WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.300 Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:14.820 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:16.160 We're Startup Church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:40.380 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:52.259 One day, children, one day, you guys are so fortunate, we're going to be in first Peter two. 00:00:52.259 --> 00:01:00.380 Kalamazoo, we're looking at first Peter over these next few weeks, we're looking at first Peter, then we're going to look at second Peter. 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:03.039 It's been a lot of fun. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:04.500 It's a fun book to study. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:10.079 I was just talking with Alec, Alec is running a half marathon, maybe right now or maybe yesterday. 00:01:10.260 --> 00:01:10.739 I forget the host. 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:11.640 It was yesterday. 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:11.939 Okay. 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:18.439 Yesterday he ran a half marathon, but we were talking about first Peter and just the energy that it brings. 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:24.159 There's very practical teaching, but there's also theological teaching as well. 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:31.159 It's written in a way that there's text that we can take right away and we can apply to our lives. 00:01:31.459 --> 00:01:37.540 There's text that we can take right away, apply to our lives, but then also understand there's even greater meaning behind it as well. 00:01:37.739 --> 00:01:43.359 This is the Bible, but it's encapsulated in first Peter. 00:01:46.170 --> 00:01:48.709 As you guys know, this is just the little introduction. 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:50.950 This is stuff that we looked at last week. 00:01:51.030 --> 00:01:53.930 It's going to prove itself a little bit relevant even right now. 00:01:54.469 --> 00:02:00.689 It's written to Gentiles in somewhere mid to late 60 AD. 00:02:02.170 --> 00:02:04.390 And he's writing to a Gentile audience again. 00:02:04.469 --> 00:02:11.530 We said this stuff is important because he's identifying that God's people is not just the Jews, it's everybody. 00:02:11.530 --> 00:02:19.129 And that includes you and me, that we have the opportunity then to know Jesus and to be some of God's chosen people on this earth. 00:02:20.569 --> 00:02:23.590 And then we said, well, what does this add to the Bible? 00:02:23.710 --> 00:02:28.030 What's the point of it even being in the Bible if we removed this book? 00:02:28.689 --> 00:02:29.770 How does the Bible change? 00:02:29.810 --> 00:02:36.830 And we said a couple of things is one, this is a confirmation that we communicated of the church as God's chosen people. 00:02:36.830 --> 00:02:45.569 You and I have the opportunity to be the royal priesthood, the chosen people who God chooses to use to then spread his message throughout the world. 00:02:45.969 --> 00:02:47.610 What an awesome responsibility. 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:49.030 What a great calling. 00:02:49.490 --> 00:02:50.590 But this is you and I. 00:02:51.169 --> 00:03:09.030 And the second thing is in this book, there's an identification of some of the unique roles that the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and then you and I have in not only in the working of the church, but in the working of our salvation, and then just in the working of this entire world. 00:03:09.090 --> 00:03:13.530 And we'll see both of these proven true in the text here in 1 Peter 2. 00:03:13.889 --> 00:03:15.310 If you've got a Bible, turn there. 00:03:15.830 --> 00:03:24.550 If not, there's going to be some of the text on the screen, but I think there's going to be a greater value if you've got a Bible to turn to it, because there's not all of the text that will be up there. 00:03:26.150 --> 00:03:35.979 We'll start in verse 1 here, 1 Peter 2. 00:03:36.039 --> 00:03:36.680 Thanks for asking. 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:46.259 So 1 Peter 2, it says in verse 1, therefore, rid yourself of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:57.319 Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:03.080 And so to start out, what are we called to be? 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:04.180 Babies. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.000 So you guys are all babies. 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:10.180 I hope you guys grow to be like babies, is what I can say to you. 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:11.139 I don't know. 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.639 Usually, that's not a very nice thing. 00:04:13.699 --> 00:04:15.979 If you call somebody a baby on the playground, you're in trouble. 00:04:16.120 --> 00:04:26.879 If you're playing basketball, and if I called somebody a baby, there's something that we would make a point, if you scored on somebody, you would just kind of put your hand down like I'm just bigger than you. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:28.220 You're low. 00:04:28.339 --> 00:04:31.680 And so we kind of do that little thing, and you're just a baby. 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:37.560 There's other basketball, kind of this bravado that we would do that if you scored on somebody, you might do this. 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:39.500 Like you're just rocking the baby, right? 