What Jesus do they see in YOU

Introduction:

My name is Danny Dulin. My wife Jacqueline and I have been married 16 years this past June. In 2014 God gave us the privilege to serve as missionaries in Eastern Europe for five years. Before sending us there, I had been working for the state of NC in the IT industry as a Network Engineer. But when I was on the field, the closest I came to the IT industry was teaching Microsoft Office to MS and HS students and setting up a basic WiFI network much like you would imagine setting up in your home. Very basic. I’m here to tell you…six years of not being exposed to technology causes a significant amount of atrophy in the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform that kind of work. Not to mention the amount of industry advancement that took place over my 6 year absence. This was of little concern for us because we believed that God had called us to the field for the rest of our lives. In fact, we moved our whole lives, nearly everything in our home to the field we served on. But God revealed to us after 5 years our time was done on the mission field. But He was gracious to recycle my skills to the level I had before the mission field and then some. And He was gracious to help me return to State government employment so as to continue building my years of service towards retirement.

Hook:

The rebirth of my network engineer career seemed to be a relatively easy one. God had streamlined the process of getting my sea legs back under me so quickly that I was confident that my new job with the government was exactly where He wanted me to be. In my finite thinking and shallow perspective, I was sure that God had reestablished me there so that I could provide for my family both for the present and the future in retirement.

That is, until my first day on the job. That is when I discovered that God had willed to serve me a small dose of persecution that I did not see coming. In all the 5 years of serving Jesus in a Muslim context, I did not experience any sort of persecution, quite the opposite. Ask me about it after the service…I’ll share more with you then. But on my very first day on the job…I began to experience what God had set before me to use for His glory.

*****Write Story about Mario.

*****Finish story about Mario.

Transition:

Like exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, I did not see this coming. I wish someone would have warned me that I would experience this trouble beforehand so that I might have been prepared to respond or persevere it. If I’m honest I might very well not have accepted the position if I knew what I was walking into, but at least I could have been prepared.

This is exactly why Peter is writing to the Dispersion. To warn, prepare and encourage them for the persecution to come.

Because the Emperor Nero is running amuck. I will spare you outlandish details but let me give you a taste. He has been killing folks for being better than him in music. He’s been killing family members to clear his path to the throne. He killed his own momma because he was tired of trying to tell him what to do. He was spending the empire’s money on things I don’t want to mention expediting the financial ruin of the empire. He was stealing folks property and when they finally started grumbling against him, he had arsonists set Rome on fire so that he could turn around and offer financial relief to the people all in a sick plot to regain the approval of the people. To say that Nero was insecure would be a drastic understatement. ANNND when the citizens began to get suspicious about how the fire got started…wonder why…to divert their attention from himself, Nero blamed the fire on the Christians thus began the government approved persecution of Christians.

Diverting their attention was not going to be difficult because there was already grumbling against Christians among certain elements of society, particularly the pagan cult leaders. Christian teaching against adultery and lust was undermining their authority. Former friends of believers had already begun to insult, despise, ridicule, and humiliate those who no longer indulge in paganism’s foolish practices.

It’s possible persecution even came from members of a member of their own family because they cannot understand why a son, or a daughter would leave home and become a follower of a movement that is facing persecution.

A close friend of mine as experienced a persecution from family.

*****Brandon’s story*****

So Peter writes this letter to warn, to strengthen and to encourage his readers to remain faithful to Christ in the midst of difficulties and sufferings.

That Jesus has a purpose for their difficulties and sufferings and that is what we’re gonna take a look at today.

Not just to warn them, Not just to encourage them, but to remind them of the ultimate reason God saved them, and that is for His glory.

Piper/Stott quote.

**MORE ABOUT THE LETTER TO HELP TRANSITION INTO THE TEXT**

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles

The word Beloved we understand easily. This is a common way to refer to the family of God. But why does Peter urge them as sojourners and exiles? Why doesn’t he stop at “Beloved I urge you?”

Because he wanted to emphasize or remind them, they are no longer citizens of this world, but citizens in heaven.

“20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” Philippians 3:20

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Eph 2:19

…and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, Hebrews 12:23

***Write something more about what it means to not be citizens of this world that points to our responsibility to Christ***

They are exiles, outside of heaven on earth. They are strangers in this world. They are foreigners just passing through while they wait on the Savior to come in His glory to bring us home.

…And so are we.

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

As citizens of heaven, as children of God, …since we are now IN CHRIST…we represent the name of Jesus here on this earth. This is our purpose. To be ambassadors for the name of Jesus.

Paul puts it this way:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us… 2 Corinthians 5:20

This concept of ambassador is not new to any of us. The U.S. has ambassadors representing our president and country in many countries around the world. If one of those ambassadors would commit an offense in any way in the country they were positioned, it would be as if the United States as a whole was committing the offense against that country.

In the same way we as disciples of Jesus are His representative here on earth. What we do, what we say affects His name.

