Stop Sinning

With Jamie Greer back that you were choosing to continue to supper and not the fact that you are choosing something voluntarily chosen UFC from the test that most of you wonder what it will determine whether or not your faith is real do not determine the reality of your faith by how high you can raise your hands when everything's going well in your life.

A lot of people think the punishment you're out what it was they did wrong to deserve it. While it is true that we can cause ourselves a lot of pain when we disobey God that today on Summit life after Jamie Greer revealed that sometimes our suffering comes because we obey God's law. Why would God let were diving into scripture to find that answer today with a message titled stop sending the first 11 verses much extra points that he makes those verses.

The first seven verses ready stop saving right in the second port out versus his messages start serving God now reported in a message like I can see that you know to write that down now to what you expect to get when you come to church but the reasons that Peter gives you in first Peter four for why you want to do those things are pretty profound, but they're kind of like changing, so I want us to walk through this passage really don't do it literally, phrase by phrase and I want to try to show you why Peter tells you those two things are so essential. Three things he tells you. First Peter 412 11 three things he tells you are the reasons you are to stop sending these three things.

Remember the first of all there. Remember, the resurrection member to remember eternity in the number three. Remember that both of these things are eminent. Remember the resurrection. Remember eternity. Remember the both of these things are eminent celebs begin their number one remember the resurrection chapter 4 verse one. Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, you should arm yourselves with the same way of thinking for whoever is suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Since Christ has suffered in the flesh. Christ suffered one of crucifixion. There was a point in Christ ministry. Toward the end where it looked like everything had gone wrong. It look like the bad guys and one it look like God was totally out of control, but we know Peter says, on the other side of the resurrection that just when it seemed that God was most out of control with the time God was doing his greatest work, so he says that these people are your selves with the same way of thinking because many of you are also in a time where it seems like life is out of control. It seems like God is not on the throne and what things like the bad guys are winning and I want you to think like Christ thought because Christ sold through the dark our to the resurrection and saw that God was in control and you gotta learn to think like that I think about how much in despair. The disciples were probably worried on Friday night or Saturday morning after Jesus died like that some of you are in times like that. Arm yourself with the same way of thinking because whoever is suffered in the flesh to cease from sin. That's kind of a confusing phrase, but here's what it means what it means is that quite often in life we have a choice between suffering and sitting and sometimes we can get out of suffering by city ways we could do this. Okay, what is the obvious one.

That's what Peter is talking about talking to people who are willingly suffering because of their testimony about Christ and they could very easily shut up about Christ and avoid the persecution if you're going to follow Jesus means you gotta pick up a cross to follow him. Which means you voluntarily engage in suffering.

Sometimes, for example, when you give your money when you give your money you are undergoing a kind of suffering when you give your money you are giving up something that you would like to probably have and so you deprive yourself of that because you believe the gospel is worth it right. You have cease from a self-indulgent lifestyle and you have begun to follow Jesus and the fact that you would give up your money or creature comforts or these things that money can buy proves that your confession of faith in your following of Jesus is genuine for other people when they suffer. There is a temptation to get out of that suffering is just your marriage takes your suffering in a bad marriage of your bodies and pay readies a bad situation at work. Your suffering there is an escape way that people have found from suffering by medicating it with sin.

There do this you ever get to this your least tempted. Most of you… You escape from suffering by pornography. The way to do it you escape from the suffering of a bad marriage by engaging in an affair you escape from from certain things to alcohol what Peter says is the fact that you were choosing to continue to suffer and not when it's denied Christ or quit sacrificing for the mission or medicating with them whatever it is the fact that you were choosing something voluntarily chosen UFC from sin is in excess that's a test that most of you, someone you like it will determine whether not your faith is real. You do not determine the reality of your faith by how high you can raise your hands when everything's going well in your life, what shows what your faith is real is when everything is gone and all you got left as God about whether he is enough. That's what it shows what your faith is genuine and unfortunately much to be negative, but many of you some of you will make it to the test. Jesus talked about see that was scattered and sunk on the ground sprouted up quickly and then the sun comes out the sun which Jesus had represented persecution and said that the plants withered away because they had no root. Some of you everything is okay everything is fine as long as every things fall into place in your life at the first sign of suffering for the cause of Jesus and you give it up you give it up because that faith is not real. Peter says whoever is suffered has ceased from sin so arm yourselves on yourself with the same way but give the Christ that think of it like a weapon that you would wield in battle you got carried into the battle and you gotta think in the midst of suffering about what Jesus went through and what he thought about was only when you think about the cross and the resurrection you ever look at your suffering in the right way and ever be able to maintain the kind of stand with Jesus that you got to you only have tenacity as the gospel of Christ, cross and resurrection saturate your accent what Peter saying is essentially you arm yourself with the same way of thinking, the Christ, Because if you look at the cross and the resurrection of Jesus things you want to know about your life one to suffer like he did. Number two God has the last word. So in the midst of that.