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.180 And you know what I'm saying? 00:04:42.360 --> 00:04:56.139 This is how I got in trouble in school, rather, certainly playground, but then literally playing basketball in college is how I didn't make as many friends on the opposite teams I did on my own team. 00:04:56.500 --> 00:05:03.040 But this is stuff that you do, and it's loud, and you show yourself, but you're saying you're a baby. 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:06.779 Here, Peter's saying, I want you guys all to be babies. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:10.500 It's really interesting. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:18.720 It says, so now that you've rid yourself of these things, crave pure spiritual milk. 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:21.920 These words, they encapsulate a lot. 00:05:22.410 --> 00:05:28.259 I looked up some of the definitions for them, or just try to understand them just a little bit better. 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:30.939 And malice, maybe we understand. 00:05:31.060 --> 00:05:31.779 It's just ill will. 00:05:32.939 --> 00:05:37.699 It's translated as badness, I think in the King James Version. 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:40.079 Just motives that aren't good. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:41.439 You wish to do harm to somebody. 00:05:41.980 --> 00:05:44.060 Deceit, it means bait. 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:45.360 It's used in that way. 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:47.899 Hypocrisy would have been used. 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.560 That same word would have been used to demonstrate. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:53.399 This is what an actor does, like a stage player. 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:58.220 Somebody who's pretending to be somebody who they're not, and they're trying to do a very good job of it. 00:05:58.939 --> 00:06:00.399 Envy, we understand that. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.420 And then slander is, it's literally backbiting. 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:12.000 So not only talking behind somebody's back, but talking behind their back in a way that paints them in a negative light and props you up in a better light. 00:06:12.740 --> 00:06:20.300 Peter is saying, therefore, the word therefore is pointing to what we looked at last week, that you can look at Jesus. 00:06:20.459 --> 00:06:24.300 You guys have heard, it talks about the word that you guys have heard about. 00:06:24.540 --> 00:06:32.079 You guys have heard the word, and so therefore, get rid of these things, and then crave pure spiritual milk. 00:06:33.480 --> 00:06:34.360 It's powerful. 00:06:34.579 --> 00:06:39.199 The Bible doesn't tell us only what not to do, but it tells us what to do, right? 00:06:39.259 --> 00:06:43.800 It'd be a difficult book if we only knew we can't do these things. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:44.959 Well, what do we do? 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.879 The response is, well, we gotta be like babies then, right? 00:06:49.100 --> 00:06:53.639 What is this pure spiritual milk? 00:06:53.879 --> 00:07:04.459 And essentially, there's a proof text or there's a reference text that we'll look at in a second, but essentially, this is accurate doctrine found through the word of God. 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:06.480 This is the pure spiritual milk. 00:07:06.579 --> 00:07:09.759 You can always trust and rely on it. 00:07:11.620 --> 00:07:17.600 There's different scriptures, but you understand the Bible is the source of truth. 00:07:18.040 --> 00:07:20.220 There are other truths in this world. 00:07:20.339 --> 00:07:21.379 You can read a self-help book. 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:22.240 You can learn a lot. 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:36.500 But every single, you can trust the Bible because it's 100% true, and self-help books have an end, and other texts that are interesting and that they add value to our lives, they have an end to how much you can use it. 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:42.000 But the Bible is 100% true and 100% accurate, and so we can just rely and trust on it. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.379 Crave this pure spiritual milk. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:50.579 In Hebrews 5, it actually talks about this milk. 00:07:50.740 --> 00:07:54.920 So why do I say that it is this accurate doctrine? 00:07:55.500 --> 00:07:56.759 I say it for a couple of reasons. 00:07:56.899 --> 00:08:03.339 One, at the end of 1 Peter 1, it talked about this being the word. 00:08:03.339 --> 00:08:06.459 You guys know the word, so crave the word. 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:18.620 And then it mentions in Hebrews 5, it talks about you guys should be, well here, we'll look at it right here, this author, we don't know who the author is. 00:08:18.699 --> 00:08:21.399 We think pretty reliably it's not Peter. 00:08:21.899 --> 00:08:24.379 It's almost certainly not Peter. 00:08:24.459 --> 00:08:26.079 I guess we don't know for sure. 00:08:26.220 --> 00:08:33.740 But an author, and I understand it was written, we think probably about the same time, maybe a little bit after 1 Peter. 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:42.480 But it just says, in fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. 