Tawa Baptist

Grace

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:18-21

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Christians are like slaves
  • Unjust suffering is grace
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Tomorrow is Labour Day. In a general sense Labour Day is a public holiday to celebrate workers. Labour Day has its origins in the eight-hour day movement, which advocated a balanced lifestyle of eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.

Many countries around the world celebrate Labour Day on the 1st May, but in New Zealand we take the fourth Monday off in October. The New Zealander often associated with the eight hour working day is Samuel Parnell, a Wellington carpenter.

In the 1840’s a shipping agent, named George Hunter, asked Samuel Parnell to build him a store on Lambton Quay. Parnell agreed, on the condition that he would only work eight hours per day. Hunter was initially reluctant, but Parnell argued that “we have twenty-four hours per day given us; eight of these should be for work, eight for sleeping, and the remaining eight for recreation and in which for men to do what little things they want for themselves. I am ready to start to-morrow morning at eight o’clock, but it must be on these terms or none at all.”

When Hunter pointed out how different this was from London, Parnell replied “We’re not in London.” Due to a severe shortage of skilled workers in New Zealand, Hunter was forced to accept Parnell’s terms on the spot.

Samuel Parnell greeted ships coming in to Port, and told the new migrants not to work more than eight hours a day. In a workers’ meeting in October 1840, it was agreed that people should only work eight hours a day, which must be between 8am and 5pm. Anyone accepting less favourable working conditions was to be thrown into the harbour.

On the 28 October 1890, the 50th anniversary of the eight-hour day was commemorated with a parade. Then in 1899 the government passed legislation to make Labour Day a public holiday.

Today we continue our series in the letter of first Peter. Last week we heard how Christian believers are to submit to the government. This week we learn what Peter has to say about how Christian believers are to respond to unjust treatment. From 1st Peter chapter 2, verses 18-21 we read…  

18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is grace if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is grace before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,that you should follow in his steps.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

On the face of it, today’s reading is about how slaves (or workers) are to relate to their master. Scratching beneath the surface though we find it is less about slavery and more about how Christian believers are to respond to unjust treatment. Two things to highlight from what Peter is saying here:

Firstly, Christians are like slaves and secondly, unjust suffering is grace.  

Christians are like slaves:

As you are heading north on State Highway 1, just past Paekakariki, there is a bill board advertising a commercial real estate firm. On this billboard is a picture of Christian Cullen (a former All Black) in a suit standing beside someone else in a suit, with the phrase: ‘From one great team to another.’ It’s clever advertising.   

Businesses tend to align themselves with successful sports teams and individuals because they want to associate themselves with the strength and success of that team. For example, Sanitarium also piggy back off the reputation of the All Blacks as a fit, healthy and strong team by showing TV ads of All Black players eating Weetbix.

By the same token, most big-businesses are keen to distance themselves from teams and athletes who have fallen into disrepute. Lance Armstrong was dropped like a stone by his sponsors (Nike and Budweiser) when he got caught for doping some years back.   

In first Peter 2, verse 18, Peter begins talking about how slaves are to relate with their masters. In the context of the first century, slaves were on the lowest rung of society. They did not have the same protection under the law and so they did not enjoy the same power or privilege as people who were free.

Slaves were like the opposite of the All Blacks in terms of their social standing. No self-respecting business would align their brand with slaves. They just would not want their name associated with people who were essentially powerless and dishonoured in society.

By giving particular attention to slaves, Peter is characterising his first century readers as people without power and privilege in society at large. Peter is saying: we Christians are like slaves. And, in the historical context, it was a fair comparison. While Peter’s readers were a mixture of slave and free, they were all pretty much despised and maligned by the wider Roman world simply because they were Christians.

From a public relations point of view, it is strange that Peter aligns the Christian community with the slave community. In marketing terms, it was not good for the Christian brand. If Peter wanted to improve the public perception of the Christian community, he would have been better to sponsor the colosseum where gladiatorial games took place. This would make the Christian brand appear powerful and strong and popular with the masses.

But Peter does not do that. Why? Because that would be a denial of Christ and Peter was not going to make that mistake again. The truth is we worship a crucified God. Jesus embraced the shame, the dishonour, the powerlessness and the injustice of the cross, in obedience to God. Jesus aligned his name, not with the All Blacks of this world, but rather with the Lance Armstrong’s of this world. Cheats and sinners like us.    

The other thing that is strange here, from our 21st Century perspective, is that Peter does not speak out against slavery. Slavery is clearly wrong, to our way of thinking at least, and yet Peter seems to condone it when he instructs slaves to submit to their masters. We, in the affluent west, want to read a Bible that condemns slavery but the New Testament does not do that.

Consequently, we may be tempted to put a distance between ourselves and Peter’s words here because Peter’s instruction, for slaves to submit to their masters, is not good for our Christian brand. It makes us appear backward and morally bankrupt in the eyes of contemporary society.  

In response to this, let me shed a bit of light on the historical context. When we hear the word slave we tend to think of the 18th and 19th Centuries when black Africans were kidnapped and transported to America in chains to work as farm hands, picking cotton or harvesting sugar. Images of violence and abuse from movies like Roots and Gone with the Wind and Armistad and 12 Years a Slave and The Cider House Rules and Uncle Tom’s Cabin come to mind.

However, slavery in the Roman empire of the first century was not exactly the same as the slavery of 18th and 19th centuries. For one thing, slaves of the first century were not just black. Slaves could be of any race or ethnicity.

What’s more some slaves in the first century were highly educated people. Yes, many slaves worked in the fields and the mines or waited on tables, but there were others who worked as doctors, teachers, and business managers.   

And while a good many slaves of the first century were abused, because there was little or no legal protection for them, others were treated well and a small minority (with the help of their masters) were able to buy their freedom. This in no way makes the slavery of the first century okay. But it was different to the picture of slavery we often get from Hollywood movies.

We live at a time and place in history where human trafficking is rightly considered evil but for the people of the 1st Century slavery was socially acceptable. It is thought that between 85%-90% of the population were slaves in New Testament times. [1] The economy depended on slavery. The pagan society of Peter’s day simply did not see anything wrong with slavery. It was not a moral issue for them. It was an economic necessity.

As I’ve said on a number of occasions, the Christian community were a marginalised minority, viewed with suspicion if not contempt. It would have been completely unrealistic for the fledging New Testament church to criticise slavery or advocate its overthrow. The young churches would be fighting the consensus of the Greco-Roman world. Any attempt at social revolution would have been doomed to failure. [2]

Peter’s focus was not on changing social structures. His main concern was to see transformation of the human heart, from the inside out. Once the human heart and mind are in tune with Jesus, the slave becomes your brother or sister. Social status is no longer important and slavery becomes a moot point – it dissolves.  

In any case, we are in no position to throw the first stone. Slavery is not just a problem consigned to history. Slavery, in various forms, is still alive and well in our world today. 

The fact that Peter does not openly condemn slavery in his letter does not mean the Bible condones it. Far from it. Slavery is a man-made institution. It was not God’s idea. Jesus came to set the captives free. Jesus came to turn the values of this world upside down. It is because of the influence of Christ that we now see slavery as evil. Jesus teaches us to uphold the dignity and value of every human life, for we are all made in the image of God. But Jesus does not bring about this change through violent political revolution. He does it incrementally, slowly, via the cross, through vulnerability and weakness.     

Okay, so that’s the first thing Peter is saying: Christians are like slaves. The second point is even more disturbing: unjust suffering is grace.

Unjust suffering is grace:

If we are shocked by Peter’s instruction for slaves to submit to their masters, we may be horrified by what comes next. Peter tells his readers to submit, not only to those masters who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh or morally crooked. From verse 19 we read…

For it is grace if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. …if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is grace before God.

Some English translations of these verses say: it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering… But the word translated as commendable is actually charis in the original Greek and charis means grace.    

While grace is commendable, at its heart the word grace means gift. Grace is a beautiful gift, a good gift, a life giving gift. Grace enables the winsomeness we talked about a couple of weeks ago. Grace is not earned by hard work, nor can it be taken by force. Grace can only be received as a gift in an attitude of trust.

For it is grace if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.

Peter’s words here seem a long way from Labour Day. They are a thousand miles from Samuel Parnell’s insistence on an eight hour working day. Parnell and his friends probably would have thrown Peter in the harbour for preaching this stuff.        

I like Peter’s realism in these verses though. He is a down to earth fisherman who more than likely worked a lot more than 8 hours a day. After all, if he did not catch fish he did not eat.  He does not entertain any illusions about the way the world is.

Peter is basically saying, this world is not always kind or fair. Injustice is still very much a part of the fabric of this world. As a Christian you should expect some unjust treatment from time to time. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will. But nothing is beyond the reach of his grace.

If you are able to endure the pain (the mental anguish) of unjust treatment, because you are aware of God, then this is grace (not disgrace).

So in what sense is enduring unjust treatment grace? How is mistreatment by your master or employer a beautiful gift? Because, at the time, the pain of unjust treatment, of being misunderstood or maligned or falsely accused does not feel like grace. Being a lightning rod for someone else’s anger, being blamed for someone else’s mistakes, does not feel good or life giving.  It may cause us to think that God is unhappy with us or has abandoned us when, in fact, the opposite is true.   

The capacity to endure the pain of injustice, without compromising who you are, is a beautiful gift (a God given grace) in that situation. God’s grace is in the strength he gives to handle the injustice. We are to be vessels (or containers) of God’s grace making His presence real. 

I imagine some of you, perhaps most of you, have experienced God’s grace in this way. Think of a time in your life when things were tough, when circumstances were against you, through no fault of your own, but somehow (mysteriously) you handled it. That was likely God’s grace, giving you the peace and the strength you needed.

Isn’t it strange the way we can lose the plot when something little goes wrong (like when someone doesn’t replace the toilet roll when it’s finished or tramps leaves through the house when you’ve just vacuumed or some other little thing irks you). But when a far more challenging situation presents itself (like the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or level 4 lockdown) we seem to rise to the occasion and surprise ourselves by coping well.

That ‘rising to the occasion’ is something more than just adrenalin. It is God’s grace. God is the one who gives us what we need to endure the hardship. It’s like God is carrying us through that difficult experience – and that is a beautiful gift. 

In thinking of the grace to endure unjust treatment by an employer I am reminded of the story of Jacob from Genesis. When Jacob ran away from home he went to his uncle Laban. Laban had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and made a deal with Laban to work for seven years in exchange for marrying Rachel.

At the end of the seven years Laban switched the bride and tricked Jacob into marrying his eldest daughter, Leah. Jacob then had to work another seven years to pay the bride price for Rachel. But God gave Jacob the grace to submit to Laban, even though Laban was deceitful and crooked.

God’s grace for Jacob was altogether beautiful. God’s grace came in the form of the euphoria of romantic love which made the seven years pass quickly for Jacob. Not that Jacob had to wait 14 years to be with Rachel. He married Rachel a week after Leah. But God’s grace also came through Leah, who provided sons for Israel. 

Jacob was not Laban’s slave exactly but he was subject to Laban as a worker and Laban was not a good or easy boss. After 20 years of service to Laban, working as a shepherd far more than eight hours a day, Jacob had had enough and left under the cover of darkness with his family.

This suggests there are limits to submission and there comes a time to throw off the yoke of oppression. You do not need to submit to abuse in the workplace. There is legal protection available to workers these days that simply was not available in ancient times. Returning to Jacob & Laban. We note that in leaving, Jacob did no violence to Laban. Laban caught up with Jacob and the two of them made a solemn promise to do no harm to each other. An amicable separation. 

Okay, so the grace to endure unjust suffering is something good which comes from God to help us through a difficult time. We believers, who are God’s slaves, essentially become a vehicle of God’s grace for the undeserving. But is there another way to understand what Peter means when he says unjust suffering is grace? Well, maybe, with the benefit of hindsight.

Sometimes God’s grace comes to us in a form that is not pleasant. God’s grace does not always feel like the euphoria of falling in love. Sometimes God’s grace is an ugly duckling that we despise at first, but which later turns into a beautiful swan. We often only recognise God’s grace in the rear vision mirror.

Earlier in the service we heard a reading from Matthew 16 where Jesus predicted his suffering, death and resurrection. Peter (the same Peter who wrote this letter) took Jesus aside and rebuked Jesus saying, ‘Never, Lord. This shall never happen to you.’

