In his epistle, it seems Peter looks back to the time when He witnessed Jesus drive out the moneychangers from the Temple, and following on, healing returned and the children came and praised. Judgment began at the House of God then, and as God’s spiritual building, and relying on the fact that in all of this God wants to show forth His love to us, we need to make sure that our lives too are clear of the things which divert us from Him.
1 Peter 4:11
Remember this is a letter, and Peter wanted people to realise that not only was there existing persecution, but greater was to come; and therefore you needed to stand for what you believed in, and realise that you were following on what Jesus Christ did before.
In v12, he returns to the original theme :-
1 Peter 4:12
1 Peter 1:7
I know that everything which has happened in your life in the last months has been to the end that you will become more aware than ever before of who Jesus Christ is in your life. For everyone here, what has occurred here has caused people to examine the foundation of their lives, and the nature of their relationship with God. And v12 refers to some of the circumstances – it’s a trial, a trial of your faith, whether it’s the need for somewhere to live, a financial pressure, the future for your children, your whole future.
I know some of you are going through difficult times. The difficult times you are going through are to try you. Don’t think it strange that this is happening. Your heavenly father is a God of love, who wants to prepare us so that when we see Him we’ll be like Him. The corners are being knocked off us, and we are becoming more focussed on Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. He loves you. Don’t think it strange ...
1 Peter 4:13-14
1 Peter 2:12
In making a stand for what you believe in, it’s not something unusual for people to take exception. Or in the midst of your pressure, the enemy throws in the thought that it doesn’t work for you – or won’t work out in the way you expected: and asks why you bother with Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:14-15
As a busybody, you get so focussed on the lives of other people that you end up not paying attention to your own life. You pick up gossip, and the result is that you end up destroying someone else’s character.
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12
There’s a unique path God has for you. We’re to care for one another, to have a fervent love. Peter pointed out it wasn’t good to be determined to pull someone else down. He might have recalled when Jesus spoke to Him after the resurrection, and Peter asked what John was going to do, and Jesus pulled him back to what He wanted in his life.
1 Peter 4:16
We don’t seek to be a martyr, but the pressures of life cause us to be refined in our faith with God, to have certainty that because God has seen us through one pressure in life, we can rely on Him to do so again.
It’s a good thing to pray for one another.
1 Peter 4:16
Peter was very aware of the fact that the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God. What does that mean? Whenever I read Peter’s letter, I try to read back to the experiences he had with Jesus. There was a time when something really hit Peter, and I think it became so embedded in his heart that it underlaid these latter comments.
Mark 11:12-14
Mark 11:20-26
Ever after that episode, whenever Peter saw a fig tree, he would be reminded of this episode. There was no fruit. But wedged between these two sets of verses, we have this :-
Mark 11:15-19
Now is the time that judgment must begin at the house of God. And between the two episodes of the fig tree, Peter saw Jesus clear the House of God from what was contrary to God’s purposes.
Now look at Matthew’s account of these same events.
Matthew 21:12-16
See the contrast. There was extortion going on in the Temple. It was a money-making concern. The house of God was not fulfilling the purposes for which it was there. It was a den of thieves rather than a place of prayer. And once it is cleared, the children, the blind and the lame come to Him.
Jesus was concerned with what was going on in the House of God. Earlier in the Epistle, Peter said we are living stones. We are a spiritual house of God. Peter said if you were to be a murderer, or thief, or busybody, of course you would be punished for it. But he extended this. You can’t say you’re a Christian and live the wrong way. If you have a double life, then because God loves you, His judgment will come.
Here’s another account.
John 2:13-17
God is jealous of you as a Christian. As a Christian we are taking the name of Jesus Christ as being the one we follow, who is our Lord and Saviour. It’s not possible in truth to continue with a double life, because judgment follows on that situation.
I began reading back to what “the zeal of thine house” really means.
Isaiah 56:5-7
Next, we see that it is against God – and He will deal with it – if you have this double existence.
Jeremiah 7:8-11
Peter would have remembered these words. He’s talking about persecution coming, and he was aware that if you claim to be a Christian and live your life that way, you need to be a Christian. You can’t say the right things on the outside and yet live wrong on the inside.
Malachi 3:1-6
What Peter witnessed in Jesus was a zeal. He couldn’t stand witnessing what was meant to be a place of prayer, turned into a den of iniquity. And the leaders who were running this business were totally contrary to what God was about. So when Peter says :-
1 Peter 4:17
He was remembering what Jesus did in the Temple, when He cleared it out and healing came and the children opened their hearts to Him. And He was very aware that you can’t live a double life.
1 Peter 2:5-9
We perhaps forget this was all one letter. The earlier thought was that you were a royal priesthood. If you’re a Christian, you’re aligning yourself with the King, the Lord of lords, the Holy One. Now Peter brings them back :-
1 Peter 4:17-18
We need to get our house in order, because God loves us and He is a holy God.
Is this creating a religious, arrogant, superior people? No. It’s to do with acknowledging the grace of God in your heart, and what He has done. He’s broken the power of sin, He’s caused us to walk in the train of His triumph. We live in victory. No matter what the circumstances, as we go forward we are the Christ ones.
“And whoever names the name of the Lord, let Him depart from iniquity.”
If anyone here is living a double life, what God is putting His finger on ... He’s saying “It doesn’t have to be this way.”
Physically, Jesus cleared out the Temple. It was easy to witness that. You can imagine the chaos as He overthrew the tables. And then there was the account which talked of the healing and the blessing and the praise of the children.
Now let’s put our lives in place of the physical Temple. Christ clears a life out. And when we come to the Cross by faith and confess Jesus Christ as Saviour, when we are aware all too well of the mess within and the habits of life which we can’t shake off, He comes inside our heart and changes it about. We’re completely different, set free from the power of sin, set free to think right, to be right, His victory through what He did in dying on the Cross and being raised from the dead.
1 Peter 4:19
That’s not a case of being a martyr. It’s just a case of going God’s way.
Boy, is He faithful! He’s the creator of heaven and earth. The extent of creation blows your mind away. You think of the verse, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?” God knows all about you. But He has put His finger this morning on your life, and the reason He’s done that is that this malaise is going to end.
1 Peter 4:19
In Ephesians, it says Jesus is sorting things out for His church, that He came to sanctify and cleanse the church with the washing of water and the Word, that He might present the church to Himself, holy and without blemish.
Sunday 26 April 2009
Friday 24 April 2009
Love One Another
We must love one another, because as we do, people will see how we relate to each other and will know that God lives inside us. We each have a part to play in the church. God has given us abilities that will enable us to outwork His purposes. The work that the preacher does is in no way better or of more value to God than the work of a cleaner.
It is important that we love one another.
John 15:12-14
I’m sure that when Peter reflected back on what Jesus spoke to him, this concept of a new commandment was a revelation. The disciples knew of the ten commandments, but now, in this New Testament, is a new commandment. We tend to think of God’s law as the ten commandments. Few people would refer to this commandment.
What I’m saying to you tonight is practical. It affects how you relate to the people around you. From what Jesus said in the Gospel of John, it is how we react to one another that will show people that we are God’s disciples.
1 Peter 4:7-8
The word ‘charity’ there could be translated as love. We must have ‘fervent’ love amongst ourselves, because love covers a multitude of sins. There are echoes here from the Old Testament.
Proverbs 10:12
Proverbs 17:9
Does that mean we have our head in the clouds? Not at all. This means that when you are a brother in Christ with someone else, we are commanded to love one another. We will automatically want to do that because Jesus Christ lives inside us. This doesn’t mean that we are in a holy huddle. We want to be open with each other because we are commanded to love one another. If you hear something about someone, you should not find that as a juicy piece of information that you can pass onto other people; that’s not the way we live.
Jesus spoke specifically to Peter here:
Matthew 18:21-27
There was a master who had a debtor who owed him, in today’s terms, a billion dollars. We see here that the person who owed the money begged the lord, and the lord forgave him.
Matthew 18:28-30
You see how Jesus was conveying to Peter the fact that, this guy who had been forgiven the billion pound debt, turned round, caught sight of someone who owed him ten pounds, and threw him into prison. The impact on Peter was that he could not believe that someone, who had been forgiven so much, could behave like that.
Matthew 18:31-35
This is to do with forgiveness. The parable means that when I’m in a situation in my life where there is immense pressure, and I’m asking God for help, I can’t be like that and then effectively ‘throttle’ my brother because of my own situation. You cannot take your anger out on your brother. Peter knew that there was severe persecution on its way to these people he was writing to. So this message was pertinent to them. It’s significant for you and me to find ways of loving one another. You should make the effort to have fellowship with others. Have ‘fervent charity’ among yourselves; the charity shall cover the multitude of sins. This ‘love’ will transcend age groups, cliques and inviting new people into the church.
