The hope we have in Jesus should lead to a life that is dedicated to looking like Jesus...

At the church where I serve, we are in the middle of a sermon series entitled the power of hope. During this series, we are addressing the reality that we live in a time where our culture is changing occurs at a frequently increasing rate. And as followers of Jesus, we feel this rapid change in our culture most acutely when it comes to how the culture views Christianity. It would seem that as culture and society continue to rapidly change, that Christianity is being left behind.

So during this series we are asking and answering the questions “How are we as followers of Jesus to respond to such a rapidly changing culture? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond to our faith being minimized and marginalized? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond when our faith results in us being ridiculed, criticized, and slandered?

To answer these questions, we are looking at a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of 1 Peter. Now this week, I would like for us to spend our time together picking up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that the Apostle Peter wrote to early followers of Jesus, we will discover another timeless truth about the power that hope has in our lives as followers of Jesus living in a rapidly changing culture. So let’s discover that timeless truth together, beginning in 1 Peter 1:13:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Peter begins this section of his letter with the word therefore. With this word, Peter is basically saying “In light of everything that I just said; In light of the reality we as followers of Jesus have hope for the future that is greater than any trial as a result of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that provides us new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and secure; In light of the reality that we have hope for the future that is greater than any trial that results in an eternal inheritance; In light of the reality that we have hope for the future that is greater than any trial that is proven through our faith in the midst of trials; In light of the reality that we have hope for the future that is greater than any trial that has been predicted and proclaimed through the message of the gospel; In light of all of that, I want you to do something as a result of the hope that you have that is greater than any trial.”

And what Peter wanted followers of Jesus to do in light of the hope that they have is to fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Peter here is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to respond to the hope that they have for the future that is greater than any trial by fixing their hope on that future when Jesus will return. That is what Peter is referring to when he uses the phrase “the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The word grace refers to God’s transformational intervention and activity in the world through Jesus. And God's transformational intervention and activity in the world will be most clearly seen at the end of God’s story here on earth, when Jesus will return to earth to defeat selfishness, sin, and death, and usher in the kingdom of Heaven in its fullest sense. As followers of Jesus, we are to look forward with confidence to Jesus return in the midst of the sadness, suffering, and difficulties that we may experience as followers of Jesus.

Now a natural question that could arise at this point is “Well Dave that sounds great, but how am I practically supposed to look forward with confidence to Jesus return? How do I do that?” Peter provides the answer to that question with the two phrases that precede his command.

First, Peter explains that we are to look forward with confidence to Jesus return when we prepare our minds for action. What is so interesting is that this phrase here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, literally reads “gird the loins of your mind”. This phrase, in the culture of the first century, was a word picture of lifting up long garments to facilitate work or walking.

Peter’s point here is that, as followers of Jesus, we are to look forward with confidence to Jesus return by resolving to live out that confidence in the present. Just as we prepare ourselves physically for a future day’s work, we are to prepare ourselves mentally for Jesus future return. Jesus future return should shape and mold our resolve when it comes to how we live in the present.

Second, Peter explains that we are to look forward with confidence to Jesus return when we keep sober in spirit. Now the phrase “keep sober” here refers to being well-balanced. This phrase conveys the sense of being self controlled. Peter’s point here is that we look forward with confidence to Jesus return by being self controlled in our thinking.

As followers of Jesus, we are not to allow our mental or emotional states to be filled with the confusion that comes as a result of excess emotion and rash responses to our circumstances. Instead of becoming emotionally or mentally intoxicated by riding the emotional or mental roller coaster of “what if”, as followers of Jesus we are to focus on the confident expectation that we have for the future in light of Jesus return so as to have balance in our lives emotionally and mentally.

As followers of Jesus, such a balance and self control will result in an ability to live in light of our true identity as a follower of Jesus, regardless of the circumstances around us.  After giving this first command, we see Peter give a second command to followers of Jesus throughout history in verse 14-16:

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Now to fully understand what Peter is commanding followers of Jesus to do in these verses, we first need to define some terms.  First, when Peter uses the word conformed here, this word literally means to be formed according to a pattern or a mold. In addition, the word lusts here refer to a desire for something that is forbidden. Finally, when Peter uses the word ignorance, this word refers to someone having a lack of information about God that results in a life of selfishness and rebellion against God.