Peter was well intentioned of course. He was loyal to Jesus and did not want Jesus to suffer injustice like this. But Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get behind me Satan. You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’

What a devastating critique. Peter was only trying help. To Peter’s credit he did not throw his toys out of the cot and return to his fishing business. He did not get the pip with Jesus and walk off in a huff. Instead he submitted to what Jesus said, even though it probably seemed a bit harsh and unfair to him at the time. Peter stuck with Jesus.

It was only later, after he had witnessed Jesus’ suffering and death and had seen the risen Jesus, that Peter understood. The ugly duckling of unjust suffering was actually a graceful, beautiful swan in waiting. Jesus’ unjust suffering was the means of God’s grace for undeserving humanity.

Conclusion:

Verse 21 tells us that, as Christians, we are called to unjust suffering, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

The Greek word translated as example was used to refer to a pattern of letters of the alphabet over which children learning to write would trace. [3] Jesus left us the pattern of the cross over which we are to trace out our lives, in order that we might follow in his steps.

We are unlikely to be scourged and crucified as Jesus was, but we are likely to suffer injustice, in some way or another, if we openly follow Christ. This injustice will hurt but it is grace if we bear it without losing trust in God. For if we share in Christ’s suffering we will also share in his glory. That is the pattern.

After sowing in tears comes reaping with joy.

After waiting in silence comes revelation.

After alienation comes intimacy.

After unjust treatment comes vindication.  

After darkness comes the dawn.

And after death comes resurrection.    

Let us pray…

Father God, we thank you for your grace in all its forms. We confess that (like Peter) we do not always recognise your grace or welcome it. We find the way of Jesus hard. We don’t enjoy being misunderstood or blamed for other people’s mistakes. We don’t like turning the other cheek when we are treated unfairly and yet your grace is often revealed in these experiences of injustice. (Lord, I don’t like the way of the cross, but I like you.) Forgive us for the times when we have resisted your will. Give us grace to embrace our cross and follow in the footsteps of Jesus so that the love of Christ would be real for others and the hope of glory real for us. Amen.      

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why do you think Peter aligns the Christian community (brand) with slaves? How do you feel being aligned with people at the bottom of the social ladder?
  • Why do you think Peter (and the NT generally) does not explicitly condemn slavery? In what ways has the influence of Christ changed attitudes to slavery over the centuries?  
  • What is grace? What do you think Peter means when he says, ‘For it is grace if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.’?
  • When is it not appropriate to submit to your boss? When might one make a stand and throw off the yoke of oppression?
  • Can you think of a time in your own life when things were tough (through no fault of your own) and God gave you grace to handle it? What form did God’s grace come to you in? Share your story with someone you trust.

[1] Paul Copan, ‘Is God a Moral Monster?’, page 151.

[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1st Peter, page 136.

[3] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 195.

Tawa Baptist

Freedom

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:13-17

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Submission
  • Freedom
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Some things do not go well together. For example, forks and power sockets are not a good combination. Orange juice and toothpaste don’t mix very well either. (Just try drinking an OJ after brushing your teeth.) Hair driers and bath tubs should also be avoided, along with late nights and early mornings or ice-cream and sensitive teeth. These sorts of things are simply not compatible. 

By the same token there are some things that naturally work well together. For example, bread and butter, shoes and socks, darkness and sleep, soap and water, macaroni and cheese and salty chips dipped in melted chocolate. It took me over 40 years to discover that last combination. Chips and chocolate go surprisingly well together. The salt accentuates the flavour of the chocolate. It tastes great.     

Today we continue our series in 1st Peter. Last week we heard how we need to get the foundation of our inner life right so that we can be a winsome witness to the world. This morning’s passage continues the theme of the believers’ relationship to the world, with a particular focus on our relationship with the government. From 1st Peter, chapter 2, verses 13-17 to read…

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people,but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,fear God, honour the emperor.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In this reading we find two ideas which, at first, sound incompatible: submission and freedom. Hearing these two words together we might be inclined to think orange juice and toothpaste. But actually, on closer examination, we find submission and freedom are more like salty chips and melted chocolate – an unexpected match made in heaven.

First let us consider what Peter has to say about submission.

Submission:

To submit means to accept, or yield to, the will of another person. Obedience goes hand in hand with submission. When we submit to someone we put ourselves under that person’s authority. Submission does not diminish our worth or our value as human beings. It is simply a way of saying, ‘you first’.

One of my earliest memories, as a child, is of my grandfather putting me on his shoulders and carrying me around his house. I was quite young at that stage and still learning to talk. But I found that when I turned my grandfather’s head he would go in the direction I had indicated, without a word being spoken.   

My grandfather did not need to play this game and did not need to follow my directions. Nevertheless, he freely chose to submit to me when I was on his shoulders. His submission did not make him any less of a person. To the contrary it opened a door in our relationship and was an expression of his love.

Submission is not always an expression of love. When submission is forced it feels more like violence but when submission is freely given it creates a connection, a bridge, between people.

Now in sharing this story I don’t mean to suggest parents and grandparents should always submit to their children and grandchildren. This was just a game my grandfather played with me and was the exception rather than the rule. Generally speaking, it is more helpful for small children if they feel like caring and responsible adults are in charge.

But, at the same time, a child needs to know the adults in their life trust them. And that’s what my grandfather was doing in playing a game of submitting to me – he was creating trust.    

Peter instructs his readers to Submit yourselves… to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him…

Peter is talking about the Christian believers’ relationship to the government. Generally speaking, we are to submit to the government. Now we need to remember here that the governing authority of Peter’s day was very different from the government we know. In the first century the Romans were in charge and it was essentially a pagan dictatorship, not a democracy.

The ‘emperor’ refers to Caesar and the governors were those men appointed by Caesar to manage certain geographical areas within the empire. Most likely Peter wrote his letter when Nero was emperor – sometime near the beginning of Nero’s reign. Nero was a bad egg. He was not a benevolent dictator. By the end of his reign he was openly persecuting Christians. He used Christians as a scapegoat for whatever suited his purpose.

Peter’s instruction to submit was probably given a couple of years prior to Nero’s full on persecution of the church. In any case, the Christian community was a marginalized minority and in no position to influence or leverage the political powers that be.

Given the political context of that time Peter’s instruction to submit to a pagan government may seem strange to us, like putting a fork into a power socket. The Roman authorities could be violent.

However, Peter’s advice was wise. The church at that time was perceived by society at large to be a relatively new religion and therefore a threat to the peace of the empire. The most sensible strategy in that situation was for the church to try and foster trust by submitting to the authorities and demonstrating they were not a threat.

Indeed, the Christian church posed no threat at all. Jesus made it very clear that his kingdom is not of this world and so Caesar had no reason to fear the church. Unfortunately, Nero was a bit bonkers and reason did not really feature that much in his leadership.       

Nevertheless, Peter tells his readers to submit to the government. This is in keeping with Jesus’ teaching. Earlier in the service we read a passage from Mark 12, where Jesus was asked whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar? After all, the tax money was supporting a pagan power and being spent in all sorts of ways that were disagreeable to Jewish religion.

The question was a trick, designed to trap Jesus, but the Lord saw through it and called his opponents out for their pretense. Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”

In other words, ‘Submit to the government by paying your taxes, but save your worship for God’.

In Christian thought the government is actually God’s servant, even if the government is not aware of it. God uses governments (of all varieties) to maintain law and order. This does not mean that God is micro-managing every law change and policy decision. To the contrary, governments do a fair bit that I expect God does not agree with. But, looking at the bigger picture of history, God is sovereign. He plants governments and uproots them as he determines.    

This is how Jesus saw it. The people in political power are only there because God has allowed it. When Jesus stood trial before Pilate, the Roman governor said to Jesus, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” [1]

And Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.”

In that situation Jesus knew it was God’s will for him to die on the cross. Jesus submitted to the Roman government because he understood that, as ungodly as the Romans were, they were still appointed by God. Pilate was, unwittingly, serving God’s purpose.

Interestingly, the reason Peter gives why Christians should submit to the authorities is:  for the Lord’s sake …15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

The idea here is that submission provides a winsome witness. People can argue with the words you say but they cannot argue with their experience of you. Humble submission speaks volumes. Jesus’ quiet submission certainly spoke volumes to Pilate. It helped to convince Pilate that the accusations against Jesus were false. From then on Pilate tried to set Jesus free.

While submitting to the governing authorities is a good strategy for fostering trust between the church and the government, there is no guarantee it will save us. Ultimately, we submit for the Lord’s sake. In other words, our submission to the government is really an act of loving obedience to God.

As I said earlier, submitting does not makes us less valuable in any way. If anything it demonstrates our worth.

So, should we always submit to the government then? What if the government ask us to do something that is clearly wrong? Well, no. We should not blindly do whatever the government tells us. There are exceptions to the rule. We need to exercise some discernment. The key is obedience to God. Jesus submitted to death on a cross, at the hands of the Roman government, because that was God’s will for him. But if Pilate had told Jesus to bow down to Caesar we know Jesus would have refused.

The point is, our ultimate submission is to God. If the government wants us to do something that is clearly offensive to God, then we must give priority to what God wants.

For example, in Exodus 1 when the people of Israel were being oppressed in Egypt, Pharaoh told the Jewish midwives to kill all the baby boys, as they were born, but to let the girls live. In that situation the mid wives, Shiphrah and Puah, disobeyed the government and lied to Pharaoh because they feared God.

In Daniel 6, king Darius issued an edict that anyone who prayed to any god or man during a set 30-day period, except king Darius, should be thrown into a den of lions. The prophet Daniel, who was a leading servant of the king and normally did submit to the government, disobeyed the edict. Daniel carried on praying to Yahweh, the God of Israel, three times a day as he always did.     

Likewise, in Acts 4 when the Sanhedrin told the apostles Peter & John to stop healing and preaching in the name of Jesus, Peter & John replied: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”      

We submit to the government for the sake of the Lord. Faithful obedience to God is the key to discerning when civil disobedience is called for.

The past several months have been an interesting time. Because of the COVID pandemic the government has, when necessary, put bans on large gatherings with the result that we have missed 18 Sundays of gathered worship so far this year. (12 weeks the first time and 6 weeks the second time.) We have submitted to the government’s requirements and have not overstepped the mark.

We submitted for the sake of the Lord and for the well-being of the wider community. Although we stopped gathering physically for 18 weeks, we did not stop worshipping God. We believe submitting to the government in this context is the right thing to do. It is an act of obedience to God.

Okay, so we are to submit to the government, in accordance with God’s will.

Freedom:

The other word Peter puts alongside submission, in this passage, is freedom.

In verse 16 of chapter 2, in the same breath as telling his readers to submit to the governing authorities, Peter says:  Live as free people,but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;live as God’s slaves.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this sermon, submission and freedom do not seem like they go together at first. But actually, like salty chips dipped in melted chocolate they are an unexpectedly good match.

Freedom empowers submission. Freedom lends dignity to submission. Freedom is to submission what electricity is to a lightbulb – freedom fulfills the purpose of submission (which is to foster trust and express love).

To understand how freedom relates to submission we need to ensure we have a right understanding of freedom. Most people in contemporary western society think of freedom as the ability to do whatever one wants, so long as it does not harm anyone else. So, in popular culture at least, freedom has to do with self-determination.

But this is not what the Bible means by freedom. In a Christian understanding, freedom is not about an escape from responsibility and service. No. Freedom is about a change of master. Without Christ, our master is sin and death. But with Christ our master is the Living God. And the Lord God Almighty is a far kinder master than any other we could have.

To help us understand this concept of freedom, think of a fish. A fish is free so long as it remains in water. But if the fish decides to go walk about on land it loses its freedom and in fact loses its life. In the same way we human beings are free so long as we remain in God’s will for us. If we reject God as our master, if we remove ourselves from the water of God’s will, then we lose our freedom and our life.

Let me tell you a story to further illustrate what Christians mean by freedom. Once there was a quiver of arrows straight and true. One day one of the arrows, we’ll call him Aaron (Aaron the arrow), decided he was sick and tired of being cooped up in the quiver with all the other arrows. Aaron wanted to be free. As chance would have it Aaron’s wish was granted and he fell out of the quiver onto the ground.

