Untitled Sermon (3)

to increase in Experiencing Grace and PEACE is to embrace that we are called to

AND what are we called be in 1 Peter ???

EXILES in this WORLD!!!

Over the next FOUR weeks, Peter is going to show us very practically how to be a good Neighbours, good foreign citizens, good workers and a even good spouse…

living in REAL life situations…

…as a people who do NOT belong here but are exactly where GOD wants us to be as we WAIT patiently for the NEW Creation… our new home and new country!

Today is how to be a good neighbour… lets pray!

[PRAYER]

Verses 11-12

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

AMEN this is GOD’s WORD!

[graffiti slide]

Protests in the streets…. Civil unrest.… and Local populations MOVING OUT…Vacation hotspots like Barcelona SPAIN even saw residents taking to graffiti-ing historic buildings with this MESSAGE!

“Tourist Leave”

It is a sentiment many locals in MUSKOKA share, and maybe you are one of them during the Summer☀️ and PEAK colours of the FALL🍁…

CNN reports for many Vacation Cities 2024 was the year that tourism turned nasty – and local communities started pushing back as locals are feeling like increased tourism doesn’t seem to correlate with increased respect for the landscape,

The risk, one expert writes is “loving a place to death.”

AS we consider how to LIVE as Exiles… among LOCALS… Here in 1 Peter 2:11 & 12 GOD shows us how to not be that ‘tourist’…

how not to LOVE a place to death… but rather how to demonstrate GOD’s love for lost and broken people in world where we don’t belong!

With this lens lets go back to

Verse 11 and see how to do this…

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

[Slide ‘Don’t do evil stuff’]

WE DON’T belong here… and while we have been made ALIVE Spiritually… while the affections of our HEART ❤️ CAN now be brought into alignment to GOD in increasing measure by the POWER of GOD in us…

our bodies and our old ways of thinking are still corrupted… still DYING and still waiting for Jesus second coming to be made perfect…

THIS is the flesh part of us that Peter and Paul refer to… our old way of thinking and acting is still there and WAGING war Peter says against our souls…

Paul gives us a list of some of these PASSIONS or works of the flesh in…

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Peter says STOP doing these things… ABSTAIN…

AND The first step in abstaining… is acknowledging that our FLESHLY desires exist

the temptation for each of is REAL. YOURS might be different from mine but all of us are predisposed to some kind of SIN or another.

To ignore this or deny this is a setup for FAILURE

IF Pastors we love like Steve Lawson, Tony Evans or Matt Chandler have FALLEN to varying degrees than so CAN I… and so can you…

Albert Molher’s recent advise rings sound…

“MEN you can not have sex with a woman if you are never alone with her…”

the Billy Graham rule has been ridiculed or ignored long enough… it doesn’t matter how impractical it is… MEN and WOMAN… don’t be alone with the other unless they are your SPOUSE!

AND passions of the flesh extend beyond the sexual…

The Christian who struggles to harness their ANGER… like with LUST should avoid positions and places that increase that temptation… to outbursts

The Christians who struggle with submission, and is prone to being divisive like with Anger should avoid positions and places that increase that temptation to subvert

The Christians who struggle with alcohol like with division should avoid positions and places that increase that temptation to DRUNKENNESS

The Christians who struggle with GREED, like with Alcohol should avoid positions and places that make it easy to deFRAUD, evade TAXS, or otherwise STEAL…

Least we think THEFT is not a temptation for the Christian, remember theft and every sin… every passion of the flesh is waring against us to in varying degrees!!!

Other wise Paul would not have had to write Ephesians 4:28

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

WHILE in EXILE we work honestly… WHICH also ties in our next POINT… and verse

Verse 12

12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable,…

[Slide Be Respectable]

We will take verse 12 in 3 pieces…

The gentiles here is referring to the lost, the unsaved… YES there are gentile Christians meaning ‘not ethnically Jewish’…

but here in this Letter where Peter is writing to a largely Jewish Christian audience he is including putting Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians into a new CREATION category,….

just look at verses 9 & 10 that they are together a ROYAL Priesthood, a new CHOSEN people being built into a new Spiritual HOUSE! The Church!

IN Other words Peter is saying to the CHURCH… as you live among your unbelieving NEIGHBOURS… keep things as honorable as possible OR maybe a better understanding for us is keep things as respectable as you possibly can!

