The Ps of Life

What “P” words can you think of this morning?

Patience, perseverance, pitching, problems, etc.

How are we to live in this world?

This is a primary question I ask each week as I study the Scripture and our text for hours in order to try and answer. If we do not live out the Word of God it matters little what we say it means.

Our world is tired of “fakes” and “inauthentic” people.

We want people to be “real”. Now I realize the paradox of this statement when one realizes the role of social media, YouTube, and others sites in creating “influencers”.

Philippians 3:20 NIV

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

We are meant to live “as if” we are in exile!

1 Peter 2.11 states, “I urge you as foreigners and exiles…” This is an important concept we must lean into. This world is not our home. Jeremiah has a lot to say about this truth.

Big Idea: Take a long-term view for Jesus.

If I could try to sum up in one phrase what this passage is about it is this. So many times I am thinking short term. I think of only in this world but not the world to come.

God has a plan.

We need to remember this. God is still in charge. He will never not be in charge but one day all will bow stating “he is the rightful ruler”.

Isaiah 55:8 NIV

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

The Shalom of God if all-encompassing.

In our text we see the shalom of God most prominently in verses 7 and 11. Yet, what we normally translate peace is such a small idea of what it means. Other words: wholeness, welfare, prosperity, success, salvation, complete, intactness, deliverance, state of health.

Shalom comes from seeking the Lord.

This is our job.

Shalom is needed in our world.

The all-encompassing shalom of God must be resurrected by us God’s people for the places we live.

We need the kingdom of God to rule over us.

Yet this is hard is it not.

The Lord’s Prayer.

I have had this on repeat recently.