The Mission: 1 Pet 2:11-12

1 Peter 2:6-12 and the Church’s Mission

Good morning again. If you would please turn in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 2. We're going to be reading verses 6 through 12 this morning and concentrating on verses 11 and 12. 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 6 through 12.

May God bless the reading of His Word. For this is contained in Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, and he who believes in him will not be disappointed. This precious value, then, is for you who believe.

But for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone, a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. For they stumble because they are disobedient to the Word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

For you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds as they observe them and glorify God in the day of visitation.

Let's pray.

Father in heaven, we simply ask once again that you bless the preaching of your Word. If there be words on this page, Lord, that need not be said, please let them fall to the wayside. Get me out of the way that your Son would shine and we would hear his voice loudly and clearly.

Prepare our hearts to receive your Word and to be changed by it. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Please be seated. Happy New Year again. In the late 1960s, one of the most popular TV shows at the time was Mission Impossible with Peter Graves.

He was part of what's called the IMF, the Impossible Mission Force. Now, I was a bit too young, too little to watch that because I was too young. However, there's probably one memorable line that I remember and probably all of you remember as well.

At the beginning of every show, the most important line of the show was this. It goes like this. Your mission, Jim, should you choose to accept it, is... As always, should you or any of your IM force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

This tape will self-destruct in 10 seconds.

Good luck, Jim.

Recently, there was a resurgence of the Mission Impossible series in 1996 when they did a movie remake out of the TV show with a famous actor who I'm not going to name. That movie also had a memorable line.

It goes like this. What's done is done when we say it's done. The Mission Impossible movies are entertaining but ridiculously far-fetched. If you want to see the real Mission Impossible, come to New York and preach the gospel.

Election, Ethics, and Community in 1 Peter

So up to this point, Peter has addressed the church, their election. They're being chosen by God and bought by Christ. Then he addresses their moral conduct, charging them to live holy lives because their God and Father is holy.

And then finally he addresses community. They are a unit. They are part of the temple of the Lord, the mountain of the Lord that will cover the entire earth. Peter has hit election, ethics, and community.

And in today's verses, he will now focus them on their mission, their function, the glory of God through their good conduct. And that will be comprised of two main things. Abstain and behave, which presents an interesting contrast.

Behaving has to do with doing something while abstaining has to do with not doing something. So verse 11 begins with Peter addressing them as beloved, which again is an affectionate and an endearing term.

They are the beloved of the Lord. However, Peter is going to prepare them to realize that God's love for them and his mission for them will put them at odds with the world. The world hates God's people and their mission.

So the world will seek to slander and persecute them. This is the age-old battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. This is nothing new. This has been going on since Genesis chapter 3.

The serpent's mission is to steal, kill, and destroy, while the church's mission is to proclaim Jesus as Lord and live faithfully to him. One kingdom seeks to bring death. The other kingdom seeks to bring life.

And because the church, because they're the beloved of God, they are hated by the serpent. The beloved were stolen from the dark side and have a new mission. No longer exiles and separated from God. What distinguishes them now is that they've been brought near, near to God.

And the special, familial, parental, covenantal love of God has been set on them and brought them into union with Christ. They have a new identity. They've received mercy. They've been elected, set apart, and assembled together to usher in the kingdom, to stand upon the rock and build the mountain of the Lord that will cover the entire earth.

Something in me wants to say, Avengers, assemble. But I won't, right? The Avengers have superpowers while we're super sinners, right? When we complete the mission, God gets the glory. When the Avengers complete the mission, they get the glory.

We're not like that. So in light of this incredible blessing, as God's beloved, recipients of his mercy, with an imperishable inheritance waiting for us in heaven, Peter says, I urge you. In other words, I call you, exhort you, encourage you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against your souls.

Peter Helm would explain it like this. To abstain from the passions of the flesh requires us to live with a renewed mind, a disciplined tongue, and a controlled body. For in Christ, we are tethered to heaven.

Now this may seem like mission impossible to you, but if you've done any counseling with a pastor, you're going to hear 1 Corinthians 10 .13. Some of you can probably recite that one by memory. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.

God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the temptation, he will also provide you a way of escape that you may be able to endure it. The exhortation to abstain is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We'll get to what's impossible later. But notice that as Peter calls them the beloved, he also reminds them that they are aliens and strangers. Where the Gentiles or the nations are alien and strangers to God's kingdom and comfortable in the world, the beloved are now aliens and strangers to the world and should find comfort in the kingdom.