00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:44.740 You need milk, not solid food. 00:08:45.419 --> 00:08:56.080 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness, but solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 00:08:56.779 --> 00:09:13.840 Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from accident lead to death and of faith in God, instructions about cleansing rights, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment, and God permitting, we will do so. 00:09:15.299 --> 00:09:29.480 So when she says crave pure spiritual milk, this is communicating that we need to crave a full understanding of what scripture teaches, specifically about some of these doctrines that it talks about. 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:42.960 And these are ones, this is a majority of the reason why we have a study series at all, that if you want to be a member of the church, we want everyone to be members, but if you want to be a member of the church, we got to go through some studies to make sure we are on the same page with some of these things. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:52.179 And so much of what we're doing is unlearning a bad Christian doctrine that's been built up over the course of our lives, excuse me. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:59.480 We have to look at repentance, we have to look at faith, we have to look at cleansing rights or this general term of baptisms. 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:02.360 We have to look at laying out of hands. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:04.240 And so that could mean a couple of things. 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:11.059 It could be pointing to leadership and the structure of that, laying on of hands being somebody who's going to be, you know, we're going to bless this guy. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:14.820 Or it could be, what's the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives? 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:16.080 And we have to look at that as well. 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:18.200 Resurrection of the dead. 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.080 And do we believe that and how much joy we can pull from that and then eternal judgment. 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:25.080 And there is, there will be an eternal judgment. 00:10:25.519 --> 00:10:35.600 These are all things that we take time to look at and assess as we study the Bible with people and try to help them figure out if they want to become members of the church. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:41.899 This, you know, this is another cool thing, another, it's so powerful. 00:10:42.039 --> 00:10:53.740 We just looked at craved pure spiritual milk and you can see that there's never, in order for a baby to be fed, he needs, he or she needs the mom or they need somebody at least to feed them, right? 00:10:54.320 --> 00:11:09.720 It'd be foolish to just give a child a bottle right away out of the womb and just expect them to know what to do with it, to be able to hold it up and no, I mean, you guys, there's a lot of youngish parents like where you put a baby on a schedule and you feed them. 00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:13.159 And I think the direction from out of the hospital, as much as they want to eat, they eat. 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:14.019 Is that right, Bianca? 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:14.759 Or did I just imagine? 00:11:14.899 --> 00:11:15.179 Yeah, yeah. 00:11:16.539 --> 00:11:18.419 As much as they want to eat, they eat right away. 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:20.779 You know, your attention is only on them. 00:11:20.779 --> 00:11:25.460 And this baby needs, needs help the whole way though. 00:11:25.620 --> 00:11:37.279 There's never going to come a time in our lives, I don't believe when we don't, when we don't need spiritual milk, when we don't need to shore up some of our understanding of these doctrines. 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:41.679 And certainly you might say, well, we want to be taken to maturity. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:42.559 Absolutely. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.100 And in certain areas we are going to be mature. 00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:59.940 I think in certain areas, even the most mature among us probably has, has some, some way to, to learn and to grow in this understanding of which maybe it's doctrine or maybe it's just this desire to consume what the Bible teaches in a, in a pure way. 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:07.840 And I can trust that it's accurate and it's true in, in all of this though, we need to pursue truth and sound doctrine. 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:12.639 You know, it's really interesting this, okay, cool. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:22.120 There's this quote that I found that I found really interesting and it's commenting on the end of the end of the last, the last, last scripture. 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:25.480 It says, now that you have tasted, the Lord is good. 00:12:26.179 --> 00:12:30.860 And I think it's, it's powerful because you guys, what it's saying is you guys have experienced it. 00:12:30.919 --> 00:12:33.480 You have experienced the benefits of following God. 00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:39.379 You've experienced what it feels like to know you're doing the right thing and to not have to feel this burden. 