Dear church,
This week we will continue our studies through the first book of Peter. Since it has been a while, let us remember how Peter came to Christ. You will find them in Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11 where Peter and Andrew are seen. They tried to catch fish all night long and Jesus tells them to go a little further and fish. Over there they get the catch of a lifetime. They could have been from then living a happy life having settled their families. They could have got all that they wanted. In our terms started a great and successful fishing business. Got more boats and made a name for themselves. That moment Peter understands the truth. Jesus was not ordinary. Peter having recognised Jesus as holy and himself as a sinner says to Jesus "Go away from me, for I am a sinful man".
Brothers the first thing that we see when our eyes are open to seeing God as holy is seeing our sins as unholy.
But - thank God for such mercy, but Jesus tells him "Do not be afraid - (follow me) from now on I will make you fishers of men"
Look at God's mercy and praise him. He tells them "Do not be afraid" - what does that mean? We know the purpose why Jesus came to earth. He came to seek the sinner and save the lost. Amen! That is why Jesus says to Peter "Do not be afraid" ... there has to be no fear in approaching Jesus - the one who sits on the throne of grace - the one who is called the prince of peace.
Then only, after assuring Peter that Jesus is not here to pass judgement, does Jesus tell Peter what Jesus is going to do in his life. Jesus wants Peter to follow him, to be a disciple of Jesus. To live a life that follows Jesus. This is our calling. The Prince of Peace, the one who can calm your hearts, the one who can heal you calls you to himself. He is offering his mercy for you. This is the day brothers and sisters. Come to Jesus.
Peter followed Jesus, but his walk like we know was not perfect. He betrayed his allegiance to Jesus, yet Jesus calls him and lets him know that Jesus has not abandoned him. That is grace. Peter became a leader of the early church and wrote letters to churches. He was later killed in Rome around AD 64 by Nero.
Let us get into the letter now.
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 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. 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.”
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,”
and
“A stone of stumbling,and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Peter says "So/Therefore" put away all malice ... The first question we need to ask is Wherefore.
In the previous chapter we have seen that Peter tells us in the last sentence the reason for Christian life.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; .. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Peter says that holiness is the way we please God. For the last few days i have been reading through the Bishop J.C Ryle's short devotionals. In one such he talks about holiness. You see brothers, if you are saying that you are a christian then you should be the most joyful person around. He says, there are only a few who really obey the words of Jesus. There are only a few who listen to Jesus's words carefully. Everyone is tossed and turned in the world and finds every cares of the world on their shoulders. He says that if we want to be eminently happy, we must strive to be eminently holy. You see brothers and sisters, why should we purse holiness? It's because it leads to the greatest happiness. How does it lead you may ask? What has the Lord said to us? My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Come to me those who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. But we only believe that at the time we were saved. But the words are for every day. Come to him. Let he give you rest.
So this is the first point.
The first rule of Christian life is to abide with Jesus. Remember the three simple points Nevil brother pointed last week. For a person to walk a Christian life he must look 3 ways. One above to the Lord. One inward and examine his heart and thoughts. One outside to see how he can shine the light of Lord in the lives of many. Im not going to go further than these 3 points. Let's start with the third point. There are many who are amazed that Christians are interested in charity work. Some say that it is good that Christians help others say that it is not good as the main purpose of a church is to only provide spiritual growth. Let me tell you this, Christians have build more hospitals in India than any other religion before. Why? its because they believe that God will heal. You may wonder if other religions do not believe. They do believe that there may be healing. But Hinduism and Buddhism says sickness will make "moksha" easier and Islam says "its arbitrary". This is why mission center exist. In Bolivia the Butcher family has migrated to show God's work there. Mission Bolivia will fund street work with children, the disadvantaged and the elderly providing food, clothes, care facilities, rehoming and sharing the love of God. They will work with existing organisations involved with street work, social justice, education projects, rehabilitation, health restoration, food and medical provision. Why? because gospel will not be understood on an empty stomach. You need to feed people before you share the word. This is what the church has done for 2000 years. From Acts 7 taking care of widows to rescuing orphans from death till date the mission is bring the Gospel.