The beloved have a new DNA. They have a new home address. Their citizenship is in heaven. And that's where their identity needs to be anchored. Remember, these kingdoms are at war with one another. There is no middle ground.

There is no neutrality between believers and unbelievers. In Luke 11 .23, Jesus says, Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. You are either in God's kingdom and working for it, or you are of the world in the dark and working against it.

Aliens and strangers to it. For the beloved, they will now have to learn what kingdom life is like, what it's all about, and put it into practice. And consequently, the citizens of the world are going to get upset.

They're not neutral and will remain hostile to the church's mission. Pastor Chris prayed for that this morning. Now, when you abstain, when you no longer partake in the things of the world the way you used to, people are going to talk.

They're going to get upset. Why don't you come out with us to the places we used to go anymore?

Why don't you joke with us the way you used to?

Why don't you give me all the inside dirt on our coworkers at the job? Why don't you play golf with me on Sundays? And when you begin to pull away from the world, the world will try to pull you back. Have you noticed that it seems to be okay, acceptable, to use the name Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi in conversation with people?

But once you mention the name Jesus, things get a bit more hairy. That name triggers people, right? They know that Christians believe in the exclusivity of Jesus, that He is the only way. It's because Jesus says He's the only way.

They hear us say, or should hear us say, Jesus is the one who defines humanity. He defines gender. One man, one woman. He's the one who defines marriage. I'm sorry. He's the one who defines humanity, gender, male and female.

He's the one who defines marriage. One man, one woman become one flesh for one lifetime. He's the one who defines when life begins at conception. He's the one who defines sin, righteousness, and justice.

He's the one who defines everything you see, say, or do. He is Lord over all. And that's what they reject. That's what they hate, His Lordship over their lives, over their behavior, and everything else the world has.

In fact, Psalm 2 says, The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let's burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.

The world is actually, actively fighting and working against the kingdom. They will not submit, they will not comply, and they will fight to the end against it. And they're committed. They know that this is a war.

The problem is the church doesn't. My brother in the back put up a meme on fakebook of a cruise ship, which is what most Christians think they're living on right now.

Right?

Cheers to our best life now. But right underneath that picture is one of a battleship, which is the reality of what we're really on. Now don't take my word for it, just read the rest of verse 11. Abstain from fleshly lusts, which what?

Wage war against your soul. This is a war for your soul. It's a spiritual battle, and the world is working, pushing, trying to advance its hedonistic, live for self, get all you can, me first worldview on you.

They are committed. The question is, are we? Don't be lulled into a deeper sleep by all of the luxuries and entertainment that the world is offering you. I urge you to abstain. Now while abstaining from certain things like we should, we have to be careful not to abstain from friendships with the people we know and love.

Our job is not to withdraw from people, but from the fleshly lusts. We may be the only connection these people have to the gospel. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness, the forces of evil behind that.

The world is what the devil offered Jesus when he was tempted into wilderness. In Matthew 4, when Jesus was hungry, Satan offered him food. What does the culture tell you? Advertising agencies get this, so good, obey your thirst.

Just do it.

Follow your heart. Jesus, no. My food is the word of God. Satan takes him to the top of the temple. Throw yourself down. God will protect you no matter what. In other words, you can live recklessly. Disobey God if necessary.

He understands. Jesus, no. I won't put God to the test. Satan takes Jesus to a high mountain. Worship me and I'll give you all of this. Jesus, no. I worship and serve God alone with or without all this.

And all of this happens right after Jesus is baptized and receives the Holy Spirit. In other words, right after he's chosen, singled out, and given power to begin his mission. Same thing for the church.

Once you're called, elected, you're the beloved of God, you have a target on your back. The world offers you the same temptation that Satan offers you, to get you off mission. It's no surprise, as he's the God of this world.

Unfortunately, the word of faith and the New Apostolic Reformation crowd, who are wolves infiltrating the church, offer you the same thing. Your best life now. Health, wealth, prosperity. The billion-dollar blessing, as some of them talk.

To get you off mission. What they and Satan both have in common is this. Avoid the cross. Whatever you do, whatever you choose, don't choose the cross. They're telling you to abstain from that. Jesus says, abstain from fleshly lusts.

Satan says, abstain from the cross. Listen to what Paula White, female pastor, and word of faith teacher, and spiritual advisor to ex-President Trump said. Anyone who tells you to deny yourself is from Satan.

