bullet points and a prayer, a lot is lost.

Last week we looked at 1Pt.1:1-2 and spoke about the importance of being converted to Christ. This week we continue with v.3-12. Here Peter has something say about this question, what does it mean to be a Christian?

I. CHRISTIANS ARE GIVEN NEW LIFE. 1:3-5

Peter begins his letter in the same way we ought to begin every day. He blesses the name of God. He blesses the name of God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice it is not, “the” Lord Jesus Christ, but “our” Lord Jesus Christ. We have a stake in the Lord Jesus.

Peter tells us that through Christ, God has caused us to be born again to a living hope. He is talking about regeneration. It’s what Jesus said to Nicodemus in Jn.3. “You must be born again.” The idea behind regeneration is moving from death to life. We were all dead in our trespasses and sins, but in his mercy, God “made us alive together with Christ,” as Paul tells us in Eph.2:5. That’s what Peter says. Our being born again is through the resurrection of Christ. If Christ had not risen from the dead, his death on the cross would have accomplished nothing. So it is important to see is that salvation is about receiving new life. We are living a new life that derives from Christ himself.

Look again. Peter says that we’ve been born again to a living hope. Now this is very interesting. What is a living hope? Hope has a forward look. Often when we use the word, “hope,” it contains an element of doubt. “I hope I get an A in this class.” If we are certain of our grade we don’t say, “I hope.” Peter uses the word, “hope” but there is no doubt. Why is that? It is because we have a living hope. The hope we experience is grounded in the life Christ has given us. In fact since Christ lives in us, and since Christ is our life, Christ is also our hope. We have a living hope through Christ. We live our hope. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We are currently living out our future, our hope, in the present!

Peter goes on to say that we are born again to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us. This inheritance is the fullness, the completion of our salvation. When Christ comes again we will be with him in a new heaven and a new earth. Now many of us carry around a vague idea of heaven. What does it mean to be in heaven? We’ve all seen pictures of heaven where people are sitting on clouds playing harps and stuff. But no. We are not going to that kind of heaven. In 2Pt.3:13 Peter writes, “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” So when Peter writes that our inheritance is kept in heaven, I believe he means that our inheritance is safe with God. Heaven is where God is. Nothing and no one is going to destroy, spoil, or diminish our inheritance of eternal living with Christ.

A day is coming when we will dwell on a new earth surrounded by new heavens. So here is what I want to say. In Christ we have been given life to the full. In fact, it seems to me that as believers we have far more life from Christ than we can handle this side of eternity. We do not currently experience this new life in all of its fullness because we continue to live in a fallen world and we continue to wrestle with temptation and sin. But all of Christ’s life is in us now and so we look forward to the day when we can experience this life in its fullness. And as we look forward, the living hope within is revealed in the way we live. We are leaning into our glorious future by living righteous lives.

According to v.5 until this day arrives our lives are being guarded. Not only is our inheritance safe with God, but our lives are safe with God. Through the Holy Spirit, God has come to live in us and it all takes place by faith. When we live by faith it means we have confidence in God. We trust in God. Of course, we don’t see God guarding our lives, but we are confident that he is doing that very thing.

These verses have a present and future cast to them. They do not look to the past. And we do not live in the past. Christians are not people who continually look back to revisit the day they were saved. “Yes I came to Christ in 1958.” That’s good. But am I alive in Christ today? When we celebrate our birthday, we acknowledge that we were born on a certain day of the year, but we don’t make much of our birth. We’re glad to be alive and we are looking to the future. We who are alive in Christ are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Because his life in us is eternal we are already living our future in Christ. We have already passed from death unto life and will never die according to Jn.11:26. We are already seated with Christ in heavenly places, according to Eph.2:6. We are alive forever in Christ.

II. CHRISTIANS FACE NEW CHALLENGES. 1:6-7

It seems that the believers Peter is writing to were experiencing various kinds of persecution. We are not told very much about this only that it was taking place. It also seems that Peter is referring to trials that come about because of one’s faith in Christ. Peter is not talking about having a bad day or being disappointed because things did not turn out as we had hoped. Rather he is referring to the kinds of situations that can arise when Christians live according to Christ in this world. This world is not a friend of Christ.

No one wants to experience social marginalization or outright persecution. But as followers of Christ there will be times when because of our commitment to Christ we will not be able to avoid it. So notice in v.6 that Christians are rejoicing on the one hand because of the wonderful salvation that is ours in Christ, but grieving on the other hand because of trials that come from the world because of our faith in Christ. Now Jesus knows all about suffering. He fully understands for he suffered.

