What Do You Believe?

What Do You Believe? Select Text
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn

“We sin because we believe the lie that we are better off without God, that His rule is too oppressive, that we will be free without Him, that sin offers more than God. This is true of every sin and every negative emotion.”
Tim Chester

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ! Assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

“There is no sin greater than ignorance”
Rudyard Kipling

Intro
We have been going through a series on the gospel, and today is the last sermon in that series. We have looked at:
1. The Gospel Story from Genesis to Revelation, taking a look at how God’s story has unfolded in His full revelation, and how it is about Him and His glory, and not about us.
2. How We “Gospel” One Another, where we were encouraged to “Bear one another’s burden’s” and “Spur one another on to love and good deeds.”
3. How the Gospel Changes Us, which showed us that it is God and His power that saves us and changes us. We also saw that the gospel is not about personal transformation, but repentance for our sin, and trust that what Christ did on the cross is sufficient for our salvation.

Today we are going to take a look at five key truths that are important to our continuing growth in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Note: This sermon is predominantly pulled from Tim Chester’s book You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power For Our Sinful Behavior and negative Emotions (Particularly Chapter five).

From the Head…
“Behind Every Sin and Negative Emotion Is A lie”
“”The root of all behavior and emotions is the heart.” This is an important truth to understand. When we fail to understand that sin is a heart issue, we will see sin solely as an outward behavior and furiously work to curb behavior without dealing with the motives and underlying issues that cause the behavior. For instance stealing is an outward behavior that our society frowns upon, so it may behoove society to curb theft by changing the behavior of thieves; but the fact of the matter, we often steal because of greed, which many people are, but do not necessarily commit the act of theft. Or we lie (Outward behavior) because we fear man, or what will think of us (Inward thoughts).

As humans, we have all “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1:25), because we don’t really believe that we are better off without God. We can do it better. This is the sin of the garden, not eating fruit. Adam set humanity onto a rebellious trajectory, by choosing to be his own god and run his own life. Man isn’t the solution to his problems; he is the cause of them, and needs a new set of hard-wiring to live in this world differently, with a different set of paradigms helping him/her make decisions. We see this issue in Ephesians 4:17-24. Man’s problem is futile thinking and ignorance. The ignorance Paul is talking about here is the ignorance of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, not personal “Enlightenment!” Note that this ignorance is due to the “Hardness” of our hearts. It’s not more education we need to destroy this kind of ignorance, it is a heart change we need!! Many intelligent people are hateful and ignorant. It’s not more education they need (“Knowledge is Power” may be true to gain power, but does nothing to fight the issues of our heart); they need a transformed pattern of thinking. Peter writes similarly to believers in 2 Peter 1:9 when he says “Whoever lacks these qualities (Christian Character) is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” English preacher/theologian D. Martin Loyd-Jones said this, “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 commands us to “Take very thought captive!” All too often, we allow our thinking to rule us, and we believe lies about who we are, who God is, what He has, or hasn’t done for you. We are to “Guard our hearts, because out of it is the wellsprings of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

What are the lies about God (Or fail to believe) that wreak havoc on our souls? Psalm 62:11-12 reminds us that Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this; that power belongs to God (Greatness and Glory), and that to you, Oh Lord, belongs steadfast love (Goodness and grace).”

1. God Is Not Great; So I Need To Take Control
Sometimes I live here! This is a blatant disbelief that God is sovereign and in control, and that He has the power to work out any situation we find ourselves in. We see horrible things taking place in the world, and we conclude that God is either not loving, or not powerful, or worse, neither. When we are freaking out over money, jobs, life’s decisions, circumstances, etc. we are acting atheists. Even in death we are told, “Not to grieve like the gentiles who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). God is greater than even death (Romans 8:37-39; 1 Corinthians 15:55-58). When we don’t trust God’s sovereignty, we will try to control our involvement; and quite often bring more harm to the situation.

2. God Is Not Glorious; So I Often Fear Others
I was going to change the wording of this, because we don’t often use the word “Glorious,” but as we (The Elders) pondered this word and the way it was being used, and I decided to stay with it, especially as Tim Chester uses it. If God is “Glorious” then we don’t have to “Fear” others. How is this related? When God is seen in His glory, we no longer need to seek our own glory, which so often leads us to care and even fear what others think. Our fear of man causes so many issues in our lives. We are literally controlled by what others think, and since we are trying to please others so that we can gain a saving grace, we can no longer serve them. If I need you to be happy, I am using you (My children, wife, friends, etc) for my own good, and not their own. We become “needy,” give in to peer pressure, become over-committed because we can’t say no in fear that others will think lowly of us. We fail to confront sin, because we want others to like us. When we seek our own glory, we will always end up destroying God’s! In our culture, we are told that we are the most important thing, yet we are a people full of anxiety and low “Self-Esteem.” Culture’s cure for poor self-esteem is to build that up with self-indulgent means, instead of bowing the knee to a big God. We become dependent then on the one thing or person that seems to bolster our self-esteem. As Tim Chester says, “Low self-esteem is thwarted pride.” Trying to bolster someone’s self-esteem is just using a heart issue (Pride) to secure change. It only exacerbates the problem causing either an arrogant, prideful person, or a defeated one knowing that they don’t “Measure up.” The only way we can destroy our fear of man, is to rightfully fear God. Only God is worthy to fear (See Isaiah 40:25). In Psalm 18 the Psalmist is meditating on who God is and what He has done.

3. God Is Not Good; So I Need to Look Elsewhere
This one for me is the hardest. My rebellion doesn’t necessarily come from hardcore outward acts of debauchery, but they come from little mental indulgences that God may be powerful, and He may be sovereign, but He isn’t good and loving. It causes fear (Since it is related to #1) and it causes me to seek joy in other things beside Him. It is easy to believe that God’s desire is to rob your joy, when in actuality he is championing your Joy by demanding obedient allegiance to Him. Hebrews 11:24-26 reminds us that joy found outside Christ is fleeting (See too Jeremiah 2:13). If we do not see God as good, we will look elsewhere for the “High Life.” This is the debate Jesus had with the woman at the well in John 4. It is interesting how Jesus takes the story to worship. She was playing with sexual addictions trying to find happiness, but it kept coming up empty (5 Husbands), and Jesus spent most of the dialogue trying to get her to see that sex, nor religion (She tried to talk about worship location), was the answer, He (Jesus) was (See John 7Z:37-39). In a world of gross sin and horrible atrocities, it is easy to look toward God for an account of Himself, but as Job found out, we won’t get one. He is God, and His ways are not our ways. St. Theresa of Avila sums it up in a quote in regards to the Lord’s Prayer and God’s subsequent will; “Do you want to see what He does to those who pray ‘Thy will be done’ in sincerity? Ask His glorious Son, Who said this when He prayed in the garden. As the Lord uttered it with strong resolve and an entire will, the answer was to give Him such an overflow of travail, pains, sufferings, and persecutions, that at the end He gave His life by the death of the cross. See there , then, what God gives to those who love Him most. This is how we know what it is to know His will.” If we look only to a horizontal view of reality, we will only see pain and meaningless. It is only when God removes the scales from our eyes that we can truly see life vertically, and place our hope and our happiness in His sovereign and “Good” hands!

4. God Is Not Gracious; So I feel I need to Prove Myself
The parable of the “Prodigal Son” is often seen as relating to the son(s), whereas in reality it is a story on the grace of our Lord. We try so hard to please Him in religion, but we forget that our status with Him is not based on us, but on Him and His grace to us. We see this mostly in the oldest son’s disdain for the graciousness of His Father. Only when we understand God’s grace can we truly serve Him in love for and not for a reward. Time Chester demonstrates the son’s attitude in the following outline:

Restless Anger
The older brother became angry and refused to go in” (Luke 15:28)

Joyless Duty
“All these years I’ve been slaving for you” (Luke 15:29)

Anxious Performance
“I never disobeyed your orders” (Luke 15:29)

Proud Comparisons
“This son of yours has squandered your property with prostitutes” (Luke 15:30)

…to the Heart
Are you serving God with Joy? Are you mad at God because He hasn’t “Come through” for you? Are you helping others so that they will praise you? Are you wracked in worry and anxiety because of circumstances in your life? Are you critical, and do you feel it is hard to forgive people that have “Wronged” you? Do you look down on others that don’t measure up to your expectations and standards? Do you gossip about others? Do you fear what tomorrow may bring?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions most likely you are struggling with believing the truth of these attributes about God. When the gospel is about you, and God exists for your happiness, then it is sure that we need an attitude adjustment. When we begin to fully trust God in these areas, we will find the life and happiness we are looking for.