00:12:39.379 --> 00:12:48.039 It's hardly surprising if someone who has never tasted the kindness of the Lord fails to avoid the filth and corruption of this world. 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:56.840 But if your hearts and minds have been cleansed from wickedness, then it is natural for you to long for the vital nourishment of Christ. 00:12:58.100 --> 00:13:01.019 Do you guys long for the vital nourishment of Christ? 00:13:03.549 --> 00:13:08.330 We'll skip, we're going to skip this a little bit of a text and we're just going to drop down to verse 11. 00:13:08.330 --> 00:13:18.470 Um, it says, dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 00:13:18.950 --> 00:13:27.789 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 us. 00:13:29.090 --> 00:13:41.870 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. 00:13:42.250 --> 00:13:50.610 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 coverup for evil. 00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:52.309 Live as God's slaves. 00:13:53.590 --> 00:13:55.429 Show proper respect to everyone. 00:13:55.990 --> 00:13:57.169 Love the family of believers. 00:13:57.429 --> 00:13:59.490 Fear God, honor the emperor. 00:14:00.929 --> 00:14:11.429 If this is a difficult teaching for, for us to read right now, I, I'd venture to say, and I'll explain why it was an even more difficult teaching for them to hear in that time. 00:14:11.629 --> 00:14:21.409 Uh, but he starts out and you think whenever you're going to tell somebody something that's difficult for them to hear, uh, way to start is by speaking kindly to them, right? 00:14:21.429 --> 00:14:24.009 It's like the, the love sandwich or whatever you want to call it. 00:14:24.029 --> 00:14:31.309 He says, dear friends, this is like beloved friends, like you guys are my, my closest of people is how it's communicated. 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:37.429 And I, and I understand the word, dear friends, it doesn't even communicate the amount of energy and love being put into this relationship. 00:14:37.830 --> 00:14:40.629 Uh, he's saying, be a great example, right? 00:14:40.669 --> 00:14:41.970 Isn't that, isn't that the start of it? 00:14:42.230 --> 00:14:43.309 Live such good lives. 00:14:43.389 --> 00:14:51.690 Though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your, your, your deeds and then pursue the same hope that you have. 00:14:52.470 --> 00:14:58.610 Think for a moment of about the person who you feel most accused by who you're, when you're in their presence. 00:14:58.789 --> 00:15:02.149 You just think there's, I just can't, something's wrong. 00:15:02.309 --> 00:15:03.750 You know that you're, maybe you're insecure. 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:08.730 Maybe it's a boss, maybe it's somebody else, uh, it's a, it's a coworker perhaps. 00:15:08.970 --> 00:15:22.029 Uh, you know, I, it's, it's tough because I feel like for myself in this season of my life, I don't know if, I don't really think there's one person who I feel like I'm butting heads with or I feel accused or in any way, shape or form. 00:15:22.070 --> 00:15:47.470 There's not really that, uh, but then, and maybe, maybe you identified somebody and if you did, then we'll, we, we can, uh, comment and talk about, or maybe there's just, uh, but if you'd sit, I think you'd realize there's like a general feeling of this inside of the life of a Christian and that there is, there are accusations work with me here being made about anybody who says, I'm a Christian and I follow what the Bible teaches, uh, right. 00:15:47.509 --> 00:15:48.350 There's accusations. 00:15:48.789 --> 00:15:54.710 Uh, when we consume, uh, when we consume different media, there's that you're judging me. 00:15:54.710 --> 00:15:58.370 Uh, there's, there's accusations of where, where do we look for, for strength? 00:15:58.470 --> 00:15:58.629 Wow. 00:15:58.669 --> 00:16:01.789 That is really, that's really weak of you to look to a God for strength. 00:16:02.129 --> 00:16:13.629 Uh, when, when we communicate what constitutes a marriage or when it's just assumed we under, what constitutes, what constitutes a biblical marriage, we're, we're judged as being bigots and we're judged as being closed minded. 00:16:14.090 --> 00:16:23.269 Uh, when, when we identify that there are only two genders, uh, again, we are judgmental automatically, and this is the assumption that's being made. 00:16:23.269 --> 00:16:42.370 And, and what I would say is at some points actually rightfully so, if you look at the greater Christian community, uh, I think we've done a pretty bad job of, of communicating these difficult things in a way that doesn't draw judgment, but actually brings, brings favor to, uh, to, to our, our teaching. 00:16:42.789 --> 00:17:03.568 Um, you know, I, I was just thinking for myself, some of the things that, that I, as a preacher, Christian preacher, maybe conservative Christian preacher, you could, you could call me, I think you might assume, you might look at me and you might accuse me of child abuse, uh, but you better see me discipline my children lovingly. 00:17:03.609 --> 00:17:09.088 That, that's, that's something you can accuse me or I can be accused of hating homosexuals. 00:17:09.150 --> 00:17:29.029 But what I would say is a gay person better feel more love inside of this church and more hope and more and more, uh, feel more heard than in, than in any other group or area that they could be in, uh, as they interact with me, as those who are homosexual, they better feel a sense of love and a sense of worth just from interacting with me. 00:17:29.089 --> 00:17:30.690 This is what, this is what Peter's teaching. 