1 Peter 1:22-2:10
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Big Idea:
Big Idea:
God’s word (ultimately Jesus) changes everything.
Just preach the word about the Word
Intro:
Intro:
Good morning church,
I’m so excited to preach God’s word to you this morning. If you’re new to The River Church, or maybe haven’t been here the past few weeks, we’re currently going verse-by-verse through the book of 1 Peter.
It’s a letter written to the early church from the apostle Peter (someone who closely followed Jesus during His time here on earth). His life was radically transformed by Jesus. And he writes to a group of churches who were trying to follow Jesus when things in the world weren’t going right.
Does that sound like something we can learn from too? Any followers of Jesus finding it difficult to do that today?
These churches were suffering. Some of it was normal, daily grind type of stuff - maybe similar to the difficulties we face today as Christians. Others faced major things, like dying for their faith.
In all these things, people were struggling with how to respond. And some were giving up on Jesus. And so, Peter writes reminding them of…
The special salvation Jesus has invited them (and us) into. Have you ever asked, “Is this all there is?” or said, “There’s got to be more to life than this!” This question exists because God has planted eternity into our hearts. We intuitively understand we were made for more. And that “more,” is life in relationship with God. Sin made that impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible. And Jesus did the impossible by paying for our sins at the cross, so that our relationship with God could be restored. Because of Jesus, we have been invited into something special!
Additionally, (and what we talked about last week is) we need to “lock in and live holy, because Jesus is changing lives.” Because of what Jesus has done for us, we to take our faith and relationship with Jesus seriously!
And today, as we finish up chapter 1 and begin chapter 2, Peter will remind his audience (which includes us) of something else to remember. He begins in verse 22 by saying, “Having purified your soul…”
Exegesis:
Exegesis:
What does this mean? How have we purified our souls? Simply put, Peter is still talking about the special salvation we have in Jesus…
Sin corrupted our human souls. And when I say “soul,” there’s no need to force comparing our physical body verses our spirit or even our soul. While there are instances when Scripture directly speaks to these distinct and real parts of our personhood, but other times (and maybe even more consistently) the Bible speaks about our personhood holistically. And here, the reference to our “souls” is simply a holistic reference to our lives.
Sin has corrupted our lives. We inherited the curse from our sinful parents, going all the way back to Adam and Eve, the first humans who sinned. But we’re also corrupted by our personal sins. The times we willfully rebelled against God. And this sin separated us from God.
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
That’s good news. That’s the gospel. The truth is…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
And for those of us who have turned from our sin (repented), and put our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we (our souls) have been FOREVER FORGIVEN (purified). That’s what Peter means when he goes onto write… “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth (the gospel)…”
But let’s pause again and take:
This opportunity for us to ask ourselves, “Is this passage talking about me? Has my soul been purified?”
I want to say one more thing about the way Peter writes the word “purified.” In the Greek (the original language), it’s written in the perfect tense.
When something is written in the perfect tense, it speaks of a completed action. Something that is already true and applied. Additionally, this completed action has ongoing results.
I feel this is worth mentioning because the perfect tense is not only used for the “purified,” but it’s also used when Jesus, on the cross, said…
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
This matters because we need to realize that our salvation is perfectly complete in Jesus.
It requires nothing from us except faith.
We don’t maintain or keep it.
No good works necessary (although good works/fruit is a by product of salvation).
Our salvation (the purification of our souls) is completely ours with results continuing into eternity.
The apostle Paul said it this way…
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Think about how important this is to a church that is suffering. Think about how important this truth is to us! That nothing in this world can take heaven from us. Therefore, endure!
Let’s continue…
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
God saved us for a reason. For love. Because God loved us. And so we could love Him back. But Peter is specific here… he says, “brotherly love.” While God invites us into a personal relationship, He is - at the same time - inviting us into a community.
This is important to God. Isolation is not a Kingdom value. Relationship is. That’s why Peter writes, “love one another” in command form. We’re instructed to take this seriously.
So, how do we do that? If you haven’t noticed, we’ve only discussed one verse so far, and there are 13 verse left in today’s passage, so… time does not permit me to dive too deep here, but here are some biblical suggestions to guide our practice of brotherly love…
Genuinely care for other people. Consider putting their needs first. Make time for people. Listen to them. Love listens.
Give people a lot of grace. Remember, we’re ALL a bunch of sinners. Yet, the bible teaches us that “love covers a multitude of sins.” That’s what Peter actually writes in chapter 4 (verse 8). And grace is when we give people what they don’t deserve. Jesus loved and saved us by grace. We don’t deserve it. Therefore, we love people that way too. Yes, what they did sucked. It was wrong. But, love them anyways. Give them grace.
