Sermon Tone Analysis

*Affirming the People of God: Part 1 of 4*

*The People of God are Affirmed by How They Live*

*The Letters of Peter                                             July 7, 2002*

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*INTRODUCTION*

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Say you had just met a woman in a business suit while riding on the Metra and struck up a conversation as you traveled together to get to work on the Loop, and she repeatedly talked about the price of coffee.

You might assume that she either owned a coffee import business or traded coffee futures at the Mercantile Exchange.

Similarly, if you just met a man who repeatedly brought the conversation back to a discussion about Christian spiritual values, you might assume he was a born-again Christian or perhaps even a pastor or elder or deacon in a church.

So one way to find out what is truly important to a person is to listen to what they have to say, and how often they say it, and in what different ways they say it.

People are affirmed when we listen to what they have to say.

When we listen to them, they know they truly matter.

The same is true of the Bible and the authors who wrote it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

But actually, in God's case, we not only affirm him as our God when we listen to him, but we ourselves are affirmed by listening.

It is we, ourselves, who reap the benefit in this relationship with God.

As we come under his instruction, we are set apart as his own.

So how do we gain the most in this relationship to God through his Word?

One way to grasp the significant themes in a particular book of the Bible, or books by the same author in the Bible, is to look at word frequencies or repetition of ideas.

The repetition of a word or meaning in different contexts by the author gives us the idea of what God is sincerely concerned to convey to us through him.

We have just finished up some similar studies in the Pastoral Epistles and Hebrews, and we begin this morning in the two letters that were written by the apostle, Peter.

We can learn a lot from Peter.

Even before Paul, here was a man who needed to be broken of pride.

I believe he writes from the knowledgeable perspective of one who came dangerously close to "being cast into the outer darkness" that Jesus spoke about for those who would deny him (talents~/wedding clothes – Matt.).

Peter spent his short while in the world after knowing the Savior, and it was agonizing to him.

It was the grace of God in Christ that brought him back and affirmed him.

In his two letters, he writes to the church in the world – the same dark world that he himself was temporarily lost in after he denied Christ.

He writes to a church that needs the strength of God's affirmation as they carry out his plan in the world.

As a nation on this 4th of July weekend, we too have strayed from our God, and we need to affirm him so that we ourselves will be reaffirmed in him.

We have a job to do in this world.

ILLUS.: Quotes and FRC

 

So as we look at Peter's letters, 1 & 2 Peter, and the message he wants to convey to the church at large, several word frequencies are notable – repetitions of significance.

There are three significant Greek words that appear often in 1 Peter.

They are anastrofh (way of life, conduct, behavior [6-13]),

pascw (suffer [11-40]),

and upotassw (subject, subordinate [6-39]).

And there are two additional occurrences of anastrofh in 2 Peter.

In addition, the word group for knowledge appears a total of 18 times in 1 & 2 Peter consisting of the Greek nouns

gnowsi" (specifically of Christian knowledge [4-29]),

epignwsi" (knowledge, recognition, specifically knowledge of God and Christ [4-20 in 2 Pet.

only]),

and prognwsi" (foreknowledge; according to the predestination of God the Father [1-2 in 1 Pet.

only]);

and the Greek verbs oida (know someone, know about someone; absolutely know, know how [5-318]),

epiginwskw (know, understand, recognize; learn to know [2-44 in 2 Pet.

only]),

and proginwskw (know beforehand, in advance, have foreknowledge of something [2-5]).

Admittedly, foreknowledge is not exactly in the same category as general knowledge, but it is included as part of the overall concept.

Another concept that might be taken note of in 1 & 2 Peter is that of power as covered by two different Greek words.

The first is krato" (power, might of God's power; power, rule, sovereignty; in doxology [2-12 in 1 Pet.

only]),

and dunami" (power, might, strength, force; divine power; the power of faith over against the word of a profession; power as a personal supernatural spirit or angel [5-119]).

Although most commentators seem to believe it is difficult, if not improbable, and perhaps even impossible, to define an overall theme in 1 & 2 Peter under which all else falls (and many different themes may be found), we can indeed coordinate these particular word frequency themes into an overall conceptual framework to learn what I believe is the context of these epistles.

It is my contention that Peter is writing both these epistles for the general purpose of affirming the people of God.

If it is true that the beginning of an epistle defines its purpose (as could be said of almost any well-written letter), then we can see the concepts of power, way of life, and knowledge in the first chapter with allusions to suffering and submission that come out even more clearly in the second chapter (not that there are not others as well), and they are continued throughout.