00:17:31.170 --> 00:17:35.849 Uh, you can accuse me again of, of being closed minded and maybe you've been accused of being closed minded. 00:17:35.950 --> 00:17:36.049 Why? 00:17:36.170 --> 00:17:48.230 I think there's a responsibility that you and I have then to be able to have conversations about nuanced topics in a way that helps other people feel heard and is rife with humility. 00:17:50.700 --> 00:18:15.670 And so I bet you, if you think about in your life, maybe you are, maybe you are a bit accused then, but this, this accusation, we have to, we have to take it like what, what, what Peter is saying is if you feel this accusation, go ahead and show them by your good deeds, then show them that you can have a real conversation about, about stuff that nobody feels comfortable talking about. 00:18:16.289 --> 00:18:21.049 Show them, show them that you should be, you should be the, the, the most out there person. 00:18:21.049 --> 00:18:22.390 You should be their Christian friend. 00:18:22.589 --> 00:18:23.150 That's great. 00:18:23.329 --> 00:18:29.730 I think that's awesome that they, that you should, they should feel like, man, if I have a question about Christianity, I need to talk to a Jen. 00:18:29.809 --> 00:18:31.009 She just knows about Christianity. 00:18:31.009 --> 00:18:32.609 I know that I can talk to her about it. 00:18:32.890 --> 00:18:34.609 They should feel that about, about all of us. 00:18:34.609 --> 00:18:34.809 Right. 00:18:34.869 --> 00:18:38.910 And not feel like, ah, you know, if I talk to, if I talk to, I'm not even gonna say anyone's name. 00:18:38.950 --> 00:18:41.089 If I talk to this person, they're going to look down on me. 00:18:41.150 --> 00:18:41.910 They're going to judge me. 00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:48.069 I don't even know what they're, they're just gonna, I know that there's a judgment in their heart as they even communicate. 00:18:48.069 --> 00:18:49.529 It shame on us. 00:18:49.609 --> 00:18:51.490 We got to be everybody's Christian friend, right? 00:18:53.940 --> 00:18:54.759 Then it says this though. 00:18:54.779 --> 00:18:56.480 It says submit to every human authority. 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:02.740 Again, difficult teaching for us submit to every human authority, more difficult for them. 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:19.900 And the time that this was written, there was a, uh, the, the, the emperor was Nero and, and from 64 to about 68 AD, uh, this guy was one of the most brutal in maybe the most brutal in his treating of Christians. 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:22.400 He would feed them to lions. 00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:27.799 Their carcasses were set on fire and they were used to light up his garden at night. 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:33.240 Uh, this is, this is the emperor that Peter is saying, you know what you've got to do. 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:34.259 You've got to honor him. 00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:38.670 We don't have it that bad. 00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:50.440 And if we compare our lives to that, then it's actually pretty easy to, uh, to honor the president or it should be pretty easy to honor the president. 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:50.960 Shouldn't it? 00:19:51.539 --> 00:20:07.480 If there's people whose family members are being fed to lions and Peter saying to honor them, then when a policy doesn't go our way or when somebody who's not in our political ideology or either, either side of the aisle, when they're elected president, we should, we should be able to honor them. 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:09.980 And if we don't, and that speaks ill of our Christianity. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:21.380 In fact, in our interactions, the Bible's teaching us, we got to remove malice, slander, envy, hypocrisy from our entire being as we, as we interact, as we talk about these people. 00:20:22.940 --> 00:20:27.279 You know, it's much more, it's much more powerful because then he says, live as a free person. 00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:28.740 So it's actually more powerful, right? 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:36.539 To, if I know that I don't have to do something, but if I do it anyways, uh, our, we have a three-year-old, we have a one-year-old love them to death. 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:40.720 Uh, when we try to teach, we're teaching Jordan that she has to share. 00:20:41.099 --> 00:20:45.319 And, um, I think we're going to be teaching her that she has to share probably for a long time. 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:58.420 If I understand, if I understand the sibling dynamic between sisters, uh, just from talking a little bit to, uh, to, to, to Ruth and, uh, and, and, and the, the girls, if I understand that just a little bit, then I'd understand. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:20:58.579 Yeah. 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:00.079 We're going to have to teach her to share for a while. 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:06.660 What's, what's more powerful than us saying, Jordan, you have to share or else you're going to get a consequence. 