Sermons – Grace Evangelical Free Church // Wyoming, MN

1 Corinthians 15:12-21 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning. Once again, we’re exceedingly glad that you chose to join us for our Easter celebration. To help us truly celebrate, I need you all to do your best to imagine a few scenarios.

What if I told you that this church building was constructed 1,000,000 years ago by a blind but highly intelligent badger from outer space? What would you think?

What if I told you that the breakfast we ate earlier was leftover food from George Washington’s first presidential meal, preserved for this morning by the same carbon-freezing process used on Hans Solo?

What if I told you that the fabric on your chairs was magically woven by fairies from thread made of powdered dragon scales and the frames were made of hand carved moon rock by the same fairies?

And what if I claimed that my sermon for this morning was written by an angel and delivered to me last night by unicorns who rode to my house from the heavens?

What would you think? If you know me well, I imagine you’d assume I was joking. If you’re a kid you’d probably hope at least one of these things were true—if so, this place just got a whole lot cooler. If you’re a guest, perhaps you’d rethink the wisdom of your decision to come here this morning. These are some pretty spectacular stories.

Certain claims fall into a category of being so fantastic that we must either dismiss them as nonsense (along with the people who make them and believe them), or they must change everything about how we see the world.

Here’s the key: the claims of Easter fall into that category. In fact, even though tradition and sentimentality often hide it, Easter’s claims are far more fantastic and incredible than anything I’ve said so far.

The main point of my sermon this morning is that given the incredible claims of the Easter story, there are only two appropriate responses: either: 1) we reject the claims as false and have nothing to do with Easter, pitying and distancing ourselves from those who do, or 2) we accept the claims as true and celebrate with unrivaled joy and thankfulness, inviting and pleading with those who don’t to believe and join us.

That’s it. No other options make sense. Therefore, it is my aim this morning to name the most incredible of Easter’s claims, help you become convinced that they’re true, and then call us all to respond appropriately. Let’s pray that God would do these great things…and more!

THE INCREDIBLE CLAIMS OF EASTER

Again, the central claim of this sermon is that Easter’s claims are so fantastic that we must embrace them with our entire lives or reject them entirely. I believe this because the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit believed and taught it. He laid out the same dichotomy of choices in 1 Corinthians 15:12-21, our passage for this morning.

1 Peter 3:1-6 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives- 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external- the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing – 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

INTRODUCTION

For many years our country has viewed the world primarily through a Christian lens. That is not necessarily to say that we were/are a “Christian nation” (that’s a different discussion for a different day), just that most Americans have historically held to a basically Christian understanding of the world (which might mean we were/are a “Christian nation”).

For instance, the idea of work that most Americans have held—that of it being good and vocational and for the betterment of society—is a decidedly Christian concept. Likewise, the general understanding in our country that child abuse and rape and murder are objectively wrong, while integrity and fairness and generosity are objectively right is also Christian. The Christian sexual ethic—sex being reserved for a marriage of one man and one woman—too has been the unquestionable norm from our country’s beginning until relatively recently. And faithfulness in marriage, marriage as the bedrock of family, and husbands and wives playing distinct but complementary roles within the marriage—all Christian in nature—have been the assumed (even if not truly understood) norms for most Americans all along.

At a shockingly rapid clip, however, most of these things have changed and are changing. In fact, in most of these areas hundreds of years of societal perspective and pressure has done a complete 180 degree turn. Work is now seen as a necessary evil, merely for personal provision and fulfillment. Morality is largely viewed as relative and what is absolute is in usually in direct contradiction to the nature of God (the foundation for Christian morality). Almost every form of sexual expression is not only tolerated, but celebrated. And, perhaps, the American world-view flip is nowhere more clearly seen than in the area of marriage where faithfulness in it is now the exception and merely a matter of preference rather than objective good, family is largely detached from marriage, and egalitarianism is celebrated while complementarianism is viewed as demeaning.