In order to grow in these areas we need to first grow in our trust of God, secondly we need to fight off temptations by reminding ourselves not that the temptations are sin, but that we fight it positively by reminding ourselves that we have all we need in Christ, and lastly, it is imperative that we exist in community and listen to godly believers with scripture open reminding us of all we have in Jesus.

How The Gospel Changes Us; Pt. 1

How The Gospel Changes Us; Pt. 1, Select Scriptures
Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 19th, 2009

“In the past 50 years, people with mental problems have spent untold millions of hours in therapists’ offices, and millions more reading self-help books, trying to turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” For many people, including well-educated, highly trained therapists, for whom “cognitive restructuring” is a central goal, the very definition of psychotherapy is the process of changing self-defeating attitudes into constructive ones. But was Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking? A study just published in the journal Psychological Science says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are” (Emphasis mine).
John Cloud

“…by making life easier for ourselves in minimizing the nature and seriousness of our sin, we become greater victims of it. We are in fact not healing ourselves. Those who say that they already feel bad enough without being told about the corruptions of indwelling sin misread the path to peace. When our people have not been taught well about the real nature of sin and how it works and how to put it to death, most of the miseries people report are not owing to the disease, but it’s symptoms.
John Piper

Intro
There are literally thousands of programs in our culture that promise change. From fad diets and workout programs, to self-help philosophies and Viagra, we are promised that our lives will change as a result of using their product, eating their foods, and believing their program. A lot of this has to do with what you desire to change. If you are overweight and out of shape, then a good diet and workout program may be just what you want. If you’re feeling down, then maybe counseling or a self-help program may provide some relief, but when it comes to our spiritual life, the bible doesn’t offer a self-help program, or even a promise that our depression and doldrums will go away as a result of belief in Jesus. The bible is concerned with humanities real problem; sin! So many of us come to Jesus for personal fulfillment and transformation. The “Good News” as we have seen it is that in spite of my sin and ongoing imperfection, Christ has died in my place for that sin, and I can have eternal life in spite of my sin. So often we place our own “Personal” testimony before the gospel, when our life’s transformation will never be perfected on this side of eternity. So it is important to remember that our transformation is ongoing, and our “Good Works” are made possible by the saving atonement of Jesus.

Religion Doesn’t Help Anyone Become Holy (Colossians 2:20-23)
It only appears to be that way. Because we are so bent on being our own gods, it appears natural that piety brings on real holiness, because it is the individual who is doing something, not necessarily anything that God is needed for. Paul reminds us that piety (“Self-Abasement”) is of “No use against fleshly indulgence.” The word for “Fleshly Indulgence” (Plasmone Sarx) literally means the things that “Satisfy” or “Fill” our desires. What Paul is saying is that these deep seated desires cannot be thwarted by acts of piety, that do nothing to change the human heart, but only produce more actions that satisfy the flesh, because they are a result of human activity, and not of the atoning work of Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives. Pious acts gives us the powerful feeling that we are holy and righteous, while our hearts sins lie dormant at the core of our being, waiting for opportunities to crush us. This is why religious people struggle to repent, because they either are too proud to admit their sin, or too devastated by their sin to acknowledge God’s forgiving love through His Son’s work on the cross.

So if works of righteousness does not save us, what does save us? If it’s God’s grace, then why should we really care about growing in grace, and being changed at all? That’s precisely the rhetorical question that Paul asks in Romans 6:1. I hope to be able to take a stab at that answer in the next two weeks as we look at “How the Gospel Changes Us.” Today there are three key realities that we need to know in order to begin to be transformed by God’s grace.

From the Head…
The Need For Change is Realized By Understanding The Depth of Our Sin (Romans 6:16)
Humanities problem is poor worship! We are enslaved to worshipping the wrong gods. As Martin Luther reminds us, we are “Idol Makers” constantly breaking the 1st command. Everyone is living for something to make them happy, or to give them security, value or identity. The way we get these things enslaves us to them. Verse 12 shows us that we are enslaved to our “lusts” (Desires/epithumia). This word does not necessarily mean desires that our unhealthy or even evil, but it gets to the issue that causes us to sin; desires run amuck! This goes far beyond our actions, and the changing of our behavior, but forces us to go deep into the recesses of our own hearts.

Change Begins When We Are United In Christ (Romans 6:3-5)
When Paul begins to answer verse one, He reminds them of their union with Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are connected to His past and the future in Him. It is this resurrection power that gives us the ability to “Walk in the newness of life.” What does he mean? There is a term that theologians use to describe what happens to the human heart at the time of repentance; it is “Regeneration (Palliggenesia)” The term is used only two times in the NT. The first is found in Matthew 19:28 where Jesus uses it to talk about the final age when He sits on the throne, and His people will sit with Him. The word “Regeneration” was a term used by the stoics to speak of a time when fire periodically comes to earth to “Purge” the cosmos of evil. It is a term of great upheaval and change. The second time it is used is found in Titus 3:5, where Paul is telling Titus that we are saved “Not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of the of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” Our union in Christ brings this type of change to our human hearts. As we will see, it doesn’t immediately wipe out the presence of sin in our lives, but we have been freed from its enslaving power in our lives. What’s important to note here: Salvation is not inner peace, or personal enlightenment, or self-improvement, it is about Jesus as our savior.

Change Continues As We live Out Our Identity Daily (Romans 6:6)
As we continue on in Christ, we live out the gospel and our new identity in Jesus. This is an ongoing aspect in our life, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We continue our walk in the same manner we came to Christ; by faith (See Colossians 2:6-7; Galatians 3:1-3). We trust that Christ saves us, we trust that He forgives us, we trust He changes us (Philippians 1:6) and we trust that He is good and loves us.

… to the Heart
We need to understand that we aren’t justified in any way by the law. Law shows us our need for Christ, but it doesn’t save us. Being a nicer person or better husband doesn’t make you closer to God; we are made righteous and are close to God because of the gospel. Legalism is appealing to us because it first, makes holiness manageable, and secondly, makes holiness our own achievement (See Philippians 3:4-9). We need to repent of our righteousness, just as much as our need is to repent of our unrighteousness. Change begins with a repentance that leads to hope in the forgiving gospel of our Lord! When we recognize our sin, it is then we can take it to Jesus, and be forgiven for it (1 John 1:9).

Gospelling One Another

Gospelling One Another; Bearing Each Others Burdens; Galatians 2:11-16; Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 12th, 2009

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:1-2

Intro
From time to time we talk about “Gospelling” one another. We have DNA groups to help us with that, we may even talk about it in our Missional Communities, but what does it mean? It’s a term we use to encourage people to be in one another’s lives in order to spur one another to apply the gospel in all areas of our life (Hebrews10:24-25). This is what Christian community does; it meets together enough to be in each other’s lives so that we can help one another with the weaknesses we all have (See Galatians 6:1-2). Love and encouragement includes the strength to confront one another when we step into sin, with “Gentleness” and humility. It’s not accusatory, but it desires the restoration of the other in the truth of the gospel.

In our passage today, Paul confronts Peter for a sin that was truly destroying the truth of the gospel. His confrontation may seem harsh, but Paul’s concern is for Christ and the gospel over relationship and appearances. Note the issue in our passage is not just a sin, but the damage it was doing to the gospel, and to those around Peter.

The interpretation of this passage has had many applications in the early church:
Ebionite’s: Used it for an attack on Paul
Marcion: Used it as an attack on Peter and his alliance with the Jews
Celsus+Porphyry (Roman Critics of Christianity): Used it to attack Christianity’s “Pettiness”
Tertullian (Church Father): Arguing against the Marcionites felt that Paul over-reacted
Origen, Chrysostom + Jerome (Church Fathers): Staged event so to condemn “Judaizers” more effectively
Clement of Alexandria: Thought that “Cephas” was not Cephas/Peter the apostle
Augustine: It is a case of truth (The Gospel) over rank (Assuming Peter was the “Leader”)

I am hoping to use this passage today to not only to point out Peter’s sin, but to demonstrate Paul’s method of “Gospelling” his brother Peter, who had fallen into an old pattern. Our goal as we gospel one another is not to be a busy body, nor to be a self righteous meddler, but to honestly and humbly love one another enough to speak the truth in love.

