It's good to see everybody who has made it out.
This morning. We're so thankful for your
presence and I pray that something that I can say this
morning will be beneficial to you.
Whether you're an unbelieving, Christian, or unbelieving
person, or a Christian that follows Jesus.
I hope that we can reinvigorate ourselves in some way.
This morning, we're going to be studying a little bit in First
Peter chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 and first Peter was written to
the The Christians in that time who were dispersed because of
the destruction of Jerusalem and who under under extreme
persecution, and this was a letter to Peter or from Peter to
these Christians to kind of just hold on, keep fighting, keep
pressing on. And even though that was the
application and those days, we can certainly take the things
that Peter wrote and apply those to our lives today.
Well, we First Peter chapter 2 verses 1 through 11, I'm sorry
verses 11 through 12. It says they're not going to be
reading through with the English Standard Version.
It says beloved I urge you as sojourners and Exiles to abstain
from the passions of the flesh which wage war.
Ensure Soul keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so
that when they speak against you as evildoers they may see your
good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
And in this lesson, I want to show two realities in the world
that that we can apply based on what God has told us in these
passages. And I want us to urge us in a
couple ways based on those realities on how to apply those
at this time. And I want to use the word urge
because I think that's the right word.
It's a we have some urgency that we need to be that that is in
these verses that we need to apply.
I urge you to the language is of a passion that is written here
by Peter and there's a lot of emotion in these two verses and
I want us to understand the reality is I'm going to go
through just to of these and understand him and think on
them, and one reality tends us to earn Heaven urging.
And based on that reality 80 in the second reality will have an
urging based on that reality as well.
So the first reality based on these verses that we have here
is that we live in a world that Wars against our souls 1st Peter
2:11 says that there are passions in our flesh that are
driven by the world in ways that wage war on our soul.
God is telling us there is a battle going on.
Spiritually, that is Waging War on our soul and it's urgent.
We need to feel the urgency that Peter is telling us here.
And our soul, the war that is going on.
Our soul can be destroyed. I'm not saying it God singing.
And there is a war that is waging that we need to be aware
of. There are passions desires
thoughts ways in this world that are working to destroy our soul
little by little. It's not an instant thing.
It's a slow process that Wars against our soul.
We, you know, on TV or streaming online our phone social media,
and the world of business school and home.
Everywhere that we look, The war is inescapable and it is
intentional. And if we think about it, there
are so few things on TV or streaming online that are
designed that are designed to actually nourish our soul, and
our passion for God app developers on our phone.
You know, the engineers behind Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Tick-Tock, they're not thinking, how can I nurture people's
passion for God? That is not the point that
they're going for, whatever news outlets that.
We choose to watch any news outlet has an agenda.
And we're not talking about just a political agenda, we're
talking about a spiritual agenda to show you that good and evil
that are often contrary to the word of God.
So we need to be urging ourselves.
I want to urge you to not be foolish at the world that we
live in is not neutral. The world.
We are in inundates us all the time with messages from every
moment of every day. all day long, all week, long saying that
money Acclaim Entertainment sex drink drugs and success or what
we need, And we don't want to buy that message.
It is a lie. We need to open our eyes and
there is a battle and the word that God uses here is the word
War waging at every moment in this world to pull us away from
God, to pull us away from the world or to pull you toward the
world and away from his word and to pull you away from what
matters, most in the world. And that is why Jesus said for
for what will it profit? A man, if he gains the whole
world and forfeits his own, Sola Matthew 16:26.
That tells us that our soul can be lost that passage right
there. Tells us our soul can be lost
and when the soul is lost, there's no way to get it back.
When the war for our soul is lost, its lost forever.
And the Bible teaches very clearly that when we die.
Our souls continue on. And you, and I will enter into a
never into it either Everlasting Joy with God or either or
Everlasting judgment away from God.
And, you know, we may see, say, you know, Everlasting judgment,
you know. I thought God was good, I
thought God was loving and yes, he is.
God loves us so so much. He loves us so much. even though
you and I have Deserved judgment before him for our sins.
He loved us so much that he sent his son to die for us.
To die on the cross to pay the price for your and our sins to
endure the Judgment that we deserve.