The local church is the churches that are here in Brentwood. We are also part of the church worldwide. We will see that what God has been doing in our midst is this: inevitably, since March 2008, every one of us has had to re-examine what we believe in, and every one of us has discovered that God by His Holy Spirit has caused each one of us to develop our relationship with Him more than ever before. Prayer and Bible study has become more of a feature of this church. This is all to do with you and me fulfilling what God has for us to do in our lives. As each of us has had to examine ourselves and what is the foundation of our lives, the end result is that we are more confident in what we believe in. The end result will be whatever brings glory to God. I do not know how that will work out, but I know that God is in complete control. I know that God is working by His Holy Spirit in all of us. All of us have become more aware and what God wants to do is to develop that relationship with you, so that you can look up and know that you are a new creation in Jesus Christ.
Acts 18:1-4
Here’s an example of Paul linking up with a couple.
Romans 16:3-5
Acts reveals, in the growth of the Gospel, how God by His Spirit linked people up. There was a love between them in that common cause of spreading the Gospel.
1 Peter 4:10
What’s ‘the gift’? The gift is whatever ability God has given you to outwork His purposes in the church. Paul gives a list of what this ‘gift’ can be:
1 Corinthians 12:28
‘Helps’ is a good word. The work that you do in the church, as unto God, is of equal value to me working up here. It could be that God has organised you to be a ‘help’ in the church. Someone who works in the car park is doing a work of equal value as to a preacher up preaching on the stage. Peter writes: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” It matters how we go about what God has given us to do in the church. I am confident that, if there is something you will do, we will make contact because I know that you want to fulfil God’s purpose for you in the church. We want to carry on fulfilling God’s will, and each person plays their own part. I am not building my empire. As every person plays their own part people will notice how we relate to each other. Every person has received a gift.
1 Peter 4:11
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
1 Peter 4:11
In other words, it’s all to do with God. The ability we have came from Him and they are to be used for outworking His purposes in the church. When Peter said this, he knew that persecution that was coming to the people, and he knew that it was important that they continued to fulfil God’s purpose for their lives.
It is important that we love one another.
John 15:12-14
I’m sure that when Peter reflected back on what Jesus spoke to him, this concept of a new commandment was a revelation. The disciples knew of the ten commandments, but now, in this New Testament, is a new commandment. We tend to think of God’s law as the ten commandments. Few people would refer to this commandment.
What I’m saying to you tonight is practical. It affects how you relate to the people around you. From what Jesus said in the Gospel of John, it is how we react to one another that will show people that we are God’s disciples.
1 Peter 4:7-8
The word ‘charity’ there could be translated as love. We must have ‘fervent’ love amongst ourselves, because love covers a multitude of sins. There are echoes here from the Old Testament.
Proverbs 10:12
Proverbs 17:9
Does that mean we have our head in the clouds? Not at all. This means that when you are a brother in Christ with someone else, we are commanded to love one another. We will automatically want to do that because Jesus Christ lives inside us. This doesn’t mean that we are in a holy huddle. We want to be open with each other because we are commanded to love one another. If you hear something about someone, you should not find that as a juicy piece of information that you can pass onto other people; that’s not the way we live.
Jesus spoke specifically to Peter here:
Matthew 18:21-27
There was a master who had a debtor who owed him, in today’s terms, a billion dollars. We see here that the person who owed the money begged the lord, and the lord forgave him.
Matthew 18:28-30
You see how Jesus was conveying to Peter the fact that, this guy who had been forgiven the billion pound debt, turned round, caught sight of someone who owed him ten pounds, and threw him into prison. The impact on Peter was that he could not believe that someone, who had been forgiven so much, could behave like that.
Matthew 18:31-35
This is to do with forgiveness. The parable means that when I’m in a situation in my life where there is immense pressure, and I’m asking God for help, I can’t be like that and then effectively ‘throttle’ my brother because of my own situation. You cannot take your anger out on your brother. Peter knew that there was severe persecution on its way to these people he was writing to. So this message was pertinent to them. It’s significant for you and me to find ways of loving one another. You should make the effort to have fellowship with others. Have ‘fervent charity’ among yourselves; the charity shall cover the multitude of sins. This ‘love’ will transcend age groups, cliques and inviting new people into the church.
The local church is the churches that are here in Brentwood. We are also part of the church worldwide. We will see that what God has been doing in our midst is this: inevitably, since March 2008, every one of us has had to re-examine what we believe in, and every one of us has discovered that God by His Holy Spirit has caused each one of us to develop our relationship with Him more than ever before. Prayer and Bible study has become more of a feature of this church. This is all to do with you and me fulfilling what God has for us to do in our lives. As each of us has had to examine ourselves and what is the foundation of our lives, the end result is that we are more confident in what we believe in. The end result will be whatever brings glory to God. I do not know how that will work out, but I know that God is in complete control. I know that God is working by His Holy Spirit in all of us. All of us have become more aware and what God wants to do is to develop that relationship with you, so that you can look up and know that you are a new creation in Jesus Christ.
Acts 18:1-4
Here’s an example of Paul linking up with a couple.
Romans 16:3-5
Acts reveals, in the growth of the Gospel, how God by His Spirit linked people up. There was a love between them in that common cause of spreading the Gospel.
1 Peter 4:10
What’s ‘the gift’? The gift is whatever ability God has given you to outwork His purposes in the church. Paul gives a list of what this ‘gift’ can be:
1 Corinthians 12:28
‘Helps’ is a good word. The work that you do in the church, as unto God, is of equal value to me working up here. It could be that God has organised you to be a ‘help’ in the church. Someone who works in the car park is doing a work of equal value as to a preacher up preaching on the stage. Peter writes: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” It matters how we go about what God has given us to do in the church. I am confident that, if there is something you will do, we will make contact because I know that you want to fulfil God’s purpose for you in the church. We want to carry on fulfilling God’s will, and each person plays their own part. I am not building my empire. As every person plays their own part people will notice how we relate to each other. Every person has received a gift.
1 Peter 4:11
2 Corinthians 10:17-18
1 Peter 4:11
In other words, it’s all to do with God. The ability we have came from Him and they are to be used for outworking His purposes in the church. When Peter said this, he knew that persecution that was coming to the people, and he knew that it was important that they continued to fulfil God’s purpose for their lives.
Sunday 19 April 2009
God's Guidance to Go Right
There are two spirits in life, two ways we can go. Before we are Christians, we have no option but to follow our own wills. But when God comes inside, He makes it possible for us to go the right way, to live in accordance with His will. And in case there is any doubt about what is the right way, He will make it abundantly clear.
When we are examining our situation in life, we are either following God’s will or the opposite – our own will. You could say there is no neutral position. It’s either God’s will or the enemy’s.
Peter is very specific about the fact that at one time the people were like this; now they were following a completely different pathway, because they had now a totally different source. It’s clear cut.
The epistle was being written to Christian people who were under growing persecution. It would mean a lot to make a stand as a Christian. It would mean a lot for someone to put up their hand and admit to being a follower of Jesus Christ and determined to do His will. Peter wanted the people to realise that no matter what mocking or strife might come, they needed to make a stand.
1 Peter 4:1-2
There’s an alternative at the end of v2. Previously you lived in the flesh, now according to the will of God.
1 Peter 2:21-24
There’s a big difference in living a life as unto God, doing His will, determining that your choices – about career, university, partner – will be based on what He wants. 1 Pet 4:1 says that if people are being persecuted, it’s because they have become a Christian. The power of sin has been broken. They are not governed by sin.
I want to point out what the difference is between living in the flesh (non-Christian) and living in the spirit (Christian).
Romans 6:6-10
I am crucified with Christ. He took the penalty of my sins and broke the power of sin in my life, and it’s as though I were crucified with Him on the cross. I have the potential for sin, because I don’t have a glorified body yet, but I am no longer under the power of sin. The power has been broken. I now have the freedom to choose not to sin. Prior to that, you have no option, and sin leads to death. There has been a severance of the power of sin.
Romans 6:7-11
Reckon – take stock of what has happened. Don’t let sin reign in your body. It doesn’t have power over you. As a Christian we have the freedom to go God’s way. Before I am a Christian, I am under the power of sin. There is no option, and I fail God’s law. Now, Peter was saying, these people were Christians and had been set free from the power of sin. True they didn’t yet have a glorified body. Each day I am recognising the fact that God has set me free from sin. I’m dead to it. It doesn’t have power over me. I can give in to sin and temptation, but I have the power not to.
Romans 6:12-14
I can yield to sin, but I don’t want to do that. I’m free to go God’s way, and I want to do so, and I will do so. It’s His righteousness inside me. I’m identifying with Christ all that way through.
