Impact Church London

1 Peter Series #5  –  Lessons From My Own Experience

I believe that if we introduce Grace to Suffering it will result in GLORY!

 Our testimony of the Gospel of Grace in this broken world will cause transformation.

  1 Peter 5:12-14    “… I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand …”

  1 Peter 2:9 “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” …  broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.

  1 Peter 5:1 “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:”

 Peter says:   (Let Me Give You Some Life Lessons Out Of My Own Experience) … fellow elder … My interactions with Jesus

Miraculous catch  Walks Water    Mount of transfiguration     He washed our feet  Great Shepherd  Witnessed his passion (whole event)      Took things in his own hands … impatient chops off ear   … Satan has asked to sift you   …      Peter … do you love me?  Feed my sheep         

 Here is some closing advise from my life experience:   How To Lead Well   —  How To Secure Your Future  —    How To Overcome Our Adversary

How To Lead Well

1 Peter 5:2-4  “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;  and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

 1. Be Willing To Sacrificially Serve

John 10:11 “I Am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Not an information transfer but a transfer of LIFE

If you don’t want carry around doggy dodo bag and scope poop … Don’t get a dog!!!

2. Be Willing To Be Misunderstood

First to see ahead.       Know how to prepare. Sheep Dip  ******  PICTURE OF SHEEP DIP ************

3. Be Willing To Identify SHAPE

Celebrate uniqueness and encourage diversity.  Begin with the possible and not the ideal.

4. Be Willing To Eliminate Problems

Proverbs 22:10 (TPT) “Say goodbye to a troublemaker and you’ll say goodbye to quarrels, strife, tension, and arguments, for a troublemaker traffics in shame.”

How To Secure Your Future

  1 Peter 5:5-7  “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.“

1. Be Mentored – Learn from the experienced.     Doesn’t come easy … but great results

2. Be Humble – Pride is a destructive force.        God will resist you …  Humility gets BLESSED Grace!

Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Humility is thinking of yourself less.

3. Be Patient – God cares too much to disappoint you. He is committed to your future … TRUST HIM!

How To Overcome Our Adversary

1 Peter 5:8-11  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Roaring lion is toothless lion … trying to you to leave the safe place … attacks your identity belief!!!

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

1.  Be Well Yourself – Controlled, balanced, cool head

2. Be Aware Of Your Adversary – Devil is real problem — Its not you boss, spouse, neighbour,  ….

3. Be Firm In Your Position –  I’m a child of God — IN THE FAITH  Father will never let me down!!!

4. Be Mindful Of Others – Everyone is experiencing trials    —   It’s not about you … look around!

5. Be Fixed In God’s Faithfulness  –  God of all GRACE!   Abundant grace for every circumstance

 6. Be Aligned With His Purpose – Glory, dominion forever    Have the long view in mind!!!!

 vs 12,14 “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand … Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

I believe that if we introduce Grace to Suffering it will result in GLORY!

Our testimony of the Gospel of Grace in this broken world will cause transformation.

Sermon: Suffering and Smiling

RECAP & INTRO:  Suffering and Smiling 

It will happen to you, but you can get through it happy and well.  

Philippians 1:29

1 Peter 3:17

Suffering: “We want to contextualize it so we don’t aggrandize it. We want to recognize it so that we won’t minimalize it. We don’t just want to survive it, we want to thrive within it.”

Contextualize it: Put it in context 

1 Peter 3:17

Suffer (πάσχω / paschó):  “to suffer, to be acted on” (to feel heavy emotion). 

It is to have to experience the unpleasant effects of choices and actions and events that you may not always want, or have control over. It’s impossible to avoid: it’s a matter of degree, frequency, and intensity. 

There is obviously a large continuum upon which many experiences fall into this category, from being inconvenienced all the way to imprisonment or death. This is why context also matters!

If you are going to suffer,  make sure its for the right reasons.

1 Peter 3:7

1 Peter 4:15-16

Don’t Aggrandize it: Make it bigger than it is!

Don’t blow it out of proportion, don’t make an identity around it, and don’t invest meaning in it that it doesn’t have. 

There is no redemptive quality to suffering. 

Ephesians 1:7 (& Colossians 1:14)

Redemption comes through his blood, not our suffering. 

Suffering does not make us more like him, or make us more fruitful. 

John 15:5

Galatians 5:22-23

Suffering doesn’t make me close to God! 

1 Corinthians 6:17

You can’t get any closer to what you already are! 

But what about Jesus? He learned obedience by the things suffered. 

Hebrews 5:8

That was true of Jesus not us. Jesus did a lot of things we can’t do. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, we can’t do that! 

Jesus vicariously learned obedience, vicariously repenting and obeying on our behalf. We are now called to the obedience of faith, to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Greg Boyd in “Is God to Blame”

Recognize it: God Does

1 Peter 4:12

Trial / test (peirasmos / πειρασμός): an experiment, a trial, temptation. Temptation or test – both senses can apply simultaneously (depending on the context).

