Emory Baptist Church

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #4 with Luke Panter

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #3 with Luke Panter

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #2 with Luke Panter

Back in the Game Revival Meeting #1 with Luke Panter

Lunchable Leftovers

The Beheading of John the Baptist...

A Picture of the People of God...

From June 24-28, EBC preteens participated in the third week of Preteen Camp at Mt. Lebanon in Cedar Hill with a total of 1,200 campers for the week.  Our group was made up of 37 campers and 8 adult chaperones. 

 

The camp preacher was an evangelist from Lawton, OK named Keith Coast, and the theme for the week was “Identity” based on 1 Peter 2:9-10.  That will also be our text for this morning.

 

Earlier this month, our country celebrated Independence Day or the Fourth of July.  If you are an American Citizen, that day means something very significant for us.  We celebrate our independence or a freedom as a nation, and it is very special to be an American Citizen as there is no other country like it in the world. 

 

Being a United States Citizen is part of our identity.  However, if you are follower of Christ, the Bible speaks of another citizenship.  For the believer, we have citizenship in heaven in addition to our earthly citizenship.

 

Ephesians 2:19, 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

 

Philippians 3:20, 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Again, our heavenly citizenship is due to our identity in Christ. 

 

This morning, I want us to see from 1 Peter 2 this picture of God’s People...our identity.  We will see who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

 

 

1. Who Are We? 1 Peter 2:9-10

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

 

In verses 9 and 10, Peter does something very interesting in that he used language that previously was used to describe Israel, God’s people in the Old Testament.  However, he wasn’t writing to Israel.  He was writing to the Church. 

 

That doesn’t mean the Church had replaced Israel, but it does mean that the Church has joined Israel as the people of God, God’s own special people.

 

We are chosen generation.  That highlights that God has chosen us as followers of Christ. 

 

We are royal priesthood.  Royal means that we belong to the king.  That is King Jesus. 

 

In the OT, there were few priests.  Every follower of Christ is a priest meaning we have full access to God, and our role is to be a bridge-builder between Christ and the world.

 

We are holy nation meaning that God has set us apart to be distinct from the world.  However, on many fronts, the church isn’t doing our best. 

 

Brothers and sisters, our marriages should be holy.  Our businesses should be holy.  Our language should be holy.  Our recreation should be holy.  Our spending should be holy.  That is who we were made to be in front of a watching world. 

 

We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. 

 

 

2. What Do We Do? 1 Peter 2:1-2, 4-5, 9

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby…4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

 

As the people of God, this text says we are to demonstrate certain behaviors.  We are to long for God’s Word.  We are to live in God’s community, and we are to laud God’s mercy.

 

First, in verse 2, God’s people are to long for or desire the pure milk of the word, and we are to this so will grow.  Peter is invoking the image of a newborn baby crying and crying and crying because he or she is hungry for mother’s milk, and newborn babies need their milk so that they will grow. 

 

Some of you as the people of God are not growing, and the reason that you aren’t growing is because you aren’t longing for and getting God’s Word.  And the reason you aren’t getting God’s Word is because you aren’t laying aside malice and deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all evil speech. 

The people of God must lay aside or take off the ways of the world.  Malice is pure evil or the absence of good.  Deceit is intentional deception or dishonesty.  Hypocrisy is living your life as two different persons.  Envy is wanting what is not yours to have, and slander to criticize and malign. 

 

God’s plan and desire is for His people to grow, but our growth is stunted when we don’t long for His word, and if you aren’t longing for His word in your daily life, it may be because you haven’t laid aside the behavior of a lost world.

 

Second, we are to live in God’s community.  In verse 4, God’s people are to come to Him.  That isn’t a reference to salvation but to daily living, and we come to Him as living stones. 

 

This “stone” language that Peter used takes us back to his own confession in Matthew 16.  The Lord Jesus told Peter that He was going to build His Church or community on the rock. 

 

That Rock is Jesus, but also includes us a living stones. 

 

The people of God were never meant to live in isolation.  We are meant to live in community with one another so that we can be built up into a spiritual house. One rock doesn’t make a house.  Many rocks are needed to build a house.

 

And we are built up as a spiritual house when we offer spiritual sacrifices.   Again, we sacrifice or offer our marriage and our business and our language and our recreation and our finances.  We offer our entire being as we love the Lord our God with all that we have and all that we are in heart, soul, mind and strength. 

 

Third, we are to laud or praise God’s mercy.  That should be part of our identity.  Look at verse 9. 

 

Because of who we are, we are to proclaim or laud the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 

 

Let me let you in on something.  God doesn’t owe us ANYTHING.  We owe Him EVERYTHING.  Therefore, we should be about proclaim His mercy every day to anyone and everyone who will listen.

 

The people of God ought to be known for longing for God’s word and living in God’s community and lauding God’s mercy. 

 

3. Why Do We Do What We Do? 1 Peter 2:3, 6-8, 10

3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious…6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed…10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

 

So why do we do what we do?  Why do we long for God’s word?  Why do we live in God’s community?  Why do we laud God’s mercy?

 

We long for God’s word because we have tasted and seen that Lord is gracious according to verse 3.  If you have been born-again after hearing and understanding God’s word, you know that the message of this book is grace.  Read it again and again and again because of what you know to be true.

 

We live in God’s community because we believe in Jesus as the only Savior of the world.  Verse 6 says He is the chief cornerstone. 

 

When we believe in Him, we are made part of God’s community of faith, the Church. 

 

We laud God’s mercy because Gentiles, like us, have accepted into God’s people as we have received His mercy according to verse 10. 

 

As a lost person, we are not God’s people.  His mercy allows us to be part of the people of God. 

