Wayfaring Strangers A Study Of 1 Peter Part 9- "Someone Is Always Watching" Series

Wayfaring Strangers

A Study of 1 Peter

Part 9

“Someone is always watching”

I want to thank each of you for the warm and loving reception you gave to Brother Mark and Dee last week.

They truly enjoyed being here and were very complimentary about the entire experience

Patti and I were warmly welcomed in Jacksonville

And were blessed to be allowed to preach to Mark’s sheep as well

As Much as we both enjoyed it

I feel Mark is

And Know I am glad to be back at my home church

Surrounded by my sheep

So today after a short break

We are returning to our study of 1 Peter

We have seen repeatedly

That Peter in this short book

Is encouraging believers

Those who have place their hope and trust in Christ

And now are experiencing some distress

They are now strangers in places where they used to feel at home

This is what often happens to us as well

We accept Christ

And then really begin to live for Christ

Sometimes there is years in between

And then

We are no longer comfortable in place we used to be comfortable in

No longer comfortable doing the things we used to do

Or hanging out with the ones we used to run with

Or maybe

Suddenly you are no longer accepted

Maybe it is as simple as no longer being in the cool crowd

Or everyone gets quiet when you walk in

Things can get bad like they did in the early church

And we can also face all sorts of persecution

But at whatever level

Things are now different

So, Peter tells the early church

And us in the process

The dangers of going along to get along

And challenges us to take a stand for Jesus

It is amazing how Mark’s message from last week from the Old Testament Book of Daniel

And our message from 1 Peter from the week before spoke the same take home message

Confidence of who you are--- in Christ

And today’s text will once again build on that foundation

I know this may come as a surprise to some of you

Especially if you only know as Brother Randy

I am not typically loud, I can get that way

Especially around a squeeze chute

Or outgoing

Often times in a group

I get quiet

And simply sit and listen

It is absolutely amazing all the things you can learn when you stop talking and listen

Last year at Camp WOW

God gave me an illustration

That I knew I would use one day

But was unsure when

Today is the day

Each day we would have free time

We fortunately had enough sponsors that each kid

For the most part could spend their free time doing what they wanted

There were obstacle courses

Rope courses

Arcades

Basket ball

Gaga ball

Roping

Swimming

And many other activities

One of the activities

Was riding behind a jet ski on an innertube

--- Lots of fun---

With a but

the line would eat all of the free time away and the kids would not get to do anything else

Most of the kids chose to skip it

But

Rose and Sierra really wanted to ride

So, we tried

Day one

They backed out due to the line

Day two

When went to the lake

Me – Little Rose and Sierra

And no matter what we were determined to get the girls on that tube

Please bear with me

I promise this does have a point

And an application

As I said

The line was long

The temperature was hot

So, I found a spot in the shade where I could keep the girls place in line

And let them go and play just a little

Sitting there in that little patch of shade for what seemed like hours

I did what I often do

I got quiet

Opened my bible

Read a little

And listened to the world around me

The problem was

The shade was small

And I was sharing it

I don’t recall the church

I don’t know the names of the people involved

I would not or could not say in good coconscious even if I did

But right there in the Oklahoma heat about a year ago

I got the illustration for our teaching today in 1 Peter

As I sat there

There were two young women

I would say in their upper twenties

To early thirties

And

Over the course of a couple of 3 hours

I heard every detail

About every person in their church

From the Pastor who I did not know

All the way down to the newest person in the church

These two women

Spilled everything

For anyone who happened to be sitting quietly to hear