Sermon Tone Analysis

When you think about being a Christian it is a hard thing sometimes to overcome all the effects of the fall and the way our inherited sin nature has impacted the way we live.

We think about the way our sin, our upbringings, and the society in which we were raised has impacted each one of us.

We no we have been born again, we have repented of our sin, but we continue to battle our own propensity to sin and live in contrary to what Scripture has made plain to us.

Sometime we can even think we are doing good checking off the commands in Scripture (falsely by the way), but when we look at the way we apply the indicatives and the imperatives in our own lives we fall woefully short.

In other words, I may believe in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, but I don’t live it out near as perfectly as he does.

I may believe in the Sanctification of the Spirit, but I am more interested in everyone else’s growth in holiness than I am my own.

Many times the way this plays out is in the life of the local body, the way we respond to one another we are in covenant relationship in Christ.

Maybe we treat someone harshly because we don’t think they are living the way they should, maybe we place our own preferences at the same level we place the precepts of Scripture.

Or we place way more importance on being truthful and honest than we do being sympathetic and tenderhearted.

Not that I am saying truth telling is not essential in the life of the believer, but so is showing kindness, love, and mercy.

Like I said before, criticism, sarcasm, and harshness are not fruits of the Spirit, but sometimes we are guilty of wielding them way more than we show humility, gentleness, and kindheartedness.

But Peter is about to help us out in our passage this morning....After his exhortation to submission he provides a summary for us a the Church.

After finishing up his section on submission Peter continues his exhortation to Holy living.

He is calling Christians to be what Christ has enabled them to be through the new birth, through faith in the Son of God, through His Resurrection from the dead, and through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.

Following His call to humble submission in relationship to government, to masters, and to spouses, Peter exhorts believers to a have a holy character in relationship to one another.

He comes to verse 8 and begins to summarize chapter 3 writing Finally, not we know Peter isn’t closing His letter, because He has two more chapters, but He is just summarizing what the sanctified life of a sojourner and exile should exemplify.

Don’t miss his next all inclusive phrase, all of you, Peter is addressing every believer in these next few verses.

He is not just addressing, citizens, or just slaves, or just wives and husbands, he is addressing every believer who is reading or listening to His letter.

Another consideration we must make is whether Peter is addressing whether these virtues are to be held and displayed toward believers or unbelievers alike?

What do you think?

Who was Peter calling Christians to submit to in the previous three sections?

A Pagan government, unbelieving masters, and lost husbands and wives.

Therefore, we should have as much harmony, sympathy, bro

Peter is not just saying, Christian, if you are able, if you have the personality, if you are naturally this type of person, you should live this way.

He is writing to every believer who has been born again by the mercies of God, who has been born again to a living hope, who has been born again through the living and abiding word, Finally, in summary, all of you, every one of you, have,

Verse 8 is made up of 5 adjectives that describe the life of a Christian the exhortation or imperative is “have” in the ESV.

It is translated;

“all of you be” in the NASB

“be ye all” in the KJV

“all of you be” in the NKJ.

This should help us understand what Peter is calling us to as believers.

He is calling the church to be, to live, or to have these Christ-like character traits that are given to the believer, by the Spirit when they are made a new creation!

Living out these adjectives will promote unity in the Church and provide a powerful witness to the watching world around us!

Tom Schreiner and Pastor David not the chiastic structure to these adjectives in verse 8.

A) Unity of Mind/Harmony

B) Sympathy

C) Brotherly Love

B) Tender Hearts/Kindhearted

A) Humble Mind

Pastor David notes, “How the chiasm would work here would be that Harmony/Humility are in a parallel relationship to one another, Sympathy and Compassion are in a parallel relationship to one another, and Brotherly Love would serve as the central/primary element, which itself informs the other elements.

This centers the list on brotherly love, the catalyst of the other elements’ success.”

Dan Doriani explains, “At first glance, Peter seems to list five random virtues.

On closer inspection, a pattern emerges.

The first and last are mental or intellectual, the second and fourth are emotional, and brotherly love stands at the center.

Further, all these traits have a social dimension.

Together, they keep relationships healthy.”

Doriani, D. M. (2014). 1 Peter.

(R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p.

126).

Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.

Let’s consider the first character trait of a member of Christ’s church, Christians are to have,

I. Unity and Humility of Mind

First, let’s look at being of one mind, being harmonious.

homophron; united in spirit, harmonious, like minded, with similar thoughts.

Paul begins his exhortation with the call to unity of mind, the call to harmonious, like mindedness.

He is reminding the church that we are to be of the same mind, thought patter, and in agreement with one another.

Now, does this mean we have to think exactly the same thing about every topic?

Do we have to all desire to work in the same vocation?

Do we all have to desire to go to the same place on vacation?

Do we all have to like the same sports, teams, or associations?

NO!

However, there are some things we should not waver on, There are certain doctrinal truths that we must have the same mind on, we must be in unity on if we want to live, and work together as the body of Christ.

What are some of these truths?

1. Scripture - It’s inerrancy, infallibility, inspiration, and sufficiency.

2. God - who He is, what He has done, His Trinitarian nature.

3. Jesus - His person and work

4. The Holy Spirit - His Person, His work, and His role

5.

The Gospel - God’s good news of salvation, By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

6.

The Church - who we are, the ekklessia, the assembly.

The marks of the Church, expositional preaching, the ordinances, church discipline....

Others?

Do you see where if we are not unified in these doctrines, division will come?

Paul wrote to the Romans,

To the church at Ephesus Paul wrote,

Do you see how important unity is in the life of the local church.

The question then we must ask is what are we to do or how can we maintain this unity?

Now, how are Unity of Mind and Humility of Mind connected?

Humble is translated from the Greek word,

tapeinorphrones; humble, that others are considered more important than oneself and that pride does not fill ones life.

Let me ask it this way,

Why is harmony among the body and unity almost always disrupted?

PRIDE, SELFISHNESS, SELF-CENTEREDNESS

We love us some us, or I love me some me.

We often think we know more then every one else, we have a better understanding of the Bible than anyone else, we know what the church needs better than anyone else.

Therefore, when we don’t get our way we exalt our own thoughts, ideas, and desires above everyone else’s.

And many times above the Scriptures....

We can do this as individuals.

We can do this as a denomination.

We can do this as a local church.

We can do this as Pastors.

How can we over come this?

How do we keep from becoming prideful pharisees, self-serving Sadducees, or Self-centered Scribes....

We submit ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, we submit ourselves to His Word.

We,

Philippians 2:3

What are some practical ways we can grow in this humility and unity?

Spending time in prayer,

Spending time in the Scriptures,

Spending time with one another!

These disciplines will cause us to know Christ more, to come to an understanding of our sin, and ultimately create in us a deeper love for one another.

All of this help us grow in Unity and Humility.