Living Differently Part 3 - 1 Peter 1:13-25

Introduction

(Possibly recap previous 2 messages)

Living Differently in a World That is Not Our Home:

Today … because we live in a world that is hostile towards Jesus and his followers and obviously don’t agree with Biblical standards … Living Differently in an Unholy Culture

Example: When I first got saved … struggled to fit in

For many, the greatest obstacle to following Jesus is your desire to FIT IN.

Truth: God didn’t create you to fit in … Stand Out! God never says that he wants you to blend in with society, You are to be set apart … Different.

1 Peter 1:13–16 NIV

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

“Therefore” … God’s great mercy - born again … a living hope … an inheritance that is imperishable, never spoil or fade … kept in Heaven. Though for a little while … grief and trials (various kinds) … Faith is being refined like gold.

Verse 13 begins a series of commands (call to action)

1 Peter 1:13 NKJV

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Verse 13: In the original Greek … “gird up the loins of your mind” The idea is to prepare for action … “Roll up your sleeves.” Picture a person tucking his long robe into the belt around the waist in order to run.

1 Kings 18:46 NIV

46 The power of the Lord came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

This is pictured in Exodus 12 when Israel was instructed concerning the passover. (10th and final plaque: the death of the firstborn = Israel’s exodus)

Exodus 12:11 NIV

11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

They were to be ready when God called = we must be ready to obey, follow, speak, and go!

Example: Have you ever had the dream where you show up to school or work only to find out that you forgot your pants? (Psychologists - feeling of stress or inadequacy)

Peter gives several commands on how to Live Differently in an Unholy Culture …

1. Get Dressed

Application: (1) When asked by someone to come over and help do work … don’t show up in shorts, polo, and flip flops like you’re going to a cook out. (2) When you’re in a combat situation … don’t show up in workout clothes.

This is exactly what many Christians do when it comes to spiritual things. They don’t take spiritual battles seriously … lazy when it comes to the scriptures, rarely pray or call upon God for strength.

They don’t take temptation seriously … no accountability and flirt with sin often.

“Be fully sober” or “be sober-minded”

self explanatory … metaphorically … can take literal

“Alcohol is a depressant to our bodies. Some of the visible symptoms you are used to seeing in someone who's drunk – slurred speech, loss of coordination, falling, loss of inhibition, passing out – all of these side effects are a result of our brain cells communicating at a slower rate,”

Example: Cousin Luke at mom’s surprise birthday party: (Caleb 12 years old) “nothing good can come from this.”

Peter used this phrase (fully alert & sober minded) in 2 other verses …

1 Peter 4:7 NIV

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Example: If I knew that there was a dangerous predator (animal) in my neighborhood, I wouldn’t go outside without a gun … certainly wouldn’t send my kids outside.

Sober up and get dressed! Clothe your mind in Scripture and bathe your heart in prayer!

2. Be Alert

Verse 14: Peter 1st … what “obedient children” do not do …

1 Peter 1:14 NIV

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

Example: My mom: “I don’t like you hanging out with that boy!” I don’t like when my kids come home acting like whoever they were just hanging out with.

Romans 12:1–2 NIV

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Peter 1:15–16 NIV

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

**Everyone, even non-believers, have this understanding that religion calls for a different set of rules or guidelines

God is holy, and what is true of God should be true of his people. Holiness, when referring to God, relates to his absolute purity, perfection, completeness and separation from evil. When applied to God’s people, holiness carries the thought of being morally pure, spiritually whole, separated from ungodly ways of the world and set apart for love, service, and worship to God. (The Fire Bible)

Cultural Conflict:

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is happy, so be happy in all you do; for it is written; “Be happy, because I am happy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16

Many people wrongly believe God’s highest calling is your happiness. (God is not your Genie) God’s highest calling for you is not your happiness but your holiness.

Theology of Happiness:

Empowers personal justification: Since I’m not happy I’m allowed to do something that would otherwise be wrong.

Not happy in my marriage - Leave in pursuit of happiness

Want something that I can’t afford - Justify it and go into debt

Dating … know you should wait - But we’re in love and plan on getting married so God will understand

Before you know it, we begin to worship the false god of comfort, money, and pleasure.

God does not exist to serve us, we exist to serve Him!

We’re not called to be happy … We’re called to be holy!

3. Be Weird

Holiness. That’s a strange word for most Americans. And not very attractive, either. The word conjures up images of something that is boring. The world pictures some pious, prudish religious person who’s no fun.

But think of “holiness” as “wholeness.” (Holiness = wholeness), which is where we get the English word, btw.

Holiness is wholly perfect goodness; wholly perfect justice; wholly perfect integrity and love!

We are attracted to that, right? Perfect justice. Perfect beauty. Perfect love.

Nobody wants to marry someone that is only partially truthful, partially faithfully, partially loving?

God is pure goodness; so things like injustice and impurity and deception are repulsive to him.

Habakkuk 1:13 NIV

13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

The Hebrew word for holy (kodesh) means literally “cut away.”

You are cut away from the world--separate. Totally different. You are going to seem weird to everyone around you now because you are literally cut from a different cloth. We’re called to be “out of sync” with the world!

Let me ask…

Financially are you out of sync with this world?

Are you sexually out of sync with the world?

Are you out of sync with the world in how you handle your anger or frustration?

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” Unknown

4. Stand Amazed

1 Peter 1:17 NIV

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.

Literally what he is saying is “live in fear,” which sounds like the opposite of what we usually say the gospel message is. “Perfect love casts out fear,” we say. But the best way to think of fear here is “awe!”

Why stand in awe? We serve a God, he says, who judges impartially.

Everybody is going to be judged fully and impartially based on what they did and why they did it! Nobody is getting away with injustice!

1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

The same God who will judge everyone impartially gave Christ for us, to satisfy God’s judgment against us.

Here’s my response …

Because of who he is and because of what he has done … I want to be holy.

Not that I have to or else … I WANT TO!

Living holy isn’t the path to knowing Christ, knowing Christ is the path to living Holy.

Call to Action:

Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Receive Him, get to know Him, pursue holiness.