The Common Made Holy Series
“The Secret of Saint Who”
Review of Saint Who – Who is a Saint?
I Peter 1:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
• A saint is a person who is “SET APART” by God to OBEY Jesus Christ.
o Through personal faith in Jesus Christ sacrifice on the Cross a person is transformed from COMMON to PRECIOUS in God’s sight.
• A Saint lives as an ALIEN in a foreign land.
• A Saint Obtains an Everlasting INHERITANCE.
Are you a saint?
Are you living like a person “set apart” to obey Jesus Christ?
Two weeks ago we looked at the Birthright of Saint Who. The Who is every person who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. You are a saint.
I gave you some instruction on understanding who you are in Christ and how to denounce the lies of the enemy that contaminate your true identity.
You are a Saint. But my guess is many of you feel more like a squirrel than a Saint.
Squirrel Cage Example: Life seems to consume more and more energy but you don’t feel like you are getting anywhere.
Secret of the Ages Treasure Box intro.
In this box is the secret of the ages. It contains the secret to living a life set apart to obey Jesus Christ.
It contains the power for living a life that is pleasing to God.
But before we unveil this incredible secret, lets look at the next verses in 1 Peter. As we explore the Secret of Saint Who.
I Peter 1:
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
I. A Saint LOVES Christ.
1Peter 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory…
Last week we looked at the kind of love this is, a selfless, unconditional love, the kind of love that God has for us Agape. A love where we love Christ more than ourselves. That is a process. Peter had to get there by being stripped of pride. Often times so do we. But the very stripping is exactly what we need to press on to real life.
• Loving Christ with a selfless love results in Inexpressible JOY.
When we love Christ with a selfless love, it results in joy, incredible joy, because our focus is taken off of ourselves and placed upon the One we were created to love, God Himself. When we love Him with all our hearts He fills us with Joy. Not simply happiness which is dependent upon our circumstances, but with a joy that transcends all of life’s trials and disappointments.
Jesus said, that he had come to bring us Life and it more abundantly. Abundant life is a joy filled life. A life that rests upon the nature, character and love of God. He is our joy.
So a Saint loves Christ, with a selfless love.
II. A Saint LIVES like Christ.
I Peter 1:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
The life of a saint follows the same pattern as Christ Jesus.
1. HOW did Christ live?
A. Christ was “Set Apart” to Obedience.
John 6:
38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
a. We are Set Apart to Obedience.
B. Christ SUFFERED for us.
I Peter 1:
11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
b. Our TRIALS help us to Live like Christ.
I Peter 4:
1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
My life verse is Philippians 3:10-11
I want to know Christ, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so somehow attain to the resurrection of the dead.
Suffering is a tool that God uses to refine us to reflect the glory and likeness of Christ. We have our most intimate fellowship with Christ when we suffer for His sake because we are at that moment most like Him.
C. Christ is and will be GLORIFIED.
I Peter 1:
11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
c. We will receive a GLORIOUS inheritance.
I Peter 1:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
God promises us a glorious inheritance that will be ours when Jesus Christ is revealed and every knee will bow and tongue confess that He is Lord.
He has called us to be joint heirs with Christ Himself. But He calls us first to live like Christ.
How do we do that?
TIME TRAVEL ILLUSTRATION
How many here have ever secretly wished you could time travel? One of my favorite books as a child was H.G. Well – The Time Machine. The though of being able go back to the Old West, and meet Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett really intrigued me. I wanted to go back and see the events of the Civil War, to be at Gettysburg to hear Abraham Lincoln’s speech.
Having traveled to Israel, I wish even more I could travel to Jesus Day, to sit on the Mount of the Beatitudes, to hear the lapping of the waves on the shore as Jesus delivered the Sermon on the mount. To see the 5,000 fed. Or to see the stilling of the storm on the sea of Galilee.
How many of you wish you could go back and spend just 10 minutes hearing the words of Jesus? Wouldn’t that be awesome? What if you could spend ten minutes a day, in time travel, to go back and hear God’s Word being spoken, how many would invest that time if you could, daily?
God did even better than Time Travel. He gave us a treasure far more valuable than a Time Machine.
2. What is the SECRET to Living like Christ?
What is the secret to living the life of a Saint?
OPEN TREASURE BOX and pull our God’s Word.
- Most of us think of God’s Word like a Passport, It contains the information to get us into heaven.
- But it more than that it is also a Guidebook. A guide book is designed so that you enjoy the journey and get the most out of your stay. The same is true with God’s Word. We need it each and every day.
