5.7.38 8.18.2019 1 Peter 2.11-12 Inside/Outside

Entice: It does not take a lengthly text to teach a powerful lesson. I am grateful for that. Sometimes the result is even a shorter sermon! My basic rule is to follow the natural contours of the text. Modern translations try to follow the text's logical structure as well. Sometimes they get it right. Other times they flinch. They look at two verses and think "too small." "Not enough there". "This can't be a whole paragraph."Today we are looking at two verses. One tiny paragraph. Two revolutionary verses. The rest of and 3 require us to understand these verses in their clarity and power.

Entice: It does not take a lengthly text to teach a powerful lesson. I am grateful for that. Sometimes the result is even a shorter sermon! My basic rule is to follow the natural

contours of the text. Modern translations try to follow the text's logical structure as well. Sometimes they get it right. Other times they flinch. They look at two verses and think "too

small." "Not enough there". "This can't be a whole paragraph."Today we are looking at two verses. One tiny paragraph. Two revolutionary verses. The rest of and 3 require

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.

us to understand these verses in their clarity and power.

Engage: Last week we looked at the Church as a place created by God for us to have a sense of belonging. That is crucial because our faith makes us outcasts, illegal aliens, sojourners or exiles in this fallen world. Can you think of some things that make you feel like you are not a part of our present fallen culture?

sojourners or exiles in this fallen world. Can you think of some things that make you feel like you are not a part of our present fallen culture?

How life is or is not valued.

The flaunting of aberrant sexual morals.

Pointless accusations about the "true motives" of the Christian community.

The widespread perception that Christians individually and the Church collectively are all haters.

Now for the hard part:

We are neither directed nor expected by God to respond in kind.

The best argument for Christ and His Church, the argument at the heart of this text is our redeemed, righteous, holy living.

The best argument for Christ and His Church is our redeemed, righteous, holy living.

Expand: The Church should have a counter-cultural presence in the world. The world works either to assimilate or humiliate. It celebrates those who assimilate and humiliates those who refuse. Accusations fly. Assumptions are presented as facts. Malice is an ascribed certainty. Peter does not direct us to out argue those who despise us-but to out love, out righteous, out abstain, out forgive, out behave our enemies.

Expand: The Church should have a counter-cultural presence in the world. The world works either to assimilate or humiliate. It celebrates those who assimilate and humiliates

those who refuse. Accusations fly. Assumptions are presented as facts. Malice is an ascribed certainty. Peter does not say to out argue those who despise us-but to out love, out

righteous, out abstain, out forgive, out behave our enemies.

Excite: This is not easy for us because arguing can be invigorating. Fighting is fun! Conflict seems confirming...Self-denial, honorable conduct, doing the right thing…That's…That's the kind of thing that Got Jesus nailed to a cross….

Excite: This is not easy because arguing can be invigorating. Self-denial, honorable conduct, doing the right thing…That's…That's the kind of thing that Got Jesus nailed to a

cross….

Exactly

Explore: Comprehensive holiness is transforming and attractive.

Explore:

Comprehensive holiness is transforming and attractive.

Explain: There are two expressions of this holiness.

First in verse 11 Peter discusses

Body of Sermon:

Internal

Holiness.

You are not alone.

(You are beloved though an alien, you are beloved in exile)

You are able.

(Peter exhorts us to the effort needed to do what God expects. What He expects he enables)

You can abstain...or be attacked.

(Your behavior provides the logistics for the war against you)

Next Peter addresses the dynamic of

v. 12 External

External

holiness

It all begins with right conduct.

Holiness expressed is Good conduct.

It all begins with right conduct.

Holiness exposes the great contradiction.

(How can the world see good deeds and call us evil?)

Holiness enables a glorious confession.

The goal of our good conduct is not for people to say aren’t those people great but for them to say…isn’t God good, isn’t grace awesome, let us accept and praise Him in His glorious, saving visitation!

Cresting the horizon of holiness...

There is more to come. Peter is not near finished addressing our conduct. His admonitions will in the coming verses address the specifics of politics, family, and economic relationships. We are not ready to hear those specifics until we have mastered the central principle. How we act individually and corporately largely determines what our culture will think of us.

relationships. We are not ready to hear those specifics until we have mastered the central principle. How we act individually and corporately largely determines what our culture

will think of us.

We are not called to challenge and change their thinking by manning the picket lines, stuffing the ballot-box, or arguing on Facebook. We are called to out love, out abstain, out holy, out share, out minister, the world. Maybe when Peter wrote these words the previous thought of Jesus was in his mind. Remember, Jesus stated the same idea like this….

holy, out share, out minister, the world. Jesus put it like this….

Matthew 5:16 ESV

16 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.

“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.”

( ESV)

Together we can crest the horizon of holiness, not so that we can become spiritual giants but in order that our lives may be attractive in the midst of a very ugly world. So that those who are hopeless may see in us a hopeful people. So that those who are lost realize that they can be found. So that those who are broken can be fixed. So that those who now praise the genius of man may instead give praise to the grace of God. Can you see it in the distance? A world without sin, tears, heartache, or loss. A world filled with praises to His glory. We can't get there our wits or audacity but by being constantly transformed by our Holy God.

those who are hopeless may see in us a hopeful people. So that those who are lost realize that they can be found. So that those who are broken can be fixed. So that those who

now praise the genius of man may instead give praise to the grace of God. Can you see it in the distance? A world without sin, tears, heartache, or loss. A world filled with praises

to His glory. We can't get there our wits or audacity but by being constantly transformed by our Holy God.

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