So Peter here is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to not allow the selfish desires for what is forbidden by God that once dominated their lives to continue to shape and mold their lives. Instead of continuing to live according to their selfish desires that went against God’s desires that once dominated their lives prior to becoming followers of Jesus, Peter commands followers of Jesus throughout history to “be like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”

Now the word holy is a big fancy church mumbo jumbo talk word that simply means to be set apart to God. When Peter refers to God as the Holy One, he is revealing for us the reality that God is set apart as being distinct and different from anything else that exists. You see, there is the Creator God and there is the creation. God, in His nature and character is distinctly different and separate from the creation.

When Peter states that God called you, this phrase means to be chosen to receive a special benefit or experience. And that benefit or experience, as Peter stated last week, is the forgiveness of sin and the relationship with God that we were created for as a result of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. That benefit or experience, as Peter previously stated, is a hope for the future that is greater than any trial.

So in light of the reality that God, who is set apart from the rest of the creation as being distinctly different; in light of the reality that we have been rescued from the selfishness and rebellion that separated us from God so that we could experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for by God’s gracious activity through Jesus; In light of the reality that God has chosen us as followers of Jesus to experience such blessings, Peter commands followers of Jesus throughout history to respond to such realities to be holy yourselves in all your behavior.

In other words, Peter is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to respond to God’s gracious activity in their lives that chose them for rescue and relationship to live a life that is set apart to God. Paul here is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to respond to God’s grace in their lives by dedicating themselves to live out their day to day lives in a way that is distinctly different from how they used to live their lives.

Paul here is commanding followers of Jesus throughout history to respond to God’s grace in their lives through Jesus by dedicating themselves to live out their day to day lives in a way that is set apart to God and that looks more and more like Jesus in their character and conduct as a result of their obedience to God. And it is here, in this section of this letter, that we see Peter reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to the power that hope is to have in our lives as followers of Jesus in that the hope we have in Jesus should lead to a life that is dedicated to looking like Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, the reality is that a life that is dedicated to looking like Jesus is not dominated by the selfish desires that dominated our life before we came to know Jesus. Instead, a life that is dedicated to looking like Jesus is set apart and committed to revealing and reflecting Jesus in how we live out our day to day lives in obedience to Jesus. And to back his command, the Apostle Peter quotes from a section of a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Leviticus. In Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, and 20:7 God commanded the Jewish people to be holy, for I am holy.

You see, God in His very nature and character is distinct and different from the rest of the creation. And in the book of Leviticus, God was commanding the Jewish people, as His chosen people, to live out their day to day lives as a nation in a way that was distinctly different from the nations around them. How the Jewish people were to handle their sexuality, their families, their justice system, and their worship was to be distinctly different than they nations that surrounded them. By living lives that were distinctly different from the nations around them, the Jewish people would be the vehicle that God used to reveal Himself to the world.

And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God and rescued by God’s gracious activity through Jesus to live distinctly different lives.  We are called to live distinctly different lives when it comes to how we handle our sexuality, our family relationships, how we love and treat those who are different than us ethnically or socioeconomically, how we respond to wrongdoing and injustice, and how we worship, then the culture around us. And when we live such distinctly different lives than the culture around us, we are perfectly positioned to be the vehicle that God used to reveal Himself to the world.

And as Peter continues this section of this letter, we see him unpack the motivation that should drive our desire to live lives that are dedicated to looking like Jesus. We will pick up there tomorrow…

Followers of Jesus have hope for the future that is greater than any trial...

This week we have been looking at the opening section of a letter that is preserved and recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of 1 Peter. So far this week, we have looked on as Peter explained to these early followers of Jesus that God's transformational activity and intervention in history through Jesus life, death, and resurrection results in a new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure. 

Peter then explained to these early followers of Jesus that this confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure that flows from God's activity in history through Jesus that brings them into relationship with Jesus provides them an inheritance as a part of the family of God. God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security, through our trust in what God has done for us through Jesus, so that we would experience the incorruptible, pure, and unfading inheritance that He has in store for us in Heaven. Today, we will see Peter transition to address the circumstances that these early followers of Jesus found themselves experiencinvg in 1 Peter 1:6-7:

 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, ⁷ so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Now to fully understand what Peter is communicating in these verses, we first need to define some terms and phrases. First, when Peter uses the word distress, this word means to experience sadness or suffering. In addition, when Peter uses the word trials here this word, in the language that this letter was originally written in, was used to refer to both temptations and trials. In addition this word conveys the sense of something happening to you.

