1 Peter 2:11 - 3:7
VCC September 27, 1998
Someone is Watching You
Introduction
2:11,12, We are encouraged to act a certain way, live, think, believe different than the world around us. living as aliens and strangers, with a mission, a purpose, knowing our destiny.
Someone is watching us walk by faith
2:12, unbelievers are watching to see how you respond to hardship, crisis, prosperity, need, sickness,
Unsaved people are watching looking for excuses to reject the gospel and those who live by faith.
We dont’ just witness with our talk, we witness with our walk
Matthew 5:16, our good works must back up our good words. We don’t just talk faith, we are able to rest in faith in what God is doing.
2:13, In our reaction of civil government
We are to respect the institution of civil government even if we can’t respect the particular actions of one in the office.
Acts 4:19;5:29, they respected the office, but refused to obey. They didn’t cause a rebellion, or question the authority of the council, they had an attitude of submission and respect, but refused to obey their dictates.
In our government, by the people, one way we submit is to the constitution, and to take our part of responsibility in the governing of our land.
In the work place
2:18-28, In our occupation
You receive credit if your are not treated right and yet bear up under the pressure and respond in a loving, Christian manner
Jesus Christ is our example of serving others through suffering
Peter had at first opposed Christ’s suffering on the cross (Mt. 16:21ff)
3:1-7, In our home life
Too many don’t trust God for their husband or wife’s salvation, instead of allowing God to do a work of inward beauty in their lives, they nag and try to coherce. Peter instruct us to have a servant attitude and live a life of loving service, not nagging manipulation.
Heb 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Faith and patience are linked, because the natural man wants to rush to do something in his own strength instead of waiting on the Lord and doing things out of obedience and faith not presumption and selfish ambition.
Two Extremes
Sit down and say, “If God wants to use me, He knows where I am
“Patience is a virtue, posses it if you can; seldome found in women, never found in a man... OR
Tear the door off the hinges, don’t knock, simply rush in and mess up everything.
One of the greatest traps Christians fall into is , If God does not come when we think He should, we go ahead and try to do it ourselves.
If we can do it ourselves, who needs God? If we have medical insurance, $1000,000, a nice house, 2 cars in garage, who needs God?
One of surest ways to spare ourselves many painful dealings of God is to learn that little word...Dependence.
Dependence
EG, Mumford speaking in England and God did not give him anything to say... eventually called a lady with a hat up to piano he never knew and she sat down at piano. and as she played, glory of God filled the room, turned out she was a Christian who had falled away, and God relcaimed her that night as she sat at the piano playing for the glory of God.
Most of the dealings fo God are designed to bring about a dependence on him
Tithing if we make $400 and we have $450 worth of bills tha tweek, do we say, “God, You want me to pay my bills, don’t You. “ But when we take that $40 out and drop it in the offering plat we are really saying to God, “This $40 is my evidence to You that I really need You.
The Lord’s Timing
First Samuel 13
Samuel said to Saul to wait 7 days. Samuel did not consider Saul’s failure to wait a monor infraction, but told him (1 Samuel 13:13,14)
Saul missed the purposes of God. God is never late, but seldom comes on our time. He has his reasons. He is doing something in us as we wait.
Exodus 24:12-16
God wanted Moses to come to the mountain and justbe there
24:15,16, It took 7 days before the Lord spoke a word. He waited 7 days, and as he waited God was preparing him to receive what God wanted him to receive.
Rarely can we receive what God wants to give us until He has first put us through a time of waiting. As we are waiting the restless agitatio of our spirit has time to settl down.
While Moses was up on the mountain, the people grew impatient. Here we see the difference between spirituality and mere religious activity. They gathered around Aaron and said. Let’s do something, even if it is wrong!
Psalm 37:7, Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Like a man pulling into an emergency room with Dad who had a heart attack. A nurse ran to the car and found the young man in hersterics. He screamed, “Do something! Do something!” Finally, the nurse had to say, Be quiet young man. If I get as excited as you, neither of us will be able to do anything beneficial.”
Some people behave with God, as in a panic, not knowing that an agitated human spirit crushes faith, and causes more confusion than any demon.
Learning to wait serves to dispel our confusion and human agitation and helps us release our faith and trust in the Lord.
