Swimming Upstream
Living-Hope (part 4)
Video – Be The Church
“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
– Matthew 5:13-16
Why are you here?
Why are you in this room this morning?
Now I have a hunch that some of you are here because…
Prayer…
NOW - a few weeks back we began a message series on 1 Peter, A letter full of 2000 year old God-breathed words from Peter… called ‘Living-Hope’ (a sure anchor in troubled times).
You know the Galilean fisherman who hung out with God for three years when He wore flesh and walked the earth… to a bunch of Jesus-followers were finding it hard to hold onto their hope in the midst of some very difficult and challenging times.
AND – in this letter Peter (you know the Galilean fisherman who hung out with God for three years when He wore flesh and walked the earth…)
TELLS - a bunch of Jesus-followers were finding it hard to hold onto their hope in the midst of some very difficult and challenging times.
HOW…
• to have a living a hope…
• to live with great expectation
• to be the church and live like God’s people in a world that was not their home.
YOU SEE – in many ways 1 Peter is a ‘life manual’ on how to live a new life in the same old world.
NOW THIS MORNING…
We are going to tackle 16 verses of this letter (1 Peter 1:13-2:3) in a conversation that I am calling… ‘Swimming Upstream.’
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." And this is the word that was preached to you. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. – 1 Peter 1:13-2:3
NOW ANYONE - who has spent even a little time in the Scripture, will see rather quickly that God has always called His people to swim upstream… to be different… to be set a part from the world.
In Genesis 6-9; God calls a man named Noah to build an ark to save his family from a world-wide flood – WHY Noah?
Because Noah was different than the evil world he lived in…
In 2000 BC – God called Abraham to leave; his homeland and his gods and become the father of a new nation… A NATION – of people belonging to God. AND UNDERSTAND – everything about this new nation, was to be upstream in regards to the world…(diet, dress, worship, lifestyle..)
AND CHECKOUT – what Moses said to the people shortly before entering the promise land.
When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. – Dt 18:9
Paul in Romans 12:2 challenges God’s people to swim upstream, to be different then the world…
“Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person..” Rm 12:2 (NLT)
AND – Peter in our text says;
“…do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:14-16
LISTEN – as God’s people we are called to be different… set apart.
AND HE ECPECTS US - go against the grain… to swim upstream…
WE - are called to be holy (the word ‘holy’ is used 500 times in the bible) – and the root idea of the word holy is that of separation…
In talking about our call to be holy, Peter Oberst writes; ‘…we, as His children, are to be dedicated to Him, reserved for Him and His service, and separated from the world for a holy purpose – set aside exclusively for God’s use…’
AGAIN – what is God’s desire for: His people/you/me/The Grove… for us to be…
dedicated to Him, reserved for Him and His service, and separated from the world for a holy purpose –
set aside exclusively for His use…
AND UNDERSTAND – being ‘holy’ is not some ‘super’ religious term about going to church, dressing nice on Sundays and thinking a few spiritual things once a week…
INSTEAD – it’s about…
• swimming upstream
• being different than the world
• it’s about being salt and light
It’s about living lives that…
• attract the attention of the world
• bring healing to the world
• reflect and draw the world to the living-hope found in Christ
It’s about living a counter-culture revolutionary life, much like the life of Jesus was the greatest upstream swimmer of all time…
WHO – taught such radical swimming upstream things like:
• The way up is down
• The way in is out
• The way first is last
• The way of success is service
• The way of attainment is relinquishment
• The way of strength is weakness
• The way of protection is forgiveness (even to 7 x 70)
• The way of life is death – death to self, society, family
• Know your strengths. Why? Because that’s the only way that you can lay them down.
• God’s power is made perfect…where? In our weakness.
• Want to get the most? Go to where the least are.
• Want to be free? Give complete control to God.
• Want to become great? Become least.
• Want to find yourself? Forget yourself.
