Bringing Us to God (Part B)

I'm not going to badmouth God and say you did not make me a John Knox. Therefore, the things that you've done for me don't count. I will not say that I will say thank you Lord what you've given me. I will spend my watch and be satisfied with his portion baptism which saves us his immersion into Christ not water, the blood of Christ saves not water. This baptism took place on Calvary. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first Peter, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick as he continues his message called bringing us to God in first Peter chapter 3 they would take their sacrificial animal, and they would lay their hands on that beast before that beast was slaughtered on their behalf.

Their sin was being transferred to that animal. Christ is fulfilled that type his holiness, his righteousness, his goodness and acceptance is transferred to us so that when God looks at us. The sin is gone.

It's washed away in the blood of Christ, he is made us acceptable in the heavens. Through his sacrifice at the cross, he would die that we would live live he took on our sin, he transferred it to up to himself and his righteousness to us.

That is, salvation.

He says, but made alive by the spirit again. They could kill the incarnate body by his permission but they could not kill him. As I mentioned, he dismissed his soul when he was good and ready sovereign to the end.

But this made alive by the Spirit of God will. This is very important to understanding what's now coming. Verse 19, by whom he went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient, when once the divine, long-suffering's waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water well Peter, you know, the thing is when you write when you write spiritual things, it's usually because you fought them out and often you've already preached them so you form your theology in your presentation. It would not be out of character with Christian pastoral behavior to say that Peter lightly was preaching on these things when he wrote the letter, when he dictated the letter and Silas is writing it down so that means it Peter understand what he is saying his audience. Maybe totally there with him because he may have heard sermons like this from Peter all others who preached it at the time, but by the time 2000 years of rolled by with little confused. We come to such verses is this who is this in prison and what spirit is preaching what is going on here really not that complicated of a passage of Scripture. Now I'm not a sci-fi Christian. I do not try to read into versus things that are sensational, but really don't make any sense. For example, those of you familiar with Genesis 6 Giants and the women not in New York Giants. It there are those that believes that that there were intimate relationships between the Giants and the women help with these giants I mean more than a female Giants make a lot of problems now though they were spiritual reason.

I have got these wet highbred you know spiritual beings having physical relationships with human beings and then having physical offspring to now challenge the virgin birth because later on you going to be able Seattle. We know that the virgin birth was of got you just create problems that aren't there. They were the keyboardist the net for limb. They were the giants of society, not physical, Giants, but there are many Christians that in good Bible teaches otherwise good in other passages that got it know the gospel in their shop cookies, but on some passages.

The best of them get a little weird. This is also one of them. No bring some of that out in a moment.

So where he says, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison because Peter is talking about the crucifixion and death of Christ, who was raised by the spirit.

That's what he says there are many of the commentators that keep it. Keep this passage. Verse 19 connected to the crucifixion of Christ, supposing that when he died he went to the underworld and there he preached, which is really kind of pointless to deliver the saints sure hell was not fully populated more people, people of this very moment. Hell is being populated, they would've missed the sermon pointless.

But anyway, that's just another part of this we can be too quick to accept the sensational when the simple is most proper, and I think all of us have met God loving God fearing Christians who believe anything very quickly that is weird in Erie.

I would counsel against that because usually it is at the cost of reason that does not help the preaching of the gospel or the strengthening of the individual. Peter's reference to know what is the key to understanding what is going on here is not talking about Christ after the crucifixion going in preaching into the underworld is talking about Christ being raised by the spirit that same spirit was in no and Noah preached to those who were then alive in his day, 420 years. He preached he was a preacher of righteousness, Peter will tell us, and those who rejected that message are in prison. Spiritually, they are dead they are gone and they are not in heaven that's the point that Peter is made so that's the short answer. The spirit of Christ was a note preaching to the antediluvian's those before the flood.

Now here's one otherwise good commentator is what he says about this verse between Christ's death and resurrection his living spirit went to the demon spirits bound in the abyss and proclaimed that in spite of his death he had triumphed over them. I don't really that I'm not alone would be nice if I was like the only one that discovered the true meaning and I could see all those guys are wrong, but not me. I'm special. But that's not the case. John Wesley Wesley, that great great man of God from England ministry failed here United States. He suffered a lot before 40 got it together but anyways he writes about this by which spirit he preached through the ministry of Noah. The spirits in prison on holy men before the flood, who were then reserved by justice, the justice of God is in prison until he executed the sentence upon them all now also reserved the judgment of the great day. And so that's what I agree with that.

Wesley is another.

I won't name the ones that are still living or have been not living long, having died recently. Peter is describing what happened in the days of Noah. It was the spirit of Christ to preach through Noah to the unbelieving generation before the flood they were not disembodied spirits. At the time, but living men and women who rejected the warnings of Noah and were destroyed by the flood.

