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.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 30 August 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 30 August 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.

At the end of the gospel of Luke we read…

45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will sufferand rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his nameto all nations,beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnessesof these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised;but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany,he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple,praising God.

Sung Worship

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

♫         Wairua Tapu (Holy Spirit, welcome)                          

♫         Way Maker (You are here moving in our midst…) by Leeland

Church Notices

Connect Service – this Sunday (30 August) 7-8pm in our church hall.  

For anyone who would like to have some time and space to sing, pray, reflect, read, draw, etc. in an unstructured way. A variety of worship music will be played and you can connect with God on your own or with others.

Covid-19 Level 2 rules apply e.g. signing in, observing physical distancing, etc. (Please stay home if you are unwell.)

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.

Pray the following prayer (adapted from the Anglican lectionary)

Eternal and ever living God, our beginning and our end,
you give us strength in the face of suffering and death.
Set our minds on you. Give us courage to take up our cross and follow you.
Help us to trust and live in the power of the resurrection of Jesus.
Through Christ our Liberator. Amen

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

♫         The Greatest Day in History (Happy Day)    

Gospel Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Mark 3:13-19…

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelvethat they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Intercessory Prayer

This week’s prayer was adapted (drawing inspiration) from the Anglican intercessions. You may want to take turns reading paragraphs of the prayer out loud or nominate someone with you to lead the prayer…

Heavenly Father, tender and compassionate, create in us, your family the church, love so true and deep that in this broken world we may be a sign of unity.

Guide us to care creatively for your world – to hear the cries of the earth, the sighing of water-ways, calls for safe habitat for the creatures with whom we share the environment. Wherever we walk, we are on holy ground, the ground of your creating.

Caring God, you heard the despair of your people, and called Moses to lead them to freedom. We cry to you today for the halt of the pandemic…We pray for inspiration for all working to produce a vaccine…..protection for all who continue to put their lives at risk as they selflessly tend the needs of others.

We thank you for the many different expressions of Christian faith and worship. You call us to serve you with our gifts and talents and we ask that you direct us in your ways. Bless each of the churches in Tawa with your grace and protection. Make your presence real through your people, whether gathered or scattered.

O God, you desire truth in our inward being. Make our intentions pure and our words kind and true. We pray for people who need your healing word…..those longing for comfort…..wanting to find your peace and know your grace….. Give us such compassion that we never turn away from a chance to share the love of Jesus.

All knowing God, we are aware of some of the wounds in this world. We are reminded of the suffering of the Muslim community in New Zealand, with the sentencing of a mass murderer this past week. We see images of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Laura. History keeps repeating itself in a vicious cycle of violence following the shooting of Jacob Blake. There are many other things happening around the world that we do not see. But you see you them Lord. Where we have done wrong, move us to honest confession and genuine repentance. Rid us of prejudice and turn our hatred to love. Where there is chaos, bring your holy order. And where there is despair, extend your life line of hope in Christ. For you are the living God.   

We think of those in our community who are experiencing health issues, such as… [name those known to you who are sick]. Lord guide the doctors in their diagnoses and treatment. Minister your healing we ask.

You call us by name and we are yours. Increase our knowledge of you, and help us discover our true self, our true worth, our true belonging in Christ.

Amen.

More Sung Worship

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

♫         All I have because of Jesus (I Will Boast in Christ Alone)

♫         Let Our Praise to You Be as Incense.

Prayer

Father God, by your grace you redeem us into a living hope. Help us now to listen to what you are saying through your word. Calm our hearts and minds to hear your still quiet voice. May our souls be nourished and our spirits renewed. Through Jesus we pray.

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.

♫         There is a Redeemer

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

Redeemed

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:13-21

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Holy Hope
  • Reverent Fear
  • Costly Redemption
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If someone says, “You are a chip off the old block” or “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, what they mean is: you are very similar in character to your father or mother. You are like your parents, in other words.

