“Set Free to Serve”
I Peter 2:11-17
Freedom… we champion our freedoms in our country. The freedom of speech, the freedom to bear arms, the freedom of religion…
As Christians, we champion our freedoms as well:
· Our past, as painful as it may have been,
· The attachment to the things of this world, knowing that they are only temporary,
· The veil of Satan who would desire to keep us blinded from salvation,
· The vain effort of earning salvation by our own merits,
· (Most importantly) The penalty of sin which is eternal death.
But Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master".
We have been set free… for the purpose of being servants of our God.
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil,
but use it as bondslaves of God. (v. 16)
So, how do we as spiritually free men and women in Christ serve our God in a sick and sinful society? How does He want us to serve Him?
From I Peter 2:11-17, let’s take a look at 3 ways God would have us serve Him in our fallen world. How we serve Him is also a powerful testimony of God’s own character, so we want to take special note of that as we look at our passage today.
1. We’ve been set free to serve God as vessels of honor. (v. 11)
This is an issue of our private lives. This is where it all needs to begin.
Notice that Peter calls the Christians aliens and strangers. Why?
1) These Christians were scattered throughout Asia Minor at this time. (1:1)
2) Their value system was entirely foreign to the pagan culture around them.
Do you remember the words of Paul? “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil 3:20)
Illustration: Christian Aliens
The story is told about some Christians who were traveling in the Middle East. They heard about a wise, devout, beloved, old believer, so they went out of their way to visit him. When they finally found him, they discovered that he was living in a simple hut. All he had inside was a rough cot, a chair, a table, and a battered stove for heating and cooking. The visitors were shocked to see how few possessions the man had, and one of them blurted out, “Well, where is your furniture?” The aged saint replied by gently asking, “Where is yours?” The visitor, sputtering a little, responded, “Why, at home, of course. I don’t carry it with me, I’m traveling.” “So am I,” the godly Christian replied. “So am I.”
As Christians, we need to think of ourselves as travelers who are just passing through this sinful world. We are not permanent residents, but pilgrims on a journey to a better land. Therefore, we need to “travel light,” not burdening ourselves with an undue attachment to the material things of life.
a. The Command: Abstain from fleshly lusts!
“Fleshly lusts” are selfish natural appetites that appeal to our sinful nature.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (1 John 2:16)
Notice that Peter isn’t telling us not to be tempted. That’s impossible! Even Jesus Christ was tempted. But it is what we do with the temptation that is of concern here. Don’t follow after the temptations that come your way… stay pure at heart!
b. The Reason: Because we are battling a war within.
This is a private issue that is between ourselves and our God. We can put on a good face in front of other people, but God sees our inner person.
Ten ways lust “Wages war against our souls”:
1. It cultivates a taste for sin
2. It dulls our appetite for the Word and for righteousness
3. It darkens our understanding
4. It makes us more vulnerable to sin, Satan, and the World
5. It erodes our joy
6. It diminishes our power
7. It causes us to forfeit blessings
8. It defiles our conscience and breed guilt
9. It weakens our integrity before others
10. It displeases and pain our God
Bottom line: Personal sin cripples our service toward God.
There are alternatives to striving to be a vessel of honor for God:
1) I can be an isolated Christian
The way some Christians have attempted to flee the lusts of the flesh was by fleeing from society, living in isolation from the world. But it doesn’t take one long to realize that you can’t escape from sin, for sin comes from within!
2) I can be a phony Christian
Putting on the fake smile and coming to church, going through the motions, ignoring the struggle within so as to maintain an image before other people.
How this grieves the heart of God!
Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…” (Isa 29:13)
3) I can be an honest Christian
Willingness to admit that we struggle with sins within, and yet are earnest about finding the forgiveness that Jesus offers to those who call on Him.
There may be some of you here that are thinking, “If they only knew what I was struggling with in my private life… they would never want me to return to this church…”
We tend to think that if we are honest about our war within, that others will somehow think less of us. (And indeed, some may… God bless them.) But the fact of the matter is, that when we are open and honest with ourselves, before God, and before others, we are actually respected.
Illustration: Arrogance
Here I have been preaching on humility, and yet I’ve recently discovered that I was treating an unsaved friend with arrogance…
c. The Outcome: God is pleased with pure hearts. (Not explicit in text)
There are some who would assert that “Character doesn’t matter. As long as you do your job, your personal life is nobody’s business.”
But the fact of the matter is that our personal lives are God’s business and He will bless only those who do have character and integrity in their personal lives.
