BCLR ROC

You keep talkin’ to yourself; people will think you’re crazy

2012-01-13T12:47:00.000-06:00

There is a scene in the Pixar film “Cars” where Lightning McQueen is complaining out loud to himself as he is serving his sentence for ruining the main road through Radiator Springs. While talking to himself, he passes by a car named Lizzie sitting alone on a porch who says… “You keep talkin’ to yourself; people will think you’re crazy.” McQueen sarcastically says, “Thanks for the tip!” to which Lizzie replies, “Uh- what? I wasn’t talking to you!”

“You keep talkin’ to yourself; people will think you’re crazy.” In some cases that might very well be true. But is talking to yourself a clear indication of insanity? The Psalmists didn’t think so. On several occasions these biblical counselors made an appointment with their own souls. Here are a few examples…

Psalm 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.

Psalm 103:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

Psalm 116:7 Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

Psalm 146:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

Thomas Vincent, the English Puritan in a similar way counsels his own soul in the book, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ. Listen to his words…

“Why do you hang downwards, O my soul? Why do you bend so much to the earthly things? What is there here below that is not beneath you and altogether unworthy of your love? How empty and vain and thorny are these things? Do not waste your time, weary yourself for every vanity’ do not prick and wound yourself with these things anymore. What ails you, O my soul that you are so backward to the love of Christ…O my soul are you so drenched in the flesh that visible objects shall have more power to draw down your heart than this most glorious object shall have power to draw up your heart?”

(Thomas Vincent, The True Christian’s Love to the Unseen Christ, p. 77)

Do earthly things have more power to draw your heart down than the most glorious Christ the power to draw your heart up?” What a powerful and convicting example of self counsel that we would do well to imitate. Friends, we need to make frequent appointments with our own souls. How many sins would we avoid if we were resolved to preach the truth to ourselves? “If we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31).

“You keep talkin’ to yourself people may think you’re crazy.” But sometimes talking to ourselves is the only way to keep their accusation from being true.

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

More than a Christmas Carol

2011-12-19T08:27:00.005-06:00

"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure."

It’s a Christmas classic that has been around for almost one-hundred and seventy years. Scrooge has taken his place right alongside of a red-nosed reindeer, a talking snowman, and a little boy named Charlie Brown. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the old miser’s “Bah, humbug!”
While Christmas may have been a “humbug” for Ebenezer, it certainly wasn’t for Charles Dickens. What many people don’t know is that “A Christmas Carol” was only one of five Christmas Stories that Charles Dickens wrote. The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain were all stories that focused on this holiday.

In addition to this, Dickens authored a little known book in 1849, written expressly for his children called, The Life of Our Lord. He never intended it to be publicized and made it clear that he had written it in a form he thought best suited his children. He frequently told his children the gospel story and wanted to make sure the narrative of Christ was told in a way that was simple enough for them to understand.

Listen to his introduction…

“My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History

of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived, who was so

good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for all people who did wrong, or were in anyway ill or

miserable, as he was. And as he is now in Heaven, where we hope to go, and all to meet each

other after we are dead, and there be happy always together, you never can think what a good

place Heaven, is without knowing who he was and what he did.”

And then he continues…

“He was born, a long-long time ago - nearly Two Thousand years ago - at a place called

Bethlehem” (Charles Dickens, The Life of Our Lord p. 1)

Dickens provides us an excellent illustration of one man’s attempt to follow the exhortation of Psalm 78:4

Psalm 78:4 We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

How are we telling the generation to come about the praises of the Lord? Are we communicating God’s strength and wondrous works in ways that our children can understand? What are we concealing from those that will follow us? Are we frequently telling the gospel story?
I am challenged and convicted by the example of Charles Dickens and while I am not familiar with all that he believed, one thing can be said for sure. It was more than Christmas Carol and Dickens made sure that his children knew it.

"Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure."

In Christ Alone,

George

Coming January 2012

2011-12-08T12:16:00.000-06:00

Get Rich Quick!

2011-12-02T13:21:00.001-06:00

Just a few hours of work a day can reward you with rich dividends! With no money down and all from the comfort of your own home, you can become unbelievably wealthy. This is not a scam. Millions have tried it and have testified to the results. Hard to believe? Well, if we were talking about money, I hope you would have the courage to call the church and get me fired. No, the rich treasure I’m talking about is the Word of God! We have no idea what a treasure we possess! Because if we did, we would “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within us” (Colossians 3:16).

William Carey is considered the father of the modern missionary movement. He left for India in June of 1793 and didn’t see an Indian convert for 6 years. He said…

“I would not abandon the Mission for all the fellowships and the finest spheres in England. My greatest calamity would be separation from this service. May I be useful in laying the foundations of Christ’s Church in India; I desire no greater reward, nor can conceive higher honour” (William Carey by S. Pearce Carey; edited by Peter Masters. London: The Wakeman Trust, 1993. p. 169)

“If like David, I am only to gather materials, and another to build the house, my joy shall not be less” (Carey, 169)

God was pleased, not only to use him to lay a foundation but also to build upon it. And the greatest means of building was through his translation of the Scriptures into Bengali as well as several other Indian languages.

In February of 1801, more than 7 years after Carey arrived in India, the New Testament was printed - the first book intended for the common people. It was a historic event, he and his small team prayed, thanked God and William Carey chose Colossians 3:16 as his

text for preaching. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”.

Marshman, a fellow missionary composed this hymn for the occasion.

Hail, precious Book divine!

Illumined by thy rays,

We rise from death and sin,

And tune the Savior’s praise:

The shades of error, dark as night,

Vanish before thy radiant light!

Now shall the Hindus learn

The glories of our King:

Nor to blind gurus turn,

Nor idol praises sing;

Diffusing heavenly light around,

This book their Shastras [Hindu Scriptures] shall confound.

Deign, gracious Saviour, deign, [condescend]

To smile upon Thy Word;

Let millions now obtain

Salvation from the Lord (Carey, 198).

Do you have any idea what a treasure you hold in your hands? To have the written Word is an incredible privilege. It is through the Word that we are brought salvation (1 Peter 1:23) and sanctification (John 17:17). And just a few hours of work in the Scriptures a day can reward you with rich dividends! With no money down and all from the comfort of your own home, you can become unbelievably wealthy. This is not a scam. Millions have tried it and have testified to the results. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” (Colossians 3:16).

In Christ Alone,

- Pastor George

Consider this your virtual postcard!

2011-07-28T08:36:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the "Big Easy",

What's Up Little Rock! from Aaron Wilson on Vimeo.

Our LA team has been able to support Sovereign Grace Fellowship here in Slidell, LA through construction, renovation, relief efforts for the homeless, follow-up visitation and campus evangelism. Each of these venues has been full of opportunities to see Christ exalted and we woud love for you to stand with us in prayer for each one of them! If you have access to FB I have been updating the BCLR page daily. We miss you guys and look forward to sharing our testimonies with you when we return.

Who dat say dey gonna preach dat gospel?!

- Pastor George

ARE YOU READY TO SCATTER?

2011-07-15T08:26:00.001-05:00

I went to pick up our first speaker, Jesse Johnson and there was electricity in the air...literally. A lightning storm delayed his flight by an hour, but he's here and he's ready to preach! Don't miss the first session tonight at 7:00!

We also plan to have a Q&A after the first session. If there are any questions that you would like to have answered regarding evangelism, apologetics or missions leave a comment on the ROC facebook page or email me at george.lawson@bclr.org and I will do my best to work it in. Please continue to pray for our speakers and that our church would faithfully put into practice the training we will receive this weekend (Eph 4:11-13). See you tonight!

- Pastor George

5 Assignments and 5 Expectations for SCATTER

2011-06-24T08:30:00.002-05:00

We were blessed to have Jason Vaden charge our Youth Missions Teams during our SCATTER training session. Below is an outline of the message he gave. We will try to post the entire message on our site in the near future.

5 Assignments and 5 Expectations for Summer Missions
Jason Vaden
1 Peter 4:7-11 (focus on verse 11)

Assignments:
1) Oxygenate your souls with the glory/gospel of God: Let the gospel and God’s strength saturate you.
2) Prepare to enter the work as a servant learner: Don’t assume you know what the culture needs. Pray for wisdom to be flexible.
3) Aim at relational deposits: Look for ways to interact with unbelievers
4) View unbelievers as God’s gift to you: You need the opportunity to love people who are not like you.
5) Reflect on the reality of authentic love: Authentic love overcomes barriers. Pray that God would give you the desire to love unbelievers. “Love builds trust, and trust leads to opportunity” – John Glass.

Expectations:
1) Expect to be disrespected
2) Expect to see/experience inappropriate sexual innuendo or advancement
3) Expect to hear foul language
4) Expect short attention spans: Much patience is needed and avoid lulls to avoid disarray
5) Expect sincere affection from kids

Summary: If God is going to be glorified then do something that you can only do in God’s strength!

In Christ Alone,
George

Missions Trips

2011-05-27T21:27:00.003-05:00

Greetings Fellow Servants,

I am looking forward to both of the ministry opportunities ahead of us this summer, and can't wait to see what God will do through us and in us! Please begin praying for all of the details to come together. Pray for additional leaders, that God would keep the doors open for ministry, for boldness in personal evangelism, and for the salvation of souls!

Our first meeting will be this Sunday at 1:30 in the Youth Worship Center. I understand that some of you may be out of town for the holiday. Please let me know, so we can talk about how to make up for this date. Below are the dates you need to mark on your calendars and the current missions teams.

Mission 2011 Calendar of Events

May 29th Training Session and Prayer Sunday 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
June 12th Training Session and Prayer Sunday 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
June 26 Taco Lunch Fund-Raiser
June 25th Car Wash
July 9th Car Wash
July 10th Training Session and Prayer Sunday 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
July 15th – 17th Evangelism Conference – BCLR
July 18th – 23rd Local Outreach in Central Arkansas
July 24th – 30th National Outreach in Slidell, Louisiana

Little Rock Team
Leaders: George Lawson, Greg S., Allen T., Jason L., Kathie F., Beth K., Erin H., Kimberly H.

Lukas A.
Noah A.
Collin B.
Zachary B.
Ben D.
Jeffrey D.
Caleb D.
Andrew E.
Robert E.
Kurt K.
Lance L.
Daniel M.
Carter M.
Logan P.
Blake S.
Gideon S.
Seth S.
John S.
Josh T.
Leah A.
Blake B.
Olivia B.
Amy C.
Jill C.
Callie D.
Caroline D.
Brooke E.
Carlee E.
Rachel E.
Hope F.
Sarah G.
Abigail G.
Elizabeth G.
Olivia Grace H.
Anna H.
Emily H.
Anna H.
Lauren H.
Katie K.
Rachel L.
Claire M.
Rebekah M.
Emma M.
Lana M.
Samantha P.
Alyssa R.
Olivia R.
Abigail S.
Jessica S.
Evie Grace S.
Britt S.
Kara Grace S.
Abigail W.

Slidell, Louisiana Team
Leaders: George Lawson, Mark E., Douglas A., Jennifer K., Ramona B.
Assistant Leader: Britt S.

Collin B.
Zachary B.
Ben D.
Robert E.
Lance L.
Daniel M.
Carter M.
Blake S.
Gideon S.
Issac S.
Leah A.
Olivia B.
Jill C.
Caroline D.
Emily H.
Anna H.
Shannon H.
Anna H.
Katie K.
Rachel L.
Claire M.
Rebekah M.
Rachel M.
Emma M.
Lana M.
Samantha P.
Alyssa R.
Evie Grace S.
Britt S.
Abigail W.

In Christ Alone,
George Lawson

Rejoice in the Sovereignty of God!

2011-05-13T13:07:00.001-05:00

In his book, “Made in our Image” author Stephen Lawson puts his finger on a principle problem within the church. And he explains the problem by way of his own confession. He says this...

I really thought I had God all figured out, so I was content to cruise through my spiritual life , taking the path of least resistance, even as I prepared for the ministry...Then unexpectedly, I ventured upon a subject in God’s word that confronted me, convicted me and challenged me like no other truth I had ever encountered. It was a topic so vast, so towering and so dominant that it overshadowed everything in my life. My heart was gripped as it had never been before. My soul was stunned as I studied it intensely for the very first time. The subject?... God. Here I was in seminary, preparing
for ministry, and I found myself asking the question. Who is God?

And he later identifies one of the most fundamental points of Theology as the “Sovereignty of God.”

A.W. Pink adds ...
“What do we mean by this expression (the Sovereignty of God)? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God.”

And just think about that for a minute “what does it mean to be God if you’re not in charge?” I’m not sure if you can come up with a meaning for God apart from his sovereignty. None of us would struggle if I passed around a quiz with the question, “God is Sovereign… True or False?”But I want to submit to you that the reason why our prayers are not powerful, why our worship is not vibrant, why our evangelism is not bold, and why our walk with God is not filled with joy the way it ought to be is because we have not answered that question correctly. We entertain low views of God and Psalm 97 is just the kind of corrective we need.

Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about.
4 His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled.
5 The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, Who boast themselves of idols; Worship Him, all you gods.
8 Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced Because of Your judgments, O LORD.
9 For You are the LORD Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.
10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown like seed for the righteous And gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, And give thanks to His holy name.

From the very opening line of this Psalm we are called to attention, with the declaration “The Lord Reigns.” This Psalm does not offer an isolated declaration of the Lord’s sovereignty, it’s actually part of a cluster of Psalms which are known as “Enthronement Psalms”. We often think of the Psalms as a disconnected collection of poems but it’s easy to see that Psalms 93 - 99 belong together, because of their common focus on God as King. Each of these Psalms, with the exception of Psalm 94, explicitly speaks of His Sovereign rule.

Psalm 93:1
1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength;

Psalm 95:2,3
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods,

Psalm 96:9-10
9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;

Psalm 97:1
1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad.

Psalm 98:5-6
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.

Psalm 99:1
1 The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!

Do you get the point? He reigns, He reigns, He reigns, He reigns! These Psalms are majestic. They transport us to the very throne room of heaven and say this is your God! The word “reigns” simply means “to be king .” God rules, He’s in charge, He is the sovereign.

There are many things that we could observe about the reign of God in Psalm 97 but I’ll just give you three.

God’s Reign is Universal:
God’s Sovereignty is not limited to the land of Israel but encompasses the whole earth. Twice in this Psalm He is called “the Lord of the whole earth” in verse 5 and then again in verse 9 “You are the Lord Most High over all the earth.” His reign knows no boundaries. It is declared from the heavens and extends to the furthest corners of the globe.

He is also declared Lord over Jew and Gentile alike. Back in verse 1 the phrase “many islands” refers to the distant lands inhabited by Gentile people. This same phrase “many islands” is used in Isaiah 41:5 and is equated with “the ends of the earth”. Verse 6 of this Psalm also refers to the “peoples” seeing the glory of God. The term “peoples” (sometimes translated as nations) is a common term for the Gentiles. What does that indicate? It means all men are invited to worship the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. God’s plan has always been for the whole world to rejoice in His reign, Jew and Gentile alike.

God’s Reign is Powerful:
The Reign of the Lord is a powerful reign. The elements of nature, which no man can tame are the mere servants of the Lord. Fire and Lightning are His (vss 3-4). Scientists tell us that “Lightning strikes the earth roughly 100 times every second and it claims more than 200 victims per year in the United States alone.” And while there are those who survive lightning strikes, there are other bolts that you just won’t walk away from. “Some bolts have an electric potential of as much as 100 million volts.” Our God is an Awesome God and the earth is right to tremble.

The mountains melt like wax in his presence (vs. 5). Mountains are known for their strength and permanence. Jesus uses the mountains to make a point about what is humanly impossible to move.

In Matthew 17:20 Jesus says...
“if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

Now Christ doesn’t want us throwing mountains around. He just chooses the mountains because they are an obvious example of something that is humanly impossible to relocate.

But here in Psalm 97 you have the mighty mountains just wilting at the presence of the Lord. The highest mountain will be forced to bow low before Him. And it’s at His very presence that this occurs. He just shows up and the mountains dissolve before Him. I mean talk about power!

Righteous Reign:
And lastly His Reign is a Righteous reign. It is this aspect of His rule that is most glorious. How could we rejoice in a reign that is Universal, and Powerful if it was not also Righteous? It is His righteousness that gives us reason to rejoice.

Verse 2 says “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.” The foundation of His throne or the basis of His rule is perfect righteousness. He is not a judge who bends the rules because of political pressure. His judgments never violate His holiness but are predictable and consistently righteous. We can rejoice not in spite of His judgments but because of them. Verse 8 describes this when it says “Zion heard this and was glad, And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced (not in spite of but) Because of Your judgments, O LORD.”

His people understand that all will be made right. Evil will be punished, Righteousness will be rewarded and God will not overlook a thing. And we need to be reminded of this don’t we?

You can’t watch the news without seeing the threats of terror across the world. You can’t pick up a paper without reading about drug traffic and murder. You can’t listen to the radio without hearing the endless debates about marriage and abortion.
And those are just the headlines. We haven’t even mentioned the problems in the church. False teaching is everywhere you look and the church is worried more about the entertainment of the congregation than the exaltation of God. Husbands don’t lead their homes in sacrificial love. Wives are angry and unsubmissive. Children are disobedient and unthankful. Add to that sickness and death and pain and grief and isn’t it a relief to know that someone is in charge up there? The reign of our Sovereign Lord is universal and powerful and righteous. Are you rejoicing in His reign today? If you have submitted to the King you have no excuse!

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

“A Biblical Perspective on the Death of Bin Laden”

2011-05-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

“Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.”

Those were the words our president shared with the world late Sunday evening
(5/1/11).

Osama bin Laden was the one human being most responsible for 9/11. He claimed responsibility for it and pledged to attack in the future.

So when I heard late Sunday night that Bin Laden had been shot, part of me shared the president’s words who simply said “we got him”, after watching the live footage of the operation.

But it was something less than what Senator Mitch McConnell said, when he announced, “Those who remember the horror of 9/11 take a certain satisfaction knowing that the last thing Osama bin Laden saw in this world was the small team of Americans who shot him dead,”

What is the Christian response to news like this? It’s important to see how our faith intersects with real life, so let’s spend some time looking at what Scripture has to say about this.

1) It is wrong to seek personal revenge

Romans 12: 19a Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God,

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, "I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

And our Lord was the perfect example of that wasn’t He?

1 Peter 2:23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;

2) It is right to seek national retribution

Because men bear the image of God, we possess a value that the animal kingdom does not and are not free to take life without suffering the consequences of our actions.

Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

It is the God ordained function of government to use the sword (an instrument of death) to punish evil doers

Romans 13:3-4

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;

4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

1 Peter 2:13-14

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,

14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

3) It is wrong to think humans can carry our perfect justice

We have no ability to carry out perfect justice. That is left to God alone.

Rom 12:19b for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

AL Mohler said…

“Once again, Christians are reminded of the inherent limitations of justice in a fallen and sinful world. At our very best, we can achieve only a small proportion of adequate justice. We can convict the murderer and put him to death, but we cannot bring the dead back to life. We can put an end to Osama bin Laden, but we are robbed of the satisfaction of seeing him answer for his crimes.” (Read his full post here)

4) It is right to trust that God will carry out perfect justice

Gen 18:25c “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

Psalm 98:9 He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity.