Today we continue our series in the New Testament letter of 1st Peter, taking a closer look at chapter 1, verses 13-21. In this passage Peter focuses on his readers’ personal relationship with God the Father. Because God has given us new birth into a living hope (1:3) we are now his children. And as his children, we need to ensure we are a ‘chip off the old block’ (no disrespect intended). If God is the tree, then we are to be the apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. In other words, our character should be like that of God our Father. Holy. From 1st Peter, chapter 1, verses 13-21 we read…

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope on the grace to be brought to youwhen Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedientchildren, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 Since you call on a Fatherwho judges each person’s workimpartially, live out your time as foreignershere in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemedfrom the empty way of lifehanded down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious bloodof Christ, a lambwithout blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world,but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

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

There are three main ideas I want to draw out of today’s reading: Holy hope, reverent fear and costly redemption. First let us consider the holy hope to which we are called.

Holy hope:

Last week we heard about hope. Hope is the capacity to imagine a good future. Hope is like a rope connecting the future to the present. When we are struggling to keep our head above water, hope connects us – it keeps us afloat and allows us to imagine things will turn out well in the end.

Christian hope is not a long shot. Christian hope is a sure thing because it is based on something that has already happened – the resurrection of Jesus.

Christian hope is also a holy kind of hope. It is the expectation that we will become like Christ – a genuine chip off the old block.

In verses 13-16, of chapter 1, Peter makes a connection between hope and holiness. To clarify what Peter is saying here I’ve come up with an acrostic which spells the word H.O.P.E.

H stands for the holiness of hope

O is for the obedience of hope

P stands for the preparedness of hope, and…

E is the expectation of hope

We’ll start with the expectation of hope and work backwards from there.

In verse 13 Peter instructs his readers to set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

The expectation of Christian hope is that we will receive grace (and not punishment or wrath) when Jesus returns in glory. To expect grace is look forward in anticipation of receiving something good.

When I was in standard 1 (Year 3 by today’s terms) I was called out of class to meet the headmaster in the gym. As I entered the gym I saw other kids of all ages throughout the school gathered too. I had no idea why we were there. The headmaster stood up and explained that each of us were going to receive an award at the end of year prize giving.

I was not told what prize I was going to get, just that I had to sit up on the stage and come to the front when my name was called. From that moment on I waited in eager expectation that something good was coming my way. When my name was called I received a certificate for most improved student and a picture book, which I still have.

It’s a bit like that with being a Christian. We have been selected to receive a prize, not because of anything we’ve done necessarily, but because God is gracious. We don’t know what the prize will be but we do know it is something good to look forward to in eager expectation.      

The E of Christian hope stands for expectation and the P stands for preparedness.

Verse 13 of chapter 1 begins with Peter saying: Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you… 

The reason they called us to the gym before the prize-giving is so we would be prepared. They wanted us to be there on time, in the right place and dressed appropriately, in our full uniforms. They also wanted us to be on our best behaviour, to be self-controlled, since we were going to be on the stage for everyone to see.

When Peter says, prepare your minds for action, he means, ‘gird up the loins of your mind’. To gird up the loins is an Old Testament phrase. In the ancient near east men wore long robes (sort of like Jedi knights). If they needed to make haste or do some manual labour they would hitch their robe up into their belt so they could move more freely. These days we might say, ‘Roll up your sleeves’ or ‘Get stuck into it’.

Christian hope is not a lazy or dreamy thing. Christian hope means rolling up the sleeves of your mind, getting your brain into gear and being mentally prepared.      

Karen Jobes notes how “Girding up the loins” may be an allusion to Exodus 12:11, where the Lord instructs his people to prepare for the exodus by eating their final meal in Egypt with their sandals on and their loins girded”. [1] That is, prepared and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

Returning to 1st Peter 1:13, the word translated as self-controlled is literally ‘be sober’. People who have no hope might drown their sorrows (they might get drunk). But Christians have real hope and so we have no need to find comfort in a bottle.

Like a batsman in cricket, facing a fast bowler, we must be mentally prepared and self-controlled with each ball that comes our way. We don’t want to nick ourselves out or miss the opportunity to put away a bad delivery.

The O in Christian hope stands for obedience. In verse 14 Peter writes: As obedient children do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

God’s grace does not give us a license to do whatever we want. Christian freedom comes with the responsibility to obey God. Indeed, the fruit of Christian faith is obedience. The kingdom of heaven is a place where God’s will is done perfectly. This means heaven is a place where God is obeyed, willingly and with love.