Compare II Timothy 2:19-21 and Matt 23:25-26
· Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. (II Tim 2:19-21)
· “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.” (Matt 23:25-26)
We serve God in a true holiness that pleases Him because it comes from a redeemed heart. The Lord is looking for His children to serve Him with integrity of character, so that we have a clear conscience before His sight.
· This demonstrates that our God is HOLY.
2. We’ve been set free to serve God as witnesses to society. (v. 12)
God sets us free to serve Him in our private life, but also in our public life.
a. The Command: Watch your behavior!
I can’t emphasize it enough – certainly the Bible can’t either. How we behave is of utmost important. Yet, the error that so many people get caught up in is emphasizing outward behavior, without regard to what they are really like on the inside.
We have to have integrity on the inside in order for our behavior on the outside to be genuine. Otherwise we advertise ourselves as that stereotypical “holier-than-thou” hypocrite!
So, our behavior is to be excellent – not because we “manufacture” it to be that way, but because God has made us vessels of honor in His sight.
In other words, the command is: “Live outwardly who God has made you be inwardly!”
b. The Reason: Because we live in a watching world.
The early Christians were struggling with the fact that they were being slandered by society as being “evildoers.” i.e.:
1. Cannibalism because of their language about the “body and blood” of the Lord when sharing communion.
2. Immorality because of their great emphasis on love.
3. Breaking up homes, if a person made the hard choice of choosing Christ over their pagan family relationships.
4. Atheism because of their emphasis on one God in the Roman polytheistic culture. (The Romans didn’t care if Christians believed that Jesus was God. They had many “gods.” What galled them was that Christians believed in only one God.)
5. Political disloyalty because Christians would not call Caesar lord.
6. Rioting when Nero accused the Xns of the burning of Rome, which he started.
Today it is the same – our watching world loves to pounce on Christians who’s behavior betray their testimony.
c. The Outcome: They will eventually glorify God.
Our attitudes and personal “war” within our souls is a private matter that most other people never see. But what is it that they do see? It is our behavior.
Excellent behavior through good works among the unsaved demonstrate that we believe in a good God.
Illustration: Mount of Transfiguration
A man once testified in one of D.L. Moody’s meetings that he had lived "on the Mount of Transfiguration" for five years. "How many souls did you lead to Christ last year?" Moody blunty asked him. "Well," the man hesitated, "I don’t know." "Have you saved any?" Moody persisted. "I don’t know that I have," the man admitted. "Well," said Moody, "we don’t want that kind of mountaintop experience. When a man gets up so high that he cannot reach down and save poor sinners, there is something wrong."
We often get so caught up in making our worship service just right. We want God to be present at “our service.” But God, on the other hand wants us to focus on getting involved in “His service” in the world.
As a result, our accusers will one day praise God (in their “Day of visitation”)
· For their salvation: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)
· For their doom: …at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:10-11)
This demonstrates that our God is GOOD.
Let the world see our testimony lived out by our good works.
3. We’ve been set free to serve God as model citizens. (vv. 13-15)
God wants us to serve Him in our private lives, our public lives, and our political lives.
a. The Command: Submit to governing authorities!
This is true because no country can truly be greater than the people who make up the fabric of its society. And we as Christians can serve a valuable role in affecting our society for the highest good, when we conduct ourselves with submission to the governing authorities.
b. The Reason: Because the authorities are ordained by God.
· Notice it says, “For the Lord’s sake…” (v. 13a) and “For such is the will of God…” (v. 15a)
The government, with all of its complexities has two main functions (v. 14):
1. Punishment of bad people. Enforcement of its laws.
2. Praise of good people. Protection and recognition of its law-abiding citizens.
We as Christians are to submit to our governing authorities, because God has allowed them to be in rulership over us – whether we like them or not.
· But what if our leaders are ungodly, and we have laws that are ungodly?
Some have asserted that Christians are justified in disobeying the laws of the land if a nation has laws on their books that are anti-biblical. Basically, this kind of government is seen as tyrannical and not fit to be obeyed by a God-fearing individual. This view was popularized by the late Francis Schaeffer.
Yet, these verses were written during the evil reign of the emperor Nero. He came into power in 54 A.D. at the age of 17. He was a maniacal man who promoted the murder of many innocent people. He was a homosexual and had all kinds of personal problems. Fourteen years later at the age of 31 he committed suicide. It was during his reign that Peter was martyred. And yet it’s Peter who died under Nero, who says, "Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake."
