Live from the Battlefield
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Bad house guests
War correspondents doing their work in hostile territory
We feel like we are in hostile territory: changing culture, legal protections, less respect for Christians and churches. It is scary at worst and uncomfortable at best. How do we respond?
Do we take up arms? Civil disobedience? Social media rants and chain emails?
Like a Chinese finger trap, the harder we pull the tighter it gets. Jesus invites us to something better: live as such excellent citizens, motivated by such an unthinkable love and unspeakable power, that the whole system is blown up from within. Make yourself a person of such esteem that, even if they think of “Christians” or “evangelicals” as wicked people, they will respect your good works, and give you an opportunity to share the gospel with them.
We are pilgrims and exiles, who have a home, but are here temporarily. Those who see ordinary life as irrelevant are wrong. Those who see ordinary life as all there is are wrong. We cannot honor God by dishonoring people. To advance His gospel, we must be good citizens in the warzone, and live with honor and integrity now.
Big Idea: We must be at peace in the world to wage war against it.
Big Idea: We must be at peace in the world to wage war against it.
Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority
or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.
For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.
Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Live honorably in the world
Live honorably in the world
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Explain: Strangers and pilgrims, a tension between permanent and temporary guests, used by David in Ps 39:12 to refer to human life.
Our fleshly lusts declare war on what God has called us to do and be. When we give into sin, it undermines our witness: flesh works attack soul works.
Fleshly lusts is a broad category, but in context it is talking primarily about the temptation to be self-willed and rebellious.
Our good works are so that, even those who reject Christ, will be forced to recognize God’s goodness revealed in us (let your light no shine, Achan).
Illustrate: People who like Jesus but not church. Are we in the way? Jesus, friend of sinners: the world is on their way to you, but they’re tripping over me. BB Warfield: “Won every debate and lost every audience.” We give more attention to people we like and respect. Campus Crusade used to call this “winning a hearing.”
Apply:
Jesus: I find no guilt in this man.
Work: Will a cutthroat employee or someone who takes long breaks and cuts corners be taken seriously when he talks about Christ?
Unity in diversity: Texas vs Kenya vs Phillipines. Home vs hotel. Living honorably may look different in different places at different times, but the goal must not be to live how we want to live, but in a way that will be worthy of respect and help us to silence critics of the gospel.
Honor the law of the land.
Honor the law of the land.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
Explain: Ordinance includes laws, but is actually more expansive than that. Institution.
Respect is not due only to the highest authority. It was easy for people in Palestine to claim they would obey Caesar, while rejecting his representatives like Pilate or Herod, who they knew were wicked firsthand. It is easy for us to claim obedience in the abstract, but reject the specific police officer, executive order, or IRS agent who is challenging our behavior. That is when the lust of our flesh to become defensive and arrogant kicks in.
Constitution’s authority delegated to Congress, courts, President, states.
Government officials can condemn evil and also reward good - we should go above and beyond. Not just asking “will this technically get me arrested,” but how do I live as a good citizen to earn the respect of those outside God’s church?
Shuts up the critics. Set yourself up as the kind of person who will receive the benefit of the doubt.
We are free, it is true that these people are not our ultimate masters. But when we use our rights and freedom to obscure our sin, what becomes of us?
We know there are limits to this (obey God rather than men, Shadrach, Meschac, Abednego), but Peter does not mention them because they are so rare. When the Law contradicts Scripture, when there is a case of extreme injustice, there may be an issue of lighter/heavier obligations, but our overall reputation and pattern of life should be honor.
Illustrate: BLM/Capitol riots: violence and crime undermine the message. How are Christians any different, when we fall into the tactics of the world or ignore the government delegated by God?
Apply: Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world! We are still in human spheres of authority.
The ways we submit might look different, and the ways we go above and beyond might be determined by our time/money/skills. But we should all outdo one another in showing honor.
I may not be a Christian, but I wish I had a marriage/kids/peace like yours.
Church: government mandates until they contradict Scripture
Wear your mask in Walmart, follow the rules of the road, show respect to elected officials.
Give everyone the honor they deserve.
Give everyone the honor they deserve.
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Explain: Same word beginning and end. All people deserve respect. In the OT, paradigmatic uses are “Honor your father and mother” (Ex 20:12), standing in the presence of the elderly (Lev 19:32) and for valuing sacrifices or precious metals. With a negative prefix, it can mean insult or hate.
All human beings are due honor as image bearers of God (Romans 12:10, Hebrews 8:5, cf Psalm 8:5-8) and insulting or dishonoring people of low estate is a sin (Prov 14:21). Jesus said that a prophet is not without honor except in his own household (Matt 13:57). Sometimes the use of money is maintained (Acts 4:34 where it refers to the value of a property, 1 Timothy 5:17-18 where the honor refers to the pay of pastors). Husbands are to honor their wives (1 Peter 3:7).
For each other, our obligation goes even higher: love.
For God, it is the highest of all: fear. Reverence - fear/respect fire, COVID, etc.
The king is placed among other people, the anti-climax. The way we respect authorities is different, but the basis is the same. Next week will go into this more.
Illustrate:
Apply: Honor irrespective of externalities: abortion, elderly, poor. Sanctity of human life.
Respecting public officials while voting against/running against/etc
Love the sinner, hate the sin
This struggle only possible by power of Christ
Conclusion
Conclusion