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1st Peter in chapter number 2,. 1st Peter in chapter number 2,. We're continuing our summer series that we've called anchored. Stabilizing truths for a shaky world. 1st Peter in chapter 2 and. This afternoon we will be in verses 11 through 17.
1st Peter chapter 2 verses 11 through 17. 1st Peter chapter 2 verses 11 through 17. Out of reverence for God's word. I'll invite you to stand as I read this portion for us before we dig into the message.
1st Peter chapter 2 and verses 11 through 17. Brothers and sisters. These are God's words. Dear friends. I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles so that when they slander you as evildoers. They will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. Submit to every human authority because of the Lord whether to the Emperor as a supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and.
To praise those who do what is good. For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God's slaves honor everyone.
Love the brothers and sisters fear God honor the Emperor. The gospel is the flower fades, but this word of God will abide forever. Let's pray ask for the Spirit's help and then we will make our way through this passage.
Well Heavenly Father. We ask that as we open up your word once again that you would open our eyes that we would see wonderful things out of your.
Law.
We pray that as we dig into this passage and what it has to teach us about our walk in a world That is indeed watching. We pray that you would remind us of who we are and what you have called us to be and more importantly What you have empowered us to be by your grace.
We ask all these things in Jesus name and for his sake. Amen. Amen, please be seated. When I was growing up, my mother was always very quick to remind us that whenever we went outside We were representing the family I'll be honest.
I got very annoyed very quickly hearing that because what ended up happening was even small things were treated as a reflection on the family. So certain clothes my mom would say. Why you would you wear that you look like.
You have. No mom like mom nobody cares. No one really cares. But the idea was listen, you're going out there. You're going to represent us. You're going to represent me.
And.
Though at the time I didn't really understand it and I'll be honest. I'm 31. I still don't really understand it. There was some truth to what she was saying In terms of how we behaved and conducted ourselves.
But I think people were more concerned about than how we dress. In terms of how we behaved and how we conducted ourselves people were indeed watching and how we behaved did indeed reflect.
Who we were?
Well, I think because we come to this passage in first Peter chapter 2 and really as we come to this new section in our Study of first Peter. We're going to encounter the reality that as God's people.
How we Live is a reflection not just on us. But on the God who has called us. I've tagged our text for this afternoon grounded in good works. Grounded in good works because really that's the theme of this Opening paragraph of this new section that we're in if I can remind you a little bit of the roadmap to first Peter that we.
Have you remember that I said that the body of first Peter is broken up into three. You have the reality that we are anchored by the reality of our salvation which we finished last time. You then have a second session that begins in chapter 2 verse 11 and works its way all the way through to 4 6 which says that we are anchored by the role of submission that in the role of submission that we're called to and then 4 7 to 5 11, which will start in a few weeks.
We're anchored by the return of the Savior. The fact that Jesus is coming back does have an impact on the way in which we live. Well, we're moving on to this second section as we think about the role of submission that we are called to as God's people and In a real sense this isn't so much a complete departure as much as it's a Hard or a hard turn as it were as much as we're building on the foundation of everything that we've discussed.
In.
Chapter 1 verse 3 through 2 chapter 2 verse 10 and we're building on that foundation with some fresh implications. You see I'm gonna put it to you that the reason why we can live like what Peter describes here in chapter 2 11 through 4 6 is precisely because remember last week's message.
We've experienced the goodness of the Lord and we've been made into a priesthood that serves the Lord. In a real sense you could make chapter 2 verse 1 through chapter 3 verse 7 one whole sermon. But that'll be way too long and it's way too hot and we would also miss out on all of the rich truth that's in this passage, so Common sense kind of says let's break this up some so we'll tackle this over the next two sermons.
But as we come to this text, we're about to learn what good works looks like for the people of God in a world That isn't our home. And in fact, this isn't just not our home. It's a world that if we're honest doesn't like us very much as Christians how do Christians act in a world that isn't our final destination and Yet can feel like quite the extended stay.
I Don't know about you. But as I said after the week that we our nation is just experienced we could use a guidebook for thinking through how Christians Carry themselves because right now we are not the most liked people in the world.
Well, thankfully we have a guidebook and Peter has us covered and so in the next two messages We're going to get a crash course as it were in Navigating a world that couldn't be more foreign to the people of God if it tried.