Paul, also writing during the time of Nero, echoed these same commands as Peter:
· Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. (Rom 13:1)
· Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed… (Titus 3:1)
We are commanded to submit willingly to the governing authorities, regardless of what ungodly laws the nation has on their books, FOR THE LORD’S SAKE.
· Yeah, but, but, but, but… Is civil disobedience ever right?
Of course there are exceptions. If a government ever tries to force you to do something that is in contradiction to the will of God or tries to usurp His authority, we are obviously bound to follow God, rather than men.
Examples:
· When Peter was told not to preach: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
· In Sweden a pastor who preached on Sodom and Gomorrah was convicted of “verbal violence” against homosexuals and sentenced to a 4-week prison term.
· Disallowing the distribution of Bibles in foreign countries closed to the gospel.
· Forced abortions such as in China.
· The church in Germany by and large did not stand against Hitler during WWII.
On August 30, 1933, Pastor Julius Leutherser said, “Christ has come to us through Hitler… through his honesty, his faith, and his idealism, the Redeemer found us… We know today the Savior has come… we have only one task, be German not Christian.”
How did the churches in Germany embrace this way of thinking? By what was known as the doctrine of the “two spheres.” Basically, it meant that Christ is Lord of the church, but the Kaiser (or the Fuhrer) is, in a manner of speaking, lord over the political sphere. Allegiance to God was best demonstrated by allegiance to the state.
Unfortunately, verses such as the ones we are studying today, along with Rom. 13:1-7 were frequently quoted to advance the government’s evil cause.
These are extreme cases where the government tries to FORCE Christians to go against the revealed word of God.
But instances like this are to be the exception, not the rule. Normally, we are to submit.
c. The Outcome: It silences our critics.
How? Because as model citizens, they cannot accuse us of any wrongdoing. Nothing can stick to us by the letters of their own laws.
It is impossible for a believer to be a good Christian and a bad citizen at the same time. As children of God our responsibility to human government is threefold:
1. Obey – government was established by God (even the evil ones)
2. Pay – give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Pay our taxes dutifully.
3. Pray – we should lift up our leaders in prayer. (1 Tim 2:1-2)
We were slaves to our disobedience, but we’ve been set free to serve our government in submission because we humbly recognize that it has been ordained by God.
This demonstrates that our God is SOVEREIGN.
The Christian life is characterized as a life of orderliness, not chaos; respect, not disobedience. Our submission toward governing authorities speaks to the kind of relationship that we have with God. It is not a “free-wheeling” do-what-you-please relationship with Almighty God, but one of willful submission and honor for His authority. He is the one who is ultimately in control over the affairs of world governments.
Conclusion:
· We are rapidly approaching the election of a new president of the United States.
I don’t believe it is right for me to stand up behind the pulpit and endorse any particular candidate. That isn’t my role as a minister of the gospel. I don’t think any particular political party is more "righteous" than another. There are Christians and Crooks in both. No man running for president is going to be perfect.
Here in America, we have a unique privilege in that most of the world does not get to experience, at least when considered over the course of human history. We actually have a voice in the process of choosing a leader who will preside over us.
The question is, "Will we take advantage of a God-given privilege to vote?" I hope that you do…
If we are silent as Christians, whose voice gets heard? We should advance Christian values at the ballot box by voting for the man who we believe best exemplifies the morals and values that we seek in a leader over our nation.
One only has to look at the awful history of Israel and Judah, with its seemingly endless list of corrupt and godless kings, to see what affect it had on the morality of the nation as a whole (Jeroboam, for example). At least we have a voice in the matter, unlike Israel.
Qoute: Alexis de Tocqueville said it best when he realized even at the very beginning of our nation’s life, “America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
But the bottom line is this: We as Christians cannot and should not place our hopes in Washington. The moral crisis in our nation is a spiritual one at heart and no amount of legislation, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, is going to turn people around.
And whoever is elected into office as our next president, we need to submit to them because we know that God is the One who is really in control.
Our ultimate hope doesn’t come from the politics of man, but from the reign of God.
And we can best make an impact on our fallen society because we have been set free to serve God:
1. In our private lives, as vessels of honor with integrity in our heart, because that demonstrates the holiness of God.
2. In our public lives, as witnesses to society with excellence of our behavior, because that demonstrates the goodness of God.
3. In our political lives, as model citizens with submission to the governing authorities, because that demonstrates the sovereignty of God.
We are set free by God, to serve Him. As we do that, we are modeling a true Christian civility that will help to transform our society in a way that Washington could never do.
