Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

/Thirsting for God’s Word/

 

Intro: Grandma’s thirst and Spiritual thirst in 1 Pet 2:2

Opening story- Grandma thirsting, water give and sustains life

-dry lips, Parched tongue,

-As she progressed 80% of her communications were “more water”

-Her thirst for water was insatiable.

Point: Water is foundational to physical life: *She must have it to survive, she must have it to thrive*

 

In the spiritual realm, there is also a source of nourishment that is foundational to creating and maintaining spiritual life.

While physical dehydration often has clear and obvious signs, spiritual malnourishment often goes undetected for months and even years.

What are the signs of spiritual malnourishment?

Weakness to sins temptations, spiritual apathy, lack of affection for God, lack of desire for God’s word, impatience and lack of compassion for others, no joy, no hope, no love.

These are clean signs of a lack of spiritual nourishment in our lives.

God has prescribed a specific source of nourishment that will give us spiritual life and vibrance.

Peter tells us that what we need to survive and to thrive is the word of God.

In 1st Peter chapter 2 he tells us to thirst for the word of God.

 

/READ 1st Peter 1:22-2:3/

 

 

 

Proposition: Three reasons to thirst for God’s word

 

I.

The Message of God’s Word is endures forever

READ 1:23-25

a.     God’s message in the Word is for all men of all times

                                                    i.

ILL: Steve’s realestate books

                                                   ii.

…translations of the Bible (in part or in whole) are available in a total of 2,454 languages.

Why?

 

b.

God’s word compared to man and man’s glory

                                                    i.

READ 1:24-25

                                                   ii.

Man’s glory is like the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow

 

Luke 12:16-21 “Jesus told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive.

17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’

18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years /to come;/ take your ease, eat, drink /and /be merry.”

’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool!

This /very /night your soul is required of you; and /now /who will own what you have prepared?’

Answer: His heirs will squabble and fight, sell what they can, take the rest to Goodwill, and squander what is left and his great grand kids won’t even remember his name.

Is that sad?

That the reality of mans fleeting glory.

It is like the grass.

iii.

God’s word is last and endures forever

1.     Application: No other book like it in the world.

2.     Do you still thirst for God’s Word?

3.     Is your soul thriving and vibrant nourished by God eternal word?

or

Do you find yourself weak, constantly defeated by sin and feeling useless for the building of God’s kingdom?

-?Have you have starved your soul by neglect of God’s word?

-If So, taste again he sweetness of God word and thirst for more.

There is satisfaction and nourishment, yours for the taking.

/ /

/Summary: The 1st reason to thirst for God’s word is that the Message of God’s Word endures forever./

II.

2nd  reason to thirst for God’s word is that you yourself have tasted its sweetness in your own salvation.

READ 1:22-23

a.     (1:22) Your soul has been cleansed by your faith in the Gospel

                                                    i.

OBEDIENCE to the truth

1.     Means: Becoming followers of the truth

                                                   ii.

Obedience to THE TRUTH

1.

The good news of 1 Peter 1

a.     READ 1:18-21

                                                                                                                i.

(1:19) Redemption by Christ’s precious death on the cross

                                                                                                               ii.

(1:21) Christ’s resurrection and glorification

 

b.

You have been made spiritually alive by the living Word of God

                                                    i.

READ 1:23

1.

You have been “born again” by faith in Jesus

                                                   ii.

READ 1:3-4

1.     Result of being born again is that we are now loved children of God

 

/Summary: /

/The 1st reason to thirst for God’s word is that the Message of God’s Word endures forever.

/

/ /

/2nd , because you yourself have tasted its sweetness in your own salvation.

/

/-Your soul has been purified by your faith in the Gospel.

/

/-You have been, born again, made spiritually alive and children of God by the power of the Word./

/Note: Both purified (1:22) and Born again (1:23) are perfect tenses – past action with ongoing results/

 

III.

The 3rd  reason to thirst for God’s word is that God is not finished with you.

God is still changing you through His word today making you fit to serve Him.

a.     READ 2:2-3

b.     ILL: Fawcett puppies dog-pile

c.      Why?

In order that you might “grow in regards to your salvation”

                                                    i.

General sanctification: God changing you to be like Jesus through His Word making you fit for His service.

1.

American mentality that when you retire: put you end labors for society and for the Lord, enjoy life and collect sea shells until you die.

2.

Even sadder, American mentality that once someone can order off the seniors menu at Denny’s their ideas are obsolete, they are done making their contribution, and they watch daytime television, stay out of every ones way and wait to die.

BOTH RETIREMENT TO LEISURE AND RETIREMENT TO USELESSNESS ARE LIES

 

AND TOTALLY CONTRARY TO GODS PLAN FOR GETTING OLD!

 

Interesting: Acts 13:36 “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, he died, and was laid among his fathers…”

            Q: ?

Anyone in the room dead?

-YOU AREN’T DEAD