‘For The LORD’S SAKE’—1Peter 2:13—3:12
A. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Government—1Peter 2:13-17
B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work-IV—1Peter 2:18-25
C. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Marriage—1Peter 3:1-7
D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church—1Peter 3:8-12
Previously in 1Peter we have begun looking at the overall scheme of Submission—the give-&-take of relationships within CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE.
So far we’ve examined CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Government(1Peter 2:13-17).
Today we will continue looking at CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE & our WORK Obligations in:
B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work-IV—1Peter 2:18-25
Attention:
Back To Work:
Three men: a seasoned project manager was teamed with a greenhorn software engineer, & a greenhorn hardware engineer. They were in Carrabelle, FL for a two-week period helping out on a project.
About midweek they decided to walk up & down the beach during their lunch hour.
Halfway up the beach, they stumbled upon a lamp. As they rubbed the lamp a genie appeared & said, "I will grant you 3 wishes, one for each of you."
The hardware engineer went first. "I would like to live in a huge house in St. Thomas, with no money worries & married to a beautiful woman who loves me." The genie granted him his wish & sent him off to St. Thomas.
The software engineer went next. "I would like to live on a huge yacht cruising the Mediterranean, with no money worries & married to a beautiful woman who loves me." The genie granted him his wish & sent him off to the Mediterranean.
Last, but not least, it was the project manager's turn. "And what would your wish be?" asked the genie.
The project manager replied, “I’ve got a lot of work to do on this project, & I need those guys back after lunch!”
As Christians, we regularly work with people who don’t know up from down & These need your witness to Christ!
CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE is expected to rule/control your WORK Obligations. The way in which you handle your Work Obligations, speaks, either positively or negatively, to others about the power of God in Christ Jesus.
B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work-IV—1Peter 2:18-25
Peter confirmed the role of Christian submission in relation to the obligations of servants.
Christian submission is crucial in to our work obligations.
‘Pertinent’—“Having a clear decisive relevance to the matter at hand.”
How is Christian governance addressed thru our work obligations?
4 aspects of Christian governance that are addressed thru our Work obligations. (or at work or in the workplace)
We have previously found that Christian governance is at WORK thru submission to...
1. SUPERIORS(:18)
2. SUFFERANCE/ing(:19-20)
3. EXAMPLE(:21-24)
4—Christian governance is at WORK thru submission to...
REPENTANCE(:25)
Explanation:(:25)Returning
:25—“For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.”
“For you were like sheep going astray...”
Our condition demanding Christ’s action was as that of sheep in need of a shepherd.
We were totally unable to desire the direction of God, because we were the unwitting victims of our own desires & destiny. We completely avoided God in ignorance of our sin & became satisfied with our choice.
Isa. 53:6—“All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Jn. 10:7-16—“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves & robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, & will go in & out & find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, & to kill, & to destroy. I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming & leaves the sheep & flees; & the wolf catches the sheep & scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling & does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; & I know My sheep, & am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; & I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, & they will hear My voice; & there will be one flock & one shepherd.”
Jn. 10:27-28—“My sheep hear My voice, & I know them, & they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, & they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
Rom. 11:33-12:2—“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom & knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments & His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him & through Him & to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”
Mat. 10:16-20—“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents & harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils & scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors & kings for My sake, as a testimony to them & to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
“You”—hn—Verb—1) I was, etc. Strong—I(thou, etc.) was(wast or were).
“Like”—wv—Adverb—1) As, like, even as, etc. Strong—probably adverb of comparative from ov, h, o; Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).
“Astray”—planaw—Verb—1) To cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way—1a) To go astray, wander, roam about; 2) metaph.--2a) To lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive, 2b) To be led into error, 2c) To be led aside from the path of virtue, to go astray, sin, 2d) To sever or fall away from the truth—2d1) Of heretics, 2e) To be led away into error & sin. Strong—To(properly, cause to) Roam(from safety, truth, or virtue).
“But have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.”
However, having recognized the personal need for being redeemed from where we had allowed sin to take us, we now in Christ, have chosen to “return to” the very One who is both the “Shepherd & Overseer” of our very “soul.”
This “return” describes ‘Repentance’—is changing your heart & mind & adjusting your life course accordingly.
“Repent”—Metanoew—Verb—1) To change one's mind, i.e. To repent; 2) To change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins. Metanoew is a full & noble term expressive of moral action & issues, & is often used in the imperative. Strong—To think differently or afterwards, i.e. Reconsider(morally, feel compunction).
Heb. 13:20, 21—“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
1Pet. 5:2-4—[Peter exhorts the fellow elders]“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
“Returned”—epistrefw—Verb—1) transitively—1a) To turn to—1a1) To the worship of the true God, 1b) To cause to return, to bring back—1b1) To the love & obedience of God, 1b2) To the love for the children, 1b3) To love wisdom & righteousness; 2) intransitively—2a) To turn to one's self, 2b) To turn one's self about, turn back, 2c) To return, turn back, come back. Strong—To revert(literally, figuratively or morally). RWP—common in the Acts for Gentiles turning to God...from idols.
“Shepherd”—poimhn—Noun Masc.—1) A herdsman, especially a shepherd—1a) in the parable--He to whose care & control others have committed themselves, & whose precepts they follow; 2) metaph.—2a) The presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church—2a1) Of the overseers of the Christian assemblies, 2a2) Of kings & princes. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A shepherd(literally or figuratively). Used 18X.
*The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were:
—to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep
—to defend the sheep from attackers
—to heal the wounded & sick sheep
—to find & save lost or trapped sheep
—to love them, sharing their lives & so earning their trust.
