1Peter 2:11-17
We Are Emergency Rescue
We continue Peter’s epistle to the strangers scattered abroad through
Galatian, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Tonight we start a section
that crosses into the next chapter. In this section, Peter speaks
specifically to four groups of people. He speaks:
1. \\#2:11-17\\ to all Christians.
2. \\#2:18-25\\ to servants.
3. \\#3:1-6\\ to wives.
4. \\#3:7\\ to husbands.
5. Then Peter returns to speaking to everyone for the remainder
of the book.
You will notice that in \\#12\\, Peter speaks about the Gentiles. We
will read the verse in a moment and when we do, you may think—as I
do—that Peter seems to be speaking about the Gentiles as if he was
talking to someone else. Of course the only ones not Gentiles are
Jews so this could mean that the strangers Peter was writing to that
had been scattered were Jews. We cannot say that for certain but it
is a possibilty
I. \\#2:11-17\\ Peter Spoke to All Christians
A. \\#11\\ Notice the terms of address: strangers and pilgrims.
1. These are very important.
a. A stranger is a person that is unknown where he is.
The place he is at presently is not his home.
b. A pilgrim is one that is passing through. He is on
his way to another land. The place he is passing
through is not his home. He will not put down roots
here because this is not a place where he is going to
stay.
2. Both of these terms are to describe the attitude of a
Christian on earth.
a. This earth is not our home. We are only passing
through.
b. We have no friends here.
c. We are not putting down roots here.
d. We are not going to stay.
3. Without this mentality, no Christian is going to live
right in this world.
4. The pilgrim attitude is what pushes Christians to
remember not to get too deeply attached or even involved
in this world.
5. Last Sunday evening, a mile-wide tornado touched down in
Lee County.
a. In my mind, I see a variety of needed people rushing
to help them—some even before the all clear is
given.
(1) First responders - paramedics, fire, police
(2) Perhaps some specialized units trained in search
and rescue.
(3) Tree cutters, power technicians
(4) Those who can offer emergency aid - churches,
companies, organizations, individuals
(5) The next day, insurance adjusters
(6) Eventually roofers, carpenters, electricians,
tree cutters
(7) But for the lack of a better term, I will call
that first group the emergency responders.
c. These people are not looking to buy property or to
build homes.
(1) Unless they are carpet baggers, they are not
looking to get rich.
(2) They are going to help hurting people as long as
there are hurting people there or until they
get called back to their local jobs.
(3) They are strangers, pilgrims. They are just
passing through.
(4) So are Christians.
(a) We are here to help the hurting as long as
God leaves us on this assignment.
(b) Life and earth are very, very, very short
term. Just a few days in length.
(c) Our home is heaven.
(d) Our Boss is God.
(e) Our job is to honor Him.
(f) On earth, we are just emergency responders.
(c) Our lives, our real jobs are in heaven.
(d) Except for helping people, don’t get
attached to this place.
6. If we can get and keep that mentality, obeying all of the
commands Peter goes on to give us will be much easier.
B. Noitce Peter set a high standard for our behavior.
1. Peter goes on to give seven commands.
a. But even after those save, he is not finished.
(1) There will be more.
(2) Peter will just divide the other commands into
categories based on who we are and what we do.
(3) Peter and Paul’s writing style are similar in
that both of them spend a great deal of time in
their writings telling us how Christians are
supposed to live.
b. Why so many commands?
(1) I get the notion that people have just never
known how to behave!
(2) We all have the tendency to get attached to this
world, and it does not matter where or when we
live.
2. The seven commandments:
a. \\#11\\ Abstain from the things that war against the
soul.
(1) To understand that one, we need to divide it into
three groups:
(a) The enemy - fleshly lusts
i. Peter doesn’t even name the lusts that
he was thinking about when he wrote
the statement.
ii. Since Peter did not list any, we can
merely insert the words "fleshly
wants."
iii. It does not matter what the fleshly
wants are—whether they are good or
bad—they will always do the same
thing.
iv. This is a principal true of all things
that the flesh wants.
