Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Peter 2:19-25

 

You’re not coming to hear me you’re coming to hear what God says through me, from His Word.

I believe that when God’s Word is proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit that something happens that is certainly beyond the human instrument.

I believe that God shows up, powerfully, and penetrates the heart of the listener through His own commitment to His Word.

God says in Isaiah that; so shall my Word be that goes fourth from my mouth it will not return to me, empty, but will accomplish the purposes for which I send it forth.

So we pray that every opportunity given the purposes for which God’s Word is being sent fourth will be accomplished in people’s lives. 

 

 1 Peter, chapter 2, we’re going to only look at a little portion.

The title of the message is Reality check about Discipleship.

Starting at verse 19, it says; */19 /**/For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

/**/20 /**/For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?

But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

/**/21 /**/For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

/**/22 /**/He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

/**/23 /**/When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly./*

(And speaking of Jesus, it says) */24 /**/He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

/**/25 /**/For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

/*

*/ /*

*Verse 24-25*

Notice, especially then, verses 24 and 25; */24 /**/He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

/**/25 /**/For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

/* The subject is the very subject matter that is on the very center of the heart of Christ for His church.

And we’re going to get a reality check about Discipleship as that’s what is really being called for in the closing verses of 1 Peter, Chapter 2.

 

*Jesus says; follow me…Disciple*

Reality Check about Discipleship; do you realize that from the very first moments of Jesus ministry, discipleship was on His mind?

Do you remember when he went to those fishermen; do you remember what His words were?

He said to them; follow me, follow me.

Then he went to a tax collector; *follow me.*

In fact that’s the essence of what it means to be a mathetes (ma-thae-tase) a disciple; it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

This is what we are called to do, 19 times in the New Testament, we see this words; follow me,  follow me, follow me…Jesus said for example in */Luke 9:23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

/*This is what we’re called to do; to be the followers, the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Well, it really doesn’t really matter what else you’re getting done, if your not getting that thing done you’re not getting the thing done that Christ has called us to be.

His Disciples, His followers, those who imitate Christ and live like Christ.

* *

*5 things Christians do instead of following Christ*

Well, you say to me, well, aren’t all Christians doing that?

I made this list; five things Christians do instead of following Christ.

OK, see if you recognize yourself on this list.

It’s easy to get caught up and lose the main thing and isn’t it important that the main thing remains the main thing?

Someone said; that is the main thing that the main thing remains the main thing.

*The main thing is discipleship,* discipleship…*following Jesus Christ.*

Five things Christians do instead of following Christ;

 

*1 They critique the world*…That’s all I do, man, it stinks out there and these people in this world are lame, and they are evil and it’s wrong what they are doing and Christians spend there whole life, as it were, just sort of lamenting and critiquing the world.

Now listen, God has not called us to shout at the darkness, God has called us to shine as the light.

And those two things are not the same things.

Yet, so many Christians are sidetracked into critiquing the world.

Oh, here’s another one.

Some Christians, not critiquing the world, but….

*2 Exposing error in the church*.

Some Christians that’s their whole thing and they just go from church to church to church and this is wrong and that’s wrong and no one is doing it right and, boy if more Christians were more like me, and what’s wrong with that church over there and now you’re here and you like us for a while and you’ll figure out that we’re stupid too and on you’re going to go to something else and just critiquing everything, all the time, church stinks!

Some people do that instead of following Christ.

* *

*Theodore Roosevelt at dedication of the Panama Canal*

I read this recently and it blessed me and I want to share it with you.

This is what Theodore Roosevelt said at the dedication of the Panama Canal about critics, apparently that work was put through.

The canal was built at great cost of life and great criticism.

Roosevelt said this; Why gentlemen, there has never been a great feat done yet that there were not some evil men, small enough and foolish enough to wish to try to interfere with it and sneer at those who were actually doing the work.

From time to time, little men will come along to find fault with you, what you have done, what you have said, something could have been done better, there’s been some mistake, some short coming, things are not are really managed in the best of all ways, in the best of all worlds; they will have their say and they will go down stream like little bubbles.