At first he thought, this is great. Out in the fresh air and sunshine. Not jammed in with the other arrows. But before long some children found Aaron and started playing with him. They used his head to draw in the dirt and his shaft in a pretend sword fight. Aaron’s feathers got seriously ruffled. He did not like this at all. After a while the children got bored playing with Aaron and dropped him in the mud.

By and by a dog came along and sniffed at Aaron. The dog picked the arrow up in her mouth and carried it for a while before burying it in the ground under a tree. Aaron disliked this even more than the children playing with him. If this was freedom, then he did not want a bar of it.

As Aaron lay in the damp earth he realized the only way he could be truly free was in his master’s hand. He was an arrow and his purpose was to fly through the air in obedience to his master’s aim. Aaron longed to return to the quiver.  

After a few days lying in his shallow grave, another dog sniffed him out and dug him up. Aaron the arrow was in luck. This was his master’s dog. The dog returned Aaron to his master who cleaned the arrow up and put Aaron in the quiver. Aaron was pleased to be back where he belonged. Now his life had meaning again. Now he was free to fulfill his purpose.

Freedom is about a change of master.

You see freedom is not about being able to do whatever we want. Like Aaron, we are only truly free when we submit to God as our master. We are only truly free in God’s hand, in his will. Christian freedom means being free to serve God.

Joel Green sees the connection between submission and freedom. Joel writes: ‘Submission is best understood as finding and occupying responsibly one’s place in society… In Biblical thought submission is an expression of freedom, not coercion.’ [2]  

The point is, we freely choose to submit to the government in accordance with God’s will for us. We are not to use our freedom as a cover up for evil. We are not to use our religion as a cloak for avoiding our civic responsibility. We are to abide by the laws of the land because in doing this we are really obeying God; swimming in the water of his will.  

Alan Stibbs observes a connection between submission to the governing authorities and freedom in Matthew 5:41. In this verse Jesus is giving an example of what it means to do good to one’s enemies. Under Roman law, a soldier could lawfully require a civilian to carry their load for one mile. But Jesus said, if an occupation soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two. (Go the extra mile.)

The idea here is that when you are compelled to submit you should openly show that you are still free by engaging in more of the same service, willingly and of your own initiative. [3]     

Our submission to the government, therefore, is to be free – it is to be voluntary and willing. In this way, freedom empowers submission. Freedom lends dignity to acts of submission and fulfills the purpose of submission.  

In verse 17 of chapter 2 Peter summarises (in general terms) what it means to live as slaves (or servants) of God, when he says: Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,fear God, honour the emperor.

That phrase translated as show proper respect is literally honour everyone, in the original Greek. It is the same word translated as honour the emperor. This implies that all human beings (whether they are a slave or Caesar himself) are valuable in God’s sight and deserving of honour and respect, for we are all made in the image of God.

Peter’s message to respect everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion or socio-economic standing, still speaks to our society today. The Me Too movement has highlighted the need to show sexual respect, just as the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted the need to show racial respect.

We are to respect everyone but we are to love the family of believers. The sort of love in view here is agape love, deeply devoted love, divine love. We are to love other Christians in the same way that God loves us in Christ.

Notice too how we are to honour the emperor but we are to fear God. Fear, in this context, does not mean terror or anxiety. Rather, fear means awe and reverence. It is only when God is given his proper place in the center of things that all other things take their proper place. [4] 

The implication here is that we do not need to fear the emperor (or the government). We need to honour our political leaders, yes, but we do not need to hold them in the same reverence and awe reserved for God. The emperor, the President, the Prime Minister, the Queen; these people are people, they are not God.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how submission to the governing authorities and freedom to serve God go together.

We submit to the government, partly because that fosters trust, but mostly as an expression of obedience to God.

Our submission is not forced though. Our submission is freely given and that makes all the difference.

Let us pray…

We thank you Father God for your Son Jesus who show us what it looks like to freely submit to the governing authorities out of obedience to you. Give us wisdom to use our freedom well, for your glory. Help us to know when to submit and when to resist. Give us grace, Almighty God, to respect all people, to love our fellow believers and to fear you, with reverence and awe, above all else. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Have you ever tasted salty chips dipped in melted chocolate? Did you enjoy this combination of flavours? What other unexpected flavour combinations have you tried that work well together? (A note for group leaders: you might want to bring an assortment of tasty culinary combinations for the people in your group to try. E.g. blue cheese and honey, regular cheese and Krispy biscuits, apple and peanut butter, chips and chocolate, etc.) 
  • Why does Peter instruct his readers to submit to the governing authorities?
  • What do you think Jesus meant when he said: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s”? (in Mark 12)
  • When is it not appropriate to submit to the government? Can you think of any examples from the Scriptures, or from human history, when civil disobedience was called for?
  • What does the Bible mean by freedom? How is this different from a contemporary secular understanding of freedom?
  • Discuss / reflect on the dynamic between submission and freedom, particularly with respect to the church’s relationship with the government. How might we (today) apply Jesus’ instruction to ‘go the extra mile’ in our relationship with the governing authorities?
  • In 1st Peter 2:17 we are told to ‘respect everyone, love the family of believers, fear God and honour the emperor’. Which of these four things do you find most difficult? Why is this do you think? What do you need to be able to carry out Peter’s instruction here?  

[1] John 19:10-11

[2] Refer Joel Green’s commentary on 1st Peter, pages 73 & 75.

[3] Refer Alan Stibbs’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 112.

[4] Refer William Barclay’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 248.

Tawa Baptist

Winsome

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:11-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Soul Wars
  • Brace your soul
  • Winsome Witness
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

You may have noticed our church carpark has some potholes. For some reason fixing church carparks did not really come up when I was studying theology. Fortunately, we have a roading expert in our congregation who is able to help us with this. Apparently the base course, underneath the tar seal, has disintegrated in places.

Base course is a kind of pebbly gravel that can be compacted down to provide a hard base, while at the same time allowing drainage. The base course is like the foundation for the car park. The tar seal sits on top of the base course. Apparently, it is not as simple as filling the potholes with more tar. We need to re-lay the base course and get the foundation right first.

The other thing I’ve learned about car parks, in this process, is that tar seal does not cope very well with water. If there is a crack or a leaky join in the tar seal and water gets underneath, you end up with another hole.

Why am I telling you this? Well, partly to make you aware of the health & safety risk. Please watch your step in the car park. But also as an illustration for the sermon. Our lives are a little bit like a car park. Just as a carpark has an inside and an outside (or an underneath and a surface), so too we have an inner life (a base course) and an outer life (the tar seal on top),

The quality of the surface (what we present to the world on the outside) depends very much on the what’s going on underneath. If our base course has eroded, if we have lost our inner foundation, then pot holes will appear in our life.

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of first Peter, focusing on chapter 2, verses 11-12. In today’s two verses Peter talks about taking care of our inner life (the foundation) so that we can relate to the world (out there) in a way that gives a winsome witness.

From 1st Peter chapter 2, verse 11, we read…      

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,to abstain from sinful desires,which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deedsand glorify Godon the day he visits us.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Soul Wars

Peter addresses his readers as ‘Dear friends’ in verse 11. This is literally beloved. There is a tenderness from Peter here. He is not writing to tell anyone off or set anyone straight. He is writing to encourage and empower. Peter also addresses his readers as foreigners and exiles, which signals that he is going to talk about their relationship to the world.

Those who have been listening to this sermon series on-line will know how Peter has been using the Jewish exile as a metaphor for his first century readers’ situation. Just as ethnic Israel was separated from its homeland and scattered throughout the world in a hostile environment, so too the early Christian church was separated from the heavenly Jerusalem, scattered throughout the Roman empire.

As Karen Jobes observes, Peter is calling his readers to recognise they are living in an alien place that has different values and practices than those appropriate for the people of God’s holy nation. Visiting strangers and resident aliens respect, appreciate and value their host land but, at the same time, maintain their own distinct identity within it. [1]     

Peter’s instruction to his readers is to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. This is clearly about one’s inner life, the base course underneath the tar seal. If we harbour sinful desires, they cause moral erosion and potholes.

To ‘abstain’ means to distance oneself. Peter is not telling us to distance ourselves from the world, no. Rather he is saying, distance yourself from sinful desires. The real enemy is not out there. The real enemy is inside of us.   

We notice here the influence of Jesus’ teaching on Peter. Jesus taught his disciples to be salt & light in the world. And in the same sermon (in Matthew 5 & 6) he went on to warn against sinful desires. (And I paraphrase here…)

Don’t harbour anger or resentment against your brother or sister because that leads to murder.

Don’t look at anyone lustfully, because that leads to adultery.

Don’t swear an oath, because actually you cannot change a hair on your own head. Just let your yes be yes and no be no.

‘Sinful desires’ is more literally desires of the flesh. The flesh is the human nature apart from God. Desires of the flesh are not limited to sins of the physical body like drunkenness or sexual immorality. Sins of the flesh may also include social sins like slander and envy.

When you are excluded and alienated and misunderstood by your neighbours, as Peter’s readers were, temptation may come in the form of a desire to be accepted or liked by others. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be liked unless it leads us to compromise our values and morals; then it becomes sinful.

Peter says these sinful desires war against our soul. A war is something more serious and more prolonged than an isolated conflict or a random fight. A war is messy and painful and it is constant, relentless.

With modern warfare it is not clear who the enemy is. You cannot always see the enemy. Likewise, we cannot always see our sinful desires until they are on top of us. Not all our desires are sinful but some are. We might think a desire is wrong when actually it is friendly. Or we might think a desire is innocent enough, until it opens fire on our soul.

This war is against our soul. In the Bible the human soul can have more than one meaning. Your soul can refer to your life force, your true inner self, that vitality which flows through your veins like blood. But the soul can also refer to a person’s whole self – including your body, mind and personality.

The two definitions are related. Anything that harms your life force is going to harm your whole self. In verse 11 Peter is essentially urging his readers to practice self-control.

Brace your soul

Sometime in the next several months we hope to install some steel bracing on the side walls of this auditorium. We have to wait for it to come from overseas. The bracing will give the building greater support and strength in an earthquake. The human soul is little bit like a building. It needs bracing and support, to stand firm through the storms and earthquakes of life.

There are five basic things we can do to brace our soul in the war it faces against sinful desires. To help us remember these five things I’ve come up with an acrostic which spells the word brace. Boundaries. Rhythm. Awareness. Commitment. And Enjoyment.

Firstly, to strengthen our soul in the fight, we need to have good boundaries. This means putting a fence at the top of the cliff and not looking over it. Stay as far away from the cliff edge of sinful desire as you can.

The sorts of boundaries one puts in place will differ depending on the situation. If alcohol is a problem for you then you may have the boundary of not going to the pub or avoiding social occasions that could involve lots of drinking.

When it comes to relating with people of the opposite sex standard boundaries might include avoiding secret meetings, being careful not to speak in innuendo and not to make comments which might give the wrong idea. Best to keep things professional and above board.

One boundary, which is often neglected these days, is the Sabbath boundary. We seem to have lost our understanding of sacred time – a day set apart for God and rest. We get sucked in by the illusion that working harder will make us more secure, but work is a bottomless pit. You never get ahead by working on your day off. It’s called the law of diminishing returns. The longer you work the less value you get for the overtime. Not respecting the boundary of a Sabbath usually leads to the sin of resentment, among other things.       

Rhythm is the R in our brace acrostic. Rhythm and routine support the energy of your soul. Rhythm provides a sense of security and momentum. One of the detrimental effects of Covid has been the disruption to people’s natural rhythms. Many people feel more tired because Covid has derailed their rhythm.

Important daily rhythms include sleeping and eating and working at regular times. Sunday worship is an important weekly rhythm for Christians, one which (in recent years) has been disturbed by things like Sunday trading and sports. We also have rhythms in the church calendar with the celebration of communion, Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and ordinary time.

Boundaries and rhythms naturally complement each other. The Sabbath boundary is also a sacred rhythm.

The A in the brace for your soul stands for awareness. Self-control requires self-awareness. Each of us is vulnerable but not in the same way. You have to understand where the chinks are in your armour and take care to guard your heart. When you know how you are wired, where you are strong and where you are weak, you are better equipped to give your soul what it needs.