Because, therefore, 1) the lens through which most people in our culture view the world has changed dramatically, and (2) marriage in particular has almost completely been redefined in the modern mind, Peter’s charge to wives in 3:1-6 sounds exceedingly awkward to most and outright oppressive to most of the rest. Nevertheless, God’s design for his creation and the institutions within it, is always superior to every alternative and the only way to find genuine fulfillment and joy. Wives, husbands, and I’m especially hopeful that any guests or newer Christians here today will leave having heard that, awkward sounding or not, Peter’s instructions in this passage are a part of an incomparably better, more beautiful story for your life and marriage. Let’s pray that God would help us understand, love, and apply his design to our marriages.

THE LOGIC OF THE PASSAGE

As is always the case in understanding the individual passages of the bible, understanding the logic/flow/context of this counter-cultural passage is vital to truly understanding, appreciating,

1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

INTRODUCTION

Kids, have you ever had your parents call you into their bedroom (or yours)? From some distance away—maybe you’re playing in the living room—you hear the words, “Billy, please come here.” What’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, as a kid, the bedroom summons almost always seemed to mean that I was in trouble or that some other form of bad news was about to get dropped on me.

I remember one time in particular. I was waiting on my parents to decide if I could go skiing with a friend’s family for several days over Christmas vacation. For a number of reasons—I had never done anything like that before, it was pretty expensive, my friend wasn’t the best influence, and my parents had been dropping negative hints for some time—I was fairly sure they were going to say no. Then I heard those words, “David, would you come in here please?” Somehow I knew I was making the death march. On my way back I began strategizing my defense. I’d start by attempting to reason with them, I’d move to tears and pleading, and if none of that worked, I’d try anger (I wasn’t a very good kid).

It turned out that I was right; I’d been summoned in to receive the ski verdict. However, I was wrong about the verdict itself; they gave me permission to go. The change of emotion was almost overwhelming. I had gotten the purpose of the meeting wrong and that changed everything.

That’s what this passage in 1 Peter does for us. Because most of us have the nature of suffering wrong, Peter’s words, truly understood, change everything.

I’ve met very few Christians who understand or appreciate what Peter teaches here. In fact, I believe that most of you in this room will be genuinely surprised by what you hear this morning. And if God sees fit, it will change us far more than my parent’s surprise ski-trip verdict. It will restore marriages. It will change the nature of friendships. It will lead to the adoption of orphans. It will eventually cause some kids in this room to go into some of the hardest places on earth with the gospel. And who knows what else. Let’s pray that God would see fit.

WHY HAVE YOU BEEN CALLED TO THIS?

Let me set the stage once again. 2:21 begins with the small, but powerful word, “for”. Used this way it introduces a grounding clause. That is, it signals that what follows is the reason (or grounds) for something.

I ran to the store last night for we were out of milk. I have no need to turn on my television until August for MSU basketball and football are in the offseason. The reason I went to the store is that we were out of milk. The reason I’m not going to watch TV is because there’s nothing good on for several months.

In the case of our text for this morning the for at the beginning of 2:21 gives the reason for 2:13-20 and 3:1-12, in which Peter writes (my paraphrase):

“Suffering saints, in your suffering, even when they are the cause of your suffering, be subject to every human institution. Christian citizens, it is God’s will that you submit to the government even when it is made up of ignorant and foolish people (2:15). Servants, it is a gracious thing,

1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning, Grace. We’ve come to one of the most important passages in 1 Peter. It’d be hard to overstate the need for God’s people—including you and I—to hear and understand and apply these words of Peter.

At the risk of kicking an already, long-dead horse, I want to remind you of the condition of Peter’s readers. They were (according to 1:1) Christians who had been driven out of their homes on account of their faith in Jesus Christ. They were people going through various, fiery trials (1:6, 7). And they were people enduring injustice, sorrows, suffering, and even beatings (2:19-20) because they had chosen to align themselves with Jesus rather than the world.