Romans 6:17-18
Inside you as a person, when you became a Christian you obeyed God’s calling inside you, which let you know the state you were in and the solution He provided. Your state was that you were fed up with sinning. There were habits which dominated. I’m not standing in judgment. But before you’re a Christian you have no option. Sin dominates, and sin leads to death eternally. Obeying from the heart means you identify with the fact that God pointed out your need of a Saviour to save you from the power of sin and the fact that you have sinned. God’s law is there. We can’t keep God’s law in our natural life. We are born in sin. A time is coming when God will judge the world. He has provided a way where you can live clean and free form the power of sin. It happened by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, and it happens when you obey from your heart the truth.
The truth is that the cross we have here on the wall is an emblem of the fact that you can live clean. He took into Himself what you did wrong, the power of sin. He broke that power. Because of what He did on the cross, you no longer have to be dominated by sin. You have different desires and want to go God’s way.
Peter was saying there were two spirits in the world, one going God’s way and one very definitely not going that way. There is no middle ground. And these verses in Romans make it clear whether we are alive to God. You’re either a servant of sin unto death, or a servant of life unto righteousness.
1 Peter 4:1-3
That’s the way it is before you’re a Christian. It’s a dismal, lonely life. At times you think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could live right for longer than I do?” You try to fill up the emptiness, but you always come back to the point where you are sick of it.
If God has brought you to the position of being sick of what you are like on the inside, it is indeed the work of God, of His Spirit, because naturally we wouldn’t think the way.
1 Peter 4:4
Maybe you work in an office, and suddenly you no longer want the same things. And for some, this brings out sniping. But then one day someone will ask if they can have a chat with you because you are different. “In the past that was the way you and I walked,” says Peter. And some of the people who witnessed the change speak evil of you. But :-
1 Peter 4:5
There is a judgment coming.
Now we have been going through this letter sequentially, but the idea does recur that God is speaking to some of you here. You realise, as the choir sang, that you need to draw a line in the sand. The reason you’re able to do that is because God has brought you to that position. God has been faithful to you. He is working in your heart and drawing you to Himself. You’re in a position where God is faithfully pointing things out to you, so that in your heart, you’re saying, “Lord, I need you to sort me out, to break the power of sin in my life. I need you to come inside and change me.” He’s been faithful.
1 Peter 4:6
There are those who have passed on. They made a stand for Christ. And despite the fact that men were making judgments of them, they were living their lives unto God.
God seems to have a way of picking things up where He left them last time, when He speaks to you. It’s His love which knows where you were the last time ... and here we are again.
1 Peter 4:7
“Be of sound mind, therefore, and be calm and collected in spirit, with a view to giving yourselves to prayer.” There’s a peace inside an individual who is a Christian – the peace of God. You can’t replicate that in this world. There is peace, and the power of sin is broken. It’s a peace which this world cannot reproduce.
I’ve been talking with people who are facing decisions that they want to get right. I want to encourage you, with some verses which point out how careful God is that you do get things right :-
This is a principle as to how someone in tune with God will be guided :-
Isaiah 30:21
This is a person – a Christian – who is trying to go the right way. You aren’t static. The voice will speak when you turn the wrong way. If you’re trying to establish God’s will, try different avenues. He’ll make it clear if you take the wrong way. You don’t have to go wrong to go right. But it’s easier to be steered if you’re moving. Don’t be static if you want to know God’s will for your life.
Ephesians 2:10
There is a pathway for my life already prepared, and if I am open before God and ask His Holy Spirit to come inside and sort me out, there’s a way prepared for me. I want to fulfil your purposes as long as I am on this earth. He listens and answers. He doesn’t make things difficult for you. He’s prepared the things for you to walk into.
Philippians 2:13
When I am asking for guidance, I can have confidence that my thinking process will be affected by God wanting me to go the right way and do what pleases Him. I need to make sure that when I ask for guidance, I want His will, and am not trying to lay down restrictions. He’s faithful and will answer.
Hebrews 13:20-21
If you are open before God and want His will, He’ll make it apparent. We each have different personalities and God works in different ways with us. How will God guide you particularly? He will guide you so that you will know for sure what He wants you to do. And there will be peace inside, because it is the God of peace who will make us perfect in every good work. There will be a peace inside.
Can’t the enemy mimic peace? No – not in the way I’m talking about. Not in the way when an individual is completely open, and realises that because Jesus was crucified and rose, I am free to go the right way. God will make it clear. There’s nothing mystical about finding out what God wants for your life.
1 Peter 4:7
That’s for everyone in this room.
Now is the time for you to be obedient the faithful word that God has brought to you.
When we are examining our situation in life, we are either following God’s will or the opposite – our own will. You could say there is no neutral position. It’s either God’s will or the enemy’s.
Peter is very specific about the fact that at one time the people were like this; now they were following a completely different pathway, because they had now a totally different source. It’s clear cut.
The epistle was being written to Christian people who were under growing persecution. It would mean a lot to make a stand as a Christian. It would mean a lot for someone to put up their hand and admit to being a follower of Jesus Christ and determined to do His will. Peter wanted the people to realise that no matter what mocking or strife might come, they needed to make a stand.
1 Peter 4:1-2
There’s an alternative at the end of v2. Previously you lived in the flesh, now according to the will of God.
1 Peter 2:21-24
There’s a big difference in living a life as unto God, doing His will, determining that your choices – about career, university, partner – will be based on what He wants. 1 Pet 4:1 says that if people are being persecuted, it’s because they have become a Christian. The power of sin has been broken. They are not governed by sin.
I want to point out what the difference is between living in the flesh (non-Christian) and living in the spirit (Christian).
Romans 6:6-10
I am crucified with Christ. He took the penalty of my sins and broke the power of sin in my life, and it’s as though I were crucified with Him on the cross. I have the potential for sin, because I don’t have a glorified body yet, but I am no longer under the power of sin. The power has been broken. I now have the freedom to choose not to sin. Prior to that, you have no option, and sin leads to death. There has been a severance of the power of sin.
Romans 6:7-11
Reckon – take stock of what has happened. Don’t let sin reign in your body. It doesn’t have power over you. As a Christian we have the freedom to go God’s way. Before I am a Christian, I am under the power of sin. There is no option, and I fail God’s law. Now, Peter was saying, these people were Christians and had been set free from the power of sin. True they didn’t yet have a glorified body. Each day I am recognising the fact that God has set me free from sin. I’m dead to it. It doesn’t have power over me. I can give in to sin and temptation, but I have the power not to.
Romans 6:12-14
I can yield to sin, but I don’t want to do that. I’m free to go God’s way, and I want to do so, and I will do so. It’s His righteousness inside me. I’m identifying with Christ all that way through.
Romans 6:17-18
Inside you as a person, when you became a Christian you obeyed God’s calling inside you, which let you know the state you were in and the solution He provided. Your state was that you were fed up with sinning. There were habits which dominated. I’m not standing in judgment. But before you’re a Christian you have no option. Sin dominates, and sin leads to death eternally. Obeying from the heart means you identify with the fact that God pointed out your need of a Saviour to save you from the power of sin and the fact that you have sinned. God’s law is there. We can’t keep God’s law in our natural life. We are born in sin. A time is coming when God will judge the world. He has provided a way where you can live clean and free form the power of sin. It happened by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit, and it happens when you obey from your heart the truth.
The truth is that the cross we have here on the wall is an emblem of the fact that you can live clean. He took into Himself what you did wrong, the power of sin. He broke that power. Because of what He did on the cross, you no longer have to be dominated by sin. You have different desires and want to go God’s way.
Peter was saying there were two spirits in the world, one going God’s way and one very definitely not going that way. There is no middle ground. And these verses in Romans make it clear whether we are alive to God. You’re either a servant of sin unto death, or a servant of life unto righteousness.
1 Peter 4:1-3
That’s the way it is before you’re a Christian. It’s a dismal, lonely life. At times you think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could live right for longer than I do?” You try to fill up the emptiness, but you always come back to the point where you are sick of it.
If God has brought you to the position of being sick of what you are like on the inside, it is indeed the work of God, of His Spirit, because naturally we wouldn’t think the way.
1 Peter 4:4
Maybe you work in an office, and suddenly you no longer want the same things. And for some, this brings out sniping. But then one day someone will ask if they can have a chat with you because you are different. “In the past that was the way you and I walked,” says Peter. And some of the people who witnessed the change speak evil of you. But :-
1 Peter 4:5
There is a judgment coming.
Now we have been going through this letter sequentially, but the idea does recur that God is speaking to some of you here. You realise, as the choir sang, that you need to draw a line in the sand. The reason you’re able to do that is because God has brought you to that position. God has been faithful to you. He is working in your heart and drawing you to Himself. You’re in a position where God is faithfully pointing things out to you, so that in your heart, you’re saying, “Lord, I need you to sort me out, to break the power of sin in my life. I need you to come inside and change me.” He’s been faithful.