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:15.880 Is her seeing her little sister, Madison wanting something and finding a way to give her that something that's much more powerful. 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:16.200 Right. 00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:21.720 And so Peter is saying, you guys are free, but don't use your freedom to indulge in evil. 00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:28.240 I actually use your freedom to do good because it's going to be seen as more, as more highly as they look at your Christian life. 00:21:31.630 --> 00:21:35.910 There's a, there's another quote that I found, I found really powerful. 00:21:36.069 --> 00:21:47.569 It says, if we have a form of religion on the outside, but inside we are opposed to the rulers of the church, as well as to Kings and princes, we are using our faith as a pretext for evil. 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:54.119 So easy to how it's not evil. 00:21:54.299 --> 00:22:00.839 It's just not the best, or it's neutral or it's, it's spoken very clearly in the Bible. 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:01.299 Isn't it? 00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:05.400 We'll we'll, we'll close up here. 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:09.619 Man, this is difficult text, but it's, it's great to look at. 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:12.220 It's we're going to pick up in verse 18. 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:17.900 Peter, it seems to, he seems to, to hammer this, this point home. 00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:28.599 It says slaves and reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:30.119 For it is commendable. 00:22:30.119 --> 00:22:37.099 If someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering, because they are conscious of God, but how is it to your credit? 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:50.980 If you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it, but if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable for God to this, you were called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. 00:22:53.069 --> 00:22:55.849 He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. 00:22:56.890 --> 00:23:00.269 When they hurled their insults at him, he didn't retaliate. 00:23:00.450 --> 00:23:02.069 When he suffered, he made no threats. 00:23:02.170 --> 00:23:06.069 Instead, he entrusted himself to the, to him who judges justly. 00:23:06.730 --> 00:23:14.230 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness by his wounds. 00:23:14.390 --> 00:23:17.150 You have been healed for you were like sheep going astray. 00:23:17.150 --> 00:23:20.950 But now you have returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:25.539 Peter says you're free, but don't get it confused. 00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:30.880 Even as a slave, your mission is to live as one commended by God. 00:23:31.480 --> 00:23:37.339 I want to, I want to make a couple of notes that don't justify slavery, even in that time. 00:23:37.619 --> 00:23:46.700 But slavery, Roman slavery was significantly different than what we learn about in our textbooks, like chattel slavery from the 15 to 1800s, give or take. 00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:53.319 Again, it's not justifying it, but some of the differences is there, you could buy your way out of this type of slavery. 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:55.579 It wasn't, it wasn't as brutal. 00:23:55.720 --> 00:24:06.019 Generally, there are records of people giving themselves to be slaves because it meant that they would have food to eat and they would have shelter and they could just rely on that. 00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:08.720 They viewed it as being more desirable than freedom. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:20.859 There was a way that you could, you could buy yourself or buy your, your way out of slavery, or you could be released from slavery, or it could be a specific amount of time that you worked and then you could get out of it. 00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:25.180 And if you were a free person, you would be a Roman citizen. 00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:29.039 So those who were slaves then who made it out as would be Roman citizens. 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:32.059 And being a Roman citizen, it was an extremely powerful thing. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:35.819 You'd recall, this is why Paul didn't get flogged right away. 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:37.500 He said, Hey, is it legal for you to do this? 00:24:37.539 --> 00:24:40.579 And they were pretty terrified of, of the fact that he was a Roman citizen. 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:42.839 They were treating him so unjustly. 00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:49.619 And so, so it's, again, it's not justifiable, but it's, it's a little bit different than maybe our perception of slavery. 00:24:50.619 --> 00:24:59.519 Anyways, though, Peter's saying, if you suffer for doing good, regardless of who is oppressing you and how bad it is, it's commendable. 00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:08.880 Consider then the joy that, that the disciples might've been, might've been feeling as they read this or as rather, as they heard this or heard it read to them. 00:25:09.500 --> 00:25:17.640 When they, when they realized that I'm suffering, but the reason why I'm suffering is, is because I'm doing good things. 