From the Head…
The Necessity of The Confrontation (Galatians 2:11-14a)
What was the problem Peter faced? Antioch was a churched established, as a result of the persecution church after Stephen was stoned (Diaspora), by the preaching of the gospel by men from Cyprus and Cyrene (Acts 11:19-20). Antioch was a diverse church that Barnabus and Paul were sent to for at least a year to “Establish” them in the faith (See (Acts 11:22-26). This is the first place that the believer’s were called “Christians” (Acts 11:26), which wasn’t necessarily a positive term. It is during this time that that the incident of Galatians 2:11-16 most likely took place.

When Peter was with the gentile believers he had no problem eating with them, since his understanding of the dietary laws were deconstructed in the gospel (See Acts 10-11). However when the men “From James” (Men from Jerusalem) came he changed his behavior to accommodate their cultural and religious beliefs. Normally this may have been an ok missional strategy (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), but in this incident, Peter is dealing with believers and his behavior is hypocritical and unbiblical, and it was hurting the gospel of justification. He was knowingly or un-knowingly making the gentile second-class citizens because they did not worship God the way the Jews did. This is an unbiblical form of “Cultural Imperialism,” which can and often does lead to racism.

What is at the heart of Peter’s issue?
I think there are two related issues that Peter demonstrates; first is “Fear.” This appears to be Peter’s struggle (See v.12). This led to his denial of Jesus when Jesus was arrested. The second possibility is related to the first; “Fear of Criticism.” Acts 11:2 indicate that these men often came to Peter and criticized him. These men, were from the Jerusalem church (Men from James) who were believers, but who felt that worship should be done according to Jewish custom, even though the gospel had given man the freedom to worship God directly through Jesus, and not the signs of the Messiah. Fear is paralyzing because it allows outside influences to control your decisions. This is not something Paul necessarily struggled with (See Galatians 1:10). Paul’s issues were more connected to pride, which usually lends to a personality that can confront more easily, but needs to be tamed with a biblical humility.

Again, when we confront someone, we need to keep this type of thing in mind. We may have a personality that allows us to confront, but in our sin we can become prideful because others are not as open and honest as you are. A third issue for Peter (Again relating to his fears) is a form of Prejudice. It is easy in our prideful, sinful condition to think of others as inferior to us. We do this with gender, race, ethnicity, education, political interest, artistic opinion, etc. This can be sticky in the sense we can easily fall into a relativist position on truth, or we can equally fall into a rationalist position on truth, which deifies the “Subjective Knower.” It is imperative that we put time in the word, and theology, knowing what we believe, and humbly “restoring” one another when we fall (See Galatians 6:1-2).

Paul confronts Peter, because he is harming the gospel, by not aligning himself with the “Truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14a; see too 2:5; Colossians 1:5). Paul’s concern here is first and foremost toward God and His word, and then secondarily toward those that Peter was leading astray like Barnabus and the other believers (Galatians 2:13). It is not as though Peter doesn’t know the gospel, or believes in it, but this is an area of his life that he obviously struggles with. We can “Know” the gospel, but not believe it in certain areas of our life, and that often hurts our actions and decisions. What is impressive here is Peter’s attitude. Here is a younger, ex-persecutor of the church confronting him and he is willing and able to hear him.

The Essence of The Confrontation (Galatians 2:14b-21)
It is important to note that Paul’s concern here is the gospel, and not some culturally constructed moral issue. When he wants to motivate Peter, he doesn’t hinge on his behavior, but the fact that the gospel of justification calls us to another place in our thinking and our lives (Galatians 2:15-16). It is important to note here that Paul is clear that both Jew and Gentile are justified by faith in Jesus and not by any work of the law (Galatians 2:16, see specifically “So also we have believed in Jesus Christ in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”). This seems obvious, but there are many now who teach that Galatians is not about “Justification,” but about ethnic spiritual markers such as circumcision, dietary laws, etc. What these Jewish believers were saying is that we are saved through the Messiah Jesus Christ, and through that this is expressed through the Jewish customs and law. Paul is clearly saying that NO, the gospel frees us from the need to carry out the types because the ceremonial law has been fulfilled in Jesus. Peter was living hypocritically because of his fear of those that thought otherwise. His hypocrisy led others astray, because they respected Peter. Paul is attempting to align Peter’s actions with the truth of the gospel. This includes reminding him of his identity, and the fact that he is not “Justified” by the words of man, and the customs of man, but by the work of Jesus on the cross. When we are aligned with this truth, we can live in harmony with others that don’t hold our beliefs and customs, because we don’t need their approval, or the culture’s approval for our self worth. We can live out our biblical convictions, and speak them freely in spite of opposition, because we are motivated by God and His truth, and not the culturally concocted truths that govern every culture and generation.

Basically Paul was saying if you believe in Jesus and not works, then why are you adding cultural customs to believers so they can be right with God? We are right with God because of Jesus, and not what we do!

…to the Heart
I hope we can see the significance of these verses in our own lives and discipleship! First let’s look at the significance of being in line with the “Truth of the gospel.”

First, that the gospel is a truth. It includes the fact that we are weak and sinful, that we seek to control our lives by being our own saviors and lords, however, God’s law was fulfilled by Christ for us, that we are now accepted completely though we are still very sinful.

Second, that this gospel truth has a vast number of
implications for all of life. It is our job to bring everything in our lives in line with the thrust or
direction of the gospel. We are to think out its implications in every area of our lives, and seek to bring our thinking, feeling and behavior in line. Next, the gospel truth is radically opposed to the assumptions of the world. But since we live in the world, we have embraced many of the world’s assumptions. Christian living is therefore a continual realignment process of bringing everything in line with the truth of the gospel.

In this case Peter’s racism is a sin because of the heart issues of pride and self-justification. It is this self-talk judgment that judges our selves based not on Christ, and our sin, but on our cultural “Norms” and others who appear to fall short of them.

It is in these type of areas that we need to help “Restore” one another to the truth of the gospel, so we stop hindering the gospel, and costing undo anxiety in our own lives and relationships!

God’s Story: The Power and Purpose of the Gospel (Selected Scripture)

God’s Story: The Power and Purpose of the Gospel (Selected) Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on July 5th, 2009

“Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose for the world that he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure, riches are but husk’s and ashes in contract with the countless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans”
J. Campbell White
Mission Leader

Intro
God’s goal in creating this world is to display His own glory (Isaiah 43:7)! Because of the sin that is so ingrained in our humanity, we rebel against this very idea, and subsequently either refuse to glorify God or mitigate it through our own religiosity. It is easy to get “Working” for God, and in reality be working against God and His glory in this world. It is easy to get caught up in seeing God’s work in salvation as an isolated work He did for our own sake. We build our churches with this in mind. “How can we make our churches grow?” And “How can we please the people in the church to make them stay,” becomes the strategic vision of our churches that have forgotten the purposes of God in salvation.

While it is true that there are many themes in the bible, I believe those themes are interwoven into one purpose of God; His own glory.

I would like to take a look at God’s story as it relates to His purpose, which should help us understand and yield to his will more perfectly! I want to look at some of the highlights of His story here today:

From the Head…
Act 1 Creation (Genesis 1:26-27)
Humanity is created last and called “very good” (1:31), and made in God’s image. We are given the task to fruitfully multiply, and have “Dominion” over the earth and to “Subdue” it and “Fill” it (Genesis 1:28). Our purpose is clear as little image bearers of God, display His glory (Isaiah 43:7; Numbers 14:21). We are to fill this earth with His glory!

Act 2 The Rebellion
As in all subsequent thrillers the good is upset with a dilemma the rest of the story works to resolve. As we see in scripture the grand-story (Meta-Narrative), humanity wasn’t content in the god glorifying work that God had given them, but desired to make their own name great (Genesis 3:1-7; 11:1-4). This is man’s bent; glorify himself. To this John Piper writes, “The instinct of self- preservation in fallen man seeks fulfillment not by trusting God, and thereby exalting His name, but by employing his own human genius, thereby making a name for himself.”