If we combine these several concepts into a statement, it could be this: that the people of God are called to live in the world in such a way of subjection to God that it brings various levels of suffering through which they are sustained by the knowledge of God and the power of God as they bring glory to God through the way in which they live and suffer because of what they know they have.

Indeed, the first two verses of 1 Peter define this epistle as a general epistle to the people of God scattered throughout Asia Minor, and it appears that Peter is writing them for the purpose of affirming their existence and purpose as the people of God in the world.

They exist in an opposing world in which their purpose needs to be reaffirmed (and perhaps even redefined) if they are to represent God within it and even to have effect within it.

The encouragement that this epistle provides will counteract the dilution of dispersion so that the dispersion itself will have the broad impact that God intends.

A people spread thin need to know they are not alone and that they are part of a greater concept.

To successfully combat persecution, oppression and opposition, the people of God must have a refined sense of who and what they are – a refined sense of purpose and place – to be affirmed about what their calling is as they face the difficulty of doing just that.

I see this as the reason that Peter writes.

He is doing his called and inspired job as an apostle to keep right vision before the people and to inspire them to achieve it.

Indeed, at the end of his first epistle he states that his purpose has been to encourage them in the grace of God (1Pet.

5:12), and at the end of his second epistle he reminds them to grow in that grace and knowledge (2Pet.

3:18) as he nears the end of his earthly life (2Pet.

1:14).

It appears in 1 Peter that most of the opposition is coming from outside the church and in 2 Peter that most of the opposition is coming from inside the church.

As the kingdom advances into the world, so does the world attempt to invade the kingdom.

But either way, it is imperative for the people of God to know for certain where they stand and where they are to stand.

We see in 1 & 2 Peter who and what the people of God are and are not.

I have taken the approach here of /"Affirming the People of God"/ because of the pastoral perspective that I see in Peter as he shepherds his sheep like Jesus told him to do.

*Affirming the People of God*

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*I.

The People of God are Affirmed by How They Live*

         

In both his epistles, Peter affirms the people of God in how they live, or must live, as those who are set apart from the world.

There is and must be something different about them that defines them within the world.

Their affirmation is both for themselves and for those in the world that observe them.

Indeed, if there is nothing different about them, then are they the people of God within the world?

Their difference will draw attention to them in a way that will bring them under scrutiny, and that scrutiny must glorify God, since they are his people.

1Peter 1:1 calls them chosen sojourners or God's elect as strangers in the world.

They are here but they don't belong here.

So while they are here, they have a purpose.

And that purpose is to be set apart by their obedience through the sanctifying work of the Spirit as we see in 1Peter 1:2.

Not only this, but their purpose is widespread since they are scattered throughout the "world" (1Pet.

1:1).

They were chosen for this purpose of obedience, and this obedience is to be unto Jesus Christ.

All this is possible because they are redeemed by his blood (1 Pet.

1:2) which leads them to the possession of grace and peace in abundance.

2 Peter 1:2 also affirms this possession of abundant grace and peace because of what Jesus has done for them (the people of God as those who have received faith [2Pet.

1:1]) and its intended result of bringing them to life and godliness (2 Pet.

1:3) by setting them apart from the evil and corruption of the world (2Pet.

1:4).

So we can see that Peter intends at the beginning of both his epistles to affirm the people of God as those who are to live differently from the world.

We can track this concept by following Peter's use of the words anastrofh (way of life, conduct, behavior) and upotassw (subject, subordinate).

They are to conduct themselves or behave in such a way that might further be defined as a way of subjection or submission in Christ.

*A.

Their New Way of Life in Christ Must be Different from the Old *

*(1Pet.

1:13-2:3)*

         

Since Christians are the end of a long line of God's preparation through the prophets leading to the time and work of Christ (1Pet.

1:10-12), they themselves must also adhere to God's program in preparing for Christ's return (1:13).

A clear contrast is drawn between the way they used to live in ignorance that conformed to their evil desires and the way they are to live now as the people of God in holy obedience (1:14).

The reason for this is because God himself is holy, and so the people of God must be holy (1:15).

This is a holy relationship far different from the empty way of life they knew from their earthly family relationships (1:18) because the righteous sacrifice of Christ has redeemed them (1:19) for eternal life (1:23).

As such, they do not belong here (1:17) and must tread lightly the ways and relationships of the world from which they have been redeemed.

It wasn't the world that saved them (1:18) but God in Christ (1:21) and they can be certain of his word on it (1:25).