06.06.2010 Keeping Your Behavior Excellent

06.06.2010 Grace Summit Sermon - Keeping Your Behavior Excellent from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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We will be concluding this section in 1 Peter today.

1 Peter 2: 4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For [this] is contained in Scripture: "Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner [stone], And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed." 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe. But for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner [stone,]" 8 and, "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this [doom] they were also appointed.

Peter is talking to people who are enduring great suffering because of their faith and he is encouraging them to remain faithful in the midst of their suffering.
He talks about this STONE – this living stone – this rejected stone – this cornerstone – this capstone – and he is saying – “You have been rejected by society – LOOK – JESUS UNDERSTANDS – because He was rejected.”
When you experience suffering or difficulty – you can be assured that Jesus gets it – He knows exactly what you are going through because He went through it also. There is not a situation you face that Christ does not understand. At times, it seems like God doesn’t get it – but He does. Peter is identifying Him with them. You who have been marginalized and displaced – you are identified with the King. What he is doing – he is lifting them up. They were down – really going through it – not having rights as citizens – suffering and poor – struggling to get enough food – and he is giving them a sense of dignity and pride. He wants to give them a different view of themselves. Think of it in a sports perspective – we can’t understand it – because we are Cleveland fans – but I grew up nearer to New York – and there you will find Yankee fans – whom we despise because they are cocky and New Yorkers – but they win! Now for us – we can be built up.
CS Lewis – the other Christians you have a hard time getting along with – if you were to see them in their glory – you would be tempted to worship them.
He is giving them a glimpse into who they are – that they might have a new view of things – moving it out of the realm here – and into an eternal one.
Cornerstone – solid – level – of great weight – and every other stone would like up with it. The building is built upon that stone – Jesus is that foundation of life. There is no other foundation stone. He is telling them – you have a foundation and are being built into a house – a community of people.
Capstone – the part of an arch that holds it all together.
I don’t think we spend enough time thinking how amazing Jesus is –
Peter twists things a little in v. 8 –
8 and, "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this [doom] they were also appointed.
He flips things here – we have this great message – but it is offensive.
How can this be? Let me back up and go outside of Christ – to see from an outsider perspective – this is what the message says – People are sinners and deserve eternal punishment. That is offensive. Maybe not to you – but to those outside – it is.
Let me say this – we have an offensive message – but that does not mean it should be given offensively. Some of us can be guilty of that.
Think of this – we think of a cross – people put large tattoos of crosses on their bodies – we used to have one on the roof – to us it is an honor – but to them it was something to be ashamed of. It was the sign of a criminal – when your only hope is a criminal on a cross – there is shame there.
Then – in this message – we say this – Christ is the only way to God. To us – of course! But out there – There is no other way?! His name and His alone? There is no other way. A person must come through faith in Jesus and that is offensive to the world. We go to v. 9 – Peter gives –
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
If you read Revelation – there is this huge city coming out of heaven. God is building this great city and we are a part of that. You will not have a mansion in heaven – you will be the mansion! A living home!
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

