The Underpinnings of a Rock-Solid Life - Part A

Truth is God's chosen. We have been elected. We have been predestined before we were ever born.

Then somebody will say that's true, then skip. Why do you ask people to choose Christ to make a decision for Christ because it's your faith cooperating with the selection of your faith, your choice doorstep that is cooperating with is a lot that I will save and God gave you the ability to have that you've been picked by God placed in his family and promised future benefits today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip explains how these truths can transform and strengthen your faith as you build a rocksolid life of Jesus Christ would begin use a resource that will help you walk into the peace that Jesus offers questions to be ambushed by supply struggles. You know how that feels. Listen to skip. I think anxiety is the problem it's a problem all human beings. At some point have to deal with understanding and overcoming anxiety is possible and we want to help you move from feeling paralyzed by anxiety finding lasting peace with three powerful resources, overcoming an anxious mind, a new booklet by Skip Heitzig six teaching worship any uncertainty unseating class is over worship sure is and replace your anxiety bundle is $35 or more today to help connect more people to the Prince of peace connectwithskip.com/offered to give online securely or call 819 to 1888 let's get into today's teaching first Peter chapter 1 as we begin our study with Skip Heitzig.

I discovered that, according to the uniform building code in America. Homes didn't have to be bolted to their foundations until 1988, which is the reason why older homes in places where the earthquakes were or mudslide zones will even become the foundation so I want to talk to about those underpinnings those things that you build your life and attached to the foundation where the materials we use to attach to the foundation we use truths to do that. What's amazing about Peter really is amazing is that when he writes his letter to these recipients, even in his introduction, he immediately immerses them into some pretty steep theological truths just in the first couple of verses and here's what what we think about God determines what we think about everything else you get him wrong. You get life wrong in sociology is essential for life. IW dozer said what a person thinks about God is the most important thing about that person notices Peter introduces his letter that he puts them into some pretty deep theological truths that are important to him and are the underpinnings for the foundation which is Christ that we attached look at verse one and verse two Peter and apostle of Jesus Christ to the pilgrims of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. I know there's a lot of crazy sounding words in these two verses, especially verse two. So I want to unpack this verse for you.

And even as we covered all of one verse last week, will cover all averse to this week. Moving right along.

Let me give you the four truths introduced by Peter. These are the underpinnings of your life. The underpinnings of a rocksolid life. Truth number one we been chosen previously, we have been chosen by God previously. That's the first word in the second verse. Look at the word elect. Now I know it shows up in verse two, but I was reading this in the Greek yesterday I discovered that it's actually in verse one. In the Greek language. It's a modifier of the word pilgrims in the Greek it says elect pilgrims who are scattered in these areas.

So Peter is writing to a group of believers who are scattered all over the place over Asia minor undergoing persecution as we discover last week, but Peter wants them to know, and I would bring a tremendous amount of comfort for them.

Suffering persecution to know you guys have been picked by God long ago I member when I was in school I always dreaded when the students would break up into teams and the two of the jocks, the athletic guys would select people from that group to be entertained. I hated that because I was like never picked up the last time around shuffling my feet in the finally there's like two kids left in August I take right now I'm on this team last picked every now and then there would be a rare exception where I would get picked a little bit earlier on this, usually because the student was new in school didn't know any better, didn't know me was hoping against hope this guys probably can probably do a lot of things but Peter writes because right away. It's important that you understand you are elected by God. This truth was to Peter monumental and then explain how it came about. I believe Peter made a choice to follow Christ. Then Jesus comes along one day goes. You didn't choose me I chose you and I have appointed you that you would go forth and bring fruit, and that your fruit would remain. I think Peter was like it is going. What I distinctly remember that day and gallantly making a choice to follow this route and now he's telling me he has chosen me, that was earth shattering to him rock his world to change his thinking and it did so much so that at the beginning of a letter that he writes he wants the audience to know that right up front. You can have. This is the underpinning of your life on the solid foundation that you have been elected by God.

It is easy to bring it up again in chapter 2 is an essay you are chosen generation are royal priesthood chosen elected is sort of like if you were driving down the street guys and you went past a restaurant in your car that you never seen before and you save your wife. Hey, let's go eat there someday and anything which is going there right now so you double back on the parking lot you get out and walk to the restaurant and the waiter sees you and says, Mr. Wright said we have been expecting you.

