[0:00] it's good to be excited about meeting with the living God it's good that we can come to him knowing that he welcomes us we want to welcome all of you here this morning particularly those who visiting on holiday and I'll talk a little bit about why we've got this rabble at the front a bit later on but we're here because of God's great grace here's what Paul's almost closing words to the church at Thessalonica are he says rejoice always pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus rejoice always what have we got to rejoice in this morning we've got if we're
[1:05] Christians we've got the joy and the delight that we are children of God we've got the joy to know that our sins forgiven we've got the joy to know that we are those who are heaven bound we've got the joy and we can just go on and on there's so many things for us to rejoice in as Christians this morning pray continually we need the Lord's help always in every circumstance and situation and we are to bring our needs to him he is the God who answers prayer and give thanks in all circumstances oh you are thankful person this morning thankful for the health and strength to be here thankful for the Lord's hand upon you this week thankful that he God has not forsaken you no never will but that he loves you everlasting you this is what God wants for us people ask what's God's will for me well there we are to rejoice to pray and give thanks and we've got so much to thank God for his son the Lord Jesus our first hymn is going to all our hymns will be on the screen behind me is my heart is filled with thankfulness for him who bore the pain so we're going to stand and sing together my heart is filled with thankfulness to hear you all I came my heart is filled with thankfulness to hear you all I came who found the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again who brought us my castle sing for rest and called me in great skies and wrote it o'er our righteousness with my heart is filled with thankfulness to hear you all I came i don't know whether your heart is filled with thankfulness or maybe other things too but we can come to God in prayer and bring our prayers to him so let's pray together now
[3:30] Lord Father Almighty God we come to you again O Lord as a people who have so much to be thankful for so much to rejoice in so much to pray about we thank you that you are the God who is ever attentive to us you're the God who is always listening the God who is concerned and cares about the things that we bring to you in prayer Lord we're sorry that so often we forget to pray so often we may talk to one another and talk to others that we know around about us but we don't talk with you we don't bring our needs and concerns with you we're especially bad at remembering to thank you Lord and we ask again that you'd forgive us for these sins these failures help us Lord we pray to know your Holy Spirit a fresh filling us with thankfulness with thankfulness for your great love and kindness to us your wonderful provision in meeting all our needs
[4:38] Lord your love which never changes Lord which means that we can be certain that though O Lord we do sin and we do fail with you there is forgiveness complete and absolute and with you there is life life to its fullness both life here and life in eternity thank you O Lord that you are the one who reached down to us in our mess in our sin you're the one who reaches down to us still the Lord Jesus came to live amongst us in all the sorrow and grief and difficulties of life thank you that he experienced the things that we experience and more besides terrible temptation and the most awful suffering Lord none of us have ever experienced that but we thank you that he truly then can empathize and understand us understand what we're going through and what we're facing understand O Lord what fears anxieties well up in our hearts we thank you that in all of those things he trusted in the one who sent him he trusted in his heavenly father and we too can trust you as well knowing O Lord that you are the God who even through death brings life and resurrection even in the darkest place brings light which illuminates and delivers we pray again that this morning as we come to you that you would cause us O Lord to lift our eyes afresh to all that Jesus has done for us and all that he is for us today we pray O Lord that you would help us to know even if we haven't come in with hearts filled with thankfulness to leave with hearts filled with thankfulness to hearts filled with joy in the Lord Jesus Christ and with a confidence and assurance that you are the God who hears and answers who is with us and will never forsake us
[6:35] O Lord we pray that our worship of you our praise of you may be not only a blessing to us but that we might be a blessing to you now and in the week ahead for we ask it all in and through that dear name of Jesus Christ Amen Amen we're going to read together from God's word and from the first letter of Peter and if you've got one of the red church bibles then that is found on page 1218 1218 now over the weekend our dear friend James has been preaching and expounding and opening up God's word particularly verses 9 and 10 and Luke later this morning is going to be carrying on from that to apply God's word but we're going to read from verse 4 so 1 Peter chapter 2 beginning at verse 4 and we're going to read down to verse 17 that's page 1218 in the Bibles as you come to him the living stone that of course is the Lord Jesus being referred to there rejected by humans rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him 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 for in scripture it says see see
[8:11] I lay a stone in Zion a chosen and precious cornerstone and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame 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 a stone 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 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 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 dear friends
[9:16] I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits you visits us I beg your pardon submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right for it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people live as free people but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil live as God's slaves show proper respect to everyone love the family of believers fear God honour the emperor and we look forward to hearing
[10:18] God speak to us through his word and through his servant Luke in a moment there is a hope that works within my heart that gives me strength for every passing day and gives us glory now revealed in me upon yet rise of doubt away my son in Christ places for him and Christ in me the hope of him the house
[11:34] As much he in his deepest peace, I find thy Savior there. Through present sufferings, future spirit, he wills the scourge in my ear.