That starts with the reminder in verse 11 that Christians aren’t hitting up the RED LIGHT districts of LIFE… and sadly we need the reminder…

BUT SECONDLY HERE in 12 to state it negatively for Peter at the begin of verse 12 and to put it in today's vernacular…

“Don’t be CRING”

SADLY in the west… many Christians come across as they are depicted in popular culture… as NED Flanders or Angela Martin’s…

I don’t watch these shows nor am I endorsing them BUT we should know that these are unfortunately accurate depictions in many causes

Ned Flanders is a fictional character from the TV show the SIMPSONS…

MOST of my generation grew up on it…, I was not allowed to watch it but remember seeing episodes at friends houses as a kid and being horrified to SEE NED…

Because SADLY I knew several NED’s at my old church and had Ned tendencies!

NED the archetype of an evangelical Christian who is portrayed as awkward, unintelligent and annoying!!!

AND FOR TODAY’s generation it is in the SHOW the OFFICE… Christians are portrayed through the character of Angela Martin…

where her self-proclaimed piety is contrasted only by her snobbery

this is how many of our neighbours see Christians… and it is NOT in an honourable or respectable light, because sadly many Christians spend ALL of their energies judging the WORLD rather than themselves and the CHURCH.

While often Hollywood gets it wrong, unfortunately, here, to OFTEN they are portraying what many who call themselves Christians are… AND even if all of us at Riverside get this respectable thing RIGHT!

our neighbours watch and LAUGH because they can relate… AND so we have our work cut out for us! WE are starting at a disadvantage…

but our mandate… our CALLING representing and experiencing Jesus Christ’s GRACE, PEACE and HOPE places us in a unique position to be GOD’s agents of blessing in our communities!

We can like in Jeremiah’s time in. Jeremiah 29:7

…seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

AND there are seasons when we SEE Communities transformed by the gospel!

BUT we know and Peter knows AND most of all GOD knows that OFTEN even when we abstain from EVIL and participate and pray for our community' to do well…

many unbelievers will FEEL the conviction of their own SIN because we are honest about OURS… and our need for Saviour

Lets go to Middle of verse 12

…so that when they speak against you as evildoers,

[Expect to be accused Slide]

WE can expect to be accused/maligned… even when living honourably

Remember Jesus said in John 15:19

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you

And John said in 1 John 3:13

“Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you."

AN EXAMPLE OF This happened in Acts 16:16

There is this girl who through demonic power is a legit fortune teller… and she makes her owners a ton of money doing it. We are not told much, but what is clear is neither the girl or her people are interested in Gospel or being FREED from the demonic…

Paul and Silas show up in their town, and this girl starts declaring that they are “God’s servants with, who know the way…” AND even though she is following them around seemingly affirming there ministry… THERE is such a thing as BAD publicity… right YOU don’t want Phat Albert as your spokesperson for your weight loss program.

And while neither Paul nor Silas seem eager to perform an exorcism on this slave girl…

Hindered by their shadow, finally an annoyed PAUL casts out the demon… and what should have resulted in celebration… resulted in SLANDER.

We read in Acts 16 verses 19-22

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

PAUL did nothing illegal… he didn’t even touch the girl… all he did was cast out darkness…

BUT BECAUSE the world embraces EVIL… WE WILL OFTEN in the course of our daily living… be faced with having our convictions challenged… NOT because we are trying to be disruptive…

Not because we are judging the WORLD… as Paul instructed us not to…

1 Corinthians 5:12-13

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

I can think of at least three ways in which Christians today will be LABELED as EVIL as we apply GOD’s standard of holiness to ourselves… and those who say they are HIS… who say they are Christians… these are them

Our belief that life is sacred and begins at conception (positively) or (plainly) that abortion is taking a life… and sin. Exodus 20:13 “You shall not take a life”

2) Our belief that life is sacred even near and at the end, even in the face of terminal or mental illnesses (positively) or (plainly) MAID is wrong… that is medical assistance in dying is SIN… Genesis 9:6 “we don’t kill because we are created in God’s image”

3) Our belief that God created Mankind Male and Female and that His intention for Marriage is between one Man and one Woman for life (positively) or (plainly)…

While… where do u start… it would take to long to state all the ways in which the church has embraced the WORLD’s rebellion to God’s design… Genesis 1:27

Again we DO NOT apply God’s standard to those who have rejected Him… AND There is FORGIVENESS for those who turn from their sin in FAITH in Jesus Christ

we apply it ourselves and those claiming FAITH in GOD through Jesus Christ

AND EVEN if WE APPLY it ONLY to ourselves and the church we can still expect to be LABELLED evil in these ways by the WORLD… we can expect to be mailiaged… BUT Peter calls us to respond in a VERY counter culturally WAY

End of verse 12

they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

WE are called to do good stuff!!!