Peter here is referring to something that comes upon us that reveals that nature and character of what is within us. You see, character is like toothpaste; you never really know what is inside until it is squeezed. And these early followers of Jesus were being squeezed. These early followers of Jesus were being squeezed as a result of being strangers in a strange land as a result of their ancestors being scattered during the Babylonian invasion of the Jewish nation.

These early followers of Jesus were being squeezed as a result of a persecution against followers of Jesus that is recorded for us in Acts 8.  These early followers of Jesus were being squeezed as a result of the new movement of Christianity beginning to experience persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire.

These early followers of Jesus were being squeezed as they found themselves feeling marginalized and isolated by those around them. These early followers of Jesus were being squeezed as they found themselves the object of ridicule and slander for clinging to a religious belief system that was viewed as being both strange and outrageous as compared with the religious systems that were prevalent in the culture around them.

And as a result of being squeezed, these early followers of Jesus were beginning to question, or even doubt the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. The issue that Peter is addressing here is the temptation to renounce faith and Jesus and walk away from following Jesus as a result of the external circumstances of sadness and suffering that they were facing. You see, while we are not necessarily responsible for the circumstances we face, we are responsible for our response to those circumstances.

And here we see Peter call these early followers of Jesus to view their current circumstances of sadness and suffering in two specific ways. First, Peter called these early followers of Jesus to view their current circumstances of sadness and suffering in the right context. Peter reminded these early followers of Jesus of the exceeding  joy and gladness that they had experienced as a result of their new life in relationship with Jesus that produced such a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure and is for all eternity. While these early followers of Jesus were experience sadness and suffering as a result of their current circumstances, their current circumstances were temporary, while their relationship with Jesus and their inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven was for all eternity.

Second, Peter called these early followers of Jesus to view their current circumstances of sadness and suffering as providing the evidence of a genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus. Peter used another word picture, this time of the refining of gold by a smelter. In the culture of the day, and even today, a smelter uses an extremely hot fire in order to refine metal. As the metal was heated, the dross and impurities rise to the top and are removed, thus leaving pure gold. However, as Peter pointed out, even pure gold that has been tested by fire is perishable. Even pure gold becomes ruined over time.

Peter used this word picture to reveal the reality that the outward circumstances of sadness and suffering would reveal the genuineness of their faith that was being proved through the fires of the trials and circumstances that they were experiencing. Peter then pointed these early followers of Jesus to the reality that the evidence of their genuine and authentic relationship with Jesus that would be produced by placing confident trust in Jesus in the midst of their circumstances would result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Upon Jesus return to defeat selfishness, sin, and rebellion and to usher in the kingdom of Heaven in its fullest sense, the confident trust in Jesus that was displayed in the midst of their sadness and suffering would result in God receiving admiration and approval. Their confident trust in Jesus that was displayed in the midst of their sadness and suffering would result in God's reputation being enhanced. Their confident trust in Jesus that was displayed in the midst of their sadness and suffering would result in God receiving the honor, respect, and reverence He was worthy of.  Peter then hammers his point home with a timeless word of encouragement in verse 8-9:

 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Peter's statement, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would sound something like this: "Even though you have never seen Jesus, you love Jesus with a selfless and sacrificial love. And even though you do not see Him in the midst of your sadness and suffering as a result of your circumstances, you trust Him and rejoice with an exceeding gladness that causes Jesus to look splendid and great. And your response to Jesus in the midst of your sadness and suffering reveals the reality that you possess a genuine trust in Jesus and that Jesus has rescued you from your rebellion and into an eternal relationship with Jesus that transcends this temporary human existence." Peter then revealed how God's message of rescue through the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel was revealed to humanity in verse 10-11:

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ¹¹ seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

Now, when Peter refers to the prophets, he is referring to those who were gifted by God to be was a spokesman for God who proclaimed God’s message to the Jewish people and the world. In addition, when Peter uses the phrase "prophesied of the grace that would come to you", he is revealing for us the reality that God's spokesman throughout the Old Testament predicted and proclaimed that God would send a rescuer, a deliverer, a Messiah that would provide humanity that opportunity to be restored to the relationship with God that they were created for but had rejected through their selfishness and rebellion.