Acts 3 The Promise (In 7 Scenes)
The rest of the bible unpacks a simple promise made in Genesis 3:15. In this verse we see the protagonist/hero of our story (God) promising the antagonist that he will be judged for his deception. His judgment will be a crushing blow of destruction heaped on him by the “Seed” of the woman, which piques interest in the fact that a woman was never poetically referred to as having “Seed,” but was usually seen as the “garden” that the seed was placed. This is a reference to the fact that an offspring would one day come from a woman to destroy evil (See Genesis 22:17-18 cf. Galatians 3:8). This act has at least 10 scenes where God demonstrates His faithfulness to this promise.

Scene #1 The Call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-2)
This is in clear contrast to the story at Babel, where humanity desired to make it’s own name great, but in the call of Abraham, God promises to make Abram’s name great, which will result in God’s glory (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:20-21). God intends to be glorified through His people (Isaiah 49:3).

Scene #2 The Exodus
In the Exodus, we do not see the faithfulness of the people of Israel, but we see the faithfulness of God to His promise to redeem His people to display His glory to the nations (See Exodus 14:4, 18; Ezekiel 20:5-9 cf. Psalm 106:6-8).

Scene #3 The Commands of Glory: The Giving of the Law
When God called His people, He clearly expressed His desire that they would glorify only Him (Exodus 20:3-5). To have “No other gods before Him,” simply commands the honor due His name. To love God is not to serve Him, but to delight in Him. It is in honoring God and worshipping Him that we find our joy! And as John Piper writes, “god is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” The rest of the commands become natural as we find our delight in the Lord!

Scene #4 Disobedience and Wandering
Even when God gives us clear commands that would honor Him, we simply don’t desire to obey Him, but God in His mercy often spares us for “His name’s sake” (Exodus 20:21 cf. 13-14), which means to protect His glory, which is the reason He created in the first place

Scene #5 The Desire For a King
Even though God was Israel’s king, they desired to be ruled by another, and requested a king to rule over them. In spite of their insubordination, the Lord remained faithful to His promises “For His name sake” (1 Samuel 12:19-23). Preserving a people for Himself was more important in His plan that to destroy them for their sin.

Scene #6 A Sanctuary of Glory
In spite of humanities sin, Solomon (David’s Son; 3rd king of Israel) built a temple in order to honor the name of the Lord, and to request His blessing on the people of God (See 1 Kings 8:41-45).

Scene #7 Exile and Restoration
The exile of God’s people had to have been a horrible time in Israel’s history. It must have felt that God was abandoning them and His promises to their fathers, but once again through His mercy, and because of His promise and His own glory; He redeemed His people (Isaiah 48:9-11; Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32).

Act 4 The Promise Fulfilled
In the New Testament we find the fulfillment of what the Old Testament has pointed to. Jesus is the hero of this story. His work on the cross pays the just penalty for humanities’ rebellion. It is Genesis 3:15 realized! However, we come to realize that Christ came, not as the sole purpose to save us from our sin, but to glorify His Father in Heaven (2 Corinthians 4:6; John 4:34; 7:18; 12:27-28). God’s glory is represented in showing His righteousness through the righteous work of Jesus on the cross (Romans 3:25).

Act 5 The Consummation
In the end, Jesus the hero returns to establish what He began in His church; a kingdom that will glorify God on the earth (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Revelation 21:23). God finishes His story with a creation that glorifies His name in all the earth.

… to the Heart
Everything God does is for His glory! His purposes work toward that end. Salvation is a by-product of this end, because His glory is displayed in His supreme love for His people, and His desire to keep His promise and show mercy and grace to a rebellious people. His glory is also displayed in a righteous judgment to all who continue in rebellion.

We will never be in perfect concert with god’s story, and His will in our lives, but His story reminds us that we exist to glorify Him (1 Corinthians 10:31), but we will always fall short in our faithfulness, but He is always faithful, and it is because of that that we can rejoice and have hope that in our imperfections we are accepted, because of His perfection!!

1 Peter 4:12-19

A New People for an Old Message: A Study in 1 Peter, 4:12-19, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on June 21st, 2009

Intro
Peter has been a book reminding us to rejoice in suffering because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we understand the gospel, and truly believe that God is redeeming His creation, and that one day every knee will bow before our Lord Jesus Christ, then we will know that we too will be raised in glory, and rule with Him as God intended when he created the world (See Genesis 1-2). In our passage today, Peter once again pleads with his people to see our “Fiery Trials” as an opportunity for rejoicing not despair. It is important not to confuse suffering as a result of sin or even physical anxiety which is a result of broken humanity. This passage is dealing with a suffering or persecution that comes naturally from our association with Jesus and His purposes in the world.

From the Head…
1. Identification with Jesus Brings Inevitable Suffering and Glory (1 Peter 4:12-18)

A. Suffering In Christ Is Inevitable (1 Peter 4:12)
We are reminded throughout the New Testament that suffering because of Jesus is a reality (See Romans 8:17; Philippians 1:29; 3:10; 2 Timothy 3:12). Living out the gospel in real time inevitably puts us in situations that place us between our culture and the gospel. Those that separate from the culture have less encounter with the culture, and therefore less persecution, and those that syncretized with the culture are usually free from persecution since they are like the culture. When we truly engage our culture there will be moments we will be loved for our behavior and hated because of it. Persecution and suffering is truly a test to determine where our true idols are. What causes us to compromise our allegiance to Jesus? Whatever that is, is our god(s).

B. Suffering In Christ Is a Cause to Rejoice (1 Peter 4:13-16)
Rejoicing in our suffering can only come when we have a proper understanding of eternity. An understanding of the gospel reminds us that this world, in all its glory, is broken, sinful and full of suffering. But we can rejoice knowing that Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33), and in Him, we will have victory. When we endure with Christ and His sufferings for righteousness, we will also rejoice in His glory (Romans 8:17). Our passage commands us to rejoice for two reasons:

➢ We Share in His Past Grief (1 Peter 4:13a, 14a, 16a)
➢ We Share in His Future Glory (1 Peter 4:13b, 14b, 16b)

C. Suffering In Christ Is Not Equal To Suffering For Our Sin (1 Peter 4:15, 17-18)

Peter is clear that suffering because we are like the world is not suffering in Christ! He reminds the church that they are not immune to God’s judgment. As one commentator writes, “When the privilege has been the greatest, the judgment has been the sternest.” Ezekiel 9:6 also reminds us of this same reality. Peter quotes Proverbs 11:31 when he wants to remind us of the real, inevitable judgment of God.

2. Identification with Jesus Brings Inevitable Relief (1 Peter 4:19)
In the midst of our suffering, Peter tells his people two things that bring relief in the midst of our trial:

➢ “Entrust our souls” to God our “Faithful Creator”
➢ Continue to do good

…to the Heart
In our culture, suffering is simply not something that we care to engage in. We do everything we can to eradicate it from our lives. We live in a therapeutic culture that works toward the alleviation of suffering and not necessarily the mitigation of sin and the ultimate healing and transformation of the soul. The gospel addresses these issues and gets to the heart of the matter, yet it often leaves us at odds with conventional wisdom. While we shouldn’t look to suffer, living in truth often brings us toward suffering, but as a believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we realize that this suffering is inevitable, yet momentary in light of eternity!

Loving service to the glory of God: A Study in 1 Peter, 4:7-11

Loving service to the glory of God: A Study in 1 Peter, 4:7-11
Preached at Harambee by Caleb Mayberry on June 14th, 2009

Introduction
In this passage Peter sets the context by calling out that the end of all things is at hand and because of this he exhorts us to be self-controlled and clear-headed for the sake of our prayers. Above all, he calls us to love one another deeply using our God-given gifts to serve each other. Done with the right motives, our loving service should and does glorify God through Jesus Christ.

Be alert for prayer
1. Context: End of all things is at hand
Read verse 7 “The end of all things is at hand…” This statement serves its purpose in focusing the mind of the hearer. It sets the context of the times that we are in. Specifically the context is that the central event of God’s redemptive plan has already occurred. God’s victory over evil has been secured and through his Son he has secured the foundation of his Kingdom. Because of this, the only thing left is adding people to the kingdom of God and the return of Jesus Christ to earth for judgment and to usher in the new heavens and new earth. Given this context, now is the time to finish strong, lest we be unprepared to face the king.

