Guarding Our Witness (Part B)

And God never apologizes.

He doesn't say I'm sorry for asking us to kill each other. I'm sorry I asked you not to steal alive to each other. Thank God he doesn't do that tells you right now. Don't tell Joel I don't steal. Don't commit adultery don't bear false witness without apology. So we come to the honorable things if we are guilty we all know guilt is called repentance. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky 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.

Pastor Rick has entitled today's message regarding our witness is teaching from first Peter chapter 2 why should a preacher pass over such a sentence from God's mouth to man abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul because we know how hot the fight is in each one of us has to go through it cannot skip over such words must not this is the battleground for us. This is where the fight remains swipe also wretched man that I am will deliver me from this body of death.

How do I get out of this body of flesh. The lower self and he defaulted to Christ, thanked God for Jesus Christ brings mercy goodness and grace. It adds up. Does matter because all you have to do is find a Christian who gives up intensive do that. I do not want to give up. I rather take my hips and struggle through it than to give up shot in the back and become a has-been of the faith because I quit. I don't want that. I am afraid of that.

I think every sensible soul would be and so this is not the whole story of the believer abstaining from fleshly lusts. That's not the whole story concerning us where vessels of honor. Also, there are things about us that are honorable. Many Christians are good people. Unfortunately, I cannot say all of them there in a good position positionally the right with God. Many Christians is a W treasures say that act as though the been baptized in lemon juice. I don't to be that one I will and takes effort and is worth it is honorable to stand against the wind. My best used to always say dead any dead fish can float downstream takes a live fish to go against the current.

That is true we are mocked because we want to be more holy than unholy because we want truth and fact concerning eternity and not just anybody's guess.

We are mocked and persecuted for this. Well, that's just the way it is fleshly lusts those natural appetites that have been ruined by sin and they plant their seeds in our minds and in our bodies.

Sin is essentially the abuse of a good thing. I mean just anything you name is a sin is abuse of something that is originally was not a problem. But now is a big problem is natural appetites that would steal our innocence from us become the enemies of our souls, and so war against them. He says war against them. The difference in worn the battle really is this time battle is for the moment war goes on his coals on and we we know we look to heaven. We look to the kingdom to come. But for right now it is in the strength of that kingdom sustained military campaign against us and us against it. Okay the flesh is declared war against me becoming a Christian. I declare war against you all flesh against my own sinful ways. These are fixed laws of life. The higher fighting the lower way it is.

We have to accept the darn exceptions is no way to get away from this don't need to be a scientist to prove this need to be human being.

You discover this every believer sees combat in the soul. Every one of us self versus self essay, one of the hardest games known to man is golf because you're really playing against yourself.

How many shots will it take you to get to the 18th hole. How few can you take to get to that last holding really complained the other guy really doesn't influence you. I getting getting your head or something.

But that's what you club your clubs right success messing with you club him anyway. First Peter again. Chapter 1 verse nine receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of useful success. The prize that's the finish line. That's what we're going for verse 12 he says having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they observe glorify God in the day of visitation shall behavior ever be dishonorable never should never be dishonorable, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble that normal means honorable higher than the flash that is supposed to be the Christian, whatever things are true, honorable, because of their fault for not honorable, and then he goes on to say just and pure and lovely good report, meditate, concentrate, focus on those things.

So why should Christians then defend this honorable behavior and loved ones or anyone else you know the ones going to be an advocate of the troublemaker's not honorable if they're wrong the wrong way.

Take steps to correct yes but don't don't pretend that something evil is somehow to be acceptable. I know it's a high standard. Christianity and God never apologizes.

He doesn't say no I'm sorry for asking you not to kill each other.

I'm sorry Ed I asked you not to steal alive to each other. Thank God he doesn't do that.

He tells you right now don't kill, don't lie.

Don't steal. Don't commit adultery don't bear false witness without apology.

So we come to the honorable things if we are guilty we all know guilt is called repentance and that changes everything. When you get someone it's done wrong to say I'm on wrong that shut that takes everything a different direction.

Discipline now pulls back, sometimes you still may have to positions of authority, even in the whole you use scale back the intensity once the repentance is clear. I am amazed at how many parents are strict with the children want their children to obey on first command and even if you know other kids they want them to obey what they themselves don't obey when there is a position of submission is now getting that submission. Bart was talking about because we all needed does not come natural to the to the flesh to submit.

Who cares if you submit when everything goes your way is not submission is riding along submission become submission when you don't like it then that would wrestling teaches us when someone pins you your phone like that. We have a choice is done.