In the past few weeks I’ve met with people who have lost loved ones, who are planning for the loss of loved ones, who don’t have enough money to buy gas, whose marriages are falling apart, whose families are hurting one another in tragic ways, whose spouses despise the gospel, who are inside abusive relationships, whose minds won’t allow them to rest, who are dealing with scary medical situations, whose businesses are struggling, who have experienced great and chronic pain, and who are forced to watch their children suffer without being able to understand or explain why. And all of this is just in the past few weeks. There are various trials, great trials all around us.

The question before Peter’s readers—which is the same as the question before so many among us today—is, how do we walk through these situations in ways that honor God.

Now I know that in a room like this one, that question lands differently on different people. For some, regrettably, it is barely a blip on the radar. Their only thought is on how to end their suffering in the quickest and easiest way possible. For others, regrettably, this question makes them angry. Their main concern is why God would allow such suffering in their lives. For others still, regrettably, this question has haunted them for a significant period of time. They appreciate the question, but have never felt like they could gain clarity on the answer.

Whether you’re in one of these groups or another one altogether—that is to say, if you are suffering or are close to someone who is—you must come to the point at which you long for the answer to this question. You must get to the place where the thought of knowing the answer is like hearing an approaching plane while stranded on a desert island.

Let’s pray now that today would be that day for all of us, as Peter’s answer in this passage is as clear as it gets.

FOR TO THIS YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED BECAUSE OF CHRIST

The first words of our passage are, “For to this you have been called…”. This morning’s sermon focuses on those seven words because embedded in them (and, as we’ll see next week, those that follow) is Peter’s answer to the question of how Christians are to honor God in times of suffering. To help us understand and appreciate his answer I intend to answer four questions from 1 Peter 2:21-25: 1) Who is “you,” 2) What is “this,” 3) What is the nature of the calling, and 4) Why were “you” called to “this”?

1 Peter 2:18-20 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

INTRODUCTION

This morning we encounter the second of Peter’s four passages describing the nature and result of God-honoring Christian subjection to the four main human institutions (government, business, family, church). We looked at government last week. We’ll look at business this week. And then, after considering the ultimate reason behind all of this next week, we’ll get to family and church.

The simple message of our passage is this: Christians honor God, bring grace to unbelievers, and receive God’s pleasure when we submit to our earthly bosses, even when they act unjustly and even abusively toward us. To give it slightly more context, Peter writes that to honor God, Christians must walk in holiness. In particular Christians must be holy in the ways and reasons we interact with non-Christians. We must always do so graciously and with a longing that they would know the forgiveness and freedom found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And one crucial way of acting graciously and evangelistically toward unbelievers is by subjecting ourselves to the various authorities over us—even, and especially, the bad ones.

For a number of reasons (our sinful desire to be ruler of our own lives, people abusing the authority God has given them over us, our love of comfort and ease, pride, ignorance, etc.), it is often difficult for us to joyfully subject ourselves to the best authorities in the best circumstances (which is proven by the fact that we often fail to subject ourselves to God). The fact that Peter calls God’s people to subject ourselves even to bad authorities in painful circumstances makes our passage for this morning even harder. And that means we really need God’s help if we are to obey.

So let’s thank God that we have in Him all the help we need. And let’s pray that the goodness of God’s design would become plain to us from Peter’s words and, therefore, that we’d all learn to joyfully obey.

FREED TO SUBJECT OURSELVES

Just like those in the early Church must have wondered if their freedom in Christ freed them from the need to submit to civil government, they must also have wondered if their Christian freedom freed them from the need to submit to their earthly masters. These are, in my estimation, very reasonable questions. But Peter’s answer is the same for both: freedom in Christ frees Christians from those institutions (along with every human institution) in order that we would freely subject ourselves to them in new ways and for new purposes.

In our passage for this morning, simply, Peter commands his enslaved readers to remain subject to their earthly masters because of their freedom in Christ. “Servants, be subject to your masters…” (2:13). From the outset, before diving into the text itself, I need to point out a few things.