This is why Peter says in chapter 4 verse 11

whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:11b)

With this heighten sense of awareness of our placein the world and the reminder of WHOSE we are,

Peter begins his instructions:

“I urge you as sojourners and exiles…I urge you as representatives of the name of Jesus, to abstain [DD1] from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul.”

It would be a mistake to believe because we’re already in Christ and already secure…these type commands aren’t necessary for us.

But Peter is not accusing them of being in the sins caused by the passions of the flesh.

The word “Urge”…Parakaleo…has the idea to encourage, to strengthen, to exhort.

SO this is not an admonition. This is an exhortation.

Peter is encouraging them that abstaining from the passions of the flesh will communicate to the World around them WHOSE they are.

Namely ambassadors of Jesus.

When we abstain or fight off the passions of the flesh and make every effort to destroy our own sins...I’m not saying perfection…that would just be a lie. 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.[DD2]

Jesus talked [DD3] 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.”

The point of the encouragement is not a Hey…stop doing that. This is a Hey…this is the proof that you are who you say you are

So what does this “wage war against your soul.” Really mean?

During my study, I kept a count of all the times Peter used a purpose statement. I counted 18 purpose statements. In a 5-chapter letter, there were 18 purpose statements.

Here are just a few.

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:21)

that by it you may grow up into salvation (1 Peter 2:2)

that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

so that you might follow in his steps…Namely Jesus in His suffering (1 Peter 2:21)

so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.

The objective of the wage war against your soul.” is to distract you, block you, from purposes as a disciple!

To make you too busy or tired in your purpose to serve,

Too dull in spirit to spend time to grow in your salvation,

So distracted that you begin to glory in other things that are perishable

So angry that you begin to question His glory or even your faith.

So distant it causes you to be disqualified to proclaim the excellencies of Jesus.

THAT is the war. And Peter is calling us to fight it…by abstaining.

And there is a good reason while talk about later.

Let’s continue.

Keep [DD4] your conduct among the Gentiles honorable,

If you’ve ever been through the process of learning another language, you discover fairly quickly that NO language can be translated word for word into another language. Particularly to English. English just doesn’t capture the full meaning of the languages it is being translated from. That’s why it is important for us to use a concordance, or other tools to research the original words and get the full meaning of what the author’s intended meaning is.

Conduct and Honorable are two words that I think that English doesn’t do justice.

Peter is not just trying to convey behavior with this word Conduct. It’s more than that. The Greek word Anastrophe is communicating a way of life.

Honorable is not a terrible word to describe something really good. When I retired from the Army National Guard, I was given an Honorable Discharge. Receiving the opposite could ruin your opportunity for employment for many years after.

We refer to judges as the Honorable so and so. A student that has high grades in school will be placed on the Honor roll.

Honorable is a useful word to describe many things. But it just falls flat here.

In the Greek it is the word Kalos. Which has the sense of Good, Beautiful, Handsome.

Wait…there’s more. The same word in Hebrew is Tob (toav).

Watch this….now stick with me…

Genesis 1 chapter 1…you don’t have to turn there…it’s on the screen. Verse 10 And God saw that it was Good…He saw that it was Good toav.

Verse ???

Peter uses the same word to describe how our “Way of life” should be…that the Creator of the Universe used to describe His creation!!!!!

Let’s read the text again.

Keep your way of life among the Gentiles Beautiful…AS BEAUTIFUL AS GOD’S CREATIVE WORK!!!!

I CRY WITH ISAIAH I’M RUINED!!!!!

****Have to encourage that this is a work in progress…An athlete trains to win the gold medal. They may not be a favored for the gold even by a longshot. But Nobody trains to not win.****

But does it not make sense? We are the representatives…the ambassadors of Jesus…how else should we be keeping our way of life? How else should the bearers of His name GLORIFY it.[DD5]

so that when they speak against you as evildoers,

I think that this is better translated “slander you as evildoers”. I think that it conveys the evilness they are doingbetter than “speak against.”

Let’s face it…that is their intention when they speak against us is to Slander us as evildoers..

That’s the way the world sees us RIGHT? As evildoers?

I’m sure if I asked ya’ll to name ways in which the world describes us as evil…the list would be long.

But I’m not going to do that, because we already know that. And it is not the most important point that Peter is making here.

I know…because I was once the Chief of all sinners.

Before Jesus I practiced all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (1 Peter 2:1)

Before Jesus I rejected the living Stone…the Corner Stone. (1 Peter 2:4)

Before Jesus I was in shame because I did not believe in him. (1 Peter 2:6)

Before Jesus I was not a people and without mercy.(1 Peter 2:10)

Before Jesus I was a straying sheep (1 Peter 2:25)

Before Jesus I was a living in … lawless idolatry. (1 Peter 4:3)

The most important point Peter is making is that if God can change a worthless, lawless, idolatrous, worm like me…He can change anyone.

*****ALTER CALL******

OK! Stick with me…we’re on our final approach!

so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

So how do we get from being Slandered as Evil doers to Glorifying God?