God’s Word gives life.
I Peter 1:
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
Your born again birthright came about because of the power of the Living Word. Jesus is the Word.
But God’s Word is a seed of ongoing life. It must be nurtured and cultivated. It won’t grow on the shelf.
God’s Word is designed to dwell within us, to take up residence in our hearts and minds. If you only occasionally meditate on God’s Word you will continue to be stuck in the squirrel cage of frustration.
We are to do with God’s Word what Jesus did for us.
John 1:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
We are saved by the living Word. He then gave us His Written Word to live in our hearts and provide us with an ongoing resource of life
• The secret is CHRIST’S WORD.
Through God’s Word we can daily spend time with Him. He can speak directly not just to our ears but our mind, our heart and our emotions.
God gave us the TREASURE of The AGES, when He gave us His Word – God’s Word is alive.
Hebrews 4:
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
I Peter 2:
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—
We grow into our birthright by the power of God’s Word, but to do so we must abide in it. We must long for His Word.
If you ate as often as you meditate on God’s Word, some of you would win the Biggest Loser, others would be near death physically.
Spiritually we can become anemic if God’s Word is not a regular diet to our soul and spirit.
The secret to spiritual health and power is meditating on God’s Word to the point that it literally dwells everywhere in our minds and hearts.
John 15:
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
2 Step Plan to escape the Squirrel cage.
1. Know your Identity and birthright in Christ.
2. Choose to love God more than yourself.
3. Live in His Word.
• The Primary instrument of Sanctification is God’s Word.
Sanctification has two aspects Positional and Process.
When we come to Christ and embrace His sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sin, we are positionally sanctified, When are transformed from something sinful into something sacred (holy). We take on a new identity the identity of a joint heir with Christ Jesus.
The process of sanctification is carried out in our lives through the Word of Christ. The process of Sanctification is God’s work in us transforming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
And the Primary instrument God uses in this process is His Word. You will not become like Jesus Christ apart from His Word.
The Word of God is Living and Active, able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. God uses His Word to transform us, and make us like His son Jesus Christ.
A. Christ is the AUTHOR of the Scriptures.
I Peter 1:
11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
Jesus Christ is the author of the scriptures. His Spirit spoke to men moving them to write His Words.
Peter in his second letter says this.
II Peter 1:
20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Christ was pointing the prophets to Himself.
• Jesus Christ is the PERSON of the Scriptures.
• Because Jesus Christ is the Living Word.
B. All the Scriptures point to a PERSON – Jesus Christ.
John Chapter one says in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God.
Jesus Christ is the Word of God.
John 1:
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Bible is Jesus Christ’s living Autobiography.
If you want to know God, spend time in His Word.
To each one of us who would secretly wish we could travel back in time and spend just 10 minutes listening to Jesus, we must ask ourselves the question, Why then do we not spend time in His Living Word each day?
C. We are the BENEFACTORS of the Written Word.
God spoke through the prophets, on our behalf.
I Peter 1:
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
Not just the prophets, wrote for our benefit, but the Apostles who preached Christ, and who walked with Him on the earth wrote for our benefit.
We have been given the treasure of the ages and yet we must ask how valuable is God’s Word to us?
The Angels, God’s ministering servants, long to see the things which have been revealed to us. They see the salvation of men and women as purchased by Jesus Christ and they marvel. They see God’s living Word and are in awe.
And yet so often we take His Word for granted.
Christ’s Word is the SECRET of Saint Who.
• If you want to life a life that is set apart in obedience to Christ, IMMERSE yourself in His Word.
Lets briefly examine the treasure of the Ages. What did God give us in His Word?
• God’s Word REVEALS the Person of Christ.
I Peter 1:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
We dealt with this earlier but we must understand that the theme of scripture is the revelation of Christ Jesus.
Jesus shows us our birthright and how to experience it by living in His Word Daily.
• God’s Word is ETERNAL.
I Peter 1:
23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
This passage is a direct quote of Isaiah 40:6-8.
Isaiah 40:
6 A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8 The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
God’s Word lasts forever. We will be hearing, reading, meditating on and in wonder of God’s Word for all eternity. Everything else you read, all the books, all the television programs, radio shows movies, all these things will fade, when we leave this life, but God’s Word remains eternal.
When you invest time in God’s Word here on earth it is an investment in eternal life. When you memorize God’s Word it is forever. It will reap benefits in your life not just now but for all eternity.