2. Self-control and sober-mindedness because of context
Read verse 7 “Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded” Preparation involves self-control and a sober mind. As Peter calls attention to the end of all things, he exhorts us to be self-controlled and sober minded. We are to be calm and composed, clear-headed. There is a temptation for us to be otherwise. From substance abuse to sexual addiction to gluttony to loose-spending, we often find ourselves out-of-control. Some of us are out-of-control and not thinking clearly because we’re mastered by another God. (Pleasure, Lust, Appetite, Greed). One of the best things for sobering up is a sense of urgency. It’s urgent because Christ’s return is imminent. It’s urgent because of the work still left to do. And that leads us to prayer…

3. Prayer from a calm and clear mind
Read verse 7 “For the sake of your prayers” Self-control and a sober mind aids in prayer. Have you ever tried to pray when you know you’re not thinking straight? For instance if you’re dog tired, you generally have trouble praying anything that makes any sense. Some say, “well God knows my heart”. Well maybe God is saying you should get some sleep and pray when you have your wits about you. Just as our prayer makes no sense when we’re sleepy, it can also be ineffective when something other than God’s will is the object of our heart’s affection. The more our heart is capture by some other idol, the more that prayer will be in alignment with honoring that idol rather than honoring God.

Love one another earnestly
Read verse 8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers up a multitude of sins.” (see also Proverbs 10:12) Peter assumes that there will be offenses. We are still sinners and we still sin, against God and against each other. Therefore it is all the more important that we be able to love one another in an effort to demonstrate the grace and mercy that God has bestowed upon us. When people sin against each other and there is no love, then sin breeds anger, hate, and more sin in retaliation and perverted justice. But with love, it is easier to forgive, because you know that the one that sin against you, ultimately wishes for your well being.

Some ways that we can better love each other:
1. Show hospitality – Read verse 9 “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling”
Why does Peter say without grumbling? I think he says this because we often don’t have a desire to be hospitable. We might not want people to invade on our personal time. We might not feel like going through the effort to prepare our homes for visitors or to do the necessary planning. Bottom line is we’re often too selfish to be genuinely hospitable so that even when we are hospitable out of guilt we do it with grumbling. Rather, out of a deep love, we are called to receive each other warmly and with a cheerful heart. If it helps, think about how you would like to be treated as a guest, and treat others that way.

2. Serve with the gifts that God has given us – Read verse 10 “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” – God has given all of his children a gift, the purpose of which is to serve one another. Peter generally splits the gifts into two categories: Speaking and serving.
a) Speaking the oracles of God – Read verse 11 “Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God, whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies” – If you have a speaking gift, what we say should be laced with the grace and truth of God’s Word, and thus there is a certainness and a forthrightness in what and how we say things. There is also a kind of reverent fear of God, knowing that God has chosen to use our vile lips as the mouthpiece for his holy Words of exhortation. Words are very powerful as they can build up or they can tear down. When we recognize this, there will be a caution in the choice of our words and a desire to think and seek God’s will before we speak.
b) Serving with the strength that God provides – If you have a serving gift, how we serve is indicative of the motives of why we serve. If when we serve we mope around and grumble all the while, this says to everyone that we have no real interest in serving and that we care more about our own comfort than we do about the people we serve. Or if when we serve we are constantly seeking recognition and approval for serving then we say to everyone that we are really more concerned with self-glorification than with the good of whom we’re serving. Rather instead, we are to serve by the strength that God supplies, because firstly, that is reality. Outside of God enabling us to serve, we would have no power to serve. And secondly, when we serve in a way that depends on and acknowledges Gods strength, not only do we have the power to serve despite how uncomfortable it may be, but we also show off the glory of God, in that people will see that we value God and others more than our own inconvenience.

Glorify God in everything
Read verse 11b “in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – The purpose of preparation and the purpose of loving service is that God would be the one glorified and not us. The fundamental danger to our spiritual lives is self-glorification. The reason why we’re out-of-control, unfocused, ineffective in prayer, fruitless, and bitter or indifferent towards others, is because we have loved ourselves far too much, to the exclusion of God and others. We have placed our own pleasure, comfort, and recognition above the glory of God, and this is the essence of evil, because it is a perversion of the truth of who God is. The truth is that we are created beings made in the image of one who is far greater than us. He is the one that deserves all the glory for he is the source of all that is glorious. And his glory is made no clearer than in the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. For in his death, God demonstrated his both his righteousness and love to the fullest degree possible. In this we rejoice because God is good and will not tolerate evil and in his love he has made a way for us to be with him forever.

1 Peter 3:18-4:6

A New People for an Old Message: A Study in 1 Peter 3:18-4:6, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on April 7th, 2009

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Intro
Most commentators and theologians have argued that this passage we are going to look at today, may be the hardest one to interpret in the entire NT, and possibly in the bible. There are definitely some hard passages to figure out, but I do not want to miss the forest for the trees. Since there are a few decent options, and they have been argued by good men, it may be prudent not to dogmatically create our theology around any of these concepts, but accept them for what they are and stick to what Peter has been driving home all along; that the gospel of Jesus Christ is larger than any trial we are going through. A lot of this book has dealt with persecution and trials that would be the result of following Jesus. Last week we saw that suffering for righteousness sake is a reality, yet we are still called to do good, turn from evil and not repay evil deeds with evil deeds.

Paul begins our passage today reminding us that we shouldn’t be surprised at suffering since our savior suffered unjustly, but he suffered unjustly on our behalf, and it is because of this that we have the ability and the hope (1 Peter 3:15) to persevere through trials and persecution.

From the Head…
Our passage is connected to the verses immediately preceding it. Our passage is an encouragement for those being unjustly persecuted. It’s a passage that displays the victory and vindication of Jesus.

Christ’s Victory (Christus Victor) (3:18–22)

A. His death (3:18)
Jesus unjustly faced death in order to save us for our sins. Peter writes this in the midst of verses talking about being unjustly persecuted by those that hate the Christian message. It is imperative to understand the significance of the cross here. Many want to emphasize Jesus’ victory (Christus Victor) on the cross as a triumphant act of love of God over death, at the expense of His vicarious atonement. It is believed here that the atonement, as understood by orthodox interpretation is a product of 15th century rhetoric, and is a cruel unloving picture of the cross as God’s demand for human sacrifice to satisfy his “Blood Lust;” however the two concepts cannot be separated, and it hurts the gospel, and our encouragement when it is separated. If you emphasize the vicarious atonement apart from God’s victorious love, you do have a bloodthirsty pagan god who needs to appease his wrath and thirst for blood. However, when we emphasize the victorious love of God without balancing with God’s just holiness, we denigrate the need of the cross and the holiness of God. The cross demonstrates both God’s love (John 3:16; Romans 5:8) and His divine call to a holy justice (Romans 3:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The encouragement to these persecuted Christians is that Christ did die for the purposes of God (Acts 4:28: Isaiah 53:10), even though His death was unjust and a bloody disaster. This cross doesn’t make God an “Unloving Tyrant” as one person called Him, it is truly a demonstration of His love and justice in that His holiness does require just payment, but in His perfect love, He personally paid the penalty for that justice, so that we could be made whole and righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18).

B. His journey to the spirit world (3:19–20)
These verses are very difficult to fully understand. What is going on in these verses?
There are 3 main answers that have put forth by theologians over the years:
1) Descent into Hell in between death and resurrection (Popular with early creeds)
2) Pre-Existent Christ Preached during time of Noah
3) Triumphant Proclamation to fallen Angels after the resurrection of Jesus

I believe the text point us to the 3rd view for the following reasons:
1) The best understanding of the word “Spirits” is angelic or “Supernatural beings” (Matthew 8:16; 10:1; Mark 1:27; 3:11; 5:13; 6:7; Luke 4:36; 6:18; 10:20; Acts 5:16, etc.). There is precedent for the word to refer to human spirits, but it is used once (Hebrews 12:23), and it is qualified by the words “just people.” Most often scripture refers to humans as those who have a spirit, but is not normal to say that one is a spirit.

2) If #1 is true then it would be normative to see the “Spirits” as those angelic beings who intermarried at the time of Noah, and who had children that are referred to as “giants”/Nephilim. The “Spirits” here seem to refer to the “Evil Spirits” associated with the children of the Angel/Human consummation (See Jude 6-7; 2 Peter 2:4-5).