Here's my big idea for the next two sermons.
As.
We come to this text Peter would have us to understand that the people of God honor Jesus by living differently. Remembering this world is not their home. Let me say that again the people of God honor Jesus by living differently.
Remembering this world is not their home. I don't want to be before you long. As I said, it's warm and all the fans of the world are not going to help. So let's kind of move expeditiously. Point number one.
I want us to consider is the posture of pilgrim people. The posture of pilgrim people verses 11 and 12. 11 and 12 really are the engine of this passage. What we have here is in summary a descript a description of who we are.
Not so much in our relation to God. He spent the last section that we looked at talking about that. Now he's going to talk about who we are in relation to the world in which we live. So again verse 11 if I can invite you to look at that in your Bible verse 11 Peter says dear friends.
I urge Strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. Peter addresses his readers, which is you and I. He addresses his readers as dear friends literally in the Greek loved ones.
Well loved by who yes loved by Peter, of course. But I think more importantly Peter wants to remind them that even though you live in a world That's not your home. You are still loved by God. You see it's important that before we get into thinking about doing anything in God's name.
We need to remember that we don't do what we do to be loved. We do what we do because we have been loved. Peter urges he Entreats he encourages he asked strongly. He asked for us his readers those who have experienced the love of God.
Those who remember last week chapter 2 verse 3. Not last week the week before that 2 3 the ones who have experienced tasted that the Lord is good. He calls for us to you see his command there to abstain from sinful desires.
That wage war against the soul and it's interesting again, he says that we do this as strangers and exiles. Some of the translations would say strangers and pilgrims. That's why I got the word for our point so far strangers and exiles strangers and pilgrims people who are Not from the place where they are and they're on their way to where they actually want to go.
This language isn't unique. I would argue that Peter is pulling this language right from the Old Testament. If you're taking notes Genesis chapter 23 in verse 4 Abraham uses these exact two words in The Greek translation of the Old Testament that the Apostles would have used the same two words for strangers and exiles are used by Abraham for himself and No doubt Peter would be very familiar with these words.
As he wrote Abraham moved from place to place awaiting the fulfillment of God's promise and that was part and parcel of his identity. If I let me read that text real quick Genesis 23 for it says I this is Abraham speaking to people.
He wants to buy some land from. He says I am an alien Residing. Those are our two words strangers and exiles here. I am an alien residing among you. Abraham had so understood that he was called to be a pilgrim and Exile a foreigner in this world that he could rightly save himself.
Not just I happen to Be someone moving places. He says I am this is who I am.
A.
Stranger in an exile and Just as much as it was part and parcel of Peters, excuse me, Abraham's understanding. It was part and parcel of Peter's understanding and he wants that to be ours this reality that.
Actually, this world is not our home. We are people in transit. And by the way, when I say this world, I don't mean the planet. In my understanding of how the Bible story ends. I believe that Jesus will come back and establish his kingdom on this very earth.
That's the final reward of the saved another sermon for another time. But when I say this world isn't our home what I mean is this system of things. There are things that we live in the midst of as God's people.
Yes, we live in it, but this is not home for us. You see if you're a believer here today. You belong to a different system of things. That's why in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 13 the writings of the Hebrews can say about the patriarch generation that they confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.
Why he was 11 seen he says but they now desire a better place. Yes, they lived in this world. Yes. They were identified by you know, all the ordinary things of people in this world and yet they recognize this isn't the best there is.
I'm headed towards somewhere else. I'm headed towards a place is glorious beyond all compare. That's why the author the Hebrews a couple chapters later Hebrews 13 can say for we do not have an enduring city here.
Instead we seek the people of God we seek The one to come and I have to ask for a moment. Does that resonate with you? When you hear that does that sound like the way in which you view life. I mean has it ever grabbed you that we are truly a pilgrim people that yes, we live in this world.
Yes, we aren't going to be taken out of this world of Jesus praise. I'm not praying you take them out of the world, but you keep them in it. So we're here and yet do we recognize that though we are here.
This is not the end of the story for us. Pilgrim people is what we are and Being pilgrim people there's a particular posture that we carry ourselves with there was a particular Character with which we live and in fact Peter gives us two of those things.