• Want honor? Think of others more then yourself
• Want to ‘get even’ with your enemies? Bless, love and pray for them
It’s about living lives that…
• attract the attention of the world
• bring healing to the world
• reflect and draw the world to the living-hope found in Christ
NOW - the way I want to approach our discussion today, is by answering 2 questions in regards to swimming upstream…
1. Why we should
2. How we do it
I. Why We Should…
AND LISTEN – ‘why’ is important to us, right? I mean – we’ve been asking why ever since we began speaking?
Don’t stick your fork in the light socket – why?
Don’t ride your bike in the street – why?
Wash your hands before you eat – why?
Don’t throw your little brother down the stairs – why?
You need to go to bed – why?
You can’t date until your 16 – why?
Why should we swim upstream?
First, because
A) Of The Therefore
HEY – did you notice the word that Peter start our text off with? ‘therefore.’
SO – what Peter is saying is…in light of what I just told you that:
• God the Father chose you
• God the Son died for you
• God the Spirit lives in you
• You have an inheritance in heaven
• God’s power is protecting
• Troubles can strengthen your faith
• You are receiving the salvation of your souls
you should choose to swim upstream…
NOW THOSE – are some pretty powerful motivations to swim upstream… IN FACT – when we keep them before our minds… we will already be in the water.
NEXT – Peter says WE should choose to swim upstream
BECAUSE;
B) We are to be obedient children…
”As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.”
UNDERSTAND – God is our Father and we are His children.
AND – though it may sound strange to some; children & obedience are intended to go together. I MEAN – children obeying parents even made God’s top ten.
Bottom line - we are to be obedient children who obey our Father out love, respect and reverent fear.
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.” - John 14:15
C) 3rd BECAUSE; We are no longer living in ignorance…
“…do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
UNDERSTAND – there was a time when we didn’t really know any better.
A TIME - when we didn’t really understand what God’s way was.
A TIME – when what we did, was controlled by our own desires,
by what we wanted to do…
A TIME – when going with the flow and swimming downstream was all we know.
BUT – that time is now past.
A 4th reason that Peter gives as to why YOU should choose to swim upstream…. is BECAUSE;
D) Of who God is…
6for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. - 1 Peter 1:16,17
Peter says that God is Holy… That He is perfect and pure, separate from and above all else. And that HE wants us to be like Him.
E) The old way of life was a dead end…
In verse 18 as Peter says; you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
LISTEN – the old way of life, living for ourselves, living to fulfill our own desires - really wasn’t such a good road to be on in the first place.
SURE – it look promising when we first hit the on ramp…
BUT – the longer we drove on it the less appealing it became.
QUESTION… fellow Jesus-Follower
DO YOU - remember what it was like living that way?
DO YOU - remember the difficulties, pain, heartache and the consequences that living the old way brought you…?
DO YOU - remember where that road led?
HOW - it took you places you that you did not want to go… and kept you longer than you wanted to stay?
UNDERSTAND - the evil one wants you to forget…
A 6th reason you should choose to be different is BECAUSE;
F) Jesus gave His life for us to be different…
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. - 1 Peter 1:18, 19
MGCC - the perfect one, the sinless one, the holy one, the great and mighty one – shed His blood on a cross 2,000 years ago…
SO THAT - we could be different…
SO THAT - we would be holy… separate – different from the world.
Christ (the ultimate upstream swimmer) did not die on a cross for US to stay the same…
NEXT – we should choose to swim upstream… BECAUSE…
G) We need to grow up…
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation..” (2:2)
UNDERSTAND – growing up is all about becoming different… NOW – we can easily see this with physical growth…
AS – people grow they’re different…
AND – that’s a good thing… I MEAN – how would you like to go to your senior prom weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces and being 21 inches tall? (hard to find a tux or prom dress in that size)
OKAY – here is the last reason I want to give you as to why weshould choose to swim upstream…
BECAUSE…
H) We have tasted the better way…
IN – verse 3 Peter writes; “now that you have tasted that the Lord is good…”
LISTEN ALL OF US – who are believers, have done that, even if we have fallen backwards a little… Done what?
tasted what it was like
to be different
to live God’s way
to swim upstream
and do you know what? It tasted pretty good.
