Living for the Will of God

Jason M. Dickinson

1 Peter: Living Hope • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

1 Peter 4:1–11

Suffering

Will of God

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Introduction

What’s on your bucket list?

Bucket List:

“We have such a short time on this earth yet few of us pause to think about how we want to spend that time. That’s why a bucket list—or a list of things you want to do before you die—can really help you live life to the fullest.”

Berkeley Well-Being Institute, https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/bucket-list-ideas.html

The items in our “bucket” reveal what we feel is important to make life “meaningful.”

Some of us have a defined bucket list. . . and some of us have bucket lists with items that we are pursuing but are not clearly defined.

In a sense, our bucket list reveals to us what we are truly living for.

When you live with an effort to fulfill your bucket list (defined or undefined), you will make decisions about your time, energy, and money that will be in effort to fulfill your bucket list.

We’ve talked about some difficult topics:

Being holy and hopeful even as we are suffering

Seeking the presence of Christ even as much of the world is resistant to Him

Submission to authority even if the authority is not godly

Responding differently then perhaps we would naturally react when we are wronged in order to be a blessing and a witness for Christ.

Reminder: Peter gave us the ultimate foundation and motivation for living this way - holy in a hostile world in chapter 1:

1 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

In today’s passage, Peter is going to give us the urgency behind why we should be living holy in a hostile world.

Summary:

Just like Jesus, resolve to live for God with all that he has given you as difficulties in this life remind us what is really matter and that time is short.

1 Peter 4:1–11 (ESV)

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

“Arm yourselves . . with the same way of thinking”

military term

you arm for what’s ahead

the preparation is in the thinking

“for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,”

This cannot refer to Christ as he never sinned.

Peter is referring to believers. He may mean this in a couple of ways but I think both ways are valid.

First, because we have suffered with Christ , he has overcome sin, and we have the power to overcome our lives.

Secondly, someone who suffers experiences a shift in mindset from sin to things more important.

Difficulties often opens our eyes and reveals our priorities.

ILLUST - COVID, (movies about wrong priorities?)

Have you ever gone through a difficult time and it revealed that you were focused on the wrong priorities?

Illness

Job loss

Death of someone close to you

Psalm 119:67–72 (ESV)

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. . . 69 The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; . . . 71 It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

Difficulties can be a button in our lives to either RESET or REBEL.

Difficulties can cause us to reset our priorities or rebel against God’s work.

We could rebel against God and expect that he should have filled our bucket list.

Or we could be used as a reset button

It is when my bank account is empty that I pray “Give us this day our daily bread” more fervently

It is when I lose a loved one that I am reminded of the importance of relationships

There are two options for the pursuit of your life: personal desires or the will of God.

2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

“so as”

While God does not desire our suffering, suffering can be used to shift our thinking.

There are only two options:

Personal desires

God’s will

Peter’s description of what unbelievers in his day pursued:

passions = cravings

living in sensuality

passions

drunkenness

orgies

drinking parties

lawless idolatry

3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

You may say, “I haven’t been a part of any drinking parties this past week”

But that doesn’t mean that you are automatically living for Gods will.

Many professing Christians think they can create a modified third option, one I will call “Sanctified personal pursuit.”

They are not living a life characterized by drunkenness and orgies, but neither are they living a life directed by God.

It may be a life that is filled with things that look good - good job, good pay, good house, good area of town, good goals for career advancement and retirement.

Some might say it even looks “Christian” or sanctified.

The reality is, however, it can still be totally in pursuit of our own desires for good job, good pay, good house, good area of town, good goals for career advancement and retirement, and not actually in pursuit of God’s will.

These things are not necessarily wrong to pursue, the question is, WHY? What is guiding your pursuit - your desires or God?

Are you living for your own comfort or for God’s glory?

These two are not always opposed, but when they come into conflict, which do you choose?

The question is not whether or not you have a bucket list, but WHOSE bucket is it?

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Do the will of God by:

Stop sinning

Start using your gifts

Resolve to live for God. . . with all you’ve been given . . . in the time you’ve been given.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

ILLUST - you have 24 hours left to live. What do you do with the time? How does your perspective change? Why should that perspective be different if you have 24 years left to live?

Because the time is short, think clearly so you can pray effectively.

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

The church should be a community that displays an uncommon, supernatural love - where people do not suspect one another, hold grudges, etc.

One way the church displays this kind of love is through hospitality. Early church did not meet in church buildings but many times in personal homes.

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Each has a gift

The emphasis here is more on the WAY each has received a gift (freely, so freely use it!). It was given by God’s grace, so use it for God’s grace.

1 Peter (Spiritual Gifts and Their Exercise (4:10–11))

1. Although Peter wrote to churches that had groups of elders (5:14), the duties of the latter appear to be primarily pastoral oversight of the members. But other tasks of ministry should be carried out by any members of the congregation who have spiritual gifts. The gifts are not in any way confined to theelders or to any other group separated from the rest of the congregation. It is high time that the churches today got back to the New Testament and asked serious questions about their understanding of ordination to the ministry, which in practice tends to confine most forms of ministry to a limited group of ordained people. God doesn’t appear to be bound by such limits in bestowing his gifts.

Marshall, I. Howard. 1991. 1 Peter. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

So, how are you using your gift? Not a call to keep Sunday morning rolling,

11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies

English Standard Version (Chapter 25)

14 p“For qit will be like a man rgoing on a journey, who called his servants3 and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five stalents,4 to another two, to another one, tto each according to his ability. Then he rwent away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and udug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now vafter a long time the master of those servants came and wsettled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and xfaithful servant.5 yYou have been faithful over a little; zI will set you over much. Enter into athe joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be ba hard man, reaping cwhere you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, dyou have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You ewicked and eslothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 fFor to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away

—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We are called to live for God individually

We love each other supernaturally

We serve together powerfully

Resolve to live for God. . . with all you’ve been given . . . in the time you’ve been given.

Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

Overall Life Mission1

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

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