A People Without Purity Series

A People without Purity

1 Peter 1:13-16

Intro

Over the decades from the foundation of the local churches beginnings, people have become more and more un-pure. The modern church is a people without purity. The modern church has listened too much to the experts of the day; who have told us that we need to remove: sin, hell, and the cross from our messages, because we are offending people and they might stop coming to church or giving their tithes to the church.

Just this past Monday on the way home from church I was listening to one of our local Christian radio stations as I normally do and they were debating over issues in the church. It pretty much came down to the fact that they felt they could no longer life by the standards of the Bible, so they were just not going to try to uphold those standards anymore.

The world has led us so far away from being a Godly church and into being a country club, where people merely come together to swap stories and complain about the day.

Today, the members of a church have the same life styles as those people outside the church, thus the world no longer respects the church.

So this morning I want to share with you three reasons why we should be Holy and pure and not be swayed by the opinion of the world.

I. Because Jesus is coming (v. 13)

a. We should be living everyday of our lives as if Christ was crucified last night, resurrected today, and returning tomorrow.

b. We must prepare our minds for action.

i. Be single minded in everything (Eternally thinking)

1. The translation of verse 13, literally means to gird up the loins of your mind.

a. In the ancient days, people wore long garments.

b. But when they need to be active and not slowed down, they would pull up the garment and tuck into their belt.

c. So it would not decrease their activity.

2. Like wise we need to gird up our minds

a. Removing any thing that might prevent us from focusing on God.

ii. Be sober in the Spirit

1. Be aware of what is going around you.

2. To many Christians today have put on spiritual blinders.

3. They don’t want to see the world for what it truly is, because maybe their enjoying it or to ashamed to stand against it.

iii. Have hope to the end

1. Be stable in your thinking.

2. Don’t let the world sway you away from Jesus.

3. The world is going to be throwing things at you all the time, to try to get your attention and lose focus.

a. But stay focused on the Lord, and hold to the hope that the end brings glory with it.

II. Because the Character of Jesus is in us (v. 14-16)

a. When we are saved we are changed by God.

i. The Holy Spirit enters into us with all the power and glory that He possess

ii. Immediately God starts to mold us to be more and more like Jesus.

b. If we have a likeness of Christ within us, then shouldn’t we act like Christ since we carry Him with us every where we go.

c. So let me ask you some question here:

i. Would Christ go to a bar to life it up?

ii. Would Christ read a pornographic magazine?

iii. Would Christ go behind someone’s back and tell stories?

iv. Would Christ watch the trash that is own most television stations today?

v. Would Christ find some kind of excuse why He couldn’t make it to church?

vi. Would Christ not obediently serve His own Father?

d. The answer to all those questions is NO, NO, NO!

i. So why then do we find ourselves doing so?

ii. Remember you are who is in you.

iii. If you truly have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and King of your life, then it will show.

iv. If you tell me that you have accepted Christ, put just like doing the things of the world, then maybe you need to re-think your conversion experience.

III. Because He chastens us

a. If we do not live our lives in a manner worthy of Christ, God will get our attention one way or another.

b. God will chasten after us.

i. Just like a parent that loves their children and disciplines them, because they want the best for them in life.

ii. I believe there are three types of chastening God uses:

1. The Wood Shelf

a. God will put you up on the shelf and forget about you for awhile.

b. He will let you try to continue on in the world, till you figure it out that you can’t.