So that when we believe and obey the gospel Jesus to save us from
our sins to save our soul. God will forgive us, if we
follow the gospel, The Bible is also saying that you can gain
the whole world. You can have everything in this
world and still lose your soul. What matters most in the world
is not what we have. On the day we die.
The only thing that will matter is if we have Jesus and in light
of that reality, there is a world, you know, that wages war
against our soul, based upon God's word, the urging that I
want to give Is. We need to resist the world.
1st, Peter 2:11. Says.
Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against
your soul abstain from those passions and desires.
We need to actively resist. Those passions that this world
has upon us and this is where this passage really kind of
convicted me. there are so many of you and myself, who tend to
sometimes professed Christianity, we are Christians.
But sometimes we are sleeping through the middle of a war.
That we are not actively resisting the world.
Living for this world. We don't realize that we
forgotten that we are strangers and aliens in this world.
That means we don't live for what this world lives for.
We don't live for what the advertisers are selling on
social media or offering or for such pride and money and success
that the world issues as lures. These are lures that the world
wants you to believe we're good. We don't live for those things.
We resist the lures of the world and this means we must be on
guard when watching things when listening to things when hearing
things. And when reading things, We
can't. Scroll through our phone
mindlessly. We don't listen to or read the
news mindlessly. We need to guard our minds, our
thoughts, our emotions, in your subsequent words and actions.
We don't think like the world thinks we don't feel like the
world, fearless or desire desire.
What the world desires? We don't speak like the world
speaks We don't act like the world acts.
Why? Because we're Exiles were aliens
were different from the world. We're living for a whole
different world. It's not like, we're just
foreigners here, we're, you know, we're just we're from
another, some people can say, you know, from another plan, in
a sense, if we're working for something else, we're not
working for this world. And that changes everything on
how we view first. Peter 21 says that we are to put
away. All malice, deceit, hypocrisy,
envy and slander. We are to resist those things.
We don't tear down people in this world.
We are to love our enemies. That's our statute.
That's our posture. That's what we stand for.
We pray for them. if you spend more time, despising people in
your mind, then praying for them.
I think we could say that we are living for the world that is
since in that way, and we are losing the battle.
Constantly thinking about despising, Persinger or hate or
whatever the case may be, we are losing a battle.
We are sojourners and pilgrims are Exiles.
That means we think talk and live differently.
And verse 12 says, keep your conduct Among the Gentiles,
honorable and the reference here is to Gentiles.
The word Gentiles here is way of saying that those who are
unbelievers in that time, those who do not go not know God.
And the Bible says, to honor God with your contact conduct show
that there's another way to live reserved resist.
The luring Temptations of the world that Temptations to sexual
immorality in a world that is so skewed.
God's design for men and women. For marriage.
We are to live differently. According to First Corinthians 6
and 1st Thessalonians 4. We resist Temptations to anger
disputes dissensions in a world that thrives on fighting and
quarreling James for, we live differently than that.
We resist Temptations to love money and ORD resources in the
world. We live differently.
We sacrifice money. We give away our resources for
people in need in this world. First Timothy 6.
That is what God is urging us to do today to resist the world
abstain from the passions of Flesh live for other passions
and better Passions. We might read this verse
sometimes and think that the Bible is calling us to a
passionate passionate list life to emotionless empty, empty
Hollow boring, avoiding all the good stuff in this world.
No, that's that's not what he's telling us to do here.
It's interesting that in these two verses.
There's two sentences in the English, but in the original
it's actually one sentence. It's one continuous thought they
go together. God is calling us for a life of
full of passion, full of emotion, full of zeal for that,
which really matters. And that's what which really
fits over its really fills and we'll see that in the second
reality here. So, the first reality is we live
in a world that Wars against our soul and the second reality.
Is that we live in a world that wants to belittle God.
We get to First Peter 2:12. The Bible says keep your conduct
among the Gent tiles, honorable, so that So that this means
there's a purpose here. So what's the purpose?
So that when they speak against you as evildoers, here's what
will happen. They may see your good deeds and
then do what, then you will glorify God on the day of
visitation. So the end of all this is
ultimately for the glory of God, all we do is for the glory of
God. The major problem in this world.
Is that is that we live in a world that wants to belittle
God. And that God is not being
glorified. So if we look around in the
world will see a world. That is saying they're all kinds
of problems that are more important.