1 Peter 4:6
There are those who have passed on. They made a stand for Christ. And despite the fact that men were making judgments of them, they were living their lives unto God.
God seems to have a way of picking things up where He left them last time, when He speaks to you. It’s His love which knows where you were the last time ... and here we are again.
1 Peter 4:7
“Be of sound mind, therefore, and be calm and collected in spirit, with a view to giving yourselves to prayer.” There’s a peace inside an individual who is a Christian – the peace of God. You can’t replicate that in this world. There is peace, and the power of sin is broken. It’s a peace which this world cannot reproduce.
I’ve been talking with people who are facing decisions that they want to get right. I want to encourage you, with some verses which point out how careful God is that you do get things right :-
This is a principle as to how someone in tune with God will be guided :-
Isaiah 30:21
This is a person – a Christian – who is trying to go the right way. You aren’t static. The voice will speak when you turn the wrong way. If you’re trying to establish God’s will, try different avenues. He’ll make it clear if you take the wrong way. You don’t have to go wrong to go right. But it’s easier to be steered if you’re moving. Don’t be static if you want to know God’s will for your life.
Ephesians 2:10
There is a pathway for my life already prepared, and if I am open before God and ask His Holy Spirit to come inside and sort me out, there’s a way prepared for me. I want to fulfil your purposes as long as I am on this earth. He listens and answers. He doesn’t make things difficult for you. He’s prepared the things for you to walk into.
Philippians 2:13
When I am asking for guidance, I can have confidence that my thinking process will be affected by God wanting me to go the right way and do what pleases Him. I need to make sure that when I ask for guidance, I want His will, and am not trying to lay down restrictions. He’s faithful and will answer.
Hebrews 13:20-21
If you are open before God and want His will, He’ll make it apparent. We each have different personalities and God works in different ways with us. How will God guide you particularly? He will guide you so that you will know for sure what He wants you to do. And there will be peace inside, because it is the God of peace who will make us perfect in every good work. There will be a peace inside.
Can’t the enemy mimic peace? No – not in the way I’m talking about. Not in the way when an individual is completely open, and realises that because Jesus was crucified and rose, I am free to go the right way. God will make it clear. There’s nothing mystical about finding out what God wants for your life.
1 Peter 4:7
That’s for everyone in this room.
Now is the time for you to be obedient the faithful word that God has brought to you.
Friday 17 April 2009
Security for Life
I want to refer to some verses which result in you being assured of your position in Jesus Christ. Also the fact that he is in complete control and also I want to convey to you the fact that as a result of him rising form the dead, we have total victory in our lives, through him.
1 Peter 3:16-17
That’s where we stopped last time.
And this whole letter was written when there was persecution for the Christians and more persecution on its way. It is significant that we make a stand for what is true and what is right and I have total confidence that what God is doing, you will see the outworking of the fact that he is risen from the dead and by his Holy Spirit he will fulfil his purposes in your life. He will. The outworking of his Spirit in you will be that you will communicate that life to others.
What is happening is that God is alive and that God is outworking his purposes. And what Peter is conveying here in his letter is, what you are believing in, is the finished work of God.
1 Peter 3:18
What God has done in Christ is that he has brought you to God. Naturally speaking, you didn’t want to know and I didn’t want to know. As the result of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, giving his life, taking into himself your sin and my sin, as a result, he has brought you to his Spirit; quickened by his Spirit. He is the author and the finisher of your faith.
What God is communicating to you and me is that he is alive, that you have an integral part to play in God’s purposes, not only as an individual but in this church.
Hebrews 9:24-28
Now I want to you to note there in v27, that it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15
All that to say from Hebrews and Revelation, the whole tenor of scripture is that when we die, we die. And, in our life, we’ve either responded to God or we haven’t. It isn’t the case that after we die, somehow there’s a second chance. It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgement. And Revelation talks about how people will be judged according to the works they’ve done and how they’ve lived their lives.
1 Peter 3:18-20
If you look at commentaries on these two verses, there are multi-various thoughts on what these two verses mean. Someone might say, “Well when Jesus was taken from the cross and up until he was risen, he went to preach to some people in the prison”. That just goes against what we read in Revelation and Hebrews that it is appointed unto everyone once to die...
I think it is saying that we need to live Christian lives, and if we live right, we will suffer persecution. In the same way, when Noah was preparing the ark, he was laughed at. They also scoffed at Noah for his trust and faith in God. In 2 Peter, we read this verse:
2 Peter 2:4-5
2 Peter 2:9
The result of his preaching, he only found Noah and his family in faith. If we look back in Genesis at the time of Noah, and the violence at that time, it was a horrendous mess. And Noah preached righteousness and the parallel for Peter is that there is an example of someone who has stuck at it, stood his ground, and trusted his God despite everything going on around.
And when he refers to the preaching, it is our responsibility how we respond to that preaching in our lives.
1 Peter 3:18-20
Noah kept going despite the result.
1 Peter 3:21
In other words, the same way that Noah was involved in lots of water and he was saved as a result of floating on that water. In the same way you know water is involved in baptism, it’s as if when you go down into the water, you are put to death in Christ, and then when you come out of the water, you are brought up out of the sin.
The fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is your and my security, as we go through life, as different circumstances happen. You can be sure that the author of your faith will finish the work in your life. There is no way that somehow he is going to misfire or take a wrong turning in your life. My response is that is your heart is open toward God and in all honesty you want to do his will, he will show you. He will make it possible for you to know in your gut, the right way forward. However it is, God is faithful and he doesn’t want you to go wrong. You can’t twist God’s arm, but if you know that deep down, in all honesty, ‘Lord I need to know the right way forward’, He will show you. All I want to convey to you tonight that as a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross, as a result of where he is now...
1 Peter 3:22
Now, I’d like you to turn to Matthew, because Jesus had some words about this.
Matthew 28:16-18
All power. There is nothing that will prevent God’s purposes being fulfilled in your life. All power. As a result of that, he now says in v19,
Matthew 28:19-20
The fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead; the fact that he was taken up to heaven; the fact that he is seated on the right hand of God; the fact that he was given all power in heaven and in earth that when Jesus Christ by his Spirit wants to work in you, so it is you will fulfil his purpose for His life, which are the best for you.
Ephesians 1:15-23
If someone makes fun of you because you want to go God’s way, if someone ridicules you because you are a making a stand in what you believe in, because you want Jesus Christ to be first in your life; keep standing. Be resolute. Jesus Christ rose from the dead; he’s seated in heavenly places. He is outworking his purposes. It's God’s purpose in your life. It’s you being moved by God’s spirit to go God’s way.
Colossians 1:16-18
That in all things he might have the pre-eminence. So in any decision that you’re facing, what will be the result? Will it be that Jesus Christ has the pre-eminence or not? Will it be the priority to fulfil God’s purposes or not? He’s seated in heavenly places at the right hand of God. He wants us to do his will on this earth. And when Peter wrote to these Christians, he was saying ‘it doesn’t matter what happens, what persecution you get, whatever people say, if people are trying to pull you down, Jesus Christ rose from the dead; Jesus Christ is victorious’. And by his spirit you will fulfil his purposes for your life. In tough times, we’re going to lift him up and realise our position in God.
God is at work in your life, and what he has started he will complete. Keep standing for truth. In your workplace, keep standing for truth. With your neighbour, keep standing for truth. With your family, keep standing for truth; by God’s Holy Spirit.
1 Peter 3:16-17
That’s where we stopped last time.
And this whole letter was written when there was persecution for the Christians and more persecution on its way. It is significant that we make a stand for what is true and what is right and I have total confidence that what God is doing, you will see the outworking of the fact that he is risen from the dead and by his Holy Spirit he will fulfil his purposes in your life. He will. The outworking of his Spirit in you will be that you will communicate that life to others.
What is happening is that God is alive and that God is outworking his purposes. And what Peter is conveying here in his letter is, what you are believing in, is the finished work of God.
1 Peter 3:18
What God has done in Christ is that he has brought you to God. Naturally speaking, you didn’t want to know and I didn’t want to know. As the result of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, giving his life, taking into himself your sin and my sin, as a result, he has brought you to his Spirit; quickened by his Spirit. He is the author and the finisher of your faith.
What God is communicating to you and me is that he is alive, that you have an integral part to play in God’s purposes, not only as an individual but in this church.
Hebrews 9:24-28
Now I want to you to note there in v27, that it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15
All that to say from Hebrews and Revelation, the whole tenor of scripture is that when we die, we die. And, in our life, we’ve either responded to God or we haven’t. It isn’t the case that after we die, somehow there’s a second chance. It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgement. And Revelation talks about how people will be judged according to the works they’ve done and how they’ve lived their lives.