Steps:

1. We are Slandered.

2. We do good deeds.

a. This is more than just avoiding lying, adultery, sabbath breaking. These are the norm for the disciple’s life.

b. This is …

c. John Piper says this is positive, proactive engagement in a public way of doing good things for other people. That even the world…if God is gracious…the world will recognize.

3. They See your good deeds

4. They are Silenced

1 Peter 2:15 “15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignoranceof foolish men.”

5. They Are Shamed

1 Peter 3:16 “16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.”

Does this seem kinda harsh?

This is MERCY! I praise God that he opened my eyes to my sin and let me feel the shame for what it does to His name!

6. And in that great mercy comes NEW BIRTH!!!

1 Peter 1:3 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

We were once like the Gentiles.

Blind to the Hope. God was not real, mythological, boring, a crutch. We slandered against God and His people.

Man I would seek OUT Christians for the chance to slander them.

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But God…sweetest words in God’s Word. I know I know…you’ve heard it so many times that it may have lost its effect on you.

You may have heard the story of the guy who MARVELS in this beautiful rose garden in his neighborhood that he drives by on his way to work. So much so, he would often stop and “Smell the roses” on his way home. But then days…turn into weeks…weeks turn into months…months turn into years until he barely notices the garden anymore. The garden has not lost it’s splendor…in fact it has increased in beauty and size and fragrance but it has lost its effect on him.

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But Ya’ll!!!

When I said those words,

But God in His GREAT Mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope not one of ya’ll said Amen.

I ain’t asking for an Amen to my reading ability. You…WE were once dead in our trespasses. We were dead man walking. On a one-way ticket to the lake of fire with NO HOPE!!!

BUT…GOD.

The infinite, ALL powerful, ALL knowing, EVER present God.

The God that is in EVERYTHING but can’t be contained by ANYTHING…Not even HEAVEN.

THAT GOD!

THAT GOD THAT created a BILLION stars with the breath of His Voice.

The God that knit you in your mother’s womb and has EVERY hair on your head counted.

***I can see why that wouldn’t resonate with some of you.

The God that SO loved you He left the SPLENDOR and MAJESTY and GLORY and BEAUTY of SINLESS HEAVEN to Come HERE!!!

TO DIE!!! FOR YOU!!! On a tree HE CREATED.

To suffer at the hands of creatures HE created.

The GOD that WILLINGLY, because of His GREAT love for you went to that rugged cross to Die a death WE were supposed to die ROSE VICTORIOUS AND GLORIOUS on the 3rd day

JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD!!!

THAT GOD!!!

…can you please make some HOLY NOISE for THAT GOD!!!

Come on now…you ain’t gonna get in trouble…1 Peter 3:13 Says Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

But God…in Unbelievable GREAT Mercy…caused us to be Born Again…through the living and abiding Word and the resurrection.

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NOW…we don’t see things the same anymore.

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And that’s what needs to happen here.

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That’s what Peter is hoping [DD6] our good deeds will lead to.

so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

When they see you in your suffering.

When they see you in your persecution.

When they see you disowned by your family.

When they see you receive that diagnosis nobody ever wants to receive.

When they see your way of life be SO beautiful in the midst of all THAT…they will see a beautiful Savior.

And maybe…after seeing what that Savior can do with His grace in all your trials…just maybe the World will change their mind about Christians being evil…and through His MIRACULOUS MERCY…they will turn to God and glorify Him.

Conclusion:

Now I don’t know if Mario ever visited by God and His mercy and received salvation, but I know somebody that did. Another co-worker saw the Slander and the attempted discrediting that Mario attempted on me. And it resonated with him because Mario attempted the same thing on him. And because of the way that God used me during that time period, he has turned to Jesus and surrendering to Jesus has turned his life around. I’m not going to share the details of the before and after, but suffice it to say it was like playing a country record backwards if you know what I mean.

Took:

I have one last thing to say before I pray.

11 Beloved, I urge you ambassadors of Jesus…to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. So that the World will know WHOSE you are.

12 Because you are ambassadors Keep your way of life among the world BEAUTIFUL as the God’s creative work.

so that when they slander you as evildoers,

they may see your BEAUTIFUL Savior, and if God is gracious…receive MIRACULOUS mercy, receive new life and glorify God.

Why? Why is Peter so insistent that he URGES us???

1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

Christians don’t delay.

Non-Christians don’t delay

[DD1]The word for abstain apecho...does the ap negate echo which means have… Apecho has the idea of be distant, be far off...I love this because it doesn’t just mean DON’T DO IT! Or Resist it. Be far off...means to remove yourself from it. Keep it so far away from your. [DD2]Am I adding this passage into the mix? 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. [DD3]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, Jesus also said something about the good on the right and the bad on the left? I’m just saying, I can’t make this stuff up. [DD4]If you’re geeky like me… Abstain apecho Keep echo Echo is the root word translates Have Peter is saying you can have this but you can’t have that. [DD5]Need help saying this better. [DD6]Peter’s most important point is that when they see you…you may be the only Jesus that they’ll ever see.