“It’s time to grow up”
1 Peter Sermon Series, Part 4
1 Peter 2:1-3
Introduction
- (v22) THEREFORE! … We have been purified by obeying the truth
-- We’ve cast off the things we desire to fully accept what He has for us
-- Why? Because of our sincere love for the Father we love one another!
-- APP: “Love God, Love People”
-- We have been granted an imperishable gift – one that never goes away
-- Why? Why would we be purchased and desire this imperishable gift?
- v24-25, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
- We are perishable, we are not eternal, and we will one day die and be gone
-- This is a fact, it is does not change, and our belief in it is not required
-- Just like the flowers come and go – we are compared as being the same
- But, something does remain and it remains for all of eternity … Word of God
-- John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- Why does this matter? v25b, “And this is the word that was preached to you.”
-- APP: It has already been preached and already been given to us
- So, how does this apply to what we need to be doing, TODAY?
- Read 1 Peter 2:1-3
∆ Point 1 – Remove the Wickedness
- Commanded to rid ourselves of 5 specific behaviors of life today
-- When you see what these all mean, something interesting unfolds for us
1. Malice, GR: “kakian” – evil, wickedness
2. Deceit, GR: “dolon” – guile, treachery
3. Hypocrisy, GR: “hypokriseis” – play acting, acting out
4. Envy, GR: “phthonous” – jealousy
5. Slander, GR: “katalalias” – evil-speaking, backbiting
- Something interesting to note about all 5 of these attributes:
-- They all involved us judging others; not one of them exalts Christ
-- Every one of these attributes sets us in direct opposition to one another
-- Therefore, “Love God, Love People” isn’t even possible with these
- Peter writes to the church to remove ourselves from acting this way
-- To be un-self-absorbed; to promote one another; to un-exalt ourselves
- What Peter reminds the church of, again, is … “It ain’t about us!”
-- 1 Peter 1:22, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
- Now, right before we start thinking of someone who should be hearing this …
-- STOP! This is not written for “someone else”: it is written for you and I
- Remember, God never once asked us to pre-judged one another before He does
-- We are called to love; to lift up; and in the process to glorify Christ
- TRANS: How? Peter reminds us of this very specifically; speaks of our birth
∆ Point 2 – Remember when …
- Peter asks us to remember when we were spiritual babies (v2a)
-- At one time, you were an infant in the Word of God and we should live
-- Sure, we all like to think we have arrived; but that’s the pride of sin
-- APP: We never stop learning; once we do, we begin to die … spiritual
- A spiritual death is FAR greater than the physical one
-- It is where we tell God we’ve learned all we need and do not need Him
-- Again, don’t start thinking of some who should be hearing this; it’s for us
- Consider your own spiritual birth; the few days following your salvation
-- Remember how we craved the nourishment of the Word?
-- Remember how it fed and comforted us when we needed it?
-- Remember when we cried out to God and His peace comforted us?
-- Challenge: So when did it become routine, stagnant, and “old hat”?
- Some need to be reminded of their birth; reminded of what God has done
-- Dare I say: Some may even to recommit to following Christ … again!
-- Why? Because we’ve drifted and we’ve turned off the things of God
- We’ve turned away from who God is, to focus on who we think we are
-- James 4:14, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
- Passages like this are not fun to preach; because they mean everything to us
-- They are a spiritual thermometer; a doorway into the places God wants to be
-- Challenge: Who holds the key to that door? You … or God?
- Rev 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
-- This verse has less to do with salvation and everything to do with living for Him
-- The church of Laodicea had gotten lazy in their faith and Jesus called them on it
-- He stands at the door and knocks to come in; but won’t force Himself in
- So how shall we act? “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk …”
-- At one time, we could not get enough who God is or what He had done
-- At one time, we could not imagine living without His hand upon our lives
- TRANS: It is THAT knowledge which will cause us to grow (v2b)
-- So why does it make us want to grow? Why do we choose more of Him?
∆ Point 3 – So why do want to grow?
- Why? Because we’ve tasted (food reference we can all understand) …
-- It is an easy metaphor to consider: it is either good or bad when tasted
- We’ve tasted that the Lord is good – that what He provides is best
-- It has always been about His eternal promise and security that we need
- Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
- Psalm 136:1, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.”
- Mark 10:18, “And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”
- 1 Tim 4:4, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude”
- APP: It is not about what we can obtain, but what He has given us in Christ
- (para.) “Now that you have tasted” - written to the church - “live it fully”
-- We’ve been given the goodness of the Word; by it we are redeemed forever
∆ Big Idea
- Well, with such direct words from Peter tonight, how do we apply this?
- NIKE says: “Just do it!”
- There is NO reason for us to have a “7 Steps to a Better Life” seminar
-- We don’t need cute saying that cause us to ponder deep thinks
- Peter writes: NOW you’ve tasted that He is good … what else do you need?”
-- Mike will pick this up on Sunday
- Pray