If you are an introvert, then you know that being alone is what recharges your emotional batteries. So after a busy week working with people you take care of yourself by planning a quiet weekend. By the same token, too much time on your own is not good for you either. Even introverts need social interaction.

Sometimes our weaknesses hide within our strengths. People who are strong on empathy can become super sensitive to what others say when they are under stress. Likewise, people who are strong analytical thinkers can become quite rude and insensitive when they are under pressure.

It is helpful to be aware of when your soul is entering the red zone, because that is often when you are especially vulnerable to sinful desires. Just slow down. Take care of yourself. Allow time to restore the balance. 

One also needs an awareness of others and the time and place in which we live. Being a Christian is not as easy or socially acceptable as it was 30 or 40 years ago. Being a Christian can sometimes feel like picking your way through a mind field. You have to be aware of where the unexploded ordinances are. We have to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.  

Awareness is essentially about being present in the moment. Not second guessing that conversation you had with someone yesterday and not getting three steps ahead of yourself about what might happen tomorrow. But staying present to your environment, present to others and present to your own feelings.

The C in brace is for commitment. If we are to win the war which constantly wages against our soul, we need to be committed over the long haul. The war we are in is a marathon, not a sprint.

Commitment to God, protects your soul from the sin of idolatry. Commitment to your husband or wife protects your marriage and your family. Commitment to other Christian believers protects our collective identity and our sense of belonging. Commitment to our neighbour’s well-being protects the wider community and our reputation.

We cannot commit to everything. Commitment is about making a decision which is in line with our core values and staying true to that, win or lose. Commitment requires courage.

The E in our brace acrostic stands for enjoyment. Every soldier needs some R&R. You cannot function on high alert all the time.

There is an old Proverb which says: ‘Do you have honey? Eat as much as is good for you.’ Abstaining from sinful desires does not mean abstaining from all pleasure or enjoyment. Not all desires are bad. God wants us to enjoy life. If we are to abstain from sinful desires, then we need to nourish our souls with wholesome things.

Find enjoyment in simple things. Maybe your honey (your enjoyment) is found by spending time in your garden. Or maybe you get satisfaction from baking or working with wood. Maybe you enjoy walking on the beach or in the mountains or watching the sunrise. Treat yourself and your husband or wife to a nice meal out occasionally. There is nothing sinful about these sorts of things. 

Now obviously with each of the words in our brace acrostic we want to avoid extremes. Jesus always observed moral boundaries but there were times when he crossed social and cultural boundaries for the sake of others. Our rhythms and routines sometimes need to be interrupted. Too much routine puts you in a rut. Likewise, too much self-awareness can become self-absorption, just as too much enjoyment can turn life rotten. And some commitments can become harmful, if overdone, and may need to be dialled down or let go of altogether.

The point is you need to be on your own side if you want to win the war against the flesh. And you do that by bracing your soul with good boundaries, healthy rhythms, awareness of yourself and others, commitment to well-being and enjoyment of simple things. 

Winsome witness:

Having addressed his readers’ soul wars, in verse 11, Peter then encourages us to winsome witness.

In verse 12 Peter writes: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deedsand glorify Godon the day he visits us.

If verse 11 is about our inner life, then verse 12 is about our outer life – our witness to the world.

Unbelievers in the first century, viewed Christians with suspicion and hostility because Christians were different and did not conform to their ways. Since believers did not honour the typical Roman or Greek gods, the general population saw them as evil and a threat. [2] Consequently, Christians of the first century were falsely accused of doing wrong.

Despite the prejudice Christians faced, Peter is not thinking in binary categories that characterise society as evil and the Christian community as good. [3] Real life is more dynamic than that. 

By instructing his readers to live good lives among their pagan neighbours Peter is recognising that non-Christian values overlap in some ways with the values of Christian faith. We (the church) are in agreement with the world on some things. Peter believes there is enough light in non-Christians for them to see the goodness of Christ in us.  

Therefore, Peter’s advice is not to withdraw from the world, nor to conform to the world’s expectations. Rather we are to let our good deeds do the talking. Show the world, by our example, that their prejudice is misplaced and the very people who once maligned us will glorify God on the day he visits.

The day of God’s visitation could refer to the day of judgment when Christ returns. Or, it could refer to the day of salvation when those who are not yet believers put their faith in Jesus.      

The main point here is that we are to be a winsome witness. Winsome is a word we do not hear that much these days. To be winsome is to be attractive or charming or appealing in a fresh and innocent way.

Winsomeness is not loud or self-conscious. Winsomeness is pure and authentic. Winsomeness can be easily overlooked because it is not self-promoting. It is beautiful to those who have the eyes to see it.

When Joseph’s brothers came to him for forgiveness, Joseph said: ‘Am I in the place of God. What you intended for harm God used for good.’ Joseph’s grace for his brothers was winsome.  

When Naomi left Moab to return to Bethlehem, Ruth said: ‘Wherever you go I will go there with you.’ Ruth’s loyal love for her mother-in-law was winsome.

When an angry crowd brought a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, the Lord said: ‘Whoever is without sin can throw the first stone.’ And the crowd left one by one. Jesus’ wisdom in handling that situation was winsome.

When Robyn was pregnant with one of our daughters a boy in her class lost the plot and punched her in the stomach. When I heard what had happened I was livid. But Robyn’s response was to show kindness to the boy. She had no problems with him after that. Robyn’s gentleness with that child was winsome.  

Recently we were invited to a friend’s house for lunch. I was admiring my friend’s handiwork in the garden and he showed me some small kowhai plants. He had grown those plants from seeds I had given him the Christmas before. My friend’s patience in growing the kowhai plants from seed was winsome. It encourages me to think he carries those qualities of care and nurture and winsomeness into the men’s Bible study he leads.

Last year I was lucky enough to perform a dedication ceremony for a two year old child. At the end of the dedication, when I was giving the blessing, the child spontaneously threw her arms around my neck and gave me a hug. It touched my heart. Her innocence in giving me a hug was winsome.

There is a man in our community who visits his wife in the local rest home twice a day. You often see him walking to and from the home. This man said to me once, ‘I have learned what it means to cherish my wife’. His faithfulness in visiting his wife is winsome.

I could go on but you get the point. Actions speak louder than words. We are not to be self-promoting. We are to be a winsome witness to the world. Our deeds are to be attractive, appealing, fresh and innocent. In this way we glorify God.   

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard about taking care of our inner life (the foundation of our soul) so that we can relate to the world in a way that provides a winsome witness.

This is not easy. In fact, Peter likens it to a war. Not a war against society but rather a war against our own sinful desires for the sake of society.

There may be times during this war when we lose the odd battle. There may be times when we give in to temptation, when sin (in whatever form) gets the better of us. Do not be discouraged. We have a Saviour who understands and who cares for us and who is ready to forgive. God’s grace is sufficient for you. Ultimately, those who are in Christ are on the winning side.

In relation to this life’s struggle, I like what Winston Churchill (who struggled with depression) said: “Success is never found. Failure is never fatal. Courage is the only thing.”

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • In what ways do we recognise Jesus’ teaching in Peter’s words in verses 11-12?
  • How is the base course (the foundation) of your life at present? Are there any particular ‘desires of the flesh’ that you feel more vulnerable to? What strategies do you have for guarding your soul against these? If you don’t have any strategies is there someone you trust who could suggest some helpful strategies?  
  • What do you think Peter means by the human soul?
  • Thinking of the BRACE acrostic (Boundaries, Rhythm, Awareness, Commitment and Enjoyment), which aspects are you relatively strong in? Which aspects could do with some work?  (You might want to ask someone who knows you well to see if they agree with your self-assessment.) 
  • Can you think of an example of someone being a winsome witness, either from Scripture or your own experience?

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, pages 165-166.

[2] Refer T.R. Schriener’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 122.

[3] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, pages 170-171.

Tawa Baptist

Baptism

Scriptures: Matthew 5:11-12; Romans 6:3-6; Ephesians 4:1-6

Baptism Homily:

Good morning everyone.

Earlier in the service we baptized three people and so today our message focuses on the three C’s of believers’ baptism: commitment, conversion and community.

The sort of commitment involved with believers’ baptism is significant. It is akin to the commitment made in marriage. It is a commitment of loyal love.

It is not a commitment to be taken lightly. In being baptized we are saying: ‘Jesus, I want you to be my forever friend.’

Getting baptized is sort of like signing an agreement with a builder to build you a house. Except, in the case of believers’ baptism, Jesus is the builder and the house is a spiritual house. Those who were baptized today have entrusted Jesus to build a house for them in God’s kingdom. But the Lord won’t do all the work for you. He will require a commitment of faith, hope and love from you.

It needs to be said that commitment to Jesus is not always convenient. There may be times when building your house on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching is difficult. You will not always be liked or accepted for your commitment to Christ but that is to be expected.

As Jesus said, in Matthew 5: 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Baptism signifies a commitment to Christ and therefore a commitment to conversion. Christian conversion is both an event and an on-going (life-long) process. Christian conversion can be from a different religion to Christianity or from no religion to Christianity. But conversion can also be the process of moving deeper into the Christian faith you grew up in.

Baptism is a parable of the change that Jesus brings in our life. As the apostle Paul says in Romans 6: …all of us who were baptizedinto Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the deadthrough the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with Christ in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Christ so that the body ruled by sinmight be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

In other words, baptism represents a fresh start.

Christian conversion is about inner change – change from the inside out. It is a change of heart and mind which results in a change in word and deed. This means that we do not get baptized for the sake of social convention. Believers’ baptism is not something we do just because that’s what everyone else does. The motivation to be baptized needs to come from a deep heartfelt desire to be more like Christ.   

Returning to our house building analogy. Jesus is the master builder. He is in charge of constructing our house in God’s kingdom. Conversion means we don’t tell him how to design the house. We follow his plans for us – plans for our good.

The third C of baptism is community.

One of the reasons we like to hold baptismal services on a Sunday morning at 10am (during our main weekly worship service) is that baptism signifies entry into the community of God’s people. Baptism is both personal and public. When someone is baptized they become part of the community of God’s people. Not just this faith community of Tawa Baptist, but the church universal – which is all Christians everywhere through all time.  

The house you are building with Jesus is not isolated, on its own, in the middle of nowhere. The house you are building with Jesus is part of a heavenly city. You have neighbours.

One of the interesting things about Jesus’ baptism is that, soon afterwards, Jesus was led into the desert to be tested by the devil. This tells us that baptism does not give us immunity from trials and temptations.

But you are not alone. Keep on fellowshipping and building right relationship with other Christian believers. It is your spiritual house insurance. 

In Ephesians chapter 4 the apostle Paul writes about Christian community saying: I urge you to live a life worthyof the callingyou have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one anotherin love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unityof the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one bodyand one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all,who is over all and through all and in all.

Baptism is a statement of commitment, not convenience.

Baptism signifies conversion, not convention.

And, while baptism does not offer immunity, it does open the door to community.

In a few moments we will share communion together. By celebrating communion, as a community of faith, we remember Jesus’ commitment to us in going to the cross. Through Jesus’ sacrifice our relationship with God is converted, it is changed. Through faith in Jesus we become friends with God.

May God’s grace & peace attend you.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 20 September 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 20 September 2020, due to the ban on gatherings over 100 people. We encourage you to have church at your place instead. Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home. 

Call to Worship

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and read the following Scripture from Isaiah 43:19-21…

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,

21 the people I formedfor myself that they may proclaim my praise.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify. Today’s songs were chosen by Ang.

♫         All creation cries to you (God is great)                      

♫         The greatest day in history (Happy Day)

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for raising Jesus from the dead, transformed like a butterfly, resilient like a living stone. Thank you for the hope that is ours in Christ, certain like the sunrise, sustaining like scroggin. Thank you for the presence of your Holy Spirit, close like oxygen, powerful like water. Amen.    

Offering

Take this opportunity to make your financial offering to the Lord by on-line banking to your local church &/or a charitable organisation who support the poor.

Scripture Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Exodus 19:3-6…

3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord calledto him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,and how I carried you on eagles’ wingsand brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fullyand keep my covenant,then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priestsand a holy nation.’These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

May the Lord bless the reading of His word.

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was prepared by Catherine. You may want to take turns reading paragraphs of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Our Father,

We thank you that because of what Jesus has done for us we are able to bring our requests to you and that you will hear us. Each one of us has cares and concerns that we want to lay at your feet today.