00:25:17.779 --> 00:25:19.940 And so I'm becoming more like Jesus. 00:25:21.039 --> 00:25:22.900 I've shared this a few times. 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:28.119 My mom died when I was seven years old and she died from cancer. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:39.700 And during that time, there was about a year, maybe a little bit longer of a period when she had to undergo different chemotherapy or different treatments, basically that, that obviously take a lot out of her. 00:25:40.539 --> 00:25:41.640 Her energy was low. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.279 She lost a lot of weight. 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:48.500 It was, you know, I don't think anyone who's gone through chemotherapy said it's a good experience. 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:56.819 One of my friends is just, he's just got done with one round and he's like, man, this is absolutely brutal stuff. 00:25:58.819 --> 00:26:01.619 And that was, that was, again, that was years ago. 00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:21.079 So in 2019, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and there was a time post the removal of the tumor for about eight weeks where we were just kind of waiting to, I had to wait to get tested basically to see if my, my blood markers or whatever, the tumor markers in my blood had gone to normal levels. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:25.859 And if they went to normal levels, it would mean no chemotherapy or radiation or whatever. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:29.140 There would be no treatment outside of just continual testing. 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:41.759 Um, but if there was some kind of, you know, they, they found some tumor marker or there was something that, that escaped basically, or they got somewhere, then they would have, you know, prescribed some kind of, uh, some kind of treatment. 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:46.240 And I, I remember feeling resolved to do whatever was necessary to kill the cancer. 00:26:46.359 --> 00:27:01.740 But I, I also remember there being like a silver lining of sorts that I, I connected that my mom, in some way that if I would have to go through chemotherapy or some kind of radiation or whatever, I'd be able to connect with my mom. 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:03.400 She's, she's in heaven. 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:08.220 She's, she's, she's passed away, but I'd be able to connect with her and some of her suffering a little bit better. 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:13.619 And my relationship with her in some inexplicable way would, would actually grow. 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:27.819 And I remember that being just some kind of a thought that I somehow me, because there's only a few people on this earth that have had the, you know, had to experience this, that I would have to experience it, then I'd be able to actually connect with my mom a little bit. 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:30.460 And, uh, it, it was unique. 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.539 It's inexplicable. 00:27:32.059 --> 00:27:39.539 Uh, the, uh, fortunately when, when it came down to it and we got the test done, uh, it was localized and it hadn't grown at all. 00:27:39.640 --> 00:27:42.480 And the doctor said, no, no, uh, you, you're healthy basically. 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:50.359 Um, but I have to imagine that's a little bit about what Peter is sharing with, with this group of people. 00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:52.980 And he says, just consider what Jesus went through. 00:27:53.160 --> 00:28:03.460 You're going through a difficult time, but you're going to be able to connect and relate to Jesus more through your suffering than, than through, than, than, than if you just had only good fortune. 00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:17.660 This is a, this is, this should be an encouragement for you and me then, because that means when we're suffering and if we use it to connect with God and we use it to relate, when somebody says something bad about you, you realize it, it points to it. 00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:18.920 They hurled insults at Jesus. 00:28:19.059 --> 00:28:22.720 And when somebody looks down on you, they look down on Jesus all the time. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:26.740 And when someone misunderstands you, Jesus lived a life that was entirely misunderstood. 00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:28.519 He actually died misunderstood, right? 00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:41.740 Whenever any of this, these things happen to us, we don't have to retaliate or fight or with weapons the world uses because we can point to, to Jesus and what he went through. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:46.839 And in doing that, our relationship can grow in an, in an inexplicable way. 00:28:46.900 --> 00:28:48.319 We're not looking at scripture. 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:50.059 Maybe I, maybe I point to scripture. 00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:57.240 Maybe I think about scripture, but when I say no to, to sin, our thoughts should be, I'm connecting a little bit better with Jesus. 00:28:57.299 --> 00:29:00.099 I'm getting to know Jesus a little bit more, what the stuff that he went through. 