Living as Exiles
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Prayer: Rollan, Aaron, Shirley - Covid
Churches in major storms
Foursquare Disaster Relief
We are coming out of our Heart Conditions series, last week focusing on the instructions that we see in scripture to pursue a heart that is - Tender, Courageous, and worshipful - it is my prayer that we continue pursing that kind of a heart, leading it and guiding it away from its own natural tendencies and to a place that is honoring to God.
This morning I want to begin a series working our way through the book of 1st Peter. For the next few weeks we will be taking this book, a little bit at a time, attempting to discover what God’s word has for us. There will be times through this book that we will just be learning, and there will be times where there are calls to action as God’s word instructs us and corrects us.
I am a firm believer that there is nothing written in the word of God that is there without purpose and intent for your life. So we will carefully study through this book, and pull out some of the things that God has to say.
Before we get into the word, let us pray.
PRAY....
I have entitled this series Living as Exiles pulling right from the text in 1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen”
The Apostle Peter writes this book to Christians - scattered throughout what is today Turkey.. a country that is today mostly Muslim. Christians who were living in exile. As usual, when we go through these studies, we are not completing an exhaustive study. There are things that I am going to miss. As I prepared for this message, I listened to hours of content on just one chapter. There are books and books of information on this one five chapter book. We can’t cover it all in any amount of time that you would sit here for. I want to encourage you - Read it for yourself. And - Don’t get upset with me for skipping over your favorite verse or your pet issue..
1 Peter 1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials
so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,
because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.
They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.
But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct;
for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.
If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s work, you are to conduct yourselves in reverence during your time living as strangers.
For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you.
Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly,
because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.
For All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like a flower of the grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.
In exile
Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul.
Chosen. vs 1-2
For obedience and covenant relationship. vs 2
Sprinkled with blood - goes back to Exodus 24 “Then he said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.” Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early the next morning and set up an altar and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel at the base of the mountain. Then he sent out young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half the blood and set it in basins; the other half of the blood he splattered on the altar. He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey all that the Lord has commanded.” Moses…”
Guarded from death - with Promises that do not expire. vs 4
Even though we are suffering.
Even when the promises don’t come when we want them to.
Even when we don’t see the Lord. Vs 8
Called to rejoice
Therefore: vs 13
Be ready vs 13
Be obedient - stay away from your former ignorance vs 14
Be Holy. Be reverent.
A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God.
In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful.
This morning we are coming back to this place, this communion table, reminded of who we are.
Communion : Josh, Bruce.
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
Lord, you have been our refuge in every generation.
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God.
You return mankind to the dust, saying, “Return, descendants of Adam.”
For in your sight a thousand years are like yesterday that passes by, like a few hours of the night.
You end their lives; they sleep. They are like grass that grows in the morning—
in the morning it sprouts and grows; by evening it withers and dries up.
For we are consumed by your anger; we are terrified by your wrath.
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
For all our days ebb away under your wrath; we end our years like a sigh.
Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.
Who understands the power of your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due you.
Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
Lord—how long? Turn and have compassion on your servants.
Satisfy us in the morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy and be glad all our days.
Make us rejoice for as many days as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen adversity.
Let your work be seen by your servants, and your splendor by their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands— establish the work of our hands!