‘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
Today we will continue our look at the role of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE within the Body of Christ or the CHURCH—
D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church-III—1Peter 3:8-12
Attention:
Excerpted from Dave Yauk’s ‘I Grew Up in a Ministry Family—& I Hated It’--June 21, 2018 in ChrisitanityToday.com
Mr. Yauk writes concerning his struggle with trusting God:
“I was born & raised in a Christian home. My great-great-grandfather was Louis Talbot, a famous author, one of the founders of Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology, & a preacher who worked closely alongside Billy Graham.”
“Yet despite this lineage of faith, I grew up as a “moralistic therapeutic deist”. I believed loosely in a divine mind that created the world, & I believed that this being would want us to be good & nice to each other. But I knew this “thing” wasn’t especially involved in my life.”
“I attended my family’s church until I was 11 years old. In that time, I acquired a certain cynicism about religion & ministry. The word religion, at its root, means “to bind back,” & I witnessed person after person trying to somehow work back to God through good deeds & moral effort. In many ways, ministry became an idol in my home, & it often kept us from being a close family. Good things, like serving others, inevitably became “God things.” Our home life was emotionally arid & devoid of intimacy, & I grew to hate whatever god would allow this.”
“during this time, I started reading voraciously on the concept of love. I was desperate to learn how to love & be loved. So I studied psychology & read ancient holy books. Soon enough, there were books piled from floor to ceiling around the beanbag chair in my room. One remained unopened: the Bible.”
“But one day, I opened a book—I can’t remember which one—that posed a question I couldn’t answer. The author asked, “Do you have a desire to be perfectly loved?” Of course, my answer was no. That’s impossible! No one can love us perfectly.”[Dave had skirted the question entirely] “And yet the author probed deeper, acknowledging that we still desire this sort of perfect love, even though no one on earth can provide it. We desire to live happily, to never be hurt, & to be loved for who we are.”
“my anger & pragmatism were shaken. Desiring a perfect love is pointless if finding that kind of love is impossible in this life. The persistence of my desire meant that something perfect must exist out there, somewhere.”
“This was the first moment I ever entertained the possibility of a personal god. The book followed up with a famous quote from C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
“Becoming a Christian didn’t make my life any easier. In fact, life got a hundred times more difficult. Immediately after Christ entered my heart, he started dealing with my sin. He led me down the dark & harrowing path of confronting my horrendous addictions, which had by that time reached new heights of destructiveness. He revealed a stubborn tendency toward lying & deception & a violent temper burning with white-hot flames.”
“More & more, I came to understand why I needed Jesus’ love. It was one thing to receive the perfect love that every human being desires; it was quite another to know he had offered this perfect love while I was still a wretched sinner. When I contemplated the weight of the horror my sin had caused, it drove me to a deeper humility. The more I understood my status as a beloved son of God, bought by the precious blood of Jesus, the more I learned to welcome the Holy Spirit into my life as my comforter, counselor, convicter, & confidant.”
‘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
Today we will continue our look at the role of CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE within the Body of Christ or the CHURCH—
D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church-III—1Peter 3:8-12
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)
& today we will examine the fact that...
3—Christian governance regarding the CHURCH(Body of Christ) addresses...LIFESTYLE(:11)
Explanation:(:11)
:11—“Let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace & pursue it.”
Peter quotes from 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 responsibility/duty of every Christian to see that he/she individually chooses to “turn away from evil.”
Thru Holy Spirit-driven restraint regarding your flesh, your choosing to “turn away from evil” becomes apparent when you choose it’s counterpart—you “do good.”
“Doing good” is an outward display of the heart...OR is it? “Doing good” can be feigned or pretended so that the ‘outward appearance’ conceals the heart’s true nature. You can even sacrificially & financially support “good” while your heart remains man-centered rather than God-centered.
People[like Dave Yauk] end their lives because of such frustrations that come with lostness.
Likewise, thru Holy Spirit-driven restraint regarding one’s flesh, a person & the church will actively “seek peace” in all situations. This not only an admonition, but is also a reminder, that in the church there is ample opportunity to feed chaos, &, discontent, & ill feelings, & hurt, & disappointment.