Now listen to the words of Jesus. Deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow me. The church in America still doesn't get it. The world, the flesh, and the devil will repeatedly tell you, cry out to you, whatever you do, don't choose the cross.

Do not deny yourself, do not abstain. And listen to me, whatever you do, do not listen to them. This is a war for your soul. Your mission, should you accept it, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against your soul.

This message will not self-destruct and will be repeated many, many more times throughout the scriptures and from this pulpit. Now a word of caution here. Your abstaining is not to be a New Year's resolution, a simple decision backed up by a little willpower.

The abstaining that Peter is talking about here requires a change of nature, a complete change of heart. The very core of your being needs to change. Your heart of stone needs to become a living stone, which can only be accomplished by God.

You trying to change your own heart is mission impossible. So, stop trying to be good enough to be a Christian, or worse, stop convincing yourself that you're good enough already. You're not, and neither am I.

Salvation is truly mission impossible for you, me, and the rest of mankind. Jesus says in Mark 10, children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

The disciples were exceedingly astonished and said to him, then who can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said, with man it's impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God. Salvation is mission impossible in the hands of men, but in the hands of God, salvation is mission accomplished.

You need to assess your life in light of God's commandments, and when you've realized that you've sinned more and worse than you could ever think, throw yourself upon the mercy of God and ask Him to change you permanently.

Ask Him to give you an unwavering desire to cling to Jesus as Savior, above and before anything and everything else, to trust in Him exclusively, entirely, and to adopt you into His family and to make you one of the beloved.

Because this needs to be a lifelong change, not a momentary one, a change that can only be accomplished by God's power. Your very soul is on the line. Your sin will separate you from God for all eternity, but Jesus will connect you to God for all eternity.

This is why we need Him. He's our mediator, as well as the Holy Spirit. If you cry out to Him, He will save you. The only way you will abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your soul continuously, permanently, is if you are born from above, made a new creature with new desires, all by the work of God.

Jonah 2 .9 says salvation is of the Lord. Otherwise, it will become just another New Year's resolution that will evaporate come February, or next week, or tomorrow. You are in a war for your soul that only God can win.

So right now, I urge you to turn from your sin, repent, and trust in the Savior. For those of you who are Christians already, we are in the thick of a war. It's serious business. But you have been chosen.

You are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God, recipients of the gospel that angels long to look into. You're living stones by God's grace. Stay on mission. You are to be aliens and strangers in this world, not resemble it.

Remember who you are. You are His temple, the mountain that is going to fill the entire earth. I urge you to be fiercely loyal to your King and live in a way that glorifies Him. Abstain from the fleshly lust that the world offers you.

Here's a challenge. Spend as much time, at least as much time reading your Bible as you do on social media. Jesus says man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Where should we be spending more time?

We need to take God's word in every day more than anything else. Use the Bible reading plan that we sent out by email. If you don't have one, let us know. We'll get it to you. You need to feast, eat God's word every day.

And then Wednesday nights, please join us in prayer. God's people pray together and we praise together. God is so good in those moments. Next, Peter tells us in verse 12, keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable.

The NASB says excellent. So that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. And here the verb keep is in the present active tense.

So it means a continual, ongoing action. It could also be translated as maintain, maintaining, keeping honorable conduct among the Gentiles. We're not to be acting good just to receive a reward, but simply for the sake of being good out of a clean conscience with God and for the sake of our neighbor.

Interesting. We do this for the sake of our neighbor. United Bible Society commentary says this. Good conduct, however, is not for the benefit of the Christian, but for the non-Christian. It is through the conduct of believers that unbelievers may be led to praise God.

So in the midst of trials and tribulations, you not complaining and grumbling and praising God in the midst of that is going to get them to say, what are you doing? Unfortunately, the role of good conduct and good deeds has been inappropriately downplayed among so many Protestant denominations in an effort to counter the claims of Roman Catholicism or other works-based religions.

They'll scream, you're not saved by good works. You're right, you're not saved by good works, but that doesn't mean they're optional. You're saved by grace, through faith, that, not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not by works, see?

So that you can't boast, for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. So what were you saved for? Good works. You're saved by God's grace for good works. And those works are important.

Those works do not determine or cause your salvation. They demonstrate and display it as we imitate Christ to the world. Peter will soon tell us in a few verses later in verses 20 and 21, but if when you do what is right and suffer for it, and you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God, for you have been called for this purpose.

Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you as an example for you to follow in his steps. Doing good works and following Christ's example find favor with God. You were called for that very purpose.

You may suffer for it, but it exemplifies Christ. Our flesh will always seek the easy way out, but that's not always the best solution. Your good works, in the midst of a worldly culture, in the midst of New York, as you suffer and patiently endure it, while laboring for the kingdom, trusting God for provision and sanity, find favor with God.

It's our mission. Now, it looks like Mission Impossible here in New York, and in our own power, you're right. But I ask myself, am I walking by faith? Am I walking by sight? Am I looking to get raptured out?

Oh no, that's not Post Mill. Then why would I rapture myself out of here mentally? I can go where the grass is greener, or I can water the lawn God's given to me already. The greater the labor, the greater the reward.

And what's the best example I can be to my family and friends to display Christ to them? Where would my witness be most effective? I think our good conduct here can make a huge difference for the kingdom.

In New York, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest. Our good works in the midst of darkness can be what God uses to bring revival here and now.

But those good works are not to be confused with working to earn your salvation. Paul will tell us work out your salvation, not to work for your salvation. The danger can creep in when you begin to rely on those good works, to rely on your good conduct as the basis for your redemption.

This would negate faith in Christ. Now, many adherents of differing faiths claim to practice good works, and they do so, humanly speaking. However, they are relying on them and think that that makes them good.

If you could get to heaven by doing good works, then Jesus is not necessary, and that's not what the Bible teaches. First, your sin issue has to be dealt with, and then you need perfect behavior. Once again, good luck, mission impossible, for anyone who's relying on their good conduct.

You need Jesus to complete that mission on your behalf. Now, that famous actor from Mission Impossible, he can't save you in this situation either. He's not going to cut it. In fact, in his faith, Scientology, it negates the notion of sin altogether.

How convenient.

Faith and Works: The Heart and Its Pulse

So what's the proper relationship between faith and good works? Sproul said we're saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone. Faith and good works are like a heart and its heartbeat. A beating heart can be measured by its pulse.

The pulse tells us that the heart is beating. However, it's the heart beating that creates the pulse, not the other way around. The pulse doesn't cause the heart to beat. The heart beating causes the pulse and tells us that the heart is alive.

If there is no pulse, there is no heartbeat. If there is no heartbeat, there is no life. Your good deeds or works that reflect the Savior are an indicator of your spiritual life and growth in the faith.

James tells us faith without works is dead. So good conduct is a byproduct of true living faith. Good works are the byproduct of a new heart that beats for God and loves its neighbor. So what were you saved for?

You were saved for good works that you might walk in them. So do not grow weary in doing good even in New York. Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Do not rapture yourself out mentally and fail to display your good works here. I urge you, stay on mission. We are the church wherever we go and wherever we are. We are the mountain of the Lord that is going to cover the entire earth.

So take a look at verse 12. The church are exhorted. They're exhorted to keep their conduct excellent among the Gentiles as a display of their changed hearts, to honor God, to please Him, so that the Gentiles too may be convicted and seek after Him.

Now we read Luke 6 this morning. Listen to what verse 22 says. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on the count of the Son of Man.

Ready? Rejoice in that day. Leap for joy. For behold, your reward is great in heaven, for so their fathers did to the prophets. I find it hard to rejoice in the midst of this, but the Bible tells me I have to.

I've received eternal life. I have Christ as my Savior. Verse 27. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?

Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.

And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. That is profound. It was profound back then, and just as profound right now.

What if I was to start naming several politicians for you right now? What would go on in your heart? What's going on in my heart when I hear those names? Am I loving my enemy? Am I praying for my enemy?

Am I doing good to those who hate me? Peter is later going to tell us in chapter 3, verse 15, set apart Christ as Lord of your heart. Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within you.

In other words, when people see your godly behavior in light of the culture, they're going to question you. Why are you doing this? Why are you treating me so nice? And there's your opportunity to share the good news, bless those who persecute you, and not curse, to love your enemies.

I remember a good friend of mine telling me that when he saw the way I was acting after becoming a Christian, he knew that it wasn't me anymore. He said, I knew something actually happened to you. I know, Anthony, and I know that's not something you would ever do.

And he was right. I never would have changed outside of a powerful god grabbing the bullheaded guy by the heart and leading me in the right direction. And the glory for that goes to God, not me. I'm the recipient of a changed heart that led to changed behavior for God's glory.