Don’t Minimalize it: Face it! 

Don’t write it off, ignore it, say it doesn’t matter or is ineffective. Be honest, but be hopeful, don’t fear, and keep smiling! Smile, not because you have ignored it, pretending it didn’t happen, but because of your hope in God. 

1 Peter 4:4-5 (NLT)

Don’t have to run and hide, run to God the judge of the living and the dead and let him be the one who validates you, recognizes you, affirms you and has the last word over you ! 

We don’t want to just survive! 

1 Peter 4:7

Sometimes when you go through suffering you can get terminal, hysterical even. “Thats it, this is the worst it’s ever been, if this keeps happening, its all over.” We adopt terminal language when things get tough. 

Clearly, in the midst of suffering and even in “the end,” Peter has so much more in mind for the followers of Jesus than just surviving. Look at the language he uses:

“Do not fear, do not be frightened” (3:14), “ Be Prepared”. (3:15), “Arm yourselves” (4:1), “Be alert” (4:7), “Love…deeply” (4:8), “Offer hospitality” (4:9), “Rejoice”  (4:13), “Commit themselves” (4:19).

Thrive: prosper, flourish, develop and grow vigorously

God has a unique way of bringing the best out of us, when the devil is trying to do the worst to us. God takes the energy of the event and turns it into something good.  Think about Jesus’s sufferings…

1 Corinthians 2:8

God didn’t kill Jesus and make him suffer, yet through it he saved the world. 

1 Peter 4:13

1 Peter 4:14

Armed with that knowledge you can do more than survive but thrive in the presence of suffering, thrive even in the hostile culture that Peter was writing to Christians in. We can still get involved, belong, connect, love. We can serve actively and passionately with the gifts God has given us, no matter what the suffering. Don’t let it knock you into survival mode only.

1 Peter 4:8-10

Conclusion:

Suffering is inevitable, but not because God makes it so.

We have been called to share in Christ’s life. We therefore share in its consequence; glory and life, but also the impact of how that light causes others and the world around us to respond.

But know this: suffering is not the plan, action, or requirement of God, neither does he orchestrate it or inflict it. In fact, suffering seems to be dependent on whether or not others initiate it and what circumstances we find ourselves exposed to.  Suffering is not even up to God, as he is not the initiator of it. 

1 Peter 3:14

1 Peter 1:6

1 Peter 4:19

According to God’s will, not because it is God’s will.

Suffering is no good but : “We want to contextualize it so we don’t aggrandize it. We want to recognize it so that we won’t minimalize it. We don’t just want to survive it, we want to thrive within it.”

 1 Peter 4:13

Suffering but SMILING!

Sermon Notes – Suffering and Smiling

Series – “True Grace” 1 Peter Sermon #6  “Subversive And Submitted 2”

Instructions for driving in the snow

Bible is “Good News” and “Good Advice” — You have to understand this!!!

Context is so important — We must be clear on how to interpret our guiding document

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” …  broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.

1 Peter 2:13 (TPT)  “In order to honor the Lord, you must respect and defer to the authority of every human institution, whether it be the highest ruler.”

Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.'”

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Teachings of the early church were a challenge to the authority of Rome.   SUBVERSIVE!!!

Romans sought any excuse to imprison Christians.

Open challenge to the household code of the day would have exposed the early church to even greater scrutiny.     SUBMITTED

Walsh and Keesmaat  “This is not a narrative that imposes a series of absolutes to oppress us; it is a story of liberation from an empire that would take captive our imagination while it rapes and plunders the earth this is a story of restored relationships, a love story that calls forth an alternative community characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude and wisdom.”

1 Peter 2:11-25 (NKJV)  “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,  having your conduct …

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the …

verse 15 (The Message) “It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society.”

Now Peter Moves To Another Oppressed Group:   Wives … Believers and Unbelioevers

1 Peter 3:1-17 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,  when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward-  arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together (Co-Equal) of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain 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 prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”   PSALM 34

Genesis 2:18 “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.ʼ

helper:— (ezer) strong help comparable:— (kenegdo) as in front of him; perfect match, same nature.

Egalitarian:— within Christianity, the theological view that not only are all people equal before God in their personhood, but there are no gender-based limitations of what functions or roles each can fulfill in the home, the church, and the society. The Bible teaches the fundamental equality of women and men of all racial and ethnic groups, all economic classes, and all age groups, based on the teachings and example of Jesus Christ.

Complementarian:— the theological view that although men and women are created equal in their being and personhood, they are created to complement each other via different roles and responsibilities as manifested in marriage, family life, religious leadership, and elsewhere. It is also known as the Traditionalist or Hierarchical view.

 Give You Some Relational Advice:

 1. You Are On The Same Team      Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one.

1 Peter 3:7 “…and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”

 2. Celebrate Differences and Uniqueness.

God went to great lengths to make you an individual. 