3) The clause “In which” (“in Whom,” NIV) appears to be connected to the antecedent “Made alive in the Spirit,” which makes the proclamation of victory over death after the resurrection; destroying the effect of the fall and death on humanity, and Satan’s greatest weapon (See Romans 8:34-39; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58).

4) There is no supportive evidence for either a “Second Chance” doctrine for those that have died, or for fallen angels to be saved.

5) It appears that the demons themselves understood that Jesus would finally condemn them (Mark 3:23; 5:10-13; Matthew 8:29; 12:25; Luke 11:17-22). This was Christ’s proclamation of victory over death, and their stronghold on earth. This would later be completely put to rest at their final judgment (Revelation 20:7-15).

6) The “Prison” may refer either to the “Pit of Darkness” that is reserved for Satan and his angels (2 Peter 2:4), or to the idea that the word means “Refuge” and has the idea that Jesus went into the spiritual realm to declare to them their weakened position and pending judgment.

7) This is in concert with the idea that “At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, whether in heaven or earth” (See Philippians 2: 9-10; Colossians 2:14-15).

These verses are here to exhort and encourage believers who are persecuted. They show us the victory of Christ over death and His enemies, just like we will triumph over our enemies (Including death) in due time. No manner of persecution can separate us from the hope and love we have in Jesus (Romans 8:37-39).

C. His resurrection (3:21)
This verse is demonstrating the “Anti-Type” (The word in the Greek for “Corresponds” is the word antitupos, which is where we get our word “Antitype.” The word means the corresponding partner to the original. The antitupos was the image that a signet ring left in the wax. In this passage, Peter uses the symbolic image of the ark of Noah as a saving device, and now relates this idea of baptism to that saving mechanism. He is clear that he isn’t referring to water in this passage, but the salvation of our souls from death “Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Our baptism in Christ saves us, because Jesus not only died to pay the penalty for our sins, but He has risen from the dead, crushing Satan’s hold on us as believers.

D. His ascension and exaltation (3:22)

Verse 22 picks up after the parenthesis of verses 19-20 and completes the salvific work of Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and the final ascension into heaven. This completes Peter’s encouragement to persecuted believers. Christ was unjustly treated, but it is that trial (The cross) that gave Him victory over death (Resurrection) so that He could ascend to the right hand of the Father, as we also do in Christ.

Our Victory (1 Peter 4:1-6)
Here Peter presents the summary of our victory in Christ Jesus. He announces that we have victory because of what Christ has done on our behalf. We are now free from having to live within the desires of the flesh that drive all of our emotions and affections leading to debauchery and sinful living. The preaching to the dead in this context has nothing to do with a second chance doctrine, but the reality that the gospel is preached to those dead and alive and that those that find themselves in Christ can live in Christ in a different manner than the rest of the world. This is the message of Romans 6. We are now free in Christ to live for Him as a result of what he has done on our behalf. We are now motivated by a heart’s desire to show love to our Lord, because He first loved us. I do not believe that this is a second chance doctrine for the following reasons:

1) It contradicts clearer scripture on the subject (Luke 16:26; Hebrews 9:27).
2) It mitigates the importance of perseverance of the believer (1 Peter 4:1-6)
3) It destroys the need for judgment (1 Peter 4:5)

While we should never judge our justification on our sanctification, the evidence of our justification through faith is the works that God has prepared before time (Ephesians 2:10). We are able in Christ to live a life that is pleasing to Him as we live that life by faith in His Spirit, and not in the self-indulgence of our desires as the ultimate motivating factor in our lives.

…to the Heart
Many of us are inflicted with the pain of stress and trials of this world. There are many in this world with direct persecution for their faith. 1 Peter 4:4 reminds us that people will “Malign” you for living differently, but we are called to be in the world as a different kind of person. This is only possible in Jesus. We will always fall short of this ideal, but we are made alive in Christ Jesus and His victory on the cross for our sake, and His righteousness. The cross ought to give us hope and encouragement that persecution and trials are inevitable on this earth, but like Jesus, we will be raised to the right hand of the Father in Him. Our persecution is momentary in light of eternity. In spite of our trials God loves us and is sovereignly watching over us. When we live our lives for our own gain, we will do “Good Works” out of the desire that God will bless our endeavors. In these past few weeks, we have seen that our good works should be motivated by our new identity in Christ, and that when we do good for our own benefit, we will be crushed by trials and either reject God in bitter anger, or judge ourselves as unworthy, and see our trials as a punishment from God. But when we see our trials through the gospel’s lens, we see that like our own savior, it is a necessary evil that purifies our lives and is done for God’s purposes and our own good. We can begin to trust in His sovereignty and goodness in the midst of them knowing that they are momentary and light in relation to the glory we will have with Him in His presence for eternity.

Bless: A Study in 1 Peter 3:8-17

Bless: A Study in 1 Peter 3:8-17
Preached at Harambee by Pastor Michael Ly on May 31, 2009

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil – 1 Peter 3:8-17 (English Standard Version)

Introduction
Peter continues to reveal what is looks like to “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable” as referred to in 2:12. He has described the believers’ relationship with government, the believers’ relationship with their boss, and the role of both husband and wife in marriage. In all these cases, Peter exhorts us to trust God, placing our fear in Him and not in man, centering in the life and work of Jesus. Peter now summarizes this section of this letter, exhorting all believers on how to live amidst their suffering.

Peter tells us to have five attitudes as a body of believers (v.8):

• Unity of mind

Peter has the idea of being like minded and in harmony with one another. Paul has the same idea in Romans 12:16 when says to “live in harmony with one another” or “be of the same mind toward one another”. Believers united in Christ through the Spirit show how valuable God’s glory. We all put aside our own visions of grandeur and fame and we all put forth God’s name and fame in the world.

• Sympathy

The idea is suffering or feeling the like with another – deeply understanding each other. It’s impossible to have unity of mind without sympathy. Otherwise, it’s just a mission statement on a piece of paper or website. This is only possible when we see ourselves for who we really are – a wretched person who has been saved by a glorious and gracious God. I did nothing to deserve this amazing salvation. So I am able to deeply understand other believers because this is true of each of us in Christ. There is a sense of suffering with one another because we understand each other so deeply and understand how amazing it is to be in Christ.

• Brotherly love

Peter’s calling us to love each other like family. Everyone is part of your family and that means everyone is included. That also means when it comes to conflict, you resolve it and grow deeper with one another. This is so counter-cultural, as we live in a culture where you can hop from church to church for any reason.

• Tender heart

Have you ever been deeply moved for someone else? It seems to come right out of your guts? That’s what Peter is talking about here. There is a very deep compassion for one another that makes us soft for one another. When there is rejoicing to be had, we rejoice with one another. When there is sorrow, we have sorrow with one another. When there are victories, we party with one another. When there is defeat, we mourn with one another.

• Humble mind

Peter really is describing an attitude like that of Christ’s when he went to the cross. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2:3-4

None of these attitudes can be lived out in isolation. We must be deeply involved within a local body of believers where these attributes can really be lived out. To sum it all up, it’s not about me, but about what God is doing in and through the body.

Peter tells us how to respond to the world around us as a body of believers (v. 9):

• Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but bless

Jesus promised that we would have trials and tribulations happen to us. He also promised that the world would hate us and not respond well to every good deed to accomplish. When evil or reviling happens to us, every part of us screams for justice. Whenever something evil or wrong is done to us, our automatic response is to do the same. However, Peter reminds of Christ’s commands given in Matthew 5:38-42, to bless our enemies.

Peter also quotes Psalm 34, which is David wrote after he was delivered out of Abimelech’s presence.

Peter reminds us that Christ is Lord, the Holy One (v. 15)

• Regard Christ the Lord as holy

Peter knows that even while we bless people around us, the response will not always be positive. How do we prevent ourselves from carrying ourselves and responding in fear to the culture around us?

Some translations say “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts”. Regardless, the emphasis is on setting Christ as Lord in your life, realizing he is the only one to fear. Christ is the holy one, which means he is set apart for all your worship and praise. Some believe Peter had Isaiah 8:13 in mind, which says “But the Lord of host, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”

When Christ is Lord, we can have no fear of others. Because Christ is Lord, we can respond with gentleness and respect to all who ask us for the hope within us. Are you living in a way that demands questions from others? Are you living in a way that is so other worldly that your family, friends, neighbors desire to know why?

