Right Reverence
Notes
Transcript
Good morning and welcome!
If you have your bibles, on turn them to the book of 1 Peter 1:17-21.
We are continuingin the book of 1st Peter…
A last, we looked at 1 Peter 1:14-19. On Holiness
We saw Peter’s highlighting the Holiness Is Modelled by the Lord, GIVEN BY THE LORD,
and Expected by the Lord!
Throughout 1st Peter – Peter goes back and forth with Imperative and Indicative
Imperativebeing the commands given.
Indicative being the motivations to carry out the command.
Both are important in that we don’t become driven by legalism, nor do stoop antinomianism
(law is irrelevant)…Peter gives us both…so we should embrace both!
Look around our world today,
and you’ll see deep brokenness, self-justification, and anger all around.
Sadly, much of modern Christianityhas responded with a superficial gospel—
one that asks for low commitment, avoids real repentance,
and leavesus with a weak Savior who can't handle our real struggles.
Most of us carry a hidden versionof ourselves,
fearing that if God really saw the mess of our hearts, He’d condemn us—
so we keep our faith surface-level and our Savior at a safe distance.
But 1 Peter 1:17–21 confronts our superficiality.
It shows us that the God who knows every detail of your life
is both your impartial Judge and your lovingFather.
He didn't save you with cheap, perishable things;
He boughtyou with the precious blood of His own Son,
plannedbefore the foundation of the world.
Today, we’re going to see whytrue fear of God doesn't drive us away in terror—
it draws us close to a real Savior in awe, worship, and gospel hope.
Sermon Summary: Fear God’s holiness, trust Christ’s redemption, and live with gospel hope.
------------------------------ *****
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
I. Fear Comes From Knowing (v.17-19)
I. Fear Comes From Knowing (v.17-19)
It often it takes an author time to develop a point…
and a preacher even longer to emphasize it…
Meanwhile, there is a tendency within the human heart
and the listen to default towards a mindset, ok, I’ve heard this before…
and are you just pressing repeat….
In handling the 1st chapter of Peter, it may feel this way,
but only because the word of God is presenting a consistent theme within this text!
The burden of Peter has been that of Holiness and righteous living
in light of what Christ has done…
And that will continue to be his point, within this text…
So we have fittingly spent a lot of time on the subject of holiness
and what it means to live holy lives!
Peter will continue to do this, throughout the book,
but we cannot ignore it or settle for something less.
Peter continues here with the conjunction “And”
So he is continuing his thought from the preceding verses…namely that of living a holy life!
A life that is honor to the Lord and other worldly!
Living in a way that says, my hope is in Christ!
So he continues to bridge the thought…
And if you “call on Him as father.”
Recall back, we have been called – God called us out!
We have been redeem, further -> we are children!
And God is….OUR FATHER!
All things Peter has been arguing so far….
Note now – He introduces the language of judgment…and fear….
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
What is Peter doing here…
Fear (is intended) motivate and move us….and it intended to drive us to worship!
I think if you were to ask most people what it means to Fear the Lord…
They would respond in this way –
Well it means to be in reverence and awe of him…
Parker, it doesn’t mean that we are afraid…
and it doesn’t mean scared as much it means respect! (anyone heard this?)
And I would say to you, I too once thought that way…
But I think it falls short of what the purest sense of what it meant to “fear the Lord”
------------------------------
If we were to progress is what it means to fear…
And begin with a basic sense of fear…what it feels like…
It means, well….fear…I’m afraid…
And if we approach God in this understanding…
We hide from him….we are shame-filled….
We know God to be just and is out to crush me!
He is not approachable…WE should hide! Gen. 3
And if we continue down that road…. (growing in the fear of the Lord)
That we live in “awe” of Him (where most of us end)….
He is revered and Holy…due reverence…but also, still seemingly distant!
Because “fear” hasn’t grown to its biblical conclusion…
And my point is that fear goes beyond “freight, and beyond, awe and reverence..”
In that as we know – God (Key term)….
we grow in our understand of Him…and fearing Him, rightly turns to worship….
1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing
In learning and growing in the person of God…
.we realize that the God who is set apart…and holy and is to be revered!
Also, He becomes personal, intimate….He draws close to you….He loves you!
And the bible does this….And thinking about this…
you this most clearly in Jesus Christ…revealing to us Father, and the heart of the Father..
27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus is showing to us the heart of the Father…
and we’ve seen little glimpses of it…all in the Old testament…
He is gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love….
He meets us in mercy…He lifts up the broken, the lifts up the widow, the oppressed!
He comes to Adam and Eve in the come – who run from Him in fear!
He doesn’t crush them! He instead provides a covering….
And God will never excuse their sin, and it will come with a price!