So consider first of all that he says the pilgrim people are characterized by holy conduct. Pilgrim people are characterized by holy conduct. Chapter 2 verse 11. So now we come to his actual command here in verse 11, he says that we are to abstain from worldly desires.
Now I prefer that term desires. Some translations will say lost. I Think desires is much better. Honestly being on the wrong side of the sexual revolution. Most of us we hear the word lost and what first comes to mind sexual.
But the problem is the actual Bible term for lost Is a neutral term it just means desire in fact is a term that's used of Jesus himself. You don't need to turn there, but actually do turn there. Luke chapter 22.
I want you to see this. Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22 and verse 15. Luke chapter 22 and verse 15. It's wanting to see from what how this word is used and there's a fact that it's not always a negative.
So this is talking about the first Lord's table the first Lord's Supper. If I read verse 14 Says when the hour came he reclined at the table and the Apostles with him. Then he said to them I have fervently desired You in the original language.
It literally says I have desired with desire. It's the same word that's used here in first Peter he says I have desired with desire. To eat this Passover with you before I suffer. So the term isn't always a bad thing.
The context tells you whether it's good or bad. And of course as we read first Peter, it's clearly bad. It's clearly negative. But what he means here is A little more than just sexual desires run amok.
As one commentator puts it These are the natural desires that human beings have apart from the work of the Spirit. The verse is instructive because it informs us that those who have the Spirit are not exempt from fleshly desires.
Such desires cannot be confined to sexual sins or sins of the body like drunkenness. I put it to you that Peter has in view any desire that is in line with the Remaining indwelling sin that plagues the believer.
There is a indwelling sin that remains in all of us and that we are called to fight and as long as it's there It will continue to inflame Certain desires that are characteristic of this world. And can I put it to you that this would include the sins that we often think are Perfectly normal everyone struggles with those and are not that big a deal.
Which by the way the phrase not that big a deal or no big deal Personal opinion has no place in the spiritual life. I. So actually every sin is a big deal. It includes pride as well as sexual lusts that are out of divine order.
It includes judgmentalism as well as adultery includes worldliness. You know worldliness that thing that we don't talk about in the 21st century because that could get a little technical. Well, it includes that as well as greed.
It includes apathy and laziness and not making spiritual things our priority every bit as much as idolatry. Worldly desires you catch what Peter says. He says they wage war against the soul. These desires will kill you even if you think they aren't that serious.
And of course, I don't mean the usual struggles of sanctification that are being worked out in all of us. Can I say first of all if you feel that struggle? Being courage that means their spiritual life there.
There as we've been talking about depravity in our Wednesday night Bible studies is the fact that we're spiritually dead. Listen spiritually dead men don't feel a push about sin. They like sinning. So if you feel that struggle between I want to do what is good and yet I find myself failing be encouraged.
That means their spiritual life there I'm and I also add that any Christian who tells you they have never felt the struggle is either lying to you or they just Stopped caring years ago. That being said all of that being true.
We aren't content in that struggle because not how Peter describes them again. He says that these are desires that wage war against the soul. This language of waging war. It's used of an army that is mounting a full-scale assault over a lengthy period.
The Christian you have to understand the remnants of sin that remain in us that live on the inside of us those Fragments of the dead old man. They are sitting up battlements. They're trying to block supply lines.
They're waiting for the perfect time to strike. Peter's picture is that this is an all-out war. This is long drawn-out. Listen I've got time today kind of war and so Peter helps us. How do we mount a defense that is worth having in the light of that Peter says one word?
He says abstain. Don't go near it don't tempt yourself by being near it. Anyone like monopoly in the room. If you're monopoly guy like I am. You'll get this phrase. Don't pass go don't collect 200 just leave it alone and Here's the thing Peter is not just kind of laying on thick.
He's not as it were loading a burden on us to the point of breaking because remember how he started this he said dear friends I urge you as strangers and.
Exiles.
It's because we are pilgrim people. It's because we have the promise of a world. That is better than this one. It's because of that that we say no to the desires that are associated with this world. Not only our pilgrim people characterized by holy conduct, but secondly Peter says that they're characterized by honorable conduct.
By honorable conduct verse 12. So verse 12 is conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles. Gentiles. Here is a euphemism for the non-believing. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles so that when they slander you as evil doers They will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
You see Peter's view of being pilgrim people is not about sin prevention alone. You've met Christians who live like that, right? As though the entirety of their Christian life is consumed with I just want to avoid everything that's sinful.