If our hope includes heaven then we need to get some practice in and obey God now, in this life. Obedience can feel difficult in this world, because there are forces within us (and around us) that work against God’s will. But part of our hope, part of the grace we look forward to with eager expectation, is that obedience in the kingdom of heaven will come more naturally, more easily.   

The H of Christian hope stands for holiness. In verse 15 Peter says: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  

To be holy is to be set apart for a special or sacred purpose. As I’ve said on other occasions, your tooth brush is holy, set apart for your mouth. You don’t use your toothbrush to clean the toilet. A table is set apart for food. You don’t put your bottom on the dinner table.

Holiness is about moral purity and integrity. Holiness is about living in a distinctive way from the society and culture around you. To be holy is to be light in the darkness.  

We note too that we are to be holy in all we do. Our hope is to be fully set on the grace to be given us. Holiness is not a half-hearted thing. Holiness speaks of wholeness or fullness. Oneness. Last week I used the analogy of hope as a rope or a life-line. If you are drowning and someone throws you a life-line, you hold onto that rope of hope fully, with both hands and with all your strength, because it is your salvation.

In verse 16 Peter quotes from the Old Testament book of Leviticus where God says to Israel: “Be holy, because I am holy.” God’s people are to reflect God’s holy character, even though this makes them strangers in this world.

Christian hope is characterised by holy living, obedience to God the Father, preparedness for action and expectation of grace when Jesus returns.

Reverent fear:

The second idea I want to draw your attention to this morning is that of reverent fear. In verse 17 Peter writes: Since you call on a Fatherwho judges each person’s workimpartially, live out your time as foreignershere in reverent fear.

In verse 13 Peter had just talked about setting our hope on the grace to be given us when Jesus is revealed. Now, in verse 17, he talks about God’s judgement. These two ideas, judgement and grace, may appear to be at odds with each other. But they actually work together like two cogs in a clock which, although moving in opposite directions, actually function in harmony to keep the clock in time.

Or to use another analogy, our faith in God is like a guitar string, held in tension. One end of the string is anchored to the bridge, on the body of the guitar, and the other end is tied to the tuning keys on the head of the guitar. If the string is too loose it makes a dead, limp sort of sound. And if it is too tight it sounds out of tune and is at risk of breaking.

As Christian believers we need to hold the judgement of God at just the right tension with the grace of God. If the string of our faith is too tight – if we only ever think of God as a stern dispassionate judge – then our faith will sound highly strung and is at risk of snapping. But if we go to the other extreme of thinking that God is an over indulgent Father, who will forgive us without requiring confession or repentance, then our faith will make a dead, limp sound.

Yes, God is a loving Father who longs to show grace to his human children. But at the same time he is also an impartial judge who must be true to his own character and carry out justice. God’s grace and judgement are not separate. They are one – part of the same instrument. But they need to be held in the right tension, by faith, if we are to be in tune with God.           

So what is reverent fear? Well, reverent fear is the note that sounds when grace and judgement are held in tune.

Reverent fear is not so much the fear of being punished if you do something wrong. That would be a denial of our hope of grace. Perfect love drives out the fear of punishment. Reverent fear is the fear of not giving glory to God by the way we live our lives.

Reverent fear is like when someone represents their country in sport. The sports-person feels a great honour in representing their country and does not want to let their team down. The fear is not of being punished but rather of disgracing yourself by dropping the ball.

As Christians we have been given a great honour in representing God. Our greatest fear is not punishment. No, our greatest fear is failing to give our best for God. We don’t want to look back at our life, from the vantage point of eternity, and feel ashamed or have regrets. That’s the fear.       

Reverent fear is often the attitude of fathers as they drive their wife and new born baby home from the hospital. A man never drives as carefully as when he has his children in his car. It’s not that he is afraid of getting a speeding ticket. He drives with reverent fear because he wants to protect the precious life on board. Reverent fear is not about punishment. It’s about care and respect.  

When Robyn and I were married, a friend of ours (Geoff) made a metal stand for our wedding cake. Geoff had a degree in physics and he was a welder. The two tiers of the cake stand were welded together by a rod of steel, in the shape of a spiral.

Geoff made that cake stand in reverent fear. By which I mean he took great care in his work to ensure the welding was sound and the cake stand stable. Geoff was not fearful of being punished if the welding did not stick. Rather he was more concerned that our wedding cake not be ruined by faulty workmanship. Geoff did a good job. His workmanship was vindicated. The stand stood.