And not only give them grace, but forgive them. Let’s be real. Ain’t nobody got time for bitterness and grudges. And Jesus doesn’t do that. Jesus forgives. And we should too. I know that’s hard. I know there are complexities. But in the end, we love people by forgiving them, because that’s what Jesus did for us.
But it makes me ask, “Why bring up love here?”
Again, think about the context of this letter. Persecution. Suffering. We have a very real enemy in this world. The Bible refers to him as Satan or Lucifer or the devil. And he has an army of spiritual darkness that hates humans (who are made in the image of God). And their main objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. And they are good at it. They’ve been doing it for a long time.
And one demonic strategy is not simply attacking the individual (which they will do), but also causing the individuals to start attacking each other. A great way to destroy a church is to get the members to stop loving one another.
On the other hand, being unified in love, even if we suffer, makes us strong. We can carry each others burdens. We can pray for and protect one another. And that’s why Peter reminds this suffering church (and us) about love. Love is how we endure difficult seasons.
Ready to move past verse 22?
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Growing up, I rarely had a man around to teach me things. I had to figure out a lot on my own. One of those things is how to cook meat. I’m terrible at it. I’ve ruined a lot of expensive meat. I never had a dad present to show me the art of bbq-ing.
Last year, after Man Camp (which is coming up men), we had a Men’s Steak Night. That night, (our friend) Marcel jumped on the bbq. Thank you Jesus.
The meat coming off that grill might as well have been falling from heaven. And yes, I personally believe there will be heavenly bbq. How is that possible without death? I don’t know, but my God can do the impossible!
Here’s what’s crazy. Bro was using just salt as seasoning. And the meat was fantastic. Here’s the lesson I learned: The cook changes everything.
Peter is teaching us a similar lesson: The word of God changes everything.
First off…
It was the word of God (the gospel - the good news about Jesus communicated through words) that purified your souls.
It was the word of God that caused you to be born again. You were born a sinner condemned to eternal judgment. But the word of God changed your destiny. It gave you a fresh start with God.
And the word of God is like nothing on earth. Everything we experience in this world is perishable or temporary. Some things change our lives… for a while. Money, fitness, fame, relationships. But they eventually fade! And we’re stuck looking for something more…
But the word of God is different. It’s not like the latest diet fade. I know a lot about this. All my life, I struggled with my weight. I’ve tried them all. And a lot worked… for a while. But none were sustainable. And the weight comes back. I was 175lbs last year. I’m back up to 190.
But God’s word transforms us permanently. We are NEW creations in Christ. That’s the sense of Peter quoting Isaiah in verses 24 & 25. The word of God has changed your life forever!
That’s why I love God’s word. That’s why we teach it on Sundays and throughout the week. It changes everything! It’s the power of God for salvation. And it’s simple. It requires nothing fancy. Like Marcel’s cooking… a little salt and then LET.HIM.COOK.
When we let the Word cook in our lives, it changes everything.
…Now, consider this within the context of Peter’s audience. People were giving up on the faith. And Peter says, “I need you to understand this… You can’t give up. Don’t you understand what has happened to you? You’ve been transformed by the eternal word of God!!!”
Then he continues…
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
Apparently, the devil’s strategy was already working. The church started suffering and turned on each other…
Malice is another word for evil. Evil was motivating the in-church fighting…
Deceit is when people lie to you face-to-face.
Hypocrisy is being fake. Acting one way at Youth Group and then completely different at school.
Envy is being jealous of what others have, which often leads to…
Slander - or talking negatively behind people’s backs. Gossip is demonic.
These things have no place in God’s family. They are strategic weapons of the devil aimed at destroying God’s people. And Peter says, “God’s word has transformed you! So, why are you acting like it hasn’t?”
Put that away! Another way to translate it is, “Take those filthy clothes off. Shoot them into a trash can and yell KOBE or CURRY or CAITLIN!” Instead…
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
I know a lot about this right now. I have a 2-week-old baby at home. Babies long for milk. All the time. They care not about your sleep. But, that’s what supposed to happen. That’s how a healthy baby grows!
And Peter, building on the earlier phrase of being “born again,” says that as newborn infants, you’re supposed to long for God’s word. This world gives us a lot of things to focus on. A lot of distractions. Negative things. Especially when times are tough. But Peter reminds us, circumstances do not rule over those who belong to Christ.
Therefore, no matter what happens, focus on the pure milk - the word of God - which has transformed your life and will continue to do so!
But then he says….
if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Hey - Peter is a real one. Remember, he’s not a politician or professional priest whose livelihood depends on people pleasing. They tell you whatever you want to hear because they need your votes or donations.
Peter is a fisherman transformed by God’s word. His King is Jesus. And His provision comes from God. His only responsibility is to preach the truth of God. And he makes a very tough statement…
Some people do not respond to the word of God appropriately because… they have not actually tasted the Lord is good. They are faking it. They are just checking the weekly religious box.