(b) The victim
i. Fleshly lusts war against the soul.
ii. The soul is the inner man, the
spiritual man, the eternal man.
iii. There is always a battle beteen the
spiritual and the fleshly, the
eternal and the temporal, the devil
and God.
iv. This principal reveals information
about that battle.
(c) The battle - There is a war.
i. Christians know the end of every
spiritual war.
aa. The spirit is going to win.
bb. The eternal always defeats the
temporal.
cc. God always defeats the devil.
ii. But a war is still always a war.
aa. War always produces loss.
bb. War always produces pain.
cc. War always produces suffering.
iii. That is true regardless of whether the
fleshly want is good or bad, but it
is especially true if it is bad.
aa. Think of a Christian who is
addicted to drugs.
bb. Think of all the suffering he and
his family endures, all the hurt,
all the tears, all the loss.
(2) Christians don’t have to fight in that kind of
war.
(a) Christians have to learn to quit wanting
things that belong to this world.
(b) It starts with Christian leaders, churches,
and parents turning off the entertainment,
separating from worldly influences,
getting out from under worldly leadership.
(c) It continues by Christians immersing
themselves in prayer, God’s Word, godly
influences.
(d) That doesn’t mean there won’t still be some
who choose to follow after the world, but
they will be the exception not the rule.
b. \\#12\\ Have you conversation honest.
(1) Live right before the world.
(2) While working on this search and rescue mission,
we represent a holy God.
(3) Let’s not give locals anything bad to say about
the company or the Boss we represent.
(4) The goal of every believer is to live so
righteously and consistent that the world would
not believe a lie told about us.
c. \\#13-16\\ Submit yourself to EVERY ordinance.
(1) Obey all the laws of man.
(2) Peter spend more time discussing this command
than any other—including to honor God \\#17\\.
(3) Why?
(a) Because God said so.
1Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with
well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of
foolish men:
(b) Because of a good testimony.
(c) Because we are out-of-towners.
i. This is not our world.
ii. Should we try to make things better?
aa. Sure. If there is an injustice
or a wrong, try to fix it.
bb. Peter lived in the time of kings.
We have more opportunity to
change our situation that Peter
ever did. If we can, we should.
cc. But unless the law is in direct
opposition to God, we should
still obey it.
d. \\#17\\ Honor (be respectful) to everyone.
e. Love the Christians
f. Fear God.
(1) The word "fear" means to be alarmed, to be in
awe, to be afraid.
(2) Like children who have gotten too big for their
britches, many Christians no longer fear God.
(3) Kids growing up sooner or later get too big to
spank. If you have not taught them obedience by
then, you’re in trouble.
(4) Christians never get too big to spank.
(5) They better fear God.
g. Honor (respect) the king.
(1) Peter has already told us to obey the king
\\#13\\. Now he is telling us to respect the
king.
(2) Christians used to do a better job of this.
(3) Even if we think the person who is leading us is
an evil leader, we are still to be respectful.
(4) I know the liberals have been very disrespectful
of President Trump, but I what I remember is
that I was also sometimes disrespectful of
President Obama.
(5) We respect our leaders not because we agree with
them or even because they are good people, but
because God commands us to do so.
Jude 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers
defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak
evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending
with the devil he disputed about the body of
Moses, durst not bring against him a railing
accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which
they know not: but what they know naturally, as
brute beasts, in those things they corrupt
themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way
of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of
Balaam for reward, and perished in the
gainsaying of Core.
(a) We should not speak badly of them.
(b) We should not mock them.
(c) We should stand up for them when others do.
(d) We should pray for them.
(e) As often as we can, we should speak well of
them and support their work.
Let’s pray that God will help us to be the best Emergency Responders
possible!
<OutlineIndex> <Close Window>