1 Peter 3:18-20
If you look at commentaries on these two verses, there are multi-various thoughts on what these two verses mean. Someone might say, “Well when Jesus was taken from the cross and up until he was risen, he went to preach to some people in the prison”. That just goes against what we read in Revelation and Hebrews that it is appointed unto everyone once to die...
I think it is saying that we need to live Christian lives, and if we live right, we will suffer persecution. In the same way, when Noah was preparing the ark, he was laughed at. They also scoffed at Noah for his trust and faith in God. In 2 Peter, we read this verse:
2 Peter 2:4-5
2 Peter 2:9
The result of his preaching, he only found Noah and his family in faith. If we look back in Genesis at the time of Noah, and the violence at that time, it was a horrendous mess. And Noah preached righteousness and the parallel for Peter is that there is an example of someone who has stuck at it, stood his ground, and trusted his God despite everything going on around.
And when he refers to the preaching, it is our responsibility how we respond to that preaching in our lives.
1 Peter 3:18-20
Noah kept going despite the result.
1 Peter 3:21
In other words, the same way that Noah was involved in lots of water and he was saved as a result of floating on that water. In the same way you know water is involved in baptism, it’s as if when you go down into the water, you are put to death in Christ, and then when you come out of the water, you are brought up out of the sin.
The fact of Jesus Christ’s resurrection is your and my security, as we go through life, as different circumstances happen. You can be sure that the author of your faith will finish the work in your life. There is no way that somehow he is going to misfire or take a wrong turning in your life. My response is that is your heart is open toward God and in all honesty you want to do his will, he will show you. He will make it possible for you to know in your gut, the right way forward. However it is, God is faithful and he doesn’t want you to go wrong. You can’t twist God’s arm, but if you know that deep down, in all honesty, ‘Lord I need to know the right way forward’, He will show you. All I want to convey to you tonight that as a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross, as a result of where he is now...
1 Peter 3:22
Now, I’d like you to turn to Matthew, because Jesus had some words about this.
Matthew 28:16-18
All power. There is nothing that will prevent God’s purposes being fulfilled in your life. All power. As a result of that, he now says in v19,
Matthew 28:19-20
The fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead; the fact that he was taken up to heaven; the fact that he is seated on the right hand of God; the fact that he was given all power in heaven and in earth that when Jesus Christ by his Spirit wants to work in you, so it is you will fulfil his purpose for His life, which are the best for you.
Ephesians 1:15-23
If someone makes fun of you because you want to go God’s way, if someone ridicules you because you are a making a stand in what you believe in, because you want Jesus Christ to be first in your life; keep standing. Be resolute. Jesus Christ rose from the dead; he’s seated in heavenly places. He is outworking his purposes. It's God’s purpose in your life. It’s you being moved by God’s spirit to go God’s way.
Colossians 1:16-18
That in all things he might have the pre-eminence. So in any decision that you’re facing, what will be the result? Will it be that Jesus Christ has the pre-eminence or not? Will it be the priority to fulfil God’s purposes or not? He’s seated in heavenly places at the right hand of God. He wants us to do his will on this earth. And when Peter wrote to these Christians, he was saying ‘it doesn’t matter what happens, what persecution you get, whatever people say, if people are trying to pull you down, Jesus Christ rose from the dead; Jesus Christ is victorious’. And by his spirit you will fulfil his purposes for your life. In tough times, we’re going to lift him up and realise our position in God.
God is at work in your life, and what he has started he will complete. Keep standing for truth. In your workplace, keep standing for truth. With your neighbour, keep standing for truth. With your family, keep standing for truth; by God’s Holy Spirit.
Sunday 12 April 2009
Our Need of Him
Jesus Christ rose from the dead, conquering sin and death so that we would not be condemned to an eternity without God. Out of His love God talks to us, by His Holy Spirit, convincing us of our sin and our need for Him. All we have to do is look at Jesus with faith, and He will give you salvation.
I’d like to thank the choir for all the work they’ve put in to convey to you the significance, and the vitality of the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, conquering sin and death. The outworking of anyone who is involved, as we all are from our initial birth, with sin, is death. There are some here this morning in whom God has been faithfully speaking over the past weeks. By His Spirit He speaks to us. He does that for the simple reason that He wants you not to end up in death. When Jesus was with His disciples He told them that if they kept His commandments they would abide in His love even as He had kept the Father’s commandments and abode in His love. Jesus was the only one who fulfilled the commandments of the Father. He did no sin, He thought no sin. He was pure. The life and love that is in Christ is something which God is pointing out to you because He wants to change the decay inside you. That decay which leads, in the end, to an eternity without God; death.
(reading from Mau Tsi Tung’s book) He didn’t follow an ideology or philosophy. It was a life without God and it ended in death and self-pity. Even at the end he was thinking that someone was going to depose him. I have mentioned this because your involvement with sin, if Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Saviour, will result in death eternally. You can’t muck about with sin. The glorious truth of today is the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, period. He conquered death by doing that, and took into Himself the penalty of sin. The power of sin in your life is broken. As a result of Him rising from the dead, death was conquered and life reigns.
There were ten occasions when He appeared to various people after He came back to life. He was seen by Mary Magdalene, then by the other Mary, then to the disciples, then to Peter, then to 500 people, then to James and then to the Apostles again as He was taken up in a cloud back to heaven. There was one occasion I missed out in that list which will now see:
Luke 24:13-27
You can now see in Isaiah a few verses which refer to Jesus. Jesus could well have referred to these verses when He explained to those two on the road about Himself.
Isaiah 25:6-8
He will swallow up death in victory. And now, here’s Jesus walking along the road pointing out all those verses which referred to Himself. As He spoke to them, they could tell that what He was talking about was true.
Luke 24:28-35
Ten occasions when Jesus appeared before He ascended into heaven, physically risen from the dead.
Here Paul lists these occasions in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
What he’s talking about is that if Jesus Christ had not risen up from the dead, sin would still always have control of you and me. The end would be certain death, an eternity without God. There are some of you here who are thinking that you have heard this so often and you are not sure if it will ever be true for me. God is saying to you that Jesus actually physically rose from the dead, that is a fact. It was attested by many witnesses. As a result of that death has been broken and life has been given, through Him eternally. The point comes when, by His Holy Spirit, God in His love and mercy makes that revelation to you that you need someone to sort out the sin inside you. The fact that you realise you need someone to deal with your sin is God Himself already working in you.
It is miserable without God because you try and fill that void inside you, but nothing can fill it. So you keep coming back to square one and you’re still the same. Christ rose from the dead so that you would be set free from the curse of sin. He took into Himself that sin inside you on the cross. He’s not going to force Himself on you, but by His Holy Spirit He’s speaking to you right now. I don’t care if someone is sitting here who has been here year after year and yet, for you, it’s as if you’re hearing this for the first time. I’m saying that it is not too much to swallowed one’s pride if we are talking about eternity. The Law of God still stands. You know and I know that you cannot fulfil that law. Jesus fulfilled that law because you cannot. The solution is simply to look at Christ. God has provided a way forward for all mankind, but He’s a gentleman and He won’t force the issue.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
1 Corinthians 15:53-56
The bite of the serpent resulted in death, and the analogy is that the sin is the sting that causes death. The only solution to your situation inside, is Jesus Christ and you exercising faith. That means repenting of your sin and thinking about what it meant for Jesus Christ to go to the cross and to rise again. The solution is that when you set your faith in what Jesus Christ has done, you can have salvation. The Holy Spirit first has to convince you of your sin and of the consequence of that. The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power which changes people on the inside today. No wonder He says: “Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
At this point I could say, if God’s convicting you on the inside, come to the front and I’ll pray with you. Many of you would say that you’ve done that before and nothing has happened. I know that what matters is that the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to you directly, by His Holy Spirit, to get hold of you. He loves you.
I’d like to thank the choir for all the work they’ve put in to convey to you the significance, and the vitality of the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, conquering sin and death. The outworking of anyone who is involved, as we all are from our initial birth, with sin, is death. There are some here this morning in whom God has been faithfully speaking over the past weeks. By His Spirit He speaks to us. He does that for the simple reason that He wants you not to end up in death. When Jesus was with His disciples He told them that if they kept His commandments they would abide in His love even as He had kept the Father’s commandments and abode in His love. Jesus was the only one who fulfilled the commandments of the Father. He did no sin, He thought no sin. He was pure. The life and love that is in Christ is something which God is pointing out to you because He wants to change the decay inside you. That decay which leads, in the end, to an eternity without God; death.
(reading from Mau Tsi Tung’s book) He didn’t follow an ideology or philosophy. It was a life without God and it ended in death and self-pity. Even at the end he was thinking that someone was going to depose him. I have mentioned this because your involvement with sin, if Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Saviour, will result in death eternally. You can’t muck about with sin. The glorious truth of today is the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, period. He conquered death by doing that, and took into Himself the penalty of sin. The power of sin in your life is broken. As a result of Him rising from the dead, death was conquered and life reigns.