And as the prophets proclaimed God's message to humanity, the prophets tried to figure out when the Messiah would come. The prophets, as they proclaimed God's message, searched and made a thorough effort to understand what the Holy Spirit was proclaiming to them when it came to what the Messiah would experience in terms of His death and resurrection. Peter then reveals what answer the prophets received when it came to their searches and efforts to understand God's promise of a Messiah in verse 12:

 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look.

Now this morning, did you catch that? Did you catch that the Holy Spirit made known to the prophets that they were not proclaiming God's message to humanity for their own benefit. Instead, the Holy Spirit made clearly known to the prophets that they were functioning as an intermediary on God's behalf to communicate His message of rescue through the message of the gospel to followers of Jesus throughout history.

The message of the gospel that was first revealed and proclaimed by Jesus and was now being proclaimed by Peter to these early followers of Jesus who were experiencing sadness and suffering as a result of being squeezed by their circumstances.  The message of the gospel that in which angels long to look. In other words, the angelic beings in Heaven did not see the gospel coming. The angelic beings in Heaven had a strong desire to get a glance at the gospel.

However, the angels were not the focus or the point of the gospel; humanity was the focus and the point of the gospel. A humanity that had a living hope, a confident expectation for the future that was certain and sure as a result of God's activity through Jesus that provided an eternal inheritance in spite of their current circumstances.

And it is here, in this opening section of this letter, that we see Peter reveal a timeless truth about the power of hope for followers of Jesus throughout history in that followers of Jesus have hope for the future that is greater than any trial. As followers of Jesus, we have hope for the future as a result of the resurrection of Jesus. As followers of Jesus, we have for the future that results in an eternal inheritance. As followers of Jesus, we possess an inheritance as a child of God who is a part of the family of God.

An inheritance that is incorruptible, is pure, and is unfading in its character or quality: An inheritance that is preserved in Heaven for followers of Jesus to experience in the future: An inheritance that God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security for: An inheritance that will be made fully known when Jesus returns to defeat selfishness, sin and death and to usher in the kingdom of heaven in its fullest sense.

As followers of Jesus, we have hope for the future that is proven through our faith in the midst of trials. While we may experience sadness and suffering as a result of our current circumstances, our current circumstances are temporary, while our relationship with Jesus and our inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven is for all eternity. The outward circumstances of sadness and suffering that we experience reveal the genuineness of their faith that is proved by our confident trust in Jesus through the fires of those trials and the circumstances.  And as followers of Jesus, we have hope for the future that has been predicted and proclaimed through the message of the gospel.

So here is a question to consider: Do you feel squeezed? Do you feel squeezed by the sadness and suffering that you may be experiencing as a result of your circumstances? Do you feel squeezed because you feel like a stranger in a strange land as a result of a shifting and changing culture? Do you feel squeezed as a result of feeling marginalized and isolated? Do you feel squeezed as a result of being the object of ridicule and slander for clinging to a religious belief system that is viewed as being outdated and outrageous?

For while we are not necessarily responsible for the circumstances we face, we are responsible for our response to those circumstances. So how are you responding? Where are you placing your hope in?

Because, as followers of Jesus, we have hope for the future that is greater than any trial....

A new life that provides a hope for the future that is certain and sure...

This week, we are looking at the opening section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of 1 Peter. Yesterday, we looked on as the Apostle Peter, who penned this letter in 65 A.D. to Jewish followers of Jesus that found themselves in what we know today as modern day Turkey by describing these early followers of Jesus as those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, they had been chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the predetermined plan of God.

Peter  pointed these Jewish followers of Jesus to Jesus death on the cross in their place, for their rebellion that cleansed and removed their sins. We discovered that, in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God as a result of the predetermined plan of God and not because of our performance. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God by the transformational intervention and activity of the Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart and a new spirit within us.

As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God and to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God through Jesus death on the cross, in our place, for our selfishness and rebellion that satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes the guilt that results from our selfishness and rebellion.

After describing how these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God to experience a relationship with God, Peter extended a traditional greeting of grace and peace. Peter hoped that these early followers of Jesus would experience God's divine favor in their lives and a state of well being with God that was continually increasing in their lives.  Peter then makes a statement that reveals for us a powerful and timeless truth when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. So let’s look at that statement together, beginning in 1 Peter 1:3-5:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵ who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Now Peter’s statement, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “Praise God, who according to His great kindness and compassion that He has expressed to us in our greatest need has caused us to experience a spiritual birth that results in us experiencing a certain and sure hope for the future through Jesus life, death, and resurrection." Now the phrase, has caused us, is passive and is past tense.

