1 Peter Transcript

Hook:

I spent a little time watching a few of your pastor’s sermons. A little spiritual stalking if you will. Since I didn’t already know you as a body, I just wanted to get a sense of who you were and how service was conducted etc.

So, I know that you’re going through the book of Ephesians and while I was watching and listening, I heard your pastor say the theme of Ephesians is identity. And he said that identity is also the theme of almost every single letter in the NT epistles.

And he said that ya’ll summarized this big idea of identity with three words:

WHOSE

WHO

WHAT

And just in case you need a reminder, because I do

Whose you are, establishes WHO you are, which only then determines WHAT you do.

He said “ Remembering these words is really critical for our day to day walk as followers of Jesus, but when it comes to that walk it is also important to remember who we WERE.”

And as I was studying I began to see that this theme of identity is present in 1 Peter also.

And if you’ll allow me to use the same words…I will show you that Peter is reminding us: WHOSE we are.

WHO we are.

WHO we WERE.

And WHAT we should do.

My hope is by the end of our time together you will see how important our behavior as disciples of Jesus is to the unbeliever.

Whose we are

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Chapter 2 Begins with Peter describing Jesus as a living stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God.

And he says as we, believers also living stones, come to him He is using each one of us to build a spiritual house. Namely the Big C church.

He says that Jesus is the corner stone and that whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.

You’ve heard of this building term? The corner stone? The most important piece in any building. If this corner stone is not set right, the entire structure won’t be right. So, when Peter says that whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame…that means there’s no regrets…because He is perfect in every way and that whatever is built on him will be right.

But this same stone the builders rejected. He’s describing those who wish to build their lives without Jesus. They reject Him because to them His way is offensive…and the key here is they stumble. They stumble because they disobey Him.

I know the verse says they disobey the word, but He is the Word.

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Who we are

1 Peter 2:9–10 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter continues in vs. 9 saying that you are No longer a stumbler because you no longer disobey. You have been brought near. You have been adopted as sons. You have been given the Spirit that cries Abba Father.

Were

Not a people

Without mercy

Are

Chosen race

A royal priesthood

A Holy nation.

A people for His own possession.

Do you understand the value you obtain becoming a possession of God.

People pay millions of dollars to own something that was the possession of somebody famous. A simple ordinary thing like running shoes becomes something with million dollar value just because of that person.

When God makes you His possession, you are given a value that can’t be measured, because His value can’t be measured.

That means His name has great value.

God’s People.

Have received mercy.

This is the purpose of this section… “Proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”

In other words WORSHIP.

1 Peter 2:11 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

I took a little dive because I wanted to know is Peter referring to Jewish Christians that have fled to these Roman Provinces. Or is he referring to exiles of Christians outside of Heaven, outside the kingdom, outside the presence of Jesus in the world.

What I found is the idea behind sojourners and exiles is foreigners and aliens; strangers in this world; passing through this world.

I don’t believe that his readers are Jewish exiled from Palestine.

Here’s a few reasons:

1 Peter 4:3–4 “3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”

The picture Peter is painting is that there was a time when his readers participated in this “flood of debauchery.” I’m no Jewish historian, but I don’t think you could find any evidence in Scripture this type of debauchery was present in the Synagogues.

Here’s another example of this concept: Hebrews 11:13 “13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”

Same concept of being an exile, not outside of Israel, but outside of heaven on earth. We are strangers in this world. We are foreigners just passing through.

This city, this country, this earth is not our home. Our home is with God in heaven.

One more example:

Philippians 3:20–21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

The point is WE…those of us here in this room right here right now…WE are exiles of the Dispersion in Raleigh Durham North Carolina

Doesn’t this change the way we look at this letter? Doesn’t this make you think this letter is written directly to you and not to people 2000 years ago, but to me right here right now? I know I know I know…2 Timothy 3:16 “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

But doesn’t this make you feel like you are sitting across the table from Jesus himself hearing these words spoken directly to you?

The only way you could be citizens of Heaven by the new birth. is by the finished work on the cross by the Jesus the Messiah himself…the one talking to you right now through the pages of His Word.