1 Peter 2:13-25

A New People for an Old Message: A Study in 1 Peter, 2:13-25 Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on May 17th, 2009

“Despite their guilt as Christians and the ruthless punishment it deserved, the victims were pitied. For it was felt that they were being sacrificed to one man’s brutality rather than to the national interest.”
Tacitus
On the killing of Christians at the hand of Nero after the burning of Rome

Intro
God never promises us that things on this earth are going to be ok. We are just called to love, honor and live just lives. In our passage today we are going to see some verses that I think fly in the face of most Christian ideas in regards to politics.

From the Head…
Recap: It seems now that Peter in our passage (1 Peter 2:13-25) is beginning to work out verses 11-12. Here we are told to “Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul,” and to “Keep your conduct among the gentiles honorable…” so “they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” We saw that this is the result of our new identity in Christ (1 Peter 2:9), and a new motivation based on the incredible things that Christ has done for us (1 Peter 2:9b-10). Any other motivation to act on God’s behalf will only end in burn out or pride.

The Command (1 Peter 2:13-20)
Here we have an interesting command of Peter’s; to be in subjection to government authorities for the Lord’s sake. This is similar to Paul’s writing in Romans 13, and Jesus’ command in Matthew 22:21 (“To render to Caesar what is Caesar’s). Verses like this have been the object of much speculation and pondering on the Christian’s role in things like human government.

1. Be Subject Government Authorities For God’s Sake (vv. 13-15)

“Be Subject…”
What are we supposed to do with a command like this; especially when the government is unjust? The Caesar in control at the time of this writing is most likely Nero, a grossly immoral ruler, who was alleged for starting a horrible fire in Rome and then blamed it on the Christians causing the persecution and subsequent brutal deaths of many Roman Christians. Is Peter asking believer’s to be doormats for evil rulers? Most likely he is not. One thing to note is Peter’s use of the word “Basileus” (King) instead of Princeps (First one/Ruler, Emperor). Some see this as a subversive passage, in that Peter is actually making fun of the authorities, but in this context, it appears to be saying that in spite of the personal lives of the rulers, we are to be in submission to these men for two reasons that Peter mentions; One, because God has ordained the rulers to protect and serve the people (v. 14, cf. 2:12; 3:1), and secondly, because it is God’s will, “That by doing good you should put to silence the ignorant foolish people” (v. 15). Peter isn’t condoning their behavior, but he is calling believer’s to a higher calling. When the commands of the state supercedes the Lord’s commands, it appears right to disobey (Exodus 1:17; Daniel 3:3:13-18; Acts 4:18-20; Hebrews 11:23).

The Christian movement was a subversive one. They got themselves into trouble in Rome by claiming that “Jesus Is Lord!” It was an incredibly subversive statement. Peter’s command is not for us to turn our back on injustice, but to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the gospel in the state. I believe that even his use of “Basileus” is to show that he was not enslaved to the powers of this world, but was free from them entirely (See v. 16), but that freedom’s energy was to be used for the good of humanity, even if that meant the death of the believer. Because we

“…by doing Good”
This isn’t defined and it’s a bit dangerous to start filling in the blanks here, but context does give us some idea. First the “Good” helps others glorify God (See v. 12). Since this is in the context of the society (Government) it is quite possible that the “Good” refers to social engagement. In Seeking the Welfare of the City, Bruce Winter says that it may have to do with the large donations Christians made to the good of the city in the form of “Benefactions.” Benefactions were donations put aside to help the social conditions or beautify the conditions of the city. The idea is help build the community for the sake of the community, rather than seeking their own welfare.

2. Love and Honor All and Fear God (v. 17)
This is a summary statement, reminding believers to live a life of peace, giving honor to all, and loving one another, while fearing the only person that can destroy the body and the soul, not men, who cannot do anything of any real consequence, since their identity was now in Christ.

3. Be Subject to Employers (vv. 18-20)
This is speaking of “Servants,” but servants (Oiketai) here are quite different than the horrific institution that we witnessed in our US history. This type of servant was often a way to become a “Free” citizen of the Roman Empire, and did not usually carry with it a destitute existence. Many of these “Servants” chose to be servants because it was a way to have a “Good” life, albeit in the servile employment of someone else (In reality this isn’t as far from many of our own existence).

The Motivation (1 Peter 2:21-25)
As we often see in the NT it isn’t so much what you do, but why you do it. While the religious are motivated by gaining acceptance from God so that they can be blessed, the gospel compels us to recognize that in Christ, we are truly loved and accepted by God, so therefore we obey out of a desire to glorify God and lift up His name and make much of Him. Our motivation is is more important than the subsequent actions. Doing religious actions (Going to church, praying, repenting, etc.) are done by all religious people, but the difference lies in the reason for them. If you are doing these actions to gain something other than Jesus, you are doing them for yourself. Reformer Martin Luther rightfully wrote, “The default mechanism of the human heart is to go back to the religious approach.” Our “Default Mechanism” is our self centered desire to make things right for us, but in doing so, we ironically don’t find the very thing we desire (Joy, Happiness). This is why the religious struggle when trials happen. Because they have doing religious works to appease God, they feel slighted by God and become angry, or they feel they haven’t done enough making themselves guilty and depressed.

When Paul wants to discuss the Corinthians greed and lack of giving, he does so by showing them the poverty of Jesus on their behalf (2 Corinthians 8:9). In our passage Peter also turns to Christ who “Suffered for you.” The fact is all of our sin and most of our negative emotions stem from a disbelief in the gospel (See 2 Peter 1:8, 9). When we do not believe that we are rich in Christ, we will try and find our riches somewhere else. When we do not believe we are loved and forgiven in Christ, we will fail to love and forgive others. The reason we can “Submit” to government entities at our own expense, is the belief in the truth that our reward is Jesus, and we can sacrifice ourselves for the sake of those that don’t know Jesus (2 Timothy 2:10).

…to the Heart
The issues of the heart are hard. We are sinful and our sin is evident in our attitudes toward one another, and our lack of desire to sacrifice to help someone else. We are often “Stuck” in our ways, and no longer to even attempt to deal with our hardened hearts. We feel justified in our greed, bitterness and anger. We aren’t willing to submit to anyone or anything, because we feel they have slighted us, or they don’t “Measure Up” to our standards before we do. This isn’t what Jesus is calling us to. He is calling us to submit no matter what they have done to us, because our submission is to Him, as He submitted to His father in spite of people’s reaction to Him. When we get this, we can submit instead of that deep desire to prove ourselves and gain revenge. Peter is going to continue to hammer us throughout the rest of this book, reminding us that in Christ, we can submit to one another for the sake of the gospel, even when it hurts!!

1 Peter 2:9-12

A New People for an Old Message: A Study in 1 Peter, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Preached @ Harambee Church by Pastor Michael Gunn on May 10th, 2009
“Those that desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted!”
2 Timothy 3:12

Intro
I think as American Christians we assume certain rights and entitlements, and one of them is comfort and freedom from persecution. We have even created a theology of health and wealth to support the spurious notion that God wants you healthy, wealthy and wise. This is in spite of the repeated exhortations that “Those that live a godly life in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). “Doesn’t God love us?” Yes He does, but Satan doesn’t, and the world’s system of thought is contrary to God’s. Christians have been persecuted since their inception. All 12 of the disciples were persecuted and ultimately killed for their faith (Strengthening the notion that the resurrection must have been real to them).

Peter is addressing a people who have felt the sting of false accusations and mean spirited rhetoric from influential Roman citizens and statesmen. He is exhorting them to live as “Aliens and sojourners,” recognizing that this isn’t their kingdom, and that they are representatives of their own and will always find themselves as “Resident Aliens” ina strange world.

I believe more than ever these words ring true for our own culture. We are dismayed because of the onslaught of anti-Christian rhetoric and popular Atheism that has ostensibly struck a damaging blow into the hull of Christianities sinking ship; but men like Voltaire and Nietzsche have made these bold claims since the dawn of the Christian sect, and even though they do damage to feeble minds, they do not destroy the will of God, nor are they outside of His sovereign gaze. Peter wants us to understand our new identity in Christ, and help us realize that persecution, and lies, and false accusations are synonymous with our proclamation that Jesus is Lord. Our story is an exclusivist one that has always been seen as arrogant and elitist position. It’s a comprehensive worldview purporting to answer the questions of human dilemma. In our postmodern, relativistic age that believes the only true sin is “Absolutism,” it is downright heresy, and the powerful desire to burn anyone with such bold claims at the proverbial stake!