In other words, this is something that has already been done to you if you are a follower of Jesus. You have already been born again. The phrase "born again" is the idea of being born from above. To be born again is a figurative phrase used to describe the spiritual birth of followers of Jesus into new life in relationship with Jesus. As Jesus pointed out in a conversation that is recorded for us in an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of John, being born again, being born from above is not something you do. To be born again, to be born from above is something that the Spirit of God does to you.

In addition, when Peter uses the phrase living hope, he is revealing to followers of Jesus throughout history that God's transformational activity and intervention in history through Jesus life, death, and resurrection results in a new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure.  Then, in verse 4, Peter explained to these early followers of Jesus that this confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure that flows from God's activity in history through Jesus that brings them into relationship with Jesus provides them an inheritance as a part of the family of God.

Peter stated that this inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away. When Peter uses the word imperishable, this word refers to something that is impervious to corruption and death. In addition, when Peter uses the word undefiled, this word refers to something that is pure. And when Peter uses the phrase will not fade away, this phrase conveys the sense of something that does not lose its quality or character.

Peter's point is that the inheritance we possess as a result of our relationship with Jesus is incorruptible, is pure, and is unfading in its character or quality. Now a natural question that could arise here is "Well Dave how could this inheritance be so certain and secure that it is incorruptible, pure, and unfading?" Peter provides the answer to that question in the last half of verse 4 by explaining that this inheritance is "reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

In other words, this inheritance is preserved in its incorruptible, pure, and unfading condition in Heaven for followers of Jesus to experience in the future. However, notice what Peter states in verse 5: "who are protected by the power of God through faith." The phrase who are protected is passive. In other words this is not something you do to you. This is something that is done to you.

And what is done to you is that God is guarding, protecting, and providing security for followers of Jesus. And how God is guarding, protecting, and providing security for followers of Jesus is through faith. The word faith here refers to a state of confident trust in the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Notice that Peter does not say by your faith. Instead Peter states through faith. In other words, faith is not a work that we do for God. Faith is placing our confident trust in what God has done for us through Jesus life, death, and resurrection.

Peter's point is that God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security, through our trust in what God has done for us through Jesus, so that we would experience the incorruptible, pure, and unfading inheritance that He has in store for us in Heaven.  In addition, when Peter states that this inheritance as a part of the family of God is protected for a salvation to be revealed in the last time, he is revealing for us the reality that at the end of God’s story here on earth, as Jesus ushers in the kingdom of heaven in its fullest sense, the incorruptible, pure and unfading inheritance that has protected by the power of God through faith will be made fully known to followers of Jesus throughout history as they receive that inheritance. 

And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, God's transformational activity and intervention in history through Jesus life, death, and resurrection results in a new life in relationship with Jesus and a confident expectation for the future that is certain and sure.  As followers of Jesus, we possess an inheritance as a child of God who is a part of the family of God.

An inheritance that is incorruptible, is pure, and is unfading in its character or quality. An inheritance that is preserved for followers of Jesus to experience in the future: An inheritance that God is actively at work to guard, protect, and provide security for: An inheritance that will be made fully known when Jesus returns to defeat selfishness, sin and death and to usher in the kingdom of heaven in its fullest sense. Peter then transitions to address the current circumstances that these early followers of Jesus found themselves in.

 

We will look at those circumstances Friday...

How do we respond to a rapidly changing culture?

After a season of leadership retreats and conferences, mission trips, and a vacation, it is great to be back at the church where I serve. Summer is over half over and soon we will launch into a new school year and then a new season of the year. And I am finding that the older I get, the faster time seems to go by. I am also finding that the older I get, the faster that the pace of change seems to be.

For example, did you know that, for someone who was born after 1994, Kurt Cobain, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Richard Nixon and John Wayne Gacy have always been dead? Those born after 1994 have always lived in cyberspace; the internet has always existed. Those born after 1994 have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous. Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy. History has always had its own channel. The Twilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling. Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes. The Green Bay Packers have always celebrated with the Lambeau Leap. Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”

You see, we live in a time where societal and cultural change occurs at a frequently increasing rate. And as followers of Jesus, we feel this exponential change in culture most acutely when it comes to how the culture views Christianity. In the last 10 years, we have seen radical change in how the culture approaches such topics as sexuality and marriage, the nature of the Bible, and the role of the church in culture.

