1 Peter: Be Reverent

Text: 1 Peter 1:17-25

Theme: Peter instructed believers to live reverent lives as we remember that God is judge, and we are accountable to Him.

Date: 08/01/2022 File Name: 1_Peter_04 Code: NT21-01

How are believers to respond to our salvation that comes through Christ. So far we’ve concluded that we are to respond in hope (1 Peter 1:13), and we are to respond in holiness (1 Peter 114-15).

In 1 Peter 1:16-25 we discover that we are to respond with reverence. It is not an understatement to say that if the attitude of reverence was a animal species of some kind it would have been placed on the Endangered Species List long ago. Americans have a growing problem with irreverence. This is nothing new.

The 2018 hit musical film The Greatest Showman, staring Hugh Jackman, is the highly fictionalized story of P.T. Barnum’s rise from the slums to the apex of American success and society. He really does become the “greatest” showman of his era. In one scene Barnum has been invited to an audience with Queen Victoria of England and he brings with him his star attraction — Charles Sherwood Stratton — better known as Tom Thumb. Stratton was, what we today call, a little person. When Stratton was fully grown he stood a mere 2 feet 11 inches. The meeting between Tom Thumb and Queen Victoria threatens to end in disaster when the Queen makes a remark about Tom Thumb’s height and gets from him the response “You ain’t exactly reachin’ the top shelf yourself, sister.” (Queen Victoria was only 4 feet 11 inches). Everyone in the room holds his/her breath waiting to see how the Queen responds to this irreverent remark concerning her person. Will she be offended at the lack of deference to her state? Will she ignore it? Or will she be able to laugh at herself? She does, they do, the audience does, and the film goes on. More than anything else, though, this one line of dialogue is what distinguishes Barnum’s Americans from the British subjects in the scene. Not attire, status or fame, but the attitude toward a person who is supposed to be and is accustomed to being treated with deference and even reverence by others in society. The Brits were shocked at the American’s irreverence. Irreverence seems to be a part of the American character. Irreverence permeates our culture.

The problem is: at what point did this lack of reverence become a kind of contempt that is irredeemably socially corrosive? In recent years irreverence has given way to full-blown contempt for institutions or beliefs or persons that ought to be revered. Christians are to be a reverent people — reverent of God (of course) and reverent for the things of God which includes the basic institutions of society he has decreed ... the Family, the Church, and yes, even Government.

I. THE COMMAND TO LIVE IN REVERENCE

“Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.” (1 Peter 1:17, NIV84)

1. inseparably linked to believers’ obligation to respond to salvation in hope and holiness is their responsibility to honor God

a. literally Peter writes, conduct yourselves in fear

1) but it’s not a fear from terror, but a fear from reverence that Peter is encouraging

2) indeed the verb is actually a command

a) the Apostle is commanding believers to be reverent of God the Father

b. hope and holiness produce a life of worship, which are the most foundational of spiritual virtues

c. fear produces a reverence for God and puts a desire in our heart to honor Him with our lives

A. WE CONDUCT OURSELVES IN REVERENCE BECAUSE GOD IS A LOVING FATHER

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12–13, NIV84)

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” (1 Corinthians 8:6, NIV84)

1. the Bible does not teaches the universal brotherhood of man, but the universal neighborhood of humanity

a. our neighbors consist of all people — men, women, Christians, non-Christians, Africans, Asians, Europeans, and so on

1) we must treat everyone with love and respect, not just those in our church (Luke 10:25–37)

b. at the same time, our brothers and sisters are only those who believe in Christ

1) to say otherwise is to deny the unique identity of the church

2. Peter begins this verse by stating the reason for our reverent conduct — God is our Father

a. in verse 17 Peter writes Since you call on the Father ...

b. the early Christians came to identify Yahweh, the powerful God of Creation, the God who had accomplished great and mighty acts on the behalf of His people, Israel, they came to identify Him as Father

1) this should be no surprise to us because that’s how Jesus referred to God, and it’s how he taught his disciples to think of God

““This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” (Matthew 6:9, NIV84)

2) Paul writes that we cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15)

2. the Fatherhood of God is one of the great blessings of being a Christian

a. by faith in Christ, believers have been adopted into God’s family, and as His children we have direct access to Him

b. in the language of the New Testament, Father literally means nourisher, protector and upholder

c. the Scripture presents these attributes of fatherhood in several ways:

1) headship — fathers generate and establish households

a) God has established His household, 1st, in the election of Israel as His chosen people, and 2nd, by adopting believers in Christ into His household and en-grafting us into His chosen people

b) none of us deserve such mercy, but it comes as part of the Father’s divine election of a people He chooses to call His own

2) feeding — fathers nourish and protect their offspring

a) God takes care of us

ILLUS. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the crowds that for those who put their faith in Him, the Father, in turn, will meet all their needs. Seek first the Kingdom of God, Jesus said, and all these things will be added to your life. The all things Jesus referred to are the basic necessities of life ... food, housing and clothing.

