On June 23, 2001, the Boeing company finished a labor of love—the complete restoration of the last existing 307 Stratoliner. It was the world's first pressurized commercial airliner.
A New York company used a vintage loom to reproduce the original Pan Am wall fabric. An interior company put in the flooring, carpeting, and paneling. They even imported Scottish leather for the single-aisle and crew seats. All the light fixtures, bulkheads, and trims were manufactured from original engineering drawings. Everything was done to perfection.
Six months later the aircraft crash-landed in Seattle's Elliot Bay. Were there problems with the ancient engines? Did the dated tail and wing controls fail? No, they worked without a hitch.
The problem was an operator error; the crew had failed to refuel the engines. (Stuart Bond, Gig Harbor, Washington; www.PreachingToday.com)
That describes some people I know. They work hard at the process of restoration, but they forget the fuel that makes it possible for them to fly. As a result, they crash land their lives in troubled waters.
Do you want to experience real transformation? Do you want to be truly restored to fly to new heights of holiness? Then I invite you to turn with me to 1 Peter 1, 1 Peter 1, where we see the “fuel” it takes to “fly”.
1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (ESV)
Love is the “fuel” it takes to fly. In fact, your transformation begins and ends with love. So, if you want God to fully restore you, first...
TASTE GOD’S LOVE.
Experience the goodness of God. Literally, taste that God is kind or pleasant.
I’m going to work my way backwards in this text, because the author assumes that his readers have already tasted God’s kindness. It’s where you begin your spiritual journey. You must first taste God’s love.
In Matthew 11 Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is EASY…” (Matthew 11:29-30).
That’s the same word that’s translated “good” here in 1 Peter 2:3. You see, Jesus invites you to come to Him where you find that the life He gives you to live is “easy.” In other words, it fits us so well, it is pleasant to wear.
Unlike the demands of other religious leaders, who load you up with hundreds of rules, Jesus comes along side you and bears the weight with you. The life He invites you to live is pleasant, because He doesn’t pile it ON you; He lives it WITH with. He is “gentle and lowly” the Bible says, and His “yoke is easy.” Dear friend, if you have never experienced the kindness of Christ, please, come to Him today and get a taste. Taste that the Lord is good; He is kind; He is pleasant.
Romans 2:4 says, “God’s kindness (same word) leads you towards repentance.” In other words, God’s kindness leads you to change your attitude and actions. God’s kindness changes you from the inside out. It’s where spiritual transformation begins!
Three years ago, NPR ran a story about a San Diego father, who believed that his son, a heroin addict, was on the verge of dying. So the father flew to Denver and lived on the street with his son him for a week, foraging for food and sleeping in parks.
The father, who wants to be known as Frank, described the moment he met his son on the street in Denver:
“He has no idea that I'm walking towards him. I can see that he can't stand up without the support of a building. He would appear drunk to most people. To his dad, though, I know from past experience, sadly he's on heroin – heavy. I go up to him, and he starts to turn his back on me. I don't even care. I just grab him and squeeze him as hard as I can.”
For a week, Frank became his son’s shadow, wandering the streets during the day and sleeping on the banks of a river at night. He grew a beard, ate hand-out sandwiches during the day, and swatted away the rats at night. Meanwhile, his son got sick, was in and out of the hospital, and stealing to buy more drugs. At one point, Frank told his son, “If you die, your mom and dad die with you. We might still be here breathing. But make no mistake, we'll be dead inside.”
When asked why he did it, Frank said, “The only thing I could think of was just go there, be with him and love him. Show him how much his family loves him.” (Andrea Dukakis, “A Father Feared For His Son's Life, So He Joined Him On The Street,” NPR, 6-23-18; www.PreachingToday.com)
That sounds a lot like what God did for you and me! He came into our world to be with us and to love us from an old, rugged cross. He did not come to condemn. He came to save us from our sin (John 3:17).
Please, don’t turn your back on Him any longer. Instead, respond to His kindness, and let Him rescue you from a wasted life; let Him change you from the inside out. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” And that’s all you need to do. Turn to the Lord and give God a chance. Taste God’s love. Then, after you’ve had a taste, don’t stop there. Consume the whole platter and...
CRAVE GOD’S WORD.
Long for the pure, spiritual milk of God’s truth. Deeply desire to get as much of the Bible as you can.
