Sermon 1 Peter 1:10-25 “Living Holy Lives”
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
April 26, 2020
Order of Worship for the Third Sunday of Easter
Zoom Bible Study - Tuesdays at 7 pm
Pittsgrove Choir - "I Have a Song" Jan. 27, 2019
Mission Sunday - Cornerstore Women's Resource Center
Watch a video this sermon.
This is the second in a series of sermons focused on the implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Last week we saw that as a result of the resurrection we now have a new life. Even if we still experience problems, we can rejoice because of all that Christ has done for us. We have hope for a glorious future. Today we will be looking at how we get this new life and how that new life changes us in important ways. We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.
Holy Father, we ask that you allow us to be in your presence this morning as we worship. Help us to hear your word through my preaching today. Transform us by that word into holy people who truly love one another. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
1 Peter 1:10-25 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, 11 inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look!
13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, "You shall
be holy, for I am holy."
17 If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20 He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
22 Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23 You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring 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 endures forever." That word is the good news that was announced to you.
A prophet is someone who sees clearly what is happening in the world and discerns what God thinks about it. They are not future tellers or psychics although what they say does have an element of timeless truth. Rather they are truth-tellers who understand what is going on in the world around them. They are connected to God’s Spirit through prayer to discern what God wants to be done in the world.
Moses saw the oppression of the Israelites and he discerned God’s desire for their freedom. Amos saw the injustice to the poor and needy in his society and he discerned God’s warning that the destruction of the nation was near if they did not repent and change their ways. Prophets are needed whenever the world we live in diverges from the Creator’s intent. God sends prophets to bring us back to obedience.
The Apostles of Jesus Christ, who witnessed his resurrection, were prophets. They clearly saw what was happening in the world around them and they knew what God wanted through the Holy Spirit. As prophets, they spoke in synagogues, homes, and later churches proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
As the church grew, Apostles trained other preachers teaching them the message that God wanted to be proclaimed about the grace of Jesus Christ. So long as these new preachers proclaimed a message consistent with the teaching of the Apostles their words were considered to be the word of God. This was made possible by the Holy Spirit who speaks through the faithful words of the preacher to the attentive hearts of the congregation. According to Peter, the angels, God’s own messengers, are so interested in what is being proclaimed by faithful preachers, they bend over to listen to what is going on.
And so we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead because in the New Testament and in faithful preaching the teaching, the testimonies of the Apostolic witnesses are preserved. So long as my preaching is based on teachings of the Apostles who witnessed the event, and is carried from my mouth to your ears by the Holy Spirit then you are hearing God’s holy word.
When we hear and understand the word of God proclaimed we are filled with the hope of receiving the grace of Jesus Christ revealed in his resurrection. That is what brings us to new life in Jesus Christ. As you sit at home watching or reading this sermon, you are being transformed by God’s word into God’s obedient children. That is why, as we listen to the word of God more and more, we find ourselves leaving our old lives behind, our lives of dishonesty, drunkenness, promiscuity, violence, and anger. We begin to realize that these things are in our pasts and were washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Recently I heard a story from a woman working in the entertainment industry. She had been a talented singer at one point, but her lifestyle eventually caught up with her and the hope of a promising career turned into a night of darkness and desperation. She contemplated suicide as the only solution to her problems. But then she looked at the calendar and saw that it was Christmas Eve. She did not know Jesus, but he seemed like the only alternative for someone in her situation. So she prayed that Jesus would send his spirit to help her. And that night she received new life in Jesus Christ. I can’t say that a story as dramatic as this one will happen to everyone who accepts Christ in their lives. But I can say that Christ is offering new lives to anyone who comes to him.
In worship, we have the opportunity to ask Christ for new life. We come into the presence of God. We hear the word of God read and proclaimed. Christ’s work of transformation has already begun.
This should terrify us and scare us to death. Approaching God in this way should fill us with fear, awe, reverence, and wonder. We should be amazed at what is happening. Coming into the presence of God to hear his word in worship can’t help but be transforming. A new life can’t help but be terrifying to someone who is comfortable in his old life. But if the word of God is faithfully preached and heard then we will come into the presence of God and our lives will never be the same.
When this happens and we find ourselves with new lives. We just can’t stop giving glory to God for all he has done for us. God has given us new lives, the forgiveness of our sin, and for the promise of eternal life. Coming into the presence of God has the effect of purifying our lives. We become holy just as God is holy.
And this allows us to do what God really wants us to do. God gives us new lives so that we will love each other, genuinely, truly, love one another. This is an intense, fervent concern for the well being of the people in the church, in our community, and around the world. We are to love each other as much as God loved his own son. And this love will burn in us forever because it is indivisible from the new life we have in Christ.
There is an old story about a man named William Beeterwolf. Dr. Beeterwolf lived around a hundred years ago. One day he was working on a scaffold three stories above the ground. Dr. Beeterwolf tripped and plunged to the ground for what appeared to be certain death. But a workman below saw Dr. Beeterwolf falling to the ground directly above him so he braced himself breaking Dr. Beeterwolf’s fall and saving his life. But as a result of breaking Dr. Beeterwolf’s fall nearly every bone in his own body was broken.
The crippled man was asked how Dr. Beeterwolf had treated him since the fall. He replied saying, “Well he gave me half of everything he owns. I also have a share in his business. He never lets me want for a thing. He is constantly concerned about me and hardly a day passes that I don't receive from him some little token of remembrance.”
This is a wonderful story of gratitude and love. Remember that Jesus died for you so that you could live a new life. Like Dr. Beeterwolf we should be grateful to Jesus for giving us new life. And our response to Christ’s sacrifice for us should be to love one another as much as God loves us.
So, the word of God, preached and heard, is what God uses to transform our lives into people who love one another. That is why it is so important to immerse yourselves regularly in the Bible. That is why it is so important to worship at home and in church. Through this, you take on a new life and become more holy, hopeful, and loving. Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, speak to us through the preaching and hearing of the word of God. Through this transform us into the children of God so that we can love others as fully as you love us. Continue to speak to us your transformative word through the Bible and my preaching. We pray this in your glorious name. Amen.
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