The main purpose of God’s judgement (at the end of time) is to vindicate God. Judgement day is a day when God’s workmanship (His justice and goodness) are revealed and people see that God’s work was sound and true all along.

Holy hope, reverent fear and costly redemption.

Costly redemption:

In 1998 the film Saving Private Ryan was released in New Zealand. The premise of the movie is that Private James Ryan is one of four sons serving in active combat during the Second World War. Each of his three brothers have been killed in combat and so James is the sole survivor. To prevent the family from losing all their boys, Captain John Millar and his platoon are assigned the task of searching for and redeeming the life of Private Ryan, who is somewhere in France behind enemy lines.

Although the movie is fictional it draws on the story of a real life soldier called Fritz Niland. I’m not sure of the details of Fritz’ story but Private Ryan’s redemption was a costly one indeed. While James Ryan was rescued and went on to live a long and full life, only one member of John Miller’s platoon survived. Private Ryan was redeemed by the blood of his fellow soldiers.   

From verse 18 of chapter 1 Peter writes: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemedfrom the empty way of lifehanded down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious bloodof Christ, a lambwithout blemish or defect.  

Peter is talking here about costly redemption. So what is redemption?

Redemption is being released from one state of being into another better state of being.  Private Ryan was rescued from behind enemy lines and released from active duty. He was taken out of a combat zone and allowed to return home.

In the ancient world of the first century, slaves could be redeemed when someone paid money to buy their freedom. Once they had been redeemed the person was a slave no longer. Their status changed from slave to freeman.

God redeemed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. That is, God set his people free. He did not do this by paying a fee to Pharaoh. He did it by his mighty power. The people of Israel went from living in a foreign land under a state of oppression to (eventually) entering the Promised Land where they were free to serve the Lord God and not Pharaoh.

In some ways the kind of world we live in today (a world organised against God) is a state of oppression. God is redeeming us (or releasing us) from the kingdom of this world and into the kingdom of heaven where we are truly free to do his will.

Another Old Testament reference to redemption relates to the exile. In Isaiah 52:2-3 the prophet says: Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion. For this is what the Lord says: “You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.”

Isaiah is talking here about the redemption (or setting free) of the Jews scattered in exile throughout Babylon and Assyria. It is a message of holy hope. God is going to open the door for the exiles to return home to Jerusalem.

Picking up this metaphor of the people of God as exiles and strangers, Peter addresses the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor as strangers or sojourners. God is redeeming those who believe in Jesus, from their long exile in this world, and bringing them home to the heavenly Jerusalem.      

This redemption is achieved not with money but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. There is nothing more precious in all of creation than a human life. And there is no human being more perfect than Jesus. The Lord’s costly redemption reveals the depth of God’s love. 

Peter is stressing the costliness of our redemption here. Jesus is the unblemished sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus’ blood shed on the cross seals the deal, releasing us from the oppressive power of sin and death into a state of righteousness and eternal life.

In verse 20 Peter explains how Jesus, the Christ, was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

This speaks of God’s foreknowledge. It tells us that God had a plan to redeem his creation even before he made the world.

It is through Jesus that we are able to believe in God. It’s not just that Jesus makes us aware that God’s exists. Nature does that. It’s more that Jesus shows us what it means to be truly human, made in the image of God.

When you are renovating your house it is helpful to have a picture in mind (a vision) of what you want your house to look like when it is finished. Same thing when cooking a meal. If you are following a recipe it helps to have a picture of what the meal is supposed to look like when it is ready. Jesus is the picture of what humanity is supposed to look like after our redemption is complete.

It is because God redeemed us with the blood of his own son that we can believe that he loves us. Furthermore, it is because God has raised Jesus from the dead that we can believe God will raise us also and make us truly human like Jesus. So your faith and hope are in God.

Jesus is the bridge. He is the pathway on which we walk by faith out of slavery to the Promised Land. Out of our exile, in the Babylon of this world, and into the heavenly Jerusalem.  

The thing we need to understand about being redeemed is that we are not set free to do whatever we want. We now belong to the one who redeemed us. We belong to God the Father in other words.  

So if we are not free to do what we want, what are we free to do?

We are free to call God our Father.

We are free from the emptiness and spiritual ignorance of our past.

