Sermons

This week we are continuing our series in 1 Peter called ROOTED: Living Scattered, Not Shattered. Many of us are realizing our roots are too shallow and weak to sustain us in the storms of life. We need good news greater than our current events. We need to be rooted in what is real, true, and eternal. When we are rooted in the transcendent, we are not reactive to the temporary. Recap – Who are we? We are Living as Elect Exiles. ROOTED Identity, as elect exiles, loved, empowered, led by the trinity When are we in the story? Peter has also helped the people of God (who have understand where they are in the story of God (ROOTED Hope) He started with the end (destination) in mind, to inform how the engage with their present, while being encouraged by God’s past Faithfulness. How do we grow and change? Good news for eternity should be good news for today. Our conduct matters to God, but it is a result of the transformation Christ has begun in us. Call to grow, change, holiness comes AFTER the Good News of the Gospel. A grace filled heart, and a truth filled mind, can produce a transformed life. To grow in Holiness is to grow in the purity, presence, power, purposes, and passion of God found in Jesus. What is God Building us into? Individual dignity is essential for flourishing, but our significance is exponentially greater when our identity is also part of a ROOTED People. To have faith in Jesus is to be part of his people. This then plays out in how we engage in key relationships both in the world with non-believers and with other Christians. 1 Peter 2:11-12 |11 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.

ROOTED | Living Scattered, Not Shattered | 1 Peter PART V | ROOTED Submission | 1 Peter 2:13-25 | Christopher Rich – March 27, 2022

Our recent lives and cultural moments have been characterized by personal trials, political unrest, cultural upheaval, health concerns, relational turmoil, economic uncertainty, and varying degrees of individual and corporate trauma. This has caused us to be highly reactive, often discouraged, and at times experiencing crushing despair. Many of us are realizing our roots are too shallow and weak to sustain us in the storms of life. We need to be rooted in something deeper and more life giving than ourselves and our circumstances. We need to be rooted in a life that flows from the life giver, we need a real living hope beyond what we see and have now. We need good news greater than our current events. We need to be rooted in what is real, true, and eternal.

Hope you are all doing well this morning. If you don’t know me, my name is Curtis Hall. Honored to be preaching today. We are pausing in our series in 1 Peter, and focusing this morning on one of the beatitudes. The reason being, is that I was already on the schedule to preach this week, but last week I preached at another church on this beatitude, and Pastor Chris was kind enough to allow me to preach that same sermon this Sunday. Also, come this summer, we will be doing a sermon series on the Sermon On The Mount, so this will be a bit of a teaser for what is to come. I don’t know about you, but when I read the Sermon on the Mount, which is Jesus most famous teaching, there is a call that comes from that sermon for us, to buy in to a different way of living life. It calls to you and I to live differently than we do now, as God’s people; the church. A.W. Tozer who said “A frightened world needs a fearless church.” Not a church that is reckless or careless, but fearless because it believe in a good, sovereign God. If there was ever a time the world needed bold Christians who truly believe the words that Jesus said, it is now. It’s not about being more conservative or more liberal, it’s about being other-worldly. Another word you could say is, Counter-Cultural. “The world does not need cool Christians who are culturally saturated. Rather, it needs exiles with the scent of heaven on them.” - John Piper

This week we are continuing our series in 1 Peter called ROOTED: Living Scattered, Not Shattered. Our recent lives and cultural moments have been characterized by personal trials, political unrest, cultural upheaval, health concerns, relational turmoil, economic uncertainty, and varying degrees of individual and corporate trauma. This has caused us to be highly reactive, often discouraged, and at times experiencing crushing despair. Many of us are realizing our roots are too shallow and weak to sustain us in the storms of life. We need to be rooted in something deeper and more life giving than ourselves and our circumstances. We need to be rooted in a life that flows from the life giver, we need a real living hope beyond what we see and have now. We need good news greater than our current events. We need to be rooted in what is real, true, and eternal.

Our recent lives and cultural moments have been characterized by personal trials, political unrest, cultural upheaval, health concerns, relational turmoil, economic uncertainty, and varying degrees of individual and corporate trauma. What many in our society believed was a time of relative peace and prosperity has been uprooted as faith in our institutions, and even our neighbors, has been shattered and replaced with great fear, distrust, and division. This has caused us to be highly reactive, often discouraged, and at times experiencing crushing despair. The strength and stability of what we have been rooted in is revealed in times of great trial, suffering, or difficulty. Many of us are realizing our roots are too shallow and weak to sustain us in the storms of life. We need to be rooted in something deeper and more life giving than ourselves and our circumstances. We need to be rooted in a life that flows from the life giver, we need a real living hope beyond what we see and have now. We need good news greater than our current events. We need to be rooted in what is real, true, and eternal. When we are rooted in the transcendent, we are not reactive to the temporary.