Now that's not a bad design in and of itself.
But.
We are here for more as Christians than just sin prevention. You know living with our head basically in the clouds oblivious to our walk on earth. Yes, we worry about our internal sin Peter just told us to.
But we also think about our witness to a world that is watching pieces is that we are to be marked by. Honorable conduct honorable. The word for honorable here is that you the word for praiseworthy that which is noble.
This is a front-facing term. By that I mean that this is more about our witness out there than it is our withness in here. The it's more about how we carry ourselves When we're out there in an unbelieving world versus when we're together here.
In fact Peter will use this word a lot in this letter. If you grab the study guide and I hope you do each week if you grab one You'll see all the verses that relate to this. Peter has a lot to say about us being good.
At times it's easy for Christians to think that they only have their spiritual lives to be concerned with and. So I live in my bubble. I do my church thing, but beyond that. The world is out there and I'm over here.
But before you get trapped into thinking like that, can I remind you of the words of our beloved Lord and Savior himself? Matthew chapter 5 in verse 16 in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
While the world hates Christians It's very clear that they can't argue with the faithful witness of Christian people try as they might. Am I I put it to you that the witness of believers in the understanding of Peter ought to be somewhat Unimpeachable that to use the language of poor when he talks about elders and really what he's doing is talking about what every Christian man should.
Be.
We as Christians are to be above.
Reproach.
By the way above reproach whether you're talking about an elder or just a Christian man in general doesn't mean perfection. What's above reproach means is no matter what you say about him. None of it sticks.
People can say whatever they want, but people can look at us in now that don't fit. No matter what you say and how often you say it now that don't work. And can I put it to you once more? Then when Christians are rude like non Christians are that when we are arrogant like non Christians are when we are self-assured and self-confident like non Christians are when we're Self-absorbed and self-preserving like them.
Is it really any wonder when the world ignores Christians? Because if you're nothing different to them what makes you think you're special just because you claim some guy called Jesus. That's why Peter can say here.
In fact, he doesn't can say he says it Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles so that when they slander you as evil doers. Well, why is it slander. Because it's not true so that when they slander you as evil doers.
They will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. As we live lives that radiates with gospel goodness try as they might. The unbelieving world will end up unable to say anything honestly about us.
I've seen it this weekend. Told you I'm on social media, which isn't always good for my health. But there we are. I've seen people this week say the most amazing things and I mean amazing in the worst possible sense about about Christians.
Oh. These Christians are all excited about the end of abortion but they'll do nothing to actually care for the children even though statistics show that Christians actually donate a rate of two to three times to one compared to non-christians to charities and to charitable causes even though granted the general rate of Adoption in the United States is about 5 of the population.
Do you know who makes up the vast majority of that 5 Evangelical Christians and people just started pointing out just Screenshotting the statistics and what was funny was you'd start to see these people who were also vocal who had all this chat.
Start to pipe down. You could hear a pin drop in some of those conversations. Why? Because even though Christians are not perfect Christians generally Carry themselves in the kind of way that becomes unimpeachable.
You can't say anything and as a result when they slander us the slander is obvious and but Peter goes further than that. He says that when they slander you as evil doers They will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
This is amazing to me I have to be honest. I don't understand how it happens, but in God's providence it does. That oftentimes some of the most vocal critics of Christianity but end up becoming its greatest defenders.
Don't believe me Apostle Paul Was going around killing Christians left right and center radically converted by Christ himself. Becomes the spokesman of the New Testament. On that final day some of our detractors will interestingly be the ones standing with us Glorifying God and here's what Peter tells us that that's in no small part Due to the powerful effects of God's work in the lives of us his pilgrim people.
It's amazing that God will use our witness imperfect flawed and Generally, not as great as it should be. Sometimes he will use that witness to bring himself glory. I Don't know about you, but that's a good moment to pause and just give our God praise for how great he is.
Well Peter has laid out for us the posture of pilgrim people. He's laid that out for us now. The basis is clear. But like a master teacher, he's now that he's laid out the principle. He's going to put some meat on those bones and For the rest of our message as well as the message next time we're going to see how it is that Pilgrim people behave themselves.