[11:56] For I am safe in everlasting cross, and they will lead me home.
[12:26] There is a hope that stands at the test of time, Now lift my eyes beyond the deadly grave, To see the matchless beauty of the day divine, When I behold his face.
[12:58] When suffering cease and sorrows die, We have every longing satisfied, Let joy us, we come, oh, proud my soul, For I am truly home.
[13:28] Well, it really has been a great privilege, And a joy for me to be here this weekend. Thank you to all young people who have been such an encouragement to me.
[13:42] It's been great to be with you. It's been fantastic to see you keen and spiritually minded, Wanting to learn and talk about Christ, And to pray together.
[13:54] And if you're here, And many of you, of course, here, And haven't sort of witnessed the Bible school in person, You should be encouraged too. If this is the future of the church, If you like, and it is, Then there is a huge amount to be encouraged about.
[14:12] I'm really thankful to God for the privilege of being here, And now for the privilege of speaking his words to us all. I have a lot of friends who worship Allah.
[14:28] That is to say, I live in a town, the town of Halifax, in West Yorkshire, Where a lot of people are Muslims. And if any of my Muslim friends were to stop worshipping Allah, And start worshipping Jesus, That is, if they were to become Christians, Then without doubt, it is going to be very difficult for them.
[15:00] Their community, and I, Friends of mine in that community have told me very clearly, Very good friends, very kind people, That they tell me very clearly, If that were to happen, The community would reject them.
[15:14] And they would be out of their homes, And ostracised by the Muslim community, And their own families. So for someone in that situation to become a Christian, It will cost them a very great deal.
[15:30] And our own church has to reckon with that cost, And what happens, what will happen when God willing, He does save people from that community, Which we believe he will do.
[15:41] But for the cost to be great for Muslim people in Halifax, Or indeed all over the world in that situation, And they are not the only ones who face cost, In following the Lord Jesus Christ.
[15:57] And I would say that more and more now in our own country, Whether you are from a Muslim background, Or whatever background you are from, You don't have to be a Muslim, Or from some other religion, For it to cost you to be a Christian.
[16:13] You just have to be a person, You just have to be a Christian. You just have to be you. And it will cost you to be a Christian.
[16:29] Now, if you are here, And you know something about the Bible, You will already know that. If you believe what the Bible says, You will know that it is not easy to be a Christian, And it never has been.
[16:40] And the Lord Jesus Christ prepared his disciples, And all his people for that challenge, When he was here on earth, And much in this entire book from God, Speaks in those ways.
[16:53] But, I think it would be true to say that, In our own society now, In this country, And in the West perhaps, It does seem to be getting harder, To be a Christian than perhaps it was, In some previous generations.
[17:10] That is for many generations, Christianity has in a sense, Been kind of part of our national culture. It's been acceptable to be a Christian, And it's been the case that, That people who even aren't Christians, Would treat Christianity with a degree of respect, And biblical ideas with that same respect, Even if they're not Christians themselves.
[17:36] But no more. That really is passing away. For a good couple of centuries, Or maybe a bit more, Christians have been tended to be seen as, Basically decent people, By the rest of society.
[17:51] But no more. That is the situation we're in now, The way the world sees the church, Is not merely as perhaps, Strange or irrelevant, But as potentially dangerous, Or even wicked.
