Standing Strong (9)
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:10
0 ratings
· 8 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Big Idea: God is to be glorified in the life of a believer
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
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.
With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
Imperative: “Arm yourselves”
with the same way of thinking
The same thinking of Christ, who was obedient and willing to suffer
It is better to do right for and suffer for it than to do wrong (previous chapter)
This thinking is not an attitude so much as an insight one has gained into the nature of God’s dealings with people
“Whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin”
1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary (i) For a Christian Who Has Suffered for Doing Right Has Made a Clear Break with Sin (4:1–2)
Therefore whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin means ‘whoever has suffered for doing right, and has still gone on obeying God in spite of the suffering it involved, has made a clear break with sin’. The phrase has ceased from sin cannot mean ‘no longer sins at all’, for certainly that is not true of everyone who has been willing to suffer for doing right, and several passages in Scripture rule out the idea that anyone can be absolutely free from sin in this life. It rather means ‘has made a clear break with sin’, ‘has most definitely acted in a way which shows that obeying God, not avoiding hardship, is the most important motivation for his or her action’. Thus, following through with a decision to obey God even when it will mean physical suffering has a morally strengthening effect on our lives: it commits us more firmly than ever before to a pattern of action where obedience is even more important than our desire to avoid pain.
so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
A change of motivation
Previous motivation was to self, the flesh, the sin nature
Romans 6 living in the flesh vs living by the spirit.
We once were…, now we are…
human passions must be replaced by passions for the will of God
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.
You did enough sin before coming to Christ. “The time that is past suffices”.
The person who comes to understand the folly and seriousness of sin will mourn their past sins, not look back with nostalgia as though they lost something worthwhile.
Satan would convince you that you are missing out on the pleasures of sin. The Bible teaches that true fulfillment is in glorifying God.
Many Christians had participated widely in the ways of the world before being drawn to Christ. But once one comes to embrace and believe the gospel, they say, “I did enough of that already”. In fact, they regret and mourn that they sinned in those ways.
With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
Many believers, including many of you, have experienced this.
Who is surprised?
The people who knew you and sinned alongside you
people in your culture who do not understand why you do not want the same things they want.
People who don’t even know you, but see you as a strange person
Not only are people surprised by your refusal to participate in their vices, they malign you. They mock, they accuse of hypocrisy, etc
but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
We are once again called to trust God’s justice. We do not need to constantly defend ourselves against this maligning. It is enough for us to know that God will judge all.
For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
“those who are dead” refers to believers who have already died
Just like the living, they are judged by people.
Some may judge them unfairly
Some might have seen where the person fell short.
But God will judge based on their profession and the their belief, as he will for all.
The good news for the Christian is that their ultimate judgment will not be based on their own failure or success, but on Christ alone.
So at the funeral of a saint, you may recall some things that they fell short in, but if they were a true believer, then they have the righteousness of Christ based on his work, not their own.
The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
The end of all things. We are in the final stages of history in respect to God’s plan of salvation. The cross, the grace, the resurrection. These are complete. Jesus said his kingdom had come, he said ‘It is finished’
self-controlled and sober-minded: sane, having a sound mind, evaluating situations maturely and correctly
Grudem:
1 Peter: An Introduction and Commentary (i) Pray More and Love Each Other More (4:7–9)
The idea is not simply ‘so that you can pray’ but ‘in order to pray more effectively, more appropriately’, Christians should be alert to events and evaluate them correctly in order to be able to pray more intelligently. Peter’s words also imply that prayer based on knowledge and mature evaluation of a situation is more effective prayer
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
Hospitality is both an action and an attitude
In those days there were not holiday inns
Hospitality could not always be planned
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
Every believer has something to contribute to the growth and strengthening of the body of Christ.
Tom Rainer “I am a church member” country club mindset
Believers are not to be passive observers who attend a church, but active participants
God’s grace comes to individuals who are to use that grace in his service.
whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The gifts to be used in the church should be primarily to build one another up spiritually, and secondarily to serve in physical ways. Every beleiver is called to both:
Elders: teaching and prayer:
Deacons: more service in physical areas to allow the elders to focus on teaching and prayer.
However, Deacons are also to be spiritually mature:
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Note that Stephen was a deacon, but full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
But what if you are not a deacon or elder? Those positions are part of the leadership structure of the church, but every believer is called to so serve one another. Every believer is called to grow spiritually to serve effectively in the church and beyond. We do spiritual work and the work of hospitality and other service.
Conclusion:
ARM yourselves with the same way of thinking (like Christ).
Live for the will of God, not for the flesh
Move on from your past sinful ways.
This will surprise nonbelievers and even cause you to be maligned, but they will be judged by Christ, so don’t always be seeking justice.
Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your pryers.
Love one another earnestly, showing hospitality without grumbling
find out how to serve God in his church
