Peter’s Pen 1st Peter 2:9-10

1Pe 2:9-10  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  (10)  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are:

·         a chosen race  [family, lineage, stock]

·         a royal priesthood [a priesthood as a fraternity, a body of priests]

·         a holy nation  [the sense of nation, people, as distinct from all others]

·         a people for His own possession [a people acquired or purchased to Himself in a peculiar or unique manner]

In order that:

·         you may proclaim the excellencies of him

o   who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We are a specific “called” and “commissioned” people.

Please note that we are NOT just called that we might be saved – we are called and saved that we might serve Him and “proclaim” [make widely known] His excellencies.

Now, that proclaiming might be verbal, written or it may be in feeding or clothing.  It may be just listening – but it is for the purpose of proclaiming the truth about Him and we need to consider making that clear.  Something on the order of, “I do this in service to the God who has redeemed me and made me His own.”  Or perhaps just “4 Jesus.”

My point is this.  We are not to serve Him by “stealth.”  Proclaiming His excellencies shouldn’t be a “hidden” agenda.  When proclaiming His excellencies is an “ulterior” motive, it is no motive at all.

A friend of mine has posed the question “Can we use deception in order to be able to proclaim His excellencies”?  In other words, if the government of a country bans Christian missionaries – do we present ourselves as just well diggers or food providers?  If a country bans the Bible, do we violate its laws by smuggling Bibles into the country?

NO – you’re not going to get a definitive answer here.  This is a great matter of discussion and one about which we all must spend time in prayer and examining our consciences.

But – we are to proclaim His excellencies – to make them widely known - which is getting to be a little dangerous even in our nation. 

Where do we get the “oomph,” the moxy to do this?  Of course – from Him.  But, we can go to Him confidently because:

Once you were not a people,

but now

you are God's people;

once you had not received mercy,

but

now you have received mercy.

Please notice that once we were “not a people.”  We were all a part of different families, ethnic groups, cultures.  We were all what men call “different races,” (thank you Darwin ;-{ ).  We were “not a people.”

But God didn’t just call us together and tell us, “You are now a people.”  What He did do is call us and tell us, “You are MY people.”  That is a point we need to really get in our heads.  WE are HIS people.  AND we are His people who have HIS mercy (of course His grace as well).

I think that this is cause for joy – which I describe as a sanctified humility and thankful pride.  A pride in Him.  Pride?

Pride:  καυχάομαι, kaucháomai:  To boast, glory, exult, both in a good or bad sense.

Indeed, we should boast, glory and exult in Him, for Him and about Him.  That is our commission. 

Rom 8:3-4  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  (4)  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Today we struggle with, “Who are His people”?  All the denominations, sects, septs and other groupings of believers cause us to be cautious, which is not a bad thing.  But the bottom line is determining who “we,” is:

1Co 12:3  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

Yes, I know, anyone can “say” that but when the rubber meets the road or we listen to what else they say, we can, by the power of the Spirit, discern if they are SAYING that or just mouthing the words.

Let’s pray hard that we will learn to and be bold to proclaim His excellencies – and remember it is all about Him!

This and That 083012 Thinking it through.

Mat 7:21-23  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  (22)  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  (23)  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

We all know “good” people; people who except for their lack of faith look and act a lot like believers.  They sacrifice, do good works, have kind hearts – we like them and enjoy their company.  We also admire their commitment to others.  But------

Then there’s this passage and we are confronted with His truth.  Uggg, uuuph… it is a hard blow.  It is really heartbreaking.

The tough part is in how to warn them of the judgment to come.

We hesitate to point out that which may well destroy our relationship.  We hesitate to be thought a fanatic.  We hesitate to be accused of “hate speech.”  We hesitate because the flesh is weak although the spirit is troubled and convicted.

We are His people to proclaim His excellencies (1 Peter 2).  Yet we hesitate.  We think of all the arguments they may have or the offense they may take or even the anger they might express and we hesitate.

However – I wonder if we actually stuck to, “proclaiming His excellencies,” instead of confronting them with their sin (which they don’t recognize) – if  the Spirit would find it more useful.  You know, talk about Him and His work in our lives and the lives of others.  Talk about His goodness and mercy and providence in our lives and the body of Christ.