Marriage does not deaden it matures unique abilities.

3. Share Responsibility            Ecclesiastes 4:12     “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

4 Highly Value Agreement.        Matthew 18:19   “… if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”

Complaining kills but discussion heals.

You’ve been hurt by relationships … you’ve felt marginalized … the Good News is that you are child of God … you are forgiven healed and free … body of Christ is a healing community!!!

Be Baptized Everyone Of You!

Acts 2:37-41 “Repent and be baptized everyone of you…”

Mark 16:16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved;…”

Baptism is not a ritual to be performed but a dynamic that must be a present day and continuous reality. “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” Matthew 28:19-20

“Baptize”:– to immerse, to submerge, to bathe, to overwhelm, to pickle, to produce a permanent change. Not just getting wet. An identification and a union with Christ that results in a genuine change.

1 Peter 3:21 (MSG) “The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus’ resurrection before God with a clear conscience.”

Third world countries BAPTISM is a big deal!!!

India / Nepal / Brazil

Story

William P. Barker (Church Historion) tells of a machinist at Ford Motor Company in Detroit who became a Christian. He responded to the invitation and was baptized. As the Holy Spirit began renewing this man he became convicted of his need to make restitution for some parts and tools he had stolen from the company prior to becoming a Christian. So the next morning he brought all the tools and parts back to his employer. He explained how he had just been baptized and asked for his foreman’s forgiveness.

This was such an amazing turn of events that Mr. Ford, who was visiting a plant in Europe at the time, was cabled with the details of the matter and asked his response. Mr. Ford immediately returned a cable with his decision: “Dam up the Detroit River, and baptize the entire city.”

5 Imperatives Water Baptism 

1. A Personal Command To Be Obeyed

Matthew 3:13-17 “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” 

2. A Promise To Receive The Holy Spirit 

Acts 2:38 “…and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The way to the fullness of the Holy Spirit is opened up to the believer.

Paul Harvey said, “To my surprise, I found myself going forward. The preacher had said there was nothing magic in the water. Yet as I descended into the depths & rose again I knew something life changing had happened – a cleansing inside out. No longer did there seem to be two uncertain contradictory Paul Harvey’s, just one immensely happy one. I felt the fulfilling surge of the Holy Spirit in my life.” 

Paul Harvey went on, “The change this simple act made in my life is so immense as to be indescribable. Since totally yielding to Him in baptism, my heart can’t stop singing. Also, perhaps because baptism is such a public act & because one’s dignity gets as drenched as one’s body, I discovered a new unself-consciousness in talking about my beliefs.”

3. A Call To Identify With Jesus Christ 

Romans 6:3-7 

“Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.”

Joshua 3:14-17 “…all the way to Adam…”

Every place the enemy says he has a legal right to attack you in has been dealt with!

He has no place in you. Cleansed from every generational issue!!!

4. A Circumcision To Be Performed 

a. Jesus Himself cutting away the carnal tendencies. 

Colossians 2:11-15

“11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins[a] of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” 

b. The purpose of God is released.

Before Abram was circumcised he did not bring forth the promise!

God Comes to Him and changes His name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah 

Breaths into the the 5 letter of the Hebrew alphabet … “HA”  “Hey” GRACE

Genesis 17:11 “and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.”

Genesis 17:21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

Genesis 21:2 “For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”

5. A Freedom To Be Appropriated 

Free from bondage Free from accusation Free from oppression

Jesus caused an exodus and bringing you into FREEDOM.

1Corinthians 10:1-2

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,…”

Exodus 14:23-31

“And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 

24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off[a] their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” 

26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 

30 So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

See every enemy of your soul washed away in the waters  … Powerless against you ever again.

Story

Pat Summerall spent 50 years with the national Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1952 and played with the Chicago Cardinals and New York Giants until 1961. After his retirement from the game, he joined CBS as a broadcaster, and in 1993 switched to Fox. During his CBS years he and a fellow broadcaster partied hard off the field. “We raised Cain. I was the first guy at the bar and the last to leave.” Summerall was told that if he kept on drinking he was going to die. 

After checking himself into the Betty Ford Clinic, his counselor urged him to seek a better life through faith. At age 66, Pat Summerall was baptized. In USA Today he told a reporter that when the minister “leaned me back in the water, I never felt so helpless.” Summerall testified, “I knew I just became a Christian. I can’t tell you how great life has been since then.” 

There may have been a helpless feeling when the Israelites walked through the waters seeing the past coming after them. But when they came up out of the water and the waters rushed back – they had a brand new life in a new land and a new freedom.

 Series – “True Grace” 1 Peter Sermon #5  “Subversive And Submitted”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are God’s chosen treasure – priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” …  broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.

1 Peter 2:13 (TPT)  “In order to honor the Lord, you must respect and defer to the authority of every human institution, whether it be the highest ruler.”

Pic —  Cuban Mission Trip

Pic —  Ghana International Convention

Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.'”