Really death was the least of Bin Laden’s worries. A thick cement wall and barbed wire was not going to prevent death from happening. Even if we never “got him”, death eventually would have. Death was not Bin Laden’s biggest concern, after death is.

Luke 12:4-5

4"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.

5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

5) It is wrong to celebrate death.

Proverbs 24:17-18 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

In his blog, Tom Ascol posted this…

“I am very grateful that justice has been served. But I cannot rejoice that Bin Laden is now suffering under the wrath of God--the very same fate that I deserve but from which I have been rescued, not by my righteousness, but by the sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ.” (Read the full post here)

Ezek 18:23 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked," declares the Lord GOD, "rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways!

6) It is right to celebrate justice being carried out.

Proverbs 21:15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity.

Psalm 37:28 For the LORD loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

So it is appropriate to celebrate justice but are we celebrating justice or our nation? I like what Tom Ascol says further…

“Yes, we can celebrate the proper execution of God-ordained justice against evil in the world. But some of the euphoric displays of joy on the part of Christians--even Christian leaders--at the news of Bin Laden's death leave me cold. Their celebrations strike me as more American than Christian--which is precisely the problem with much Christianity in America in our day.”

7) It’s right to pray for America

You should be praying for your country and those that lead it. Pray for the president and our military.

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,

2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

8) It is wrong not to pray for terrorists

Matthew 5:43-45

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'

44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

9) It is right to desire judgment

Psalm 94:1 O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud.

3 How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult?

4 They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

Rev 6 :10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

10) It is wrong to despise mercy

One of the things that really struck me this week is how quick we are to cry for judgment for others but mercy for ourselves. We desire that God would judge the thief but have mercy on the covetous, judge the adulterer but have mercy on those who struggle with lust, judge the murderer but have mercy on those who struggle with anger. We want God to judge on our own terms and have mercy on our terms. Where do we want God to stop? We can’t desire judgment for others and mercy for ourselves.

This truth was powerfully communicated in the book of Jonah.

Jonah 1:1-3

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

There is no other book in the Bible that begins like this. This is unique among all the books of the Scripture. Nowhere else do we find a prophet respond in this way to the Word of the Lord.

Instead of rising up to do what the Lord called him to do he arose to flee from the Lord’s presence. Why was he doing this?

Jonah explained what was running through his mind.

Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

Now Jonah was not against mercy. Mercy is what he prayed for while he was in the belly of the Fish. In 3:9 he confesses that Salvation is from the Lord.

He wasn’t against mercy, he was just against mercy for these folks. Why? Assyria, of which Ninevah was the capital, was known especially for their cruelty and violence against their fellow man and against other nations.

Listen to one of the Kings of Assyria in his own words, Ashurbanipal says this:

“I tore out the tongues of those whose slanderous mouths had uttered blasphemies against my god Ashur and had plotted against me, his god-fearing prince… The others, I smashed alive with the very same statues of protective deities with which they had smashed my own grandfather Sennacherib--now (finally) as a (belated) burial sacrifice for his soul. I fed their corpses, cut into small pieces, to dogs, pigs, birds, vultures, the birds of the sky and (also) to the fish of the ocean.”
Sounds like a terrorist nation to me. But the Lord responded in compassion.

Jonah 4:11 "Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

D.A. Carson said about Bin Laden, “He is an evil man, and he must be stopped, but he is a man, and we should take no pleasure in destroying him. Vengeance is the Lord's alone. Do not offer the alternative, 'Should we weep for Osama bin Laden or hold him to account for his genocide and prevent him from carrying out his violent intentions?' The right answer is yes" (Love in Hard Places, 143).

I celebrate the justice in the death of Bin Laden. I am relieved to know there is one less terrorist alive today, but if my heart does not also desire that the eyes of terrorists would be opened to the glorious light of the gospel, I have come short of Christianity.

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

That's a Great Question!

2010-11-12T08:25:00.002-06:00

Some time ago I was asked a question regarding angels in an e-mail by one of our students at BCLR. The very same question came up in a Wednesday Night Small Group recently, so I figured there was enough interest in this one to post my answer here. Maybe we can start collecting questions and schedule our own Q&A night one of these evenings. So here it is…

Q: If there is no sin in heaven how did the angels sin?

A: Great Question. Here are some initial thoughts for now…

1. The Holy angels in heaven can no longer sin. This is why they are
called “elect” or “chosen” in 1 Tim 5:21 and “holy” in Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; and
Rev 14:10. The holy angels have been specifically set apart by God and are confirmed in their allegiance to God.

2. One day Satan and all those that follow him will be cast into the
lake of fire Rev 20:10-15 and there is no possibility of a future
rebellion in the eternal state. The presence of sin will be barred
out of the new heavens and new earth forever. Neither Satan nor any other angel will be allowed to incite another rebellion after this time.

3. At this present time, Satan still roams about the earth seeking someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8). He is the accuser of the faithful (Zech 3:1; Rev. 12:10 ). He seeks permission from God to afflict us (Luke 22:31). And as Job 1:6 and 2:1 indicate he may even make appearances before God in heaven do so.

4. God is in absolute and sovereign control of all things (Psalm 103:19, Psalm 115:3). Not even Satan has freedom to do as he pleases. God was not caught off guard or surprised by Satan's fall but allowed for it and ordained it. The fall of Satan, demons, and man was all included in the
plan of God, as well as the solution in Christ (Acts 2:23; Rev. 13:8).

5. A final question that you may or may not be asking is "how was Satan tempted in the first place
if he was created good?" I know of no definitive answer for that. God
was not the author of his temptation, since God is not tempted by evil
and does not tempt anyone (James 1:13). All that God created was good (Gen. 1:31) including the angels.
Angels were created with the ability to choose, as man was and Satan out
of his own heart and without any external temptation or compulsion
desired what did not belong to him. The idea "what if I could be like
God" sprang out of his own mind and is the same trick he pulled on Eve
(Gen. 3:5). Our temptation was introduced by him. His temptation
originated in himself.

That's the best I can do for now. Keep them coming! Soon you guys will soon make a theologian out of me!

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

Do Your Prayers have an Expiration Date?

2010-11-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

A biblical study of prayer is an excruciating exercise. Recently the Youth of BCLR have been considering Paul’s prayer for the Colossian believers (Col. 1:9-14), and while it has been a joyfully rich and rewarding study, it has also been a painfully difficult and sorrowful one. Because if we are brutally honest with ourselves…

1) We don’t pray and
2) When we do pray, we don’t pray biblically.

In contrast to our infrequency, Paul’s prayers were constant. And in contrast to our earthbound wish lists the fresh breezes of eternity blew through Paul’s prayers. His prayers did not have an “expiration date” on them. They were not “best if used by a certain date” but prayers that were fit for eternity. I am in no way advocating that all things great and small should not be brought to the Lord. “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). But doesn’t it say something about us if we are consumed by the immediate?

When our present temporary comforts and desires fill our prayers, we are not praying as the apostle models for us. When was the last time you were burdened to be:
- Fruitful in every good work
- Increasing in the knowledge of God
- Strengthened with all might for steadfastness and patience
- Joyously Thankful for the Father qualifying you, delivering you, and transferring you to the Kingdom of His beloved Son?

Chances are these lofty requests don’t make it to the prayer list for yourself, or for others.
D.A. Carson, in his helpful book, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, says this…

“To restrict ourselves for a moment to the petitions in the prayers of Paul, we must ask ourselves how far the petitions we commonly present to God are in line with what Paul prays for. Suppose, for example, that 80 to 90 percent of our petitions ask God for good health, recovery from illness, safety on the road, a good job, success in exams, the emotional needs of our children, success in or mortgage application, and much more of the same. How much of Paul’s praying revolves around equivalent items? If the center of our praying is far removed from the center of Paul’s praying, then even our very praying may serve as a wretched testimony to the remarkable success of the processes of paganization in our life and thought” (pp. 96-97).

Are your prayers marked with an expiration date? Will they soon spoil if not consumed immediately? Let me encourage you to align your prayers with eternity. A thousand years from now your health and wealth and success won’t matter. What will matter is the fruit you bore for God, the knowledge you gained of God, the character that was strengthened by God, and the joyous thanksgiving you offered to God. One day this present life will be swallowed up by eternity and so will our prayers, if they have an expiration date.

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

Rich Soil to Grow In

2010-11-04T09:32:00.004-05:00

Colossians 1:10 …walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…increasing in the knowledge of God;

The soil that we are to grow in is the knowledge of God!

Paul has already prayed that the Colossians be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in verse 9 of this same chapter. There the focus was on what Scripture had to say concerning God’s revealed will for our lives- our conduct, but here there is a slight shift in focus. He prays not only for an increase in the knowledge of God’s will but for an increase in the knowledge of God Himself! And what a rich soil that is to grow in.

I just can’t tell you what a tremendous blessing it has been for me recently to study AW Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy with our Sr. High boys. To study God’s attributes is a jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping experience. It’s indescribable. So many times, and the guys can tell you this, I’ve just been at a loss for words.

In his book, Tozer laments the fact that Christians have contented themselves with knowing little about God. He says…
“Perhaps some sincere but puzzled Christian may at this juncture wish to inquire about the practicality of such concepts as I am trying to set forth here. What bearing does this have on my life? He may ask. What possible meaning can the self-existence of God have for me and others like me in a world such as this and in times such as these?”

He then declares…
“To this I reply that, because we are the handiwork of God it follows that all of our problems and their solutions are theological” – pg. 43

A similar statement is found earlier in his writing when he states..
“The low view of God entertained almost universally among Christians is the cause of a hundred lesser evils everywhere among us.” Pg. vii

Listen, weak Christians are the product of weak views of God. And God is not honored by Christians who are satisfied with a little of God. We’d rather sit on the shore and stick our toes in the water when we’ve been invited to hop in a submarine and dive down into the unfathomable depths. Let’s go deeper! How can we be satisfied with so little of so great a God?

In Christ Alone,
Pastor George

-Important Announcement for this Wednesday!!!-

2010-10-19T14:08:00.002-05:00

1) For those going to the Lecrae Concert, transportation will be leaving BCLR at 5:00. We will return between 10:00 and 10:30. Bring 5$ for the ticket and a few dollars to eat. We will be making a stop at Chick-Fil-A on the way there.
2) Youth night will continue as always. The ROC looks forward to hearing from Michael DeLon this Wednesday. Preach the Word brother!!
3) A Big thank you to everybody who prayed for me this week. I appreciate you all!

A quick word of explanation might be necessary concerning the concert. First, I know this style of music is not everyone’s preference but we should remember that is what we are talking about- preference. The hymn book of ancient Israel passed down words not notes, which indicates to me some freedom of expression. Second, we should be willing to extend liberty to others in areas not made explicit in Scripture. Whether you choose to go or choose not to go is not the primary issue, God is concerned with how you treat your brother. Third, if Paul could rejoice in those who preached the gospel from envy and strife (Phil. 1:15) could we not rejoice in those who are preaching the gospel with noble motives? With that in mind, I would like to offer a few words, minus the music, for you to examine for yourself.

Boasting

…With every breath I take, with every heart beat,
Sunrise and the moon lights in the dark street
Every glance, every dance, every note of a song
It's all a gift undeserved that I shouldn't have known
Every day that I lie, every moment I covet
I'm deserving to die, I'm just earning your judgment
I, without the cross there's only condemnation
If Jesus wasn't executed there's no celebration
So in times that are good, in times that are bad
For any times that I've had it all I will be glad
And I will boast in the cross, I boast in my pains
I will boast in the sunshine, boast in his reign
What's my life if it's not praising you
Another dollar in my bank account of vain pursuit, I do
not count my life as any value or precious at all
Let me finish my race, let me answer my call

Tomorrow's never promised, but it is we swear
Think we’re holding our own, just a fist full of air
God has never been obligated to give us life
If we fought for our rights, we’d be in hell tonight
Mere sinners own nothing but a fierce hand
We never loved him we pushed away his pierced hands
I rejected his love, grace, kindness, and mercy
Dying of thirst, yet, willing to die thirsty
Eternally worthy, how could I live for less?
Patiently you turn my heart away from selfishness
I volunteer for your sanctifying surgery
I know the spirits purging me of everything that's hurting me
Remove the veil from my darkened eyes
So now every morning I open Your Word and see the Son rise
I hope in nothin', boast in nothin', only in your sufferin'
I live to show your glory, dyin' to tell your story

Glory was solely meant for you
Doing what no one else could do
With all I have to give,
I'll use my life, I'll use my lips
I'll only glory in your Word
What gift to me I don't deserve
I'll live in such a way that it reflects to you, my Praise (Lecrae Moore)

In Christ Alone,
George

2010-10-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

In Loving Memory of Mrs. Sample

2010-09-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Monday night I received some pretty shocking news about someone I barely knew but who has had a big impact on many here in Little Rock. Her name was, Mrs. Mary Henderson Sample. She passed away at the age of 49, just this Sunday, September 5th while painting a room in the church she attended.

This comes as a blow to many of us, because within the home school community, Mary was an anchor point. She and her husband led Home Ed, the homeschool group of greater Little Rock. She was a founder and director of the Homeschool Academy, serving hundreds of homeschool students in the greater Little Rock area. And in my short time here I have already benefitted from her ministry to families.

Death is never easy to swallow but it is much easier to take when it’s expected, when a person is well advanced in years or when a person is battling a known illness or disease. When a person passes away while still in the middle of life, in relative health, and in the safety of a church building, we scramble for answers and are left reeling. Why now? Why so soon? Why her? It doesn’t seem right.

It’s been said that “there is an easy solution to every problem and it’s the wrong one.” So I’m not going to try and talk ‘Christianeeze’ and regurgitate some textbook answer for you. But I do want to remind us that there are some things that we can affirm about the person and character of God in any situation, including this one.

1) We can affirm the goodness of God
A truth affirmed throughout Scripture is the goodness of God. There is no getting around it.

Psalm 25:8 “Good and upright is the LORD”
Psalm 119:68 “You are good and do good; Teach me Your statutes.”
Psalm 145 :9 “The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works”

This is a bedrock for the Christian. We may not understand all of God’s dealings with men but we cannot doubt His character, which manifests itself in all of His works. He is good and He does good.

2) We can affirm the sovereignty and providence of God
“Sovereignty” speaks of God’s authority over all things and “providence” refers to the actual outworking of that authority in controlling all the details of life. This is another anchor of the soul.

Psalm 103:19”The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”
Psalm 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”
Psalm 135:6 “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”

Sometimes people think that it is much better to leave God out of tragedy, as if it would make us feel better to know that God wasn’t involved at all. But how does that make things better? If there is not an all-wise God who knows what I can handle, a God who can measure out the right dose of difficulty, then we are left utterly hopeless. We are at the mercy of blind chance and fortune. Pain is pointless and has no meaning. Even God is surprised at our calamity! How much better to know that God has a plan and a purpose in everything and is guiding and controlling all events.

This does not promote some fatalistic view of life but rather lets us know that God is at work in all things for a good purpose. Romans 8:28 works because God is at work “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God is in absolute control.

3) We can also affirm the Wisdom of God
God is good, and He is in control, but what about the timing and the circumstances and all the particulars that are involved? We can use a reminder of God’s wisdom can’t we?

Daniel 2:20 "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him.”
Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
Revelation 7:12 saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

God’s wisdom is perfect because he knows all the contingencies and all the details not only presently but infinitely into the future as well. God is the one who is “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'” (Isaiah 46:10). We can trust a God like this. And then finally …

4) We can affirm the compassion and comfort of God
We don’t come to a God who stands aloof, unattached, untouched, indifferent to our needs and feelings. God is a God of great compassion.

Psalm 25:6 “Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.”.

I find it interesting that when God revealed his glory to Moses he began in this way,

Exodus 34:6 "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.”

God’s glory is manifested in his compassion! And the compassion of God is most clearly revealed to us in the person of Christ. Over and over again in the gospel accounts we find the statement that our Lord Jesus Christ “felt compassion” or was “moved with compassion” and in Luke 7:13 we see it used in direct connection with the grief over a lost loved one. Don’t ever think that God is not touched by what you experience as His child. He hears our cries and is described as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3).

These are firm, rock solid, unchangeable affirmations that we can make about God regardless of the circumstances and this list is only the beginning. As we remember Mrs. Sample’s life we can also be encouraged by the unshakable character of the Great God she trusted in.

In loving memory of Mrs. Mary Henderson Sample, 49, of Little Rock, AR. We give thanks to God for her faith in Christ, her love for all the saints and her hope in heaven (Colossians 1:3-5).

In Christ Alone,
George Lawson

How "Great" is the Great Commission? (Part 1)

2010-08-27T08:30:00.002-05:00

The summer the Lord saved me was the best summer of my life! I received the assurance that my sins were forgiven, the hope of eternal life, an insatiable desire to understand Scripture, a love for God and an excitement about evangelism.

Not too long after my conversion, I was questioned by a family member about my desire to evangelize. He told me that the Great Commission was for the apostles, not for me. Was he right? Was I applying a verse to me that really wasn’t for me at all? How “Great” is the Great Commission? Is it an exclusive command bound by history, intended only for the immediate audience? Or was it greater than that?

Let’s begin examining a few of the evidences from Scripture, which demonstrate that the Great Commission was intended for the entire church.

1) The example of the entire church
In Acts 1:8 Christ affirmed that, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, his disciples would be his witnesses. Was this promise limited to the apostles only?
Acts 8:1-4 describes one of the ways this promise was fulfilled. In this passage the church was scattered after the martyrdom of Stephen, but notice what the Church was engaged in as they scattered.

Acts 8:1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

Where did the apostles stay according to verse 1? Jerusalem! So who was doing the preaching? It was the body of Christ! Those that did not receive the Great Commission directly were engaged in evangelism. Similar examples are found in Acts 8:25-40 and Acts 11:19-22. The Early Church advanced by disciples making disciples, not by apostles making apostles!

In Christ Alone,
George

Loose the Scriptures and Let them Speak!

2010-08-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest joys in my life is to study Scripture. There is this certain joy of discovery that is unmatched for me. There are great and marvelous treasures to be mined and uncovered.

It is here, within these pages that God has chosen to reveal Himself and His will to us. That’s exciting! God is revealing himself to us through this book!

Unfortunately that is not the way many people look at Scripture today. There is the belief that scripture really isn’t all that clear in its communication to us and that’s the way it’s meant to be.

There was an article in Christianity Today where a pastor’s wife was interviewed, who said “I grew up thinking that we’ve figured out the Bible, that we knew what it means. Now I have no idea what most of it means. And yet I feel like life is big again.” As the article went on, it revealed she was not merely speaking for herself, but was voicing the opinion of an entire movement known as the “Emergent movement”.

John MacArthur describes the movement like this ““uncertainty is the new truth. Doubt and skepticism have been canonized as a form of humility. Right and wrong have been redefined in terms of subjective feelings and personal perspectives.”

It’s the idea that a truly humble person would not be so bold as to claim that they actually know the truth. How can you say that you actually know what God says? That’s arrogance!

However, is it not arrogant to claim that God cannot communicate? And what kind of hope does an uncertain message offer? Life is not big when you have a Bible you can’t figure out. Life is utterly hopeless! If God cannot be trusted to communicate clearly to us, then what hope do we have of understanding anything at all?