At times such “seeking” will evade our grasp, & it is then that God also works to have us consider something ‘out of the box’—i.e., to consider that which is outside of our ability & power. Your heart is to be given to the work of “seeking peace” because God compels you to seek it! Seeking peace does NOT mean pursuing ‘your’ subjective peace at the expense of the actual peace of others.
God’s people are constantly in the process of scrutinizing their personal ever-changing situations & their godly or ungodly responses to them. If they do this with a view toward “seeking” God’s “peace” in it, then God enables them to “turn away from evil & do good.”
Thus God’s people are to actively “pursue” “peace.” Our calling(:9) is not to a static or passive allowance of “peace” only, but is also to be an active endeavor of the child of God at all times! We are to ‘chase down’ “peace” until it submits in the particular situation.
“Let-must...Turn away from/Eschew”—ekklinw—Verb—1) To turn aside, deviate(from the right way & course); 2) To turn(one's self) away, to turn away from, keep aloof from one's society; 3) To shun one. Strong—To deviate, i.e. (absolutely--To shun(literally or figuratively), or relatively--To decline(from piety). Used 3X.?From—ek/ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—&—klinw—a primary verb; To slant or slope, i.e. Incline or recline(literally or figuratively).
“Evil”(See 3:10, 12)—kakov—Adj.—1) Of a bad nature—1a) Not such as it ought to be; 2) Of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting—2a) Base, wrong, wicked; 3) Troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful. These words[kakov, ponhrov, faulov] may be used with very little distinction of meaning, but often the difference is marked. Kakov frequently means evil rather negatively, referring to the absence of the qualities which constitute a person or thing what it should be or what it claims to be. It is also used meaning evil in a moral sense. It is a general antithesis to agayov. Strong—apparently a primary word; Worthless(intrinsically, such; whereas ponhrov properly refers to effects), i.e. subjectively--Depraved, or objectively--Injurious.
“Do”(See 3:12)—poiew—Verb—1) To make—1a) with the names of things made--To produce, construct, form, fashion, etc.; 2) To do—2a1) To carry out, to execute. Poiew denotes "To do", prassw - "to practice"; poiew to designate performance, prassw intended, earnest, habitual, performance; poiew to denote merely productive action, prassw definitely directed action; poiew to point to the action result, prassw to the scope & character of the result. These words are often used interchangeably. Strong—apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Good”(See 3:10)—agayov—Adj.—1) Of good constitution or nature; 2) Useful, salutary; 3) Good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; 4) Excellent, distinguished; 5) Upright, honorable. Strong—a primary word; “Good”(in any sense, often as noun).
“Seek”—zhtew—Verb—1) To seek in order to find—1a) To seek a thing, 1b) To seek [in order to find out] by thinking, meditating, reasoning, to enquire into, 1c) To seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after; 2) To seek i.e. require, demand—2a) To crave, demand something from someone. Strong—of uncertain affinity; To seek(literally or figuratively); specially(by Hebraism)--To worship(God), or in a bad sense--To plot(against life).
“Peace”—eirhnh—Noun Fem.—1) A state of national tranquillity; 2) Peace between individuals, i.e. Harmony, concord; 3) Security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace & harmony make & keep things safe & prosperous); 4) of the Messiah's peace; 5) of Christianity--The tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, & so fearing nothing from God & content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; 6) The blessed state of devout & upright men after death. Strong—probably from a primary verb eirw(to join); Peace(literally or figuratively); by implication--Prosperity.
“Pursue/Ensue”—diwkw—Verb—1) To make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away; 2) To run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after—2a) To press on: figuratively--Of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal, 2b) To pursue(in a hostile manner); 3) in any way whatever--To harass, trouble, molest one—3a) To persecute, 3b) To be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something; 4) Without the idea of hostility--To run after, follow after: someone; 5) metaph.--To pursue—5a) To seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire. Strong—a prolonged (& causative)form of a primary verb diw(to flee); To pursue(literally or figuratively); by implication--To persecute.