As Christians we may experience trials because we are not able to give our approval to things that are approved of by our society. We may experience trials because integrity requires us to voice our disagreement with the prevailing view. We may have to refuse to participate in some activities at work or home. Sometimes when a person becomes a Christian and their behavior changes, they experience rejection from unbelieving friends. Christian professors on secular college campuses sometimes experience academic shunning just for presenting a Christian worldview. If and when laws are passed which require us to compromise our loyalty to Christ, we will have to disobey and suffer the consequences. These kinds of situations call for much prayer and wisdom. Jesus told us to rely on the Holy Spirit and speak the truth in humble love, not in pride or anger. Up till now in our country we have enjoyed a great deal of freedom, but those days may be waning.

So how do we look at these kinds of trials? Peter wants us to understand that God uses these kinds of trials to reveal the genuineness of our faith. When Christians experience trials because of their faith in Christ such suffering often strengthens our resolve to be all the more faithful to Christ. Suffering calls forth greater faith and trust in God. Where else can we go? And Peter adds that our faith is more precious than gold. Gold is one of the most indestructible elements and yet eventually it will perish along with everything else in this world. But not our faith.

Now why would suffering have this effect? I mean over the years of Church history there have been professing Christians who have renounced Christ in the face of suffering. How can suffering strengthen and purify our faith? Well, as we realize that Christ is our life, and that we have a living hope which is leading to fullness of life in the Kingdom of God, that enables us to remain faithful in persecution. If Christ is our life and we are rejoicing in our life with Christ, then we would never want to deny him. We would rather deny ourselves than deny Christ who bought us with his blood. Along with this Peter encourages us by pointing out that for those who persevere in suffering there will be a day in which we share in the praise, glory, and honor of Jesus our Lord and King.

You can see why it is important to have an understanding of what it means to be a Christian. When we understand the greatness of our salvation it becomes clear that saving one’s life in this world by denying Christ is only to lose one’s life in the world to come. So we expect persecution because of our faith in Christ.

III. CHRISTIANS LOVE CHRIST. 1:8-12

When we stop to think about the salvation that God has mercifully granted to us in Christ, seeing that it brings security not just to our present, but also to our future, we are amazed at the grace of God. Along with this we understand that if the world persecuted Christ it will persecute us and our faith will be strengthened. But these verses bring a different dimension to our understanding of life in Christ. “Though you have not seen him, you love him. You believe in him. You rejoice with inexpressible joy and you are already receiving your salvation.”

It is one thing to know the truths about our salvation in Christ, but it is another thing to love Christ with all one’s heart. Loving Christ, whom we have not seen is possible only as we seek to live in the presence of Christ day by day. I’m not referring to a legalistic reading of the Bible every day. Rather I’m talking about living life with Christ who lives in us. Yes, we will read the Bible. Yes, we will converse and commune with God in prayer. Yes, we will cultivate a heart of surrender to the Lord every day. Yes, we will seek to do all that Jesus commanded us. Christ is our life and we love him!

So, daily we are affirming and asserting our faith, our confidence in Jesus. We are acknowledging him as our Savior, Lord and King. Daily we are rejoicing in the Lord Jesus, even when we do not feel very joyful. Throughout the day we are turning our hearts and minds to Jesus, yielding ourselves and our circumstances to him. This is the kind of life we have been given. We have been made alive to God through Jesus Christ.

Let me ask you. As you look at your life does it seem to you that you love the Lord Jesus? Are the things that are important to Christ important to you? Do you ever tell the Lord Jesus that you love him? Do you structure or orient your life around Jesus and his commands? Search your heart on this matter. Many people are far too caught up with life in this world to have any kind of love for Christ. They do not have time for Christ, nor do they make time for him. Many are content to think of Jesus as their Savior and that is all. But that is not all. Jesus is the Savior-King. He did not come to just be your Savior. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He loves you. Do you love him? Do you trust him?

The groom comes out the side door and stands at the front with his groomsmen. The bride stands at the back of the room waiting to process down the aisle. Both of their hearts are beating with anticipation. They have been preparing for this moment for many long months. Many arrangements have had to be made. They have secured a place to live and have been getting it ready. They have been saving their money. They have had many deep conversations. They have already faced some difficulties as every couple does. They have been living in anticipation of this wonderful day. And now, here they are. Their hopes and dreams for life are about to begin to be realized.