1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation... (ESV)
Or better, “grow towards your salvation.” You are already saved through faith in Jesus Christ, but if you want to realize the full potential of your salvation, you must crave pure spiritual milk. Have a ravenous appetite for the Word of God just like a hungry, newborn baby.
Did you ever see a newborn baby when it wants its mother’s milk? That little baby cries and wails and flails, and nobody gets any rest until he or she gets a drink. Then that baby sucks and sucks and sucks like its life depends on it, because it does. It’s the only way that baby is going to thrive and grow.
So it is in the spiritual realm. If you’re going to thrive and grow spiritually, then you need spiritual nourishment. You need to crave the pure, unadulterated milk of God’s Word. That’s what I see a lot in new Christians. When a person first comes to faith in Christ and gets a taste of His grace, they can’t get enough of the Bible.
Pat Summerall, the well-known sports announcer, trusted Christ with his life and overcame alcohol in the late 60’s. As he describes his life with Christ, he says, “It's like an alcoholic looking for a drink. If he wants it bad enough, he can find it – no matter what. I'm like that when it comes to finding prayer services and Bible studies. No matter where I am working, I know that they're out there and I can find them.” (Art Stricklin, Sports Spectrum, Nov/Dec 2001, p. 27; www.PreachingToday.com)
Do you have that kind of a craving for God’s Word? You need to if you want to grow. You need to have a ravenous appetite for spiritual things if you want God to transform you into something useful.
The problem is many believers don’t seem to have much of an appetite for God’s Word. They’re content to listen to a sermon 2 or 3 times a month, but they’re not really hungry for spiritual things. You don’t see them in the Bible on a daily basis, trying to get as much out of it as possible. As a result, they are weak spiritually and lackadaisical in their commitment to Christ.
Perhaps, that describes some of you. The passion is gone. The appetite for spiritual things is no longer there like it was when you first became a believer. You say, “Phil, yes that’s me! How can I get my appetite back?” Well, take a look at verse 1.
1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (ESV)
If you’re going to get your appetite back for the pure, spiritual milk of God’s Word, then get rid of the junk food of hateful thoughts. Put away the attitudes which keep you from loving each other.
The five things listed here are all things that hinder healthy relationships: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. They’re like junk food which takes away your appetite for the things of the Spirit.
Several years ago, park rangers in the Grand Canyon National Park had to kill over two dozen mule deer, because they became hooked on junk food left by visitors to the park – things like potato chips, cheese curls, and candy.
Once they got a taste of the sugar and salt, the deer developed an extreme addiction and went to any lengths to eat only junk food. As a result, the animals ignored the food they needed, leaving them in poor health and on the edge of starvation. Their junk food cravings caused them to lose their natural ability to digest vegetation. One park ranger called the junk food “the crack cocaine of the deer world.” (Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Spring 1995, www.PreachingToday.com)
So it is when you ingest thoughts of sweet revenge, bitter treachery, sugar-coated hypocrisy, sour envy, and acidic slander. Such a diet keeps you from hungering for the things of God. You see, when your relationships are not right, then your appetites are all wrong.
You cannot love God and hate people at the same time. 1 John 4 makes that very clear: “Anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20). So if you want your craving back for the things of God, put away those things that hinder healthy relationships. Put away those attitudes and actions of the heart that keep you from getting close to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
That leads to the 3rd step in your spiritual transformation. 1st, taste God’s love. 2nd, crave God’s Word. & 3rd…
LOVE GOD’S PEOPLE deeply and sincerely.
Make sacrificial commitments to care for one another. Give yourself fully to benefit your brothers and sisters in Christ. Look at 1 Peter 1:22
1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart... (ESV)
This is no half-hearted commitment to love. This is an all out devotion to God’s people.
The word translated “earnestly” was used of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, where Luke 22 says He prayed so earnestly that “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The word literally means “to be stretched out” (Strongs) or “to be at full stretch,” and has the idea of doing something in an all-out manner, with an intense strain (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
That’s how we’re to love one another, my friends. God calls us to love one another at full stretch, in an all-out manner, with an intense strain. That goes beyond just “tolerating” each other. That goes beyond just being polite and nice to each other if we happen to meet. No! This kind of lover goes out of his way to give of himself for another’s benefit even if that person doesn’t deserve it.
You say, “Phil, that’s impossible,” and I would agree with you. The kind of love we’re talking about here is a supernatural, God-like love. But if you and I have been born again, if we have been transformed by the Word of God Himself, then it is entirely possible for us to live and love in this supernatural way. That’s what 1 Peter 1:23 says. Look at it.