First, Peter’s instructions to slaves are consistent with the rest of the NT. In particular, Paul consistently gives the same instructions (1 Corinthians 7:20-24, Colossians 2:22, 1 Timothy 6:1-2, and Titus 2:9-10). Consider how much our passage for this morning has in common with Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:5-8,

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does,

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

INTRODUCTION

If you weren’t here last week please take the time to read and/or listen to Mat’s sermon from 2 Corinthians 3:18. He did a great job explaining how all mankind needs the sin-produced veil to be lifted from our eyes if we are to see the glory of God. He also pointed out that God does this (lifts our veils) in the cross of Jesus, by Grace, through faith in Jesus, in order to make his people like Jesus. And he showed us from the text that God does all of this by the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Again, thanks Mat. Well done.

This morning we’re going to head back to 1 Peter for a second sermon on how Christians (suffering Christians in particular) ought to relate (subject ourselves) to the government.

As you may remember, if we are to truly understand this passage and this command and then rightly apply them, we need a good deal of context (which I provided in the previous sermon). In the way of a brief reminder, there are two key contextual clues. First, simply, Christian subjection to government, if it is to be honoring to God, must be done in holiness and as a ministry to unbelievers.

Additionally, second, 2:13-17 addresses the first of four “human institutions” to which Christians are to subject themselves. In our passage Peter deals with emperors and governors (the institution of government). In 2:18-25 he deals with servants/masters (the institution of business). In 3:1-7 he deals with wives/husbands (the institution of family). And in 3:8-12 he deals with all of his readers (the institution of the Church).

Again, subjecting ourselves to each of these different human institutions God has placed us under is a means of ministering to non-Christians, which is a means of walking in holiness, which is a means of glorifying God.

With that, let’s pray and then get back to the questions Peter answers concerning the Christian’s relationship to the government.

SUBMIT TO EVERY HUMAN INSTITUTION

In 1 Peter 2:13-17 Peter directly answers five main (implied) questions concerning Christians and government. This morning, after briefly revisiting the first three (which we looked at two weeks ago), we’ll consider the final two.

What does it mean to “be subject”?

The key to the entire passage is in the first clause, “be subject”. What exactly does that mean? The word translated literally means “to arrange in formation under the commander.” In short, then, it means to obey; or to place oneself under the authority of another.

To whom are Christians to “be subject”?

Ultimately, Christians are to submit only to God. Indeed, in Christ, God has set his people free from all other allegiances. Peter commanded his readers to “live as people who are free (2:16). However, as we see clearly in our passage for this morning, God has charged Christians (through Peter) to submit to every human institution as an act of submission to Him. Peter’s point here is that submitting to the government (“subjecting ourselves”) is ultimately about submitting to God (“living as servants of God”).

In what things are Christians called to “be subject”?

Briefly, Peter told his readers that they honor God and minister to non-Christians when they subject themselves to the emperor and to gover...

Exodus 34:29-35 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30 Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.

34 Whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, 35 the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Sermon Text: 2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Good morning Church,

Let’s get some context for this sermon by backing up verse 4 and we’ll read through 18 to see how Paul compares that Old Covenant he made with Israel to the New Covenant that we are under today, which would be the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ll read.

2 Cor. 3:4-18 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Law was only meant to bring the knowledge that a person is disobeying a holy God (Rom. 3:20). It condemns you to death.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,

It was going to be fulfilled with Jesus. Yet, it was so glorious at it’s presentation, that people saw it as intensely wonderful. And think about the kings later on who read this glorious Law to their people. And the Psalmist declares, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)

This Law was glorious, because it was given by God.

So, Paul says, if this law is so glorious,

8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory [to those who received it, the Israelites] has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it [the gospel].

We could go home right now rejoicing. But we won’t, let’s continue.

11 For if what was being brought to an end [the Law] came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

Hence-forth! From now on! Forever He has fulfilled the law and will reign! There is no more condemnation for those who trust in Christ. This covenant is permanent.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, [Jews] when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.