In particular what we're going to see is three spheres in which the pilgrim posture works itself out in real time and in real space and As we as we look out for this in this message and our next message.
There's a twofold emphasis I want you to listen out for. Now I'm gonna tell you what that twofold emphasis. I wait just as we listen and we read this passage see if you can pick it up. I'll tell you what it is at the end of the next message.
But for now, let's move to our second point. We talked about the posture of pilgrim people. Secondly let's talk about the practice of pilgrim people. The practice of pilgrim people like I said, this is really gonna stretch from our text today.
Right through to chapter 3 verse 7 that we'll look at next time the practice of pilgrim people as we think about the behavior of people who recognize this world is not their home as we think about the Actions of those who are on their way to the heavenly city first of all want us to see that Pilgrim people properly honor human authority.
Pilgrim people properly honor human authority. This is 13 through 17. Now as I jump into this topic, I know there are a thousand levels of nuance to this. There are all kinds of complexities that the last two years has forced us all to deal with in this week's study guide I've included a slew of audio and print resources on this theme.
I invite you to take some time avail yourself of some of those resources. For now, I simply want to take Peter's words in.
Context and.
Some of those other questions that may come up will leave for other forums. So look with me at verse 13. Verse 13 in your Bibles Peter says Submit to every human authority because of the Lord. Whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as Those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.
Pilgrim people have the posture first and foremost of submission to those who are in authority. I'm gonna repeat that a lot in the next two messages. You see pilgrim people are submissive people. And that might not sound that might not sound very pretty to the ear when we hear it as one pastor Daniel Doriani put it quote submit is an ugly word for many of us in Our parlor and our parlance, excuse me.
We submit when we have been dominated even humiliated in certain forms of combative athletics a wrestler or fighter Submits when someone has him in a hold that would allow the winner to injure him. So we hear this word submit and we generally don't like it.
Let's be honest even those of us who are in church something about we feel the need to either say what it's not or We feel the need to kind of say well, we don't want to emphasize that but can I put it to you that maybe?
Yeah, this I'll be honest. This is just I was thinking about this and I was putting this together and this kind of hit me. Maybe we bristle at the idea of submission because we don't want to look weak.
Maybe we bristle at this idea because we don't want to look like we're a soft touch. We don't want to look like we're a pushover but might I suggest that there is a subtle danger that we import our 21st century attitudes and Make them the lens through which we read the Bible and so the parts that we don't like that don't fit with us.
We tried to get rid of. Well, let's allow the Bible to define its own term. I think that's fair. Is it not? The Bible word for submit carries the idea of placing oneself Under the direction of another.
It comes from two words. The word really means under and to place or to appoint. That's literally what the word is those two words put together and that's our English words submit. Submission in this in the Bible sense says nothing about the worth or the value of the person who submits.
We hear submission we think you're telling me I'm weak. No, that's you saying that as I've become really fond of saying of me. That's what you heard. That's not what I said.
The Bibles.
Term for submission. Speaks more about an attitude though. Excuse me that one Willingly adopts is that you willingly place yourself under another. This was a military term. It was what a Subordinate officer did to his subordinate soldier.
Excuse me did to his commanding officer. This isn't forced. It's not demanded. It's a matter of volition simply. It's a matter of the will you decide by your will to submit to another? By the way, when you read the Bible biblical submission is never absolute.
Have you noticed that though I would never cause us to absolutely submit to any authority structure. Because God alone is the one who receives Absolute unquestioning submission and in fact, I would argue even in this text There are some limits on human authority.
There are some limits on the authority. We're called to submit to so again. Look at the text with me. Peter says Shoot my iPad just died. Eddie, would you mind grabbing my other iPad? Thank you. Peters is first of all that we are to submit to every human authority.
Literally every human authority every governance structure. Thank you. So we asked to submit to every governance structure. We asked to submit to every system of leadership. Again, Peter does not say oh just a bit to everybody with no thinking whatsoever.
No, he's very clear about what we submit to. That we don't necessarily submit to an individual. Submit excuse me.
To.
The system of governance so we submit to every Governmental system, but not only do we submit to every governmental system. Secondly says we submit for the Lord's sake literally because of the Lord. Remember this is a believer writing to believers.