And we are free to emulate (or to copy) God’s holiness.  

Conclusion:

Not only does God’s costly redemption make holiness possible, it also makes God’s love visible.

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 is the expectation of Christian hope?
  • How might we prepare our minds for action?
  • What does holiness look like for you personally? How do we live a holy life?
  • Why do we need to hold God’s judgment in tension with his grace? How well tuned is the string of your faith? Is it too highly strung (overly weighted towards God’s judgement)? Or is it too limp (biased towards God’s grace)?
  • What does it mean to live in reverent fear?  How is this different from living in fear of punishment?
  • What does Peter mean by redemption?
  • How do you feel when you consider the costliness of your redemption?  

[1] Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 111.

Tawa Baptist

Worship at home service – 23 August 2020

There is no gathered worship service at Tawa Baptist this Sunday 23 August 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. 

Opening Prayer

You may like to light a candle as a reminder that Christ is present and say a prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, we affirm your presence with us today. We give thanks for opening the door of friendship, for us, with God the Father. Guide us by your Spirit we pray. Amen.  

Sung Worship

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

♫         You give life (Great are you Lord)                             

♫         When we turned away (He Tapu Te Ariki)    

♫         Amazing Grace (My chains are gone)

Gospel Reading

Read aloud the following verses from Matthew 8:14-17…

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfillwhat was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Intercessory Prayer

Father God, thank you that your word says: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

For those who are anxious about things like Covid-19, study, work, relationships, money – may they know you love and care for them; that they can come to you and find true, lasting peace.

For those of us who know you, and are grieving because of trials in this life – help us to see the bigger picture and keep our eyes on you Jesus, remembering how you endured incredible opposition. May we not grow weary and loose heart. May you receive all praise, glory and honour through our lives.

We take a minute now and pray individually about someone we know who really needs your healing touch, whether physically, mentally or spiritually.

[Pray for those God has placed on your heart]

Lord, have mercy.  May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Please give us daily bread. Forgive our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Protect us from temptation and deliver us from evil.

Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks, honour and power and strength be to you Almighty God. In the name of Jesus we pray these things. Amen.

More Sung Worship

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

♫         Worthy is the Lamb (Revelation Song)                                                         

♫         How great the chasm (Living Hope)                                                  

Prayer

Holy Spirit, you inspired people of old to write the Bible and you are present now to help us read it. Shine your light on the Scriptures we pray. Help us to discern what you are saying and how this applies in our lives. Through Jesus we pray.

Sermon

You can either read the sermon notes (on the 2020 Sermons page of the Tawa Baptist Church 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 them on YouTube or download on Spotify.

♫         Falling on my knees in worship (Came to my rescue)

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

Secure

Scripture: 1st Peter 1:3-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Salvation secured
  • Faith tested
  • Prophecy revealed
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

When you find yourself on holiday, browsing through a book store for that perfect summer read, you might look at the dust cover of a book to get an idea of what the story is about. The brief blurb does not tell you the whole story and it certainly won’t give away the ending, but it’s designed to whet your appetite and get you interested in reading further.

It’s similar with movies. Before the feature movie starts they usually play trailers advertising other movies. Just a small taster to sow a seed and invite your imagination in.

When you go to a friend’s home for dinner they normally greet you at the door with a warm welcome, a hug or a handshake and they offer you something to drink and some snacks before the full meal is served. The host wants to put you at ease and make you feel good about being there. That way you will let your defences down and simply enjoy the evening. 

Today we continue our new series (started last week) in the letter of 1st Peter. Today’s reading, from chapter 1, verses 3-12, is one long sentence in the original Greek. This passage is like the dust cover of the book, or the trailer of a movie, in that it gives you an idea of what’s in store in the rest of the letter. It whets your appetite and invites your imagination in.

Today’s reading is also like the warm welcome you receive when you go to a friend’s house for dinner, in that it puts you at ease. It’s like Peter is saying to his readers, ‘I know you. I understand your situation. I get where you’ve come from. We are friends.’ In this way Peter helps his readers to feel comfortable, so they will lower their defences and allow his words in. From 1st Peter chapter 1, verses 3-12, we read… 

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!In his great mercyhe has given us new birthinto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritancethat can never perish, spoil or fade.This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you,searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christin them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.Even angels long to look into these things.