If you don’t have Christ, you have a veil. Christ alone unveils unbelievers enabling them to see His glory. Not our works or our faith. Simply Christ.

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

INTRODUCTION

At first glance, Peter’s main point in this passage seems like a strange one. Short people, imagine someone telling you, “Because you’re short, dunk a basketball.” Young people, what would you think if someone told you, “On account of the fact that you’re young, I want you to be in charge of a nursing home”? What if you were a poor person and someone said, “Since you’re poor, you’re going to manage the federal budget”?

Of course the problem in these examples is the fact that the stated characteristic of each person (short, young, poor) would seem, not to qualify, but to disqualify them from the task that followed (dunk, run a nursing home, oversee the federal budget). There’s something strange, counterintuitive, about each of these commands.

And yet, that’s exactly what we find in our passage for this morning. In essence, Peter says to his readers, “Because you are free (v.16), be slaves/servants/subjects” (v.13). On the surface this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. However, as we’ll see, it does make sense in God’s economy. In fact, this is how God has worked from the beginning.

He chose an unknown nomad to be the father of his people (Abraham). He chose a stutterer to be his spokesman to his people (Moses). He chose a child to be the greatest king of his people (David). He chose uneducated, unimpressive men to be responsible for spreading the good news of his salvation to his people (the disciples). He chose an enemy of Christ to be the greatest missionary of all time for his people (Paul). And he chose to make his people free in order that we would willingly choose to subject ourselves as servants.

Let’s pray that God would help us to see the wisdom of what seems at first to be folly. And let’s pray that in so doing, everyone of us would leave here this morning eager to lay our lives down as a testimony to the reality of the saving and transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

CONTEXT

By their very nature as Christians, two things defined Peter’s readers: 1) they were free in Christ—free from sin, free from death, and free from any rule that would set itself up against God, and 2) they were ultimately and primarily citizens of the Kingdom of God, not of any earthly government. To be a Christian is to be free and to have changed allegiance from the kingdom of earth to the kingdom of heaven.

In addition, Peter’s readers had been driven out of their homeland and, consequently, away from their place of earthly citizenship. They were living as resident aliens in a foreign land.

The parallel today is to realize that as Christians we’re still first citizens of Christ’s kingdom even before we’re citizens of the US. That ought to raise questions in our minds about whether or not we need to obey our government in the first place. Now added to that, imagine being driven out of the US and into another country that we were never citizens of, whose leaders had never been our authority. If there’s a question as to whether or not we ought to obey our own government, there’d be even greater question as to whether or not we ought to obey the government of a foreign country. Again, that’s largely the situation in which Peter’s readers foun...

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

INTRODUCTION

I remember sitting in church as a new Christian. It was a fairly large building on a fairly large piece of property. On this particular Sunday it was announced that the leaders of the church had decided we needed to build an entirely new facility on an entirely new piece of property. We were told that this would require our church to raise millions of dollars. This campaign had a logo and a name, “Forward by Faith”. After the announcement was over our worship leader began singing a song he’d written for this building project called…you guessed it, “Forward by Faith”. I still remember the tune and if you ask after the service I might even sing it for you.

I had grown up in a church, but not as a Christian and not with any understanding of its inner workings. I had certainly never considered what it took from a physical or financial standpoint to maintain and operate a church. This was the first time I’d ever even considered such a thing. I honestly don’t know whether the situation was handled well or not, but I do know that my main take away from that first Sunday was that it felt awfully awkward and a bit off. Some of that could have been because I was a new Christian and some could have been because there was something off in the approach. Either way, that experience has made me a bit sensitive to this morning’s sermon and application. It’s inexpressibly humbling to know that there are literally hundreds of ways to get this sermon wrong and only a few ways to get it right.