“It”—autov—
Argumentation:
Php. 2:12-13—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure.”
Do you fear failing God?...OR--Do you fear getting caught?
Mat. 6:19-23—“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy & where thieves break in & steal; “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
2Tim. 3:1-7—“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households & make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning & never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Lk. 6:45-49—“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; & an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ & do not do the things which I say? “Whoever comes to Me, & hears My sayings & does them, I will show you whom he is like: “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep & laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, & could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard & did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; & immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”—
Both Evil & Good begin in the heart! You bring out from your heart whatever is ‘treasured’ there!
There is either “good treasure” or “bad treasure” in your heart. The “good” chases out the “bad” or vice-versa. However, within every person there is a continuous ongoing battle between the two(Eph. 6:10-13). And praise God, Christ has overcome the world!(Jn. 16:33)
Eph. 6:10-13—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Jn. 16:33—“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
Is your life lived in such a way that the body of Christ is edified?
OR...
Is it more important to you that the church maintain an ‘outward appearance’ of edification maintained thru compliance to man-made standards?
!CHRIST MUST be the One who changes us! Therefore no Christian should ever be satisfied with appearance only!
A tell-tale sign that you are satisfied with the appearance over & above the substance(religious hypocrite):
Micah 2:1-3—“Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields & take them by violence, Also houses, & seize them. So they oppress a man & his house, A man & his inheritance. Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, against this family I am devising disaster, From which you cannot remove your necks; Nor shall you walk haughtily, For this is an evil time.”
There are those who plot & plan the undoing of God’s calling & thus His work, while piously denying any such thing. They go to sleep scheming. They ruminate on how to undo someone(s)...How to unseat someone(s)...How to unplug someone(s)...How to defeat someone(s)...How to embarrass someone(s)...How to humiliate someone(s)...
Rather we can & should seize every opportunity for resolving & restoring Christian relationships to one another thru Christ!
*On the positive & victorious side:
1Jn. 5:4-5—“For whatever[people &/or ministries] is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Blessing comes from(& to) those who ascribe God glory thru their living!
Rom. 8:25-39—“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; & whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, & furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Illustration:
Some of those who stand on street corners asking for handouts/Most are Beggars-Leeches-Charlatans-Frauds-deceitfully sponging off of people’s compassions/They will not work, or pay taxes, or contribute to society, or help anybody except themselves--They expect everybody to ‘help’ them(even though they really don’t need ‘help’ at all)/Their ‘dignity’ is all about presenting to others a false persona of helplessness so that you will feel sorry for them & ‘help’ them/These are no more than thieves & robbers!/LIFESTYLE they have chosen...
Whereas—God’s people do what pleases God—These work to provide for themselves, & their families, & their church family/These saints of God allow the overflow of their work to help others who cannot work/Their lifestyles are what make our country great!/These provide care networks for orphans/These seek to provide tangible & godly solutions to the immigration problem thru getting involved in the actual process, instead of whining & complaining about the way everybody else is handling it!/These extend the practical aspects of God’s love to others who have lost everything in fire or flood or earthquake or whatever/LIFESTYLE they have chosen
?What or Who drives you to be the ‘good person’ that you consider yourself to be?
?What are you truly searching for? ?What do you really need to be certain & assured of?
?Do you set aside time for corporate worship(with other believers)?
?Is setting apart Sundays important to you?
?Is mid-week service at your church important to you?
?Do your family, friends, co-workers, & clients see your personal love for God thru Christ daily?
*Your children, family, friends, co-workers, & clients know your priorities!/LIFESTYLE you have chosen.
Application:
?Does ‘Christian Governance’ determine Your LIFESTYLE?
?Is Christian Governance within the CHURCH aided or hindered by you?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Dave Yauk’s struggle with accepting God.
Action:
Christian governance regarding the CHURCH(Body of Christ) addresses...
3. LIFESTYLE(:11)
1. SINGLENESS Of MIND(:8-9)
2. The TONGUE(:10)
Pt# 3 only! presented 07/08/2018am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