Men and women, if you are a Christian, you are in a similar relationship with Christ. We are closer to the time of Christ’s return than we think. Over the many years of our lives many arrangements have had to be made to prepare for this day that is coming. There have been difficulties to overcome. There have been many deep conversations in prayer. We have been saving up treasures in heaven. And Christ is standing to receive his bride. We, his bride are getting ready to process down the aisle to meet him. His heart is beating with love for you. Is your heart beating with love for him? Amen

Who Are You?

April 10, 2016

It’s an election year and we want to know what the candidates think.  We’re not interested in vague political spin. We want to know what they think about the issues important to us. We want them to stake out clear positions. It’s the only way we can compare the candidates. A clear position helps us know where the candidates stand in relationship to each other.

Every person alive has a relationship to the world around them. Our choices in life reveal how we relate to the world. Today we begin a series of messages from the book of 1Peter. Peter has much to say about how Christians relate to the world. And this morning we begin by looking at 1Pt.1:1-2. You see, being a Christian clarifies our relationship to the world.

I. CHRISTIANS IDENTIFY WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 1Pt.1:1

Peter is writing to “elect exiles” scattered about in the provinces of Asia Minor in what is today the country of Turkey. The fact that they are “elect” means that Peter is writing to men and women who have received the grace of God in Jesus Christ. They have become Christ followers and are part of the people of God, the Church. The word, “Dispersion” was used to refer to Jews who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire. The fact that Peter uses this term to refer to Christians who were largely Gentile implies that Peter sees the Church as the People of God, the new Israel. This is the view that I take, but not everyone would agree with it.

Some say that the words, “exile” and “dispersion” are only a metaphor referring to the fact that our homeland is in heaven, not this world. Others say that Peter is writing to people who were literally exiles and were marginalized because of their social status as slaves. Both ideas may be in play here. After turning to Jesus these people experienced even more social marginalization.

So let’s think a little bit about the people Peter is writing to. Many believe that these folks were primarily of the slave class. They were not Roman citizens and had very few rights. It is likely they were far from their homeland. Our identity is shaped to a great degree by our position in society. If you are a slave with few rights, that is going to shape how you view yourself and your situation. We know plenty about this because of our situation in the United States. The personal and social destruction that has resulted from slavery continues to rip apart our society and relationships. It would not surprise me if many of these people felt hopeless and disenfranchised.

But at some point they heard the good news about Christ and the kingdom of God and they turned to Christ, becoming his follower. When they did this they received a new identity and an eternal hope. They entered into the family of God and were brought into the Church of Jesus Christ. They were Christians. And this made a huge difference. Since coming to Christ they came to understand that they were now living under the good rule of God. Every circumstance of their lives was fully known to God. They belonged to God who would care for and provide for them. They were a chosen people. They belonged to the church who worshiped God and encouraged one another in living the Christian life. So they went from having little sense of identity, to having a wonderful new identity in Christ and his church. It is often the case that those who are socially marginalized turn to Christ first.

Now, you and I do not live in that kind of situation. The words of Peter do not apply to us in the same way that they applied to the believers in Asia Minor. Most of us do not experience social marginalization as these people did. But we do live in a world that is increasingly hostile to the person and ways of Jesus Christ. Because our society is increasingly pluralistic, values are relative and personal. And when the situation arises when values are made public like in the current political debates, we see great incivility and hostility. In a pluralistic society religious beliefs are to be held privately. Every person can define their own moral and spiritual truth as long as it does not interfere with others. When you add in the values of materialism and wealth, it creates a powerful force that invites and compels people to comply. In our culture, you can have a pretty good life if you go with the flow and don’t rock the boat.

But the flow of our society is not flowing in the way of Christ. The way of Christ is the way of humble, self-denial and service as opposed to political power. The way of Christ is the way of Christ-like righteousness and love as opposed to moral relativism. The way of Christ is the way of material and financial moderation as opposed to materialism and greed. And the way of Christ is the way of community and love as opposed to individualism. These are the values that Christ taught. These are the values we profess to embrace. Our identity is found in Christ and the church. So it is confusing when Christians live self-centered, churchless, morally relative lives.