1 Peter 1:23-25 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (ESV)
It was preached to you. You believed it, and it changed your life. Your new life is not the result of some human pep-talk, which will fail you as soon as trouble comes. No! Your new life is the result of God’s talk, God’s Word, which will never fail you no matter what.
All you have to do is obey it. All you have to do is put it into practice, and you will be able to love with a supernatural, God-like love at full stretch. Look at verse.23 again.
1 Peter 1:23 ...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God... (ESV)
When we obey the truth, whether we feel like it or not, we can “love one another earnestly from the heart.”
That’s what Bible College professor, Yohanna Katanacho, discovered. He pastors a small church in the Israeli city of Jerusalem. He is a Palestinian living in Israel, and a Christian to boot, so he faces a wide variety of persecution. One of the more dangerous forms of harassment comes from the Israeli soldiers who patrol the city, looking for potential terrorists. These soldiers routinely impose spontaneous curfews on Palestinians, and even have the legal right to shoot a Palestinian if he or she does not respond quickly enough to their summons.
Christ's command in the Sermon on the Mount to “love your enemies” seemed impossible to Yohanna. And yet there it was – unambiguous and unchanging. “For me, love was an active and counter-cultural decision, because I was living in a culture that promoted hatred of the other,” Yohanna says. “And not only did the context promote hate, but the circumstances fed it on a daily basis – the newspapers, television, media, neighbors, everything. One of the markers of the Israeli Jews and the Palestinian Arabs is alienating the other. To break that marker, I must have some other worldview.”
At first, Yohanna tried and failed in his attempts to feel love. Instead, the Israeli soldiers' random, daily checks for Palestinian identification cards – sometimes stopping them for hours – fed Yohanna's fear and anger. As he confessed his inability to God, Yohanna realized something significant. The radical love of Christ is not an emotion, but a decision. He decided to show love, however reluctantly, by sharing the gospel message with the soldiers on the street. With new resolution, Yohanna began to carry copies of a flyer with him, written in Hebrew and English, with a quotation from Isaiah 53 and the words “Real Love” printed across the top. Every time a soldier stopped him, he handed him both his ID card and the flyer. Because the quote came from the Hebrew Scriptures, the soldier usually asked him about it before letting him go.
After several months of this, Yohanna suddenly noticed his feelings toward the soldiers had changed. “I was surprised, you know?” he says. “It was a process, but I didn't pay attention to that process. My older feelings were not there anymore. I would pass in the same street, see the same soldiers as before, but now find myself praying, ‘Lord, LET them stop me, so that I can share with them the love of Christ.’” (“When Love Is Impossible,” Trinity Magazine, Fall 2005, p. 16-17; www.PreachingToday.com)
Do you want to be able to love sincerely and from the heart as God wants you to love? Then start with simple obedience to His Word. Decide to show love, whether you feel it or not, and let God change your heart. It doesn’t happen overnight; but as you take in God’s love, you’ll be able to earnestly love others with His love.
Roger Thompson describes the process in terms of learning to run. He says:
When people ask me, “How can I ever start to love [people] like I should?” I give the same answer I give those who ask how they can start jogging: Start slow, and then get slower! For the first week, the goal is “just to keep moving.”
Too many people buy new shoes and a fancy running suit and sprint out the door, eagerly chugging as hard as they can for about three blocks. Then their stomachs begin to ache, their muscles cramp, and their lungs burn. They wind up hitchhiking home exhausted, and gasp, “I will never do that again.”
That's called anaerobic (without oxygen) running. It's caused by a body using up more oxygen than it takes in. Many people try to run that way, and many people try to love that way. They love with great fervor and self-sacrifice, giving 100 percent but without the resources to continue for a lifetime. Down the road they find themselves in pain, gasping and cramped, saying, “I will never do that again.”
Love, like running, must be aerobic. Our output must be matched by our intake. Running requires oxygen. An enduring love requires God's word, his consolation, his presence. As we love aerobically, we'll build up our capacity to do more and more. And pretty soon we won't be huffing and puffing for half a mile; we'll be running marathons. (Roger Thompson, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1; www.PreachingToday.com)
My dear friends, let’s start training for those “marathons.” It starts with a simple taste: Taste God’s love and crave God’s Word. Then love God’s people with His love.