Here is the second point:
To look at Jesus. To look to the heavens. That is today's topic. It takes a long while to come to the topic ...
Therefore - Peter says -
because God's word is eternal and everlasting, love one another.
because God's word is pure and holy put away all malice(desire to harm others or wish harm) and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
because God's word last longer than your words - conduct yourself with fear in the time of your stay on earth
because God's word is purifying - love one another purely.
because God's word is Jesus (precious and blameless lamb of God (see John 1:1-2) ) - live a life that gives Jesus glory.
Amazing right. I love that. And Peter says this is the very same word that was preached to you, This is the word that gives you hope. This is the word that gives you life. Amen!
But brothers we come to the third point and wonder at our lives. Peter tells us to put the evil away from us. In all its form. big and small.
Third point: look at our selves
Now this is important. Peter tells us through the Holy Spirit who is God - long for spiritual milk.
Last week we read the portions 1 Cor 3: 2 (I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready) ... brothers that is another context. Do not mix it up here. Two speakers, two churches, two books, two places, two times --- just because the word milk is there do not mix up the context. The Bible is not a secret book with secret word to find out hidden clues. God meant it for you to understand.
Peter from the verse 2 to verse 10, Peter goes through the Old Testament and proves his point. His point is desire for Spiritual milk. Peter is stating really hard and good OT verses to strong believer. I had initially thought that the people in Peter's letter were young or new converts. But that is not the case. Else Peter would have not have told such hard statements.
Last week we saw that the person who hears God's word belong to God -- no lets see John 8:47 ... it says those who belong to God hear his words. Brothers, the scripture is talking about you. Job 23:12 - I have treasured your word more than my bread. Psalms 40:8 I desire to do your will, my God;your law is within my heart.”
Peter is exalting, encouraging telling us "love the Scripture", desire it, crave it, want it, come to a place where you cannot live without it.
Peter says "long" for the word ... Remember Psalms 40, as the deer longs for water, so my soul longs for you ...
See how wonderfully he tells the relation of the word to the believer ...
As infants, long for the milk... most of us are parents, remember holding your child after he was born. Did he care for the look on your face, the house or the place you were in .. no it only did one thing. In the matter of fact six months down the line has our baby started to notice the house. Peter is not calling you a baby here. Please do not take this instruction simply. Peter is saying just like babies depend on milk that is pure, from its mother - from the source crave the word of God. Brothers it is your food. What happens if you forget to feed the baby... it will cry and cry till you give it milk. Peter wants to relate to you brothers with this example. He wants you to know that you are to be fully dependent on God. You are to find him most satisfying. You have to find the word of God most tasty. Ps 119:103 says They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. The Bible tells us to study the word, treasure the word, examine the word, obey the word but to do all in the right manner you must desire the word. There are many who have PhDs in theology and written books on the Bible who have nothing for God. Brothers desire the word.
Here are the things you need to take home
1. Like a baby finds its source of growth and life in the milk - you find your source in the Jesus
Remember the message last week the short message Cm. sent. She reminded us that the source of the our life is Jesus. By being in with Jesus, and only by being with Jesus we can bear fruit. Because you remember the very source of your transformation. Was your salvation not the greatest thing that happened to you in your life, and was it not effected by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God? James says, in 1:18, “He begot us by the word of truth.”
2. You depend on the word for life - you spend time in the word of God.
Remember the first place and the main place God works is through the Bible because it is his word, his power, his Spirit. Like she said in her text, we cannot choose to be kind especially to someone evil, we cannot choose to forgive those who hurt us. Last month on the 23rd was the 9th anniversary of the Staines being killed in 2003. Staines was a missionary to the leapers in Odisha. They came to serve the gospel.They even might have taught the gospel. But what they did was love the people. Do you know that Gladys Staines said this
"The Lord God is always with me to guide me and to help me try to accomplish the work of Graham, but I sometimes wonder why Graham was killed, and what also made his assassins behave in such a brutal manner on the night of the 22nd/23rd of January 1999... It is far from my mind to punish the persons who were responsible for the death of my husband Graham and my two children. But it is my desire and hope that they would repent and be reformed."