*During World War II, a ‘shepherd’ was a pilot who guided another pilot whose plane was partially disabled back to the base or carrier by flying alongside him to maintain visual contact.
“OverseerBishop/Guardian”—episkopov—Noun Masc.—1) An overseer—1a) A man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent, 1b) The superintendent, elder, or overseer of a Christian church. Strong—A superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a(or the) church(literally or figuratively). Used 7X.
From—epi—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.—&—skopov—A watch(sentry or scout), i.e. by implication--A goal. From skeptomai(to peer about ["skeptic"]; perhaps akin to skaptw[to dig] through the idea of concealment; compare skepasma[clothing]).
“Souls”—quch—Noun Fem.—1) Breath—1a) The breath of life—1a1) The vital force which animates the body & shows itself in breathing—1c1) A living being, a living soul; 2) The soul—2a) The seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions(our heart, soul etc.), 2b)The soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life. Strong—from qucw[meaning ‘to breathe.’]; Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely--The animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pneuma, which is the rational & immortal soul; & on the other from zwh, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew vpn, xwr & yx).
Argumentation:
*Ezek. 34:8-31—-(God as Shepherd)-““as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, & My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves & did not feed My flock”-- ‘therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, & I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, & the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep & seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep & deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy & dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples & gather them from the countries, & will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys & in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, & their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold & feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, & I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD. I will seek what was lost & bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken & strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat & the strong, & feed them in judgment.” ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep & sheep, between rams & goats. Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture--& to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? “And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, & they drink what you have fouled with your feet.” ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat & the lean sheep. Because you have pushed with side & shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, & scattered them abroad, therefore I will save My flock, & they shall no longer be a prey; & I will judge between sheep & sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, & he shall feed them--My servant David. He shall feed them & be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, & My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. I will make a covenant of peace with them, & cause wild beasts to cease from the land; & they will dwell safely in the wilderness & sleep in the woods. I will make them & the places all around My hill a blessing; & I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, & the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; & they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke & delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, & no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown, & they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, & they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.’” “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, & I am your God,” says the Lord GOD.”
Ps. 23:1-6—A Psalm of David.— The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod & Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.”
Repentance cannot occur apart from being drawn to God...
Jn. 6:44-45—“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.”
Jn. 12:32-33—“And I-(Jesus)-, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die.”.....“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes & hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts & turn, So that I should heal them.” These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory & spoke of Him.”
God “hardens” “hearts” by making personal faith & repentance perfectly harmonious with one another!
Jn. 6:64-66—“But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, & who would betray Him. And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” From that time many of His disciples went back & walked with Him no more.”
Jn. 5:37-47—“And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; & these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, & you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, & do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you--Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
*Ezek. 18:29-32—“Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, & your ways which are not fair? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. Repent, & turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, & get yourselves a new heart & a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. Therefore turn & live!”
Mat. 9:12-13—“When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go & learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy & not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
God doesn’t want your self-styled religion, He wants your life to be directed by Him so that you are merciful.
Acts 2:38, 39—“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, & let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; & you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you & to your children, & to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
*Acts 3:19—“Repent therefore & be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”
Heb. 12:14-17—“Pursue peace with all people, & holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, & by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.”
Rev. 2:1-5—“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, & that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles & are not, & have found them liars; & you have persevered & have patience, & have labored for My name’s sake & have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent & do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly & remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.”
Amos 4:6—“Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD.”
God sometimes brings trouble into your life so you will become enlightened to your need for repentance!
Zech. 1:3-4—“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “& I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways & your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.”
Jer. 4:1—“If you will return, O Israel,” says the LORD, “Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved.”
Isa. 44:22—“I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”
Js. 4:7-10—“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Lk. 15:10-24—“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, & there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, & he began to be in want. Then he went & joined himself to a citizen of that country, & he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, & no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough & to spare, & I perish with hunger! I will arise & go to my father, & will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven & before you, “& I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose & came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him & had compassion, & ran & fell on his neck & kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven & in your sight, & am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe & put it on him, & put a ring on his hand & sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here & kill it, & let us eat & be merry; ‘for this my son was dead & is alive again; he was lost & is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
Illustration:
Camp Gordon Johnston Days Parade/Most of the participants throw candy to the onlookers/But much of it falls in the street itself, near the parading vehicles/Little children can be lured into the street by that stray candy in the street/As the child rushes blindly for the candy, the parent hastily grabs the child by the arm &/or picks them up bodily/The shocked child looks into his-her mother’s eyes, realizes his-her mistake & willingly retreats from their haste/In a similar manner as with the child, you must recognize your error-mistake-sin & turn away from it!/REPENTANCE
Older children may leave home for the wrong & selfish reasons—fallen in love &/or hanging with foolish ‘friends’/They do not take seriously the demands of life or recognize the fullness of their responsibility to answer those demands/They may view ‘love’ from an emotional standpoint rather than from a godly one/They cut their families short, hurting them in the process/After they have messed up their lives royally they may come sheepishly back to where they are loved, which they had previously rejected/But are they repentant or just beaten down?/God’s people carry numerous responsibilities & obligations into the Workplace/Truly good godly workers cannot be such unless they are repentant/REPENTANCE
Application:
?Does Submission to & of your REPENTANCE reveal ‘Christian Governance’ or fleshly governance?
?Is Christian Governance at Work in you?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Project manager—“I need those guys back after lunch!”
Action:
Christian governance is at WORK thru submission to...
4. REPENTANCE(:25)
1. SUPERIORS(:18)
2. SUFFERANCE/ing(:19-20)
3. EXAMPLE(:21-24)
Pt. 4-only! presented 05/28/2017pm SERIES FINISHED to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