But here, the Bible saying clearly that the major problem
in this world if is that God is not being glorified, we need to
reorient our thinking. We need to live in a world or we
live in a world where God is ignored.
If we just look at the apps on our phone watch TV stream
online. Scroll through social media,
listen to National conversation. The fear of God is nowhere to be
found. Not just in the world. but also,
I fear sometimes we be little God in this world as well.
We don't understand the magnitude of what we're working
for. Sometimes we patronize God, by
the way, we do things. So you know scores of people in
the church, you know, just check off a box.
Yeah, we went this week. By tending service and then
ignore his word, the rest of the week long and they're silent
about him through the entire week.
Offer Ritu routine. Patronizing, prayers done it.
Maybe just before a meal or never, but never really falling
on our faces and giving all of our emotion to God In Prayer in
so many ways. We built Our Lives not centered
on God. The Majestic Mighty supreme
authority over all instead, we live in a world with just
constructed a church culture in which we have built Our Lives
centered on ourselves. That's sometimes as a reality,
we live in a world that wants to be little God, to minimize
ignore, and not makes me not make much of him.
So what do we do then in this world?
Urging number one, was that we resist the world.
We abstain from the passions of the Flesh and the ways of this
world that are belittling God. Now, the second urging is we
live with a different passion. Everything we do now is filtered
through that different passion of passion for God in this
world. Now we can ask ourselves through
that filter, does the way that I'm spending my time or money?
Does the way that I speak or post does the way I work.
Does the way I relate to my spouse?
My kids, my family, my friends, my co-workers, do these reflect
passion for God, or my words, what I post and the
relationships are they shouting passion for God?
And for his glory in the world? We resist the world on one hand
then we engage the world for the glory of God.
That's what first Peter 2:12 is instructing us to do honor God
with your conduct so that when they speak against you as
evildoers And that's an interesting phrase.
What does evildoers mean? It means when we think believe
desire and live from differently from this world with a passion
for God, we will be spoken against in this world. and the
verse doesn't say if, but it says when when that happens, not
if it happens, but when it happens, As followers of Jesus,
who believe the world word of God, we have some very different
views than the world around us and some very unpopular views,
even offensive views, that would be labeled evil in our culture.
You think about it? We believe God creates, all
people, wonderfully and beautifully as either male or
female Genesis 1:26-27. This is foundational.
Truth from the first chapter Bible and it is labeled evil
discriminatory and unloving in our culture.
We Believe marriage is designed by God for one man.
In one moment woman together. Genesis 2:24, that is a belief,
our country has labeled bigotry. We actually believe that any
sexual activity of any kind outside of marriage between one
man. And one woman is a sin against
God first Corinthians 6, verse Thessalonians 4.
We believe that a husband is the leader of the home, just as
Jesus is the leader of the church is Fusion, spy.
We believe, abortion is murder of an innocent life, being
formed in a mother's womb, Psalms 139 we could keep going
on and on and on with this list, based on God's word.
That are completely contrary to what this world wants to
believe. And the crazy one that we
believe. Believe that a virgin gave birth
to a baby and he grew up and never did one thing wrong his
entire life. He died and three late Days
Later Rose. And walked out of his tomb and
he flew up to heaven without any mechanical assistance.
And one day he's going to come back that is offensive to the
world in some respects. So if we trust God and His word,
we will believe some things that are very different from this
world. Things that would lead to
mockery insult slander and will lead you to be ostracized in
this world. We believe things in this world
that that labels it as evil, wrong harmless and dangerous.
When the world thinks it's like that, like this, not if, but
when we need to ask, if we are going to hold fast to God's
truth, The major issue facing us today and facing the church.
Are we going to hold fast to trust in God's word?
Or are we going to compromise our beliefs for the sake of
Acceptance? In this world?
We need to pray for God's help to not compromise.
We have a choice to make. We have, you have to make that
conscious Choice. Are we going to trust the world
or we going to trust in God's word?
What's it going to be? Teenagers college students or
young adults, whatever the case you may be in, you know, I know
you guys are getting so much pressure to see God's word as
maybe Antiquated or outdated, offensive, or even evil.
We're you guys are tempted every day by messages.
All around you in this world to leave it behind and Trust in the
world. And I want to urge you guys
today to not do it, don't Do it. Don't trust in the world.