It’s not that Christians look for trouble and persecution. No. As Christians we seek to be salt and light in society, bringing the Lordship of Christ to bear on all our social and personal circumstances as we live by the Spirit of God. When we do this, it is very likely that at some point we will experience various forms of persecution. But the temptation is to cave into our society by fitting in. Men and women, the goal is not to fit into society, the goal is to fit into the church. Christ and the church are our primary reference for shaping our identity. It is in the church where the people of God worship and learn and pursue life in the kingdom of God together. Does this make sense or not? Is this in keeping with the teaching of scripture or not? I don’t want to say something that is not true.

If it is in keeping with scripture, then I need to ask, what shapes your identity? Is it Christ and the church or your social group? Of course all Churches are imperfect. So how can you help to make the church better? And are you willing to be a part of the solution so that the needs of others are able to be met in the church?

More and more I am thinking that as Christians we are shorting ourselves of the life God has given to us in Christ because somehow the life we see in society is more attractive. How can that be, when Christ is the treasure, Christ is the pearl of great price? How can that be when the church is the means through which the manifold wisdom of God is revealed in the world?

As followers of Christ we really need to evaluate every association and affiliation that we are part of. We need to evaluate every relationship we are involved in. We need to evaluate everything that attracts us. Does it compromise our life with Christ and his church? Does it shape our identity apart from Christ and his church?

II. CHRISTIANS LIVE IN OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST. 1Pt.1:2

The truth regarding our Christian identity in v.1 is based upon the reality of conversion which Peter writes about in v.2. The first two phrases of v.2 refer to the work of God in salvation, while the third phrase refers to our response to God’s work

The wonderful thing about Christianity is that it teaches that God cares so much about people that he is deeply involved in seeing that people turn to Jesus. The foreknowledge of God is active in bringing events about in such a way so as to make it possible for men and women to embrace Christ and be saved from their sins.

You notice that salvation is Trinitarian in nature. We see God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son referred to in v.2. God the Father sends the Son, Jesus Christ to live on earth, showing us what it means to live in the kingdom of God while living in a hostile world. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave for our justification before God. He ascended to the Father where he reigns and intercedes for us. He is coming again to take us to be with him.

God the Holy Spirit brings about our sanctification in conversion. The word, “sanctification” refers to being holy. In 2Thess.2:13 Paul writes, “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” You see, sanctification does not just refer to the process of growing in holiness after we are converted. Sanctification also involves our initial separation from sin as we embrace Christ. The word sanctification covers the entire process of salvation. We are sanctified or made holy at conversion. We learn how to live holy lives in daily Christian living and the day will come when we will be presented to Christ spotless and without blemish.

But what is the purpose of God’s gracious work in bringing us to Christ? Peter tells us that it is for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood. When the call of God comes to a person to embrace Christ as Savior, Lord and King, the person who commits his life in faith to Christ is obedient to God’s call. Conversion is hearing the call of God to be saved and obeying his voice. Becoming a follower of Christ requires a posture of trusting obedience. It’s not just a matter of believing that Jesus will forgive my sins. It is a matter of believing that Jesus will give me his eternal life to live through faith along with the forgiveness of sins, referred to in the phrase, “sprinkling with his blood.” Christians are those who receive the wonderful life of Jesus and begin to live as Jesus would live if he were in their shoes.

Perhaps you are thinking, “Pastor Dave, this sounds so complicated.” Doesn’t it? I mean it sounds like such an arduous project. Men and women, our salvation in Christ is an immense work of God’s mercy and grace because our hearts and minds and bodies are so completely separated from his goodness, righteousness, and love that nothing short of a miraculous work of God could save you or me.

Do you really think that God would go to such great lengths to save you only so that you can just go on living according to you own desires? Our version of life will always fall short of the glorious vision God has for you and me as we follow Jesus day by day.

Men and women, who are you? Whose are you? To whom do you belong? Did you pray a prayer to receive Christ at some point in your life? That’s good. But what of it? I want to know if you are following Christ. I want to know if you are walking in obedience to Christ? (Main)

So there are many things that describe our identity. You might say we are what we like. Some like sports and physical fitness. Some like food. Some like travel. Some like clothes. Some like technology. Some like family. Some like crafting and art. Some like music. Some like knowledge. Some like sci-fi or romance or mysteries. What defines you? How does Jesus Christ and the church fit into your identity? What are you doing to orient your life around Christ and the church? “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” I wonder, do you know Christ? Are you a follower of Christ? Amen