AND these good deeds are supposed to be VISIBLE!!! - "they may see”

Tourist are often known FOR taking resources AWAY from locals and leaving the place a mess… TOURIST… they aren’t here for a long time… just a good time.

SO we are not called to be TOURIST… we HAVE A MISSON… and if you are somewhere on MISSION… you are a MISSIONARY… OUR mission is to MAKE disciples of Jesus CHRIST and DO the good works HE DID!

WE are supposed to contrast the DEAD WORKS of the flesh… with good works that represent the NEW life Jesus came to impart!

Peter leaves no room for our antinomian tendencies… there can be NO ‘Jesus saved me and now I can just do whatever I want because I am chosen for salvation’

…SAVED people don’t think like that

AND the opposite tendency… the other SIDE of the PRIDE coin which is to DO good works to EARN something…we are we cannot earn our salvation

This is why we do good works under our collective PEN NAME of Jesus, His church

Remember versus 1-10 in our NEW identity in Jesus Christ and as a part of His church… His priesthood we also individually become a little more anonymous…

JESUS is the only one made to handle FAME… so lets make HIM famous by declaring everything good thing we do is

1) because of Him at work in us and…. 2) for Him and His glory!

HOW does this WORK??? HOW do we do this well???

First we apply Matthew 6:4 as individuals

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

what seems to be Paradoxical teaching by JESUS actually makes sense…

as individuals we should want to HIDE our giving, and good works to protect our motivation from being corrupted by our fleshly desire for PRIDE.

but as the church… we should apply what Jesus said earlier in Matthew 5:14

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

WE want to magnify JESUS Name together… there is really no room for celebrities in the church… it should just be JESUS and His Church doing what He calls us too!

there is no shortage of NEW TESTAMENT imperatives to do good works!

Romans 12:13

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Marj organizes an amazing ministry of good works here at Riverside… but its not just her, a small army of you COOK and deliver meals to those in the church who find themselves laid up physically!!!

Small groups often rally around each other and even outsider neighbours! Stephen our Deacon of Care organizes dozens of you to help those in our midst who are stuck!

Galatians 6:9-10

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

LET US NOT grow weary of doing good…

The opportunities don’t stop do they… there is always another person to move, meal to cook, appointment to drive someone to…

There is the IJM campaign to raise money to rescue a child from SLAVERY…

OUR PRAYER is to fully fund a rescue!!!

There are shoeboxes to fill for impoverished children around the world!

Please see Tara after the service… and lets send EVEN MORE this year!

“Let us not grow weary”…. Weariness sets in we do it alone…

WEARINESS sets in when we forget WHY

THE WHY is to reap… to see a HARVEST… the JOY of seeing GOD glorified!!!

AND we even do good to our enemies… the ones who slander us and who DON’T presently believe the gospel…

Romans 12:20-21

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

AND to be clear Peter isn’t promising us that the world will CONNECT the dots by seeing our good deeds here and now…

BUT GOD will be glorified when He brings to remembrance these GOOD DEEDS when Jesus Returns!!! We read it in HERE in 1 Peter 2:12

and glorify God on the day of visitation.

The DAY of visitation is the DAY of Jesus return

We READ ABOUT this day in the OT and NT often!

ON THAT DAY We read Romans 14:11

For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

ISN’T amazing that on that DAY… all of the world will have their ‘ah ha’ moment… OH GOD was demonstrating HIS love for me through that Christian neighbour…

OH GOD had His church bring be kind to me and share the gospel…

OH that shoe box… Oh that rescue… oh the pregnancy crisis centre… oh that meal

CHURCH isn’t it amazing that nothing we do will ever be in VAIN…

SO lets not be VAIN God calls us in our EXILE not to be tourists…

whether now or LATER GOD will use the good deeds and works of His church for HIS Glory

the attractions of this WORLD are not for us… where we have liberty and opportunity we should use it BLESS others… AND EVEN WHEN we are accused lets keep doing good stuff!!!

[lets Pray]