So now they are spirits in the prison of Hades is not a teaching to divide you and says no, no, I want deep enough. I want to Erie one bit that okay have added but again is not something to divide on I think if you take that route. You going to be confused by a lot of other things though and so I would caution against it in verse 19, will develop a little bit more as we go forward, where he says, verse 19, by whom also he went. Peter speaks of the spirit of the Holy Spirit in Christ spoke to Noah as I mentioned Christ was very active before the manger.

Christ was alive and functioning before he was born in Beth that it only sell happy birthday G0 happy birthday is eternally self existent. He's always been. He always will be.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, and I know it's a sentimental thing and I'm not telling you sinning by saying, and if you want to keep doing it, that's fine, but he's always been and he is always been active so has the Holy Spirit, so has the father. These three are one and they are not there, indivisible first Peter chapter 1 of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and search carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you will who show them these things, the prophesied of course he goes on Peter searching what, or what manner of time. The spirit of Christ, who is in them.

That's what he says was indicating when he testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow Christ was in prophets says that he revealed to them things about his ministry on earth as we start off reading from Isaiah 53 verse three Christ gave them that just as Christ gave to know what his messages Christ gives to us our message and that's the point. You Christians are being persecuted but Christ is still ministering to you.

The Holy Spirit is not withdrawn from you.

You are still expected to conduct Christian business in the midst of these things. This is the point entire section about preaching in the face of ridicule and persecution verse while Romans chapter 8 but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you know if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ is not his. So you see the Holy Spirit in the spirit of Christ. You can't separate your go mad trying to the join together and so verse 19 and preach to the spirits in prison on the Greek term for spirits. There can mean human spirits and jellybeans. It's a broad meaning to it, but the context context is everything without context. You don't know what you have, what is the setting that these words being spoken or what words surround them. Now here in second Peter which will get to an eight or nine years Peter second Peter chapter 2 and did not speaking of God spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people and here it comes, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood world of the ungodly Peter as is Jude pulling punches with with those who are into sin. They do not hold back the grace and mercy for sinners who struggle but they do not hold back the judgment to come. For those sinners who reject the message and since they rejected Noah's message. They rejected salvation and were imprisoned that is in hell. And so it will be.

Is this the way it goes.

To this day. Verse 20 says informally were disobedient. But again the people in Noah's day not fallen Angels, the fallen angels were disobedient before the ark long before the ark of Noah, God is not always speak dramatically. Isaiah pardon me Elijah the prophet discovered that God speaks in a still small voice. Some some struggle to stay awake but maybe now when this person is just yet almost peeking they need theatrics something to you know get them emotionally involved with the problem is a dud that doesn't register as well is getting the point across theatrics distract from the message.

The dramatic can be overworked and like little children, you know those of you with little children when they start doing again Hall okay one more time doing again hold me up flipping over. Whatever it is, and adults can be the same way I've come to church to be entertained. Do it again topic next week. All I heard that song. I know this one we have to rise above that carnality. Verse 20 when he says when once the divine, long-suffering, waited in the days of Noah.

You see, peters focused on what was happening in Noah's day great is God's patient's hundred and 20 years it took to build that ark.

We have reason to believe that Noah's preaching, save people before the flood that other people that he preached to the good of died before those days only say what what it what it was the basis of that. Well, there was other men that were righteous, such as Enoch long before Noah Methuselah was named when this name means when he dies it will come the flood in and that is exactly what happened but God is very patient and very merciful and so 120 years. Every time I hammer hit or struck or noise echoed from the building of that ark's sermon was preached. The ark became a pole pit. It became a word to everybody in earshot and eyesight that there is a judgment coming you believe it or not, except for eight of them. They did not believe it and it was too late when the judgment came when the rains began. It is the same way in this life. There are those that the think they going to make their way through death after this life without Jesus Christ by rejecting him something to happen. There is the precedence for this is while the ark was being prepared again. It was a pole pit in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water saved water as in surviving the flood not say because the water had some power to take away their sins. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb, not the water on the earth. Water baptism saves no one if it did, then we ought to go out with a firehose and went every body get them all into heaven, but it doesn't work that way souls are saved because they believe the message and follow its instructions, I would add is not enough to acknowledge the message you could someone could say I believe that do nothing more. Not good enough. One must act upon what they believe. Again weaknesses is accepted. I have known quite a few Christians who struggle with heroin and perished because of that evil drug iconic and I believe they were right with Christ, but they couldn't because couldn't beat it in the flesh of some of you might might not like that. Hope that you not that hardhearted.