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Teachings of the early church were a challenge to the authority of Rome.   SUBVERSIVE!!!

Romans sought any excuse to imprison Christians.

 Open challenge to the household code of the day would have exposed the early church to even greater scrutiny.   SUBMITTED

 The pater familias was the oldest living male in a household, and exercised absolute, autocratic authority over his extended family. The term is Latin for “father of the family” or the “owner of the family estate”. The pater familias always had to be a Roman citizen.

“Aristotle wrote that “the smallest and primary parts of the household are master and slave, husband and wife, father and children.” First-century philosophers Philo and Josephus included the household codes in their writings as well,… 

 …arguing that a man’s authority over his household was critical to the success of a society. Many Roman officials believed the household codes to be such an important part of Pax Romana that they passed laws ensuring its protection.” 

PETER MIGHT HAVE WRITTEN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BODY OF THIS LETTER TODAY.

Bible is “Good News” and “Good Advice” — You have to understand this!!!

1 Peter 2:11-25 (NKJV)  “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,  having your conduct …

 honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the …

  … for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men

verse 15 (The Message) “It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society.”

… as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.  Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.    Fear God.   Honor the king.

 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience …

… toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer,…

  … if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

 ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’;  who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered He did not threaten, …

… but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;  (TRUST GOD TO DEAL WITH IT) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for …

 …righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”  (HE GUIDES AND PROTECTS US)

Romans 12:9-10 (ESV) “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.”

What can we practically draw from this passage today?  Make Honour A Life Principle!!!

Honour:— (tim-ah’-o) to have in honour, to revere, venerate, as of great price, precious, esteemed, especially dear.  

Honour Is Relational  1 Peter 2:17 “Honor everyone.”

Honour Requires Humility  Proverbs 29:23 (NLT) “Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honour.”

Familiarity Quenches Honour  Mark 6:4-6  “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country,  Now He could do no mighty work there, …”

Entitlement – Fruit Of Dishonour  Proverbs 30:11-15   “There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother…leech has two daughters – Give and Give.”

Honour Releases Faith   Matthew 8:5-13 “But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed” – “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

Honour Engages Promise  Proverbs 3:8-10 “Honour the Lord with your possessions, …barns will be filled with plenty, …vats will overflow with new wine.”

Honour Secures Your Destiny  Exodus 20:12 “Honour  your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Honour Secures Freedom  Romans 12:14 “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” When you make honour a lifestyle you are free from control. No bitterness or unforgiveness.

1 Peter 3:9 “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.”

IN CONCLUSION!!!

1 Peter 2:13 “In order to honor the Lord, you must respect and defer to the authority of every human institution,”

What is HONOUR waiting to produce in your life?

Sermon: “Building God’s House”

Recap: 1 Peter 1:1 — “From Peter, an apostle of Jesus the Anointed One, to the chosen ones who have been scattered like “seed” into the nations

In the midst of a hostile culture that sometimes brought suffering, Peter encourages them to find hope in Christ’s resurrection life, in the inheritance kept for them in heaven, and to know that they and their inheritance were being kept by God’s power.

Last week: Be Wholly…: let the[holy whole] life of Christ that is already in you, express itself through you.

Billy Graham (Lifetime Guarantee)

There is change, growth, transformation, or to use the bible words; an ongoing process of metamorphoses into what we have already been made a partaker of. We are being transformed as and by the renewing of the mind, but we must reject the modern turn towards gnosticism.

Two faces of gnosticism that both involve the dualism of flesh and spirit, thought and act: (1.) mistreatment of body to gain special knowledge (2) Special knowledge is all that matters, so what you do wth your body doesn’t.

In Hebrew and Christian thought, belief and thought is unified with life, just as spirit and flesh is unified in the life of Christ, the incarnated God-man. “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.” You can’t claim to be something and do something else, not because you know how to keep the rules, but because such is the power of the life of Christ and his regeneration within you. (Born of incorruptible seed!)

When we were under the law, the hearing of it would promote sin. We are not under the law, we are freed from it because we died to it.

Romans7:4

If the imperatives of the New testament epistles are enticing you to sin I would re-examine your relationship with the law. I would not throw out the imperatives.. the law is good, holy and spiritual even. The problem was you… but you don’t have that problem anymore. You are born again and freed from this arousal that the law invokes. You have a new heart and mind that agree with the essence of these imperatives: love!

So when we look at verses like these, don’t let the law incite you to sin you are dead to it. Don’t let the bad effects of the law push you to disregard this good advice… You are not under law, you are under grace, and grace is teaching you to say no to ungodliness and yes to sober-mindedness and just living.

1 Peter2:1-3

His grace can take you from sapling to full blown, huge oak tree, the full expression of what you are.

Intro: Building God’s House

Peter had a special revelation and understanding of what this meant. It was to him that Jesus initially said “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

It is time to embrace what he knew, and for the re-building of the house of God.