Who am I? This is an existential question of identity we all wrestle with. It is essential to understand who we are first for us to effectively navigate what we do and how we respond to the world around us. While we grow and change during our lives, our sense of identity must remain rooted in something or someone greater than us. Who is Peter? (1:1a) - Fisherman to Fisher of Men – Peter, a working fisherman, was met by Jesus during his daily life. He was called by Jesus to leave his nets and join Christ’s mission. Brash, impulsive, foolish, and faithful, Peter imperfectly followed Jesus as a key part of His ministry. The night of Jesus’ arrest and trial Peter, in fear, famously denied Jesus three times. His failure did not define him though, as the resurrected Jesus restored Peter and continued to be the “rock” Jesus used to build His church. With both humility and authority Peter writes to give hope to the church. Who are We? (1:1b) - Elect Exiles – The people of God in the world have paradoxical identity. We are simultaneously chosen by God yet chastised by culture. We are gathered together in Christ, yet scattered in the world. We are part of a new kingdom, yet living in a foreign land. We are strangers (sojourners) in the familiar places we dwell yet destined for a forever home we have never known. While currently persecuted we are promised eternal blessing. Who is God? (1:2a) – Trinity – Our identity is not rooted in what we have done, but in what God has done for us. God alone, three-in-one, saves and sustains. We are chosen based on Father’s past plan. We are purified by Holy Spirit’s present power in us. We follow faithfully because of the Son’s work to save us on the cross and His future promise to return. What is He accomplishing? (1:2b) – Exponential Blessing – Regardless of present circumstances, we are assured God is at work giving grace to His people and making peace for His people.

Lake Gennesaret is the same as Sea of Galilee. It is 64 sq miles - 52 sq miles is lake chelan… so like 20% bigger than lake Chelan. And Peter was a fisherman and he fished for Tilapia. Also in 1984 they found a fishing boat from Jesus’s time. It was 27ft long by 7.5ft wide. Probably manned by a crew of hired men. So there is Peter, the boss of the crew, working alongside his men. Knowing he has to pay his guys even though they didn’t catch any fish. And then Jesus shows up. With a ton of people. So many people crowding around Him that He was having difficulty being able to teach. I can only imagine that Peter is frustrated, exhausted, and probably a little annoyed. So they are cleaning and fixing their nets when Jesus interrupts and asks to sit on his boat.

Where do we go to find wisdom, meaning, and purpose? What is the point of all our accomplishments? Where is our hope when we life is met with failure or even simple toil and boredom? Is this all there is to life? In life under the sun all seems to be vanity as we struggle to find our purpose and meaning apart from God. The message of this sermon of Ecclesiastes isn’t “all of life is meaningless and nothing matters”; it’s because of God as the source of all meaning, and goodness, as we live the life we are given EVERYTHING matters! The Preacher spent 10 chapters making the case for what life looks like under the sun, apart from God and how trying to find meaning and purpose in this life while being indifferent or opposed to God is a vain errand. Chapter 11 he began to make his final pitch; decision time. Here he is giving his final call to action. Because there is a creator God, we are going to be called to faith in Him. The urgency is going to be dialed up because the time of life is short. Life under the sun is not to be engaged with tepid insecurity, but rather dive in and BE BOLD and rejoice in the good life God has given as early in life as possible.

This week we are continuing our series of Ecclesiastes called VAPOR: Finding Meaning Under the Sun. Where do we go to find wisdom, meaning, and purpose? What is the point of all our accomplishments? Where is our hope when we life is met with failure or even simple toil and boredom? Is this all there is to life? In life under the sun all seems to be vanity as we struggle to find our purpose and meaning apart from God. The message of this sermon of Ecclesiastes isn’t “all of life is meaningless and nothing matters”; it’s because of God as the source of all meaning, and goodness, as we live the life we are given EVERYTHING matters! The Preacher has spent 10 chapters making the case for what life looks like under the sun, apart from God and how trying to find meaning and purpose in this life while being indifferent or opposed to God is a vain errand. So now he’s beginning to make his final pitch. Decision time. If he was an evangelist this would be the beginning of his altar call. The set up of the sermon leads up to his final exhortation. When a TV series is getting ready to wrap up it’s usually the second to last (penultimate) episode where most of the major action happens. Here he is giving some of his final call to action. Because there is a creator God, we are going to be called to faith in Him. The urgency is going to be dialed up because the time of life is short. Last week’s exhortation was flee from foolishness, be diligent and sensible; this week is dive in and BE BOLD!