II. How We Do It
OKAY… Peter I am convinced
“But how does swimming upstream become a reality in my life”
FIRST…
By
A) Preparing our minds…
Therefore, prepare your minds for action…
(literally gird up the loins of your mind)
UNDERSTAND – our mind is absolutely essential in swimming upstream and living a life different than that of the world…
IN FACT – without a prepared mind… down stream current of this world will
Okay – let me give you 3 reasons why preparing our mind is important, #1 – BECAUSE…
1) You Are What You Think
Psychologist Archibald Hart writes, “Research has shown that one’s thought life influences every aspect of one’s being.” [repeat] he’s right….
LISTEN - whether you are filled with: confidence or fear – trust or anxiety – peace or anger – hope or despair – love or hate… DEPENDS - on the kind of thoughts that occupy your mind on a regular basis.
UNDERSTAND - everything about your life flows out of the way you think… AND - the way we like to summarize that truth here at The Grove is…
the way we think - determines how you feel,
and the way we feel - determines how we act…
HEY – checkout these words from a guy who was experiencing some serious challenging times and was struggling with his thought life;
“When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body…” - Job 21:6
QUESTION – has that ever happened to you? HAVE – your thoughts ever terrified you, to the point that your body literally trembled? Have your thoughts ever taken you to a place you’d rather not be?
I MEAN - you start thinking angry thoughts – you keep feeding that anger and before you know it, you are in a rage… OR - you start thinking depressing thoughts – (no body cares, I’m all alone, it will never get any better, I can’t do anything, I’m no good to anyone, ) and before you know it, you are on anti-depressant’s or you’re ready to slice your wrists…
LISTEN – these kind of negative thoughts are very destructive…
The second reason preparing your mind is important… because…
2) You Think About What You Are Most Exposed To
“your life is shaped by your thoughts,” Pr 4:23
Some people call this the ‘Law of exposure…’
UNDERSTAND - what repeatedly enters your mind – will occupy your mind – and what occupies your mind will eventually shape your mind – and what shapes your mind will ultimately express itself in what you do and who you become.
AND LISTEN – the law of exposure is as unyielding as the law of gravity. Now no one is surprised by the law of gravity…
“Woe, I pushed that glass plate over the edge of the table and it fell, hit the ground and broke, how did that happen…?
NO ONE - would do this. BUT amazingly people react to the law of exposure in total shock. They are surprised that what their minds are constantly exposed to (what they dwell on) eventually comes out in how they feel and what they do…
We are flooded with sexual images all the time and in every place… ON - tv sets, computer monitors, magazine covers, billboards and movie screens. I mean sexual images are every where…The exposure rate in absolutely incredible – yet we act surprised and shocked when teens have sex and babies outside of marriage… AND - we scratch our heads and have a confused look on our face when we see the levels of sexual addiction and promiscuity go up and marital faithfulness goes down – like a person pushing a plate over the edge of a table – we say woe how did that happen.
“your life is shaped by your thoughts..”
A 3rd reason why your preparing your mind is important is because…
3) Your Thoughts Can Defile You…
QUESTION – do your thoughts really matter? Is it really that big of a deal? Or is Steve just being the typical preacher and making much a do about nothing…
LOOK UP – your mind and your thoughts are powerful…
AND BECAUSE – you are what you think – because whatever you are exposed to is what you think – satan wants to take over your thoughts. Why? because he knows that if he does your thoughts will defile you…
CHECKOUT – what Jesus said on the sermon on the Mt.
“It is the thought-life that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. ALL these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God…” Mk 7:18-23 (NLT)
B) Developing self control…
Peter writes in verse 13; “…be self-controlled”
AND – let me tell you, being self-controlled would really make us different than this world. BECAUSE – the philosophy, of this world IS ‘No Control’
• If it feels good – DO it…
• If it tastes good – EAT it…
• If it looks good – BUY it…
• If it requires too much effort – STAY in bed…
• If you can’t be with the one you love – love the one your with
NOW - the Apostle Paul was so serious about developing self control in his life that he adopted the following philosophy…
“Like an athlete I punish my body, treating it roughly, training it do what it should, not what it wants to do…” 1 Cor 9:27 (LB)
Good news fruit of the Spirit.