 

 

Conclusion

So here is my invitation this morning.  If you are part of God’s people, remember who you and what behavior should characterize your life: long for His word, live in His community, and laud His mercy.

 

If you’re not part of God’s people, I invite you to answer that call today.  Look at verse 7.  If you haven’t answered God’s call to salvation, you are being disobedient.  You are rejecting Jesus as the your only hope for forgiveness of sin, eternal life in heaven, and peace with God. 

 

Consequently, you are appointed to God’s judgement if you continue to live in disobedience.  However, you can be saved today.  Will you?

The Calling of EVERY Follower of Christ...

It's Hard to Go Home!

All Interruptions Aren't Bad!

If you were here last Sunday morning, you’ll remember that we saw Jesus raise a twelve year-old little girl from the dead.  Jairus was her dad, and she was his only child and on death’s doorstep. 

 

In an act of desperation, Jairus, the Jewish religious leader, remembered possibly what he saw and definitely what he heard about and came and fell at the feet of Jesus begging Him to intervene in his crisis, and Jesus did.

 

In the face of laughter and doubt, Jesus raised the girl who had died.  She stopped breathing.  Her heart stopped beating.  Her spirit had departed.  Yet, Jesus performed a miracle and brought her back to life. 

 

Jesus has proven Himself as more powerful than disasters and more powerful than the demonic and more powerful than death.  Today, we will see that He is more powerful than disease.

 

However, from Jairus’ perspective, it almost didn’t happen.  It almost didn’t happen because of an interruption that takes place in Mark 5:25-34.

Generally speaking, I don’t like interruptions.  They catch me by surprise and throw of my schedule, and as you know, I’m a very scheduled person.  However, all interruptions aren’t bad.  This is one in which a life is changed forever.

 

If you look at today’s miracle along with last week’s miracle, there are three primary characters.  All of them deserve our attention today: this woman, Jesus, and Jairus.

 

 

1. A Desperate Situation, Mark 5:25-26

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

 

This woman was diseased.  She had been hemorrhaging internally for 12 years.  Let that sink in.  Most commentators believe this was some type of ongoing bleeding in her uterus.  She was suffering physically.

 

She was also suffering emotionally.  She sought treatment for 12 years, and after every treatment she thought this was it.  I have been made well, but instead, she hadn’t.  She suffered many things from many physicians, and she was only getting worse. 

 

She also suffered emotionally because she was defiled.  Because of her bleeding, she was unclean according to OT Law and separated from the nation of Israel.  No one could be around her or risk defilement as well.

 

Leviticus 15:25, 25 ‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.

 

Finally, she was suffering financially.  Mark 5:26 says she spent all that she had on her medical condition and to no avail.  

 

This woman found herself in a desperate situation.

 

 

2. A Determined Aspiration, Mark 5:27-28

27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 

 

In our next two verses, we continue to see this woman determined or decide that she needs something different.  She aspired or hoped that her situation would change. 

 

Notice she heard about Jesus.  Then she acted on what she had heard, and she believed not in herself but in Him.

 

Today, I am telling you about Jesus.   Therefore, you are hearing.  You will then need to recognize the need for change in your life or the need to be saved from your sins, and my invitation to you this morning is going to be to put your faith in Jesus to save you rather than self to save you.

 

 

3. A Definite Modification, Mark 5:29-34

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”  31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”  32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

 

These last several verses speak mostly about Jesus.  Jesus is omnipotent or all-powerful.  Just by touching the fringe of His garment, she was healed immediately.  Jesus was fully man and fully God.  Even during His earthly ministry, He could do whatever He chose to do, and the same is true today.  He is still all powerful.

 

Jesus is omniscient or all-knowing.  Jesus knew someone had touched Him.  I would even say He knew who touched Him.  He simply wanted this woman to acknowledge her faith publicly.  Peter didn’t think it was possible to know who touched Him, but Jesus did because He is omniscient.

 

By the way, just as Jesus desired this woman to come forward to confess her faith in front of this crowd, Jesus wants you to confess your faith publically this morning as well.  Faith is certainly personal, but you never see faith in the NT as private. 

Thirdly, Jesus is omnibenevolent or all good.  Jesus didn’t try to embarrass this woman, but wanted her to confess Him publicly.  When she did, He told her that faith had made her well, and blessed her to go in peace. 

 

 

Jairus

Now, don’t forget about Jairus.  As far as we know from the pages of Scripture and maybe even differently than I speculated last week, he was composed.  As far as we know, he was waiting patiently on Jesus while all of this was happening.  He didn’t interrupt.  He didn’t pull Jesus through the crowd. Yet, his daughter is dying.  He was composed.

 

Jairus was also committed.  Even after he got word that his daughter had died, Jesus spoke to him and reassured him that everything would be fine.  Therefore, he remained committed to his belief that Jesus could help.

 

Jairus was cared for.  I believe that as a result of his composure and his commitment, Jesus cared for Jairus and his family by bringing his daughter back to life.  When you’re faced with an interruption, remember that all interruptions aren’t bad. Stay composed. Stay committed.  Trust that you will be cared for.

 

 

Application/Conclusion

We can all find application in this story today and allow me to close with several.

 

First, Jairus teaches us how to handle interruptions.  Stay composed.  Stay committed. Trust that you will be cared for.

 

Second, from the woman, she acted on what she heard and believed that Jesus was more powerful than disease.  See James 5:13-18.

 

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

 

Finally, in the last verse of today’s text, we find something very interesting.  In the entire Bible, Jesus used the title of “Daughter” one time. It is here.  He called her daughter because she now had a heavenly Father.  If you will let Him save you this morning, you too can have a heavenly Father who will call you by name.

 

You can be at peace with God, see Romans 5:1, and Jesus will also demonstrate His power of your disease of sin like Paul wrote about in Romans 6:1-14.

 

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.