There were ten occasions when He appeared to various people after He came back to life. He was seen by Mary Magdalene, then by the other Mary, then to the disciples, then to Peter, then to 500 people, then to James and then to the Apostles again as He was taken up in a cloud back to heaven. There was one occasion I missed out in that list which will now see:
Luke 24:13-27
You can now see in Isaiah a few verses which refer to Jesus. Jesus could well have referred to these verses when He explained to those two on the road about Himself.
Isaiah 25:6-8
He will swallow up death in victory. And now, here’s Jesus walking along the road pointing out all those verses which referred to Himself. As He spoke to them, they could tell that what He was talking about was true.
Luke 24:28-35
Ten occasions when Jesus appeared before He ascended into heaven, physically risen from the dead.
Here Paul lists these occasions in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
What he’s talking about is that if Jesus Christ had not risen up from the dead, sin would still always have control of you and me. The end would be certain death, an eternity without God. There are some of you here who are thinking that you have heard this so often and you are not sure if it will ever be true for me. God is saying to you that Jesus actually physically rose from the dead, that is a fact. It was attested by many witnesses. As a result of that death has been broken and life has been given, through Him eternally. The point comes when, by His Holy Spirit, God in His love and mercy makes that revelation to you that you need someone to sort out the sin inside you. The fact that you realise you need someone to deal with your sin is God Himself already working in you.
It is miserable without God because you try and fill that void inside you, but nothing can fill it. So you keep coming back to square one and you’re still the same. Christ rose from the dead so that you would be set free from the curse of sin. He took into Himself that sin inside you on the cross. He’s not going to force Himself on you, but by His Holy Spirit He’s speaking to you right now. I don’t care if someone is sitting here who has been here year after year and yet, for you, it’s as if you’re hearing this for the first time. I’m saying that it is not too much to swallowed one’s pride if we are talking about eternity. The Law of God still stands. You know and I know that you cannot fulfil that law. Jesus fulfilled that law because you cannot. The solution is simply to look at Christ. God has provided a way forward for all mankind, but He’s a gentleman and He won’t force the issue.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22
1 Corinthians 15:53-56
The bite of the serpent resulted in death, and the analogy is that the sin is the sting that causes death. The only solution to your situation inside, is Jesus Christ and you exercising faith. That means repenting of your sin and thinking about what it meant for Jesus Christ to go to the cross and to rise again. The solution is that when you set your faith in what Jesus Christ has done, you can have salvation. The Holy Spirit first has to convince you of your sin and of the consequence of that. The power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power which changes people on the inside today. No wonder He says: “Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 15:58
At this point I could say, if God’s convicting you on the inside, come to the front and I’ll pray with you. Many of you would say that you’ve done that before and nothing has happened. I know that what matters is that the power of the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to you directly, by His Holy Spirit, to get hold of you. He loves you.
Friday 10 April 2009
It’s Still the Cross
In the Old Testament the children of Israel were commanded that if they had been bitten by a serpent, all they had to do was look upon the serpent on the pole and they would be healed. There are clear parallels between this episode and Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus had to be lifted up onto a cross so that the poison of sin in our lives could be dealt with. We have to come and look upon Him through faith.
Today, traditionally, is the time when we consider the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified. I want to try and ‘demystify’ the reality of what it means for us to realise who Jesus was when He gave up His life on the cross. He Himself talked to gentleman in the New Testament times and referred to an episode which occurs in the scripture we will soon read. The situation was that God had been the provider for the children of Israel. Bread from heaven had come every morning without fail. There came a point when the children of Israel became disappointed with this same provision each day. In Numbers 21 the people began to speak against God.
Numbers 21:4-7
They all routed their communication with God through Moses. There was no communication straight to God like we can have now with our heavenly Father. These serpents whose bite was fatal, represented in parallel, the sin that is within in us; which is also fatal. Sin is that which we know to be wrong. If so be that sin is inside us and we haven’t had it dealt with it is fatal. Here Moses took note of the people:
Numbers 21:8-9
We’re not told how tall this pole was but it must have been pretty tall because anyone who had been bitten had to have sight of the fiery serpent on top of it. There was only one pole. I can imagine the situation, for example in a family where the children had been playing and one of them had been bitten. The panic of the mother or father to make sure that the child could see the serpent on the pole. Making sure that the child looked it; that was all that was needed. They organised themselves so that they knew where it was so that they could look upon it. The provision by God for these people was twenty four hour provision, for male or female, young or old. It was not complicated. Sometimes, if we were to transfer it to the sin in our lives, we can become so complicated as to what a person has to be and what has to happen before they can get saved. There might be some of us that have made things so complicated in your mind. But you’ve heard about the cross and Jesus Christ giving up His life on the cross for you. We’ll see in a minute that Jesus Himself paralleled what happened here with the children of Israel. If you wanted you could make a long list of parallels between this episode here in Numbers and the episode in the New Testament.
I want you to notice that if the serpent had bitten an individual, a remedy had been provided.
Romans 5:12
The poison from the serpent was real. In sin terms it is as if all of us from the beginning of our lives are in a situation where the poison is already inside us; it’s called sin. You can’t play around with this sin that is inside you. It grips what you say and what you do. You get annoyed with yourself because you know that what you think and do is wrong, but somehow you can’t get rid of it. Whatsoever a man sows he shall reap. If you continue to be involved in sin there is an automatic reaping from that sin. There’s no doubt that the poison killed. There’s no doubt that the wages of sin are death.
There was only one serpent of brass on the pole.
1 Timothy 2:5
That’s why Good Friday, when we thinking about Jesus hanging on the cross, is so significant. There is only one way for us to get our lives sorted in God, and that is through Jesus Christ. I don’t think that when something happened from the serpent’s bite they were wishing that there was an easier remedy. All they knew was that the moment they would look upon the serpent they would healed. There is one mediator between God and man: Christ Jesus.
Jesus refers to this in the following passage. At the beginning of this chapter Nicodemus came at night to talk to Jesus. Jesus talked to him about what it means to be a Christian. And then He gets to the point in the conversation when He says:
John 3:14
That is very clear. What are we saying then? Nicodemus was the ruler of the Jews, he knew what was recorded in the Torah. He would have known the story of the serpent on the pole in the Old Testament. Jesus what showing him that in exactly the same way as Moses lifted up the serpent, even so that Son of man must be lifted up.
John 3:15
There was a brass serpent on a pole which is a strange image. In the same way that as the serpent on the pole could deal with the serpents in the camp, Jesus made Himself of no reputation, was made in the likeness of men so that He could identify with you and with me. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The obedience of Jesus means that I can stand in front of you and tell you that this isn’t complicated. Here Nicodemus was going to see Jesus, in a short period of time, lifted up on the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:7
In the Old Testament the clear thing was the vision. Now we do not have to physically see Jesus standing here now, we have to walk in faith. I want to make it crystal clear that to become a Christian is not complicated. The fact that some of you sitting here tonight know that you need to sort this out is God already talking to you. Jesus isn’t standing behind the door waiting for you to come through so that he can beat you down. He has provided a remedy for everyone. The remedy isn’t a quick prescription.
John 3:16
If any of you have thought about what it meant for Jesus to hang on the cross, it was mind-numbingly torturing. But He did it for us so that we can look by faith.
Today, traditionally, is the time when we consider the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified. I want to try and ‘demystify’ the reality of what it means for us to realise who Jesus was when He gave up His life on the cross. He Himself talked to gentleman in the New Testament times and referred to an episode which occurs in the scripture we will soon read. The situation was that God had been the provider for the children of Israel. Bread from heaven had come every morning without fail. There came a point when the children of Israel became disappointed with this same provision each day. In Numbers 21 the people began to speak against God.
Numbers 21:4-7
They all routed their communication with God through Moses. There was no communication straight to God like we can have now with our heavenly Father. These serpents whose bite was fatal, represented in parallel, the sin that is within in us; which is also fatal. Sin is that which we know to be wrong. If so be that sin is inside us and we haven’t had it dealt with it is fatal. Here Moses took note of the people:
Numbers 21:8-9
We’re not told how tall this pole was but it must have been pretty tall because anyone who had been bitten had to have sight of the fiery serpent on top of it. There was only one pole. I can imagine the situation, for example in a family where the children had been playing and one of them had been bitten. The panic of the mother or father to make sure that the child could see the serpent on the pole. Making sure that the child looked it; that was all that was needed. They organised themselves so that they knew where it was so that they could look upon it. The provision by God for these people was twenty four hour provision, for male or female, young or old. It was not complicated. Sometimes, if we were to transfer it to the sin in our lives, we can become so complicated as to what a person has to be and what has to happen before they can get saved. There might be some of us that have made things so complicated in your mind. But you’ve heard about the cross and Jesus Christ giving up His life on the cross for you. We’ll see in a minute that Jesus Himself paralleled what happened here with the children of Israel. If you wanted you could make a long list of parallels between this episode here in Numbers and the episode in the New Testament.