A chosen race! For them, there were two races – Jew and Gentile – but Peter says there is a third race – Jew and Gentile together in Christ! A chosen race – a royal priesthood! Being part of the king’s family – privileged. You are a part of this! He is lifting them up.
Why? So that you may proclaim – there is a purpose for this community – that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Imagine a slave – with no way out – and now someone says – guess what – you are part of the emperor’s family – from slavery to prince! And in that – you have a job – to proclaim the glories of Jesus.
We are to take this marvelous light – this glorious light – into the darkest places. Go where it is dark – find those dark places – and take this light.
In your world, the darkest place may be a neighbor – we looked at this over the last couple of weeks:
11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.
Then he says this:
1 Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.
What does that sound like? Matthew 5:16 – let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works – and glorify your Father who is in heaven. That marvelous light is to be seen through good deeds so that those who see it will glorify your father in heaven.
We need to be winsome in our behavior and unoffensive in the way that we live. Our lives should be light in dark places!
If I were writing 1 Peter – I’d have to change my name – you wouldn’t have First Mike – How do you do this? Work with the homeless – someone recently told me they keep packaged food in their car – so that when you get to the exit and there is the homeless guy there – I’d encourage you to do something like that!
But Peter says – make your behavior excellent –
13-17 – be subject to an oppressive ruler/master/government. We have a hard enough time being subject to a government we don’t like! Two years from this time – that government will hang him from a cross upside down until he is dead! Make your behavior excellent – so others may glorify God.
18-20 – he tells slaves to obey their masters who are perverse and unjust.
What does that have to do with behavior that wins people to Christ?
The next one is the oddest of all – 1 Peter 3 1-7 – wives – likewise – as slaves submitted to masters - submit to your husband. Some wives were stuck in unjust relationships and they had no recourse. Slaves had no other options. Wives – there were no social services – some had no other options. There was nothing they could do about the government – no other option – what Peter is doing is this – in every circumstance – no matter how dark – Peter understood how dark it was – and you can still be a light – people can glorify God through you. We are not in this situation – I know if you look at it – it is disturbing!
Why didn’t Peter tell them different things?!
He told husbands to love their wives – and that was unheard of – but there was nothing that could be done about the government – so he told the believers in these situations – even in the worst circumstances – there is a light you possess – you might not feel it – you might not recognize it – but you are a royal priest and you need to let it shine.

We are obviously in a different world – how might we take this and apply it to our own lives?
Government – I did a thing on that a year ago… - but when it comes to the political realm – how can you have excellent behavior to glorify God. Driving the speed limit probably won’t do it.
I think we need to refuse to engage in the poison political rhetoric of our day. That does not mean that we don’t stand for what we think is right or fail to vote – but when it comes to the poisonous rhetoric – we should refuse it entirely. We live in a post-Christian society – we need to recognize it – and we are now in a mission field – engaging in our culture in the same way that Rick and Carol engaged in Zaire when they were missionaries – in the same way that Hudson Taylor opened up China – Read stories of missionaries – and we need to do the same.
Second- WORK! We spend a lot of time there – have excellent behavior to let your light shine. A lot of times, we take the slavery thing and apply it to work – and that is offensive to slaves. – Here is what I have to say about work – avoid the gossip and infighting among the bosses and workers. We love to complain – but as Christians, we should avoid it and not get involved - -that does not mean that when someone starts to gossip that you shake your finger and say no no no!
But when you don’t engage – it shines your light.
Third – family – A simple, little practical thing – when you are around people – they often complain about their spouses. We should never do that. If we never do that – we are a marvelous light. In all the TV shows – the wife puts down the husband and the husband puts down the wife – and everyone laughs. But if there is honor – it is a light. There is so much bashing.
Social divide – Race is one we have looked at – there is a significant racial divide in our country – but the new race is among believers of different backgrounds. I know there is not a lot of opportunity here in the falls – but – it is real – so you should do whate3ver you can to tear down those barriers.
In the immigration debate – from our Christian perspective – how do we deal with strangers and aliens?
Lev. 19: 33 'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
This isn’t politically – but you and me in our attitude – no different –
Matt. 25 - 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me [something] to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, [even] the least [of them,] you did it to Me.'
When it comes to issues of social programming and social justice – there are arguments on both sides – but we, as believers – need to aid the needy and outcast. Regardless of the political solutions – we need to take care of others. The church needs to lead in this. In the first and second centuries – babies were left out to die – but the churches went out picking them up – not a political solution – but a practical one.
In closing – if we could go outside of the church – people would see the church as Againsters – Rick Warren said it is all about what Christians are against. It seems like they come out of the woodwork to be against things!
1 Peter 3: 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always [being] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Do they look at the church and Christians and say – What hope? Where do you get the home? Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980 because he campaigned the message of hope. Barack Obama – in 2008 – won the presidency on a message of hope – one on this side – one on the other – and it tells you what people are looking for – but it is not found in a political party – but it IS found in this offensive message lived out by unoffensive people.
O Lord, we ask for help that we might learn to become bearers of this marvelous light – people of excellent behavior – entering a dark world – that those who don’t know you may glorify you in the day of visitation -