[18:10] And wrong. And so therefore, From the Bible's point of view, That means, That things in this country, Are now returning at last, To normal.
[18:23] Now, If you're a young person here, You may not realise, That anything was ever any different. Okay? If you were born in the 21st century, Which some of you will have been, Or maybe just slightly before that.
[18:37] It's just a case that, Really strange things, Abnormal things used to happen in this country. Okay? Even when I was at school, Really odd things, Used to happen.
[18:48] When I was at school. For example, I went to an ordinary school, A state school, A Christian school, Not a church school, In any sense. And yet every morning, Even when I was at school, We sang Christian songs, In assembly.
[19:03] Every morning. Right? We sang songs, Worshipping Jesus, And teachers, Who didn't even believe in God, Would with all complete seriousness, Would be leading us with gusto, Saying, Come on, I want to follow Jesus, Sing with me.
[19:21] Okay? Now these young people are thinking, What is that? In assembly, That is weird. That is out of the ordinary. Isn't it? Actually, For non-Christians to be saying, Jesus is king, And I will extol him.
[19:33] What? That's just weird. That's just strange. And yet, That was what was happening, In our country. Even just a short time ago, If you're old enough, To remember things like that happening, You might think, Well, that was normal.
[19:49] That is how things are. That's how things kind of should be. But I would say, That when things like that were happening, And perhaps for the last, You know, Couple of hundred years in this country, I would say, With other Christian thinkers, Of our generation, I would say that, That really was, One of the most unusual periods, In the church's history.
[20:11] In the church's history. I think, I think, Almost every Christian, From centuries past, And, Indeed, Every Christian, In other parts of the world today, Outside the West, Would be seriously puzzled, By that kind of cultural Christianity.
[20:34] They would not understand it. They would not recognize it. A place where Christians are kind of, At the center of, Of how a culture functions. That's not normal, For most of church history, And, For most of the world, Even today, In churches, With our brothers and sisters, In, In other countries.
[20:58] They would not understand it. They would not recognize it. And in the Bible too. It is normal for Christians, Not to be loved, By everyone.
[21:10] But in fact, To be outsiders, In the world. It's normal, It's okay, In the Bible, For Christians to be pushed, To the margins of society.
[21:23] That's what we're to expect. And, That's actually where Christians belong, In God's plan. That is where Christians, Have always been at their best.
[21:34] That is where, Christians have always been most fruitful. That is where, They have composed their best songs. That is where they have sung those songs, With the most sincerity, And gusto, And joy.
[21:49] When they've been at the margins, Of society. Sometimes when they've been in jail, Been in jail, If necessary. Now I'm saying then, Not that we would kind of say, Bring it on.
[22:04] But that actually, We have nothing to fear, From such a shift in our culture. I'm saying in fact, That biblically speaking, We are now going back to normal.
[22:18] But it still might seem a bit scary, Right? It might seem a bit of uncharted territory, And difficult to navigate. If you're a Christian then, Or have ever thought about becoming a Christian, Or are here today and thinking, Should I trust in Jesus for myself?
[22:34] You can see, I hope then, This is not going to be easy, And in ways perhaps that weren't true, Just a few years ago, There are new ways in which it's not easy, Now. And there are new challenges. And you're right, But the good news is, That God isn't taken by surprise.
[22:49] And, He is going to give us plenty of help there, In his word, For living, In this situation. And as things get tough, For Christians, You don't need to panic. You don't need to go, Oh, what's happening?
[23:01] This is terrible. What are we going to do? No. We don't need to do that. Nor do we need to complain. Nor do we need to cave in, And just go along with the crowd. Instead, Every Christian is free in Christ, To be brave.
[23:17] Every Christian is free in Christ, To smile. And be thankful, For what he's done for us. Every person who is in Christ, Is free to explain, To anyone, Who's willing to listen, Why you are, Just the way you are.
[23:34] And why it's different for you. And your life is different. Now, The theme of this weekend, Has been, Outnumbered, But happy. And we've been trying to unfold, What that means.
[23:45] And yet, We are going to be outnumbered, In society today. But we can still be happy. And James Mildred, Was speaking to us about, Having joy, In any and every circumstances, Peter unfolds for us, In his first chapter, Of his first letter.