I think of:

Heb 12:1-2  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  (2)  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I then read chapter 11 of Hebrews and it is testimony after testimony of how God is true and faithful and merciful and gracious.  I begin to wonder if our “witness” isn’t bigger than the Roman Road, the Acts Tracks or the Bridge illustration.  I wonder if we are starting at the wrong (or at least the less helpful) place when we come with the scent of brimstone instead of the Balm of Gilead.

Bang – it comes to mind –

 Rom 2:3-4  Do you suppose, O man--you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself--that you will escape the judgment of God?  (4)  Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

The kindness of God, His forbearance and patience – meant to lead us (and them??) to repentance?

Do we start with the offense of the cross or do we start with the grace and mercy – yes, the kindness of God as we have seen it made manifest?   

We are called, chosen to proclaim His excellencies – that’s just stuck in my head.  So what’s so hard about that?  Sure, if the Spirit is working in them we will get to the cross but why the rush?  I was once told that at the judgment, no one will get the wrong one. 

We are not here to win a debate or an election – this isn’t the point.  We are here to represent Him and His holiness.  I keep getting stuck on, “proclaiming His excellencies.”

So and I am asking, shouldn’t I start with Him and then me and then others who are His?  Can’t I, like Peter in Acts reach back into that wonderful old testimony about Him and his and proclaim that?  Should I not look for the opportunity to tell of His mercy and kindness in my life – isn’t that what I have to testify about?

As I think this way I am sensing a lightening of a load – with a smidge of anxiety.  I am excited about looking for opportunities to witness to His excellencies and just a little anxious about the cross part.

No, I’m not thinking of sugar-coating the Gospel – I’m trying to discern how to start with the “Good News” – and move the strangely offensive (????) “Best News.”   

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Mar 16:15

 

What, if any, are the differences between proclaiming the Gospel and proclaiming His excellencies?  Is not the Gospel the acorn of His excellencies – the nut of the matter, the whole giant oak of His excellencies made compact.

Ahhhhhh, I found it!

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  (6)  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt  [wisdom and prudence ], so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Col 4:5-6 

Amen and amen . . . .

Evangelistic Insight ???

Psa 36:11  Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,

nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

The message at worship today had a plethora (cool word) of really great points and insights.  It was a wonderful morning.

Not only was I personally blessed but I had a lot put in my “hopper” to consider and pray over.  One thing in particular ended up on the top.  It was the opposition to the Gospel.

While I was reading this afternoon I came across Psalm 36 which I used in the P & Me blog today.  As I read the rest of the Psalm, verse 11 jumped off the screen.

Here is a good description of the problems we might have while we seek to share the Gospel.  The first problem is us.  If we do not remember from whence He has bought and brought us we will run the danger of an arrogant spirit.  We will fall into the “us” and “them” trap.  We will come, not in the humility of Christ but the arrogance of the flesh.

Ok, maybe – maybe we can see ourselves as better off than the unredeemed sinner but there is nothing we can claim that will ever make us “better.”  If Romans 7 doesn’t convince us of that, nothing will. 

Yes, there is bad news before the good news but the good news is about Him not about us.  Actually the only power in the Gospel is Him.  Our, “How I came to Jesus,” story may be powerful but that’s not the Gospel.  He is the Gospel.

The world thinks we think we are “good” people because we are believers.  The world thinks that because “we’ve” somehow (arrogance??) conveyed that idea.  I am called (don’t want to impose my view on you) not to oppose evil in the world – but rather to proclaim the coming of the Savior.  I am not the overcomer of sin – not even in my own life.  Rather I am the proclaimer of good tidings of great joy.  Maybe if we presented the Gospel with more “I was” than “you are” in it we would avoid any appearance of arrogance.

The second part of this verse is tough.  To be honest, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve held my tongue or stated something “safely,”  I’d be rolling in $.  My sin – my problem – that He can overcome.

But we all know the feeling of discomfort when we are talking about our faith.  Do I say this, do I say that?  We don’t want to offend but folks we have to accept that the cross in all its meaning is, well, offensive.

There is insight in the words of Paul:

1Co 1:21-24  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.  (22)  For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,  (23)  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,  (24)  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

AND

2Co 4:8-10  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  (9)  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  (10)  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Consider Psalm 36:11, as you pray for the opportunity,  wisdom and call to share the Gospel with others.  These are two biggies that can hinder His work through us as we go about His work,  at least they are for me.