All you need is the Word!
1st Peter 1:22-2:3
Intro:
a. Peter is a book of hope. Tells us how to have hope and live holy.
Hope is apart of holiness. Can’t have one without the other.
He says over and over again no matter what you can have hope.
b. Romans 15:4 say – as long as we have the word of God there is hope.
Today we will discuss how you can have hope through salvation.
c. V. 23: this passage says 2 things.
i. what the bible is
ii. What the bible does
e. v. 23: - Last 2 statements tell what the bible is
i. it’s a living book – present tense verb. Continuous living
ii. It’s an enduring book. It will last forever. Everything is dying. We are. Everything we see. The World is passing away but Jesus heaven and earth will pass away but my word will stand forever.
f. Primary focus of the text today is what the word of God does.
I. It Saves People
i. V 23: being born again is the new birth experience.
ii. Bible is like seed which produces eternal life. Seed is small but can grow into a beautiful thing. The bible saves. No other can save but the word of God.
II. It Sanctifies People
i. Sanctifies: It cleans people up.
ii. V. 22 talks about the initial cleansing of God’s Word in a persons life.
iii. There is a miracle cleansing power in the word
iv. It has the power to clean people’s lives.
A. v. 22: You receive God’s word into your heart; God’s does a sanctifying work. God does a cleansing work.
i. When God cleanses you he forgives you of your sins and begins to work in your life through obeying the word of truth.
B. V. 22: When we get saved God cleanses the heart.
i. He teaches us how to love fervently: stretch out, extend.
C. 2:1 “Wherefore laying: rid yourself, clean house.
i. When you begin to study the word, he will use the word to help you get some things out of your life that don’t need to be there.
D. He names 5 germs that make us unclean and we need to get rid of them.
i. Malice: bitterness in your heart toward someone. Concealed anger in your heart, desire ill harm to a person.
ii. Guile: catch a fish with bait. Deceit, trickery.
iii. Hypocrisy: put on a mask.
a. In those days actors put on a mask and acted out there part.
b. Your face and your heart don’t send the same message.
iv. Envy: Jealous of what someone has and wish they did not have it. Not happy for the good of someone else.
v. Evil Speakings: Slander
a. Unkind words about someone
Bible has power to sanctify your life.
III. It Sustains People
A. He used an illus. about a seed now he uses one about food. How the bible is like food that can sustain us.
i. V. 2 Sincere: unadulterated, nothing added.
B. The bible is sometimes compared to food.
i. Water: Drink of the water of life freely
ii. Honey: Psalms 119:103
iii. Milk in this verse
a. It’s nurturing
b. Rich in nutrients. Power for your life.
C. American Medical Asso. says in a life time the average American will eat,
i. 50 head of cattle
ii. 2,400 chickens
iii. 310 pigs
iv. 26 acres of grain
v. 50 acres of fruit and vegetables
How much of the word do you feed on?
Send feeding your heart.
D. They say:
i. birds can go 9 days without food
ii. dogs 20
iv. turtles 500
v. snakes 800
vi. fish 1,000
Yet some don’t eat God’s word but on Sunday. No wonder why you are weak spiritually on Sunday. We humans need to feed off of the word everyday.
D. Desire: craving for the word. To long for.
E. New born babes: Just now born
i. babies are born with a natural craving for milk.
ii. If you don’t have a desire you may not be born again.
iii. You don’t have to teach babies to want milk. The moment it’s born it desires milk.
iv. We should have a natural intense desire for God’s word.
F. V.3: tasted: you have experience.
i. when you study God’s word you will find Jesus.
ii. Jesus sustains your heart
iii. Satisfies the soul.
G. Some of you like
i. Chocolate
ii. Carmel
iii. Strawberries
iv. You have tasted and said it was good. This verse is saying just try Jesus, just take a little taste of the Lord.
Illus. A little boy had gone to the store and was coming back with a bucket of honey. He was taking his finger and dipping it in that honey and tasting it on the way. A man came by and asked him, "Son, what do you have in that bucket?" He said, "Oh, I’ve got honey in the bucket." He asked, "Son, how does it taste?" He said, "It’s sweet." He asked, "How sweet is it?" The boy said, "It’s very sweet." He said, "Son, how sweet is very sweet?" The boy said, "It’s very, very sweet." He asked, "Son, if it’s sweet, why can’t you tell me how sweet it is?" Finally in exasperation the little boy just extended the bucket and said, "Here, sir, taste it for yourself."
I can tell you over and over again how sweet he is but until you have tasted him for yourself. You really won’t know. David said Taste and see that the LORD is good. If you are not save come and have a taste. If you don’t have a church home come and eat from this table here at Trinity Tabernacle.