[23:58] So we will be outnumbered. We will be, Aliens, Strangers, Exiles, Exiles, But if you have, The Lord Jesus Christ, You can be outnumbered, And happy at the same time.
[24:09] And that's fine. That's, That's normal for Christians. In fact, You can be a whole lot happier, Than most other people. People who, Aren't Christians, You see, They tend to need, Other people to respect them, And to love them, For them to be happy.
[24:25] And even then, They're still not very happy. But people, Who have Jesus, Don't need that. People who have Jesus, Just need him, And you can have him. And this weekend then, Has been designed, To try and help, Our young people, To kind of navigate, All of this.
[24:44] And, It's not just for young people, That's for everybody here. And so, From, 1 Peter chapter 2, I want, Us to, Try and see, 4 ways, In which we can, Particularly, Navigate these times, And, Be outnumbered, Yes, But happy.
[25:04] So, 4 things then, Particularly from verses, 11 and 12, Of, 1 Peter, Chapter 2. Here's the first thing. Embrace, The right identity.
[25:15] Embrace, The right identity. So much of the Christian life, Is, Rooted, In, Grasping, Who God says, We are.
[25:27] Rather than, How we feel, Or how the world will treat us. It's rooted in, This is your identity. I think James was making the point, Earlier this weekend, Of how so much of the New Testament, Is just, Just basically taking us back to basics.
[25:38] Saying, Look at who you are. Look at your privileges. Look at what Christ has done for you. Look at your identity. And, No less than in verses 9 and 10, Of, 1 Peter 2, On, On Friday night.
[25:52] For us, You are a chosen people. A royal priesthood. A holy nation. God's special possession. He's wonderful privileges, For anyone who, Is in, Christ. If, If that's you, You are special to God.
[26:04] You are, Loved, By him. You have a, An amazing, New identity. And nothing can, Ever change that. Not rejection. Not trouble. Not anything at all.
[26:15] But, You see, The thing is, Is that, Peter doesn't stop there, When he talks about, A christian's identity. In verses 9 and 10, These wonderful things, Which are true of us.
[26:26] But then he goes on, And he talks about something else, Which is also true at the same time, As regards a christian's identity. Verse 11, He says, Dear friends, I earned you as foreigners, And, Exiles.
[26:42] Okay, So we've got these wonderful privileges, A holy nation, A royal priesthood, All of that. But also, What are you? You're foreigners, And you're exiles.
[26:53] Now, I think that this is where, Perhaps, Many christians in Britain, Go a bit wrong, Today. You see, It's possible to think, That because of what has been, Culturally normal, Or even because of, What a brilliant thing it is, To be a christian, It's possible to think, That the rest of society, Should therefore, Naturally welcome you, And even applaud you, And say, Well done for being, Wow, You're a holy nation, You're a royal priest, Wow, great stuff, This is brilliant, We love you, Thank you for being christians, Thank you for being salt and light, In our society.
[27:31] You could think that, That's how it would be. You could think that, As christians, We are the kind of natives here, We, We belong, You know, We are the kind of, The core of society, Around which everything else, Should kind of look in, And say, That's great, We're so pleased, There are pillars, In our community.
[27:51] We're the natives, And there's a whole lot of, Other intruders, Who are trying to kind of, Come in and wreck that. Like the LGBT activists, Like, Like, The businesses wanting shops, To be open all day on Sunday, Like the people campaigning, For euthanasia, And all of that, Intruders.
[28:15] But Peter says, It's completely, The other way, Round. God says, We're the foreigners, We're the intruders, In this world.
[28:33] We're the exiles, We're the people, Who don't belong. Christians are the ones, Who are far from home, We're not the ones, Who are at home, Here, In this world.
[28:47] It's not our home, It's not the place, Where we are naturally, Going to feel comfortable, That's great, Fantastic, What a world to live in, Wonderful. No, that's not what it is. If you are at home, In this world, You are not a Christian.
[29:04] Okay? You are not someone who's described in verses 9 and 10, All those wonderful privileges.