For example, the Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most people born after 1994. Up from 17 percent in 2004, 22 percent of Americans now say that they never go to church - the highest ever recorded by the General Research Survey.

David Kinnaman, a researcher for Barna research, conducted a survey of 16-29 year olds that revealed the top six perceptions that Millennials have of Christians. 96% of Millennials viewed Christians as Anti-Homosexual. 87% viewed Christians as judgmental. 81% viewed Christians as hypocritical. In addition those surveyed viewed Christians as sheltered, politically motivated, and insecure. It would seem that as culture and society continue to rapidly change, that Christianity is being left behind. And as a Christian worldview is left behind, Christians now find themselves feeling marginalized and isolated.

In many quarters, Christianity is now mocked and criticized. And in many quarters, those who claim to be Christians find themselves the object of ridicule and slander for clinging to a religious belief system that is viewed as being outdated and outrageous. And for many Christians, regardless of age or stage of life, the change of how culture and society views Christianity can negatively impact their social status, their family relationships, and even future career advancement.

As a result, many Christians, especially younger Christians begin to question, or even doubt the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. And even if Christians remain true to the core truths of Christianity, many Christians, especially young Christians, struggle when it comes to how to respond when their faith in Jesus is ridiculed, criticized, or slandered.

So how are we as followers of Jesus to respond to such a rapidly changing culture? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond to our faith being minimized and marginalized? How are we as followers of Jesus to respond when our faith results in us being ridiculed, criticized, and slandered?

To answer these questions, we are going to spend several weeks in a letter that has been preserved and recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of 1 Peter, where we will discover the power that hope has to answer to these questions. So let’s jump into this letter and meet the author together, beginning in 1 Peter 1:1:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

The letter of 1 Peter begins by introducing its author, the Apostle Peter. Peter was the undisputed leader of the twelve closest followers of Jesus. Peter describes himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. An Apostle was someone who had seen Jesus after He had been raised from the dead and had been given the unique role and gifting by Jesus to a foundational leader in the early church and a primary messenger that would deliver a new message from God to the world.

After introducing himself as the author of this letter, Peter introduces us to the recipients of this letter as those who reside as aliens. This phrase was used to refer to someone who is staying temporarily in a strange or foreign place. These were Jewish followers of Jesus who had been scattered throughout a region of the world that was known as Asia Minor, which we know today as modern day Turkey. This was a region of Asia Minor that the Apostle Paul did not travel to during his missionary journeys. 

These early Jewish followers of Jesus were residents of this region of the world either as a result of their ancestors being scattered during the Babylonian invasion of the Jewish nation, or as a result of a persecution against followers of Jesus that is recorded for us in Acts 8. In addition, the new movement of Christianity began to experience persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire. And it is in this context that Peter, in 65 A.D. penned this letter to these Jewish followers of Jesus that found themselves in Turkey.

Peter proceeded to describe these early followers of Jesus as those who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that, as followers of Jesus, they had been chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the predetermined plan of God. Peter's point was that God was actively at work throughout history, according to His predetermined plan, to bring these early followers of Jesus to the place where they would experience forgiveness of their selfishness and rebellion and the relationship with God that they were created for.

Peter then explained that these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Now the word sanctified is a fancy church mumbo jumbo talk word that means to be set apart and dedicated to God.  Peter's point here is that the Holy Spirit's transformational power and activity in the lives of these early followers of Jesus had set them apart as being dedicated to God.

Peter then stated the reason why these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn by God to experience a relationship with God was to obey Jesus Christ. Peter here is revealing for us the reality that these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God the Father to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around them by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter then revealed that, in spite of their selfishness and rebellion, these early followers of Jesus were chosen and drawn to God to be sprinkled with His blood.

Peter is painting a word picture of a sacrificial offering that would be offered as part of the Jewish sacrificial system. In the Jewish sacrificial system, there were two times every day that sacrifices were made to God for the sins of the people, one early in the morning and one in the in the late afternoon at 3 p.m. These sacrificial offerings involved animals who were offered as a substitute to pay the penalty for acts of selfishness and rebellion that had been committed against God.

Peter is pointing these Jewish followers of Jesus to Jesus death on the cross in their place, for their rebellion that cleansed and removed their sins. You see, Jesus death on the cross provides salvation because Jesus death alone satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes humanities guilt that results from selfishness, sin, and rebellion.  