You see our Allegiance is to the Lord and because my allegiance is to the Lord. I submit to government. Notice Peter doesn't say a single thing about liking the government. I will say my own views about our government because this really isn't the time or place but that really isn't the issue.
Regardless. He says no you submit not for the sake of the government. He says you submit to every human authority for the Lord's sake our ultimate allegiance is to the Lord and the one we are Submitted to says you in your mission to me submit to human authority.
So we there's a limit on who we submit to we have limits on why we submit. Thirdly he says we are to submit to and this is important the Offices of human authority, did you catch that Peter doesn't mention a single name here?
He mentions offices. I think that's important. He says you ought to look at with me in the text. Whether to the Emperor the truly the King as a supreme authority. Or to governess as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is he going to praise?
Those who do what is good. Peters focus is on the offices. That's where some people have gotten the biblical principle, I believe of we respect the office. Even if we can't necessarily respect the office bearer Roman Emperors were not exactly the nicest people.
They were not exactly the ones who elicited the most respect and yet Peter says listen even despite of that. In spite of that I should say You submit to them. Why. Because God has ordained those offices to exist.
Whether it's the ultimate authority or the delegated authority underneath them. So there's a limit that we submit to every human authority structures. We submit for the Lord's sake we submit to the offices.
But fourthly, please note that he says you submit to authority in its rightful function. So what's the rightful function and the verse 14? To punish those who do what is evil and To praise those who do what is good.
When you read the Bible government exists for one reason if you're taking notes proverbs 21 15. Justice executed is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers. Paul says it like this Romans 13 3.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority do what is good? Oh, there's that language of doing good again do what is good and you will have its approval for it is God's servant.
The word seven there is where we get deacon from literally God's deacon. For your good. Notice he doesn't say he is God's deacon. He says it is God's serve the strut ordained by God to fulfill a particular function.
But if you do what is wrong be afraid because it the institution gap does not excuse me. Carry the sword for no reason for it is God's servant. Same word an avenger. That brings wrath on the one. Who does what is good?
So to the degree that government is forcing law and order we submit to government. So I can't say.
You know.
The government says That in certain areas I should drive this fast and in other areas I should drive this fast. But I don't have to listen to them in that. But no, that's a maintenance of law and order.
Let everyone drive as fast as they want and see how safe that would be. I mean got to some people drive as fast as they want anyway, but in general those laws exist to maintain law and order. You steal something you can be criminally charged for that you kill someone.
Thank God now in this country somewhat consistently you kill someone you will go to jail for it. Why. Because government's role Is to enforce law and order and To the degree that Christians find themselves in governments that do that.
They submit to the structure of government. Now, of course after 529 is very good. We don't Obey government when government tells us to disobey God. Because that's not government's place. As Peter says we must obey God rather than man.
But can I get past the law for a moment, especially given the weeks that we've experienced in this country in our current political climate. How easy is it for us to consider bucking against verses like this?
How easy is it for us to basically, you know, so kind of pretend those verses aren't there. Or to do what I like to call the year but defense, you know, I mean when I say yep. Yeah, it says that but no, there's no but here.
Or to do the 21st century thing this is a really nuanced conversation. Some things are nuanced. I would argue this is not that nuanced. How easy is it and I'm speaking to me when I say this. How easy is it to mock the actions and the mannerisms of the one holding the office because you don't like the one holding?
The office. As I put this message together this week. I had to literally stop typing for a moment and be like, okay Kofi you like memes you like funny videos you love and not all memes are bad. Obviously.
I know all funny videos are bad. But you really like those ones where they're mocking the president. Yeah, I don't like the policies of our current president, but the Bible says I'm to honor the office.
Am I really honoring the office when I laugh at that guy and call him brother? Piercing nicknames as I have more than once. As I read this text, it became apparent to me that if this text is indeed accurate.
I might need to slow my own roll. And ask myself, how am I doing in regard to this? Now at this point somebody will say wait a minute, isn't there a passage where Jesus called Herod a fox? Well, yes, there is Luke chapter 13 but that was more a statement of the fact that Herod was cunning and sly and In fact Peter basically actually, excuse me.
No, Peter Jesus is basically being threatened by Herod to stop what he's doing. And Jesus says well listen go tell that don't tell that really sly guy. I'm gonna continue what I'm doing. Again, that was a God versus man situation quite literally.