[29:15] If you think, Well, I belong here, It's nice here, You know, I got quite well here. Then, The very fact that you fit in, To a place which since, Since almost the beginning of time, Has been opposed to the living God.
[29:29] That means that there's something wrong. And you need to seek the Lord Jesus Christ, And repent and believe in him. But if you are a Christian, I want to encourage you to embrace the whole package.
[29:43] It's not just that you are a chosen people, A royal priesthood, A holy nation. You are that. But you are also a stranger, And an exile. And you're never going to feel at home here, Until the whole world is renewed.
[29:59] And it's the home of righteousness. And it's the home of righteousness. So, don't worry if you don't fit in. Okay? Young people, All of you. Don't worry if you don't fit in.
[30:10] That is, That's what the Bible expects. Embrace the right identity, We're strangers, And we're foreigners here. That's the first thing we need to do, In order to navigate these difficult times. The second thing is this, Fight the actual enemy.
[30:24] Number one, Embrace the right identity. Number two, Fight the actual enemy. If we read on in verse 11, Peter says, Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles, To abstain from sinful desires, Which wage war against your soul.
[30:40] Now here's something else that can happen today. We know that we're in a fight, But it's easy perhaps to think that it's other people who are the enemy. So the gay activists are the enemy.
[30:51] So perhaps you think the government is the enemy. Like they're against us. Or perhaps you think just non-Christians generally are the enemy. And so we get into fight mode.
[31:03] Come on, let's stand up and fight this. Now notice Peter does say we're in a war. He says these things wage war against your soul.
[31:16] But he's very clear that a Christian's real enemy is not outside them. He says, I urge you to abstain from sinful desires, Which wage war against your soul.
[31:33] He's very clear that we're not, I mean he's explicit, We're not to fight the government. Verses 13 and 14, We're to submit ourselves for the Lord's sake, To every human authority.
[31:45] And don't think that that means when they're behaving themselves. Because he says, Whether to the emperor as a supreme authority. And you don't need to know much about what the Roman emperors were like.
[31:57] To know that he's not saying submit to them when they're behaving in a Christian way. Because the emperors didn't. So, we're to submit ourselves.
[32:10] Not to fight against human authority ordained by God. Nor are we to fight against non-Christians generally. In fact, in verse 12, He speaks of warmth and a positive approach to the pagans.
[32:26] Live such good lives amongst the pagans. That though they accuse you of doing wrong, They may see your good deeds. We'll come to that in just a moment. So that's not who the fight is against.
[32:37] I'm not saying that there's no place for standing up for truth in society and all of that. No, but I want us to be very clear what Peter wants us to major on. In terms of understanding where the enemy really is.
[32:49] What must me really fight? He says, sinful desires. That which is inside us. Easy to look out there and say, Well, that's wrong, that's wrong, and that's wrong. It's not so easy to look inside and say, Well, that's wrong, isn't it?
[33:01] It's my heart that's the problem. My number one issue is myself. It's not, folks, us versus them. It's us versus us. Living in a society which is more and more hostile.
[33:15] To Christianity. Don't be duped. Understand that the greatest danger comes not from our society, but it comes from our own hearts.
[33:27] From our own potential to be rude or ungenerous or superior towards those who are not Christians particularly.
[33:38] It's easy to focus a lot on the sinful desires of our society. But how about our sinful desires? And they might not be the things you perhaps most normally think of, but we might think of sinful desires.
[33:50] Well, I have a sinful desire to eat too much chocolate cake. I have a sinful desire to watch things I shouldn't be looking at on the television or whatever that might be. Well, I think in this context, the context of living Christianly in our society, we need to think a little bit more focused on those particular issues and the sinful desires that affect us in that matter.
[34:10] For example, how about the desires to have laws in our society that make it easier for Christians just so we can sit back and watch TV and not worry about the cost of following Jesus anymore?
[34:23] That's a sinful desire. The desire to have the Lord just to be on our side so it's easier for us. Wrong. Repent. What about the sinful desire to see people who disagree with you?
[34:40] The sinful desire to have them embarrassed when you win the argument because you like winning arguments. Sinful desire.