Psalm 102:13,16

“Building God’s House”

1 Corinthians 3:9-17

How does God build and with what material?

1 Peter 2:4

What is being built of God in our lives is LIFE-based. (Living stone, living stones) Not doctrine, not dogma, not intellectual assent, not rules, not regulations, not principles, not religion. It is LIFE.

Matthew 16:16-18

In Greek the name Peter, Petros, a masculine noun ( Πέτρος, ου, ὁ ) means; “a stone (pebble), such as a small rock found along a pathway, a single solitary rock…”

The Greek word for the “rock” on which he will build his church is not petros, but pétra (πέτρα, ας, ἡ) a feminine noun meaning – “a mass of connected rock, a solid or native rock, rising up through the earth”

Where there is life there is light, revelation. The tendency is to believe that life comes as a result of light or revelation, but that is a western enlightenment concept. Light, revelation emerges from life, not the other way around!

John 6:63

If you receive the word as spirit and life you will get revelation. If you treat it as information to illumine you but not life to feed you, you will get no life. You will hear but it won’t affect anything. We hear to receive, we don’t hear so we can know.

John 1:4

John 8:12

The light that brings revelation that builds our lives and the church is the light that comes from His life, encounter with his life, most often, through his people.

1 Peter 2:7-9

Many want to build on their gifts and talents, on religious works, systems and prescriptions. Others would build on their intellect, their knowledge and what they know. But God builds on life!

An example of how this works: the life and ministry of the apostle Paul.

Galatians 1:11

Like Peter, God reveals God to him. He doesn’t figure it out, reason it out.

An encounter with Jesus and His life, the living Lord brought light to Paul, and in turn by receiving his light and revelation, that same revelation imparted to Paul its essence, and he became in life the same thing that he saw.

Herein is true discipleship: not learning principles or fleshly techniques, nor knowledge and information, but learning to live out of the life of Christ and the faith that flows within that life. “I no longer live, Christ lives in me, and therefore I live by his faith. Faith of Christ is bound up in the inner life of Christ!

Galatians 1:16

Summary:

We have some incredible promises.

Zechariah 4:7-9

The hand that laid the foundation that is Christ, will also complete it, and will do so with shouts of grace grace.

Jesus is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail.

Let’s engage God’s plan, his pattern, his order, his methods and let’s open wide our hearts to the revealing of Christ to us inwardly, to receive the abundance of grace by which the capstone will come.

“Coming to him as a living stone… you too as living stones are being built up…”

Sermon Notes – Building God’s House

Series 1Peter “True Grace” Sermon #3  “Be Wholly As I Am Wholly”

1 Peter 5:12  “I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.”

Three Key Words:    Suffering  –  Grace  –  Glory

Believers stand firm because they are God’s chosen pilgrims, begotten by the Father, with an untouchable inheritance, and great salvation. God’s commands are always rooted in his grace.

 Wrong Lyrics: ”Money for nothin’ and chips for free.”   “Hold me closer, Tony Danza.”

“Saving his life from this warm sausage tea.”    “Then I saw her face, now I’m gonna leave her.”

Text out of Context leaves a con. 

One bone … taken by itself it is difficult to see the whole picture.  A verse out of context …SAME!

Peter moves from identity to expression. He begins verse 13 with “So then” or “therefore.”

It’s a general rule of Bible study that whenever you see a therefore, you ask, “what’s it there for?”

Theology to ethics.

1 Peter 1:13-25

1 Peter 1:13 “So then, prepare your hearts and minds for action! Stay alert and fix your hope firmly on the marvelous grace that is coming to you. For when Jesus Christ is unveiled, a greater measure of grace will be released to you.”     

“So many of us cavalierly gloss over what he has done and zero in on what we’re to do, and that shift, though it might seem slight, makes all the difference in the world. Our obedience has its origin in God’s prior action, and forgetting that truth results in self-righteousness, …

…. pride, and despair. As you study Scripture, remember that the imperatives are always rooted in the indicatives. God calls you to become who you already are in Christ.”   E. M. Fitzpatrick

“God has not given us power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God.”  Neil T Anderson

Romans 12:1-2  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, … be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Ephesians 4:23-24 “…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

“Your mind trying is catching up with what your spirit already knows.”  Caroline Leaf    (Switching On Your Brain)

A Mind Focused On These Four Things Will Allow You To Express Your Godly DNA In These Extreme Times:  1. His Nature  2. His Discipline  3. His Love  4. His Word

14 As God’s obedient children, never again shape your lives by the desires that you followed when you didn’t know better. 15 Instead, shape your lives to become like the Holy One who called you. 16 For Scripture says:  “You are to be holy, because I am holy.

Holy (hagios) :— Wholeness, fullness, abundance, overflowing, completely complete, — set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively his.

Paul Ellis “Holiness is not one aspect of God’s Character; It is the whole package in glorious unity … When the angels sing ‘Holy is the Lord,’ They are not admiring Him for His rule-keeping or sin avoidance. They are marvelling at the transcendent totality of His perfection.”