This belongs to Christianity and when we begin to get our heads around this.

We get stronger, not weaker. Matthew chapter 10 Jesus said do not think that I came to bring peace on earth that covers the planet. Incidentally, I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father daughter against his mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and it goes on. Of course, and he is saying. The dishonorable is separated from the honorable and the two do not see using this word again meld together their distinct when someone behaves dishonorably and demands that they be treated honorably.

We have a problem. The apostles taught the Christian conduct was to be in line with righteousness, not outside of it honorable men such as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea they they reached the point where they sided with Christ publicly at risk of their own life and and station in life. They sided with Jesus has just honorable men such as Caiaphas anise a sided against Christ. They hated him why because his goodness, his goodness exposed their dishonor and their disdain wanted blood. And they got it for a while. We are called to be good as he is good to lay hold of as much goodness as we can tell those of you been coming here for some time. We been going through the epistles.

The letters how many times we come across what I'm talking about in the writings is it doesn't it's not the pastor decided to talk about this today we go verse by verse, we find out what the Holy Spirit decides to talk about and he is constantly telling us extorting us beseeching us to be honorable to be good.

Listen to sermons like this. And sometimes we can become intimidated because we know we know our weak spots. We know it were up to no good. We know we become gossips and liars and whatever else it is that we do wrong we know about this are crises that do what he doesn't say well you're out, he says, because you're in because you're with me staying at photographing is but it did look at me staying in this lecture, flesh win, keep moving. We are called to be good as he is good and to lay hold of it and here in verse 12 where he says, among the Gentiles.

That's with these mainly Jewish believers that is writing to. That's where they left they were living. They were part of the Diaspora. Those Jews spread outside of Israel. They were living amongst the Gentiles amongst the unsaved and the Roman Empire. While I can relate to this right away working office place you could you go out in the world you are amongst the unbelievers. That's what he means.

Here is not saying amongst the saved Gentiles is talking about all unbelievers, but geographically they were outside of Israel. And so in the midst of the these things he says glorify God in the day of visitation. What on earth does that mean Christ being realized that's with the realized that the visitation is so here we are living our Christian lives, guarding our witness as best we can in the mist of Gentiles for that moment. For that moment. That may happen when that Gentile once the sale that unbeliever wants to say tell me about Jesus. That's the moment of visitation. That's what the whole boycotting of the witnesses for otherwise what we doing Matthew 2754 so when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened. Fear greatly saying.

Truly this was the son of God, some moment of visitation, God came close enough for them to see you who are saved, you had that moment where all of a sudden you realize you are a sinner. Jesus is Lord you are accountable to him in an instant. You can fix it or not for me. I remember her. I realized I was not going to hell. I'm one of those weeping and gnashing teeth, but I have a chance right here at this instant to avoid that.

And I did. The moment of visitation, and so he is saying among the Gentiles have a life is such that glorifies God.

So when that moment comes you not compromise how many Christians have blown the witness they can say whatever truth they want to say but that witness is been destroyed and nobody wants to hear from them coming from them and we have to work you say.

Well, that has happened to me once on the thing to happen to me. Working not to let that happen.

But maybe, maybe I'm speaking to someone who you who you say I blew my witness, God can restore if he can put backward locus he have eaten. He can do anything if he can hang the planets and the stars where they are not keep them from crashing into each other. He can do anything he can restore my broken witness John Mark was such within the church.

John Blewitt, he felt he was going to be a hero of the faith go into all the world preach the gospel to every creature and he found out that he couldn't handle it. And so we headed back home. And because of this it came another time when he wanted to give it another shot.

Paul and I think wisely, at that time Paul said no way.

We put a lot into him and he he crumbled is already Barnabas's cousin insisted they got into this big brouhaha over John Mark will Barnabas and Mark went their way. Paul and Silas went their way, and the result was Satan thought he got him while Satan did was create to minister to more ministries, where there was one ministry of Paul and Barnabas there went out to ministries of Barnabas and Mark Paul and Silas that backfired.

So Paul went off with cousin Barney and he developed and he became a solid Christian and God pinpointed John Mark to give us the gospel according to Mark, which is an excellent introductory into Christian writing you want to sell someone you want a quick quick course on Christianity go to the gospel of Mark 16 chapters, you get an overview that you'll never forget. And then of course later on Paul nearing his execution rights to Timothy and says bring John with bring Mark. He is useful to me. He is useful to me in the ministry and the gospel so God can restore. That's why those stories are preserved. But if you've not trembled in front of everyone and blown your witness.

Full out work to keep it.