Most of us if we're really honest can't claim this. Our Kofi you're being overly sensitive. It's just a joke. Well, you don't have to agree with me. That's perfectly fine. But you do have to agree with Peter.
Because his words actually inspired and look at what he says in verse 15. Why is it that we do this? Verse 15 we do this for it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
Ultimately our posture towards you authority has nothing to do with human authority. It's about our witness. That's why Paul can say in first Timothy chapter 2 that we should pray for those who are in governing authority.
No, he doesn't say pray for them because you like them. He says pray so that we can lead quiet and peaceable lives. Ultimately, it's not about governance. It's all whether you like the governing authorities has friendly nothing to do with it.
No, we as Christians behave in this counter cultural way because that is God's desire for us. This frankly is a matter of Christian obedience. That by the way in which we live. We should shut the mouths of those who speak recklessly about our God and about his people.
Unfortunately, I think it's a tragedy that we always haven't acted in this kind of way as believers. Sometimes people say stuff about us because it's true. But this is why you need to remember who you are.
We are pilgrims. We are citizens of another kingdom and as citizens of another kingdom. We represent our kingdom. Well. By our response to the structures of authority.
I.
Hope you can say verse 16 that we submit as free people. Actually, he doesn't say free people. He says submit as the free. But he has to give a little warning not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God's slaves.
This isn't about abusing our freedoms, which as human beings we tend to be prone to. No, this is about us. Acting as a purchased people catch that right at the end of verse 16. We do this as God's slaves.
We do this because Jesus lived the life that we ought to have lived in obedience to God and then he went to the cross. And he suffered under the righteous penalty of God for us. He willingly did that so that we could be purchased by God and now that we are purchased by God that affects the way in Which we live.
You see ultimately we submit to government not because we like government. We submit to government because we love Jesus. And could it be that our struggle with submission to authority and our struggle with submission in general flows from the fact that we?
Lost the fact that we are. Not our own. That we would rather live like we belong to us. I'm gonna play some bad grammar for a moment. It's my point. We would like to live that we belong to we. Rather than realizing that we belong to King Jesus.
Well as Peter concludes. Four point summary in verse 17. Nice little summary of what he said. So verse 17 honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the Emperor. Real quick honor everyone after all men.
I made the image of God everyone's worthy of respect. Even the ones you don't particularly care for. Love the brothers and sisters literally the brotherhood the faith family. There's a reason why in our emails every week I use that language of faith family because that's what we are and while we respect everyone.
There is a special love a special concern a special affection that we have for our people in Christ. So he says that we honor everyone. We love the brotherhood we love the brothers and sisters. Thirdly he says that we are to fear God.
Notice Peter doesn't tell us to fear or to reverence the government. We don't worship the government. We worship God and If I think Peter is pulling this language from Isaiah chapter 8 as I chapter 8 for taking notes versus 12 and 13.
As I a 12 and 13 do not call everything a conspiracy that these people call a conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear do not be terrified. You are to regard only Yahweh of armies as holy. Only he should be feared only he should be held in awe.
Yes, we submit to the government, but let's be clear. The government is not God and when the government forgets it's not God. We actually have a point where we have to tell the government listen know your role and sit down.
You are not God. Yes, we submit to government but let's be clear the minute that government oversteps its bounds. God's people have every right. To question that so we honor everyone. We love the brothers and sisters we fear God and finally we honor the Emperor.
Yes, we show respect to the office. We show respect to those who are given the right of rulership. That's why we pray for them. That's why we pray for Federal government state government local government anyway we pray for those people and we pray for those offices precisely because scripture commands us to.
Well, peace is only just getting started as he talks about the practice of pilgrim people. But as I said, we park it here and pick it up next Lord's Day. Let's pray together. Heavenly father. We thank you so much for your word.
We thank you for how eminently practical your word is and how it speaks to the matters of our lives with clarity. Father, we would ask that as we think about posture in this world as people who are Pilgrims who are headed to a heavenly kingdom.
That is not our own. I ask that you help us that we would not be swayed by the irreverence and the disrespect of the culture around us. But that we would honor you we would remember that we have been purchased by you that we are your slaves and as a result we would then Live lives that reflect the reality that we are not owned by ourselves, but we are owned by you.
We also hold these things in Jesus name and for him.
Amen.