But ultimately, it will be Lord who paid their fine!
It is a fearful thing to fall into the living God! Hebrews 10:31
And it is! ….So that fear should move us!
It should move us to reverence….it should move us to fear and tremble…
To grow into awe and reverence….
And seeing His son!
Who is Gentle and Lowly in heart….Who loves sinners.
Who meets us with Mercy----this is the heart of the Father!
He is the redeemer!
And to know the very one, who we should fear…and could crush us!
Could execute judgement and condemn us…paid our fine for us!
And when we do that!
Fear – and the height of fear isn’t merely awe, but TRUE worship!
We see the justice and holiness of God
come into perfect harmony with the love and mercy of God…
Seen in the Son of God, Jesus Christ!
I’m gentle and lowly in heart….
Come to me!!! Bring your pain, guilt….your weakness! Insecurity!
And everything within us says….RUN!!! FEAR!!!
We hear Jesus calling to us….Come to me!
So we don’t run, we draw near, we don’t stand at a distance…we come close!
We worship! We submit!
And this is why…this root of all of it….is the gospel!
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
As we grow in a gospelunderstanding of who God is…
and what’s he’s done for us in Christ!
Our Fear grows to AWE…
and AWE turns to true fear…and WORSHIPour great Savior!
And the one who could bring about judgmentand condemnation….paid our fine!
But you know what’s the default of most Christians?
It’s a weak gospel…and a weak savior…
we mistake gentleness for “weakness”
And a Jesus who really can’t deal with my mess or want my mess!
So we gotta keep it real superficial… I’m not really all that bad!!!!
Just tell a lie every now and then…
maybe slip up and say something I shouldn’t once and a while.
And you’re Jesus is perfectly content…to deal with that…and redeem you from that.
What if He really knew your deep thoughts…
men, when you feel like a worthless husband
because and the inadequacy you feel about your life and life…
And you think it’s all your fault!
You’re depressedand feel worthless and don’t measure up!
Can Jesus handle that version of you?
We don’t like to bring that kind of stuff to Jesus,
because men aren’t supposed to feel that way…and well, Jesus wouldn’t welcome that..
What about your unbelief? (Jesus ready to hear you bring that to Him?)
Looking at a woman with lust…Can you really bring that to Jesus?
You’ve glanced at a screen to long again…
maybe went down a click to far,
Can Jesus deal with that?
Oh, well He really wouldn’t understand…. I’m not that bad…see
Just tell a lie every nowand then…
Maybe slip up and say something I shouldn’t once and a while
And we never really deal with the real issues.
Ladies – what about your feelings of inadequacy?
When you believe, I can’t keep it up…I feel like quitting. I don’t feel loved…
Lifeis about to crush me altogether…I can’t get it off my mind or my heart.
And I think Jesus cares, but I don’treally know if
He wantsto deal with those things or hear about them!
And I’ll tell you folks…
So long we think fear, only means reverence…we’ll keep our savior at a distance…
And honestly….in some strange way, it kind of works to our advantage…
because we don’t have to deal with the true mess of our heart and lives….
But Jesus says,
I’m gentle and lowly in heart….
Come to me!!!
And when we do that! – It changes our world…
when we know we can bring it all to him…
Because He is our savior!
And, listen…Preachers and Pulpits haven’t help for so long…
We’ve preached a gospel of easy believe-ism….sinner’s prayers…and void of repentance.
We’ve preached a superficial gospel!
And as result…we have superficial Christians.
FOLKS, this SIN runs DEEP within you….
Do you have any idea, how deep it runs?
FLIP on the news!!...
Everyone feeling justified in their own actions…
On both sides!! We’re right, their wrong!
And I’ll tell what’s rising to the surface it just to peak of the iceberg of the real brokenness
and sinful of hearts and our world!
(we’ll justify our actions until the day is long….
and a superficial gospel, just scratches the surfaces,
and never gets to problem of the heart!)
You’re envy!
You’re malice towards another person…
You’re hatred of your fellow man!
You’re Pride!!
And the problem. Is when we notice those things within us…
we run from them.
And ignore it!
but they are there!!!
And they’ll remain there,
so long as ignore them, or thing we can cover them…
Or serve a Christ,
who really isn’t concerned with them or wants to confront them…
And it’s really messy folks…sin is messy…
and I don’t think we know the half of it,
when we say Jesus is the answer….He is!
In every sense!
But we haven’t preached or modelled our lives after a Jesus
that can really deal with the mess of sin…
and for so long, we haven’t needed one…
Sin in heart… (that’s just at the surface)
And you dig into that…anger, malice, hatred, pride. Is what’s at the heartthere!
Lawlessness – Well, I’m justifiedin my actions!)