As much as at times we might like to; we can’t ignore the turmoil around the world caused by Covid-19. Lord we ask that you might quickly bring to an end the expansion of this virus. Grant wisdom and inspiration to those seeking to develop both vaccines as well as treatment regimes, that may help those who become ill. Protect health workers around the world and give them strength for the demands they face and compassion for those in their care.

We ask your guidance for those who govern and hold positions of authority at this time; that they would be people of integrity, seeking the best for those who rely on them.  Here in New Zealand help each one of us to prayerfully consider how best to vote in the upcoming elections and referenda.

We ask your mercy for those suffering as the result of natural or manmade disasters. We particularly think of those affected this week by wildfires in Brazil and the west coast of the US, as well as those in the path of Hurricane Sally.

We pray for our community here in Tawa. May you bless the schools and preschools in the last few weeks of term. Where children are unsettled as a result of all that is going on around them we ask for your peace; and for the staff, wisdom and patience. Thank you for the work of 24/7 at Tawa College; grant Fergus, Matt and Katie the skills they need as they come alongside teens at school.

Help us all to be good neighbours to those around us. Each of us knows someone facing difficult challenges right now in their lives. We place them in your presence now.

For those we know who are grieving, we ask the comfort of your Holy Spirit.

For those we know who are sick and in pain, we ask for healing, strength, patience and that they may know your presence with them.

For those who are uncertain of what the future holds for study or work, we ask for your wisdom, guidance and provision.

Father, hear our prayers. Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Man of sorrows, Lamb of God…                               

♫         Our Father Everlasting… (The Creed)                      

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes, found on the ‘2020 Sermons’ page of this website, or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Closing Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Be Thou my Vision    

Benediction

 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Special

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:9-10

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

In Maori culture, when someone is introducing themselves, formally to a group, they often give their pepeha. A pepeha tells the story of the people and places you are connected to. It is like weaving, except with words and history.

In giving your pepeha you say where you come from – your maunga (which is your mountain, the place you hold to), your awa (which is your river) and your marae (which is the place where you belong). You also create connections with people by talking about your iwi (which is your tribe), your whanau (or family) including your kaumatua (who are your grandparents), and your matua (or parents). The last thing you tell people is your name.

By introducing yourself in this way you reveal something of your collective identity. Not only do you show people what is important to you but you also create connections with your listeners. Maybe you both share a place or a person in common.

The point is, we are who we are in relationship with others. Identity is not just an individual or personal thing. Identity is a collective thing. As human beings we are connected to a particular people, a particular history and a particular place.  Most importantly our identity is found in God, our creator. The Lord defines us.

Today we continue our series in first Peter. Last week we heard how we are connected to Christ and each other as living stones in God’s temple. This week, in verses 9-10 of chapter 2, Peter gives further attention to our collective identity as God’s special people. It’s like Peter is reminding his readers of those aspects of their pepeha which they share in common.  

From 1st Peter, chapter 2, verses 9-10, we read…

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Peter’s readers got a hard time for believing in Jesus. They were not treated well by the society they lived in because they followed Christ. One of the things we need if we are suffering for our beliefs is a strong sense of identity. Peter’s readers were being treated like dirt and needed to be reassured that they were not dirt. To the contrary, collectively they (and we) are God’s special people.

S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

To draw out what Peter is saying here, I have come up with an acrostic which spells the word S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

S is for sacred, P is for priests, E is for elected, C is for called, I stands for included, A is for access and L is for loved.

The church is sacred to God.

The church is a kingdom of God’s priests.

The church is elected by God.

The church is called to declare God’s praise.   

The church is included by God.

The church has access to God.

And the church is loved by God.

Some of you may collect stamps. One of the characteristics that makes a stamp valuable is its age. Usually the older and rarer the stamp the greater its price. Also, the condition of the stamp. If a stamp has been cared for so it is not faded or torn, still whole and not attached to anything, it will usually be worth more.

Ironically those stamps with an error or mistake on them are sought after. So, if something went wrong in the printing of a stamp, then the stamp with the mistake will fetch more than the same kind of stamp from a normal issue.

The valuing of stamps is counter cultural in a way. Generally speaking, our society values what is young and new and fast and perfect. But stamp collectors go against the flow. Stamps represent what is slow – snail mail as they say. Stamp collectors value what is old and imperfect but still cared for.

It seems to me most people who collect stamps are not in it for financial gain. They are conservationists at heart. Most stamp collectors feel a certain connection with history through postage. Their stamp collections are a sacred thing – a special possession.  

If you cannot relate with stamps as a taonga (a treasure), then perhaps you have a watch or a ring or a wedding dress or family photos or your grandfather’s war medals passed down to you, which you hold sacred, as a special possession.

In verse 9 Peter tells his readers they are a holy nation. Holy, as we know, means set apart for a special purpose. Another word for holyis sacred. The Christian church is a sacred nation. The church (collectively) is set apart for God as his special possession. The church belongs to God in a unique way.

That phrase holy nation comes from Exodus chapter 19. In Exodus 19 the people of Israel are in the wilderness after having left their slavery in Egypt. God is about to make a covenant with the people – he is about to give them the 10 commandments – and the Lord instructs Moses to tell the Israelites, they are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, his special possession.    

In saying these things God is ascribing value & identity to the nation of Israel. He is remembering his history, his connection, with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. Israel is like a book of rare, old, imperfect but still cared for stamps in God’s collection. In the same way, the Christian church is like Israel, sacred to God.

And, like Israel, the church, collectively as a whole, is a royal priesthood. Or more literally, a kingdom of God’s priests to all peoples of the world.

A priest is a person who serves God and has access to him. In the Old Testament priests gained access to God through the blood of a sacrificial animal. We do not need to do that anymore because, in sacrificing himself on the cross, Jesus has atoned for the sin of humanity once and for all. Through Jesus’ blood we have access to God the Father.

William Barclay observes how the Latin word for priest is Pontifix which means bridge builder.[1] A bridge provides access. A priest is supposed to provide a bridge between God and humankind. Or said another way, a priest is like a mediator or intermediary between God and people. A priest is a go between.

Sign language is one of the official languages of New Zealand. Whenever there is a Covid announcement on TV we usually see a sign language interpreter beside Jacinda or Ashley, facilitating communication with the deaf community; translating the officials’ words for those who cannot otherwise hear.

Those sign language interpreters are like priests or intermediaries. They serve the government and the deaf community. They have special access to the Prime Minister, which the rest of us do not have, and they use their access to get the message out.

The church is like a team of sign language interpreters. We are a community of priests. As priests we have special access to God (we have a back stage pass) through faith in Jesus. We are to use our access to intercede with God for the world.

In other words, our job is to show and tell the world about God’s love in Christ. But the communication goes both ways. As well as showing the world God’s love, we are to tell God about the world’s needs. We are to bring the world before God in prayer. We call this intercessory prayer.

I always like to include an intercessory prayer in our services of worship because, collectively, we Christians are God’s priests and interceding for people is our job. Obviously intercessory prayers are not limited to Sunday worship services. We can intercede for people in the world at any time. 

Last Wednesday Daryl and I had just hopped in the car to go to a pastors’ meeting together. As we did we noticed some yelling from across the street. A woman was yelling at a man. There was no physical violence but strong words were exchanged.

We were already running late for the meeting but, in that moment, what was happening on the church’s doorstep seemed more important. The first thing we did was pray for God’s peace in the situation. Then we walked across the road to see if we could help. As it turned out our help was not needed. This woman was able to help herself.

Now I’m not suggesting we should always intervene in a situation like that. Sometimes it is wiser to stay out of it. But we can always pray. As God’s royal priests we have special access to God, through Jesus. We are God’s servants, his translators, his intermediaries, in this world. Martin Luther called this the priesthood of all believers.

You may have noticed I am mixing up the letters of my special acrostic. We, the church collectively, are sacred (or holy) to God. We are priests of God, with direct access to him, so we have a duty to intercede for the world.

Verse 9 of 1st Peter chapter 2 also tells us we (the church) are a chosen people. When God chooses people, we call that election. The kingdom of God is not a democracy, where everyone gets to vote. The kingdom of God is a theocracy, where God gets all the votes. Having said that, God votes in a just and compassionate way. In a way that serves the well-being of all, both collectively and individually.  

God elected or chose to bless Abraham and make him a blessing to the nations. Just like God elected or chose Israel to be his people (his special possession). Likewise, God elected or chose the church to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood. The ‘E’ in special stands for election – God’s vote, His choice.

In some ways it goes the against the grain of Kiwi culture to think of ourselves as specially chosen or elected. But we need to value ourselves properly if we are to declare God’s praises and relate with others in a right way. Without a strong sense of identity and connection, we will end up compromising who we are. We will lose our saltiness.

If you feel uncomfortable with being set apart as special, then it may help to remember God’s election is by grace. In other words, God does not necessarily chose people based on how good they are or how likely they are to succeed. If anything God is more inclined to elect those who no one else would choose. So being special does not make us better than others.

In any case, the specialness is not attached to us as individuals. The specialness is attached to Jesus specifically and to the church collectively.

When Peter says, ‘you are a chosen people’, or an elect people, he is making a connection with Israel’s past, when they were exiles in Babylon. There are two great journeys of redemption in Israel’s history. The first was the exodus, when God led the people out of slavery in Egypt. And the second was when God brought the Jewish exiles out of Babylon, back to Jerusalem.

In Isaiah 43:20 we read about God bringing the exiles home: See, I am doing a new thing… I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland… to give drink to my chosen people. [My elect people.]

The way in the desert is the way out of exile – the way home from Babylon to Jerusalem. When Jesus said, I am the way, that’s partly what he meant. Jesus is the way out of exile.

You will remember that Peter is addressing his First Century Christian readers as exiles and sojourners. As Christians, Israel’s heritage is woven into our pepeha too. Our journey through the wasteland of this world may seem long and hard but it is not dry. God has provided streams in the desert for us – he has given us his Holy Spirit.

The church is sacred to God. The church is a kingdom of God’s priests with access to God, through Christ. The church is elected by God and the church is called to declare God’s praise. The ‘C’ in God’s special people stands for called. 

Returning to 1st Peter, chapter 2. In the second part of verse 9 Peter describes the purpose of the church. Collectively, we are to declare the praises of God who has called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

Once again this connects with Isaiah 43, where God calls his people out of the darkness of exile that they may proclaim His praise.

The image of being called out of darkness and into God’s wonderful light is a metaphor for conversion. When the designers of the Billy Graham Center in the USA, sought to provide an architectural parable of conversion, they planned a passageway through darkness into a room walled with brilliant light. [2] 

Last Friday’s weather was a real transformation from darkness to light. All grey and wet and windy in the morning, then blue sky, sunshine and calm in the afternoon.  

God’s calling of us implies conversion. What we notice about this image of conversion is that it is from one state of being to another. It is from darkness to light. When God called Israel out of Egypt, the nation went from a state of slavery to a state of being free to serve God. Likewise, when God called his people out of exile in Babylon, the people went from having the status of immigrants to being citizens, free to worship God.

Conversion is a bit like being transferred from one Covid level to a better, less restricted, level. When we move from level 2 to level 1 (hopefully this week), we will have a greater freedom to worship and praise God together.

Of course, being called to declare God’s praises is not limited to singing songs heavenward in church on a Sunday. Telling others about the good things God has done for us is another way of declaring his praise. Likewise, we may cause others to declare God’s praise when we live and act in a way that helps and blesses others.

There are two more letters in our special acrostic – I and L. The church is included by God and loved by God. In verse 10 of chapter 2, Peter writes: 

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter is quoting from the book of Hosea here. Hosea was an Old Testament prophet who had the unenviable task of telling the people of Israel they had been unfaithful to God and so judgement was coming.

As a sign of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God called Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman. So Hosea married Gomer. When Gomer gave birth to a daughter, God instructed Hosea to name the child, Lo-Ruhamah, which means, not loved (or not shown mercy). And when Gomer gave birth to a son, God told Hosea to name the boy Lo-Ammi, which means, not my people. The names of Hosea’s children were a parable of what was happening in Israel’s relationship with the Lord.

