Breath Out – Breath In! Series

Sermon Title: Breath out – Breath in!

Sermon Text: 1 Peter 2:1-3

Ralf HT Bergmann

Bethel Christian Church

Date: October 29th 2000

Scripture Introduction:

This morning, as we leave the first chapter of 1Peter, we have dealt with the issue of being aliens in our own land. Do we sit still while this is happening or do we take the offensive. What articles can we have in our arsenal that we can employ without compromising our Christian values? What exactly do we consider the spoils of war? Is it our earthly existence that we are protecting or do we have our sights on protecting our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven? I think that we to often get confused on what is important. Are some of the frays that we find ourselves entangled with focusing on a heavenly victory or is the victory an earthly one that we have managed to camouflage as a heavenly crusade? We find ourselves in some dire predicaments from time to time and this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as future persecutions go. We look at the differences in our lives before we chose Jesus and after and although no words come close to describing the situation the comparison between day and night or light and dark seems to fit the bill. All of this talk about a change that takes place brings us to the point of being obedient. Are we obedient children in the eyes of God?

Please join me in the reading of God’s Holy Word!

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-3

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Introduction:

I’ve given this message the title “Breath out – Breath in!” because of the illustration that the simple act of respiration provides for the change that we make in our lives when we change our ways from the ways of the world to the ways of our Lord. As we exhale, we release from our body carbon dioxide, which in a great concentration creates for us a toxic environment. In effect, this creates the hostile atmosphere, which does little to promote our ongoing existence. When we inhale, we take in the fresh oxygen that our bodies require in order to thrive. When we inhale spiritually, it is like taking in the direction the new direction of our Lord Jesus, which we receive, from the Holy Spirit.

The first thing that we must do is that we must throw out the old. This is probably one of the easiest things to illustrate and yet the hardest to follow through with. If we are putting a new motor in our vehicle before we can proceed, we must take the old motor out. Simple enough. If we are putting in a new kitchen faucet can we accomplish the task without first removing the old? Almost seems like a silly question doesn’t it?

Now let’s look at it from another perspective, let’s look at what God laid out for me one time. What happens when God tells us that we need to go into the full time ministry and that He will provide for all of our needs? This can become a complicated set of instructions for someone who has worked at the same job for 18 years. This is a new way of life for someone who has provided for his family by being in full time employment. So the throwing out of the old for me was to quit the job and look to God for all of our needs. Now this wasn’t so hard at first because Laura was working and took over the insurance through her job. Then the call was further defined, Laura was to give her job up as well.

Now for whatever this is worth to those that feel that they are being asked to take a step of faith, and by that I don’t mean quitting a job or moving to another continent, I have found that for everything that God has directed me to do, He has been faithful to ensure that all was provided. As a family we have not been left wanting for any necessities. Now there have been luxuries that have been forgone. One of the things that we had to give up was our second vehicle. At the time it was not in the budget to have another vehicle, and we were able to sell it and we didn’t loose any money. Now it came to the point where we needed another vehicle and he provided with a vehicle that we could afford at a time where it was needed.