We can’t know His will for our lives,
We don’t know how to discern truth from error,
We can’t know what He requires of us,
Bottom line, We can’t know Him.

And If I believed there was no way to come to some understanding of this book I would resign today! Game Over, what’s the point? Let’s just call it quits, because if God can’t make it clear, than who can?

The Reformers however, who affirmed the need for educated teachers in the Church, also affirmed what is known as the "perspicuity" (or clarity) of the Scriptures. By this, they did not mean that there are not things hard to understand, for even Peter admitted to that (2 Peter 3:16). Rather, the doctrine of perspicuity teaches that the basic message of the Bible is clear and simple enough for any literate person to understand.

So we come to the Bible with certain convictions

1) God has given his word to reveal truth not conceal it.

Even the very word translated revelation demonstrates this. The word revelation is the Greek word “apokalupsis”, which means to uncover or disclose.

John Stott put it this way...
"God has revealed himself chiefly by speaking. We may be quite sure, therefore, that he has spoken in order to be understood, and that he has intended Scripture (the record of the divine speech) to be plain to its readers. For the whole purpose of revelation is clarity not confusion"

2) The God who created language knows how to communicate in it.

It is implied throughout Scripture that God expected his words to be understood. Is this not the reason for communication in the first place? One writer said, “I cannot persuade myself that a book that is intended for the instruction and conversion of the whole world should cover it’s meaning in such mystery and doubt that none but critics and philosophers discover it.”

3) Because God has revealed himself in human language he expects us to use the rules of human language to understand Him.

The Bible is not "spiritual" in the sense that the words themselves used to communicate are unnatural. The language used is very human and just as rules apply to other forms of literature they also apply to Scripture.

One of Jesus’ common statements was “have you not read” – (Matt 12:3, 19:4; 22:31)

He assumed clarity for the Scriptures. He did not say “I understand why you didn’t get that, the Bible is really fuzzy and ambiguous isn’t it?”

The conviction that the Scriptures were clear drove men like William Tyndale, to whom all English speaking Christians are indebted to for our English Bible, to literally give their lives for the translation of God’s word into the common tongue.

Tyndale once shamed the clergy of his day by saying, “If God spares my life before many years pass I will make it possible for a boy behind the plough to know more Scripture than you do.”

Today my goal is to help the youth of BCLR to know the Scriptures better than they did and to know God better as a result. These are some of the reasons why we are committed to expositing the Scriptures each week. Are you ready for the journey to begin? Join us for our study in Colossians, where we will “Loose the Scriptures and Let them Speak!”

In Christ Alone,
George

Living For the Will of God (Part 2)

2010-07-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 4:1-6

by Tim Senn

2. The Motivations to Embrace Suffering

A. Remember that Life is Short (1 Peter 4:2, 3, 5)

Thinking of life in a series of stages can be helpful in motivating us to live in the moment in the light of eternity. Think of life in 4 separate stages: school years; career and raising a family years; mid-life; and retirement. When you are in the school years of life: Jr. High, High School, and college – it is tempting to think that you have many years of life ahead of you – many years to “get serious about God and living for His glory” – many years to live for the Kingdom and His purposes. You might be thinking to yourself – I am not letting life slip away from me!

But, you only get to live each stage of your life one time! Don’t think about what you might do for God in the next stage of life – ask yourself what you are committed to in this stage! Peter would say, “Time is too short to not live each day for the glory of God!” Considering eternity helps us to live for God’s glory in the moments of everyday life!

B. Resolve to Live for the Will and Glory of God (1 Peter 4:2)

The second motivation to embrace this mission is that there are really only two ways to live: according to self-rule or under the Lordship of Christ. In other words, we cannot fool and deceive ourselves with the idea that God is pleased with half-hearted mediocrity. The command is to make a decisive break with sin.

C. Realize that Self-Rule is Futile and Destructive (1 Peter 4:3)

The world hears that life is short and believes that you must grab all that you can get in your one chance at life, no matter what rules you have to break or who you might hurt in the process. Unbelievers chase all of these things because they believe that they will bring happiness in life.

Peter describes this sinful mission as futile, empty and ultimately destructive. He describes the futility of a sinful life with the phrase, “they run into excesses of dissipation.” Why do they run to excess? Because after a while, sin fails to deliver the same amount of satisfaction that it did the first time. Thus, Peter pictures unbelievers as running a frantic race trying to pursue sin – going to excesses because it doesn’t satisfy anymore! A sinful life is a wasted life!

D. Readiness to Suffer is Rewarded by Christ (1 Peter 4:4)

When Christ transforms your life and you begin to live a completely different life than you did before, you will receive persecution and be rejected by some friends and family members. They will respond to your faith in two ways:

Surprise and Shock
Insults

They will be surprised that you are no longer engaged in the sinful practices that once defined you. Your holy life will begin to convict them of their sinfulness, even if you never speak a word. Under conviction for their unrighteousness, they will begin to malign and insult you for your holiness.

E. Reckon on the Reality of Judgment (1 Peter 4:5)

A fifth motivation to live for the will of God is the reality of coming Judgment. The desire for the believer should be to stand before God on that day as blameless and as holy as possible, and to be able to show that the purpose of his or her life was to live for the glory of God. On the Day of Judgment, every day not lived to the max for the glory of God will be regretted as a wasted day.

Sin is futile and empty in this life, but it is condemning in the next. A wasted life in the here and now becomes wretched eternity separated from God in hell! But thanks be to God, whose grace more than covers the sins of those who confess and trust in Him, and whose grace saves wretched people and transforms them into saints!

F. Resurrection is Guaranteed (1 Peter 4:6)

Peter’s final motivation is to remember that resurrection life is guaranteed for believers. In the same way in which Christ was put to death in His earthly existence for obeying the will of God, believers will also face death as a result of their own sin or due to persecution. And yet in the same way in which Christ was raised to life in an entirely different realm of spiritual existence, so will believers!

Living For the Will of God (Part 1)

2010-07-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 4:1-6
by Tim Senn

Christians are called upon to embrace an attitude in which they are willing to suffer if necessary in order to give themselves fully to God in obedience. I will show you six motivations to embrace this call of God upon our lives to embrace suffering in the living out of His will.

1. The Mandate: A Call to Embrace Suffering for Righteous Living (1 Peter 4:1)

Peter is saying, “Be willing to suffer for the sake of righteousness in obeying the will of God.” In every situation, we should desire as believers to do what is right and what is pleasing to God, even if that means that we will suffer for it.

A person who is willing to suffer for righteousness shows that they have ceased to let sin have dominion over them, and that they are not living according to their human desires and feelings, but are governed by the desire to glorify God! This doesn’t mean that you will live a perfect life; however, it does mean that you are a completely different person than you were when you only lived for your own desires.

The Victorious Christ

2010-07-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 3:18-22
by Tim Senn

I want to show you from 1 Peter 3:18-22 three stages of Christ’s triumph and exaltation. This “Righteous One” Who had willingly submitted Himself to ungodly earthly rulers, even subjecting Himself to cruel and unjust suffering unto death, was raised up and given the highest place of power and honor in the entire universe! I will show you the triumph of Christ’s:

1. Death (3:18)

2. Resurrection (3:19-21)

3. Ascension (3:22).

1. The Triumph of Christ's Death (1 Peter 3:18)

Why did Christ come to earth and die? It was for our sins! Our sin and rebellion against our Creator had caused a separation between us and merited eternal condemnation and punishment. Moreover, there was absolutely nothing that we could do to make things right with God! But what we were unable to do, Christ did for us! He died in our place! When did He make this sacrifice? Once for all on the cross of Calvary! His substitution on our behalf is complete, and salvation is now available to all who will trust in Him! How was He able to accomplish what we had failed to do? Because He lived a perfect life of obedience and righteousness before God. He was the “just” or “righteous” One who earned righteousness on our behalf. He credits this righteousness to filthy sinners who trust in Him. What was the purpose for Christ’s death? “So that He might bring us to God”! The death of Christ on our behalf has given justified sinners access into the very presence of God! By faith in Jesus, we can now have a personal relationship with the God of the universe!

2. The Triumph of Christ's Righteousness (1 Peter 3:19-21)

Next, let’s look at the triumph of Christ’s resurrection. Peter contrast Jesus “being put to death in the flesh,” with “made alive in the spirit.” This is a reference to the resurrection. A good paraphrase would be, “Jesus was put to death in the physical realm, but was brought to life again in the spiritual realm.” The person responsible for this resurrection is the Holy Spirit! Romans 8:11 states, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” In others would, just as the Holy Spirit raised Jesus physically from the dead into the new realm of the spirit, so He will raise our bodies after our physical death as well!

3. The Triumph of Christ's Ascension (1 Peter 3:22)

Finally, the triumph of Christ’s ascension is that because He lives and exists in a glorified state, those who belong to Him will also one day share His likeness. No earthly or spiritual power can separate us from the love of Christ because He rules over every other power!

These words give great encouragement and hope to those who are persecuted and who are suffering for their faith in Christ. Christ has triumphed, and after we suffer for a little while, we will one day be exalted with Him, and will reign with Him!

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 7)

2010-06-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 9
by Byron Earls

6. Lastly we see that Mephibosheth was granted the right to be seated at the king's table.

We too have been granted the right to be seated with the King.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ ( by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Mephibosheth was shown a godly kindness for the sake of another even though he was lame and undeserving. He didn’t have land of his own nor did he have any right to any, yet it was granted him. We believe that he understood his rights (or lack thereof) since he appears to be humble in his reception of the opportunity to access to the king and a seat at the kings table.

Hopefully now, if you are among the saved, every time you think of Mephibosheth you will think of yourself. We too have been shown the kindness of God for the sake of another (Jesus Christ). We have been called out of darkness which should cause us to be truly humble. We have been granted citizenship in His kingdom and have been seated with the King of Kings.

Do you think Mephibosheth was moved to his core by being granted by King David all that we have examined?

What about you, are you moved to worship the King of Kings after considering what we as undeserving sinners have been granted?

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 6)

2010-06-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 9
by Byron Earls

5. Just like Mephibosheth we receive much when we deserve nothing - Heirs with Christ.

"For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." (Ephesians 2:18-19)

"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:16-17)

By all rights Mephibosheth didn’t deserve to receive anything from the king that his grandfather had sought out to kill so many times in the past, but the king granted him access to himself as if he was one of the kings family.

We do not deserve access to the ‘King of Kings’ yet we are granted full rights as a citizen of His kingdom……in fact we are even granted the right to call him ‘FATHER’! "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15)

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 5)

2010-06-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 9
by Byron Earls

4. The right response to the invitation to the table of the King - Humility

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit.: (Psalm 34:18)

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)

"Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child." (Matthew 18:3-4)

God not only expects; he demands humility.

What if when summoned by King David Mephibosheth had shown up and said something like, “It’s about time Dave. I’ve been wondering when you were going to do what was right!” How do you thing the king would have responded.

How did Mephibosheth respond to the summons of the king though?

Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!" Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog. [A dead dog] The wild dogs of the East, which still abound in every town, are the natural objects of contempt and dislike.

Mephibosheth has no false humility; his response to the ‘kindness of the king’ should be a lesson to us. This is not something that only is shown in his initial invitation to the king’s table, but you see his humility displayed even later on in his life when circumstances had change.

"Mephibosheth said to the king, 'Let him even take it all, since my lord the king has come safely to his own house.'" (2 Samuel 19:30)

If you have truly been saved then ‘humility’ should (might even say) will be a characteristic of your life.

What about you? …….How would those who know you best characterize you? Would it be that you are a humble person?

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 4)

2010-06-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 9
by Byron Earls

3. Saved from our Lo Debar - Darkness

"For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)

"Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light." (Ephesians 5:7)

Mephibosheth was in Lo-debar when David sent for him. This was a place in Palistine, but the word may carry the meaning of NO PASTURE (Lo=no, debar=pasture). I don’t want to make too much of this, but one could say that Lo-debar/no pasture could represent wandering aimlessly. Live stock without a pasture will do just that.

Where are we without Christ, without God the King of Kings intervening in our lives?

We are not just in Lo-debar wondering aimlessly as we see from the passages that we just examined we are in darkness. The Bible depicts us as being dead first then we are shown to be in darkness. We can’t even see to sit at the King’s table if we had an inclination to do so.

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 3)

2010-06-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

2 Samuel 9

by Byron Earls

2. Saved in spite of our lameness - Enslavement / Deadness

"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18)

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Mephibosheth was lame in both feet/legs due to having been drapped when he was a baby; we are born with the nature of sin which separates us from God. Mephibosheth couldn't come to the king on his own; something had to be done by the king on his behalf.

His feet/legs were damaged, therefore, he was crippled. We are not just crippled by our sin we are enslaved by our sin because we are "dead in our transgressions and sins" which means that we will not and cannot come to God, the King of kings, on our own.

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 2)

2010-06-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 Samuel 9
by Byron Earls

1. Saved for the sake of another - Christ's sake

"For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." (Phil. 1:29)

Note here in this verse that it has been "granted" for Christ's sake. Why was it granted to us to believe? We like Mephibosheth were shown kindness for the sake of another. Mephibosheth didn’t deserve it nor did he have it coming, but because David loved Jonathon he displayed a form of Godly kindness to Jonathon’s son. We too have received a kindness that granted us because of another.

Commenting on this passage Spurgeon says, "Mephibosheth was no great ornament to the royal table, yet he had continual place at David’s board, because the king could see in his face the features of the beloved Jonathan." If we are saved, it is because God has granted us salvation for his Son's sake and not because we are a "great ornament" at his table.

Our Undeserved Place at the King's Table (Part 1)

2010-06-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

2 Samuel 9

by Byron Earls

Have you ever wondered ‘why’ God had certain stories placed in scripture while leaving others out?

Paul wrote referring to some things that happened during OT times: "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11

Let's look at the story of Mephibosheth from 2 Samuel 9. I hope we see six things about Mephibosheth and the king:

1. He was shown kindness for the sake of another (v. 1, 7)

2. He was lame in both feet (v. 3, 13)

3. He lived in Lo Debar (v. 4, 5)

4. He had a humble view of himself (v. 6, 8)

5. He received much even though he had rights to none (v. 7, 9)

6. He ate at the king's table regularly (v. 9, 13)

Now that is a brief overview of how Mephibosheth was allowed to ‘sit at the king’s table regularly. For both believers and unbelievers I want to show you how the restoration of our relationship with God parallels with what we see here. We know that Jesus when he was here used parables to teach us about the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God so this is not an abnormal or unbiblical way of looking at a passage. The story does breakdown at some point, but I hope that after this when you think of Mephibosheth that it will cause your heart/mind (if you are saved) to worship the Lord God for His unmerited kindness towards you.

Turning Hostility into an Opportunity (Part 9)

2010-06-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 3:13-17
by Tim Senn

Now I would like us to look at the second key command God gives us in our evangelism of others:

2. Fear God and Speak about the Surpassing Value of Christ
(1 Peter 3:15-17)

Peter’s quotation of Isaiah 8:12-13 leads to both a second command and an extremely Christ-exalting statement, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” Jesus Christ is given equal status to Yahweh God of the OT! We are to treat Him as holy and sanctify Him in our hearts. To treat Christ as holy is to treat Him as having infinite value. It is to give Him the highest place in your life and to put Him into a different category from anyone or anything else. It is to cherish and treasure Him, and to show to the world around us the surpassing value of knowing Him. If everything else in our lives is taken away, but we still have Christ – we have everything!

When Peter says, “always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you,” he is referring to what we call evangelism. Packed into these two short verses are 4 powerful principles to effective witnessing:

A. Be Prepared
First, we are always to be ready, or prepared to share our faith. The idea is literally to give a ‘defense,’ or “reasonable explanation” of our hope in Christ. We need to be ready at a moment’s notice to tell unbelievers what makes our lives different from theirs.

B. Winsome Attitude
Second, we are to witness with a winsome attitude. We are to be gentle toward unbelievers, and reverent toward God. Gentleness implies that we are not interested in winning an argument, but in winning people to Christ! Evangelism is not a debate in which we try to put our superior intelligence or speaking abilities on display. Rather, it is a tender plea as a sinner to other sinners how they can be forgiven and made right with God! Evangelism is ultimately an act of mercy, as we lovingly appeal to others to turn from the sin that will send them to eternal punishment, and to trust in Christ as the only Savior.

C. Good Conscience
Third, a good conscience is not only necessary, but is an extremely powerful instrument in our evangelism. It is necessary, because if unbelievers know of hypocrisy in our lives, they will not listen to what we have to say. But more than that, if we know of un-confessed and un-repented of sin in our lives, this will dampen our desire to witness to others. If we are walking with the Lord in a manner worthy of Him, the false accusations and slanders of unbelievers will not “stick” to us, and will “disable” their ability to reject our message by rejecting the “Messenger.”

The testimony of our changed lives will leave them without excuse for rejecting Christ, and will even bring great shame upon them on the Day of Judgment if they refuse to repent and to trust in Christ (v. 16).

D. Willingness to Suffer
Finally, coming full circle – our willingness to be bold in sharing the Gospel is one of the “good works” that will bring more undeserved suffering into our lives! (v. 13). But we should constantly remind ourselves that it is better to live for Christ, and to suffer for Him, than to disobey our mission to evangelize. We also should desire to “sanctify Him as Lord” by proclaiming His surpassing worth to those around us.

Turning Hostility into an Opportunity (Part 8)

2010-06-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:13-17

by Tim Senn

Yesterday we saw the first reality from Peter on how suffering for righteousness sake can assist us in overcoming fear of man. We can rejoice that God actually rewards and blesses those who suffer for His namesake!

C. Realizing the Surpassing Value of Christ

Second, we can overcome the fear of man by realizing the surpassing value of Christ. Not only can we remind ourselves that God is “bigger” and more powerful than any other power that might harm us – and that He is in control over every situation, but we should remind ourselves that no physical suffering – no matter how painful or intolerable – can ultimately touch or rob us of those things that are most valuable in our lives!

Yes, unbelievers can destroy your good name and reputation – but they cannot take away the fact that you are part of God’s family. You have forgiveness of sins, joy, and peace! Yes, unbelievers can harm your physical body – but they cannot touch your soul. They can do nothing to tarnish or diminish the eternal life that you possess! Yes, unbelievers can reject and ignore you and treat you like an outcast. But they cannot harm your relationship with Christ, whose love is better than life! Suffering for Christ cannot take away any of the most precious things in our lives! We need to remember the things that matter the most!

Peter is saying that even if we should suffer in this life for our Christian faith, that suffering will only be temporary! But the reality for those who “do evil” and do not know Christ as Lord and Savior is that they will suffer for all eternity. Their happiness is temporary, but their suffering is eternal! Our suffering is temporary, but our happiness is eternal!

Ultimately, Peter simply tells us to fear God! In quoting Isaiah 8:12-13, “And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,” he reminds his readers that they can trust God to walk with them through the most painful and threatening moments of life!

Turning Hostility into an Opportunity (Part 7)

2010-06-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 3:13-17

by Tim Senn

1. Do not fear man (1 Peter 3:13-14)

A. Receiving Evil for God

B. Rejoicing in the Blessing of Suffering for Christ

But won’t this cause fear in our lives? The fact that some might actually harm us even when we are doing good deeds and not doing anything wrong? It certainly can! But when facing suffering for righteousness sake, Peter reminds us of two important realities that can assist us in overcoming fear of man:

First, we can rejoice that God actually rewards and blesses those who suffer for His namesake! Undoubtedly, Peter had been present when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, and had these verses in his mind as he wrote this instruction:

Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

We can rejoice when suffering for Christ, because it demonstrates the genuineness of our faith (we suffered because others saw Christ in us!); and because God has special rewards for those who suffer for His sake.