The latest trends or the newest, most popular accepted way of
looking at things. The that is the essence of sin
thinking that you know, what is true and right better than God
does. It leads to death leads to the
death that we don't want. At least two destruction of your
soul. We need to trust in God's world
and not just with teenagers or college students or young adults
every single person in this war who wants to belittle God and
criticizes word want to urge everybody here to trust in God's
word, no matter what it costs in your life.
Work, friendships influence. Trust in his word and don't lose
your soul. Then following this, the Bible
says, To lead such honorable lives filled with good deeds.
That when others think those people aren't loving over there.
Our Lives will have evidence of a different story.
We need to live at. So when they attack and slander
and speak against you, they will look at you and see the Good
Deeds that bring glory to God. In other words, don't just
resist the world and what it has to offer, but engage it to prove
them wrong. That's what's God.
God is telling us to do, do the good things.
Do the Good Deeds live honorable life so that when they come at
you with the attacks you got evidence to prove otherwise That
is not a passionless emotionless, empty hollow life.
That is a life that is full of showing the world, how good God
is. And that when, when they think
that those people over there, may be closed-minded, an
arrogant, they will look and see a church, every week with
intentional work to help those who may need help in the
congregation with children or families, with special needs are
to help those, who are elderly, hear that?
Aren't able to do things on their own anymore.
We show the goodness of and the love of God to families with
unique challenges. We got a brother that's going to
be going in for procedure here. The next couple days that we
need to figure out how we're going to help that family out,
because they're going to be down and out.
It's our responsibility to help. When the people in the world are
tempted to think that they have into, they may have an offensive
view of marriage and family, we show them what it looks like for
a husband to lay down his life for his wife.
To serve to cherish to nourish to love and to build up his
wife. When marriage is may break down,
we show them how to fight for a marriage.
To fight for what God has instituted.
And when they are tempted to think that it's a maybe a bunch
of religious people in a prudish bubble over there, we show them.
A Congregation of people going and sacrificing time and money
for the spread of the Gospel. Not so that they're think that
maybe that congregational their own plans road, is greater that
person's rate. This was great, that would miss
the entire point. We're not living for ourselves.
We're living for God, so that they will see the goodness of
the good deeds. And glorify God, everything we
do is for glorifying God, not for glorifying us.
In a world that belittles God, we want to point to the glory
and goodness of God, want to live with passion to do that.
And we need to let that affect the way we speak.
Think Post Live relate to other people filter, everything
through that lens and ask, how is what I'm doing today right
now glorifying, God, Then show that you're a pilgrim.
Is Soldier some translations. Here, say stranger here or
sojourn living for that which matters forever of the day of
visitation Peter reminds us here in the Bible reminds us that
there is a day coming. When it's all going to be clear
that this world and all it is offered is not worthy of our
trust. Not worthy of our passion.
On that day, it will be clear that God and His word, or 100%
worthy of everything that we have to give to him.
That day will make it extremely, clear?
So we live for that day in our own life, we need to guard our
minds guarded desires. It's to abstain from the
passions of the flesh to resist the world, engage the world, but
not just with good deeds. The picture here is deeper than
that? Yes, the Good Deeds.
All kinds of good things including the Examples.
I mentioned. But in the middle, those good
deeds. We need to be proclaiming God
and his word. The God who loves us so much
that he gave his son to die on a cross for our sins, he did this.
So that when they stand for God, on that day they will be ready
to glorify him because they will have been brought to trust in
him. We're going to be glorifying God
on the final day. Every knee will bow.
Whether you're bowing now, others in the world don't
believe in him. There's going to be a day.
When everybody is going to get on their knees and praise God,
whether they want to or not. So we need to prepare for that
day. We need to live our life of
passion Preparing People for that day.
Even as we fight our own battles in our own heart, we need to
help others around us. so, with all that said, I want to ask Are
you ready to stand before? God?
Are we ready? Are we confident that we're
going to have eternal life with God?
When that day comes? Do we know for sure?
That we're going to be in heaven with him, one of these days.
If your answer to that is not a resounding.
Yes. if you don't know, and we need to make that, right?
You need to have confidence. and we are told we can have
confidence in knowing So, are you ready to meet God if she
decides to come back later today tomorrow, whatever it may be, we
ready? We thank you for listening to
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