I'm going to shock. How is that possible medical server came to a situation like that true story is when, years ago we were first married, my wife and I got a call from a friend of mine who pastors a church in California and he asked me to come and speak in. I got to choose when I was to come and I would choose what topic so I chose when I would, I chose the topic and I flew out to Los Angeles International Airport was waiting for him to pick me up and my wife smiles and says he's not coming to pick you up and she pulled out of her purse.

Tickets to Hawaii city was all a bluff to get you to decide make a choice you're going to go do this and do that only to discover something else is been chosen for you. So I chose to go and speak and what to speak on only to discover I had been chosen to go to Hawaii in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is called God's chosen regards elect 13 different times. Israel is called the chosen or the elect people of God. You may remember the fiddler on the roof when the main actor. Have you looked up to heavens and goes. I know I know your chosen people, but every once in a while could be a choose someone else because of all the suffering, the Jewish people have undergone throughout history in the New Testament. Christians are called God's elect in Romans and in Colossians we are called the elect of God. Listen to this beautiful articulation by Paul, this is Romans 829. Funny how we started. Romans 828. Keep reading. It gets better, whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed into the image of his son. He chose you in advance to undergo a process of changing you to be more and more in your personality and character like Jesus Christ and then he goes on a couple of verses later who will bring a charge against God's elect. You have been elected by God, which always brings up a debate. It has been a debate going on for thousands of years.

It's a debate about God's election and predestination of us versus our volition.

Our free will and so the question is simply framed. Do I choose God or the God choose me answer yes. Both are true. You chose God in harmony with his choice of, you know you can argue that you can read on that you can fight back and forth about that. May I suggest to you that you simply enjoy it.

That's the whole point in like this to these struggling believers so they can worry about an argue about it.

Fight and write about it, but they could enjoy the fact that there on God's team got picked you in advance when you think you was at the day when he looked at you and he saw that wonderful character that you have is that you are irresistible. I got PQ for my team. I you had nothing to do with it because the Bible says he picked you before you were around Ephesians chapter 1 he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Charles Haddon Spurgeon used to say it's a good thing got picked me before I was born. He never would've picked me up. Truth is God's. He chose us. We have been elected.

We have been predestined before we were ever born.

Then somebody will say well if that's true, then skip.

Why do you ask people to choose Christ to make a decision for Christ to come forward and an altar call. Here's the reason why because it's your faith cooperating with his election. It's your faith, your choice doorstep that is cooperating with his election, but I will save them. God gave you the ability to have that faith is what it's like a man is drowning a rope is thrown out to him that rope alone cannot say that I managed to grab a hold of the rope or is his gun is going to grab a hold of the rope, but even that is not enough. There has to be somebody on the shore throwing the rope and pulling it in so God by election throws the rope and closer. Then we buy our volition. Our choice grab a hold of the rope. God always makes the first move. He always makes the first choice he always takes the initiative and we respond first John chapter 4. What is it say we love him because he first loved us. Ours is a response to his initiation. Inevitably somebody here something like this in somebody's gonna say will that's not fair and I will say we mean that's not fair well are not yet a believer and maybe it's because God didn't pick me wired to a believer that what you believe right now wanted to turn your life over to Christ right now I'm not ready. Okay then how can you say it's not fair maybe they got number because he is a chosen while to one of you prayed to receive Christ right now and I will approve the you that you will discover that God has in advance chosen one of them ready for the okay will, maybe I didn't pick also farewell receive Christ ago discover that you made the choice, but he's arty chosen you get that either daughter and is declaring what a comfort that would be the persecuted believers scattered throughout Asia minor. To hear this.

True, that would be the first goal of underpinning that attaches them to the foundation and that is we have been chosen previously. Here's the second truth. We are known completely.

We are known completely. Look at the wording elect left this according to the fore knowledge of God. You know the word for knowledge in the Greek's prognosis prognosis go prognosis Dr. what is the prognosis is the word he uses here for knowledge.

God knows God sees everything in advance but a lot of knowledge the same word is used of the death of Christ Jesus death was in some accident like my guns often follow got himself arrested this document across he died. Now that was preplanned same guy Peter in acts chapter 2 will say him. Jesus being delivered. Listen by their determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by your wicked hands crucified and put to death. God sent him you in your choice crucified, both are true. God's knowledge foreknowledge compared God's knowledge with our knowledge.

It's a fun little comparison.