Turning Hostility into an Opportunity (Part 6)

2010-06-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:13-17

by Tim Senn

We are looking at the two key commands from 1 Peter 3:13-17 in our evangelism of others:

1. Do Not Fear Man (1 Peter 3:13-14)

A. Receiving Evil for God (3:13)

Whereas Peter told believers to not return evil for evil, but rather to overcome evil with good, he now points out the fact that sometimes even our righteousness will be met with the anger and hostility of unbelievers. When Peter states, “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?”, he is saying that normally, those who do what is right are not the target of harm from others. Those who would want to hurt a person who does good and helps others is clearly acting in a wicked way. And yet the righteous person can expect to suffer at times for the sake of Christ.

It is simple to understand why society punishes those who commit crimes and are evildoers. But we must also realize that if we try to live holy lives and speak of our faith in Christ, some will want to injure us for our righteousness. Our good works will convict them of their sinfulness, and they will attempt to extinguish the “light” by intimidating us or hurting us so that we will not be so distinct. Therefore, you might actually receive evil for your good in life.

Turning Hostility into an Opportunity (Part 5)

2010-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:13-17

by Tim Senn

Last week we looked at the first untique opportunity we when we experience hostility and persecution for our faith in Christ which was To Experience the Goodness and Blessing of God. Now we turn our attention to the second opportunity.

2. To Explain the Gospel of the Glory of God.

I am going to show you from 1 Peter 3:13-17 that suffering presents another unique opportunity to us as believers: To Explain the Gospel of the Glory of God. Therefore, we are talking about the subject of evangelism, or witnessing of our faith to unbelievers. In these verses, God gives us two key commands in our evangelism of others: (1) Do Not Fear Man; and (2) Fear God and Speak about The Surpassing Value of Christ.

I. Do Not Fear Man (3:13-14)

Verse 13 continues the train of thought from verses 8-12 with the connecting “kai” – “and” conjunction. This links it to the previous statement that God is attentive and helps the righteous, but is against those who do evil.

In other words, we live in a moral universe, and God does bless those who live a righteous life before Him (beginning with the righteousness given to us in justification). Thus, this is an incentive to obey God even if it means that we will suffer for it. For this reason, we are to be zealous for good deeds – literally, fanatics for righteousness!

Hostility as an Opportunity (Part 4)

2010-06-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 3:8-17

by Tim Senn

1. Experiencing the Goodness and Blessing of God (1 Peter 3:8-12)

A. Being a Blessing to Other Believers (8)

B. Being a Blessing to Unbelievers (9)

C. How Hostility Can Create Belssing (10-12)

But this truth does not stop there, we not only give a blessing, but we also are said to inherit a blessing! We must be careful here, because we are not saying that we can earn our salvation by our good works – rather, we demonstrate that we are truly saved by our good works; nor are we saying that we should be motivated to serve and obey God so that He will give us a blessing. Rather, what Peter and the rest of Scripture is saying is that the blessing we receive from God is something that we can only find in a relationship with Him – and it is in the context and soil of suffering and persecution in which the flower of His presence grows most quickly! In order to prove this point, Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16, and it is the perfect passage to prove his point!

Notice that this Psalm was written in the midst of hostility and hardship! It was in the midst of this hardship that David realized the opportunity that God was giving him to experience a greater depth of the goodness and blessing of God. The opportunity was to continue to trust and obey God by living righteously in the midst of pain and suffering, and refusing to return evil for evil. He learned the timeless principle that God rewards the righteous and blesses them!

“Afflictions work for good, as they make way for glory…Not that they merit glory, but they prepare for it. As ploughing prepares the earth for a crop, so afflictions prepare and make us ready for glory. The painter lays his gold upon dark colours, so God first lays the dark colors of affliction, and then He lays the golden colour of glory. The vessel is first seasoned before wine is poured into it: the vessels of mercy are first seasoned with affliction, and then the wine of glory is poured in. Thus we see afflictions are not prejudicial, but beneficial, to the saints.” (Thomas Watson)

Hostility as an Opportunity (Part 3)

2010-06-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:8-17

by Tim Senn

1. Experiencing the Goodness and Blessing of God (1 Peter 3:8-12)

A. Being a Blessing to Other Believers (8)

B. Being a Blessing to Unbelievers (9)

In verse nine, Peter turns his attention primarily to how the believer can be a blessing to an unbeliever (although they certainly apply to believers as well). The heart of this verse is that we are called to be a blessing to others. When in obedience to God we live a righteous life and are a blessing to others, we will in turn receive a blessing from God, both in this life and in the life to come.

We are a blessing to unbelievers when we “don’t return evil for evil or insult for insult, but give a blessing instead.” Certainly Peter had been influence by the teaching of Jesus!

Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

It is perhaps one of the most difficult situations in life to be mistreated, hurt, abused, and reviled, and to not retaliate! But we are called by God to return a blessing instead of vengeance.

Why? Because that is the way in which God treats His enemies!
Why? Because the kindness of the Lord leads men to repentance!

We were once enemies of God and hostile to Him, but His love and grace and mercy overcame and triumphed over our resistance until we were captured and converted by that love! Overcoming evil with good is the way in which self-righteous Pharisees come to the place in which they weep over their sin and call themselves the chief of sinners! Overcoming evil with good is the way in which immoral and irreligious unbelievers come to the point of wanting to live a righteous and godly life of obedience to God! Now, God desires for us to be His instruments of blessing the world by overcoming evil with good!

Hostility as an Opportunity (Part 2)

2010-06-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 3:8-17

by Tim Senn

1. Experiencing the Goodness and Blessing of God (1 Peter 3:8-12)

A. Being a Blessing to Other Believers (8)

Peter tells us how we can be a blessing to other believers by possessing five distinct attitudes.

(1) Be Harmonious – (same mind) literally, be “like-minded” or “same-minded.” Believers are to be of the “same-mind” and unified with other believers. In the context, this characteristic would have been extremely important, because during times of persecution from the outside, believers can begin to turn against each other and begin to hurt and tear each other down. The idea of being “like-minded” means that we need to recognize our one faith; to work toward our one purpose; and to realize that we are members of the same body! This does not mean that we will all believe exactly the same thing or have the same opinions and perspectives on every matter – but it does mean that we are to lay aside our preferences for the main and central truth – the gospel of Jesus Christ.

(2) Be Sympathetic – (same suffering) to be sympathetic means to “share in the same suffering.” It is an attitude in which we enter into the joys and sufferings of other believers as if they were our own. We are called to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep. The only way in which we can truly sympathize with someone else is to forget about ourselves! If you are envious of the blessings that someone else has, you will not be able to rejoice with them. If you are indifferent to someone else’s pain, because it doesn’t affect your life – you will not be able to weep with them when they suffer.

(3) Love the Brothers – (same family) as we have seen earlier in this letter, this literally means “brother love.” We don’t love other believers “like we would love a brother.” We love other believers because they really are our brothers in Christ, part of the same family. Jesus said, “If you love one another, all men will know that you are my disciples.” In other words, the way in which we love one another as believers is a powerful silent testimony of the gospel message. It is the Gospel in living picture, and is a visual image of the grace of God. The Gospel is shared with both words and pictures. The picture of the gospel is powerful in its impact. The words of the gospel are powerful in their content. The way in which we treat one another is a living picture of the gospel!

(4) Be Kindhearted – this is the same word as ‘compassion,’ and means to feel and to be affected by the suffering and hardships of others. Compassion is something you feel in your “gut” (in Greek – the intestines or kidneys). Rather than being indifferent or cold to the suffering and hardship of our brothers and sisters, we are to identify with their pain and seek to help alleviate it as we can.

(5) Be Humble – literally, “lowly of mind.” Humility means that you don’t think too highly of yourself, but that you access yourself realistically. Humility means that you are willing to put others first and to defer to their desires and preferences. You look out for the best interests of others, trusting God to take care of your needs.

These five attitudes will be a blessing to other believers, and will lead into a deeper experience of the goodness and blessing of God upon your life, because He delights to honor those who trust in Him!

Hostility as an Opportunity (Part 1)

2010-06-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 3:8-17
by Tim Senn

In these next posts I want to show you from 1 Peter 3:8-17 that the hostility and persecution that we receive as Christians for our faith in Christ and godly behavior presents us which two unique opportunities:

1. To Experience The Goodness and Blessing of God.
2. To Explain the Gospel of the Glory of God.

I. Experiencing the Goodness and Blessing of God (I Peter 3:8-12)

The first opportunity that we have when facing hostility to the gospel is to experience the goodness and blessing of God.

The words, “To sum up” or “Finally” (v. 8), provide a bridge between the section on submission, and the upcoming section on suffering to come. In other words, Peter is giving some final instructions on how all the members of the body of Christ can related to one another in a way that pleases and honors God, and that bears a powerful testimony of the gospel to the watching world.

However, the main point of this passage is found in the quotation of Psalm 34:12-16 and the promise of finding “life” and “good days” (v. 10). According to Peter, the way in which to find “life, happiness, and good days,” is bound up with living a righteous life before God. It is in light of this truth that this instruction is given. The way in which we are to find blessing, is by “giving a blessing” to others, both within and outside the church body.

This is completely counter-cultural to the thinking of our world, that says that the “good life” and the “way to happiness” is trying to gain as much pleasure and possessions as possible. But the timeless truth of Jesus remains: “to find your life you must lose it, to live you first must die.”

The Humility of Christ (Part 8)

2010-06-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…because this God, the God for whom all things were created, has taken you especially unto Himself.”

(13) for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. - Is it really this God, the God of the Universe, the Trinity, the self-sufficient, almighty, most holy, active, vibrant, jealous God who works in us? Is it really this God who planned the birth, death, and resurrection of His own Son so that He could be glorified by Him? That is an amazing God! That is a fierce God! He is not tame, that we should control Him; nor is He needy, that we should Help Him. Yes, this is the God who is at work in us! This is the power of this verse! It is this God! The God who orchestrates the world has called you to play a part! Do you play yours lightly? It might be said that the less you consider Him, the less you consider Him to be; and the more you consider Him, the more you consider Him to be. In other words, your view of God is directly proportional to how much you think of Him.

Summary:

If we love one another (verse 1), we must stick together (verse 2), which means we can’t be set against one another (verse 3a), but must consider each other as equal members of the body of Christ (3b and 4), whose example and God-hood we ought to remember (verses 6-11), and because of which we ought to continue living before Him with an appropriate measure of timidity and apprehension (verse 12), because this God, the God for whom all things were created, has taken us especially unto Himself (verse 13).

The Humility of Christ (Part 7)

2010-06-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…and because of which you ought to continue living before Him with an appropriate measure of timidity and smallness…”

(12) Therefore, - “Therefore” is the key word to understanding and interpreting this passage rightly, this verse ought not to be taken by itself. Look at the following verse, which is a continuation of this sentence. My beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, - Without knowing the context for this verse, it is easy to ignore the God who has just been described. But the question must be asked, “fear and trembling of what?” For there are many doctrines that could be cooked up to fit this verse, such as an untrue belief that God is a mean God who will strike you down whimsically, like a moody old lady who always talks about "kids these days". Reading this verse may bring to one's mind the idea of a solemn courtroom where there is no rejoicing, no fanfare, just a grumpy old man sitting on an old antique chair. But we may infer the following point, stated rhetorically: will he not do the same to us? God worked in Christ; He will work in us as well! For we were called; we are being sanctified; we will be glorified (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined He also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:28-32 ESV) “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:4)

The Humility of Christ (Part 6)

2010-05-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…whose example and God-hood you ought to remember”

(6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, - Could this perhaps indicate something of the nature of the Trinitarian relationship? Is even the Trinity God-centered, each member constantly glorifying the other, a game of rock-paper-scissors with no singular winner? The Father exalts Jesus, Jesus exalts the Father, the Spirit exalts the Father and the Son, and the Father and the Son exalt the Spirit. One exults and exalts in the other so that the others can exult in and exalt the One! What a God!

(7) but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. - It looks as though we add up collectively to a total of nothing! If Jesus Christ became nothing by becoming a man, then man must be nothing. Therefore, if I am a man, then I am nothing! What worth do I have that the Lord does not give me. I am a repository, a mirror, a clay jar, not a self-sufficient glory producer. This verse also implies that God is both transcendent and imminent. God in Jesus was ultimately humbled in order to be ultimately glorified. It is as if in coming down He swooped all of Creation in a dazzling display of glory, grace and mercy.

(8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. - The ultimate sacrifice for the goal of all goals, the glorification of God

(9) Therefore God has highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.

(10) so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, - "For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly" (Psalm 138:6). "Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in a high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit'" (Isaiah 57:15) "If we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him" (Romans 8:17)

(11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, [all] to the glory of God the Father. - It is all for the glory of God the Father. Jesus is glorified by God so God can be glorified by Jesus! It seems it is a symbiotic relationship, each benefiting equally from the other, constantly uplifting each other within the perfect bond of the Holy Trinity. They are not idle! Theirs is obviously a very active relationship, not a passive one. We do not pretend to understand time before time began, but I have a feeling God was in no way bored. He does not need us! Everything we have has been given, from the day of your birth to the most intricate and complex thought you have ever had! Your talents, your blessings, your parents, your personality, are all from God and for God. Belittle Him at your own peril, He is a big God with big ideas about little people; indeed we should, as verse 13 says, fear and tremble; for He is brighter than the sun, louder than thunder, fiercer than a lion, nobler than David, more majestic than Solomon, smarter than Einstein or Newton (the essence of science is figuring out what God did), bigger than the universe. Let your mind dwell on the glory of God, for it encompasses all these things together and more, and all these things together compile it; and He did not need us to have it! We add nothing to Him! You were not created for His benefit but for His!

The Humility of Christ (Part 5)

2010-05-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…but must consider yourselves as equal members of the body of Christ…”

but in humility count others more significant than yourselves - It needs to be done in humility, without a trace of self-centered desires for round-about self-glorification rather than from a desire to exult in Christ by exalting Him through the means appointed: the imitation of Him. What does it look like to apply this verse? How can I be more important than you and you be more important than me at the same time? It is all about teamwork; the body working together for the same goal: the glory of God. This is what it looks like to be of one mind practically.

(4) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others- The general idea is easily understood, but it is far too often taken to mean that our interests mean nothing and another’s interests mean everything. That is not true! Rather, there is a balance. It is a misapplication of this verse to make this mean that you can never have an opinion; God made you to have opinions, it is part of what makes you interesting as a person; the proper application of this verse is that you recognize that your opinion is not the only one that counts. Where there are no opinions there are three things: 1) lies, 2) discontent, and 3) boredom. Where there is a plurality of opinions there is the most potential for fun, fellowship and Christ-likeness. Interests - (John Piper) The word “interests” is filler. In the original, it’s open-ended. All that is specified is “your own (something)” or “the other’s (something).” In other words, verse 4 is a way of saying the words of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:39).”

(5) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, - This is Paul’s transition to a doxology of Christ. This is the key transition sentence in this passage in which Paul transitions to what we ought to do to why we ought to do it. This is the motivation: Christ! He is the center of the point of this passage, and the reason we ought to “work out” our “salvation with fear and trembling”! This is a reciprocal relationship; He is ours so we can be His.

The Humility of Christ (Part 4)

2010-05-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…which means you can’t be set against one another…”

(3) Do nothing from rivalry or conceit – You cannot be of the same mind and be rivals at the same time. Rivalry and conceit imply a setting against of two or more people. This is worldliness; what else is there but competition in the world to be the best, the brightest, the coolest, the smartest, the most profitable, the most rebellious, the most non-conformist? But we become like the world when we try to be the most spiritual, the best prayers, the most Christian, the most helpful, the best witness, the quickest Bible-verse memorizer, rather than being like Christ, whose food it was “to do the will of Him who sent” Him. The sweetest and most God glorifying virtue can become bitter and man-centered with a flash of the heart. That is why Paul gives these pointers and the example of Christ, not to grab them and have them look at how wonderful they are, not to have a ceremony of honor for them, but to give them an encouraging word even as he huffs and puffs alongside them. There is no time to waste on glorifying man. He doesn’t need glorifying, he needs encouraging glorifying God; “Further up and further in!” Rivalry and conceit, then, are the opposite of having one mind. So what does it look like to be of one mind?

The Humility of Christ (Part 3)

2010-05-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“…stick together…”

(2) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. - And should this not also complete my joy? How encouraged I am by some already! And yet, no runner, when he is winning, pauses to look at how well he is doing, but never looks back; it is a principle of running, so also it should be a Christian principle to go still more, never pausing (And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment (Philippians 1:9 ESV)), for evil and temptation are always nipping at the heels of human righteousness, waiting to trip us up. From this encouragement a warning may be inferred. Godly people are not to be watched; they are to be followed. Part of the main thrust of this passage is sticking the course; Jesus, Paul and Epaphroditus are all examples of this very thing. They are not to be admired so much as they are to be followed like a plane is guided by runway lights at night. This verse implies focus; the goal of glorifying God with a love given by Him to us for the purpose of gelling us together as we (verses 12-13) work out our salvation given to us by the same God.

The Humility of Christ (Part 2)

2010-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

“If you love one another…”

(1) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, - What is the “So” for? It follows from verse 29 of chapter 1 (For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.), suffering people need each other more than people at rest; Paul knows the people at Philippi are going through hard times, he had experienced plenty there himself (Acts 16, Lydia, Silas, prison, jailer). It has not been granted to all believers to suffer for Christ in the same way (Hebrews 11:37), but at the very least there is the suffering under your own temptations to sin. Do you at least experience that suffering? Do you have even a little compassion for others who are going through the same thing, or do you condemn, judge and gossip?

The Humility of Christ (Part 1)

2010-05-24T08:15:00.002-05:00

Philippians 2:1-13

by Douglas Allison

The question has been playing around in my heart for quite some time. It is this: Are our hearts united in love to and awe of Christ?” There were two things which I felt in my heart very strongly, 1) That there is less God-honoring encouragement and exhortation than is healthy, and 2) that there is less respect and honoring of God than is healthy. Therefore, I hope to do two things in these posts: 1) encourage and exhort you as part of the body of Christ to love and holiness, and 2) show you a picture of God, given in the Bible, which demands respect, honor, and awe; not a flippant attitude toward Him. I would like to do this by giving you a panoramic view of this passage.

Sometimes, three points and a poem can make Scripture more abstract than it is. After studying, I think the clearest and (I hope) most effective way to open up this passage to you is to summarize it all in one sentence then explain the passage to you. My purpose is to explain this to you so that the Holy Spirit might quicken your heart with His Word. I cannot quicken your heart, but I certainly hope I can show you in these posts that my heart has been quickened by His Word.

Here is my summary: If you love one another (verse 1), stick together (verse 2), which means you can’t be set against one another (verse 3a), but must consider yourselves as equal members of the body of Christ (3b and 4), whose example and God-hood you ought to remember (verses 6-11), and because of which you ought to continue living before Him with an appropriate measure of timidity and apprehension (verse 12), because this God, the God for whom all things were created, has taken you especially unto Himself (verse 13).