Here’s a hard truth to consider: How do we respond to God’s word?
When it is preached here on Sunday mornings. When you are challenged with reading your Bible. Do you long for it? Or do you reject it?
Mairin, my new baby girl is a little early. She’s small. So, the doctors have us religiously watching her weight and how much milk she drinks. If she doesn’t eat, something is wrong. Because healthy newborn infants long for milk.
My friends, be honest. Do you long for the pure spiritual milk? Do you read God’s word? If not, something is wrong. It might mean you are spiritually unhealthy. Or, even worst, you don’t belong to God’s family. You have never been transformed by the word of God.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 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.”
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,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
As Peter teaches about God’s word, we need to understand that it refers to Scripture (Bible), but also Jesus.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the ultimate word of God. And as Peter has us consider the Word, he connects it to two options:
You can build your life on Jesus - the Word of God.
Or, you can reject God’s word (reject Jesus) and have your life fall apart.
And that leaves us with two questions:
What or Who am I building my life upon? Is it Jesus?
Are things falling apart in your life? Maybe you’re not building upon Jesus.
Peter is throwing spiritual haymakers. But please realize the man who just commanded us to love is not being a hypocrite. His goal is not to be harsh. Rather, these harsh truths lead to hope…
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.
Be willing to examine yourself with Peter’s harsh questions. But afterwards, however you’ve been presently responding to God’s word, remember, the truth is - for those who have genuinely put their faith in Jesus and been transformed by His Word - You ARE a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people…
Kinda weird language. Let’s put it this way: You are loved by God.
You belong to God’s family. In the same way the Father loves Jesus, the Son of God, He loves you. What belongs to Jesus now belongs to you too. This is what God’s word has done in your life… it’s changed everything!
Some of us need to be encouraged by this. We’ve been terrible Christians. Not living like children of God. Not recognizing we’ve been transformed by the Word. And we know it. And it doesn’t help that we’ve been suffering. We’ve been acting the fool. And we are ashamed of it. That’s harsh…
But Peter shares hope. He says, “Beloved children of God, I REALLY NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS, Jesus (the Word of God) changed everything for you.
You belong to Him. And what He wants is for you to simply live like it. And here’s where you can start… instead of running away, instead of talking trash about your neighbor… GO TELL PEOPLE HOW JESUS HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE. How He called you out of darkness into marvelous light.
How do we do that? Here’s a two suggestions:
Love people. Practice some of the suggestions I gave earlier. Show them the gospel by how you live.
Read God’s word and then share it. Text someone a verse. Share it on social media. Nothing fancy. (Landon?) It has the power to change people all on it’s own.
But let me finish with this…
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.
This verse is connected to the last. It’s intended to help Peter’s audience remember how God’s word has changed everything. But I think it has an additional application…
Response:
Response:
As we close (and the worship team comes up) maybe you’ve had to wrestle with some tough questions…
You don’t know if your soul has been purified by the gospel.
You realize that you don’t long for the word of God…
You haven’t built your life upon Jesus. You haven’t tasted that the Lord is good. You’ve rejected it and know that if you were to die today and face God’s judgment, things would fall apart.
The truth is, the Word of God (even though you have come to The River Church often… where the Word is often preached) has NOT changed your life.
And here’s another tough truth… it’s NOT because the Word of God isn’t working…
Remember…
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
The phase translated, “that by it you may grow up…” is written in the subjunctive mood. What that means is God’s given you a choice. God’s word changes everything. But you gotta receive it.
You can let my friend Marcel cook. He WILL cook the meat to perfection. But you have to choose to eat it. You have to taste and see that cook is good.
The word of God has the power to change everything for you today. It can make you a new creation. It can give you eternal life in Jesus Christ. You can start over and be born again, but you have to CHOOSE to receive it by faith.
Here’s the good news. The word of God that has been preached for the past 30-mins is working RIGHT NOW. It’s been softening your heart. It’s reaching out to you in love. By it, Jesus whispers to your heart to come back home to His family.
Right now, you are not one of His people and have no received mercy. But that can change right now. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. You can receive mercy and come home today. All you need to do is receive the Word. Do you need to receive Jesus today?
If so, let’s all pray together…
Today Jesus, I hear Your Word. It’s reminding me of things. It’s speaking to my heart in fresh ways. It’s calling me. In the past, I’ve rejected it. But today, it’s changing me. Today is the day of salvation. So, Jesus, I just want to tell You I’m turning from my sins and following You as Lord. Please save me. I want to be born again. I want to belong to Your family. And now, I will not only follow You, but I’m going to tell others about how you brought me out of darkness and into this marvelous light. Thank you Jesus. Amen.