“Calling does not merely mean “invite” but conveys the idea of God’s power in bringing people from darkness to light. Just as God’s call creates light when there was darkness, so he creates life when there was death. The reference to “calling” is important, for again grace precedes demand. Otherwise the Petrine paraenesis  could be confused with the idea that human beings attain their own righteousness or that they live morally noble lives in their own strength. All holiness stems from the God who called them into the sphere of the holy.      Thomas R. Schreiner

Jesus did zero sin and he became sin we did zero right and I am the righteousness of God!

2 Peter 1:3 “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”

Billy Graham (Lifetime Guarantee) “Are Christians a truly holy people? Or are we TRYING to become a holy people?… As an oak sapling grows, it doesn’t get “oakier.” An oak is an oak. It simply matures into what it is, a full-grown oak tree.”

Jesus grew in favor, in wisdom and stature but he was every bit the son of god and Holy!!!

Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

17 Since you call on him as your heavenly Father, the impartial Judge who judges (Judges in order to find something good. Warren Wiersbe – The Bible Exposition Commentary) according to each one’s works, live each day with holy awe and reverence throughout your time on earth.      

Inspires confidence!!!

18 For you know that your lives were ransomed once and for all from the empty and futile way of life handed down from generation to generation. It was not a ransom payment of silver and gold, which eventually perishes, 19 but the precious blood of Christ—who like a spotless, unblemished lamb was sacrificed for us.

20 This was part of God’s plan, for he was chosen and destined for this before the foundation of the earth was laid, but he has been made manifest in these last days for you. 21 It is through him that you now believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, so that you would fasten your faith and hope in God alone.

22 Now, because of your obedience to the truth, you have purified your very souls, and this empowers you to be full of love for your fellow believers. So express this sincere love toward one another passionately and with a pure heart. 23 For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that …

  …he planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For: Human beings are frail and temporary, like grass, and the glory of man fleeting like blossoms of the field. The grass dries and withers and the flowers fall off, 25  but the Word of the Lord endures forever! And this is the Word that was announced to you! 

Hebrews 10:10 (NLT) “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”

Hebrews 10:14 (TPT) “And by his one perfect sacrifice he made us perfectly holy and complete for all time!”

Acts 26:18 (AMP) “to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.”

It’s not: Do Be Do Be Do Be         It is:       Be Do Be Do Be

Sermon: Hope and Glory (1 Peter 1:3-12)

Recap: Context, if you don’t have context you get “con(ned).”

1. Author — Peter, An Apostle

2. Audience — Scattered Believers (parepidémos – people who are passing through, but still have a relationship with those who are local). We are that: “in the world but not of it.” Our relationship to the world and culture can be shaped by a few responses: withdraw, blend in, fight, or Express True Grace

Example of how and why context matters:

1 Peter 2:13-14

Even Peter didn’t follow this advice outside of context. When told by the jewish leaders not to preach in Jesus name he and the other apostles replied:

Acts 5:29

Another contextual difficulty: we don’t have a king, we live in a representative parliamentary democracy in which our engagement is encouraged.

These were things that Peter and the scattered people of God had work out in their time and their setting (a totalitarian regime), and these are things that we need to work out in our context (a 21st century, hyper-modern, parliamentary democracy).

Appropriate response to hostile culture in every context: “Express True Grace.”

3. Application — True Grace Works

1 Peter 5:12

We also need to understand the spiritual context of the book to understand what God was looking to do and how this letter served that purpose.

Colossians 1:9-11

His grace is working in us unto his eternal purpose and no other; establishing relationship, and through that relationship, manifesting his manifold wisdom, making himself known to, in , and through the church to the rest of the creation.

That was God’s purpose and context in Peter’s time and ours. To really embrace the message of 1 Peter as grace and not law we have to see that grace works, and that it is working out something specific within us.

“I believe that if we introduce Grace to Suffering it will result in GLORY!” – Ps. Karl

Sermon : “Hope and Glory”

1 Peter 1:3-12

The God we are talking about is not the unknown, unknowable God of the theists, but the one we know and understand to be revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-4

We have been begotten again, born again, made new, raised up into new life, joined together with Christ.

Ephesians 2:4-7

How does this help us? How did it help the believers scattered in a hostile world?

He raised us up with Christ, made us to sit with him in heavenly places, and now the hope we have is that the lives we live, the relationships we have, the type of people we are, the influence we have, the jobs we do, the condition of our worldly affairs, and the capacity of our relationships with Him and others comes out of, is built by, and sustained through that resurrection life in us. It is not dependent upon external factors in a hostile culture.

1 Peter 1:3-4

We also have been raised up into an inheritance, one that is not found in the hostile world we find ourselves in. It is not an inheritance that is gained, acquired or accessed like an earthy inheritance. This inheritance cannot be threatened or stolen by lawsuit or lockdown, it can’t be dwindled away by taxes and theft. Its not subject to the conditions of rot, decay and loss.. this inheritance is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…”

Not only is this inheritance of ours guaranteed and protected, under guard in heaven, but we are ourselves are protected, preserved and guarded.