But God’s judgement is followed by a message of hope. Speaking about a time after the exile, God says through Hosea: I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people’, ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ [3]

As Edmund Clowney puts it: “If Israel, through sin, had become no people… then the grace that can restore Israel… can equally bring Gentiles into the intimacy of fellowship with God.” [4]

Peter’s words (in verse 10) about God’s inclusion and merciful love also connect with Isaiah 19:23-25. Historically Assyria and Egypt had oppressed Israel – they were Israel’s enemies. But Isaiah foresees a time when the people of Assyria and Egypt will be included by God, so they worship the Lord alongside the people of Israel.   

From Isaiah 19:23 we read: In that day there will be a highwayfrom Egypt to Assyria.The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24 In that dayIsrael will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25 The Lord Almighty will blessthem, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Some of Peter’s readers were Jewish and some were Gentile. Either way, through Jesus, they were now included by God and loved by him – as Isaiah had predicted.

Conclusion:

The Maori language has a beautiful poetry to it. Take the word maunga for example (maunga means mountain). The first syllable of the word maunga is mau (m a u). Mau means hold. So, a mountain is a place you hold to – it is like an anchor or a reliable point of reference. The word, maunga, is poetic – it is a symbol of stability and security.

Many of Peter’s readers needed stability – they needed something secure to hold to. Because of their faith in Christ they had lost a lot of the things one might ordinarily hold to or find security in. Some had been cut off from their biological families, others would have lost their land and business contacts. Certainly, the Roman empire looked at Christians with suspicion. To Roman society Christianity seemed like a relatively new religion.

By creating all these connections with Israel’s heritage of faith, Peter was giving his readers something secure to hold to. The roots of Christianity go a long way back. Through faith, Jesus is their maunga (their mountain) and he is a mountain for us to hold to as well.

The church (collectively) is special to God. We are sacred to God. We are priests of God, elected by God, called by God to declare his praise. We are included by God, with special access to him. And, we are loved by God. This is woven into our pepeha of faith. Our identity and belonging are in Christ.     

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

Give your pepeha (in Maori or English) to those in your group or write it on a piece of paper if you are on your own. How do you feel talking/writing about the places and people who are important to you?  

Listen to someone else’s pepeha. Did this create any connections with your own story?

Do you have a special possession? Why is this special to you? In what sense is the church God’s special possession?

What is a priest? What do priests do? How might we carry out our responsibility as God’s priests in this world?

Discuss / reflect on the image of moving from darkness to light, as a metaphor for conversion? What does it mean to declare God’s praises? How might we do this?

In what sense is Jesus our maunga (a mountain to hold to)?

Why do you think Peter takes the time to remind his readers of how special they are to God? 

[1] Refer William Barclay’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 232.

[2] Refer Edmund Clowney’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 97.

[3] Hosea 2:23

[4] Refer Edmund Clowney’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 90.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 13 September 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 13 September 2020, due to the ban on gatherings over 100 people. We encourage you to have church at your place instead. Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home. 

Call to Worship

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and read this prayer…

Almighty God, you are the author of life, the ground of our being and the giver of meaning. We come before in the strong name of Jesus, our Saviour and our friend. Make us mindful of your presence as we focus on you. 

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify. Today’s songs were chosen by Ewan.

♫         Come let us sing for joy to the Lord              

♫         Everyone needs compassion (Mighty to Save)        

Offering

Take this opportunity to make your financial offering to the Lord by on-line banking to your local church &/or a charitable organisation who support the poor.

Nominate someone to pray the following prayer…

Lord Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life. In you we find a pattern and purpose for living. We thank you for the many ways you visit us with your grace. Open the door of our hearts and minds to receive the good things you want to give. And open our mouths and hands to bless others as you have blessed us. Amen.   

Scripture Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Matthew 16:13-18…

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,and the gates of Hadeswill not overcome it.

May the Lord bless the reading of His word.

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was prepared by Ewan. You may want to take turns reading paragraphs of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Dear Lord,

We have been told to bring our prayers and intercessions to you because you care for us.  As we seek to share your love with others, we come before you now with our concerns and thanks.

We give you our thanks for the good outcome for those of our fellowship who have recently had surgery.  With so much going wrong in our world, we are grateful for such positive news.  We ask that you would continue to strengthen and heal those in our church who are not in good health.

We see so much turmoil in the world at the present time, Lord, and we ask that you would intervene.  There are those who worship you who do not understand that it was your love that sent Jesus to save us, and that we are called to love those around us.  Covid-19 has up-ended society across the world and turned people to think more of themselves than of others. 

We ask that you would guide our government in its planning and decision making so that New Zealand may minimise the impact of the virus.  We see evidence of poor governance elsewhere in the world, and we ask that you would show compassion for countries that are suffering badly from it.

We note too the dreadful fires in Lesbos and the western USA.  Beirut is also continuing to suffer after the explosion.  There is little that we as individuals can do to help in these issues, but you have the power and love to intervene. 

We ask, Lord, that you would work through your people across the world and move them to show your love to those in need.  You loved the world so much that you sent your Son to bring us eternal life.  Your people, world wide, need to continue to bring love to all who are in need.

Our Father, we bring our prayer to you in the name of Jesus, that we may be part of the love you have for our world.

Amen

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Father in heaven how we love you                

♫         Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise

♫         God and God Alone               

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes, found on the ‘2020 Sermons’ page of this website, or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Closing Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Cornerstone (My hope is built on nothing less…)     

Benediction

 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Stones

Scripture: 1st Peter 2:4-8

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Cornerstone
  • Living Stones
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When our kids were younger, and we were on a road trip somewhere, we often played the word association game. With the word association game one person starts by saying a word and the next person has to say another word which is related to the previous word and so on. The idea is to keep it going as long as you can without repeating any words. 

So, for example, I might start with the word Milk and then you might say Cow and someone else would say Pasture. Green. Spinach. Dinner. Dessert. Ice-Cream. Sundae. Church. Chocolate fish. Birthday. Party… You get the idea.

Today we continue our series in 1st Peter, focusing on chapter 2, verses 4-8. Over the last couple of weeks, we have heard about the Christian believer’s personal relationship with God and other believers. This morning’s passage focuses on the church’s collective relationship with God.

One of the things we notice about today’s reading is the abundance of Old Testament references. It’s like Peter is playing a word association game, using only words and ideas from the Hebrew Bible. Peter associates Christian believers (collectively) with God, with the temple, with the Messiah, with Israel and with the priesthood. From 1st Peter chapter 2, verses 4-8 we read,  

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being builtinto a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood,offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Peter’s writing here has more layers than your nan’s trifle. As usual, there is so much going on. Two handles, to give structure to the message:

Firstly, Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s new temple

And secondly, Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s house

First, let us consider Jesus, the cornerstone of God’s new temple.

Cornerstone:

When you hear the phrase, “You are such a brick”, what do you think of?

“You are such a brick” reminds me of The Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton. I’m not sure if that phrase was actually used in the original Famous Five books but for some reason I associate it with them. “You are such a brick Julian”.

“You are such a brick” is a compliment. It’s a way of saying you are solid and reliable. A person of integrity and strength.

Possibly the saying originated from king Lycurgus of Sparta. The story goes that king Lycurgus was boasting to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. When the visiting monarch looked around and saw no walls, he said to the Spartan king, “Where are these walls then?” And king Lycurgus pointed at his soldiers. “These are the walls of Sparta. Every man a brick.” [1]      

This morning’s reading begins with Peter referring to the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him.

Then, in verses 6, 7 & 8 Peter continues his stone theme with three quotes from the Old Testament. The first quote comes from Isaiah 28:16 where the prophet says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Before the time of Jesus, the stones in these Old Testament passages were understood by the Jews to be a reference to the Messiah. So when God says through prophet, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, he means, the Messiah is coming.

Peter picks up this stone metaphor. The living Stone, the cornerstone, is Jesus the Messiah, the Christ. Unlike an actual stone Jesus is living, for God has raised Jesus from the dead.

A rock or a stone is not a perishable thing. A stone is imperishable, lasting, permanent. To say that Jesus is the living Stone, implies his permanence. The life of Jesus is a resilient life; a life everlasting.

As well as being the living stone, Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s new temple. In ancient times the cornerstone was the very first foundation stone to be put in place. The cornerstone set the profile for the whole building. The angle and course of the walls was taken from the cornerstone. So it was important that the cornerstone was square and true, otherwise the building would not be level. [2]

If we read on into verse 17 of Isaiah 28, the Lord says, I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line.

In other words, the Messiah (the cornerstone of God’s new temple) will be square and true. There will be no crocked-ness, no injustice in God’s holy house.

Jesus, the cornerstone, is described as precious to God and to those who believe. The word translated as precious comes from the Greek word for honour. [3] If we put our trust in Jesus, we will not be put to shame at the final judgement. In fact, we will share in Jesus’ honour.

As a result of becoming Christians many of Peter’s readers had suffered a loss in social status, a loss in honour, a loss of face. What an encouragement to them to be reminded that in God’s kingdom the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Those who suffer shame for Christ now, will one day share in his honour.

In verse 4 and verse 7 Peter faces the fact that Jesus (the Messiah) has been rejected by men but chosen (or elected) by God. In verse 7 Peter quotes from Psalm 118:22, which reads: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.

The builders, in this context, are the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The Jewish religious leaders believed they were building God’s temple, but ironically they discarded the most important building block of all. They rejected Jesus. But God vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead and making him a living stone, the cornerstone of His new house, a temple not made with hands.       

In verse 8 Peter goes on to retrieve another stone quote, this time from Isaiah 8:14. To those who do not believe, [Jesus is] “a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall”.

The point here is that there is no sitting on the fence with Jesus. You cannot be neutral when it comes Jesus. Jesus will either be a firm foundation on which you build your life or he will be a stone that trips you up.

In 1st Peter 2:8 the apostle writes: They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

This does not mean that God has predestined some people to disobey and fall. No. God wants everyone to be saved. If it was up to God, no one would stumble and fall. But God has given us freewill. And the choices we make come with consequences.   

The parable of the two builders (in Matthew 7:24-27) informs our understanding here. If we build our house on the firm foundation stone of Jesus’ teaching. If we trust and obey Jesus, then our house will stand through the storm. We will not be ashamed on judgement day.

But if someone builds their house on the shifting sands of popular opinion. If they reject Jesus’ teaching, then their house will fall. Not because God decided for them, but because of what they have decided for themselves.

A number of commentators make the observation that Peter does not refer to himself as the foundation (or cornerstone) of God’s new temple. In fact, Peter does not give himself any sort of special place in these verses. This is interesting, especially when we remember what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18.

After Peter makes his confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Jesus says to Peter: Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

In this gospel story, Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter; which means rock or stone. It’s sort of like Jesus is saying, “You are such a brick Simon”.

Because of tradition we tend to understand Jesus’ words to mean that he will build the church on Simon Peter. But I’m not sure that is how Peter understood it. Otherwise he might have named himself as the cornerstone of the church. It seems that Peter understood Jesus to be saying that the Lord will build the church on Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.[4]     

If this is the case, then the rock on which the church is built is not Peter. The rock on which the church is built is the confession that Jesus is the Messiah. As people profess their faith in Jesus the church is built.

And that brings us to the second main point in our message today: Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s temple. Jesus is the cornerstone and we, who believe in Jesus, are living stones aligned with him.

Living stones:

Let me tell you a story about a girl named Lucy. In fact, it’s probably better if I let Lucy tell you in her own words. Lucy says…

When I was a child I went to the local diocesan school for girls. It was a church school with borders and daygirls. I was a day girl. Being a church school, we started each morning with a chapel service. Nothing too fancy. Just two or three hymns, a couple of prayers and a Bible reading.

It was a nice way to begin the day. Some of the girls complained about religion being stuffed down their throat but it wasn’t like that. Actually the rhythm of daily worship was comforting, like sitting in a rocking chair.

The chapel services were led by the school’s chaplain, who also taught us religious instruction and coached hockey. He was married to Mrs Barry who taught home economics. They lived on site, so they would be available for the girls at any time.

Chaplain was a lovely guy and quite a practical man. He invited any of us who were interested, to help him during lunchtime, to make bricks for an extension to the chapel. 