Man's knowledge is accumulated knowledge. It's the product of tedious learning. It's a result of long research it's augmented by human experience and it subject to deterioration or knowledge God's knowledge is immediate, comprehensive, and without deterioration. In other words, God never needs to research anything. He never has to use Google or Wikipedia to find out facts is knowledge is immediate and comprehensive. God never has to string one logical premise and attach it to another to come up with a result in critical thinking. He does knows God never uses words like or while or I didn't know that his knowledge is all-encompassing. You can never tell him anything he doesn't already know and he never forgets how much stuff have we forgotten over the years.

You really realize that when your third-graders come home and ask you 1/3 grade level question that's on their assignment, you're going. I have no clue. It's been so long. That's third grade level. We forgotten David was amazed at God's total knowledge is omniscience.

And he said Lord you have searched me and known me, you know when I sit down you know when I rise up.

And then he said this, you understand my thoughts far off or literally you know what I think, therefore I think it before the chemical electrical signal is sent at the synapse of the neuron. God knows I've never had a weird thought for… Come from the other day I was singing this weird song came to my mind like it's it's from the 70s. I never even liked the song to begin with, and asserts, nonanswer singer Marcos doing sing and that thing where did that come from. I have no idea it's been stuffed in there for a long time and it came out, and God knows how it came out he knows my thoughts before I think Jesus displayed this kind of foreknowledge did he not Jesus knew in advance that when he sent two of his disciples into the little village opposite Bethany that there would be a little donkey waiting for them to take and bring to Jesus. He told Jesus knew in advance that when his disciples walked the city of Jerusalem. They would see a man carrying a pitcher of water would lead them to an upper room where they would make the Passover ready. He knew that he told them in advance. Jesus even knew what people were thinking how many times of the New Testament sake and Jesus knowing their thoughts said under them, or to be like hanging out with somebody who knew everything and be a little uncomfortable because you be talking and you just think something in Jesus to give you that look yet. I I know exactly what you think. But there's a comfort.

If God knows everything that he knows the worst about you already. He knows the worst about you and he loves you anyway in human relationships when one person gets to know another person.

There's typically a fear.

Fear is if that person really knows everything about me.

I will be rejected by that person.

That's what we learn to hide in relationships.

That's why when we date. We put our best face on in her past foot forward and say the nicest of things because were hiding under this illusion. This fear of if I am known for who I really am. I will not be love God already knows worst about you and what you anyway. How cool is that the Bible says he knows our frame and he remembers that we are but dust don't expect a lot of dust. Also, if God knows everything. He knows the best about us, not just the works the best. He knows your heart he knows your motives feel good and pure intentions. He knows that sometimes we do our best and we fail and when we fail other CR failure only, but not the motivation behind our try and we get judged by them there critical of us. But God knows the whole scoop. The Bible says even if our heart condemns us. God is greater than our heart and he knows all, so this would be another point of comfort to these strange scattered believers been chosen previously.

You are known completely. Number three.

We are growing constantly.

Verse two elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father. There is in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ without some mouthful. Let me unravel that when he got a string it all together in the simplest form, the one who chose you previously and knows you completely will help you grow constantly without word sanctification.

If ever there was churchy sounding word. This is it right muted and probably stand in line at the grocery market. This weakens it even sanctified, which is not a typical work, but it's a good word and it's a word. Yada no means to be marked as different to be set apart or to be made holy God is in the process of making you a holy person tell you what holiness does not mean it is not mean that you will ever become a perfect person. Some of you are still living under the illusion that I am to attain perfection you describe everybody not surround doesn't mean you'll ever be perfect, but it does mean it does mean that you are being transform your being. Change your becoming an increasingly obedient person is what makes so he says in sanctification in the process of being changed. Sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ, stopped her peters using a metaphor that if you are Jewish reader, you would understand it's a it's a metaphor out of Exodus chapter 24 when Moses brings the law to the people of Israel. He sprinkles him with blood. He came down from Mount Sinai have the law of God brought before the people and the people said whatever the Lord says to you, we will do it, so oxen were killed.

The basin of blood was brought Moses dip something at any started sprinkling the people with blood and as he sprinkled them.

He said this blood is the covenant which the Lord has made with you, according to all these were the sprinkled blood was the tangible demonstration that two parties, God and the people were entering into a binding agreement. What is Peter mean simply this, even saved by the blood of Christ or his words, the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, you entered a covenant with God by putting your trust in the God who called you sending his son Jesus Christ been saved by Christ. You get sanctified by the Holy Spirit, just as you cooperated with the Holy Spirit. Once you got saved should be cooperating with the Holy Spirit again and again and again conclude Skip a text message from the series walks.

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