And to see the result of the New Birth look back with me a few verses 1 Peter 2:9–10 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Who are we?

We ARE a chosen race.

We ARE a royal priesthood.

We ARE a holy nation.

We ARE a people for his own possession.

We ARE God’s people.

We ARE beneficiaries of mercy.

This is who we are. This is the results of being Born again.

Coming back to verse 11...Therefore is probably implied here because there’s a cause and effect relationship between verse 10

1 Peter 2:11 “11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

This does not mean because we’re already in Christ and already secure…these type commands aren’t necessary for us.

What this means is because of WHO you are…abstain from passions…that wage war against your soul or else they will destroy your soul if you’re not actively fighting them off.

But when you DO abstain or fight off the passions of the flesh and make every effort to destroy your own sins...not to perfection but actively fighting these passions of the flesh…hating sin…what you’re communicating to the world is that you really are the new and true people of God.

THIS IS THE POINT OF vs. 12. which will get to later.

How did Jesus talk about the relationship between the Who and the What…Matthew 7:17–20 “17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will GINOSKO them by their fruits.”

I have been planting a garden every year for the past 4 summers. I have had my victories and I have had my disappointments. The way my garden is designed I have 2 3x4 raised beds on one side, and 2 3x4 beds on the other. I have planted several different veggies in my garden but the majority of my plants are tomatoes. Because for me…summer = tomatoes. I digress. This year I have had some interesting results. The left side is a little stunted, but the right side is growing big and strong and full. On the left side i have these little bitty tomatoes while on the right side are these big fat, beautiful tomatoes.

Incidentally, does anyone know a story about the good on the right and the bad on the left? I’m just saying, I can’t make this stuff up.

Matthew 25:33 ESV

33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

Anyway…is it the tomatoes that are making the plant a good plant? or is it because the plant is good that it bears these beautiful tomatoes?

Right…Jesus is saying you don’t become a good plant by bearing good tomatoes. You bear good tomatoes so that the goodness of the plant can be recognized.

And so what Peter is saying here in verse 11…when you abstain from the passions of the flesh…you’re not making yourself God’s possession you are showing the world that you ARE God’s chosen possession.

How do the passions of the flesh wage ware against our soul. How do they go about trying to destroy the soul?

1 Peter 2:9–11 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

So That…is that conjunction that indicates purpose.

Peter is telling us we are who we are for this purpose…to proclaim the excellencies (Beauties) of Him…namely God…who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Don’t miss the YOU WERE point here. You were in darkness but He has called you out of it. WHY??? to proclaim His excellencies.

Passions of the flesh are ANY passion…that causes you to stop MARVELING MOST in the light of God…As John Piper likes to put. Anything that stops you from marveling MOST in the light of God.

Or maybe a better way to describe it is anything that causes you to be less interested in the excellencies of God above all other excellencies.

When other excellencies have captured your attention, how can you fulfill the very thing you were created to do proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

You know the people that are not proclaiming the excellencies of God are the people that are not FEELING the excellencies of God…they’re not FEELING the Marvelous light of God because the PASSIONS of the flesh are dominating their lives. They love other things more than they love God.

Is that you? Do you FEEL the excellencies of God in .... Do you marvel in God’s ...

We shouldn’t be quick to think of who we might know in this condition?

Ok Peter…So what do we do…How do we abstain from these passions?

We really have no choice. War has being waged against your soul. We can’t just surrender...We need to go on the offensive to preserve the very reason we were created namely to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

And Peter gives us some helpful instructions in chapter 1 verse 13:

1 Peter 1:13 “13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Fix your hope completely on His grace

Prayer

Spend time with the Father.

Prepare your minds for action

I served in the military for 22 years. I was deployed two times both times in the Balkans. For 18 months before the deployments, we prepared our minds for action. We read books. We learned about the culture. We learned about every aspect of the people. We learned about the history of the country. We visited the Areas of Operation. We constantly did table top exercises consisting of the details of the country we would serve in. We conducting live training missions. We did everything possible to prepare our minds to accomplish the mission successfully.

How does this translate to what Peter is saying? Let’s ask Peter

1 Peter 2:2–3 “2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”