Making bricks was a bit like baking, except we did not cook them in an oven. Instead we had these wooden frames which formed the moulds for the bricks. The wooden moulds were oiled up (sort of like greasing a cake tin) so the bricks would slide out easier afterwards.

We shoveled cement and aggregate into a concrete mixer, added some water and let the mixer do the rest. When it was ready we poured the slurry into the moulds and let it set for a few days before releasing the bricks from the frames.

It was satisfying work. You saw something permanent for your efforts. We broke a few finger nails in the process but we also discovered meaning in doing something good for someone else.

Brick making is a slow process. I was at that school for six years. For the first five years we made bricks. It was only in the last year those bricks were used to build the extension to the chapel.

Although he had every opportunity, Chaplain did not try to draw out some life lesson from the making of the bricks. He let the experience speak for itself and it did, but not till many years later.

As I reflect back on my time as a brick maker (now a woman in my forties with a family of my own) I realise how God has formed us as living bricks in his house.

The concrete mixer has become a symbol to me of the rough and tumble of life. Life is not easy. Suffering turns us upside down and inside out, but the mixing process is necessary to build integrity and resilience.    

I am thankful for the daily rhythm of chapel services. This pattern, of starting each morning by focusing on God, was like a mould holding me together until my faith firmed up. I still start each day with a devotion. It comforts me and sets my mind on a good path. 

Now, in talking about brick moulds, I do not mean to imply that all Christians are the same. Yes, we come from the same tradition of faith, we believe in the same Jesus, but each of us emerges from that mould with our own unique imprint. What’s more, each of us is given a different place to serve in God’s house.  

And then there is the silent work of time. Just as the bricks needed time to cure and to strengthen in the fresh air, so too my faith has cured over time. When we are young we are often in a rush to experience everything all at once. And in our hurry to prove ourselves, we grow up too fast. Usually we are better served by slowing down. Some things can only be properly appreciated with age and time.

Perhaps the most significant learning from my brick making though, was the day I dropped a brick, fresh out of the mould. It broke clean in two. I felt terrible and thought briefly about hiding what I had done, but in the end decided to confess my sin to Chaplain. Actually I didn’t say anything; I just showed him the broken pieces, one in each hand.

To my surprise, he was not cross. He smiled and said, “Don’t throw those away Lucy. Give them to me. I know just the place for them.”

In this way, Chaplain showed me that God is not angry. To the contrary, there is value in my mistakes. God does not waste anything. He can use my mishaps and my broken pieces in building his house. Nothing is too difficult for Him.   

Returning to 1st Peter chapter 2. In verses 4 & 5 Peter tells us: As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by Godand precious to him— 5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.   

We come to Jesus by faith, by believing in his resurrection from the dead. We become what we believe in. The pattern of Jesus’ life is the mould for the slurry of our faith. Just as Jesus is the living Stone, rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him, so too we become living stones precious to God. Collectively, we become solid and reliable, a people of integrity and strength.

We may suffer rejection in the concrete mixer of this world but that is only for a time. We need to keep the bigger picture in mind and remember that we are precious to God.   

It may take some time for our faith to cure but one day we will share in Jesus’ resurrection to eternal life. We stand to inherit Jesus’ resilient life; life everlasting.  In the meantime, our job, collectively, is to be living stones bearing witness to the reality of God’s presence in the world. Like the soldiers of Sparta, every woman, every man a brick.     

Verse 5 says we are being built into a spiritual house, or a temple in other words. The word house has a double meaning. It can mean both a building as well as a household. [5]

Peter is not thinking of a literal temple building here but rather a group of people holding God’s presence in common. A holy priesthood, like the household of Aaron in the Old Testament.   

Peter calls this household of God, a spiritual house. Last week heard about the Greek word logikos, which is translated in English as spiritual. In verse 2 of chapter 2, Peter says we are to crave spiritual milk. That is, we are to feed on that which is true to our real nature as children of God.

However, the Greek language has more than one word for spiritual and the word translated as spiritual in verse 5 (as in spiritual house and spiritual sacrifices) is not logikos but pneumatikos. Pneuma means air in motion, breath or wind. The Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the pneuma or the wind or breath of God.

Spiritual, in the sense of pneumatikos, refers to something that we cannot see but is still very real. We cannot see oxygen but that does not make the air any less real. We can feel the wind on our face, for example, and we certainly notice when the air is removed from our lungs. Likewise, we cannot normally see the Holy Spirit, but we can learn to be are aware of His presence.

So the spiritual house (in 1st Peter chapter 2) is the community of Christian believers who, collectively, form a household filled with the Holy Spirit.

Likewise, spiritual sacrifices are not literal animal sacrifices, as Peter’s first century readers would have been familiar with. Rather ‘spiritual sacrifices’ refer to the many sacrifices (large and small) of a life lived in holiness and obedience to God, with the help of the Holy Spirit.             

Reflecting on Peter’s spiritual house metaphor; we in the 21st Century western world, have a tendency to think individually. In contrast, Peter’s household metaphor represents collective thinking. So, in the context of 1st Peter, it is not that each of us, individually, is a house or temple of God. Rather it is that collectively we are God’s household. 

Another implication of Peter’s words here is that we do not need to travel all the way to Jerusalem to meet God in his temple. We simply need to meet with one or two other Christian believers.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard how Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s house,

while Christian believers, collectively, are living stones in God’s house.

What Peter is getting at here is our identity and belonging in Christ.

We are not defined by the world around us. We are defined by God.

We are precious to God and acceptable to Him through faith in Jesus. 

As living stones, joined to Jesus, we have a certain solidarity with one another.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

Play the word association game with those with you, starting with the word ‘Stone’. 

What does it mean that Jesus is the living Stone and the cornerstone?

Many of Peter’s first century readers had suffered rejection and a loss of status for their faith in Jesus. How would Peter’s words, in these verses (2:4-8), have encouraged them? What encouragement do you take from Peter here?

Why do you think Peter makes no special mention of himself when talking about the building of God’s house? How does this help us to interpret Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18?

What life (or faith) lesson(s) do you draw from Lucy’s brick making story?

What does Peter mean by ‘spiritual house’?

Take some time this week to reflect on our collective identity and belonging in Christ?

[1] Refer William Barclay’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 231.

[2] Refer Edmund Clowney’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 84. 

[3] Refer Thomas R. Schreiner’s commentary on 1st Peter, page 110.

[4] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 151.

[5] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 150.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 6 September 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 6 September 2020, due to the ban on gatherings over 100 people. We encourage you to have church at your place instead. Following is a suggested format for a ‘do it yourself’ worship service at home. 

Call to Worship

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and read the opening verses of Psalm 105…

Give praise to the Lord,proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him,sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his facealways.

Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         I will give thanks to Thee                               

♫         Good, Good Father (I’ve heard a thousand stories…)         

A Prayer

Father God, you are our sanctuary, our safe place. In you we find our identity and our security. May your Spirit open our hearts and minds to a fresh awareness of your goodness. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.

Offering

Take this opportunity to make your financial offering to the Lord by on-line banking to your local church &/or a charitable organisation who support the poor.

Nominate someone to pray the following prayer…

Father God, we praise you for your goodness. Thank you for your long fuse, your warm kindness, your firm fairness, your deep understanding, your tender care, your strong protection, your generous provision, your thoughtful remembering, your faithful presence and your sleepless vigil over our lives. We are truly blessed to call you Abba, Father. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.  

Scripture Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Isaiah 40:1-11. A message of hope to the exiles through all of history…

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straightin the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
5 And the gloryof the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass withersand the flowers fall, because the breathof the Lord blowson them.
    Surely the people are grass.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”

9 You who bring good newsto Zion, go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”


10 See, the Sovereign Lord comeswith power, and he ruleswith a mighty arm.
See, his rewardis with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

May the Lord bless the reading of His word.

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was prepared by Bruce. You may want to take turns reading paragraphs of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Our Father, today, being Father’s Day, we give thanks firstly for our parents who gave us life; for our fathers and our mothers who tended and cared for us when we were helpless to help ourselves; who toiled and sacrificed to give us our chance in life; and from whose lips we first heard the name of Jesus.

We remember with fondness our fathers whom we have loved and lost awhile; we give thanks for those whom you have taken to yourself, full of years and honour. We remember those who were called home in the mid-time of life, and for those for whom the flower of life never had time to blossom.  And those of us who still have their father here with them this Father’s Day, we give thanks that we still have access to their experience of life, their strength in times of need, and their support when the grind of life gets tough.

Grant to us, our Father, to walk worthily of the heritage into which we have entered, and grant to us the sure certainty that one day, in your good time, we shall be reunited in your presence with those whom we have loved.

As your children living in every corner of the world we also come before You today to intercede for all nations, almost all of which are currently affected or under threat of the COVID-19 virus.  Grant to our own government, to those of other countries, and to the many national and local leaders, wisdom and understanding as they establish and implement guidelines, measures, and strategies in fighting against COVID-19.

Enable our health officials and medical personnel with your strength and power as they attend to the sick and vulnerable. Lead the medical scientists around the world who are working to find the antidote for COVID-19.

In these uncertain times, our Father, grant us your grace and peace to stay calm and to overcome fear, because the spirit of fear does not come from you. Instead, you have given us faith, hope, and love. You have given us power and a sound mind, and your Word says that you will keep in perfect peace those whose eyes are fixed on you.

We pray for those in our community who need your strength at this time.  We remember… [name those you know who need our prayers]  

Our Father and our God, grant that at the ending of this day you will be nearer and dearer to us.  Send us back tomorrow to our duties with a greater knowledge in our minds, a greater love within our hearts, and a firmer grip upon your mighty hand, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

More Sung Worship

Listen and/or sing along to the following songs – just google them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Prodigal (The Father’s love in arms of graces) by Edge Kingsland                        

♫         Holy and anointed one (Jesus, Jesus…)

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes, found on the ‘2020 Sermons’ page of this website, or listen to an audio recording of the sermon via the following link:

Communion

On the first Sunday of each month we normally share communion together. We celebrate communion to remember Jesus. We remember Jesus’ death, his resurrection and his presence with us now. We also remember that Jesus will return in glory one day. Communion reminds us we are not alone.  

Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song as you prepare for communion…

♫         How deep the Father’s love for us

Prayer of Blessing for Elements

Father God we thank you for your Son Jesus who we remember now in the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup. May you bless these elements, the bread and the wine/juice, that all who receive them would be filled afresh with your Spirit of love and truth. May our souls be nourished by a deepening awareness of your goodness, that we would grow in our love for one another and so glorify you. We ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Words of Institution

On the night when he was betrayed the Lord Jesus took a piece of bread and broke it. After he had given thanks he gave it to his disciples and said, ‘Take. Eat. This is my body which given for you. Do this to remember me.’

Eat the bread.

In the same way the Lord Jesus took the cup after supper saying. ‘This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.’

Drink some grape juice (or red wine).

To conclude someone might like to say: ‘The Lord is risen’

With the response: ‘He is risen indeed’.

Closing Song

Listen and/or sing along to the following song – just google on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Your love never fails (Nothing can separate, even if I run away)

Benediction

 ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace. Amen.’

Tawa Baptist

Milk

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:22-2:3

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Converted to love
  • Born to last
  • Feed on God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When I was in my teens I was asked by a mate to do some hay making. Being a city boy I didn’t realise what I was in for. I started the day with breakfast of a couple of Weetbix and a piece toast, before heading off to work in the field.

Unfortunately, it had rained a little the night before so the hay was a bit damp. And lifting a wet bale of hay onto the back of a truck takes more energy. By lunchtime I was feeling a bit depleted. My breakfast of two Weetbix and one piece of toast was not enough to sustain me for the heavy lifting of the whole day. I needed a more substantial breakfast.

Today we continue our series in the letter of 1st Peter. Last week we heard how the Christian believer is to relate with God – that is with holiness and reverent fear. Today’s passage shifts the focus to living in right relationship with other Christian believers. From 1st Peter, chapter 1, verse 22 through to chapter 2, verse 3, we read…

22 Now that you have purifiedyourselves by obeyingthe truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,from the heart. 23 For you have been born again,not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselvesof all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slanderof every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,so that by it you may grow upin your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.    

In a nutshell, Peter is saying here: you have been converted to love and born to last, therefore feed on the goodness of God.

You see, loving people can be hard yacker. Like hay making it involves heavy lifting. It is only by feeding on the goodness of God that the work of love is sustained over a lifetime.    

