Sermon notes from Sunday 6 October
2019 am
1 Peter 3 verses 8 – 22
I want to leave with you today the verse 15 “sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you
a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." Who is Peter writing to here? Chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 “strangers scattered
abroad.” This verse is as real to you as
it was to the first century Christians.
The mission we have held is for the unsaved yet but you and I as
believers, sometimes we need that old gospel message. Peter has a lot to say about relationships
and our outward profession, how we act and react in situations and circumstances. Peter was there in the Garden when Jesus was
arrested. “Peter followed afar off”.
(Matthew 26 verse 58) He wasn’t alongside
the Lord, perhaps in his sight in the distance but not alongside Jesus. When he came to that fire he was standing
with his enemies. He was listening to
what they were saying and the conversation was not good. One of the maids tells him “you are one of his followers”. Peter denies it totally and he does so with cursing
and venom. Is it any wonder he says to
us “don’t make the mistake I made, if you are saved sanctify the Lord in your
heart.” This is in effect a sermon on
the hoof. There are those today who
are looking at you and me, who will never darken this church door, but are
looking at us and how we react in various situations. According to this verse every one of us is an
evangelist. Peter says in 2 Peter 1
verse 10 “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call
and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.”
He begins with the conviction
of sin. We are living in an age of
easy believism, anything goes. We have
to be careful there are people so called saved today who have never known
conviction of sin. Martin Lloyd Jones, a
preacher in the early 1900’s, pastored the Westminster chapel in London for 30
years, said “what gives us conviction of sin is not the number of sins we have
committed but it is the sight of the holiness of God.” Sometimes we can think like that. Comparing ourselves with number of sins of
others around us. Isaiah walked into the
temple of God one day and he saw the holiness of God. The first thing it did was make him look
inward. He saw the filthiness of
himself. There were people who didn`t
have God yet he realised he saw himself filthy in God’s eyes. The word “convict” means reprove, accuse and
it is this thought of being accused of being sinners in the eyes of a holy
God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. John 16 verse 8 “and when He has come, He will convict the world
of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” Paul said to Timothy “All scripture if given
by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3 verse 16)
Remember on the day of Pentecost Peter told the people gathered “these
men are not drunk, this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel. Acts 2 verses 14 – 20. They were hearing people speak the gospel in
their own language. The gospel was being
proclaimed – verse 22. He reminded them
of who Jesus was. Nicodemus said to
Jesus “we believe you are a mighty teacher come from God for no man can do these
miracles except God be with him.” (John 3 verse 2) Peter went on to preach about the truth of
Christ on that day of Pentecost. I’m
sure there were people there who hadn’t physically done what he said but each
one of them were gulty because of the sin in their hearts just as we have that
same sin today. It took the Lord to come
from heaven to die on Calvary because of my sin. The congregation were shown that Christ was
raised from the dead and is now exalted at the right hand of God. Verse 27 “they were pricked in their hearts.” The Holy Spirit was beginning to move. Peter turned their attention to Jesus. A lot of people are not getting to the stage
of conviction. This message annoys,
affirms and accuses people. We need to
have that conviction of sin.
Conviction leads to
repentance which in turn leads to conversion. There is no short cut. Paul wrote a strong letter to the Corinthians
and then had to write a letter of apology “For though I made you sorry with a
letter, I do not repent, though I did repent; for I perceive that the same
epistle hath made you sorry though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not
that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance; for ye were made
sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to
salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” (2
Corinthians 7 verses 8 – 10) Conviction leads
to repentance which in turn leads to conversion. When the farmer goes out to sow the seed he
first breaks up the ground then he plants the seed. God does the same – he convicts our hearts
then sows the seed to have fruit in its season.
Lydia went out to the riverside where the word of God was being preached. The Holy Spirit opens her heart and she is
convicted of her sin. It is only God who
can open the heart not something worked up.
She received the words that where from Paul. The Lord leaves you with a decision to make,
to get saved or not. Lydia was not
saved. When convicted she had to make a faith
step. Sometimes we don’t get past the
conviction stage. The rich young ruler
knew in his heart of hearts he was not right when he came to the Lord. The Lord told him to give all his goods away
and then take up his cross and follow Christ.
He came to the place of conviction but no conversion. Let’s not stop at knowing what we need to do
to be saved.
Peter is talking to the men of
God and there is a need for consecration. This letter is read to you and I today as it
was to the first Century Christians. He
is speaking to you today. You and I were
convicted and converted but are we consecrated?
This word “sanctify” has 2 meanings – to make holy or separate. We are not saying to make Christ holy in your
hearts but rather you have to put something aside in order to put Christ first
in your lives. Remember Peter again in
the Garden – is it any wonder he says there comes a trial in your life when you
may fail and falter but you have to separate everything else and look to Jesus
as the only one. Jesus speaking to the
Pharisees on one occasion spoke of the heart where emotions and ideas come
from. “O generation of vipers how can
ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12 verse 34) What is in your heart comes out in your
thoughts and actions. Let God order the
affairs of your life. Christ in me, the
hope of glory. We will not be exposed when
calamity hits. We will not fear.
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