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 8)

2010-05-20T08:07:00.004-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

2. The Strategy to Effective Leadership (1 Peter 3:7)

3. The Applications of this Passage to Singles

A. Settle your convictions to only marry another believer.

You need to settle in your mind the conviction that you will only marry another believer (and by way of implication – if you will only marry another believer, there is no reason to date or court an unbeliever). 1 Corinthians 7:39 says that women should marry ‘only in the Lord’ and 2 Corinthians 6:14 says that we should not be ‘unequally yoked’ with unbelievers, which applies to marriage.

Following God’s counsel in this matter will save you much heartache and pain in life. It is not that every unbeliever has a terrible marriage or that an unbeliever cannot attempt to sincerely love and serve their spouse.But if you are a Christian, the thing that is most important in your life – your relationship with Jesus Christ – is something that the unbeliever will never understand or be able to share with you unless God is gracious to convert them.

B. Recognize that true beauty is a matter of the heart and of the charachter, not of physical appearances.

In God’s eyes, true beauty is not possessed by the supermodels, or the cover-girls on People Magazine, but by those who have the right kind of character. Please don’t be so superficial in your criteria of what defines true beauty.

C. As a single person, the primary training ground for godly submission and godly leadership is right in your home!

Girls, the way in which you response to and submit to your dad’s leadership, is how you are training yourself to respond to your future husband.

Guys, the way in which you show respect to your mom and are considerate toward her is how you are training yourself to treat your future wife. You might be thinking – that won’t happen to me, I am going to treat my wife like a Princess. Maybe – but it is hard treating someone like a Princess when you have always tried to live like the King!

D. Recognize that faith and hope in God is what overcomes fear! Peter says that fear is at the root of choosing the wrong path to beauty.

Fear is such a powerful motivator. Fear that I won’t get what I want. Fear that I won’t be provided for. Fear that if I don’t dress and look a certain way, no one will be attracted and interested in me.

Let me set as least one fear at rest. If you will trust the Lord by cultivating inner beauty and godly character rather than focused on the externals, you will please the Lord. And the woman who pleases the Lord will attract the kind of man who also desires to please the Lord.

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 7)

2010-05-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7
by Tim Senn

So far we have looked at The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6). Now I want to look at the second point from this passage.

2. The Strategy to Effective Leadership (1 Peter 3:7)

As Peter turns to address the husbands, he devotes only one verse to them. There are two distinct reasons for this, one cultural, and one from life experience. The cultural reason has already been mentioned, it was expected that a wife would follow her husband and embrace his religion. Thus, Peter doesn’t have to tell husbands how to ‘win’ their wives.

Second, it is a proven fact from life experience that men can only remember and do one thing at a time! But to the men’s credit, the one thing that they are supposed to do is to virtually attempt the impossible – to understand a woman!

Since men are called to lead – how are we to function in a way that is pleasing to God?

A. A Considerate Learner
First, men are called to be considerate. They are to devote themselves to understanding their wife: her needs, desires, fears, strengths, weaknesses, joys. He is also to consider the fact that he is physically stronger than her, and must both protect and provide for her in a way that does not expose her to harsh or unbearable conditions.

B. A Respectful Leader
Second, a husband is to honor and respect his wife as a ‘fellow heir of the grace of life.” He is to show respect and honor to her both through his words and through his actions.

C. A Spiritual Companion
Finally, he is to love her in such a way that his relationship with God is not hindered. The word has the idea of a ‘road-block.’ This cuts through any hypocritical or false spirituality on the part of a man, who may perform all of the spiritual exercises of worship and Bible reading and prayer. But if he treats his wife harshly and disrespectfully, God says that He will not listen to the man’s prayers.

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 6)

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

A. The Role of the Wife (3:1)

B. The Reason for Submission (3:1-2)

C. The Real Definition of Beauty (3:3-4)

D. The Reward of True Beauty (3:4)

E. The Role Model of Submission (3:5-6)

Finally, Peter offers a ‘real-life’ model of a woman who possessed the true beauty of submission: Sarah. Peter points to one example in the life of Sarah that displays her submission and obedience to Abraham. The reference is to Genesis 18:12 and it refers to the promise of the Lord that Sarah would have a baby in her old age (90 years old!). The Scripture says that she laughed in her tent! But Peter picks up on the fact that she spoke to herself and called Abraham ‘lord.’

Her laughter betrayed doubt and unbelief in the promises of God – but her reference to Abraham as ‘lord’ in casual and ordinary conversation revealed a heart attitude of submission to him!

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 5)

2010-05-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

A. The Role of the Wife (3:1)

B. The Reason for Submission (3:1-2)

C. The Real Definitaion of Beauty (3:3-4)

D. The Reward of True Beauty (3:4)

When I first read the words “which is precious in the sight of God,” I was blown away. Although it is a slightly different variation in the Greek, I was amazed that possessing these qualities are considered precious in the sight of God. Why? Because consider the only other things that are called precious in this letter!

1 Peter 1:19 - We were redeemed with precious blood!

1 Peter 2:4 - Jesus is precious in the sight of God!

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 4)

2010-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7
by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

A. The Role of the Wife (3:1)
B. The Reason for Submission (3:1-2)
C. The Real Definition of Beauty (3:3-4)

Since behavior is the key to influencing her unbelieving husband, Peter goes on to explain that it is a women’s godly character that is the source of true beauty, rather than her appearance. According to Peter, women should not just focus on the outward appearance: hairstyles; jewelry; and clothing, but should focus on “the hidden person of the heart.”

Peter is not arguing against a woman attempting to make herself attractive and presentable, but rather against being absorbed with your appearance and spending undue amounts of time and money in order to stay current with all of the latest fashions. He is really arguing against a preoccupation with the external and superficial rather than cultivating Christlike character. For a Christian women, clothing and appearance should be a reflection of humility rather than a self-centered and attention grabbing display.

As one pastor put it, “true beauty must come from the heart, not from the store.”

Peter gives two qualities of a truly beautiful woman – a woman whose beauty doesn’t fade over time, but is ‘imperishable.’ A gentle and quiet spirit.

Gentle – not insistent on one’s personal rights or upon getting one’s own way. Not pushy or selfishly assertive, but considerate of the thoughts and feelings and needs of others. Gentleness is strength under control.

Quiet – she does not seek to attract attention to herself. She is not boisterous or noisy. In her heart, she is calm and at peace rather than being driven by the restlessness of always wanting to be noticed or approved.

The key to both of these qualities is faith in God. In verse 5 Peter says that godly women “hope in God.” In other words, they are trusting in God and in His promises to give them genuine blessing and happiness in life, rather than attempting to grasp it on their own. They are content and at peace to ‘rest’ in the Lord and wait for His timing and for His rewards. He also says that ‘they are not frightened by any fear.’ In this context, it refers to women who continue to serve and trust and obey God regardless of how their unbelieving husbands might threaten or treat them – but it applies to every fear that a women might have. The fear of not being attractive; the fear of not being accepted; the fear that no man will take an interest in her if she doesn’t dress a certain way; the fear that she will not have what she needs if she doesn’t look out for her own rights.

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 3)

2010-05-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

A. The Role of the Wife (3:1)

B. The Reason for Submission (3:1-2)

According to Peter, the reason why it is so important for a Christian wife to submit to an unbelieving husband is “so that they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.” The reason why we know that Peter is referring to an unbelieving husband is because this man is characterized by “disobedience to the word.” It is certainly true that all Christian husbands are disobedient to God’s Word at points in time in their lives, but this phrase is consistently used by Peter to describe unbelievers (2:8; 3:20; 4:17).

A Christian wife might believe that her best strategy in seeking to evangelize and lead her husband to Christ is by witnessing to him with words. She might plead with him to come to Christ. She might fill their home with listening to preaching and tune the radio to “K-Love”, in hopes that he might hear and respond to the Gospel message. She might enroll in every evangelism class offered at her church and train to effectively share the gospel with her husband.

But Peter says that in this case, more powerful than words, is the testimony of a transformed life and behavior that is the product of faith and holiness. It is not as these men ‘hear’ the gospel from their wives, but as they “observe and see” their chaste and respectful behavior, that they will be won to Christ. The term “won” is used in the Bible to designate an evangelistic or missionary activity meaning to “make a Christian.” Thus, Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians 9:19, “For though I am from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

This is not a guarantee that if a wife lives her life in obedience to Christ, that he husband will automatically be saved. However, it is saying that the most powerful witness that a wife can have of the genuineness of her faith and the power of Christ to save will be demonstrated in her actions, rather than in her arguments. And as 2:12 taught us, on that Great Final Day of Judgment, there will be a group of men who are invited into heaven because they were led to the Lord through the godly example of their wife!

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 2)

2010-05-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

A. The Role of the Wife (3:1)

According to God’s Word, in the design of marriage and the family, the husband is the head and leader of his wife, and the wife is to submit to her husband. As we have mentioned before, submission does not imply inequality or inferiority in any way, but rather refers to the roles which men and women are to fulfill in marriage. The equality of women with men is stated in verse 7, “a fellow heir of the grace of life.” In God’s design order of marriage, there can only be one ultimate authority, and that is the husband. Submission does not imply that women should not express their ideas and beliefs and opinions, or that the husband should not seek her input into decisions. But at the end of the day, he must lead, and she is to ‘fall into rank’ underneath those decisions

As in the other categories of submission, Peter addresses a situation in which submission would be particularly difficult – a believing wife married to an unbelieving husband. This means that submission in marriage is not just God’s design for Christians only, but for all marriages. In the Roman Empire, the status of a wife was one in which she was considered to be inferior to men and in which she was treated like property. The reason why Peter devotes six verses to Christian wives and only one to Christian husbands, is because the situation of a believing wife married to an unbeliever would have been particularly difficult and problematic.

In that culture, a wife was expected to share her husband’s religious beliefs and practices. Thus, when a woman was converted to Christ, so would have to break with her husband’s religious traditions and renounce them as idolatrous. It is highly probable that some of the slander and reviling that Peter has mentioned in this letter was the slander of unbelieving husbands directly at their Christian wives.

Although these women would have to disobey their husbands if they were forbidden to worship Christ and be involved in the church, Peter is telling them to submit and obey in every area in which they are not being asked to sin – he gives no qualifiers!

Beauty in God's Eyes (Part 1)

2010-05-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 3:1-7

by Tim Senn

In this series I would like to show you "Mission of Submission" as it applies to marriage and the family from 1 Peter 3:1-7. I want to focus in upon the Biblical teaching regarding the definition of true beauty. I will show you:

1. The surprising power of submission (1 Peter 3:1-6)

2. The Strategy for effective leadership (1 Peter 3:7)

First, we will look at what the passage meant to the original audience, focusing in upon the role of husbands and wives in marriage. However, since the vast majority who read this blog are single and a few years away from marriage, I want to shift to apply some of the principles from this passage to you in the second part of the series.

1. The Surprising Power of Submission (1-6)

The words, “In the same way” (1), tie this passage together with the theme that has occupied our attention since 2:13, the subject of submission.

1 Peter 2:13 - Christians are to be submissive citizens to governmental authorities.

1 Peter 2:18 - Christian slaves were to be submissive to their masters.

1 Peter 3:1 - Christian wives are to be submissive to their husbands.

However, this phrase also builds directly upon the “Model of Submission” in 2:21-25: the Lord Jesus Christ, who submitted His will to the will of His Father and voluntarily died in our place upon the cross. The example of Christ is to motivate and be an example for how believing wives are to relate to their husbands, and for how believing husbands are to lead their wives.

An Overview of Psalm 2 (Part 5)

2010-05-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Psalm 2
by Greg Scheideman

"Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 2:10-12)

4. The Narrator Speaks Again (v. 10-12)

The narrator speaks words of warning and warmth. He gives the warning to unbelievers, as the pagan leaders, how they should respond to God. He speaks words of warmth to us as believers in Christ. We need to remember our position in this world, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet" (Psalm 8:4-6).

How are believers to live in this world?

A. Be wise - How to get wise? Pray and ask God for wisdom
B. Be instructed - Be a learner. Use every opportunity you are given to learn.
Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 10:14, Proverbs 18:15, Proverbs 23:12, Romans 12:2
C. Be disciplined - Choose good books. Hang around wise people. Listen to good stuff.
D. Serve the Lord with fear - Our attitude toward others while serving with our gifts. Examine your motives for serving. Here are some good examination tools for serving:

Obedience - Deuteronomy 13:4
Gratitude - 1 Samuel 12:24
Gladness - Psalm 100:2
Forgiveness - Isaiah 6:6-8
Humility - Philippians 2:3
Love - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

E. Rejoice with trembling - Have joy in God and respect for a holy God.
F. Kiss the Son - This is a symbol of submission. A clear example is found in 1 Samuel 10:1 when Samuel anointed Saul as king: "Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, 'Is it not because the LORD has anointed you commander over his inheritance?'" That is what these wicked rulers will not do and why they are in danger of fierce, final destruction. Make sure you are not one of them.

The hands he holds forth to kiss are the hands that were pierced by nails when he was crucified in your place! One day he will come as the righteous judge to punish but today is the day of grace. "Blessed are all those who put their trust in him." Only refuge from God's wrath is his mercy unfolded at the cross!

An Overview of Psalm 2 (Part 4)

2010-05-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Psalm 2
by Greg Scheideman

"I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'” (Psalm 2:7-9)

3. The Son Speaks (v. 7-9)

This is the only Old Testament reference to the Father and Son relationship in the trinity. These are also the same words spoken by the Father at two events in the life of Jesus.

A. At Jesus' baptism - "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
B. At the transfiguration - "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased listen to him."

"You are my Son, today I have begotten you" is quoted in Acts 13:33 as Paul uses it to refer to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as the "firstborn from the dead" (Col. 1:18). Then verses 8-9 speak of the Churches obligation to evangelize. Jesus is Lord, but there are still many who resist him! This is the great missionary challenge of the Church to spread the gospel to those who resist him. Evangelist Harry Ironside thought that a banner should be put in front of any evangelistic meeting stating:

"'Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for they possession' (Ps. 2:8). It is the will of God that his Son should have a great heritage out of the heathen world, the godless Gentiles."

Our assignment is to carry the message of God's decree and Christ's rule to them. It is to proclaim the rule of King Jesus! One day we will see him rule!

An Overview of Psalm 2 (Part 3)

2010-05-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Psalm 2

by Greg Scheideman

Today I want to look at an example of an earthly king who thought his way to be greater than our sovereign God's:

Diocletian (A.D. 245-313) Romans emperor and foe of Christianity made a medal which said: "The name of Christianity being extinguished." He extended the borders of his empire westward into Spain and erected 2 monuments that said:

#1 - Diocletian Hovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Augusti for having extended the Roman Empire in the east and the west and for having extinguished the name of Christians who brought the Republic to ruin.

#2 - Diocletian Hovian Maximian Herculeus Caesares Agusti for having everywhere abolished the superstition of Christ and for having extended the worship of the gods.

Yet, Christianity was growing stronger than ever - eventually triumphed over Caesar's throne.

Quoting on this William Plumer says, "Of thirty Roman emperors, governors of provinces and others in high office, who distinguished themselves by their zeal and bitterness in persecuting the early Christians, one became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty, one was slain by his own son, one became blind, the eyes of one started out of his head, one was drowned, one was strangled, one died in a miserable captivity, one fell dead in a manner that will not bear recital, one died of so loathsome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stench that filled his room, two committed suicide, a third attempted it but had to call for help to finish the work, five were assassinated by their own people or servants, five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths, several of them having an untold complication of diseases, and eight were killed in battle, or after being taken prisoners.

Among these was Julian the Apostate. In the days of his prosperity he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God whom he commonly called "the Galilean." But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and be gathered up his clotted blood and threw it into the air, exclaiming, 'Thou has conquered, O thou Galilean.'

So has it been throughout history. So will it be to the end."

An Overview of Psalm 2 (Part 2)

2010-05-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

Psalm 2

by Greg Scheideman

"He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath,and terrify them in his fury, saying, 'As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.'” (Psalm 2:4-6)

2. God the Father Speaks (v. 4-6)

The narrator sets up his words saying, "He who sits in the heavens" which is a contrast to "The kings of the earth" from verse 2. God's reaction is not to tremble at their words. He is not fearful of their power. He does not even rise from where he is sitting. Rather the texts says, "He laughs" at these fools. Not a pleasant laugh but one of "derision." You could say he scoffs at them. Some other verses:

Psalm 37:12-13 - "The wicked plots against the just; and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, for he sees that his day is coming."

Psalm 59:5-8 - "You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations; do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. At evening they return, they growl like a dog, and go all around the city. Indeed, they belch with their mouth; swords are in their lips; for they say, 'Who hears?' But you, O LORD, shall laugh at them; you shall have all the nations in derision."

This is what human attempts to throw off the rule of the sovereign God deserve! It is understandable that sinners should want to reject God's rule - that is what sin is: a repudiation of God's rule in favor of one's own will - yet, how can mere humans expect to get rid of God?

After laughing, God speaks to rebuke and to terrify the rulers - tells of his appointment of his Son to be King and foretells his triumph. We have the benefit of history to see God accomplishing his purposes through leaders.

Tomorrow we will briefly look at an example of one of these earthly kings.

An Overview of Psalm 2 (Part 1)

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Psalm 2

by Greg Scheideman

"Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves,and the rulers take counsel together,against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 'Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.'” (Psalm 2:1-3)

1. The Rebellious Rulers of the Earth Speak - Introduced by the Narrator (v. 1-3)

The narrator asks, "Why rebellious rulers of the earth engage in anything as useless as trying to throw off the rule of God's anointed?" These verses clearly point to the condition of the human heart against God. This is not a limited revolt of some merely human king against David. This is a Psalm of David and it does speak of the rebellion of the world against him as an earthly king yet the ultimate reference is to Christ! Clearly we see the rebellion of the world's rulers against Jesus but we must examine the heart in general to see the defiance in our own hearts against God.

Spurgeon says, "We have, in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human nature against the Christ of God." This is a clear reference to the total depravity of man. Look at the words David uses to describe the human heart: rage, plotting vain things, set themselves, counsel together, breaking bonds and cast away cords. All of these description give a picture of a depraved person! Is this you?

James: A Foundation (Part 6)

2010-05-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

James: A Foundation

by Douglas Allison

Last week we had the privilege to look at the principles taught in the book of James. Today I want to share the implications of these principles and their point.

These principles do not constitute a law we must follow-Galatians 3:24- So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

We tend to think that the point of these principles is to simply hear and obey. That is not the point, and it is frankly impossible. In the Old Testament, the people had the law, which was similar to this letter from James in that it was a list of requirements. No one was able to keep the whole law, and the whole point of that law was to show them their need for their savior. We should not have that need as they are an example to us of the impossibility of keeping all the requirements, whether they be old or new.

The question therefore is this: what is the point of having so many principles to follow when it is impossible?

The answer is this: the point of having so many principles is to show us how to live to the glory of God. There is a difference between standards and expectations. God’s standard is that we be perfect, but His expectation is not that we be perfect, but that we be becoming perfect as a pattern of life. No one can keep this list of principles. Some of them are impossible! (The tongue) The point is not doing right, but being right.