Don't ever take it for granted. Now this does not mean I will have blown my witness and in workplaces once or twice. Yeah I'm a one time I will want to take too much time on the story, but I mean it was almost a fists fist if I could have gotten downs to the ground level. It would've been a brawl. Yeah, I was ashamed of this.

This day God moved on the other guy was wrong anyway. But let's move on and is a lot more to that story that anyway, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Again, human struggle here. All of them struggle, submit yourselves to every ordinance.

What helps is when you respect someone if you had leaders in life and I've had good leaders in my life. Believers and nonbelievers alike. I've had good men who I could respect even if I didn't like them. I respected them and had no problem if they gave me a command that I didn't like because I respected them. I had less difficulty carrying it out you parents know if your children can respect. Get more out of them and it is a good thing. So let's be careful as believers to submit ourselves to every ordinance that he's talking about Nero that's was going to go with this. How much with the church pastors and and and church leaders that aren't dear all and know it was a submit to them. For some do but when the pressures on they don't, why is it this way the real devil.

That's why Peter and Paul share this view about submitting to every ordinance.

Romans chapter 13 the first seven verses Paul lays that out is lucky doesn't carry a sword for nothing. He carries as we can execute sentence on the guilty. Don't be the guilty.

The alternative is what the alternative to submit yourselves. Every ordinance is what rebel create an uprising become a community agitator we are supposed to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, not some militia that Oriental revolutionaries going to change everything through the physical sword.

One of these two occasions hang me out to this with some of you are saying maybe saying to yourself, you will want about what gets us couple of the what about in a minute but our Lord in two occasions.

He paid local taxes in front of everybody in Matthew 17. It was the temple tax in Matthew 22 would be the equivalent to our federal tax give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar give to God what belongs to God. Jeremiah summarizes this attitude when he told the Jewish people taken into captivity in Babylon. He says look in Babylon now bro. Do what you're supposed to do. Jeremiah 29 seven. This is most of most folks like to go.

I know the thoughts I think of you, thoughts of peace was a beautiful verse which remembers to captives who didn't want to be captive prior to that, he says, seek the peace of the city where I God have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to Yahweh for it for its peace.

You will have peace, so the prophet says to the Jews taken captive was still trying, they will.

God's going to get is that there is no you got a 70 year sentence as a people and in Babylon while you're there. Pray for peace of that place become a sinner. The citizen assimilate civilly, not spiritually, and in so that that is a summary of what is being said, hereby Paul in Romans 13 and Peter here in first Peter chapter 2 now there are limits to this submission to obey laws if we were commanded to violate moral laws we would not would have to say no.

This will bring persecution physical persecution. This is a story with Shadrach me shack and Abednego you bow down when you get to be this good beat when you hear at the boom boom. You do it and they did not they were cast into the fire then is Daniel six.

Whenever going to get him committing a crime unless we make it a crime for him to exercise his faith in public. They did that to Daniel, and of course he was cast into the guidelines, then before them and then they were cast in consume and then there's acts chapter 4 where the apostles were commanded not to preach the name of Christ.

Peter and the apostles that lets you figure it out. Whether it's right or wrong as Russ we going to do what God told us to do.

John Bunyan, he refused to be silenced by the state church when they told him you cannot preach the gospel he preaches anyway they did 12 years in Bedford jail because of it did time again a second time. As long so Peter says this in the midst of persecution you submit to the laws don't become entangled in society in the affairs of this world. Second Timothy two, no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier you get the feeling he's apostles will not let up on us not being part of this world they just will not stop it with telling us this is not all there is to you. There's more to you than being here let up, and if they had church would've been gobbled up to be no more Christianity. So as citizens we use civil laws. We do not allow ourselves to be engulfed by them becoming activists with causes other than Christ. That doesn't mean we cannot work within the laws to be activists for Christ as as Jeremiah told the Jews get spiritual where you are. Do something before Yahweh on behalf of the place you fine yourself. How awful it would be if the apostles became political activists where in church history.

Did the church leaders become political activists. When Constantine made peace with the religions of the world, especially Christianity, and he embraced Christianity and gave us what we now know as the Roman Catholic Church, not Christianity that does not mean that they are not Christians within Roman Catholicism, but overall you pray to Mary, get disqualified and subsided, and no two ways about it and not going to tell her my speech because you disagree with description. If you pray to those who are not due to the one who is not God you sinning is cut, and it's dry and now I move on whether one more point to make ballot ballot was a prophet by yet he allowed himself to be seduced and got political then and we get to the book of Joshua chapter 13 we find out they killed about should've stayed a prophet 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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