God changing my desire and behavior was a blessed benefit for me and a witness to my friend. Now, prior to this, I was witnessing to him with my words, and he was listening. However, when he saw that my actions lined up with my words, he couldn't poke holes in my conviction.

Now, I've known this guy since the second grade, so he knew me well enough to know that this was not the old Anthony anymore. And praise God, he has since become a Christian. Along with his wife and some of his children, he now leads home groups, teaches, preaches, all by the grace of God.

And that's no credit to me. That's credit to God, who's gracious and merciful. So it's a two-step process. Abstain from fleshly lusts and behave honorably towards God. Abstain and behave. And when that happens, people take notice.

Now, we're also told that when we behave honorably, in verse 12, we will be spoken against as evildoers. Ironically, your good conduct will evoke negative response from the other side. Remember, they're not neutral.

If you've ever stood in front of the abortion mill with us, you know exactly what I'm talking about. You've experienced this firsthand. The language we hear and the colorful gestures we see are obscene.

And why? Because we're trying to save babies? These people are filled with hate because we dare stand up for the unborn. They want sovereignty. They want to play God over their life, over their bodies.

So they rage against God's control. They actually think that what we're doing is evil. They're angered by it so much.

That they scream at us.

Proverbs 8 .36 says, All who hate me love death. In his apologetics class, Greg Bonson over and over says, The world is not neutral, and you shouldn't be either. They will speak against us as evildoers.

Take, for instance, Tim Tebow.

Remember him?

He would kneel in the end zone and pray for a few seconds after he scored a touchdown. And there was outrage towards the NFL. They mocked him on Saturday Night Live. He became the focus of attention for all the haters.

Why does he have to do this? Yet, when Colin Kaepernick kneels in protest on a field, he's lauded as a hero. One guy gets mocked. The other guy gets lauded. They're not neutral. One group of NFL players write the names of the slain Dallas police officers in their memory on their sneakers, and they get fined.

Another group of players write BLM on their sneakers, and they're praised. No one is neutral. Now, sadly, things got immensely worse for Tim Tebow. They hated this guy so much that they approved the trade for him to the Jets.

Poor guy.

It actually worked to improve his prayer life. So what is the ultimate goal and the ultimate purpose in all this, in abstaining and behaving, in letting your good deeds be seen by all? What is our mission, according to these two verses?

The glory of God. That they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. We read this in the Catechism. I know it's the first question for this reason. What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Our job is to reflect to the world what God did for us and to us and properly display Him to everyone. And sometimes, many times, we will suffer for it. And that glorifies God too. Providentially, our good deeds in the midst of strife, in the midst of pain, trials, may cause some people to pause.

Why are they doing that? Turn from their sin. Some even to praise God. But others to serve to harden their hearts. However, no matter what this does to people, it always glorifies God when you display Him properly.

He is glorified and magnified in our good conduct and our abstaining from fleshly lusts. Matthew 5 .16 tells us, in the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Peter finishes this verse with, in the day of visitation they may glorify God on that day. Here, he may have been speaking of God's coming and judgment upon Jerusalem in 70 AD, God visiting their iniquities, or a future day of judgment, the second coming of Christ.

Either way, for us, there is a future, final day of the Lord in which all of the accounts will be settled. On that day, the beloved, the sheep, will be separated from the goats and receive mercy and the imperishable inheritance waiting for them stored up in heaven and rewards for things done in the body.

Can you imagine the extent of God's grace that will actually receive rewards for doing what we were supposed to do? The goats, on the other hand, will be separated for eternity. Those who witnessed the good deeds of the saints and yet called them.

Evil.

They will receive justice and it's a just consequence for their sins. Yes, it's a new year. 2021 is over. It's a new year, but it's the same battle with the same mission.

Christian,.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul and keep your behavior 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.

As always, should any of you of our church family be caught or killed, the Savior will acknowledge you before His Father in heaven and richly reward you to live is Christ and to die is gain. This message will not self-destruct in 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or ever.

In fact, the message is eternal. It's the word of God and it will endure forever. And no good luck necessary. As Jesus says, He will be with you even to the end of the age. This is not mission impossible.

This is mission accomplished in Him and with Him. What's done is done when I say it's done. And Jesus said, it is done. Finished. The impossible mission to save you is complete. So, for the rest of the world, and in love for the image bearers of God that you are in contact with, abstain and behave that they might see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Stay on mission.

Let's pray.