[34:51] Wrong. Repent. Or what about the sinful desire to roll your eyes at the cross-dressing person who comes to sit on the bus instead of inviting them to sit next to you and say, Hi, how's your day going?
[35:09] The sinful desire to judge a person in that way and not to see them as someone made in the image of God for whom Christ may well have come to die.
[35:22] The sinful desire to say, Well, you're not like me and you could never be a Christian. That's wrong. And we need to repent. It's those kind of sinful desires which wage war against our souls.
[35:35] It's so easy to let them govern us and drive the way we think when we're thinking about how we live in society. Those are the sinful desires we need to say, I'm going to fight against that.
[35:46] And I'm going to be like Christ welcoming all. And those who are particularly the sinners in society. So how about abstaining, as Peter says, from those kinds of sinful desires?
[36:01] You know, I think as Christians today, we can pretty much give up on the idea of non-Christians listening to us because they respect us. The fact is, non-Christians are not going to listen to us because they respect us.
[36:14] That day is gone. But they might just listen if we respect them. If we treat them as human beings made in the image of God. As we treat them as people who are broken and messed up like we are.
[36:27] And whose only answer is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we deal with them with compassion and truth and integrity and love and faithfulness. And a smile on our face and joy in our hearts. And a desire to point them to the one who has changed us forever.
[36:41] They might just listen to us then. We cannot tell anyone that God loves the world. If all the world hears us do is complain about it.
[36:55] Don't fight people who need Jesus. Fight your own sinful desires. Okay, that's the second thing I want you to see. The first thing was that we embrace the right identity.
[37:07] The second thing was that we fight the actual enemy. The third thing, Peter says, is that we should delight in happy honesty. Delight in happy honesty. So in verse 12, Peter says that Christians will be misunderstood.
[37:23] Live such good lives among the pagans that although they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds. So it's kind of a given that they're not going to get it. That however much we try and live godly lives among the pagans, there are still going to be people who say, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong.
[37:41] You've completely missed the point. You're bigots and you're dangerous and all the rest of it. And we don't want you in our society. They accuse you of doing wrong. And so the point is that sometimes we are going to have to say or do things, however graciously we say them, that people find unpopular.
[38:02] That's just Christian living. That's going to happen. However gently we say them, we're still going to have to come up to that and say, I'm going to have to say these things and do these things and stand for the truth, stand for Christ, and people are going to find it unpopular.
[38:15] Then they're going to accuse me of doing wrong. So we have to be honest about that. We have to be honest about following Jesus and what he means to us. We have to have honesty.
[38:26] Many people aren't going to like that. It's going to need courage. But it also needs happiness. You can't approach this with a scowl on your face.
[38:37] It's not going to work. Oh, I just better love these people. He says live such good lives among the pagans.
[38:49] Earlier this weekend we were thinking about how one of the kind of big building blocks, like foundation stones in a Christian worldview is that God is good. He's not this kind of distant or harsh or cold God that often the world thinks he is.
[39:04] God is good. Absolutely. Phenomenally. In every fiber of his infinite being. Good. Good. Good. And so every Christian, as they take on more and more of the character of God by spirit, we should too be good.
[39:18] We should be good. We should live such good lives among the pagans. Not smarmy and kind of good in that sort of way, but honest and helpful and kind, gracious lives.
[39:30] Live such good lives among the pagans. And I think it's hard to do that if we are never happy about being Christians. So, I think what Peter is saying is, be virtually impossible to offend as a Christian.
[39:49] Be fair. Be self-controlled. Be gentle. Be content when others are complaining about the weather or the trains or the traffic.
[40:07] You be content. Live such good lives among the pagans. In a word, be Christ-like. That's not easy, is it? And yet, that's what he is commending to us.
[40:19] And by the spirit, every Christian can do it. So, never gossip about even the most difficult person you know. Even if everyone else in the office or in your, amongst your classmates or your university, if theirs are saying, oh, look at that person.
[40:32] You don't join him. Don't do that. Instead, openly point out the good in anyone. Don't let them escape from your good deeds. Don't let them get away. Don't let them run.