My encouragement: Take all this as a foundation for understanding not only James but the Bible as a whole. I say James especially because it is simply a list of actions we ought to do, but in order to do them for the right reason we must recognize our inability to do them for the glory of God without God’s sustaining grace, for which you must humble yourself and ask as a child asks his father for bread!

James: A Foundation (Part 5)

2010-04-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

James: A Foundation
by Douglas Allison

Principles from Chapter 5:

You rich, weep and howl (James 5:1)
Be patient (James 5:7)
Do not swear! (James 5:12)
Suffering? Pray. Cheerful? Sing. (James 5:13)
Sick? Call for the elders. The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick (James 5:14-15)
Confess your sins (James 5:16)
The prayer of a righteous man has great power (James 5:16)
Whoever brings back a sinner will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins
(James 5:20)

James: A Foundation (Part 4)

2010-04-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

James: A Foundation

by Douglas Allison

Principles from Chapter 4:

Submit yourselves to God (James 4:7)

Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7)

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (James 4:8)

Woe hypocrites (James 4:8-9)

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you (James 4:10)

Do not speak evil against anyone (James 4:11)

Whoever know the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:17)

James: A Foundation (Part 3)

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

James: A Foundation

by Douglas Allison

Principles from Chapter 3:

Not many should become teachers (James 3:1)

The same mouth ought not to bless God and curse people

(James 3:10)

Let the wise and understanding show by his good conduct his works in the meekness of wisdom (James 3:13)

James: A Foundation (Part 2)

2010-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

James: A Foundation

by Douglas Allison

Principles from Chapter 2:

Show no partiality (James 2:1)

Speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty (James 2:12)

Mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13)

Faith is no good without works (James 2:14, 26)

Happy Birthday to Tim Senn!!

2010-04-26T12:40:00.003-05:00

James: A Foundation (Part 1)

2010-04-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

James: A Foundation

by Douglas Allison

Sometimes we can miss the forest for the trees. Out of all things I could have chosen to write, this point is important because many times I find students lack tools for understanding the Bible, and what is more important than understanding a letter from the Creator of the Universe to us? Take these posts as a foundation for understanding the letter from James to the dispersed church. We are a part of the church, and it is sent to us. We will see what is being written, why it is being written, what we need to understand from it, and what all that information implies for us. You need to have a basic understanding to serve as hooks on which to hang particular points of practicality, else the individual principles are lost in translation

What is being written?

James is a set of principles written to help Christians know how to live the Christian life. Over the next five days we will look at some of these principles from the book of James. I would encourage each of you to look at a principle or multiple principles and meditate upon God's word as it is intended to pierce your soul and conform you more into the image of Christ.

Chapter 1: Principles

Count it all joy (James 1:2)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God (James 1:5)

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation (James 1:9)

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial (James 1:12)

Do not be deceived (James 1:16)

Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19)

Receive with meekness the implanted word (James 1:21)

Be doers of the word (James 1:22)

Pure religion is visiting orphans and widows and keeping oneself unstained from the world (James 1:27)

The Mission of Submission (Part 10)

2010-04-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:21-25

by Tim Senn

Thus far we have seen the example of Christ as the model sufferer (1 Peter 2:21-23) and Christ as the merciful Savior: our sin bearer (1 Peter 2:24). Today we will look at the third example.

3. The Mindful Shepherd (1 Peter 2:25)

Going once more to Isaiah 53:6, Peter reminds us that before knowing Christ, we were lost and were like “sheep who had gone astray.” Our lives were meaningless and without purpose. But Jesus turned us (the verb is a passive, meaning “you have been brought back”) and now watches over our souls as our Good Shepherd.

He gives our lives purpose, and that purpose is to live for the glory of God. And living for the glory of God demands that we walk by faith, and live excellent lives before unbelievers. And when we live transformed lives, we often will receive persecution and will suffer for our faith. And when we suffer for our faith, we need to follow our model and example so that we can fulfill God’s redemptive purpose for our sufferings, to bring unbelievers to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to point them to the cross – where a sinless Man died so that all who believe in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life!

Jesus will never call us to walk down a road that He has not first walked Himself! Our mission is to follow in His footsteps, and to entrust ourselves to Him as our Good Shepherd and keeper of our souls!

The Mission of Submission (Part 9)

2010-04-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:21-25
by Tim Senn

The first picture Peter gave us in how to respond to suffering was a picture of Christ as the model sufferer. Now lets look at the second picture.

2. The Merciful Savior: Out Sin-Bearer (1 Peter 2:24)

1 Peter 2:24 are some of the clearest and most powerful words in Scripture concerning the nature of the atonement. They clearly present the truth that Jesus’ death on the cross was a substitution and sacrifice for our sins, so that we would not have to experience the wrath of God against us!

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the ‘tree’”. This phrase is a quote of Isaiah 53:12, “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many.” The idea is that Jesus literally carried our sins upon Himself as He walked up the hill of Calvary to die on the cross. In His weakened physical condition, someone else had to carry the cross beam, but spiritually, He was carrying the weight of all the sins of everyone who would ever believe! By carrying our sins as a willing victim, Jesus paid the price and suffered the punished due to us for our sins. He died in our place – this is substitution!! This is why 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God through Him.”

Peter also draws attention to the fact that Jesus was suffering the very wrath of God against sin when He suffered on the cross. He does this by calling it a ‘tree’ rather than a ‘cross.’ He is calling us to remember Deut. 21:23, which the Apostle Paul interprets and applies to Christ in Galatians 3:13, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Christ suffered the very curse of God against our sins when He suffered in our place. Therefore Peter concludes with another reference to Isaiah 53:5, “for by His wounds you were healed.” Isaiah 53:5 states, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed."

Thus, the death of Jesus was voluntary (He willingly died in our place because of His great love for us); it was substitutionary (He died in your place; it was sacrificial (He died for your sins); it was redemptive (He paid for your sins and bought you back from slavery); and it was propitiatory (He suffered the wrath of God meant for you!). What a Merciful Savior!!! And don’t miss the purpose of our great redemption!! “So that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” The whole purpose for why Christ died for us was so that we could live to the glory of God!

The Mission of Submission (Part 8)

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:21-25
by Tim Senn

1. The Model Sufferer (1 Peter 2:21-23)

A. The Call
B. The Purpose

C. The Response

How are we to respond? How did Christ respond?

1. Don’t commit sin in trying to get revenge for yourself. Verse 22 quotes Isaiah 53:9 by saying that Jesus did not sin when He was sinned against. Although we cannot follow His example perfectly, we are called to resist the temptation to strike back when we are wronged. The fact that Jesus did not lie or deceive is an example for us as well, as we might be tempted to hide our Christian faith rather than to face insult or rejection.

2. Do not return evil for evil. “While being reviled, He did not revile in return.” Notice here that the suffering that Jesus endured was harsh and painful words. When we think of suffering for Christ or for being persecuted, we often only think of physical suffering. But you have suffered for Christ if you have been insulted, made fun of, rejected, or demeaned because of your faith in Christ and Christian beliefs.

3. Do not utter threats, but comfort yourself in God’s future, righteous judgment. When suffering for Christ, we might not lash out with our fists or strike back physically, but we might utter threats of God’s judgment with our mouths or even cherish in our hearts the fact that “God is going get those who sin against us.” But rather than utter threats of God’s judgment, we are supposed to “entrust ourselves to the One who judges righteously.”

The Mission of Submission (Part 7)

2010-04-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:21-25
by Tim Senn

1. The Model Sufferer (1 Peter 2:21-23)

A. The Call

Today I want to look at the purpose of the model sufferer.

B. The Purpose

Notice that God’s will for Christ was redemptive, He “suffered for you.” Because Peter speaks of the “suffering” of Christ at this point rather than His “death,” he is referring to the suffering that Christ endured during His life. In what ways did Jesus suffer? First, He was reviled or abused with words. (Matthew 11:19, Mark 3:22, Matthew 26:67, Matthew 27:30)

Why would Jesus take this without retaliating? What would He allow Himself to be mistreated and abused? Because He had come to save sinners! His first coming was not one of judgment, but of salvation! Although our sufferings are not redemptive (we cannot save anyone or forgive sins), our suffering is used by God to lead and to point others to salvation. Next, He suffered physical pain and even death! And yet through it all, He blessed His enemies and prayed for their forgiveness!

Remember that 1 Peter 2:12 taught that our excellent behavior is used by God to bring some unbelievers who are resistant to the gospel to salvation? And verse 15 adds that even those who continue to resist and reject the gospel will be silenced and rendered without excuse on the Day of Judgment.

If we will submit to unjust suffering in faith to God, He will use our pain to draw some to faith in Christ. This has been most evident in history by the number of testimonies that occur after someone has witnessed the martyrdom of a Christian for their faith.

The Mission of Submission (Part 6)

2010-04-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:21-25
by Tim Senn

We now move on to a new set of verses in 1 Peter 2 but we will continue to tackle the issue of submission. I would like to show you from 1 Peter 2:21-25 the proper response of the believer to unjust and unfair suffering. I will show you three pictures of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that show us how we are to suffer in a manner pleasing to God. I will show you that Jesus is:

1. The Model Sufferer
2. The Merciful Savior
3. The Mindful Shepherd

Let's take a look at the first one: 1. The Model Sufferer (1 Peter 2:21-23)

A.The Call

The preposition “for” (gar), ties these verses directly into what has previously been said, so that when Peter writes, “For you have been called for this purpose,” the clear answer to the question, “What purpose”? is that believers ought to patiently endure and bear up underneath the weight and pain of unjust suffering because that response is pleasing to God (2:19-20). Thus, Peter is saying that part of our calling as Christians, the call to salvation and a life of following Jesus as Lord and Master, is the call to suffer wrongdoing even when we haven’t done anything to deserve it.

The reason that we as Christians suffer is because Christ “suffered for you,” and thus the path of following Christ involves suffering and hardship along the way. This truth should not surprise or shock us in any way considering the things that Jesus told His followers during His earthly ministry: Matthew 16:24, John 15:20.

Therefore, bound up in our calling as Christians to follow Christ is to walk with Him down a road of unmerited and undeserved suffering. Christ is the ultimate example of unjust suffering, because His life was completely free from sin! Thus, He never did anything to anyone to merit or deserve the harsh treatment that He received! And yet He “took the pain” in order to faithfully fulfill His Father’s will to redeem us from our sins!

The Mission of Submission (Part 5)

2010-04-13T06:45:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:13-20

by Tim Senn

4. The "Medal" or Reward for Submission (2 Peter 2:19-20)

Finally, let’s look at the “medal” or reward or prize for submission. Most of God’s commands come with a reward or blessing attached for obedience, and the command for submission is no different. Submission to authorities receives the “grace” of God, or “favor of God.” God commends and rewards unjust suffering, and is pleased with those who because of their conscious love and trust in Him, are willing to submit even when they face suffering.

Those who patiently endure unjust suffering because of their faith in God will be handsomely rewarded both with sustaining grace and strength in this life, and with future rewards in heaven.

Why should you obey God ordained authorities? Because it is God’s plan and will for demonstrating His reality and truthfulness and the transforming power of the cross of Christ! It is His powerful apologetic for shutting ignorant mouths, and His powerful weapon to change the hearts of those who will be attracted to our faith by watching our lives!

The Mission of Submission (Part 4)

2010-04-12T06:45:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:13-20
by Tim Senn

3. Margins of Submission (1 Peter 2:18)

We saw an initial margin, or boundary of submission in verse 13, “every human institution.” Therefore, we cannot pick and choose which authorities to whom we will submit. Rather, if it is a legitimate authority, we are called to obey.

Peter moves on to a second area of life: from being a citizen to being a slave (or for our day, an employee). In order to properly understand, and thus apply, this teaching to our lives, we must understand that there were some radical differences between slavery in Rome and what our country abolished nearly 150 years ago.

First, slavery in North America was a condition for the entire life of the slave with no way to gain freedom – this was not true of Rome. Second, slavery in North America was of one particular ethnic group (African Americans) and thus created immense prejudice –– that was not true of Rome. Perhaps the best way to describe Roman slavery is to compare it to those who enlist in the Army in order to have their college tuition paid for; but then must serve in the military for 4-5 years following graduation. This is also true of some medical doctors, whose tuition is paid by a hospital for the purpose that the doctor will serve for a certain number of years in that particular hospital or clinic.

For those of you would are employed, you understand that with a kind and considerate boss, it is fairly easy to submit to instructions. But Peter adds another parameter to our “margins” when he states that Christians should not only submit to those who are “good and gentle,” but also to those who are unreasonable. The word he uses means “crooked” or morally unjust, and has come to us in English as a medical term describing the curvature of the spine, “scoliosis.” These masters were harsh and abusive and unkind. In fact, they might persecute Christian slaves simply for their faith in Jesus Christ! What should be our response? Are we to retaliate and “fight fire with fire”? Peter says that we should submit with respect! Why would God ask us to do such a thing?! Why does He command us to do right, even when we are wronged? The answer goes back to the heart of our passage: in demonstrating goodness, even to those who mistreat us, we are enhancing the reputation of our good God, and thus either being used as His tool of drawing men to Himself, or as His tools to render unbelievers without excuse. Luke 6:35-36 states this truth in these words: “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

A final parameter not mentioned in these verses, but clearly taught in Scripture, is that the only time a Christian can disobey the authorities that God has placed in their lives is when they are commanded to sin; or forbidden to serve or worship God. Peter doesn’t deny these scenarios, but his call is an unabashed exhortation to submit to authority, even when we don’t respect them, and even when they are harsh and unkind to us.

The Mission of Submission (Part 3)

2010-04-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:13-20
by Tim Senn

2. The Motives of Submission (1 Peter 2:13-16)

Second, let’s look at what should motivate us as believers to submit to the governing authorities. Notice that we are to submit to “every human institution,” or literally, “to every human creature.” Although he was clearly referring to those legislative and governing bodies created by men in order to exercise authority over a society (rather than submitting to every other human being) – Peter employs the language of “creature” as a staunch reminded to his readers that although the Roman Emperors were fond of referring to themselves as ‘gods,’ that they were in fact mere creatures who had been created by the One True God.

Peter gives three motives for submission:

A. God has ordained governing authorities (1 Peter 2:13-14)

We are to submit first of all “for the Lord’s sake.” In other words, we don’t obey government leaders because of our respect or love for them, but rather because of our love and respect for God. God has ordained every authority, and is sovereign over every leader that exists. Therefore, we might not respect the man or woman who governs us, but we ought to respect the office for the sake of our love for God.

What this means is that if we rebel against and resist the established authorities in our lives (government; law enforcement; parents; teachers; church leaders; etc.); we are in fact resisting God. God has established every authority, and our job is not to resent or resist them, but to comply and submit. Romans 13:17 and Titus 3:1 clearly teach that God wills or desires for governments to punish sin and unrighteousness (that is why He ordained them); and thus if believers rebel and disobey, they get what they deserve from both God and government!

B. It is God's Will and A Powerful Testimony (1 Peter 2:15)

Whereas most people obey government out of necessity (they do not want to be punished or suffer the consequences of disobedience); Christians willingly obey for a higher purpose. Our submission to God ordained authorities is a powerful testimony and witness to the truthfulness and superiority of our faith in Christ. Because governing authorities “praise those who do right;” the will of God for Christians is that we be known for our righteousness and good works, and thus “silence the ignorance of foolish men.”

The word “silence” means to restrain, to muzzle, or to make speechless. It is the same word that Jesus used when He rebuked the winds and the waves by saying, “Be still.” Literally, He said, “shut your mouth!” Our good works literally shut the mouths of belligerent unbelievers because those in authority will recognize that the best and most outstanding citizens are followers of Christ.

Moreover, remember that the context of this command is the Day of Judgment (v. 12 – the “Day of Visitation”). On that great and final day, the desire of God for His children is that we would have so lived our lives in an upright and righteous fashion, that we will have been used by Him to bring about two opposite reactions from unbelievers: (1) 2:12 – it is the excellent behavior and good deeds of believers that will be used by God to bring some unbelievers to the point of praising and glorifying Him (i.e. they will be converted through our testimony and changed lives!); (2) 2:15 – it is the will of God that our excellent behavior and good works will be used by God to silence and shut the mouths of hardened unbelievers.

C. We Are Free! (1 Peter 2:16)

A third motive for our submission is that believers are the only genuine free men! Our disobedience to authority comes from a heart of selfishness and pride, and only those who have been transformed by their faith in Jesus Christ are truly free to resist sin and self-centeredness and to deliberately choose to obey someone else! As slaves of God, we are free to do what is right! The Christian uses his freedom in Christ not as an excuse to sin and to do wrong and thus harm other people; but rather to please God and to build up the lives of others.

These rapid commands achieve at least two distinct objectives: (1) In telling his readers to honor all men, Peter was equaling the field of his day by telling Christians to treat the royalty no better than the common household slaves! This was radical because slaves were treated as property, not as people! Peter says, “The Christian honors everyone as being made in the image of God.” (2) In telling his readers to honor the “king” or “emperor,” he is not only putting the emperor on equal footing as everyone else, but he is out rightly disputing and rejecting the Emperor worship that existed in his day!

The Mission of Submission (Part 2)

2010-04-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:13-20
by Tim Senn

1. The Mandate of Submission (1 Peter 2:13)

Peter commands believers to submit themselves in the following three areas of life:

• 2:13 – Submit to the government
• 2:18 – Servants to their masters
• 3:1 – Wives to husbands

Notice that in all three cases, that the circumstances and situation that these believers found themselves in were not only unfavorable, but painful and difficult!!

• The governing authority at the time of this letter was the Roman Emperor Nero!
• Peter speaks not only of the harsh and cruel system of human slavery, but of unjust and unfair masters!
• Peter doesn’t just command believing wives to submit to their believing husbands, but believing wives to submit to their unbelieving husbands!

Thus, he was addressing and dealing with the most difficult situations in life! Yet, his message is very simple and straightforward – submit! The Greek Word “hupotasso” simply means to “place under or to subordinate,” and was used by the military to speaking of “falling into formation underneath the leadership of the commander.” Being an imperative, it is a command that conveys a sense of urgency, and demands that the Christian adopt an attitude of submissiveness to those who are placed in authority over them.

Christians are called upon by God to maintain peace and order in society by obeying the commands of our earthly commanders and authorities. In a society, marriage, family, or church in which everyone is only interested in their own rights and fulfilling their own desires, complete anarchy and conflict arises. Throughout the Bible, those who are in step with the Spirit of God willingly submit their will to those in authority over them; and those who are rebellious are always met with the judgment of God.

Peter doesn’t address whether or not your particular system of government is good or not (dictatorship; socialism; democracy; etc.); rather, he says that any form of human government is superior to the happiness and good of mankind as opposed to anarchy. And lest we think that Peter doesn’t “understand how bad our current government is…” just remember, he would be executed in under two years of writing this letter by the Emperor Nero!

The mandate was clear and simple: Submit!