I want you to notice that if the serpent had bitten an individual, a remedy had been provided.
Romans 5:12
The poison from the serpent was real. In sin terms it is as if all of us from the beginning of our lives are in a situation where the poison is already inside us; it’s called sin. You can’t play around with this sin that is inside you. It grips what you say and what you do. You get annoyed with yourself because you know that what you think and do is wrong, but somehow you can’t get rid of it. Whatsoever a man sows he shall reap. If you continue to be involved in sin there is an automatic reaping from that sin. There’s no doubt that the poison killed. There’s no doubt that the wages of sin are death.
There was only one serpent of brass on the pole.
1 Timothy 2:5
That’s why Good Friday, when we thinking about Jesus hanging on the cross, is so significant. There is only one way for us to get our lives sorted in God, and that is through Jesus Christ. I don’t think that when something happened from the serpent’s bite they were wishing that there was an easier remedy. All they knew was that the moment they would look upon the serpent they would healed. There is one mediator between God and man: Christ Jesus.
Jesus refers to this in the following passage. At the beginning of this chapter Nicodemus came at night to talk to Jesus. Jesus talked to him about what it means to be a Christian. And then He gets to the point in the conversation when He says:
John 3:14
That is very clear. What are we saying then? Nicodemus was the ruler of the Jews, he knew what was recorded in the Torah. He would have known the story of the serpent on the pole in the Old Testament. Jesus what showing him that in exactly the same way as Moses lifted up the serpent, even so that Son of man must be lifted up.
John 3:15
There was a brass serpent on a pole which is a strange image. In the same way that as the serpent on the pole could deal with the serpents in the camp, Jesus made Himself of no reputation, was made in the likeness of men so that He could identify with you and with me. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The obedience of Jesus means that I can stand in front of you and tell you that this isn’t complicated. Here Nicodemus was going to see Jesus, in a short period of time, lifted up on the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:7
In the Old Testament the clear thing was the vision. Now we do not have to physically see Jesus standing here now, we have to walk in faith. I want to make it crystal clear that to become a Christian is not complicated. The fact that some of you sitting here tonight know that you need to sort this out is God already talking to you. Jesus isn’t standing behind the door waiting for you to come through so that he can beat you down. He has provided a remedy for everyone. The remedy isn’t a quick prescription.
John 3:16
If any of you have thought about what it meant for Jesus to hang on the cross, it was mind-numbingly torturing. But He did it for us so that we can look by faith.
Sunday 5 April 2009
An Active Faith
Ours is to be an active faith. And in 1 Peter 3, the writer shows us two vital aspects of this. We are to give the Lord His rightful place in our hearts; and we are to be ready always to give a reason for the hope which is in us.
What I have to share will help all of us in such a way that we are aware more than ever of what God is doing in your life and who He is.
The background to Peter’s thinking in the bit of His letter we will look at this morning comes partly from Psalms 34:
Psalms 34:1-21
Peter’s letter is to do with how to live right in the face of difficulty, how to address circumstances which are contrary and which seemingly don’t make sense. Chapters 1 and 2 looked at the persecution which was coming. Peter was very conscious that he wanted the recipients of the letter to get it right as to how they should live their lives. There are two specific things we can do to prevent fear dominating our hearts and how to avoid terror generating fear.
1 Peter 3:8-9
No cliques – I have brothers and sisters in the Lord. If someone new comes into the church, you’re welcome – you won’t have to fight to get into my group. You need to be courteous and open.
1 Peter 3:10-12
“You don’t need to worry, recipients of this letter” – God hears your prayers, and when pressure comes, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteousness and His ears open to their prayers.
1 Peter 3:13
They needed to be sure of their foundation, to know for sure that God heard their prayers. And now we come to specifics.
1 Peter 3:14-16
There are two things here we need to do.
First, there is the aspect of not being afraid of anything. Often in Peter’s letters you hear echoes of his experiences with the Lord.
Matthew 14:26-30
“It is I; be not afraid.” There are probably five or six occasions in Peter’s life where the words of Christ became indelibly written in his heart. They were afraid, and Jesus’ words came across the water – “It is I, be not afraid.” And now in his letter, he tells them not to be afraid of their terror, nor to be troubled. He knew that when Jesus Christ is involved, there is no fear.
“Yes, but what if I face things I didn’t expect?” “It is I – be not afraid.” And Peter is writing to these people telling them not to be afraid or troubled. At the time it was people saying things to put them in fear, but you can widen it. If you’re a Christian and are afraid, Jesus Christ knows what He is doing in your life. He gave His life for you. Next weekend (Easter) we’ll particularly remember that.
The enemy of our souls thrives on fear, that little comment which comes to your mind – “You see ... do you think He loves you? Why has that happened?” “Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.”
I’m sure Peter recalled when Jesus talked to them intimately.
Now in v15, Peter comes to two active things we need to do.
1 Peter 3:15
What does it mean to sanctify God in our hearts? In one translation, it says, “Sanctify God as lord in your hearts.” This is an active thing we need to do. It’s a similar word to “hallowed” in the Lord’s prayer. When I’m involved, when I’m a Christian, a son of God as a result of what He has done for me, I need to maintain His position in my heart, right in the core. I keep Him in that position, and reverence Him and bow down to Him. He is Lord of my life. And right in the kernel of me is Jesus Christ, recognised as Lord, and I believe everything He says.
“Jesus Christ the habitual thought, the central emotion, the all-dominant impulse.” That’s not just words – it’s us, keeping, actively keeping Jesus Christ in the position of who He is. He is Lord. So when I’m trying to sort things out, looking to the future ... “In my life, I want You to be number one.”
In your life, sanctify the Lord God in your heart. So it does matter each day how much I talk to God, how much I open up my heart to God. That’s not being religious or spiritual. Sanctify the Lord in your hearts. When you get up in the morning, it’s not immediate Radio 4, Radio 2, or whatever. That’s not the way to start a day. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. It’s an active things which we can do.
The second things is part two of the verse :-
1 Peter 3:15
Be ready always – not just when you feel like it. It could be anyone at any time. I have to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in me, and I have to do it with meekness and reverence. So what is the reason for the hope which is in me? I need to know what I’m going to share. What are you hoping for? What does it mean?
I’m going to broaden this out. The picture will be a solid ground of our faith which can actively share with another person who asks us. “My personality is not such as to speak,” you may say. But this is for all of us. I’m talking here about the core of you. You’ve sanctified the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, and now you are ready to give an answer always. You can do this ... and you must do it. It’s part of what we’re about. It’s not an option.
What is our hope? Because when you are facing certain situations, you have to be sure. What is our hope?
Romans 5:1-2
We’re justified by faith through what Jesus Christ has done for us. We have that peace within. We have peace with God, access by faith into this grace. There’s a forward-looking sense of this hope.
Philippians 1:6
The work that God has started, He will complete. That’s my hope. And it’s not something vague – it’s the assurance that that is what is going on. I’m justified by faith and confident in Him.
1 John 3:2
Each month that goes by, God is working on me. I’m justified by faith, and He is working on me, perfecting me, shaping me so that at some point in time, He will call me to Himself, and when I see Him I shall be like Him. That’s the surety, the confidence inside.
1 Corinthians 15:53
At some point will come a time when our time here is up and God has perfected His work in us.
Romans 8:23
We aren’t made into robots, but we’re made free not to sin. Before we’re a Christian we automatically sin, but now He gives us the power to live right. At some point we will leave this body and get a new one.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
Hebrews 12:22
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
What is this life? What is the hope inside me? I’ve sanctified the Lord in my heart. Now I’m ready to give a reason for the hope in me.
What does it mean to be a Christian? I’ve been set free from the power of sin, the penalty sin (the penalty has been paid). I used to please myself, and I tried to fill up the vacuum inside me, but there was always an emptiness before I became a Christian. I was lonely. But the hope in me is a faith that God has given me, and I now live a life or a timespan allocated by God, and at some point I will step out of this body and be with the Lord. Death presents no fear. I enjoy life. But I know the progression of my life and the way God is sorting things out serves merely to prove His love for me. Those circumstances are there to prove His love for me, not to do me in.