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

There’s a lot going on in these verses. It is the theological equivalent of a Christmas cake – rich and thick. To help provide some clarity, I see this one long sentence in three parts:

Verses 3-5 are talking about salvation secured,

Verses 6-9 are about faith tested

And verses 10-12 touch on prophecy revealed.

First let’s consider the security of our salvation.  

Salvation secured:

Imagine you are driving your car along a country road in the rain. It’s been pouring for days and the paddocks either side of the road are flooded. You come round a bend and see the road in front of you is underwater. You stop for a moment to consider what to do.

You have been driving for hours and are in the middle of nowhere. If you go back the way you came you might run out of petrol, or find that the road you’ve just travelled has become impassable. But if you go forward you risk stalling the car and getting stuck underwater.

You decide to risk it and very carefully drive forward, hoping the water doesn’t get too deep. Your car handles the first 50 metres well enough but then there is a dip in the road, the car bonnet is submerged and the air intake starts sucking water. The engine cuts out and won’t start again. You are stranded.

Water is filling your car quickly now and as the tide rises, so does the feeling of panic. You climb out the window and on to the roof. There is no cell-phone reception. You are wet, cold and alone. It’s just a matter of time before the whole car goes under, so you try to swim to higher ground, but the current is too strong and sweeps you away. It’s all you can do to keep your head above water.

The torrent carries you downstream for some miles – you can’t be sure how far. By this stage you are exhausted and thinking, ‘so this is how it ends’. Then, in the distance, you see a bridge with people standing on it. Hope flickers in you like a distant star. You wave out to them. Maybe they can help.

The people on the bridge see you. One of them runs away only to return moments later with something. What is it? As the current carries you closer you recognise it is a rope. They are lowering a rope to you and yelling for you to grab hold of it as you float past.

You manage to get a hand on the rope and find they have conveniently made a loop in the end, so the rope will hold you like a harness. You feel the rope snapping tight and realise the people up on the bridge are pulling on it. All you have to do now is hold on. You hope the rope will hold your weight. You hope your rescuers are strong enough.

After the two longest minutes in your life your rescuers have you out of the water and on the bridge with them. You look round and see the rope was tied to a four-wheel drive all along. A four-wheel drive with a snorkel. That’s how they roll in the country. You are still cold and tired but you are not alone. You were as good as dead but now you live again. It’s going to be alright.

Hope is the belief that something good is waiting for us in the future. Or said another way, hope is the ability to imagine a good future. The rope lowered from the bridge symbolises hope. Hope is like a rope connecting the future to the present. Hope gives us something to hold onto in the present moment. When we are struggling to keep our head above water, hope connects us – it keeps us afloat and allows us to imagine a future with a good outcome.

In verse 3 of chapter 1, Peter praises God for his great mercy in giving us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus. God (Father, Son & Spirit) is like the people on the bridge who threw you the rope. You were as good as dead and powerless to save yourself but God, in his mercy, threw you a life line. God saved you. He gave you new birth.

Jesus talked about this new birth in John 3, when Nicodemus came to see him at night. Jesus said, I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 

Peter says we are born again into a living hope. If the people on the bridge had thrown a rope that was too short to reach, or too rotten to carry your weight, then that would be a dead hope. But the rope they threw you was long enough and strong enough and so it is a living hope. Meaning it is a hope that is sure and certain and secure. It is not a long shot, like winning Lotto. The rope of hope that God offers is a hope that will not disappoint.    

The thing that makes Christian hope living and sure is the resurrection of Jesus. Whenever Peter preaches in the book of Acts he talks about the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection was front and centre of the Christian message in the first century. Jesus’ resurrection is the anchor of Christian hope. Our hope of salvation is tied to the resurrection of Christ like the rope (in my story) was tied to the four-wheel drive. It is because Jesus has been raised from the dead to eternal life that our hope of eternal life is not just wishful thinking.

In verse 4 Peter goes on to say that our new birth is also into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – an inheritance kept in heaven for you.  

Just as people receive their ethnic identity, their citizenship, their socio-economic class (and so on) from their biological parents, Christians receive a new identity and a new citizenship from God (their heavenly Father) when they are born again. The new birth that God gives redefines the believers’ relationship with society and transforms their identity and character. [1]      

There’s a line in that great hymn Be Thou my Vision which reads: “Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Be thou my inheritance now and always.”