The Mission of Submission (Part 1)

2010-04-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:13-20
by Tim Senn

Introduction

There are three distinct things that come to my mind when that accusation against Christianity: (1) It is painfully true – sadly, there are many hypocrites in churches, people who say that they love Jesus Christ and believe in Him and yet live as if His commandments don’t matter. And for even those of us who are sincerely attempting to follow and obey Christ, we must quickly confess that our lives are stained by sin and are far from perfect; (2) It is a smokescreen for unbelief – if the church is filled with hypocrites, the world and culture is even more so!!! It is not only professing believers in Christ who don’t always “live what they say they believe.” For example, an unbeliever who says that they believe in moral values and good behavior must quickly acknowledge that they don’t do very well keeping their standards either; and those unbelievers who say that they don’t have any moral standards and that everyone is free to do whatever they desire no matter what – sure seem to quickly tell others when they are wrong for impinging upon their rights and freedoms! (If there is no right and wrong, what are they complaining about?). (3) It is a stark reminder that the most powerful apologetic; or defense of our faith in Jesus Christ, is not the ability to articulate our views and to persuade others of their truthfulness (as important as that is!) – but the power of our changed and transformed lives!!! If believers would live consistently with what they claim to believe, we would quickly silence and shut the mouths of our critics!

This is precisely what Peter has been teaching us in 1 Peter 2:11-12 when he said that we are to live such righteous and excellent lives that unbelievers might be attracted to the relationship with Jesus Christ that we possess. But will all men be attracted to our upright behavior? Not at all. Sadly, many will continue to revile and slander us for our good deeds, and find fault with us no matter how loving and considerate and compassionate we are toward outsiders. But whereas in verse 12 Peter is talking about the fact that good works might lead some unbelievers to faith in Christ as they are attracted to our beliefs, he now moves to talk about the effect of our good works on those who continue to be resistant to the Gospel and detractors against Christianity.

Moreover, he defines and gives some practical examples of the types of good deeds that will provide a powerful answer to those who say that Christians are hypocrites.

This week I want to show you from 1 Peter 2:13-20 how Christians are to silence their most vocal and ardent critics by the way that we live out our Christian faith. I will show you that the mission of believers toward authorities is submission. I will show you:

1. The Mandate of Submission

2. The Motives of Submission

3. The Margins of Submission

4. The “Medal” or “Reward” for Submission.

The Battle of the Soul: for Souls (Part 6)

2010-04-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12
by Tim Senn

In conclusion may we never underestimate the powerful of a godly life in presenting the gospel to a lost world. Your obedience to God, submission to your parents, love for other believers, is a powerful testimony to the transforming love of Jesus Christ!

The Battle of the Soul: for Soul (Part 5)

2010-04-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12
by Tim Senn

What are the two motivations for excellent behavior?

A. Salvation of the Lost

Our first motivation for living godly lives amongst unbelievers is that although they might make fun of us of even tell lies about us, our godly lives can be used powerfully by God to attract them to the faith. While unbelievers might “observe” or “scrutinize” our lives – searching for some bit of hypocrisy or some other sin that would give them a reason to reject Jesus – if our lives are holy and morally consistent – some will see that our faith is real and that our God is real!

The “Day of Visitation” mentioned here is the Day of Judgment, when God meets and inspects the lives of His creatures, and either gives rewards or punishments. Peter is saying that if we live excellent lives, that some unbelievers will be converted through our witness – so that on the Day of Judgment they will be among the number of saints who are praising God and giving Him glory!

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

B. The Glory of God

A second motive for doing good works and keeping our behavior excellent is that God gets the glory – the entire purpose of our lives! Either through the conversion of sinners, or the silencing of those who ultimately reject Christ (and stand before Him without excuse because they saw His work in human lives and still refused to submit to His Lordship); our lives can bring glory to the One Who has both Created Us for His Glory; and the One who Redeems Us so that we can live lives pleasing to Him!

The Battle of the Soul: for Souls (Part 4)

2010-03-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12
by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the second element of an effective Christian lifestyle that makes an impact for the gospel.

2. An Excellent Life; Attractiveness (1 Peter 2:12)

But there is a reason that goes beyond our own personal happiness that should motivate us to godly living. We should desire to glorify God by living a life of holiness before unbelievers.

The word “excellent” simply means, “good” “beautiful” or “attractive.” Our ‘battle’ with unbelievers is not one in which we withdraw from them, or attack them by returning evil for evil, but rather one in which we live holy lives and allow the power of that life silence their criticisms and attacks. Christians should expect to be slandered and persecuted by unbelievers.

Church history tells us that the early Christians were slandered in many various ways. They were accused of being “atheists” because they did not worship the Roman gods; they were accused of practicing incest and sexual immorality (they called themselves brothers and sisters and talked about their “love feasts”); of murder and cannibalism (from expressions like “eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ); and of disturbing the peace of the Empire through the preaching of the Gospel; and for saying that Jesus was “Lord” rather than Caesar.

How should Christian’s respond? By living moral upright and excellent lives!

Tomorrow we will see two motivations for excellent behavior.

The Battle of the Soul: for Souls (Part 3)

2010-03-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12
by Tim Senn

Peter gives two motivations for waging this warfare against indwelling sin by abstaining from sinful passions and desires:

A. Our Identity in Christ

First, he reminds believers of our identity in Christ. His first word, “Beloved,” is a reminder to the readers of the privileged position and status they have received as the people of God. They are objects of God’s love and affection! Believer’s are God’s people, and part of His family! Putting it into war and battle terms, “we need to remember whose side we are on in this conflict.”

The fact that God has loved us and redeemed us out of slavery to sin, should help us to keep in mind that sin was our worst enemy and greatest problem before our salvation. God’s love should motivate us to live godly lives that please Him. Gratitude for having been forgiven and set free from the guilt and misery of sin should lead us to desire to obey His commandments, not from a mere sense of duty, but from a sense of devotion.

“You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

One of the main thoughts that should come to our minds when we are being tempted is this: “I am not that person anymore. God has saved me, God has changed me, and now I don’t have to give into this sin any longer.” We should think, “That is not who I am.” Therefore, the first motivation we should have when tempted by sin is our desire to please and obey our loving heavenly Father.

B. Our Desire for Life

A second motivation to be distinct is our desire for life. Peter talks about those desires that wage war against the “soul.” He is speaking of an assault against the most precious and valuable part of us, our very life itself!

As I mentioned before, the appeal of sin is the promise of happiness and satisfaction it brings. Sin promises “life” to us. And if it wasn’t attractive and appealing, we wouldn’t fall for its deception. Sin always holds out something "good" but it is bait on a hook that will destroy us. Adam Tyson says, "Sin always takes you further than you want to go; keeps you longer than you want to stay; and costs more than you want to pay." Part of winning this war is to realize that these temptations are not ‘harmless,’ but are enemies seeking to destroy us.

We grossly underestimate sins power, thinking that we can “tame or domesticate it.” We say, “I can stop this whenever I want,” or “just this one time and I will never do it again.” But sin cannot be domesticated. As believers, we have received new life from Jesus Christ, and our desire for experiencing true and real life should motivate us to resist sin and to say “no” to its proposals.

The Battle of the Soul: for Souls (Part 2)

2010-03-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12
by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the first element of an effective Christian lifestyle that makes an impact for the gospel.

1. A Distinct Life: Abstinence (1 Peter 2:11)

The first key element to an effective Christian life is possessing a ‘distinct’ life of abstinence from sin and sinful passions. Peter strongly urges and exhorts his readers to “abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” Thus, the first battle is with our own remaining and indwelling sinful nature.

Peter’s advice and counsel? Abstain! Avoid and put off all desires that wage war against the soul. The phrase, “Wage war” indicates an attitude of enmity and active hostility. It is not talking about a single skirmish or battle, but an ongoing military expedition for the purpose of dominion. Thus, our sinful desires are constantly waging warfare against the soul, seeking to capture us and to make us useless to our purpose and mission before God. If we ‘give in’ to these sinful desires and allow them to rule over our lives, we will not only experience misery, but we will be harmed spiritually by becoming spiritually weak and ineffective.

By speaking of our “fleshy desires,” Peter is referring to our sinful nature, or remaining sinfulness. By calling them “fleshy” desires, Peter is not saying that somehow our physical body is evil (it is not, God created it!); or that the desires of the body are necessarily evil and sinful in and of themselves. However, by combining the terms, he is clearly speaking about how our sinful nature takes a natural and legitimate desire and perverts and twists it into something that damages our soul. Sin tempts us to satisfy our natural desires in a way that violates God’s will.

Tuesday we will see the battleground and two motivations for waging this warfare against indwelling sin.

The Battle of the Soul: for Souls (Part 1)

2010-03-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:11-12

by Tim Senn

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 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." (1 Peter 2:11-12)

From this text I want to show you that the effectiveness and power of our witness and evangelism is dependent upon living a godly Christian life. A godly life makes a powerful impact upon unbelievers to whom we are evangelizing. I will show you two elements of an effective Christian lifestyle that makes an impact for the gospel:

1. A Distinct Life (1 Peter 2:11)
2. An Excellent Life (1 Peter 2:12)

I’ve entitled these posts “The Battle of the Soul: for Souls” because Peter focuses upon two “enemies,” or two entities which oppose us as Christians. He speaks about our own sinful and fleshly desires, which wage war against our soul. And he speaks about unbelievers, who attack us with lies and slander. In our battle with sinful desires, the key word is “Abstinence.” In our battle for lost souls, the key word is “Excellence” or overcoming evil with good.

God's Own People (Part 5)

2010-03-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:4-10

by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the final benefit possessed by the people of God.

3. The Purposeful People of God (1 Peter 2:5, 9)

Finally, as members of God’s family, and as a kingdom of priests, we have a mission or purpose. We are to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Our mission is to proclaim and publish and advertise the message that Jesus has the power to save, and the willingness to forgive all who will come to Him in faith!

This is the ‘scandalous message’ that we are involved in spreading throughout the world! What is our purpose? To politely, but boldly, continue to spread the scandalous news that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, and that He alone can give forgiveness of sins and eternal life! All who believe in Him will be saved. But all who reject Him will be judged and condemned.

Are you advertising the news! The world loves a juicy scandal, as long as it doesn’t confront them in their sin, but we as believers must continue to point them to their only hope of salvation, the “Scandalous Stone” of Christ!

God's Own People (Part 4)

2010-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:4-10
by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the second benefit possessed by the members of God's family.

2. The Privileged People of God (1 Peter 2:5, 9-10)

Peter uses 4 phrases to show just how privileged we are:

A. A Holy and Royal Priesthood
B. A Chosen Race
C. A Holy Nation
D. A People for God

Our privilege as believers is that we have direct and immediate access to God through Christ and can worship Him in any location, and that we can worship God without a human mediator and that we have something to contribute to the people of God! Colin Smith says, "Worship in the Old Testament was largely a spectator event. The priests had all the action. They burned the incense and offered the sacrifices. The role of the people was simply to watch…but now, worship is a ‘hands-on’ experience for every believer."

In the NT, every believer is a ‘priest.’ This is called the “priesthood of believers.” It doesn’t mean that we cannot benefit from the ministries of pastors and other who have be called and gifted to teach and train others. But it does mean that as a holy and royal priesthood, we all have received a gift and are all called to minister in the body of Christ. Do not come to church with the attitude of a consumer (how does the church meet my needs; what did I get out of the service); but as a contributor!

We are not spectators watching others perform ministry for God – we are the priests! Our sacrifices are spiritual in nature (because Christ’s sacrifice was a once for all reality!) –

· Praise (Hebrews 13:15)
· Prayer (Revelation 5:8)
· Obedience to God (Romans 12:1)
· Giving (Hebrews 13:16)

God's Own People (Part 3)

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:4-10

by Tim Senn

On Friday we saw the first benefit possessed by the members of God's family: The Precious People of God. Today I want to look at a couple of subpoints that our identity as 'living stones,' is based upon the reality of Christ being the 'living stone.' In other words, we draw our life from his life! What is the significance of this? Like Christ, we are chosen and precious to God. Like Christ, we are despised and rejected by the world.

A. The Precious Stone (1 Peter 2:4)

Peter begins with a summary statement regarding the contrast in attitudes of “men” and of “God” regarding Christ. He then supports his statement with three OT quotations. The summary statement is straightforward: Christ was rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God. This was predicted by the OT prophets and by the Lord Himself in His ministry upon the earth.

Isaiah 28:16 – the leaders in Isaiah’s day were tempted to trust in Egypt rather than in the Lord God when they were being invaded by the Assyrian army. God told His people to trust in Him, and they would be delivered.

Psalm 118:22 – pictures a group of builders constructing a building out of stone. And coming to a certain stone, they throw it aside as worthless and useless. Their estimation or valuation of the stone is that it is worthless, and thus they cast it aside. However, God comes along and picks up the stone and uses it as the most important stone in the entire building – the cornerstone.

Isaiah 8:14 – this choice stone has now become the “centerpiece” of God’s house and His saving activity. The metaphor moves along to picture the massive cornerstone, standing in its rightful place. All men must make a decision and ‘deal’ with this cornerstone as they come up to God’s building. They cannot go ‘around it.’ It calls for decisive action! Many choose to disbelieve and therefore stumble over the rock, but others believe in Christ and are not ‘put to shame.’

This is clearly a reference to believers and unbelievers. Believers put their faith in Christ and see Him as precious (v. 7), and thus receive the ‘honor’ of final vindication and salvation at the judgment. But unbelievers reject Christ and ‘stumble’ over Him being the exclusive and only Savior and way to God. They disobey His Gospel and are thus appointed to destruction. They are scandalized by the person of Christ!

B. The Precious People (1 Peter 2:9)

Peter had learned his lessons well from the teachings of Jesus Christ, who used this same imagery when interacting with the Jewish leaders of His day.

Matthew 21:33-46 records the parable of the landowner and the vineyard. Jesus taught this parable while standing in the temple (21:23)! The ‘punch-line’ is in verse 43, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.’ The Church is now that “chosen nation” or “chosen race.” Acts 4:11-12 – Peter picked up on this same truth as he later preached to the same Jewish leaders in his trial before the Sanhedrin.

As such, all believers have become part of God’s family, and are precious to Him! We have become ‘a people for God’s own possession’ (2:9) and the very ‘people of God’ (2:10)! This doesn’t mean that God chose us because we were somehow better than others or more worthy of His salvation. Not at all!!! Rather, it is all because of God’s mercy! Peter quotes the prophet Hosea, showing how God would show mercy to a faithless people.

God's Own People (Part 2)

2010-03-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

1 Peter 2:4-10
by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the first benefit possessed by the members of God's family.

1. The Precious People of God (1 Peter 2:4, 6-8)

Let’s look at the identity of those who compose God’s family. The main idea in this passage is that those who are “coming to Christ” (v. 4), are the “living stones that are being built up as a spiritual house.” This is an astonishing statement, because Peter picks up OT descriptions of the nation of Israel as the people of God, and transfers them to the NT Church!

In the past, God’s ‘dwelling place,’ or the manifestation of His presence upon the earth among men was in the Temple in Jerusalem. God’s presence was localized and experienced among the stones of the Temple. But today, the presence of God is found among the community of believers – those who are being built by God into a spiritual house! Corporately, believers compose a “living temple,” and God makes Himself at home in the midst of His people.

The NT Temple – the picture is not one of each individual believer being a “little temple” of God and the Holy Spirit, but rather as believers being individual stones or bricks being placed into the one Temple of God and the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit indwells His collective people, indwelling His “Temple.” This is not to deny that the Holy Spirit has access and influence upon individual believers, but it is to assert that the very heart and center of God’s activity upon the earth is The Church – a community of believers being formed by God!

This fact shows how important the Church is to God, and how the Church is at the center and core of God’s activity upon the earth. The reason that the Church is central to God’s plan is because it is composed of those who believe in Christ, Who is the centerpiece of God’s plan of redemption!

God's Own People (Part 1)

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

1 Peter 2:4-10
by Tim Senn

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.' So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,' and 'A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.' They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:4-10)

I want to show you from 1 Peter 2:4-10 the new people or family of God. I will show you both the identity of those who composed God’s family, and the privileges and responsibilities of those who are His own people. By reminding you of 3 benefits possessed by the members of God’s family, I want to encourage you of just how blessed and privileged we are as believers. These three benefits are:

1. The Precious People of God
2. The Privileged People of God
3. The Purposeful People of God

A little background as Peter moves from the metaphor of craving the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2), to the idea of living stones used in a building. The change from “milk” to “stones” may seem odd to us, but in the Jewish mindset, the connection would be between “babies” and “household.” Thus, those who have been born again by God have also been incorporated into His own family or household.

Thus, the phrase, “and coming to Him” (v. 4) is a reference to Christ, the “Lord” of verse 3 that believers have experienced as “good” and “desirable.”

Tomorrow we will look at the first benefit possessed by the members of God's family.

Spirit of Wisdom (Part 5)

2010-03-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ephesians 1:15-23
by Douglas Allison

As we wrap up I want to give you a few thoughts from my own heart which arose after studying this passage.

We are to be different, called out, not engaging in the futile acts of the Gentiles. This involves mindsets more than specific acts, for out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. There need be no competition, no endless networking, no purposeless, pointless, hopeless pursuit of pleasure which will never be placated, no stealing, no lying, no grieving of the Holy Spirit of God, no falsehood, no anger, no opportunities for the Devil, no corrupting talk, no clamoring for the best seat, no pride, no slander, because the gentiles walk in the futility of their minds, we ought not to be deceived into following them! We ought to walk differently, having our minds enlightened, with tenderness, love, forgiveness, imitating God rather than the gentiles, who are in the grasp of the Devil, and therefore it may be said that we ought not to follow after Satan.

Interesting how Paul closes up the epistle by insisting on the need for the strength and sustenance of the people. Note that we cannot skip to the end of Ephesians and talk about putting the armor of God on without first stopping to consider on what we are putting the armor of God. Where is your heart? If Satan already has your heart, if your mind is not already enlightened, if you do not already see the wonder of it all as Paul describes it and more, then you can add every spiritual practice and discipline you want, but you are merely covering your rotten heart, for Satan is inside you. The Lord must grant you righteousness, you must be part of the household of faith, else you are simply wearing a costume, able to shoot arrows but unable to protect yourself from your greatest problem, yourself. Walking into McDonald’s doesn’t make you a hamburger (John Glass), and putting on the armor of God mentioned in the sixth chapter of this epistle doesn’t make you a Christian or even make you happier.

This is simply a final caution to protect their hearts from the evil one via the means God has provided in Christ and through the work of the Holy Spirit. We all too often skip over the matter of where our heart is because we do not like to have to think, to stop and consider who and what we are according to Scripture and in light of our own personal experience. Abstract thought is not relegated to the halls of philosophy, it is an essential aspect of the Christian life, for what God has written in principle applies to your every practice and is part and parcel of every day. Practical thought must stem from these things, and we all too ignore them. If you value your life, you will get on your knees and beg the Lord to grant you this spirit of wisdom and revelation, to the end that you might know Him.

Spirit of Wisdom (Part 4)

2010-03-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 1:15-23
by Douglas Allison

Yesterday we looked the "spirit of wisdom" found in Ephesians 1:17. Today we are going to look at "the hope to which he has called you" (18), "the riches" (18) and "the immeasurable greatness" (19).

What is the hope?

The reality is since we have been called we have hope as opposed to hopelessness when we were separated from Christ (Eph. 2:12). This hope practically works itself out through our walk with Christ. We see that suffering increases our hope (Rom. 5:2-4). "The hope of the gospel" gives everything we do meaning, including our vocation (Col. 1:23). Hope is the reason for our purification (1 John 3:1-3). But the overarching reason for the change in our lives is the hope of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). Apart from Christ declaring us justified by his grace alone there is not hope (Titus 3:7).