1 Peter 1:5

This living hope we have causes us great joy.

I Peter 1:6

Why might grievous trials be necessary?

God has a purpose and an agenda, that if embraced by us will mean at times that we look, and act, and think, make different decisions, and participate in life in ways that are totally different from the culture around us. Not because we are trying to be different, but because the life of Christ in us is different and produces different outcomes in our lives, if we allow it. This does and will invite persecution, difficulty, tribulation.

The early Christians, right across the whole of the Hellenized Roman world sought peace. Paul instructed them:

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Writing about the Christian experience in the Roman world, N.T. Wright said:

“Worshipping the gods — the great pantheon of Greek and Roman gods with plenty others added on here and there — permeated every aspect of life in Paul’s [and Peter’s] world. To pull back from all of that and to worship “the living God” instead was far more than the equivalent of, say, in the modern West giving up gambling and attending church one a week. It would mean different action and patterns of life every hour of every day. Perhaps the only way we can imagine such a thing in todays secular world is to think what it would be like to give up all our usual machines and conveniences: car, cell phone, cooking equipment, central heating, or air-conditioning. You would have to do everything differently, only much more so. The gods were everywhere and involved in everything. In the ancient world, whether you were at home, on the street, or in the public square; attending festivals great and small; or at moments of crisis or joy (weddings, funerals, setting off on a journey) — the gods would be there to be acknowledged, appealed to, appeased, or placated. Once the message of Jesus took hold, all that would have to go. The neighbours would notice.”

Herein was the problem: they sought the peace and prosperity of the leadership and society in which they lived, yet by their exclusive worship and devotion to Jesus, they stood out, were persecuted, relegated to the margins of society, were scapegoated when things went wrong, and were often times excluded from trade, social gatherings, good jobs, and any place in the public sphere, eventually leading to imprisonment, the taking and plundering of their possessions, and even death.

That’s why Peter says that if need be you are tested by trials. Not because God needs to test them, but if they must face these in order live an authentic confession of faith that Jesus is Lord, so be it. If need be he said, it would be that…

1 Peter 1:7-8a

When Jesus is revealed all that they lost would be restored and more, no longer shamed, ostracized and left out, but in their faith; praise, honour, and glory.

Peter then lays out in practical terms the process by which we live out this living hope, how you access and release the inheritance guarded for you in heaven, how you endure and live with hope even in the face of these pressures:

1 Peter 1 :8-9

Peter boils it all down to this as the ultimate how to: faith in the resurrected Christ and our share in that same Life.

And if anyone should be confused, misunderstand what he is saying here, he ends this section with emphatic declaration that what he is saying is not only true, but it is what God has always been pointing to through the prophets and the scriptures.

1 Peter 1:10-12

In a cheeky way here Peter is saying, not unlike Paul, even if an angel from heaven tells you otherwise, this right here is where its at: Christ and his resurrected life in you is your hope and glory!

Summary

He encouraged them in the abounding grace and peace of God, to find living hope not in their external circumstances, and not even with a promise that God will change the external circumstances and difficulties that they are facing, but by telling them to find their hope for glory in their share in Christ’s resurrected life, in the inheritance they have guarded for them in heaven, and in the fact that no matter what is happening in this hostile culture, it is God’s power that is also keeping them.

He affirms to them that this is the eternal truth, the one hope for glory that even the prophets of old had spoken of, and encouraged them to receive all of this by faith.Sermon Notes – Hope and Glory

Series: 1 Peter Sermon #1  Grace For Glory

1 Peter is considered the “Job” of the New Testament.

This is a letter designed to give people living hope in a time of struggle. Turn trails into triumph.

Key Words: Suffering, Grace, Glory

Our Identification with God’s family, empowers us to overcome difficulties and trials, because we have the assurance of a Living Hope.

PICTURE:—CUBA … Pastor … lose everything several  times over … Willingly serving God in broken culture

1Peter 1:8-9 “You love him passionately although you have not seen him, but through believing in him you are saturated with an ecstatic joy, indescribably sublime and immersed in glory. For you are reaping the harvest of your faith—the full salvation promised you—your souls’ victory!”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.”

1 Peter 2:7 (NKJV) “Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious;”

1 Peter 2:7 (TPT)   “As believers you know his great worth—indeed, his preciousness is imparted to you.”

1 Corinthians 3:13 “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Paul — Faith    John — Love    Peter — Hope

Look at the first two verses and the last three verses of this letter.

This letter has an:

Author — Peter, An Apostle

Audience — Scatters Believers

Application — True Grace Works

1 Peter 1:1 “From Peter, an apostle of Jesus the Anointed One, to the chosen ones who have been scattered like “seed” into the nations living as refugees in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and throughout the Roman provinces of Asia and Bithynia.”