And in the same way today, as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God as a result of the predetermined plan of God and not because of our performance. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God by the transformational intervention and activity of the Holy Spirit who gives us a new heart and a new spirit within us. As followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God and to live lives that reveal and reflect Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit. And as followers of Jesus, we have been chosen by God to experience a relationship with God through Jesus death on the cross, in our place, for our selfishness and rebellion that satisfies God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of humanity and removes the guilt that results from our selfishness and rebellion.

After describing how these early followers of Jesus were chosen by God to experience a relationship with God, Peter extended a traditional greeting of grace and peace. Peter hoped that these early followers of Jesus would experience God's divine favor in their lives and a state of well being with God that was continually increasing in their lives.  Peter then makes a statement that reveals for us a powerful and timeless truth when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.

Tomorrow, we will look at this statement…

We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father....

This week we have been addressing the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. We talked about the reality that when we see God as our parents supersized, we end up with a distorted view of God that will keep us from knowing and experiencing the true father/mother heart of God. And the reason why this is the case is due to the fact that God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.

We see this reality revealed in a section of an account of Jesus life that is recorded for us in the Bible called the gospel of Luke. In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable involving a father who had two sons. The younger son asked his father for his share of the inheritance because the younger son did not want a relationship with his father; he just wanted what he could get from his father. Jesus explained that the father responded to his sons request by granting his request. The father divided up his estate between his older and the younger sons.

After receiving his share of the inheritance, the youngest son gathered his inheritance and "went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.” As a result, the younger son found himself broke and without a job, with no friends and instead lost and alone. The younger son hit rock bottom.

Jesus explained that, at rock bottom, the younger son had a V-8 moment and came to his senses. And as he came to his senses, the younger son came to a conclusion and a decision. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father's servants had it much better off than he had it off. The younger son came to the conclusion that his father treated his servants in a way that was way better off than he was being treated.

And as a result of coming to that conclusion, the younger son made the decision to return to his father and ask to be hired on as one of his servants. The younger son made the decision to own his selfishness and rebellion against his father in hopes that his father would take him in as a servant instead of a son. You see, the son came to the conclusion that he did not deserve to be in a relationship with his father as a result of how he had treated his father.

So the son made the decision to confess his selfishness and rebellion to his father in hopes that that his father would hire him and provide for him as a slave. And with that the son prepared and practiced the speech that he would give to his father and headed off to meet his father. Jesus then tells us what happens next in the second half of Luke 15:20:

                “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

Jesus explained that while the younger brother was a long off, his father saw him and had compassion for him. Now the reason the father saw him was because the father was looking for him. Every day, the father spent a good part of the day looking and scanning the horizon in hopes that the younger son would return home. Can you imagine looking on as the father spent day after day looking and hoping that his son would return home?

Then one day, as the father looked over the horizon for his son, in the distance he saw the faint outline of a figure. And as the faint outline of that figure came closer and closer, soon the father recognized that the figure in the distance was his son. The father recognized the familiar way that his son carried himself as he walked. The father recognized the familiar frame of his son. And as the father came to the realization that it was his son that was coming toward him, Jesus explained that the father felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

You see, as the father saw his son approaching in the distance, he had pity for what his son had been through. The wear and tear of a life lived in rebellion against him was evident. The life of a lack of sleep and a lack of food caused his figure to be gaunt and tired. The lifestyle of whiskey, wine, and women had resulted in his son looking worn and weak. And in his compassion, the father ran to the son. In other words, the father would have had to pick up the robe that he was wearing up to his waist and hold it there as he ran to his son.

Now in the Jewish culture of the first century, no self respecting man would have done such a thing. After all, to act in such a way would be embarrassing. But the father did not care what others thought; the father just wanted to get to his son. And once he got to his son the father embraced him and kissed him. The father was so glad to have his son in his arms that he did not care about appearances.

And at that point, the son began to give the speech that he had been preparing and practicing throughout the journey from Vegas to his home. 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' However, the father would have none of it, as we see in verse 22:

             "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

Jesus explained to the crowds listening that instead of hiring his son as a servant, the father welcomed his son home as a son. And a part of that welcome home the father ordered his servants to make all the preparations necessary so that the father could throw a huge party to celebrate that the younger son had returned home.