00:29:00.220 --> 00:29:04.720 And when we mess up though, we can actually point to Jesus as well because he never messed up. 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:05.819 He lived a perfect life. 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:06.480 Wow. 00:29:06.579 --> 00:29:08.880 We could never, ever measure up. 00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:09.160 Amen. 00:29:09.940 --> 00:29:11.039 Let's, let's go over. 00:29:11.099 --> 00:29:13.519 We're going to go to Isaiah 53. 00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:27.779 It's, it's really cool that Peter just in, in his mind, he has, he has this, this, this prophecy that he quotes all throughout just this little text and he summarizes it. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:29.660 We're going to read the extent of it. 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.299 And as we do so, we're going to prepare our hearts for communion. 00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:37.259 Just considering the life that Jesus lived and his death on a cross. 00:29:39.670 --> 00:29:45.049 It says, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 00:29:45.589 --> 00:29:50.630 He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. 00:29:50.930 --> 00:29:53.569 He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him. 00:29:54.029 --> 00:29:56.170 Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 00:29:56.809 --> 00:30:02.170 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. 00:30:02.730 --> 00:30:05.049 Like one from whom people hide their faces. 00:30:05.390 --> 00:30:08.509 He was despised and we held him in low esteem. 00:30:09.170 --> 00:30:11.630 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. 00:30:11.630 --> 00:30:18.609 Yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted, but he was pierced for our transgressions. 00:30:19.150 --> 00:30:21.230 He was crushed for our iniquities. 00:30:21.670 --> 00:30:24.809 The punishment that brought us peace was on him. 00:30:25.289 --> 00:30:27.329 And by his wounds, we are healed. 00:30:28.289 --> 00:30:30.349 We all like sheep have gone astray. 00:30:30.490 --> 00:30:33.089 Each of us has turned to our own way. 00:30:33.170 --> 00:30:36.730 And the Lord has laid, laid on him the iniquity of us all. 00:30:36.910 --> 00:30:40.009 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. 00:30:40.009 --> 00:30:45.829 He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent. 00:30:45.970 --> 00:30:47.369 So he did not open his mouth. 00:30:48.210 --> 00:30:50.170 By oppression and judgment, he was taken away. 00:30:50.470 --> 00:30:54.269 Yet who of his generation protested for he was cut off from the land of the living. 00:30:54.710 --> 00:30:56.769 For the transgression of my people, he was punished. 00:30:57.289 --> 00:31:03.529 He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 00:31:04.650 --> 00:31:07.829 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and to cause him to suffer. 00:31:07.829 --> 00:31:14.809 And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days. 00:31:14.910 --> 00:31:17.269 And the will of the Lord will prosper in his hands. 00:31:17.970 --> 00:31:21.390 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. 00:31:21.890 --> 00:31:26.970 By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities. 00:31:27.549 --> 00:31:30.230 Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great. 00:31:30.450 --> 00:31:39.930 And he will divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgression with the transgressors. 00:31:40.390 --> 00:31:46.190 For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. 00:31:47.349 --> 00:31:49.230 This is what we are considering. 00:31:49.789 --> 00:31:53.490 This is what we're celebrating as we take communion right now. 00:31:53.549 --> 00:31:57.529 So if you would please bow with me and then the trays will be passed. 00:32:01.130 --> 00:32:04.549 Dear God, Lord, we don't deserve you. 00:32:04.730 --> 00:32:06.470 We're grateful for you, Jesus. 00:32:07.130 --> 00:32:15.970 We look at your life and we realize that God, I look at the life of the people who lived 2,000 years ago. 00:32:16.130 --> 00:32:23.430 And I just am like, man, I just even in their life, I can't measure up and I can gain encouragement from them. 00:32:23.509 --> 00:32:26.509 But then looking at your life, Jesus, I can gain. 00:32:26.630 --> 00:32:33.710 We gain the ultimate encouragement considering that you considered us worthy to die on a cross, Lord. 00:32:33.710 --> 00:32:41.569 We realize that all of us are guilty and you were the only one who was guilt less. 00:32:41.750 --> 00:32:47.509 And yet you allowed yourself to die on a cross for us and take our place. 00:32:47.589 --> 00:32:50.390 Thank you so much for that, Lord. 00:32:50.509 --> 00:33:06.650 I pray that in our consideration that we can give you praise and glory, not only with a contrite heart right now, not only with thoughtful consideration right now, but with our lives throughout this week, but throughout the entirety of them. 00:33:06.930 --> 00:33:07.750 Lord, we love you. 00:33:08.589 --> 00:33:10.670 Jesus, this is in your name that we pray. 00:33:10.869 --> 00:33:11.009 Amen. 00:33:11.869 --> 00:33:16.329 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:33:16.670 --> 00:33:20.009 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:33:20.250 --> 00:33:27.609 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:33:27.710 --> 00:33:30.230 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week. 00:33:31.710 --> 00:33:44.539 Too busy saving souls.