Peter was originally Simon.

Peter, one of Jesus inner circle. 

Peter got out of the boat. 

Peter was a poor fisherman.

Peter expert at cutting off ears.

Peter denied but was restored.

Peter preached at Pentecost.

Acts 4:13  “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

Written about 63 AD. 

In July of A.D. 64 there was an awful fire in Rome and Nero chose to blame the fire on Christians. 

Began a time of persecution throughout Roman empire.

“scattered” (parepidēmos):—an alien alongside, a resident foreigner, pilgrim, stranger.

Believers, both jews and gentiles, who through being reborn into the Kingdom of God find themselves strangers to the present culture.

1 Peter 1:2 “You are not forgotten, for you have been chosen and destined by Father God. The Holy Spirit has set you apart to be God’s holy ones, obedient followers of Jesus Christ who have been gloriously sprinkled with his blood. May God’s delightful grace and peace cascade over you many times over!”

Chosen By Father    Positioned For Holy Use By Spirit      Righteous By The Blood Of Jesus

The power to obey is in the blood.

The whole Godhead is involved in preparing us to manifest the  Kingdom in this broken world.

1 Peter 5:12-14 “By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand …

 … She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.  Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

4 Responses To Hostile Culture:

1. Withdraw From

2. Blend In With

3. Go To War With

4. Express True Grace

I believe that if we introduce Grace to Suffering it will result in GLORY!

Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Our testimony of the Gospel of Grace in this broken world will cause transformation.

Only the Grace of God can bring about the radical change that is so needed in our world. 

Amazing Grace!!!

Engage the culture around us in a way that honours people, brings Glory to God, and builds His Kingdom.

Real enemy is the Devil:  1 Peter 5:9 “Resist him, steadfast in the faith,…”

1 Peter 2:15-17 (MSG)  “It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.”

Series: “NOT”  Sermon #6:  “Grace NOT Law”

2 Corinthians 5:7  “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Romans 4:20 KJV  “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;”  Stay in faith!    Don’t quit on your belief!

1 Corinthians 1:13 NLT  “Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not.”

1 Corinthians 12:1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:”

1 Corinthians 15:10   “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Galatians 1:7 (TPT)  “That is a fake “gospel” that is simply not true. There is only one gospel—the good news of Christ! Yet you have allowed those who mingle law with grace to confuse you.”

Romans 6:14  “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (NKJV)

“Remember this: sin will not conquer you, for God already has! You are not governed by law but governed by the reign of the grace of God.”  (TPT)

Romans 7:1-6 “I write to you, dear brothers and sisters, who are familiar with the law. Don’t you know that when a person dies, it ends his obligation to the law? For example, a married couple is bound by the law to remain together until separated by death. … 

Paul is speaking with those familiar to the law.

The Hebrew mindset know that they were married to the law at Mt. Sinai.

We can’t leave Mr. Law it would be adultery.

He is never wrong. He is always absolutely right. He is perfect and demands perfection from me.

Yet he does nothing to help.

He won’t die! He’ll alway be there. 

He is powerless to change me.

All I get is condemnation.

Hebrews 7:18-19  “The old order of priesthood has been set aside as weak and powerless. For the law has never made anyone perfect, but in its place is a far better hope which gives us confidence to experience intimacy with God!”

Romans 3:21-22  “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,  even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;”

But when one spouse dies, the other is released from the law of the marriage.  So then if a wife is joined to another man while still married, she commits adultery. But if her husband dies, she is obviously free from the marriage contract and may marry another man without being charged with adultery.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, the same principle applies to your relationship with God. For you died to your first husband, the law, by being co-crucified with the body of the Messiah. So you are now free to “marry” another—the one who was raised from the dead so that you may now bear spiritual fruit for God.

When we were merely living natural lives, the law, through defining sin, actually awakened sinful desires within us, which resulted in bearing the fruit of death. But now that we have been fully released from the power of the law, we are dead to what once controlled us.

And our lives are no longer motivated by the obsolete way of following the written code, so that now we may serve God by living in the freshness of a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Being married to Mr. Law never changed us. 

But being married to Mr. Grace has  transformed us deep within, and it shows.

Romans 2:12b “… And those who are under the law of Moses and fail to obey it are condemned by the law.”

The law demands perfection from us but it is not designed to help us, it is there to condemn us.

Old Covenant —You serve the law.

New Covenant — Jesus serves you!

Matthew 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Galatians 4:21-30  “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: … which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants:… from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar…and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is,— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” 

“…But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted (To pursue in a hostile manner) him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son…’

Where is that in Scripture? Genesis 21 “Weaning” 

Genesis 21:1-12 “So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast … And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; …shall not be heir with my son,…’”

You can’t be raised by mixture.

You will never mature under mixture.

Sarah (GRACE) will be the only influence. 

Romans 6:14 “…not governed by law but governed by the reign of the grace of God.