They will vanish but the work you have done will remain for the ages.

It is the man who does the job that counts - not the little scolding critics who thinks how it ought to have been done.

What a good word that is.

That’s not living the Christian life, just critiquing everything else.

Nothing will be perfect this side of heaven…amen.

All right, critiquing the world, some who are exposing error in the church…now watch this because we say that being a disciple is worshipping Christ, walking with Christ and working with Christ.

Amen.

Those are the three things, we’re tying to get those three things done, are you trying to get those three things done?

I’m trying to get those three things done.

But here’s what happens when you leave one of them out; some people they’re all about worshipping Christ.

Five things Christians do instead of following Christ;

 

*3  Number three*; *some are just experiencing God*.

I’m just experiencing God, that’s all I’m doing, I’m living Him, I’m just reveling in His love as I’m so blessed by His grace…I’m just worshipping God.

Now listen; worshipping is important all right, but self is not the focus of the Christian life, it’s not me and my experience with God, that’s not discipleship; it’s not the whole thing.

Some people, forth answer…five things Christians do instead of following Christ…

 

*4  They want to relieve human suffering* *by working with Christ*…they want to work for Christ.

Now that’s important, that’s very important, that’s on Jesus heart that we would work to feed the poor and relieve the suffering of the world.

But listen, the Christian life is not all about working for Christ and your discipleship is insufficient if that’s all you do; just work, work, work, work, work for Christ.

*5  All about their walk*.

Fifth thing Christians do instead of following Christ; these are the ones that focus exclusively, not on worship or on work, some people are just all about that walk…my walk with God so the fifth thing I wrote down is simply; Learning the Bible.

I’m all about learning the Bible, I’m mastering this book, I’m learning this book, I’m going to learn everything there for me to know in this book.

But listen, I don’t think it’s exactly a news flash that I’m about learning the Bible, amen?

All right, but listen, learning the Bible, as an end in itself, is not discipleship.

We want to learn things so that we can do the things the Word of God says.

This is what we’re called to, as Disciples.

All right, back to 1 Peter then and let’s see the three thought that Peter shares with us about what Discipleship really is. 

* *

*Cost of dicpleship #1 Redemption…Jesus on the Cross Pain for our sins*

*The first thing he talks about is the cost of discipleship*.

The cost of discipleship was redemption and it’s just important for you to know that Jesus Christ wants you to be his follower.

Now I came all the way over here just to tell you that Jesus Christ wants you to be His follower.

He wants that and He wants that so much.

And listen, you need to know that there’s been an incredible price that has been paid so that you can be a follower of the King of the universe.

All right, and that cost is called redemption.

Notice what he says; first of all…*/24 /**/He himself… bore our sins/*…I’m just taking it a word at a time, are you with me?

All right, He Himself…the Greek there is an emphatic personalization, Jesus did this willingly.

*Jesus went to the cross willingly*

Do you know that when Jesus went to the cross he didn’t go under coercion, no one pressured Him, things didn’t get out of control, this wasn’t a train wreck…Oh He’s on the cross, what are we going to do now?

All right; He Himself, Peter says, under the inspiration of the Spirit, */He Himself bore our sins/*.

He willed it; He wanted it…in fact */Matthew 1:21 says; call his name Jesus/*, why?  */Because He’ll save His people from their sins/*.

I mean this was in the mouths of the angels before He ever came to the earth.

Call His name Jesus, He’ll go to the cross, He’ll die as a substitutionary payment for the sins of the world.

*Bore*

Notice then; 1 Peter 2:24*/ /**/He himself bore our sins/*…that word, bore there is the idea of carrying a heavy weight.

It’s a picture of  the Old Testament sacrifice, actually, and it’s a picture of when the priest would come up to the alter and they would carry the animal sacrifice up and lay it up on the alter and take out a knife and kill the lamb and spill the blood as payment of sin.