I hope to see beyond physical and into the spiritually knew the Savior was a munificent interview if that's not so auxiliary never won over that sin, though they could've gone to heaven. What about you when you drive your soul is not the other guy you so here verse 21. There is also an anti-type positive is a tough section to teach from Elyse for me because you want it did. It's not easy reading and you. It's important information you want to get it right so I hope I hope this is good going well. If it is going well. You don't have to tell me if it's going bad. Please don't tell me there is also an antitype which now saves baptism not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, see Peter preaching these things, not just writing them a man like Peter was more comfortable speaking that he was writing always, Bobby Buell, both he could write he could redo all but the Peter strikes me as a man who was a man of Jimmy. That microphone kind of a guy in here. He says it is also an anti-type, which now saves with NEF to come alive. Baptism is some animation that goes with this is not this monotone, not the removal of the flesh and the filth of the flesh with a good conscience test is not he sister the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I saw him I knew him he died. Then he was alive again. He spoke to me he looked me in the eyes after not just once this comes out in his writing. It comes out in his speaking is no way Silas could transfer this excitement to the to the into print. The Holy Spirit does that for us read out loud if you if you've never read your Bible out loud. Not all of them and get to know the names that we come across in Nehemiah, for example, you don't struggle that out loud, but just the Lord is my disarmed the 23rd Psalm or or the sermon on the Mount, or the first three chapters of Revelation or or or Ephesians chapter 4 read out loud, one Spirit, one body, one father it comes to life with no right to say well you know it's kind of boring you. The boring Scriptures alive is living in his powerful we know are true to be true. So here he says there is also an antitype that means a prophetic parallel fulfill what is that mean a type is is an illustration long before the event. In most cases, and it it it is not the event. But when the event takes place. The similarities are inescapable. The message that comes out of that parallel is inescapable. And so when you when we read about.

For instance, as I mentioned earlier, the sin offering and the sinner put his hand on the animal to be sacrifice.

That is a snapshot in illustration of what happens when Christ takes our sin upon him. He is our sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world and so you put your hand was very personal. You put your hand on that animal and your sins were symbolically transferred to that animal when Christ died on the cross. Every believer that comes to him, your sins are transferred factually to him and washed away in his blood. He is overcome.

So a type is a God-given illustration in advance so that you would know that God speaks to people this evening will be good. Talking about the 10 suggestions the 10 Commandments Exodus chapter 20, again repeated in Deuteronomy, but will be in Exodus 20. Listen to this and God spoke all these words, God speaks to his people and he continues I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. See is very personal. Don't have a distant religion of distant God very much hands on and so when he says there is an anti-type that's Peter getting a little theological but he's right on with this.

The pattern is consistent pattern is understandable and it is inescapable. While the type may be in perfect fulfillment is sure and so those sacrificial animals we see the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and we connect the dots. We say we get. He says switch now saves there's an antitype there's the fulfillment of this prophecy that saves that's what he is saying. Baptism, what does that word mean we think. Baptism always means getting wet does not baptism means to be immersed in something it happens to be water when we do it symbolically. You know the outward sign of the M1 event. It is a sermon is a sermon to encourage the saved and to preach to the lost and so where he says, which now saves baptism, that baptism that he is referring to is the rebirth in Christ, not water first Corinthians 12 for by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body see it certainly is invoking the water baptism is scheduled after water baptism.

He continues, Paul doesn't first Corinthians, whether Jews or Greeks or the slaves or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. See the imagery that is putting out there trying to get us to understand the spiritual events that engulf us when Jesus said you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. How do you do that without being immersed.

I was reading them.

Something about Samuel Rutherford of great Christian man from long ago and just saying myself.

You know when I started out studying in Reno begin looking into becoming a pastor, I felt I could do these things that these other men did. Wesley did it all up to the touch.

I can mail it letter on the wall. Luther did and I can do it. I have since found out that I cannot be here Rutherford I cannot be. These men, God will have to settle for whatever it is I can bring up and he's good with this and I'm becoming okay with it to you that I have a choice but I've also seen much fruit because of and I'm not going to badmouth God and say you did not make me a John Knox. Therefore, the things that you've done through me don't count. I will not say that I will say thank you Lord for what you've given me. I will spend my watch and be satisfied with his portion baptism which saves us his immersion into Christ not water blood of Christ saves not water baptism took place on Calvary.

He immersed himself in the mission of God on our behalf and death for the sinner. Luke's gospel chapter 12 verse 50 Jesus says, but I have a baptism to baptism to be baptized with now. He had already been water baptized with John to fill. Prophecy is certainly not talking about water baptism as I have about baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am till it is accomplished a new cross into the prophet knew what lay ahead of and yet denied that he was betrayed as they left the city of Jerusalem crossed Kidron Valley.

He was singing hymns to God, who we are so glad you tuned in today to study the book of first Peter on cross reference radio cross reference radio is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia, and we are blessed to bring you God's word with each broadcast.

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