b) that promise remains true

3) maintenance — fathers uphold that which they have established

ILLUS. Again, Jesus told his disciples that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church. God upholds that which He as established for and through His Son. The Church may be persecuted and even eradicated in certain places. But God’s church is like the game of Whac-a-Mole. A dis-believing, hostile world may “wack” a church in one place only for another church to pop up someplace else. The true Church will survive and thrive. You can drive believers out of Jerusalem, but they just scatter and begin popping up in Judea, Samaria, and the far corners of the globe.

a) God upholds and daily increases the Church His Son came to establish and indwell through the Spirit

d. in other words, God is a God who takes care of His children in every way

3. this means learning to trust Him more and more and one of the ways we learn to trust God more is by discovering His character as revealed in the Scriptures

a. and the very best way to discover the character of the Father is to discover the character of the Son

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, ... .” (Hebrews 1:3, NIV84)

B. WE CONDUCT OURSELVES IN REVERENCE BECAUSE GOD IS OUR IMPARTIAL JUDGE

1. Peter also tells us we are to be reverent toward God because — God is the judge

a. fathers have the right, even the duty, to judge the character and conduct of their children

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV84)

b. the New Testament speaks of two judgements that will include all of humanity

1) the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) is for the commendation of believers,

2) the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15) is for the condemnation of unbelievers

3) he result of the Judgment Seat of Christ will be eternal rewards, while the result of the Great White Throne Judgment will be God’s eternal punishment

2. God has the right to call us to account which is what the world judge means in this passage

a. the Apostle is referring to an ongoing process as well as a final event

b. God considers His children’s behavior and judges fairly because He knows us thoroughly

1) God does not play favorites — even unconsciously

2) He is impartially — literally without respect of persons

a) when looking at our good works, God does not make distinctions due to social rank, or wealth, or nationality, but only the character of the work itself — was it done humbly, unselfishly, in the name of Christ and for the glory of God

c. this means that God judges justly, but not equitably

ILLUS. Equity is the buzz-word of our culture today. People often mistake it for the similarly sounding word equality. They couldn’t be more different. Equality means everyone has an equal chance. Equity means everyone deserves an equal result regardless of ability. When it comes to our eternal rewards in God’s Kingdom, we will receive exactly what we’ve earned through our Christian conduct and ministry in this world. No more and no less. I’m going to assume, for sake of argument, that the eternal rewards of the Apostles will far outstrip anything I’ll ever hope of earning. The good new, is that I won’t care because, in the Kingdom, I’ll be fully conformed to Christ, and jealousy over someone else’s inheritance will not affect me.

C. WE CONDUCT OURSELVES IN REVERENT FEAR SINCE GOD IS FATHER AND JUDGE

““The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10, NIV84)

“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:26–27, NIV84)

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”” (Hebrews 12:28–29, NIV84)

ILLUS. John Calvin described reverence as the place where joy and fear are held together. Not the fear of trembling and despair, but the kind that cultivates awe and respect when contemplating God’s holiness, nearness, grace and power.

1. Peter reminds his readers that they are accountable to God, who is our Father, and as a result we are to live reverently during our sojourn here on earth

a. the phrase throughout your time of exile is a reminder that we are pilgrims passing though this world on the way to our heavenly home

b. as “homey” was this world can seem, Christians are to remember that we are strangers living in a foreign land among people of a different kind

2. to most singularly important activity where our reverence is demonstrated must be in our worship

a. I know that to many the word reverence itself sounds stodgy, unimaginative, and even boring

1) reverence is the Christian attitude of deep respect tinged with awe that leads to veneration

b. reverence to the Lord is sober; It’s attentive, quiet and alert

ILLUS. It’s inconceivable that you would simultaneously check your email on your phone while you’re having an audience with the President of the United States. So how in the world could it possibly be okay for you to check Facebook while you’re supposedly worshiping the King of all creation? Worship should not be modeled secular Rave Parties.

“Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling.” (Psalm 2:11)

II. THE MOTIVATION FOR OUR REVERENCE

“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 forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NIV84)

1. one of the most powerful incentives for faithful, reverent, and productive Christian living is the constant awareness of the incredible cost of the salvation God has provided to us in Christ

A. WE ARE REDEEMED FROM OUR FORMER EMPTY LIFE

1. regardless of how “full” a person’s life may seem to be, the gospel truth is that without Christ in their life sinners are living in spiritual poverty

a. without Christ a man’s life is useless, empty and fruitless from God’s perspective, regardless of what the world sees

b. even the grandest accomplishments unbelievers seem to achieve are pointless from eternity’s perspective

c. Jesus made that clear by means of two penetrating questions to His disciples:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

2. Peter reminds his readers that before coming to Christ they were slaves — slaves to sin, slaves to Satan and slaves to stuff

a. as slaves they were not in control of their own lives

1) where does Peter say this?