The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was separated from him had returned back home to live in relationship with him. The father ordered the servants to prepare to throw a huge party for his son because his son who was an outsider that was lost and far from him had been found by the father who had been searching for him. Jesus then reveals how the father’s oldest son responded to what was happening in verse 25-27:

             "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'

Now this morning, I want us to take a minute and imagine ourselves in this parable as the older brother. I want us to take a minute and place ourselves in his shoes. You are out working for your dad in the field. And after a hard day's work, as you are returning home from work, you hear the sounds of a party going on. And when you ask why your dad decided to throw a party, you discover that the reason for the party was due to the fact that your younger, rebellious brother who had wished that your dad was dead had returned home. Your younger brother, who did not want a relationship with his father, but just wanted what he could get from his father had returned home. And your dad is throwing a party for him. You are the older brother. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How would you respond? We see how the older brother responded in verse 28-30:

                "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'

Did you notice what the older brother did here? Did you notice how the older brother referred to his younger brother? "But when this son of yours came". You see, in his judgmental anger, the older brother had disowned the son. While the father had been searching for the younger brother, the older brother was done with his younger brother.

After all, he was an insider with his father, while the younger brother was an outsider. After all, he was better than the younger brother. He was faithful to his father, his younger brother was faithless. He kept all the rules for his father, while his younger brother broke all the rules. Yet dad was throwing a party for this outsider, younger brother, instead of for the insider, older brother?

And in his anger, Jesus tells us that the older brother wanted nothing to do with the younger brother. In his anger, the older brother would not go into the home where the party was. Jesus then concludes His parable by explaining how the father responded to the older brother in verse 31-32:

            "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Did you notice what the father did here? did you notice how the father referred to the younger brother? "for this brother of yours". You see, the father desperately wanted the older brother to welcome the younger brother back into the family. The father basically said to the son "You have always been with me, you never left me. And remember, I already gave you the half of the inheritance that was coming to you as a result of being my son. But son, we had to throw a party because your brother was separated from us and has now been reunited in relationship with us. We had to throw a party because your younger brother was an outsider that was lost, but now he is an insider that has been found".

Now if you grew up in or spent any time in church, you know that this famous parable has a famous name that is attached to it. This famous parable is referred to as the parable of the prodigal son. But Jesus point in telling this parable was not to focus on the behavior of the younger son who was the prodigal. Jesus point in telling this parable was to focus on the behavior of the older son.

You see, just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day grumbled and complained about those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God hanging out with the Son of God. Just like the older son, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day, in their judgmental anger, had disowned those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God. Just like the older son, while God the Father had been searching for the those who were outsiders that were lost and far from God, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were done with those who were outsiders who were lost and far from God.

After all, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day thought that they were insiders with God the Father, while viewing those who were lost and were far from God were outsiders. And in their anger with Jesus, the self-righteous religious people of Jesus day were threatening to not go into the home of Heaven where the party was going to be held for those who were outsiders that were lost and were far from God but had been found by God through Jesus.

And it is here, in this event from history that we discover a timeless and true view of God given to us by Jesus that can enable us to rid ourselves of the distorted view of God as our parents supersized. And that timeless truth is this: We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father.  The timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized. We have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized because God is not the reflection of our parents. Instead God is the perfection of our parents.  

And unlike our parents supersized, a more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who runs to His children when they return to Him. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who, who no amount of wandering and squandering can separate you from His love.

A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat. A more accurate view of God is that of the tired eyed father who loves you for who you are, not what we do. We see this reality revealed for us in a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. Notice God the Father’s response to Jesus at His baptism in Matthew 3:16-17:

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.

Now here is something to consider. Up to this point in His life, has Jesus done anything miraculous? No. Has Jesus preached any amazing sermons yet? No. Does Jesus have any followers yet? No. Yet at Jesus baptism, before He did anything, He heard and recognized that He was loved by His Father. You see, what we do should flow out of our love for God.

So here is a question to consider: Which of these two views describe how you view God? Do you view God as your parents supersized? Do you view God as the reflection of your parents?

Or do you view God as the tired eyed father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is a faithful and forgiving father?  Do you view God as the tired eyed father who is seeking and searching for His children to return to Him and who runs to His children when they return to Him? Do you view God as the tired eyed father who invites you back, even in your darkest defeat and who loves you for who you are, not what we do?

Because the timeless reality is that we have a distorted view of God when we view God as our parents supersized instead of the tired eyed father. God is not a reflection of our earthly fathers. Instead God is the perfection of our earthly fathers.