Philippians 3:20-21
“This world is not my home – I’m just passing through.” That’s the truth. Our home is in heaven. I’m sanctifying the Lord God in my heart, keeping Him in that place with Him as Lord and God. And now I’m ready to share what God has done inside me. I’ll give a person a reason why I’m a Christian. The foundation is as secure as anything you care to mention. I’m totally confident because of what God has done inside me. He’s set me free from my past life and I’m walking each day pleasing Him, knowing that the circumstances of life which I will face ... no matter what they are ... I know my God, I know what He has done inside me and I love Him.
And a time will come when I’ll step out of this body and into His presence.
Titus 2:12-14
We’re looking for that blessed hope.
What is it like in the week if someone out of the blue asks you what it means to be a Christian? Or someone asks your opinion? Peter says there will come people who will ask you, because they will see the difference. When the persecution comes (in the context of this letter), people will see your reaction is different. Always be ready to give a reason for why you react the way you do. Be ready to speak up for the one you have sanctified in your heart. Be ready.
Those are two active things that God is pointing out to you and me this morning. Keeping sanctifying the Lord God in our heart. Keeping the right perspective. Keeping Him central. And secondly being always ready to give an answer.
Proverbs 4:23
There are some here this morning who didn’t know why they were here. Some have been brought here for a reason, and it’s time that reason became true for you. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer for the hope in you.
It’s not a passive life. I’m an open book. I’m open about what God has done in my life. And I can identify with anyone that God has us in the palm of His had. And the whole point of this life is to prepare us so that when we see Him we will be like Him. It’s great because you know that the Author and Finisher of your faith is God… There will come a point when we will step out of this body and be with Him.
Treasure the work of God in your life., If He’s been working in your life to point out to you your need of Him, that’s Him at work.
1 Peter 3:15-16
What I have to share will help all of us in such a way that we are aware more than ever of what God is doing in your life and who He is.
The background to Peter’s thinking in the bit of His letter we will look at this morning comes partly from Psalms 34:
Psalms 34:1-21
Peter’s letter is to do with how to live right in the face of difficulty, how to address circumstances which are contrary and which seemingly don’t make sense. Chapters 1 and 2 looked at the persecution which was coming. Peter was very conscious that he wanted the recipients of the letter to get it right as to how they should live their lives. There are two specific things we can do to prevent fear dominating our hearts and how to avoid terror generating fear.
1 Peter 3:8-9
No cliques – I have brothers and sisters in the Lord. If someone new comes into the church, you’re welcome – you won’t have to fight to get into my group. You need to be courteous and open.
1 Peter 3:10-12
“You don’t need to worry, recipients of this letter” – God hears your prayers, and when pressure comes, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteousness and His ears open to their prayers.
1 Peter 3:13
They needed to be sure of their foundation, to know for sure that God heard their prayers. And now we come to specifics.
1 Peter 3:14-16
There are two things here we need to do.
First, there is the aspect of not being afraid of anything. Often in Peter’s letters you hear echoes of his experiences with the Lord.
Matthew 14:26-30
“It is I; be not afraid.” There are probably five or six occasions in Peter’s life where the words of Christ became indelibly written in his heart. They were afraid, and Jesus’ words came across the water – “It is I, be not afraid.” And now in his letter, he tells them not to be afraid of their terror, nor to be troubled. He knew that when Jesus Christ is involved, there is no fear.
“Yes, but what if I face things I didn’t expect?” “It is I – be not afraid.” And Peter is writing to these people telling them not to be afraid or troubled. At the time it was people saying things to put them in fear, but you can widen it. If you’re a Christian and are afraid, Jesus Christ knows what He is doing in your life. He gave His life for you. Next weekend (Easter) we’ll particularly remember that.
The enemy of our souls thrives on fear, that little comment which comes to your mind – “You see ... do you think He loves you? Why has that happened?” “Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.”
I’m sure Peter recalled when Jesus talked to them intimately.
Now in v15, Peter comes to two active things we need to do.
1 Peter 3:15
What does it mean to sanctify God in our hearts? In one translation, it says, “Sanctify God as lord in your hearts.” This is an active thing we need to do. It’s a similar word to “hallowed” in the Lord’s prayer. When I’m involved, when I’m a Christian, a son of God as a result of what He has done for me, I need to maintain His position in my heart, right in the core. I keep Him in that position, and reverence Him and bow down to Him. He is Lord of my life. And right in the kernel of me is Jesus Christ, recognised as Lord, and I believe everything He says.
“Jesus Christ the habitual thought, the central emotion, the all-dominant impulse.” That’s not just words – it’s us, keeping, actively keeping Jesus Christ in the position of who He is. He is Lord. So when I’m trying to sort things out, looking to the future ... “In my life, I want You to be number one.”
In your life, sanctify the Lord God in your heart. So it does matter each day how much I talk to God, how much I open up my heart to God. That’s not being religious or spiritual. Sanctify the Lord in your hearts. When you get up in the morning, it’s not immediate Radio 4, Radio 2, or whatever. That’s not the way to start a day. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. It’s an active things which we can do.
The second things is part two of the verse :-
1 Peter 3:15
Be ready always – not just when you feel like it. It could be anyone at any time. I have to be able to give a reason for the hope that is in me, and I have to do it with meekness and reverence. So what is the reason for the hope which is in me? I need to know what I’m going to share. What are you hoping for? What does it mean?
I’m going to broaden this out. The picture will be a solid ground of our faith which can actively share with another person who asks us. “My personality is not such as to speak,” you may say. But this is for all of us. I’m talking here about the core of you. You’ve sanctified the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, and now you are ready to give an answer always. You can do this ... and you must do it. It’s part of what we’re about. It’s not an option.
What is our hope? Because when you are facing certain situations, you have to be sure. What is our hope?
Romans 5:1-2
We’re justified by faith through what Jesus Christ has done for us. We have that peace within. We have peace with God, access by faith into this grace. There’s a forward-looking sense of this hope.
Philippians 1:6
The work that God has started, He will complete. That’s my hope. And it’s not something vague – it’s the assurance that that is what is going on. I’m justified by faith and confident in Him.
1 John 3:2
Each month that goes by, God is working on me. I’m justified by faith, and He is working on me, perfecting me, shaping me so that at some point in time, He will call me to Himself, and when I see Him I shall be like Him. That’s the surety, the confidence inside.
1 Corinthians 15:53
At some point will come a time when our time here is up and God has perfected His work in us.
Romans 8:23
We aren’t made into robots, but we’re made free not to sin. Before we’re a Christian we automatically sin, but now He gives us the power to live right. At some point we will leave this body and get a new one.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
Hebrews 12:22
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
What is this life? What is the hope inside me? I’ve sanctified the Lord in my heart. Now I’m ready to give a reason for the hope in me.
What does it mean to be a Christian? I’ve been set free from the power of sin, the penalty sin (the penalty has been paid). I used to please myself, and I tried to fill up the vacuum inside me, but there was always an emptiness before I became a Christian. I was lonely. But the hope in me is a faith that God has given me, and I now live a life or a timespan allocated by God, and at some point I will step out of this body and be with the Lord. Death presents no fear. I enjoy life. But I know the progression of my life and the way God is sorting things out serves merely to prove His love for me. Those circumstances are there to prove His love for me, not to do me in.
Philippians 3:20-21
“This world is not my home – I’m just passing through.” That’s the truth. Our home is in heaven. I’m sanctifying the Lord God in my heart, keeping Him in that place with Him as Lord and God. And now I’m ready to share what God has done inside me. I’ll give a person a reason why I’m a Christian. The foundation is as secure as anything you care to mention. I’m totally confident because of what God has done inside me. He’s set me free from my past life and I’m walking each day pleasing Him, knowing that the circumstances of life which I will face ... no matter what they are ... I know my God, I know what He has done inside me and I love Him.
And a time will come when I’ll step out of this body and into His presence.
Titus 2:12-14
We’re looking for that blessed hope.
What is it like in the week if someone out of the blue asks you what it means to be a Christian? Or someone asks your opinion? Peter says there will come people who will ask you, because they will see the difference. When the persecution comes (in the context of this letter), people will see your reaction is different. Always be ready to give a reason for why you react the way you do. Be ready to speak up for the one you have sanctified in your heart. Be ready.
Those are two active things that God is pointing out to you and me this morning. Keeping sanctifying the Lord God in our heart. Keeping the right perspective. Keeping Him central. And secondly being always ready to give an answer.
Proverbs 4:23
There are some here this morning who didn’t know why they were here. Some have been brought here for a reason, and it’s time that reason became true for you. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer for the hope in you.
It’s not a passive life. I’m an open book. I’m open about what God has done in my life. And I can identify with anyone that God has us in the palm of His had. And the whole point of this life is to prepare us so that when we see Him we will be like Him. It’s great because you know that the Author and Finisher of your faith is God… There will come a point when we will step out of this body and be with Him.
Treasure the work of God in your life., If He’s been working in your life to point out to you your need of Him, that’s Him at work.
1 Peter 3:15-16
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