2) it’s implied in the word redeemed

b. the word redemption in this passage is a word that came from first-century slave markets

1) to redeem a slave was to purchase a slave for the express purpose of freeing them

2) the word literally means to loose by payment of ransom

3. Peter reminds his readers that their freedom was not purchased by sliver or gold, but by something much more precious — the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect

ILLUS. Most of you are aware that in the Jewish sacrificial system, the Passover lamb — indeed all the sacrifices — were required to be without physical defect. They were to be as “perfect” a sacrifice as could be. Jesus came as our perfect, sinless sacrifice, our substitute, who took all our sin, and in return we got all his righteousness.

a. this has always been God’s plan

“He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” (1 Peter 1:20, NIV84)

b. the cross of Calvary was not God’s fall-back position after Adam’s fall, but part of His redemptive plan from the beginning

B. WE ARE REDEEMED TO FAITH AND HOPE

“Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:21, NIV84)

1. this verse begs the question, “Did these Gentiles not believe in God before they came to faith in Christ?”

a. from a worldly perspective the pagans were a very religious people usually believing in a plethora of gods

1) every aspect of their lives would have guided by spiritual belief as they paid homage to the various god and goddesses that held sway over different aspects of daily living

b. the gospel message of the Church was that there is only One True God, and they only way to know Him is through him — that is through Christ

1) this is the exclusivity of the gospel, and it got Christians in as much trouble then as it does now

2. people cannot be believers in God apart from acknowledging the death, resurrection, and sovereign lordship of His Son

a. why do we believe that the God of Judeo/Christian Scriptures is the One True God?

b. because the One True God raised His One True Son from the dead and glorified him

1) this is the cardinal doctrine of the Christian faith

3. by our faith in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, our hope is in the True and Living God

III. THE GOAL OF OUR REVERENCE

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:22–25, NIV84)

1. reverence is a way of life that takes practice

a. pastors are called to remind our congregations of this truth, not only with words, but in the ways that we model this in worship and Christ-like relationships

2. in the closing verses of chapter one, Peter encourages his readers to demonstrate their reverence for God in right living

a. the key clauses in these verses are 1st, you have purified yourselves, 2nd, you have sincere love for you brothers, 3rd, you have been born again ... through the living and enduring word of God

A. REVERENCE IS REVEALED IN LIVING A PURE LIFE

1. the readers of Peter’s letter would have understood this first clause as an appeal to moral purity

a. Peter writes, Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth

b. the immorality that permeated that culture in first-century Roman culture was a serious challenge to the church

1) ancient Corinth was infamous for its wanton sexuality

2) every conceivable kind of immorality was attributed to the pagan gods and goddesses, and if the gods are promiscuous why not us?

2. in that culture, Peter says we live reverently by an obedience to the truth that leads to a righteous morality

ILLUS. You all know that Monkey Pox is in the news. This particular virus is known as a zoonotic, which just to say it originated in animals and then spread across species to humans. The number of cases in the U.S. is approaching 7,000. That’s not a huge number considering the population of the United States, but it’s worrisome enough that the CDC has declared it a “health emergency.” What the media is not telling the American public is that if you’re monogamous, and faithfully monogamous you have virtually a 0% chance of being infected by Monkey Pox. The New England Journal of Medicine recently estimated that 95% of all the cases in the current outbreak can be traced to homosexual sexual contact.

So why do I bring this up? First and most fundamentally, the Scriptures speak to the reality of a moral universe, in which the Creator embedded certain moral commands, moral rules, and a very sufficient moral knowledge to understand how we are to handle and to be stewards of the sexual gift. When society flaunts those rules there are consequences.

What’s maddening in the outbreak of Monkey Pox in the U.S. is that our society, our public health officials, government officials, sources in the mainstream media are more concerned about the “stigma” of the disease being primarily associated with homosexual sex. It is a massive exercise in cultural self-deception. It's a massive exercise in dishonesty. What we are witnessing is a massive effort to maintain the illusion that homosexuality is just as normative a lifestyle as is monogamous heterosexuality.

The Bible explicitly and repeatedly warns believers about the perils of impurity and thus encouragers us to moral purity.

B. REVERENCE IS REVEALED IN LIVING A KINDRED LIFE

1. Peter writes so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart

a. Peter reaches all the way back to that moment during the last supper where Jesus taught “That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

2. there is to be a reverence for the Body of Christ and the reverence is revealed in our fervent love of the brethren

C. REVERENCE IS REVELED IN LIVING A WORD-LED LIFE

1. many theologians and Bible scholars believe that 1 Peter 1:23-23-25 are an early Christian hymn that Peter is here quoting

2. there is so much I’d like to say here, but suffice it to say that believers are to have a deep and abiding reverence toward the Scriptures

a. these are the very words of God, and God’s word must be hidden in our heart that we might not sin against Him