Christian Governance-&-Church-4

‘For The LORD’S SAKE’—1Peter 2:13—3:12

A. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Government—1Peter 2:13-17

B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work—1Peter 2:18-25

C. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Marriage—1Peter 3:1-7

D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church--IV—1Peter 3:8-12

So far in our study of 1Peter we have examined the fact that

Christians are...CONSIDERED ALIEN(1:1-2)...

We’ve discovered...WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD—(1:3-12)

Discovered God’s means of...UNLEASHING Your SPIRITUAL VITALITY/Vigor(1:13-21)

We’ve also found the importance of LOVING THE BRETHREN(1:22—2:12).

We have seen how those truths play into the overall scheme of Submission...the give-&-take of relationships within CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE.

We began by examining the relationship of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE in regard to GOVERNMENT(1Peter 2:13-17).

Followed by the relationship of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE in regard to WORK(1Peter 2:18-25).

And lastly we looked at the relationship of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE in regard to MARRIAGE(1Peter 3:1-7).

Today we will continue by looking at the role of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE within the Body of Christ or the CHURCH—

D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church-IV—1Peter 3:8-12

Attention:

In any team sport—basketball, football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, etc.

The governance of every Coach on the team—& there are multiple coaches even at the high school level—pervades the game.

Obviously, the emotional stability, commitment, ability, & outright skill of each player plays into the success of the team as well.

All aspects of the team must be consistently governed within recognized guidelines & interpersonal skills in order for it to be successful.

We like to think that we can ‘have’, with no real commitment to ‘having’s requirements & responsibilities. We may suppose that we can ‘have our cake & eat it too.’ But the Church, though it is built upon individual commitments to Christ, is much more grand than that. The Church—the Body of Christ—is much more than the sum of its parts.

God’s Church is about the GATHERED Church! It is about individuals who have been born-again so that they operate together in unison with one another as do the individual members of one’s physical body. The Church is to operate as one body—the body of Christ! And THAT requires Christian/godly governance.

Peter pressed the importance of Christian submission as it related to the Church or Body of Christ.

Christian submission is directly tied to relationship with the Church.

How is Christian governance addressed regarding the Church(Body of Christ)?

6 undertakings/facets of Christian governance regarding the Church(Body of Christ).

We have already found that...

Christian governance regarding the CHURCH(Body of Christ) addresses...

1. SINGLENESS Of MIND(:8-9)

2. The TONGUE(:10)

3. LIFESTYLE(:11)

4—Christian governance regarding the CHURCH(Body of Christ) addresses...MOTIVATION(:12)

Explanation:(:12)

:12—“For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

Ps. 34:12-16—“Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil & do good; Seek peace & pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.”

It is the charge of God’s people to pursue peace(:11) because God Himself is aware of all. God intentionally looks to see the applications of His mercies & graces in His people—those who are considered by Him to be “the righteous.” “The righteous” are considered righteous only as they are obedient to God’s voice. God is positively attentive to these individuals—“eyes” “are on.”

God is also attentive(again in a positive manner) to hear the “prayers” of His people. Thus He shuts His “ears” not paying special attention to prayer that is prayed with indifference toward Himself.

In fact, YaHWeH’s “face” is even “against” “those who oppose Him, in “doing evil.” Thus perfectly turning His attentions to observe the “evil” of some, He rightly refuses to hear them or act regarding their cause due to it’s being “evil.”

The Governance of Christ in relation to the Church is absolutely vital.

“For/Because”—oti—Conjunction—1) That, because, since. Strong—neuter of ostiv[Which some, i.e. Any that; also (definitively)--Which same]as conjunction; demonstrative--That(sometimes redundant); causative--Because.

“Eyes”—ofyalmov—Noun Masc.—1) The eye; 2) metaph.--The eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing. Strong—The eye (literally or figuratively); by implication--Vision; figuratively--Envy(from the jealous side-glance).?English=‘Ophthalmic/Ophthalmologist’

“LORD”2X—kuriov—Noun Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).

*“On”(See “Against” below)—epi—Preposition—1) Upon, on, at, by, before; 2) of position--On, at, by, over, against; 3) To, over, on, at, across, against. Strong—properly, meaning superimposition(of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution[with the genitive case], i.e. Over, upon, etc.; of rest(with the det.)--At, on, etc.; of direction(with the accusative case)--Towards, upon, etc.