And you dig into that…rebellion, bitterness, anger, pride….
You see what I’m saying folks!
Not to mention– the deep, deep brokenness we feel that the sin of othershas caused!!
And there is real pain, realtears, real hurt, real brokenness, real sin, in real life…
we need a real savior!
This isn’t just cutand dry, like we want it to be…this sin runs deep!
And oh yeah, Jesus can and will deal with it…
but I wonder, if we trust Him to…in our own life.
(how it relates to the church, no time here.)…
torn down all the dividing wallsof hostility.
Have we preached and believed a gospel that is truly good news...
or have we preached and believed a gospel that really just makes us comfortable.
And Yes –
Jesus is the answer, there is a lotof junk, He has to rid us of…
and He can, and does in a moment!!
But we want to feel wells up againwith self…
when we need to continually come to him, instead!
But Jesus says,
I’m gentle and lowly in heart….
Come to me!!!
What’s the point!
I think it’s Peter’s point….
You’ve been ransomedfrom your futile ways….
And do you know the price required of it!?
It’s the precious blood of Christ!
And the Judge, who could judge you and condemn you…is your father…
Know everything about you!!!
Paid the fine for you!
You live a life in submission to him….
He is your father….He is your judge!
So LIVE in FEAR!
But live in FEAR KNOWING WHO HE IS….And Worship Him!
Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ
That is what Peteris getting at here….
That is what it looks like to conduct yourself
in “fear”… God will judge; we knowHe will…
And so we live in fear…not merely awe, or reference, but in worship!
Because we know and have believed the gospel!
He redeemedus! From all the sin and the futile mess we were living in before!
He gave His life, to redeem us!
------------------------------------
II. Anchor Your Hope in Christ’s Redemption (v.20-21)
II. Anchor Your Hope in Christ’s Redemption (v.20-21)
All of this….this gospel…redemption…
Was first off foreknown!
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
It wasn’t some afterthought…and God shuffling His hands and wonder,
well what am I going to do about the dilemma of man!
It was conceived in God’s heart from the very beginning!
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Matthew 13:35
Matthew 25:34
Luke 11:50
Romans 8:28-30
Romans 16:25-27
Hebrews 4:3
Hebrews 9:26
Rev. 13:8
Rev. 17:8
All these passage, pointing us to the reality….
Christ and the redeeming Christ would bring,
wasn’t just a forethought…
And foreknowledge isn’t just the ability to see the plan of redemption,
but to accomplish it in Christ!
Hence why Peter, says
He was foreknown before the foundation, but is know “MADE MANIFEST!”
The plan is revealed!
And note the language….It was revealed for your sake!
This isn’t just awareness…this is accomplishing!
And its for the sake of these Gentiles….these “exiles”
Now, if you are an exile and just merely passing through…
you have no stake or no claim….nothing is sure, nothing is promised!
But note what Peter is saying –
You have a hope…..You have assurance…
Even as exiles, and as one passing through…
you aren’t at home, but you have Hope….
Because of Christ and IN CHRIST!
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
And you beginto see the development Peter is making…
Christ redeemed us! He paid the price for us!
He seal us by His redemption…
and revealing that this gospel (before the foundation of the world)
is now ours in Christ!
We are sealed!
We believe in Him! We place our confidence on Him!
And also believe….(v.21).
Through HIM!
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Christ is BIG!
His Gospel is BIG!
Peter says this gospel (live, death, resurrection of Jesus from the dead)….
The glory that is due to Him…
Is all for the purpose.
1 Peter 1:21
21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Your faith! …..Your confidence…. Aliens and Strangers!
It rests in God!
God planned it!
God accomplished it!
God Brought it about!
God will finish it!
Peter’s Pointis that God will not fail you!
He hasn’t and He never will! CLING TO CHRIST!
But also your hope!
And it’s not some dead hope…
or dead promises that the worldtries to give you!
Human traditions, idolatrous religions,
and the things of this world…offer only empty illusions…
They are broken cisterns and systems, that hold no water!
Instead, Hope is only realized with faith,
and faith in the God who raise Christ Jesus from the dead!
And He is the same Lord, Peter witnessed on the 1stEaster Sunday!
At First, only saw an empty Grave….then the RISEN LORD and LIVING HOPE!
And Peter is proclaiming to us-
God will not fail you!
He Is risen…
HE is the Lord who drew near to me, and prayed for me!
He restored me, after I failed Him!
And HE’s redeemed you, as well!
And all of it, should culminate, in a life of fear….A life of worship!
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
So I conclude the way I began in reading the text
and may it echo so that we feel the full weight of it…
The word of God carries its own authority, by the author, God Himself…
so may we hear it and respond accordingly!
17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