A 3rd
C) Setting your hope ‘fully’ on your future…
Peter writes in verse 13;
“…set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed”
Set your hope where?
QUESTION – why does an Olympic athlete train hours every day for years?
Why does a lady – go through 9 months of discomfort and hours of labor pains?
LISTEN…
Most, if not all, do not do it, for the sheer pleasure of training 8 hours a day for 4 years or for the sheer enjoyment of being pregnant and going through labor…
NO – they do it because they knew what is up ahead if they just keep swimming.
QUESTION – how did Jesus keep swimming upstream even with shadow of a blood stained cross approaching?
Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. – Hebrews 12:2
UNDERSTAND – if we want to swim upstream….
If we want to live a counter-culture revolutionary life…
If we really want to live God’s way (especially in challenging times)
WE MUST - set our hopes fully on the future that is waiting for us in Christ…
Make ‘God’ Your Standard
Be holy because I am holy.
LOOK UP – I think one of the reasons why we have a hard time swimming upstream is because we forget who our standard is supposed to be…
“Hey I’m doing better then they are”
“Compared to them – I’m doing great”
“At least I am not as bad as they are”
BUT LISTEN – our standard/our goal/our aim/our model) is not the person sitting next to us or in front of us… INSTEAD – our standard is God. WE – are to be holy because He is holy. WE – are to swim upstream because he swims upstream…
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. – Eph 5:1
2000 years ago Peter with pen and paper in hand… guided by the Spirit of Christ… told a bunch of exiles on a mission for Christ in a world that was not their home that they needed to swim upstream… and here is how you do it:
by
• Preparing their minds
• Developing self control
• Setting their hope on their future
• Making God their standard
D) Remembering The Cost…
18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
TIM/LAURIE – God paid a HUGE PRICE to ‘redeem’ you and enable you to swim upstream…
WHAT – was that payment? Gold? Silver? NO –it was with the precious blood of His son (His only Son the Son he loves)… A - lamb without blemish or defect…
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
BUT MG – we need to try to take it in – because remembering the cost… will help us to swim upstream and live a counter-culture revolutionary life.
NOW PAUL – and those who swam with him took it in…
If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. – 2 Cor 5:13-15
E) Not Swimming Alone
“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart..”
UNDERSTAND – we need each other…
IN FACT - if we not created to swim alone
Soldiers don’t fight wars alone.
Athletes don’t win championships alone.
Think about it, all around us in books, in stories, and in life we see the truth of God that TOGETHER is better!
Understand, Frodo doesn’t even stand a chance against the evil powers that seek the ring – without; Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn and the rest of the fellowship. Dorothy will not make it very far down the yellow brick road unless the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Lion and of course little Toto join her on the journey.
Two are better than one… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
F) Craving the Word…
crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…
DO YOU – want to be different?
THEN - develop a hunger for this book…
Why is this book so important in swimming upstream?
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
– 2 Timothy 3:16,17
G) Getting Rid of the junk…
Now I noticed something during the last Summer Olympics swimmers don’t wear backpacks?
IF WE - want to be different there is some junk in your life that you need to get rid of… Peter says;
“…rid yourselves of all malice (wanting bad stuff to happen to people you don’t like) and all deceit (lying), hypocrisy (pretending), envy, and slander of every kind”
Paul gives us another list of the junk we need to get rid of In Colossians 3;
“…put these things out of your life: sexual sinning, doing evil. Letting evil thoughts control, wanting things that are evil, greed…anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, using evil words when you talk, do not lie to each other..” - Col 3:5,8,9
H) Continuing To Taste The Lord
So that you will never forget and always remember how good He is and how sweet His way tastes…
Keep Tasting… what it’s like to:
• live God’s way
• be different then the world
• know your love and accepted by GOD!!!
• say no to the things the world says yes to
• give and sacrifice for the cause of Christ
• put others before yourself
• live solely for the glory of God