[40:43] Let them see your good deeds, he says. Let them see your good deeds. Don't give them a chance to be able to miss them. Let them see your good deeds.
[40:55] I'm saying delight in this happy honesty. Oh, we're never going to get it completely right. But let's aim for that, shall we? If we don't aim for that, I would say you've just become what I would call a car alarm Christian.
[41:11] Let me explain. Now, I and all of these young people have grown up with car alarms as a way of life. Right? But maybe some of you were around when there wasn't such a thing as a car alarm.
[41:24] I don't know. I don't know how old you have to be. So, I'm not saying anything in terms of that, okay? But there must have been a time, wasn't there, when car alarms first came into our society. When they first were invented.
[41:36] Right? And so, what happened, I wasn't there, but I guess what happened at that time was, when one of those car alarms went off, they really got people's attention.
[41:47] People were like, there's a car alarm going off over there. Somebody must be stealing that car. Let's run and see and try and call the police and stop them nicking the car. There's a car alarm. But now, if you hear a car alarm, what's the first thing you think?
[42:05] Oh, someone going to turn off that car alarm. You don't think, oh no, there's real trouble. There's something really going on over there. You think, oh man alive, he always messed up their keys on their car again, you know?
[42:18] Can't somebody just turn the thing off? Because we've got used to it now.
[42:31] I think this is exactly what Christians can become like. If all people hear, if what people get used to from us is alarms about how bad our society is getting, then on the one hand, we'll just be annoying.
[42:50] And on the other hand, they won't actually take any action when we tell them the true, good, serious news of the gospel that they need to do something about.
[43:01] They'll just say, oh, can somebody just turn it off? If you're just a car alarm Christian, it's not going to be good for the people who need the gospel.
[43:12] So let's not become known as the people who are always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the complaint that we have.
[43:26] Because that's what we can become like. Let's always be prepared to be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us for the reason for the hope that we have. Let's be those who are known as those who delight in happy honesty.
[43:41] So that's the third thing, delight in happy honesty. And here's the final thing that Peter says we need for navigating this tricky, difficult, new, challenging situation in our society.
[43:52] Remember human destiny. Remember human destiny. Embrace the right identity. Fight the actual enemy. Delight in happy honesty. And remember human destiny.
[44:03] In verse 12, he goes on to say this. That though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and what? Glorify God on the day he visits us. This is Peter's kind of final whole point of this little section.
[44:17] The whole point of living in the way that we've been looking at just now is this. Every single person in this room and every single person you know has a day coming up ahead of them.
[44:35] Every one of you folks and me, every one of you has this day which will come upon them one day and it is described as the day God visits us.
[44:52] The day, the day of all days, the day of judgment, the day when you and I will stand there together, when you and the person next to you will be there.
[45:07] The day when the person who serves you in the news agent will be there. The day when the person who hates you with all they've got will be there. The day when the person who loves you as their own soul will be there.
[45:19] The day when all of us will be there. The day when the Lord Jesus Christ will be there as King of King and Lord of Lords. And no one will be any doubt about that.
[45:30] And no one will think he's irrelevant anymore. And everyone will bow the knee before him and every tongue confess that he is what he always has been since the day God said, Arise my son!
[45:41] Everyone will see that then. I will know that he is Lord. And you will friend. And I will. And finally all the doubts will be gone if you have those right now.
[45:52] And finally all those who hated him will be caused to kneel before him. And you and I will be there. The return of Jesus Christ.
[46:03] And what Peter is saying here now. Is that the very best thing that could ever happen to a person. Is to be in a position to welcome Jesus and praise him on that day.
[46:16] That is the best thing that could ever happen to you. To be able to get to that day and glorify God on the day he visits us. And say thank you Lord Jesus.
[46:27] Oh I'm so glad you've come. I worship you. And I will forever. That is why Christians must live such good lives among the pagans.
[46:43] That's where it's all going. That's what Peter says. That's why we're doing it. Not just because it kind of is nice. It makes sense. Or kind of is good for Peter's argument at this point. Because there's this day coming.
[46:54] That so then anyone who accuses you of doing wrong. They may still see your good deeds. And be ready to glorify God on that day. Do you want your non-Christian friends to enjoy that day?