• God’s Word NURISHES a Saint.
I Peter 2:
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
We are to hunger for God’s Word. It provides the power to live a life that is set apart.
God’s Word reveals the glory of God and the sinfulness of ourselves. When you diligently and prayerfully immerse yourself in the scriptures God will reveal your own sinfulness and its contrast to His righteousness. It also provides the promise and the power to live a life that honors the person of the Scripture – Jesus Christ.
• We are to hunger for God’s Word.
Amos 8:
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD.
There is a famine for God’s Word today. Men and women fill their lives with every substitute. But God’s Word gives real nurishment for our souls. And this growing in salvation that Peter talks about is Sanctification, the process of becoming more like and living like Jesus Christ.
(EXAMPLE of TV Dinner or Steak)
• We are to Seek the PERSON of the Scriptures.
1 Peter 1:11 says that Christ was revealing Himself to the prophets and the apostles.
God’s word points us to Him. The purpose of immersing ourselves in God’s Word is not to know the Word but to know God Himself.
Two potential dangers of the misusing the Word…
1. Loving the Paper over the Person.
John 5:
37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
God’s Word is Jesus Autobiography. It is written so we can know Him. Do you go the bible in search of answers for your life or to seek THE ANSWER – Christ Himself.
The Reason God’s Word is the Treasure of all the Ages is because it points us to God Himself.
But we can become enamored with knowing the paper of the Word and never really encountering the Person.
2. Fixing our eyes more on the Messengers than the Person of the Message.
The prophets wrote for our benefit, to point us to Christ.
There are times when we become so focused on the messenger, that we can overlook the Person of the Message.
Every time we gather together it needs to be to seek God Himself.
The oratory skill of the messenger, his props, and style and articulation are not what is really - really most important. We need to guard the pulpit for truth, but the highest thing is for each of us, beginning with the messenger, and all the Pastors is to Seek – the Person of the Message God Himself.
It’s all about Him. He needs to be our foremost focus.
And the reason I give you assignments is because, I want you, the Pastor’s and staff want you to encounter the Person of the Message Jesus Christ Himself, through His Living Word.
POSSIBLE END – go to assignment
III. A Saint’s LONGING is for the Word of Christ.
I Peter 2:
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
We are to long for God’s Word. It provides our strength and sustenance.
I want to allow scripture to enlighten scripture on this.
Turn to Psalm 119:9-16
Psalms 119:
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
God’s Word is an incredible treasure. It is the secret to living like Jesus Christ.
• Do you have a longing for God’s Word?
• Do you have a Love for the Person of God’s Word?
If you do according to 1 Peter 1:22 it will result in a love for others.
• Are living like Christ, set apart to obedience?
• Do you have a longing for Christ’s Word?
• Have you treasured the secret of the ages in your heart.
Jesus said…
John 15:
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
The secret to living a life set apart to God is His Word. His Word needs to abide in us, to live in us. And the only way that can really happen is for us to memorize and meditate on His Word. To take it into our hearts and minds and carry it with us so that we can meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1)
I want to Challenge us all to memorize God’s Word, so for the next three weeks we are going to try and memorize a portion of scripture together.
Memorization – IN your Worship Guide
Psalm 19:7-14
Immerse yourself in God’s Word, it is the secret to living a life that is set apart by God to obey Jesus Christ.
I have a Home study assignment I want to give you and I want to challenge you to take God’s Word Seriously.
This assignment is a simple Bible Study to help you understand the benefits of God’s Word.
• Explain Home study
• INVITATION – make a commitment to immerse yourself in God’s Word.
HOME STUDY – PSALM 19:7-14
Psalms 19:
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
“The Promised Benefits of God’s Word”
1. God’s Word is ¬PERFECT. (V 7)
Application - God’s Word can revive my SOUL.
2. God’s Word is SURE. (V 7)
Application – God’s Word can make me WISE.
3. The Precepts of the Lord are RIGHT. (V 8)
Application – God’s Word give joy to my HEART.
4. The Commands of the Lord are PURE. (V8)
Application – God’s Word gives LIGHT, to my eyes.
5. The Fear of the Lord is CLEAN, (V 9)
6. The Rules of the Lord are TRUE.(V9)
7. God’s Word is more desirable than GOLD.(V10)
8. God’s Word is sweeter than HONEY.(10)
10. God’s Word can enable us to be BLAMELESS. (V13)
Prayer of Saint Who
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