From the Head…
A New Identity (1 Peter 2:9a)
The last few verses (See especially 1 Peter 2:7), that we looked at last week remind us that those who disobey the word, by rejecting Him (Jesus, the True Word) will stumble, and be offended by the gospel. It is foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 1:18). In verse nine he gives us reasons that this is different for those that believe because those that believe have an entirely new identity, which gives the believer another perspective in regards to God and Jesus.

This is a foundational aspect of the gospel. We are made new in Christ (See 1 Corinthians 5:17), and we have been given a new identity. We no longer are identified merely by our gender, race, heritage, nation, job, etc. In Christ He has obliterated any division that man has generated as a result of sin (See Ephesians 2: 12-16). In verse nine Peter reminds us that our race, occupation and national origin are all stripped as absolute identifying markers as we are now God’s holy possession, and made into one new group (Ephesians 2:15). We are a new kind of humanity that are formed in Jesus and exist to point to what God has done in Christ. Verse nine gives us four different symbols that highlight the way we are changed in Christ:

1. “Chosen Race” (Eklekton Genos) Note we aren’t a “Choice” race, but a “Chosen” one. This is humbling and the antithesis of elitism. Ephesians 2:15 gives us insight into this verse, as does Isaiah 43:20. It is interesting that Peter uses this imagery, since it is true of our physical race. We had no choice in where we were born, and who we were born to. In Christ, we are born into another race of people. We can no longer be identified by our physical race, but the fact that we are of another race in Jesus.

2. “Royal Priesthood” (Basileon Hierateuma) We are all “Priests,” subsequently we have been given a new occupation and are not identified by our vocation or status. As priests, we are all called to intercede for man (See Hebrews 7:25). Priests were also responsible for worship, and helping the people properly worship and atone for their sins. Certainly we don’t atone for anyone, or make real sacrifices, but we are called to intercede for one another and to show the way in worship of God in Spirit and truth. Our occupation doesn’t define us. We are redefined as Priests in God’s “Holy Temple” (1 Peter 2:5). Peter writes this as he is thinking about Exodus 19:6 (cf. Revelation 1:6; 5:10) and redefines the church as God’s people. This was written to refer to God’s people in the Old Testament. In Exodus it was connected to obedience to the law (see 19:5), but now we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation because of what God has done in Christ for us.

3. “Holy Nation” (Hagion Ethnos) We are no longer defined by our national heritage or the nations we live in, but redefined as an ambassador of God’s kingdom (See 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 cf. 1 Peter 2:11a). Again, this is reminiscent of Exodus 19:6 and is fulfilled in Christ Jesus. No one has a right of claim over God, theology, salvation or spiritual growth. No nation, culture, race has it “Right.” Only in Christ is humanity being pieced together to do what it was created to do; worship the one that created us (Isaiah 43:21)!! What started as Jewish religion was now (In Christ) exploded out to the nations!!

4. “A People For His Own Possession” (Laos Eis Peripoimasin) God has always chosen a people for Himself. That was His purpose at creation (Genesis 1-2), and this is what He did with the calling of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and his descendants (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:18). We are His possession for His purposes, and this is possible because of Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf!

A New Purpose (1 Peter 2:9b)
“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him.” The significance of this phrase is huge; like Revelation 5:9, 10; 7:9, we are reminded of our missionary God who has always intended to bring the nations together under His “New World Order.” There will always be a counterfeit creation of a humanist New World Order, where He is absent, and seen as evil, but it is doomed to fail, because He is sovereign, and it will always aim at a self centered prize that will continue to frustrate and create the problems that mitigate peace on earth.

The word “Excellencies” (Aretas) is a rare word with a long history of meanings. In our context it is best understood as either “Moral Excellence,” or “Praises.” We are called throughout scripture to sing His praises. The goal of our witness (Which is the task of the church; see Acts 1:8) is not conversation, but a proclaiming of His name. The churches attempts to convert have often fallen into the trap the world systems use to convert, which is power and influence. The NT teaches us that the gospel itself is the “Power of God unto salvation,” and it is our role to proclaim His story in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.

A New Motivation (1 Peter 2:9c-10)
Our motivation is that we have a changed identity because we have a changed status before God. We were once in darkness and not a people under His mercy, but a people under His wrath and judgment (See Ephesians 2:12-13; Romans 5:9). Again this grace is not appreciated until we truly understand the predicament we were in before Christ paid for our sin. God had every right to justly punish us for our rebellion against Him, the creator, but because of the love by which He loves us, he sent His Son to take our place in order to demonstrate His righteousness, and save us from sure destruction. This part of the story is often dismissed as a heinous scare tactic “foisted on young children by middle-aged virgins.” Many see it as a horrible thing to say, which it would be if it were not true. It certainly would not be horrible to warn a community that a great flood would destroy their homes and take their lives if in fact the flood was absolute. As a matter of fact, officials often warn and evacuate communities based on the possibility of imminent danger, and many are grateful for the choice to adhere the warnings, or take its consequences. If God is righteous to justly punish, and that punishment is imminent, then it is not immoral to tell the story, it is our moral responsibility. In this verse, it’s not so much a warning of imminent danger, but a revealing of the excellent beauty of our savior against all other “Saviors.”

A New Kingdom (1 Peter 2:11a)
God’s people have often been outcast and wanderers in this world (Matthew 10:22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 6:22; 1 Timothy 3:12). Our kingdom is not of this world, but is eternal, which frees us up to sacrifice and serve this present kingdom.

A New Law (1 Peter 2:11b-12)
The cross of Christ does not abolish the law, but fulfills it (Matthew 5:17). We can’t gain God’s acceptance through obedience to the law, but God accepts us, so that we can obey him (See John 3:36; Acts 5:32; Romans 6:16; 1 John 2:3). Obedience includes abstaining “From the passions (Epithumia) of the flesh” (See Romans 6:16). It is our desires and appetites that can destroy us if they aren’t placed under the sovereignty of our Lord, and often end up harming others (James 4:1-2). We are created to have our “Desires” met in Jesus; yet, He has created us to enjoy our appetites within a God glorifying rubric. It is when we feed our desires as the ultimate source of joy and satisfaction that we become enslaved and addicted to things that are meant to be enjoyed, but not idolized.

We aren’t made to be stoic and passionless; nor are we made to try and completely eradicate our passions and desires, but we are told to abstain from those things that “Wage war against your soul.” When we don’t there is a twofold effect on us. One, when we don’t put to death the desires of the flesh, they will ultimately kill us personally, and secondly, it has a corporate effect in the culture we live, and it kills our witness with non-believers.

The fact remains that those that don’t believe will always hate us, and we will be falsely accused of many things, but Peter exhorts believers to live in such a way that they don’t have any real charges against us. And what Peter says in verse twelve is interesting. It actually has two potential meanings centered on the phrase “Day of visitation.” This phrase can mean either “Day of their conversion,” or “The day when Christ returns in judgment.” If the first possibility is true, then it could have the meaning that the result of Christians glorifying God is the conversion of the gentiles into the faith (See 1 Peter 3:1); however it is much more plausible in the context to take this verse to mean that the non-believer will recognize their error in accusing believers unjustly at their judgment, which is common in other biblical verses (Isaiah 10:3; Exodus 32:34; Jeremiah 6:15; 10:15; 11:23). Peter also seems to foresee the coming judgment on an unbelieving world (2:15, 23; 3:912; 4:5, 17). Also Peter in a similar verse (3:16) clearly states that those “Who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame,” which again points to the idea that those that see 0the “Good” works, will continue to revile, and subsequently be judged. Either way, we are called to do good works in order to proclaim God’s glory to a dead world for either their conversion or judgment. What this tells us is that we are to do “Good” in spite of the results or the reaction of the people we are serving.

…to the Heart
This passage is here to remind the believers that this world will never be our friend. We who cling to it, are not aware of the beauty of the Lord, and have accepted a poor substitute. Believer’s will always be persecuted , but Peter reminds us that this persecution needs to be void of human reasons for it, as we are called to love and serve our fellow man in spite of their treatment of us.