The most common form of inheritance in the Middle East, of the first century, was land. In the context of this world, land represents security.

Some of Peter’s listeners had likely been disinherited for choosing to follow Jesus. Others may have been driven from their homeland by persecution, due to their Christian faith. So they had essentially lost their inheritance in this world. They had lost their physical and material security.

What an affirmation and an encouragement it would have been to have Peter, a hero and an icon in the early church, saying they have a heavenly inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. An inheritance which is immortal, pure and beautiful – and therefore more secure, more valuable, than land.

Again we hear the echo of Jesus’ words, where the Lord says (in Matthew 6:19-21) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Jesus is talking about eternal security here. The most valuable part of our inheritance is Jesus himself. We want to be building a quality relationship with Jesus now (in this world) that will serve us well for all eternity. 

In verse 5 of chapter 1, Peter talks about the Christian believer being shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The salvation Peter has in mind here is a deliverance from this world (which is hostile to God) and into God’s kingdom – a place where God’s will is done perfectly. For Peter, salvation is the coming inheritance, to which Christian believers are now fully entitled but do not yet fully possess. [2]   

Okay, so our salvation, our hope of eternal life, our inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, is secure. The next thing I want to highlight is the way Christian faith is tested, as Peter describes in verses 6-9.

Faith tested:

Roald Dahl wrote a book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s about a boy called Charlie who wins a golden ticket for a tour through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Charlie and his family are very poor and so the abundance of Mr Wonka’s chocolate factory fills young Charlie with awe and wonder.

Other children win tickets too and are allowed to take one adult with them on the tour. Little do they realise but Mr Wonka is trying to find someone to inherit his chocolate kingdom. He wants to give it all away to someone he can trust; someone who will trust him.

As the children make their way through the factory, one by one, they get themselves into trouble so they cannot finish the tour. It’s not that Mr Wonka is trying to catch them out. It’s just that in a chocolate factory trials and temptations are inevitable.

In the end, only Charlie and his Grandpa Joe are left. But they are disqualified for stealing fizzy lifting drink. Charlie proves himself faithful by handing the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka. ‘So shines a good deed in a weary world.’  

The analogy is not perfect, and should not be pressed too far, but in some ways God is a bit like Mr Wonka, wanting to share his kingdom with humanity. Likewise, Peter’s listeners are like Charlie, poor in material wealth but rich in genuine faith.

From verse 6 Peter writes: though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory and honorwhen Jesus Christ is revealed.  

Gold, in the ancient world, was the most valuable material there was and one of the most durable too. Peter is comparing Christian faith to gold. He is saying genuine faith in Jesus is more valuable and more resilient than gold.

The grief and trials his readers have had to suffer are not cause for shame or disgrace. They should not think of their hardship as a punishment from God. Suffering does not mean God is unhappy with you. Nor is God going out of his way to make life difficult for people.

As one commentator put it, this life is not an obstacle course that we must get through in order to make it into heaven. Rather, suffering in a world that is opposed to the ways of God is inevitable and serves to prove the true value of your faith.

Now, we may not suffer in the same way that Christians did in the first century. While NZ society has (generally speaking) become less friendly to the church, we are not yet openly persecuted for our faith in Jesus. But we do still suffer. This life is difficult and being a Christian does not make one immune from trials and grief.  

Part of Peter’s message to us is that suffering provides an opportunity to test and prove genuine faith. Why are you a Christian? Is it just for the perks of forgiveness and grace? Is it just so you can get into heaven when you die? Or is it because you love and trust Jesus as your Lord and friend.    

Peter shows us that suffering can be a positive thing. Suffering for Christ leads to glory with Christ. For this reason, Christians can find nuggets of joy in the gravel of suffering.

Now the thing about faith and hope is that one trusts in what one cannot see. When Charlie handed the everlasting gob stopper back to Mr Wonka he could not see how that was going to play out. Charlie was simply doing what he believed to be right, in faith, that things would work out in the end. Likewise, when a person who is drowning is thrown a rope, they take hold of it in faith that it will hold their weight and save them. 