Several weeks ago as a congregation we voted overwhelmingly to move forward with the building project knowing that doing so would require us to come up with an additional $40,000 to fund it. We are now at the point where, as part of the final push to complete our building project, we need to raise that money. We mean to do so in a manner that honors the terms of our congregational vote, practices good stewardship of God’s resources, and allows us to move forward in a timely manner.

My aim in the sermon this morning, therefore, is to help you see the rightness and goodness of the building project, and consequently, of the call to give prayerfully, generously, and joyfully toward it. I also mean to briefly explain on a practical level how we’d like things to work. With that, please pray that this sermon and this building project would honor God by better enabling us to reflect his glory and bless everyone around us.

A QUICK WORD FOR OUR GUESTS

Before I get into the heart of this sermon, I’d like to briefly say three things to any guests who are here this morning. First, we are not asking you for your money. Please don’t feel the slightest pressure to give toward this building project or guilt for not. Our request for funds is family business. And yet, I’m truly glad you’re here and get to hear this sermon. If it lands the way I mean it to, you’ll hear of the glory of God and our love for him above all things. You’ll hear how that’s really good news for you. And you’ll hear how our aim in this building project is nothing other than to enhance our ability to share God’s great glory with one another, you, and even people on the other side of the earth whom we’ve never even met. That’s the first thing I want you to hear.

Second, you’ve come on an unusual morning. It’s unusual because you’re going to hear a very different style of sermon than you’d hear on most other...

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

INTRODUCTION

Several years ago a friend invited me to join a team he was putting together for a celebrity golf fundraiser. Each group had four golfers + one “celebrity”. Our group was paired with a former Packer running back. For the first several holes things were exactly as you’d expect from a group of guys on a golf course in this context. There was laughter, eating, drinking, bad jokes and bad golf.

Midway through the front 9 the inevitable, predictable questions began to flow. Where are you from? Have you ever played in this tournament before? What do you do for a living?

I usually really like being asked the last question because it tends to lead easily into the gospel. The thing I remember most about being asked “what do you do?” this time—aside from being asked by a still-physically-impressive, former NFL player—was how quickly he shrank when I answered. It was as if he instantaneously began mentally replaying his every word and action to see if he’d said or done anything that a pastor might find unbecoming. My career choice and lack of participation in some of the jokes because of my faith in Jesus caused this otherwise larger-than-life man to noticeably shrink.

My experience on the golf course captures some of the heart of Peter’s charge to his readers in 2:12.

1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Peter’s point is that when Christians act in God-honoring ways—particularly in response to being mistreated for acting in God-honoring ways—their conduct glorifies God and silences unbelieving skeptics. In other words, Grace, there’s glory for God and ministry for unbelievers in our holiness. Let’s pray that God would help you and me to live consistently with our new lives in Christ such that God would be glorified and unbelievers saved.

BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST, BE HOLY

If you were here last week may remember that Peter has three main points in verses 11-12. First, Peter reminded his beloved readers of the fact that everything they were called to do flowed, not out of the circumstances around them, but out of who they were in Jesus (which, in the immediate context, we see positively in vs.9-10 and negatively in v.11). Second, because of who they were in Jesus, Peter specifically charged them (again) to be holy. He charged them to be holy by making war on the passions of their flesh because the passions of their flesh were making war on them (all of this we covered last week). Peter’s third main point (which is where we pick up this week) was that God’s people are called to be holy in front of unbelievers as an important aspect of their ministry to unbelievers.

Again, having considered the first two of Peter’s points, this morning we’re going to look at the third.

IN FRONT OF UNBELIEVERS

In v.11 Peter charged his readers to be holy because God had saved them from their unholiness, for holiness. They had been rescued from their sin and set apart by God in order to be pure. In other words, Peter wrote, actual, practical holiness is an essential and inevitable part of the Christian life. It is who you are and so it must be what you do (both in times of comfort and suffering).

He builds on this great reality in the next verse, our verse for this morning. That is, in v.12 Peter told his readers not only to pursue holiness by themselves, in their own private lives,