Converted to love:

Imagine you are walking in the wilderness, through native bush. This is not just a casual day walk. This is one of the great walks, lasting nearly a week. Two days into the journey, someone steels your food and your tent. So, by day three, you have not eaten for a while and you’ve been sleeping rough. Now you are tired and hungry.

As you follow the path you come to a river. There is no bridge. If you continue on the path you are on, it will lead you beside the river to who knows where. (They stole your map and compass as well.)  Just then you see people on the other side of the river, cooking sausages. You have a choice. Either you stay on your side and carry on walking beside the river until you reach the sea, or you cross over to join the people for dinner.

Crossing the river would not be easy. It would take some effort and involve risk. The water is cold, the current is swift and the river is deep, so you would have to ditch your pack and swim.

Someone on the far bank of the river sees you and calls out for you to come over. You catch a whiff of the sausages and decide to take the plunge. What have you got to lose? Except your pack, which is kind of pointless now your food and tent have been stolen.

A couple of minutes later you are on the other side, dripping wet and shivering. The small group of trampers welcome you with a hot Milo and a dry towel. You have never met them before but they are friendly and kind and they are headed in the right direction. They know the way back to civilization.   

This little story is an allegory to Christian conversion. Christian conversion is both an event and a process. Conversion is an event that happens at a particular point in time, when we make a conscious decision, but it is also a process that happens over time.

The conversion event in my story was when the tramper crossed the river. He made a conscious decision to leave the path he was on and go in a different direction. He did this because he saw people on the other side calling him over. Crossing the river was not easy. It required him to leave his pack behind.

But the weary tramper did not convert into nothing. He converted into a community that cared for and accepted him.

Of course, the story of conversion does not end there. The trampers were on a journey out of the wilderness. The process of conversion was not complete until they had finished the journey and made it back home to civilization.     

In verse 22, when Peter writes, you have purifiedyourselves by obeyingthe truth, he is talking about Christian conversion. The ‘truth’ Peter’s readers have obeyed here is the gospel truth concerning Jesus. Peter’s readers have heard the good news about Jesus preached and they have believed it. Someone has called to them from across the river and they have left the old path they were on, ditched their baggage and crossed over to the other side. They have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord and joined the camp of his people.

Conversion may refer to the transition from one religion to another, but it can also refer to moving deeper into one’s own religion. I expect most of Peter’s Gentile readers would have converted from paganism to Christianity. While his Jewish readers had moved more deeply into their own religion. Because Jesus, the Messiah, is Jewish. He is at the heart of Jewish faith.

Some of you may have converted to Christianity from another religion. While others may have become Christians without having any sort of religious background.

Many of you have grown up in a Christian home and gone to church with your parents since you were a child. You may find it hard to identify a particular point in time (a conversion event as such) because you grew up immersed in the church. Nevertheless, there is probably a point in your journey where the Christian faith deepened from being something you went along with, because that’s what your parents believed, to something you owned for yourself and integrated into your life. That moving deeper is an event within the process of Christian conversion.

The point Peter is making in verse 22 is that we are converted to love one another. Christian conversion is not just that point in time when we admit intellectual agreement with certain doctrines (although it does include that). Christian conversion is the process of growing in our love for God and his people.

The kind of love Peter has in mind here is genuine, sincere, unpretentious love. Deep love, from the heart. Love from the core of our being, from the inside out. This kind of love is not just a warm fuzzy feeling (although it may sometimes include pleasant feelings). The love in view here is expressed in righteous relationships based on God’s character. Christian love is very much an action as well as an attitude. An action informed by the way God loves us in Christ.

To put it more plainly loving one another requires the heavy lifting of self-control and patience and forgiveness and turning the other cheek and that sort of stuff.    

Those who have been on the journey for a while will know that the process of conversion often involves a number of events (or river crossings) as we move to a deeper love of God and his people. With each crossing we must leave something behind but we also hopefully find a warm cup of Milo waiting for us on the other side.

We are converted to love and we are born to last.

Born to last:

Tuesday, the 1st of September, marked the beginning of the season of spring. Some of you may have daffodils popping up and coming to flower in your garden. Many kowhai trees around Tawa are in full glory. The intense yellows are a beautiful distraction.

As much as I enjoy the visual symphony of spring, I am also aware that every daffodil and kowhai flower and cherry blossom is pregnant with sadness. They only last a few brief weeks, perhaps less if the wind picks up, and then they are gone.  

In verse 24 of chapter 1, Peter quotes from the prophet Isaiah: “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

This quotation comes from Isaiah chapter 40. It was originally intended as a message of comfort and encouragement to the Jews living in exile, following the fall of Jerusalem in the sixth century BC.

These Jews of the diaspora, these sojourners living in a foreign land, were disheartened and wondering where they stood with God. Did his covenant promises still hold true?

You see, the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon and other places the exiles were scattered, seemed invincible but they were actually like grass. Their glory was like the flowers of the field. Here today and gone next week. Yes, they looked spectacular now but they were pregnant with sadness. They would not last.

By contrast, God’s word (his promises to his people) would endure forever. And so Isaiah’s message to the exiles was good news. ‘Yes, the promises of God’s word do hold true. You are not forgotten in your loneliness and alienation. Despite the way things appear you still belong to God.’ 

Peter piggy backs off Isaiah. He appropriates Isaiah’s message and applies it to his readers. Peter addresses the Christians of the first century AD as exiles. As followers of Christ they have been oppressed and given a rough deal. But the Roman empire (as glorious and as mighty as it seemed at the time) was like grass. Here today, gone tomorrow.    

With this is mind Peter could say with confidence (in verse 23) that his readers have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

In other words, they were born to last. Born for eternal life.

Jesus referred to the word of God as a seed in his teaching. Notice the imagery of the seed here. A seed is something small and ordinary looking. A seed is often hidden and covered in dirt. A seed does not look like much but it is full of potential. Just as a seed carries the DNA of the plant, and a sperm carries the DNA of the father, so too the word of God carries the characteristics of God the Father. God is eternal and God is love. That is what the Christian convert is born to.

If we believe in Jesus, then we have been converted to love and born to last therefore, to sustain our life and our love, we must feed on the goodness of God.

Feed on God:          

Have you ever noticed the way nothing in God’s creation clashes? His colour schemes are constantly changing but they always fit. They always make sense. Whether it is a sunrise over the sea or sheep in the high country or flowers in spring or the moonlight over Wellington harbour, it always goes together.

There is a logic to the way God does things. That logic is not always evident at first but it reveals itself to those who are pure in heart and patient enough.

In verse 1 of chapter 2, Peter says: Therefore, rid yourselvesof all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slanderof every kind.   

We notice here that three of these five vices are about sustaining what is false. Deceit, hypocrisy and slander are enemies of the truth and therefore they undermine the genuine, sincere, unpretentious love Peter was just talking about in verse 22.   

Clearly all five vices do not fit people who have been converted to love. They actually work against loving one another. Likewise, these vices do not follow logically (they do not make sense) for those who have been born again through the living and enduring word of God.  We need to rid ourselves of them – cast them aside like leaving the old pack behind before crossing the river.

From verse 2 of chapter 2, Peter writes: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,so that by it you may grow upin your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The main idea here is that Christian believers need to feed on the goodness of God. It is by feeding on the goodness of God that we gain the nourishment and strength to grow in our love for one another. 

Now there are a couple of things to clarify here. Firstly, Peter is not meaning to suggest that his readers are immature in their faith. There is no criticism here. Some of his readers may have been new converts but a lot of them would have been Christians for a while. In the same way that people of all ages drink milk, so too Christians at all stages of faith can feed on the goodness of God.

Although, elsewhere in the New Testament, milk is used as a metaphor for teachings suitable for immature Christians (e.g. Hebrews 5:12), no such negative connotation is found here. Rather, Peter sees milk as that which all Christians need in order to nurture and sustain their faith. [1]

The emphasis in the text is on craving God’s goodness.

We also need to clarify what is meant by milk? Many modern commentators take the view that milk is a metaphor for God’s word, as found in the Bible. But that is quite a narrow understanding.

Yes, reading the Bible and listening to sermons and going to Bible studies can and does nourish our faith & love but it is not the only way our faith & love is nourished. For example, your soul may be nourished by noticing the ways God has worked his purpose for good in your life and thanking Him for that. Spending time in nature, reflecting on the way God fits everything together, can also be milk to your soul.   

Verse 3 makes it clear that the spiritual milk Peter has in mind here is the milk of God’s goodness or kindness.

Verse 3 connects with Psalm 34:8 where the psalmist says: Taste and see that the Lord is God. Blessed is the person who takes refuge in him.

That word spiritual is also worth a closer look. What does it mean that the milk is spiritual? In the original Greek version of the New Testament the word spiritual is actually logikos. In ancient Greek literature logikos was normally translated as rational or reasonable; that is, fitting or making sense.      

This is quite different from the way we tend to think of the word spiritual. Many people today hold a false dichotomy when it comes to spiritual things. We tend to think that ‘spiritual’ means the opposite of physical. Something non-material and therefore not scientific or rational or understandable.

But that is not what the Bible means by spiritual. To be logikos or spiritual, in the New Testament, is to be ‘true to the real nature’ of something. [2]

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of an apple tree to produce apples. 

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of a carpenter to measure twice and count once.

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of an accountant to reconcile and balance the books.

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of a citizen to pay their taxes and abide by the laws of the land.

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of a baby to crave its mother’s milk.

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of a father to protect and provide for his children.    

It is logikos, or ‘true to the real nature’ of a Christian to copy Jesus by loving God and loving your neighbour.   

This means that being spiritual (or logikos) is about fulfilling the purpose for which God created us.

If God created you to be a teacher, then teaching is spiritual.

If God created you to be a stay at home mum or dad, then looking after kids, changing nappies, doing the washing and baking biscuits is spiritual.

If God created you to make music, then playing the guitar or the piano or the viola or the bass, for his glory and other people’s enjoyment, is spiritual.

If God created you to work with your hands, then making beautiful kitchens or wiring someone’s house or unblocking someone’s drain is spiritual.

If God created you to be a manager, then treating your staff with kindness and fairness is spiritual.

I could go on but you get the point. Being spiritual is not an aesthetic, it is not about appearances. Being spiritual is about being true to our real nature – the way God has made us.

In the gospels Jesus got upset with the religious leaders of his day because they were not logikos. They were not spiritual. They were not behaving in ways that were true to the spirit of God’s law. The opposite of logikos, the opposite of being spiritual, is being a hypocrite. A hypocrite is an actor; someone who is pretending to be what they are not.

In Romans 12:1 the apostle Paul tells the Christians in Rome that presenting their bodies as living sacrifices is their logikos worship (their spiritual worship). It is worship that is true and reasonable and fits with the new reality to which they have converted.

Conclusion:

So when Peter instructs us to crave pure spiritual milk he means, fill your boots with that which is fitting for a child of God to feed on. And what is fitting for a child of God to feed on? The goodness of God.          

If we feed on deceit. If we feed on malice or evil. If we feed on gossip and slander. If we pretend to be something we are not. If we keep replaying in our mind the hurtful things that people have said or done to us. Then we will be quickly drained of the strength we need to love one another.

But if we feed on what is true. If we feed on kindness and goodness. If we shut down gossip and slander. If we learn to be ourselves and live in our own soul. If we let go of our hurt and instead replay in our mind the many facets of God’s grace for us. Then we will be nourished and strengthened to grow in our love for one another. 

We have been converted to love and born to last therefore, to grow and sustain our life and our love, we must feed on the goodness of God.

May grace and peace be yours in abundance. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • What do you normally eat for breakfast? Is this enough to sustain you for the day?
  • Reflecting on your own experience, what have been the significant events in the process of conversion for you?
  • What does Peter mean by love? How does this quality of love find expression in your community of faith?
  • Why does Peter quote from Isaiah 40? (in 1st Peter 1:24) How was Isaiah 40 relevant to Peter’s readers? Does Isaiah 40 resonate with you? If so, why?
  • What does the word logikos (spiritual) mean in the context of the New Testament? What does Peter mean by pure spiritual milk?
  • Take some time this week to feed on the goodness of God.

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 132.

[2] Ibid, page 136.