In verse 8 Peter admires his readers saying they love Jesus and believe in him even though they have never seen him. In some ways, their faith (and ours) is greater than Peter’s own faith, for Peter had seen Jesus, whereas his readers have not. As the risen Jesus said to Thomas, in John 20:29, Blessed are those who do not see [me] and believe. Peter’s readers are truly walking by faith and not by sight.

The inheritance of our salvation is secure and the presence of suffering is cause for joy because it tests and proves genuine faith. Which brings us to the third point of today’s message: Peter’s readers live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus (the Messiah) have been revealed.  

Prophecy revealed:

Throughout this year, the government in New Zealand have based their COVID management decisions on scientific evidence. No one can predict the exact timing or circumstances in which a virus cluster might arise but, through contact tracing and community testing, we can gain some understanding of the patterns of the virus and when it is prudent to move up or down levels.

Modern science is also working hard to find a vaccine against the virus, so we do not have to keep running and hiding every time a cluster flares up. 

In many ways we are privileged to live at a time in history when science is able to reveal so much about the virus. When the bubonic plague broke out nearly 700 years ago, people simply did not have the technology to accurately identify it, let alone create a vaccine for it.   

In verses 8-9 Peter applauds his readers for believing in Jesus, even though they have not seen him. Although there is an element of not being able to see with faith, this does not imply there is no evidence for Christian faith. Faith in Jesus is based (in part) on the evidence of the Old Testament prophets.       

Peter observes how the prophets (people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and others) were able to predict the pattern that the Messiah would suffer and then be glorified. But they did not know the time and circumstances in which the things they predicted would take place.

Like the scientists of today, who are searching for a vaccine for COVID, the prophets of long ago searched intently and with greatest care to determine when and where the Messiah would turn up, but this was not revealed to them. It has however been revealed to us.

By recognising the Old Testament prophets in this way, Peter accomplishes a number of things at the same time. Firstly, Peter shows there is a continuity between the Old & New Testaments. The same Holy Spirit who empowered Christ and was poured out at Pentecost, is the same Spirit who pointed the prophets of old to the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection.

This pattern was not an accident of history but was in fact designed and planned for, by God, all along. Despite the way things may appear, God is still in control and his purpose will be achieved in the end.  

Secondly, Peter is providing objective evidence for those believers who may have been struggling with doubts and thinking about chucking their faith away. The fact the Old Testament prophets predicted the pattern of Jesus’ suffering, death and glorification, confirms that Jesus is the Messiah and so their faith in Jesus is well placed. Not only that, but their current suffering confirms they stand in solidarity with Jesus – so they can take comfort in knowing they are on the right track.

Thirdly, for those who may be tempted to self-pity (due to their trials and grief), Peter points out how privileged they are; for they live at a time in history when the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus have been revealed. Something even angels long to look into.   

Conclusion:

The things Peter touches on here, at the beginning of his letter, whet our appetite and invite our imagination in. Verses 3-12, of chapter 1, show that Peter understands his readers. He knows where they have come from and where they are headed. 

The hope of our salvation is secure through Jesus’ resurrection.

The true value of our faith is tested and proved through suffering.

And we are privileged to live at a time in history when the ancient prophecy concerning Jesus, the Messiah, has been revealed.

Peter will develop these three ideas in the rest of his letter. 

What is the take away for you today?

Are you weary with grief and trials? Are you struggling to keep your head above water? Hold on to the rope of hope. Jesus is standing on the bridge holding the other end. He’s got you.

Suffering is not a sign that God has abandoned you. Suffering provides an opportunity for the refining of our faith. It is an opportunity to show God that you love him for who he is and not just what he gives.

We don’t know how lucky we are to live at this time in history.

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?

Peter says God has given us ‘new birth’. What are we born again into? What are the implications of this new birth for us?

What is hope? In what sense is hope like a rope? Where is your hope placed? (What rope are you holding onto?) Why is Jesus’ resurrection important to Christian hope?

Peter talks about an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. What does he mean by ‘inheritance’?

What purpose/meaning does Peter give to suffering? How might this inform (or transform) the way we interpret our own suffering? Why are you a Christian?

What three things may we glean from Peter’s reference to the prophets in verses 10-12? 

Take some time this week to reflect on (and give thanks for) the privileges we enjoy at this time in history.  

[1] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 81.

[2] Refer Karen Jobes, page 88.