Evangelism and Doxology

Jeffery Roberts

Evangelism 2022 • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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God's glory, and our proclamation of such, is the motive and the means to biblical evangelism.

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Transcript

Introduction

If you would turn with me to the book of First Peter, Chapter Two. This morning we turn to a book focused on the hope we have as Christians amid suffering and persecution. Ultimately, this letter instructs us how to have hope in Christ’s work and remain faithful to God as lights in a dark world. As we begin, my title this morning may seem unfamiliar to some and slightly odd to others. For most people, doxology isn’t a word we are familiar with or at least not familiar to seeing with evangelism. So...

What is doxology?

“An oral expression of praise and glorification.”

What is Evangelism?

“Preaching the Christian gospel, typically with militant or crusading zeal.”

With these in mind, this morning I intend to help us see just how intimately connected our preaching of Christ’s work is with our praise and glorification of God. Let’s look to the text, we will focus on verse 9-12, but for context I will begin at the first verse.

The Text

1 Peter 2:1–12 (ESV)

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Let’s pray for our time in the Word this morning:

That by it we may grow up into salvation, that we would long for it, and that we would live by it.

God’s People: The Believer’s Identity

A Chosen Race

Not a “choice” people

In 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 we see that we as believers have nothing to boast about or be prideful of. We were not chosen because of anything we are or have done, but rather because God is God and is faithful to His word.

“27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

He is faithful to fulfill His Old Testament promises, specifically those referenced in Deuteronomy. This is an act of choosing based on God’s good pleasure flowing from His nature.

A Royal Priesthood

A place for God to dwell and to offer spiritual sacrifices

As believers, we now have full access to God. God in His Spirit dwells with us. We are so close to our Lord that we are to be like Him following the order of Melchizedek. We are heirs to the throne through Christ and His blood and through this we too have the privilege of offering sacrifices. These aren’t bloody any longer though, through Christ’s blood we now offer those as spiritual. We surrender our lives, we dedicate the entirety of ourselves to His service.

A Holy Nation

Now part of a heavenly kingdom, as sojourners and exiles on earth

With being a chosen race, we now have a new ethnicity and belong to a new kingdom. No longer are there a multitude of nationalities…though these are unique and significant to the Lord’s work of calling all peoples…they aren’t ultimate. Through Christ’s work, there are now only two peoples ultimately. Those first born (of natural birth) and those born again.

Those born again are marked or set apart, by holiness. Holiness is the distinguishing mark between believers and non-believers. Holiness is a marker of God himself as being totally separate or set apart from all else and as we are set apart by Him, the world around us will now as they see the distinctions become clearer as we grow in this calling.

A People for His own Possession

A people purchased at great cost, and greatly prized and peculiar (exclusively His)

This sums up the other points and shows us why God has made us these things. It is because He has created us, sustained us, and purchased us with the blood of His son. He has bought us, redeemed us, and set us apart to be exclusively His.

In Exodus 19:4-6 we see this clearly. “4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.””

This was commanded to Israel and they failed to remain obedient and keep their side of the covenant…but through Christ’s perfect obedience this is fulfilled and now we as believers reap the blessings of this promise. Because we are his treasured possession, we are made a people, chosen, made royal, priests, and holy.

God has given His people a new identity, and He’s had a plan from the beginning for how he would give t to them. He intended from the beginning to acquire them, to redeem them, to possess them.

God’s Plan: Acquiring His People

We see this clearly as Peter quotes from the prophet Hosea in chapter 1, verse 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. verses 8-9 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” in chapter 2, verse 1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.” and verses 21-23

21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD,

I will answer the heavens,

and they shall answer the earth,

22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,

and they shall answer Jezreel,

23 and I will sow her for myself in the land.

And I will have mercy on No Mercy,

and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;

and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

Not a people at all, Now God’s people

This is recognized in regeneration...

When born again, Christ’s obedience, death and resurrection are applied to the believer. We are declared with Christ to be righteous, we are justified and in this made a new people. In this we are made heirs with Christ.

Not received mercy, Now received mercy

This is experienced in regeneration...

When born again, this entirely a work of God’s plan that Christ would act on our behalf. This is done entirely based upon God’s goodness and faithfulness to redeem a people He has chosen. This is so that we have nothing in which we can boast but Christ. We did not earn this and we didn’t inherently deserve it, yet Christ acted on our behalf out of God’s great love and mercy.

Living stones, as Christ is the chief, the cornerstone.

This is through the resurrection

This is to build up a house of believers where God may dwell, but also a people, a household being built together as stones are brought together with the Cornerstone, being brought near to God.

In this we have honor

But there is a people, builders who have rejected Him

He is a stone of stumbling

He is a rock of offence

This is because they disobey the Word

God’s Purpose: His Glory Made Known

Application 1: Proclamation

Of His excellencies:

He has called you out of darkness into marvelous light.

The world doesn’t know the light. The world despises the light. John 3:18-21

John 3:18–21 ESV

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8-10

Psalm 34:8–10 ESV

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Out of devotion, not duty. We ought to radiate light in darkness, as we live in gratitude for the light being given (lit) within us. Luke 11:33-35

Luke 11:33–35 ESV

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.

Application 2: Conduct

Honorable among Gentiles:

Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, long for spiritual milk.

Desire to do evil.

Concealing your true (sinful) identity.

Inconsistency of belief and behavior.

Discontentment.

False accusation and stirring dissension.

Long for the word…1 Peter 1:13-25

1 Peter 1:13–25 ESV

13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

Abstain from passions of the flesh, do good deeds.

These are not appropriate for a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. These are passions, desires that wage war against the soul. In this Peter clearly shows that our desires or thoughts aren’t neutral and can be controlled. In similar fashion this is why Paul says in Romans that we require our minds to be renewed. As we remain honorable, we are doing good deeds…as Peter continues in this letter he gives clarity as to how to live this way and we see that this conduct is a pattern. It is the day by day striving to live in alignment with our new God-given identity.

Proving their accusations false.

Peter frames a lot of his writing in light of the Lord’s coming again and the hope we have amid current persecution as we wait. Here is no different. Peter exhorts believers to remain steadfast as the world slanders them. As the world around us looks to slander and discredit our faith we are to remain, standing firm. They will do this out of evil and only serve to strengthen our witness as they are proven false.

So they too will glorify God.

This is a means by which God will redeem some of the flock. Here the text seems to illustrate not the forced praise of those who continued in sin and darkness, rather connecting to the following passage on submission where a wife is seen as able to win her husband by her conduct. This seems to be the same thought, that those of us who conduct ourselves in alignment with Gospel proclamation can be used by God to bring others into the light that they may proclaim His praises and bring Him glory as we do.

Conclusion

God is worthy to be praised and alone worthy of all praise! God in His glory has made a people for Himself, in His glory provided a plan to redeem this people, and in His glory purposes to make His glory known to peoples of every tribe, tongue, and nation. The praise and glorifying of this wonderful God for who He is and what He has done is why and how we evangelize a lost and dying world.

As we close, I’ll leave you with Psalm 96 as the psalmist declares that all who have experienced God’s salvation should proclaim His glory and rightly worship Him for there is a soon approaching day when He will judge the world.

Psalm 96 ESV

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.