A People of Purity

A People of Purity

Bad Taste - Good Taste

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1 Peter 2:11-17

27/05/2012

In a world where wealth & comfort are most people's highest priorities, the challenge for Christ's followers is to disprove that idea and to make the message of the Gospel attractive through our conduct. How do we make that which seems good (prosperity) taste bad and make what seems unpalatable (the Gospel) taste good? The answer is in our purity, our humility and our honesty.

A People of Praise

Studies in the Letter of 1 Peter pt 14:

A People of Praise

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1 Peter 2:4-10

What does it mean to be a people of praise?  

If you ask someone what good 'worship' looks like, what sort of responses are you likely to get?

In this passage the Apostle Peter describes Christians collectively in language that is meant to bring to mind the worship of Israel at the temple in Jerusalem.  It is meant to remind us of the mantle that we have inherited of being God's representatives to the world, and why it is that we have inherited that role.  

The forms of worship at the temple continued in full swing as Peter wrote this letter.  The impressive stones still stood.  The physical grandeur of the temple and it's surroundings was still awe-inspiring - in fact the grand improvements by Herod were in their final stages.  The priests were still offering sacrifices, the choirs and orchestras still singing and playing, the massive crowds still attending and participating.

But God had rejected all of it.

Why?

Because they had rejected Him.  Christ had come and had been rejected by those who should have recognised Him.  The One they should have worshipped was instead handed over to be crucified.

The solemn reminder for us is that it is very easy to continue in the forms of worship and think that we are truly worshipping.  It is easy to be a people of music, or of liturgy, or of preaching, or of good works, yet to fail to live up to the calling of being a people of praise, a chosen people and a royal priesthood.

The only way to live up to that calling is for us to keep Christ at the center of who we are and what we do.  When we do that, genuine praise overflows in many different forms that all testify to the majesty and grace of our God to His glory, our enjoyment and the salvation of those who believe.

Crave the Word

Crave the Word

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1 Peter 2:1-3

As we celebrate Mother's Day we are reminded of what the powerful image that God has built into Motherhood as an illustration of how His Children should relate Him. Just as a newborn baby craves his or her mother's milk, so we - as people who have been given new life through the Word - also by nature crave the pure milk of God's Word to sustain and grow that new life. Just as a mother loves to satisfy the cravings of her children so God loves to satisfy the craving of our souls through the intimate connection He shares with us through His Spirit.

“Short life – sure love.” 

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1 Peter 1:17-25 

Fear of God is not the opposite of His love. Love with respect leads to healthy fear. It’s better to fear God’s displeasure than to suffer the anger of any number of people. God is angry at injustice & anything that keeps people from experiencing His love. Holiness is important because life is short, God is our judge, and the blood of Jesus is so precious. God paid the highest possible price to grant freedom to His children. The works which we were made to do will bear fruit, and earn us a reward in Heaven.

Different but Different

“Different, but different.”

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1 Peter 1:13-17.

Setting our hope on the grace to come means being ready for action, and free from distraction.

Because Jesus’ disciples are the children of God, their values, motivations & rewards are different from the rest of the world. To be holy means to be excellent in act & morality, and to be different in our attitude. Knowing the truth of God’s love, the return of Jesus and the judgment of God motivates His followers to live a holy life – not necessarily doing different things, but doing things differently.

The "Aha!" Moment

The Aha Moment - Audio

On Easter Sunday we reflect on the glorious salvation that Peter has been describing in the first 9 verses of 1 Peter chapter 1. He goes on to say that the prophets who prophesied of the messiah would have loved to have known how their prophecies would all come together in fulfilment - so many of them appeared contradictory, as though they must talk about different people. 

We go back to Luke 24 to witness the moments when some of Jesus' followers finally understood all that He did in order to fulfil the all the Scriptures and achieve our salvation. It was much more incredible than anyone had imagined, which is why decades later Peter still overflows with enthusiasm and praise to God for what He has done through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Hope in Hardship

Hope in Hardship - Audio

In the wonderful hymn of praise that we find in 1 Peter 1:3-9 we discover the source of joy that never fades away regardless of what our circumstances may be. That joy is rooted in the inheritance that is kept safe in heaven for us; and the fact that we are kept safe the limitless power of God until the time when we receive that inheritance from Him. In this message we remind ourselves of the assurance we have of God's grace that we access through faith; and we discover the value of trials which cause our faith to be refined and displayed to God's increasing glory; our benefit and the blessing of those our lives touch.