Jacqui Harbinson: The Christian Conduct

LIMAVADY BAPTIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2024 MR JOSHUA WATSON

1 PETER 2

1 Peter majors on the topic of suffering and how to deal with it in the Christian life. Peter wrote this letter to comfort his readers in their trouble but also to show them that Christ has a purpose in their suffering. This was something he experienced himself. As believers we set Christ before us an example to follow but in that example we see injustice, pain, suffering. In this epistle Peter encourages the believes that this aspect of Christ’s example is not something to shy away from but rather embracing it. Isn’t that an unique challenge to consider today - how we are to act when the going gets difficult. Peter was the man who when the going got difficult cut off the ear of the servant. When the tough got difficult he denied Jesus 3 times in quick succession. Through the inspiration of God Peter wrote this epistle to give hope through suffering. Someone once said “to hope for something you must have been in a position to suffer for something.” Peter does not give a theory of suffering or of hope but rather he gives an insight into his personal experience. There are 5 sections in this chapter I want us to consider.

Verses 1 – 3 our desire.

A simple comparison is made in these verses – one bad and one good. Things we should seek to do and those we should seek to avoid. Verse 1 “the laying aside” or putting away, getting rid of. A number of things are listed - malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and all evil speakings. Why have these 5 sins been chosen when other sins such as pride, sexual sin and heresy are usually focused on? All seem to directly relate to how we interact with others in our day to day lives. Are we malicious to others, seek to call others out? Are we deceitful to others, do we lie and cut others up? Have we hypocrisy with our friends? Do we come to church on Sunday and most of the week don’t live like that at all? Do we envy what others have and we don’t have? Do we speak evil of someone, slandering others? As we go through this list we realise it describes life in this world. We are often surrounded by these things and they become normal behaviour. We can be sure that if we can do what the bible says and set these things aside then we will be noticed by others and changed. Notice this is not an active command – it doesn’t say avoid these things but it says set them aside. We already have the possession of these things. These are the things we need to get rid of. Maybe they feel alien to us but if we put examples against them they become more recognisable of a sudden. Our desire is not to partake or interact in such a way and every believer would agree to that. No believer would desire these things at all and we will try to avoid them like the plagues. Will we leave them all aside? What should our desire be? Verse 2 tells us what it should be - God’s word. It is interesting that Peter has a list of things to avoid and only one thing to desire. Simply that is all we need. Do we desire God’s word? To read it, to understand it, to let it shape our lives? To answer that honestly it would lead to a certain amount of guilt. Maybe there is excitement at times as we read but other times it is more difficult, maybe the excitement was not there. There are things that distract us away from it. Given this challenge along with other desires which are pulling us one way or another. Are we desiring God’s word? Are we prioritising God’s word? Psalm 1 verse 1 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” Peter speaks of the desire for God’s word whereas for the Psalmist his delight is in God’s word. One speaks of what should drive us to pick up God’s word while the other what will happen when we read God’s word. Not something boring or habitual but rather something to read that we should delight in. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Psalm 119 verse 103) Someone once said there are 5 levels to studying God’s word:

Firstly Listening to it read and preached from. An important step for the believer.

Secondly reading – spending time reading a chapter every day.

Thirdly studying which is different that reading because you are using paper and pen to work out themes and an understanding of the message.

Fourthly memorising – usually we leave this to children but actively committing God’s word to memory. It is an important activity for any believer to be fully equipped with God’s word.

Fifthly meditating – when we done all these things then we can meditate on god’s words and go about our days digesting it and realising the depths of its meaning and the application for our lives.

As you think of those levels what level have you reached? At the one end of the scale are you meditating on God’s word during the day or are you simply listening?

Verses 4 - 8 Our cornerstone

We are used to the idea of building. Peter is directing our attention to 2 things – smaller living stones verse 4 “To whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious.” Those who have repented and been saved by God and part of the family of God. A family also makes us the building of God. Secondly the cornerstone representing the Lord himself. He is the stone the builders rejected. Those who were supposed to be the experts rejected him. John said “he came unto his own and his own received him not.” This stone is the foundation of the church of God. When we come to Christ, we come to the one who is our foundation stone. The one who can build our hope and life on. So many will ask us “why do you talk of this one man so much? Why are you fixated on him?” Because Christ is our foundation. Upon him we live and breathe, our eternal destination is secure in him. Our life is not founded on our families, on religion, on Christian friends, only on the Lord Jesus Christ. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. Do you realise the reality of this today? Too many live a life that appears well founded but when one of those foundation stones fall all else fails. When tragedy strikes, when people cause discouragement or we are mocked for our faith they can fall away. Has their faith been founded on Christ? When we get saved we are saved for time and eternity but we need to make sure that the time since then that we are building on the one foundation, that is sure and steadfast.

Verse 9 and 10 Our position

Peter starts off by saying “But ye are” and then lists a number of things we are as believers. People’s opinions of us intrigues us. We would love to know what others say of us. Alfred Nobel had such an opportunity to hear what others said of him. He lived a life of scientific inventions and making a great fortune of money. His most significant invention was dynamite. When his brother died a paper ran an article thinking it was Alfred that had died. He was able to read his own obituary. What he read horrified him so much – the newspaper said “the man who made it possible to kill more people quickly than anyone else who had ever lived while alive.” He made 2 discoveries. This was all he would be remembered by but this was not what he wanted to be remembered by. He went on to establish the most famous award for outstanding achievements in literature, peace, economics, medicine and the sciences. Everyone is familiar with the Nobel prizes today but relatively few know how he made his fortune. Peter in this chapter is dealing with how God feels about his children. Firstly “a chosen generation.” In the Old Testament God’s chosen people was Israel. In the New Testament it was still the Jews who were the chosen people, God had not finished with them yet. God also had the church. We became part of the chosen generation when we came to Christ. The people Peter was writing to were suffering persecutions. They would be scattered throughout the world, making them feel nobodies. Their enemies wanted them removed from the face of he earth. Peter reminds them that they are part of his chosen generation. Secondly “a royal priesthood”. Christ calls us a royal priesthood, children of the king, we part of his family, adopted by God. The King of Kings calls me his own. As heirs we enjoy privileges, spiritual ones today. “A Priesthood.” In the Old Testament priests had access to God through the Holy of Holies. When Jesus died the temple veil was split in 2 symbolising that no longer was it only the priest who had access to God. We have access to God to come into his presence. “A holy nation.” We have a holy standing before God. As we look at the church today we might say “I am not holy.” We are not holy because of our own righteousness but because of the righteousness of Christ and what he did for us at the cross of Calvary. Philippians 3 verse 9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Christ calls me and you a holy nation, a peculiar people, a people of his own. Peter is writing to people who have suffered for their faith, who lived in fear of persecution. Peter is saying in Christ you are a people of his own. If life buffets you, challenges you, remember we are a people of his own. Keith and Kristyn Getty have a song entitled “I am not my own.”

The one who made the heavens, made my heart and soul

Before I drew a breath, I was loved and known

I am His creation, the Maker’s masterpiece

And all that he designs will be done in me.

My body is a temple of the living God

I’ll worship in this house that His blood has bought

As I bear His image, oh, may I not profane

The holiness I hold in this earthly frame.

I belong to the Lord, oh, I am not my own