[47:08] Or would you be content for them to cower in fear and loss and hatred on that day? Because we want them.
[47:20] Don't we? To enjoy that day. Because we want them to say. Oh. Made it. He's made it. He's come. He's come for us. He's people. Because we want them to say that.
[47:31] To glorify God on that day. Because I want you to enjoy that day. That's why we live like this. You seriously will not.
[47:43] This is the understatement of the year. You seriously will not enjoy that day. If you are not on Jesus' side now. And ready for him to return. And if you are not on his side when he comes back.
[47:58] There just won't be a worse day. But if you are on his side. Don't you want your friends to enjoy him.
[48:09] And to glorify him on that day. Or would you rather they ask the mountains to fall on them. And cover them from the wrath of the land. Surely we don't want that for them. Remember human destiny.
[48:22] Remember that we live in just a snapshot of time. And be a blink of an eye. And one day eternity will be stretching out before you.
[48:33] And everyone you've ever known. Everlasting destruction. Or everlasting joy. The stakes are that high. The stakes are that wonderful and that terrible.
[48:45] Remember human destiny. Destiny. Don't be ashamed. Of the Lord who is coming. Be outnumbered.
[48:56] It's alright. Be happy. Be happy he's coming. Be serious he's coming. Live such good lives among the pagans. That though they accuse you of doing wrong. They may.
[49:07] See your good deeds. And glorify God. On that day he visits us. Be happy to offer them the best news they've ever heard. Even if they don't understand it at first. Be happy to show them a life lived for Christ.
[49:19] Even if they don't understand it at first. Be happy to be kind to them. Be happy to offer and know Jesus before them. You can be outnumbered. But be happy.
[49:31] If you're in Christ. Let's pray together. Let's pray together. Father we know that every time you speak.
[49:52] There's nothing more important that we could do. And then listen. And obey. But. Right now we've. We believe we've heard you speak from your word.
[50:04] The voice of the living God. Not my voice. But yours. And we pray then that you'd help us to obey. How many times have we heard and forgotten.
[50:15] How many times have we heard and disobeyed. How many times have we heard and. It's just got caught up in all the other stuff of life. And not. Not sunk down deep into our hearts. May that not be the case today.
[50:27] Father. But rather seal your word to our hearts and lives. Change us and mold us into the image of your son. And glorify your name through us. Help us to live.
[50:38] Godly lives for you. Lives that remember. Eternity. Stretching out ahead of us. As we live in this society. We pray for your mercy upon us.
[50:50] And for your mercy on. The many many people who don't know you all around us. We cry to you. Hear us we pray. For Jesus sake. Amen. O church arise.
[51:08] Your church shall come out of. In the hall of Christ our mountains. For now we.
[51:19] God save that they are strong. In the strength that God has given. In shield of faith that bells on truth.
[51:32] As suddenly rips the devils rise. Our loving Lord. Whose hearts of Christ love.
[51:45] Reaching out to those in darkness. The golden Lord. The golden Lord. To love the captain's soul.
[51:58] As the greater gifts that grant us. And with a sword. And face the wounded hope.
[52:09] We'll fight with faith and power. When faith it drows on every side. We know the outcome is secure.
[52:24] And Christ will have. The Christ will have. The Christ will be divine. An inheritance of nations.
[52:36] While 50 years. To the Lord has become vanilla, At theIN9ially. The hope is infinite. And the реклам awards in this需要. Have a great tune. To the Lord have been Blessed. The Lord have created throne. And throne опредle, on the Femin uma grandeza.
[52:52] Those are steadfast artists. The Lord have united streets. And the Lord have been blessed known. has risen and as the soul is all the way and Christ is from the grave his sins will continue still the grave every iron shall see the spirit of strength in every stride in praise for every world that we regard with faith to live the prize of a servant good and faithful the saints of old still the end of the way returning triumphs of his grace we hear the cross and hunger for the day where in Christ we stand in glory the
[54:15] Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace amen amen amen without being you because you can plant you and give you can you can speak I care e time can you can appreciate