How could she say this? By the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit moulds us to create this fruit in our lives.
3. The word is against everything else. The word is meant to show your heart. Read the words again.
Malice: a desire to hurt someone with words or deeds.
Guile: a desire to gain some advantage or preserve some position by deceiving others.
Hypocrisy: a desire not to be known for what really is.
Envy: a desire for some privilege or benefit that belongs to another with resentment that another has it and you don't.
Slander: the desire for revenge and self-enhancement, often driven by the deeper desire to deflect attention from our own failings.
Do you have any? Do we look at the state of our heart and consider the darkness?
Cry out to the Lord - ask him for the Holy Spirit. Ask the Spirit to mould you.
This we know, this true repentance, is the work of the Holy Spirit. But you have to cry out to the Holy Spirit to do that work in you. If you don’t have a desire for the Word; if you don’t have a desire to read it, to learn its truths, to hear its joys and its convicting realities; if you don’t expose yourself to the hearing of it preached and taught regularly, you need to go back and remember the power it displayed at the beginning when you were regenerated, and you need to begin to take a look at yourself and think about eliminating your sin.
4. Grow in the word. Read 1 John 2:12-14. We start as children. Our sins forgiven. Then we become young men and women - overcoming the evil one. Learning to understand the ways, being aware that the devil is waiting to devour. Making sure that we are overcoming. Does it say fighting? no, we are not called to fight the devil. Please do not read it that way. It ways overcome. It says you are strong,and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Then we become spiritual fathers - raising up a new generation. Then we know God. We have walked with God. But it all starts and is based here. DESIRE the Word.
JC Ryle has this another quote
The Mindset of a Pilgrim
“A holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness. He will endeavor to set his affections entirely on the things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand.
He will not neglect the business of this life now; but the first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come. He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim traveling to his home.
“To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and in the assembly of His people – these things will be the holy man’s chiefest enjoyments. He will value every thing and place and company, just in proportion as it draws him nearer to God.”
Read and learn the word of God. Commune and share and mediate - think upon the word of God. Find ways to incorporate the word. We, if you have not noticed have been slowly moving away from several popular songs to more meaningful songs. Why? Because a mind focused is a mind filled. By diving into deeper theological songs we are able to grow through singing. You see, when trouble comes, the first thing in your heart is not a sermon but a song. So we been singing CityAlight and Sovereign Grace Music and hymns more.
Look at the last verse : if indeed you tasted that God is good. That is our testimony. We tell our pains and successes as testimonies. We are not going to shy away because we did not get what we expected. Do you know why? Because we deserved hell and God gave us hope. We got more than what we expected. So share your testimony. Be honest - let them know that God is good. Let them see how you love your God. Let them know that you are a deer that pants for the living water.
I am inviting you to this supernatural event. Where black inks on a paper, you wake up, you read it, you drink your coffee, you think about those words, then you sit to work, those words dig deep in you. You realise that you have not been kind to some one, you call them up and say sorry. Then you do your work, your colleague messes our work. You wait and with care tell them they are wrong and help them clean up the work. You love your wife, your children, show them compassion. Then the word works again in you you think on the same word and it draws you closer. You pray for your neighbour. You get a small chocolate for them, and speak to them about normal stuff. Share your pains, and wish them well. It brings glory to God. Because God's word will work supernatural in your lives.
John Newton, a captain of the ship that took men and women and children by force, chained them and sold them separate, read the Bible. The words brought life and he wrote "i was blind but now i see - amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" ... he brought forth a disciple William Wilberforce who lead to freedom of slave in all of UK colonies. See, the very words are in your hands. I lived a hard life hating my family. My relation with my dad was bad. Do you know what changed it? The Bible. The very words in your hand.
Lets pray
Give us a love for this book, an obsession with its truth, and the Father, Son, and Spirit who are revealed in it, so that we can both speak and live, showing forth Your excellencies.
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