What are the riches?

They are the “immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7), “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1), freedom from the Law “ (Eph. 2:15) (yes, we have freedom in Christ! Free will apart from God’s will is not a biblical idea! It is a lie! It does not, will not, and cannot work!), "access to the God of the Universe" (Eph. 2:18) who is able to “do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

Let me expound on what the riches of God are? Use your imagination. The wisdom God gives is like currency, like money. Money has to be handled carefully, as does knowledge of God, but you are unlimited in your ability to learn, while only so much money can be gained. You can use your knowledge, not just to fight sin and criticize and discern and ponder “high things”, but also for crafting a better and better and more and more wonderful view of God and the joys of Heaven which await those who are saved by the Lord.

Remember that the hope functions for them to be assured, while the riches, their imagination, can help them to be more and more excited, as opposed to just being glad that they are not going to Hell. “Heaven is not a place for people who want to avoid Hell. It is a place for people who love God” (Matt Chandler).

What is this greatness?

It is important to note here that this is the proof of the power of God. If God can raise a person from the dead, what can’t He do? Exactly. To the end that we might walk “worthy in a manner of that to which we have been called”, and that we might “no longer walk as the Gentiles walk”, follow this! This greatness is Christ's power to work in us so we may walk in a manner worth of our calling.

Spirit of Wisdom (Part 3)

2010-03-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

Ephesians 1:15-23

by Douglas Allison

Today I want to look at what this Spirit of Wisdom is. Perhaps you are a Christian and you are saying, “So what? Sure, the world may be in Satan’s hands, and I may naturally be a sinner, but I am redeemed by Christ. I have confessed and repented of my sin and I am going to Heaven when I die. I am different now.” True, you may be a Christian, or you may not. God knows. But here is the problem: now that you are transferred out of the kingdom of darkness (Satan’s kingdom) and into the kingdom of light, you must walk as such (that is a paraphrase of Ephesians 5:8). Listen to me. That is not as easy as it sounds. The Bible is not talking about acting different. It is talking about being different and acting differently because you are different. The Bible is talking about thinking differently, feeling differently, and living differently. How do you do that? Have you ever changed your attitude on purpose? You need a new spirit for that. Here is where we launch into Ephesians 1:15-23.

If you are a Christian, then you are re-created as fundamentally different from the way you were when you were not a Christian. You received a new heart. You have been given new life. But your natural way of thinking and feeling you have learned from the world, and you can’t help it. So what do we do? How do you change what you can’t change? You ask the Lord, which is what Paul is doing. So, what is this spirit that we need? Haven’t we already been made new in Christ? Yes, but Paul is not talking about a new soul, the word here denotes a tendency toward something, but toward what? It is a spirit “of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him”.

If you are saved, as we have said, then you have a new heart, your hardwiring has been redone. You have been remodeled or reprogrammed, and as such you will not be made happy by the things which make the world happy, because the whole world is the devils’, right? This means that as a Christian not only is your potential to be happy infinitely greater than an unbeliever, a gentile, but your means of being happy is different. Instead of sin there is righteousness. Instead of ungodliness there is godliness. So you are a Christian, but you are confused, have you ever been confused? I think all of us have been or are right now, and it is because once you become a Christian you experience culture shock of the most severe kind. That can be difficult. This is Paul’s prayer for them to help them grasp or understand the change that has taken place, given, of course, that they are already Christians.

Spirit of Wisdom (Part 2)

2010-03-12T08:00:00.005-06:00

Ephesians 1:15-23

by Douglas Allison

We must remember that this prayer was not meant to be something to agonize over. It was a letter to the church, a group or place with people of whom many were perhaps no more educated than many of us. As Christians this should be easy to understand. This greeting and prayer is common of Paul to tell the churches to which he writes.

Ephesians 1:3-14 are one long sentence, therefore, everything that comes after a “for this reason” or “therefore” is dependent on what has been said before. Note the ¨because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints¨ he has reason to believe that these people really were Christians, and so he gives them news of what is most important. This “because” is based on the following syllogism: If you believe in Jesus, then you are guaranteed a glorious inheritance, the Ephesians believe in Jesus, therefore, the Ephesians are guaranteed a glorious inheritance. Otherwise, Paul wouldn’t be writing these things to them, because they wouldn’t understand them, and of course, because if they weren’t saved then they would not have a glorious inheritance to look forward to.

Spirit of Wisdom (Part 1)

2010-03-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 1:15-23

by Douglas Allison

"For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (Eph. 1:15-23)

I want to tell you by way of introduction that since the beginning of this year I have been focusing in my own personal times with the Lord in the epistles, or the letters from the apostles to the different churches and people they ministered to. Since I started in January I have concentrated on Ephesians and Colossians, and I am starting this month on Galatians with Cammie. What I have noticed is that I can be pretty dumb. I already knew I was dumb, but I have discovered my dumbness in a new way.

I don’t think I am the only one. In fact, I am willing to bet that there are more than a few of you who have made the same mistake that I am about to confess. What is it? I have been forgetting that the epistles are letters. I knew that “letter” is the definition of the word “epistle”, but I have always had a really hard time reading the epistle because they are so dense, unlike the emails you receive from grandma.

Because of my difficulties with understanding the epistles have gradually come to view them as books of theology, a.k.a. difficult to read and not fun unless I feel like thinking really hard. That doesn’t happen very often. When I have read them in the past I have skimmed to the easy stuff. For example, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you”, or “Take every thought captive”, or “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is good.” Commands are easy to understand and apply. However, if you are like me, you know that the majority of these commands in the epistles come at the end or at the second half of the epistle, and the apostle who wrote the epistle, the letter, is summing up everything he has said before in the commands he is giving.

How is Your Appetite (Part 5)

2010-03-10T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 Peter 2:1-3

by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the third essential of fulfilling the command in 1 Peter 2:2.

C. The Incentive for Spiritual Growth: The Goodness of Christ (1 Peter 2:3)

Peter does not attempt to give us a ‘motivational speech’ or ‘per talk’ for why we should read the Word of God. He doesn’t just say, “Read the Bible because it is the right thing to do.” Rather, Peter appeals to our experience with the Lord, “if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” He quotes Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” He drops the phrase “see” because it doesn’t fit with his illustration of tasting the pure milk of the Word of God.

But the verse fits perfectly. Because we have come to know the Lord through His living and enduring Word, and because in coming to know Him personally we have experienced His goodness, this fuels and motivates us to consistently seek Him more! The word that Peter uses for “kindness” when applied to foods, can have the meaning of “delicious” or “desirable.”

Those who know Christ find Him satisfying, and thus continue to long and yearn to know Him more through His living Word contained in the Bible! Thus, the words of Christ Himself should be our motto, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

How is Your Appetite (Part 4)

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 2:1-3

by Tim Senn

Here are some practical questions to ask yourself during or after your time in God's Word:

(1) Was there a sin I was convicted of and need to turn away from?

(2) Is there a command that I need to obey?

(3) Is there a promise to believe or some attitude of faith that I need to adopt?

(4) Is there an example to follow?

(5) Is there an attitude that I need to change or get rid of?

(6) Is there a truth about God or Jesus that I need to meditate on?

(7) Is there a false teaching or worldview that I need to reject?

(8) Is there a prayer that I need to make my own?

(9) Is there a person I need to forgive or to seek reconciliation?

In other words, the goal of Bible reading is a changed life, not just more information. A successful quiet time is not determined by the length of time you spend, the number of chapters you read, or the time of day in which you meet with the Lord – but rather by whether you truly related to God through His Word evidenced by His Word convicting or comforting you!

The Bible facilitates our growth in godliness because it allows us to fulfill all of the commands that Peter has mentioned in chapter 1 of this epistle. We can only fix our hope on Christ as we read about His promises (1:13); we can only be holy as God is holy when we learn about His character and attributes (1:15); we can only conduct ourselves in reverence when we know God’s commands and read His warnings against sin (1:17); we can only love other believers when we study the example of Christ and imitate His love for us (1:22). The Word of God is essential to our spiritual growth!

How is Your Appetite? (Part 3)

2010-03-08T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 Peter 2:1-3
by Tim Senn

Thursday we saw the command in verse 2 about craving God's Word. Friday we saw the first essential of fulfilling that command: the method of spiritual growth. Today we will dive into the second essential of fulfilling that command. In order to maximize our spiritual appetite, Peter says that we must “put aside” the sinful patterns and attitudes that characterized us before we became Christians.

B. The Goal of Spiritual Growth: Maturity in Salvation (1 Peter 2:2)

The second essential in fostering a healthy spiritual appetite is to understand the goal of spiritual growth: maturity. Peter says that the reason why we are commanded to long for the pure, spiritual milk of the Word is so that we will grow in respect to salvation.

There is nothing more heartbreaking in the spiritual realm than to see believers in Jesus Christ, who have the very Word of God right at their disposal, starving themselves daily with a lack of spiritual intake or by gorging themselves on the ‘spiritual junk-food’ of bad theology and unsound doctrine. Don’t miss this point: It is absolutely and unequivocally impossible to grow in your Christian life and faith apart from a healthy appetite for God’s Word and diet of sound Bible doctrine and teaching.

It is true that genuine believers need to be instructed on how to study God’s Word; and need to be encouraged and admonished to read it; they need accountability. But you do not need to ‘talk a believer into’ reading the Bible or constantly motivate them to spend time in the Word, because they know instinctively their need for God and His Word. For them, it is not a matter of legalism or rule-keeping, it is a matter of survival! They feel the hunger pains of spiritual malnutrition when they have been out of the Word for periods of time.

Peter uses two descriptions of the Word of God that resonate in the hearts of every genuine Christian. God’s Word is pure, and God’s Word is spiritual. God’s Word is pure, or without deceit. It contains the truth, and genuine believers hunger for the truth. They know that the Word of God is without error, and believe that we are only sanctified in and by the truth (John 17:17). They also know that God’s Word is spiritual. In other words, it is not just words on a page. When believers read God’s Word, it comes alive to them and they know that God Himself is speaking to them.

Tomorrow we will finish this second essential with some practical thoughts on digging into the Word of God.

How is Your Appetite? (Part 2)

2010-03-05T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 Peter 2:1-3
by Tim Senn

Yesterday we saw the command in verse 2 about craving God's Word. Today we will dive into the essentials of fulfilling that command. In order to maximize our spiritual appetite, Peter says that we must “put aside” the sinful patterns and attitudes that characterized us before we became Christians.

1. The Method of Spiritual Growth: "Throw out the trash" (1 Peter 2:1)

The word used for “putting aside” most commonly referred to the idea of taking off and putting aside dirty clothing. Before knowing Christ, our lives were soiled and dirty with sin, but now that He has cleansed us and given us a new life, we need to make a decisive break with our former attitudes and behavior.

The fact is, if we don’t put aside the sinful desires and attitudes that characterize us, we will stunt our spiritual growth: desire for these sins directly steals away our desire for Christ! And notice that God desires for a thorough and total cleaning! All malice…all deceit…all slander. We cannot negotiate with sin or tolerate the smallest amount of it in our lives in our pursuit of holiness.

What items does Peter tell us to do away with in our spiritual lives?

This ‘laundry list’ of sins all have to do with things that harm others and violate the command to “fervently love one another from the heart.” In other words, not only does clinging to these sins harm our relationships with other people; but they hinder our relationship with Christ as well!

What are they?

1. All Malice – Malice is the desire to inflict pain, harm, or injury on others and refers to evil feelings and hostility.

2. All Deceit – deceit comes from the idea of “bait for fish.” In other words, the bait gives the appearance of something good, but the hook lies just beneath the surface to harm.

3. Hypocrisy – hypocrisy means ‘to wear a mask’ and refers to those who act one way, but in their hearts they believe or desire to do the opposite.

4. Envy – this is simply desiring the good that someone else has; or being jealous of blessing that someone else is enjoying. It is the desire to possess what belongs to someone else. Envy lies at the heart of malice, deceit, and hypocrisy because it wants something so badly that it will harm others to get it.

5. All Slander – whereas deceit usually happens to the face, slander almost always occurs behind someone else’s back.

By first giving this negative instruction, Peter gives us two profound insights into the nature of sin and obedience in the Christian life:

1. The power of sin is broken by the power of desires and affections for Christ.
2. God has given believers the power and ability to obey this command!

How is Your Appetite? (Part 1)

2010-03-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 2:1-3

by Tim Senn

"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." (1 Peter 2:1-3)

From this passage in 1 Peter 2 I would like to show you the final instruction or command for believers regarding their pursuit of holiness: an earnest craving to know Christ through the Word of God. I will show you three basic essentials that will promote your spiritual appetite as Christians, and that will allow God's Word to have its maximum impact in your lives:

1. The Method of Spiritual Growth
2. The Goal of Spiritual Growth
3. The Incentive for Spiritual Growth

First let's look at the command to crave God's Word from verse 2, "Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word." The idea of “longing” for the word of God expresses an intense and fervent pursuit: we should desire God’s Word in the same way that a newborn baby desires its mother’s milk. If you have ever served in the nursery or provided baby-sitting for a newborn, you have witnessed the fervency of this desire. If the baby has been changed and has slept, then there is likely only one other reason why they incessantly cry: they are hungry! Nothing else will comfort or console that baby until it is fed!

It is important to notice in this verse what Peter is not commanding for his readers. He is not telling them to: (1) Read their Bible; (2) Listen to the Bible Preached; or (3) Memorize the Scripture; of course, these activities will and must occur as a believer if you are to partake the true spiritual milk. However, it is possible to read God’s Word, hear God’s Word taught on a weekly basis, and even to memorize the Word without truly yearning for and craving it! More fundamental that any activity we perform, we must possess an insatiable appetite to know Christ through His Word!

Only an intense and continual appetite for God’s Word will enable us to grow as Christians, and only this kind of longing is honoring to the God of the Word. This intense longing has characterized believers of every age, because to long for God’s Word is synonymous with desiring to know God personally and to relate to Him!

A Sincere Love (Part 6)

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 1:22-25
by Tim Senn

Having looked at the sources of love, let’s look briefly at the command to love one another

A. Love Sincerely

First, we are to love sincerely, or without hypocrisy. Our love is to be characterized by the willingness to give without expecting anything in return. Our love is not based upon what we find attractive in the other person, or what we think that they might be able to do to improve our lives. It should come from a pure heart. The Greek word has the idea of “not wearing a mask,” pointing to the kind of person who is nice and kind when you are around, but does not genuinely care for you. They are just ‘play-acting.’

B. Love Fervently

Second, our love is to be fervent. This word literally means to “stretch out and extend to the limit.” It came to be used of athletes stretching and straining every muscle in their pursuit of victory. Therefore, it implies energy and exertion. But it also implies endurance. Real love is not something temporary. It endures and is faithful to the beloved. Therefore, if you are waiting to get some kind of feeling before you show love to others, you will never love the way God intends. Love is primarily a matter of the will, not of feelings. It is constantly at work for the good of others at great personal expense. It strains and reaches and stretches to reach a higher plane of self-giving.

Thus, we have come full-circle. Before knowing Christ, our lives were bound up with selfishness and self-love. We only ‘loved’ those who we believed had something to offer us, and even then we wanted to take more than we gave. But Christ came and purified and cleansed us from our sin of self-love; and caused us to be born-again through His living and enduring Word; and now we have a new life so that we can truly love God and others the way in which He intends. All of this is by His grace, and all of it is for His glory!

A Sincere Love (Part 5)

2010-03-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 Peter 1:22-25
by Tim Senn

Yesterday we looked at the life giving reality of new birth (23-25) where we saw several key facts relating to us having been born again by the Word of God. So how do we apply this truth to our lives?

1. God made us alive through His Word so that we would love His other children! We have risen to new life in order to do what we were unable to do before, genuinely and fervently love other believers!

2. God saves sinners, but the intruments He uses are believers sharing the Gospel! In evangelism, it is the power of the Word of God, not our persuasiveness or 'coolness' or charisma that leads to conversions - it is the power of the Gospel!

3. God's Word should be precious to us!

John Wesley once said: "I am a creature of a day. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has writeen it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book" (Helm, 69)

Do you love the Word of God?

A Sincere Love (Part 4)

2010-03-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

1 Peter 1:22-25

by Tim Senn

Last Thursday we saw the first reality that supports our love is the purifying reality of conversion (22). Today we will look at the second reality:

B. The Life Giving Reality of New Birth (23-25)

This is explicit in verse 23, “You have been born again.” In saying this, Peter places ‘bookends’ upon what he started by saying in 1 Peter 1:3. Throughout the opening chapter, he draws attention to the reality of our new birth in Christ and to the imperishable and enduring instruments that God uses in this event. Perhaps we can graphically illustrate it this way:

The Source: Resurrection to an imperishable inheritance (1:3)

The Result: A living hope

The Source: Ransomed by imperishable blood (1:18)

The Result: A new life

The Source: The imperishable seed of God's Word (1:23)

The Result: A living love

Several key facts relate to our having been born again by the Word of God:

It is the powerful and living imparting Word of God that God uses to convert our souls.

Like a seed, which contains within itself everything that is necessary for the life and growth of a new plant or tree, so the Bible is alive and contains everything necessary for our new birth.

The Word of God is living and active and endures forever. It is the double-edged sword of the Spirit of God that He uses to pierce our souls and lead us to repentance and faith (Hebrews 4:12).

God's Word is precious because it is the tool God uses to produce eternal life in our souls.

The Word of God is precious, just like our inheritance of heaven is precious, and the blood of Christ is precious.

A Sincere Love (Part 3)

2010-02-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

1 Peter 1:22-25

by Tim Senn

Today we will look at the applications of how the forgiveness of sins translates into loving one another.

1. Forgiveness of sins enables us to love one another sincerely and from the heart because most of our sins involve a failure to love others!

Sometimes we think of sin as way too abstract. Our sins need cleansing by God. But sin occurs in concrete and tangible choices and actions that we make each and every day! And much if not most of our sin relates to unloving actions and words toward other people. In fact, of the Ten Commandments, 6 of the 10 have to do with our relationships with other people.

Why is disobeying and rebelling against your parents and other authorities wrong? Because in so doing you are choosing to love yourself more than you love other people. You only want to do things “your way” rather than submit to someone else’s leadership and authority.

Why is stealing wrong? In taking what belongs to someone else, you are loving yourself and not loving them!

Why is lying wrong? In deceiving someone else, you put them into a condition in which they believe one thing about reality that is not true. Also through our lies we harm the reputations of other people – it is a failure to love – and it is sin!

These are just a few examples of our lack of love that rips to shreds the Second Tablet of the Law of God. Only forgiveness and purification can liberate us to love others!

2. Forgiveness of sins enables us to love one another because as members of God's family, we love fellow believers as brothers and sisters, and God's love is the model and example of our love.

Peter’s phrase, “love of the brothers” is the Greek Word, “Philadelphia.” The term means ‘brother love’ rather than brotherly love. It other words, we are not supposed to love other Christians as though they were your brother – rather, we are supposed to love other Christians because they are our brothers!

How do we love? We follow our Father’s example. God forgives sin, therefore we are to forgive sins. God is patient and forbearing, we should forbear with the quirks and ‘weirdness’ of others as well. God gives and serves, we should as well.