Don't be surprised by suffering. Don't conclude that God is mad at you don't conclude that God has forsaken you. Just realize that you are.

Arm yourself with the same way of thinking because like Christ with go through this. Like Christ. But God has the last word in just in that moment where you think things are the darkest and God seems the farthest away. It is then that he is working is greatest plan in your life. So it goes on. Verse to look at this verse two says so as to live the rest of your time in the flesh no longer for human passions but now for the will of God for the time is past, it suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do which led which is living in sensuality, passions, passions, means craving at the Greek word that means epic to me at epic the meaning of a craving for something but drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, lawless idolatry with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you. Peter is talking to people that this used to be there lifestyle.

This used to be some of your lifestyle is as now that you no longer join them. In this they are surprised and they malign you because they can't understand why. What do those things anymore. Why would you join me and Thursday. Why don't they understand that well because they will have a hope that goes beyond this world. So naturally, their attitude is to get the most out of this world. So their mantra is you feel good to chase your dreams.

You make the most out of what you have.

You do what you want to make yourself feel good.

You spend all your money on yourself.

Gotta make a bucket list because what else is there happiness.

And when you don't join him and that it scares them and get this thing about Peter.

Peter shows you that Christians are supposed to be simultaneously extremely attractive to the world and thoroughly disturbing and disgusting to the world and by the way, if that's not the reaction you have on people. You're probably not living as a follower of Jesus. Jesus had that reaction sinners were unbelievably attracted to him first.

315, Peter says your life is good to be such that people ask your reason for the hope that you ask you what fuels this unbelievable generosity, but there also disturbing to them so that they malign they just make fun of you because they can't disturb them how you live.

They make up the starter show on TLC called the Virgin diaries about you about it. Using this, where they say what's wrong with these people would wait to have sex before marriage.

Find the dumbest most ill adjusted people to represent our side so they can make fun of, I'll tell you who waits to have sex before marriage. People who believe there's a God in heaven who makes the rules and we gotta give an account because they don't have any concept that God will go on making fun of us because I don't have any awareness of him. In unreached people group by choice would take voluntarily move away from their family.

12,000 miles to deliver the stray culture.

Well, my family, you would why I'm 12. I'm not talking to you okay normal people who would voluntarily move 12,000 miles away from the family to live in a culture. People who believe the gospel is true that to people who understand that we got one shot to spread the gospel of Christ to the Chrysler to come to earth to save us in the whole world.

Gotta stand before God. We got one shot to preach the gospel to people who are like us to does things like that you want to confuse the world how you live, who would give their money this way. I don't mean you occasionally come to church and had a tip in your heart to God.

The little money in the offering plate who actually divest himself to leverage their resources, not for personal gain at the leverage their talent to the resources for the kingdom of God wouldn't do that.

People who believe that eternity is coming. People who believe that eternity is such the Bible says that it makes the nicest place on here look like living in a garbage can. So naturally we don't take our resources and try to just make the most of things down here. We want to invest in eternity. People who believe that they are say because Christ has been generous with them.

That's who lives that way. This is your life because of the resurrection ought to make them both unbelievably attracted to you and simultaneously repulsive.

Are you having that effect on people. If not, you are probably not a follower of Jesus to be ugly as like what you probably larger somebody who's added a little below God makes to your cocktail of life. That's an original analogy by the way, you got a little God to this mix for your little bit more moral but you just kinda boring is you gotta cut some of the extreme sends out you got a little definition you found some purpose. You know, but that's not what Jesus is talking about we talk about Peter talking about you talk about living with such hope, and that's the pain blows people's minds about being so radically generous with your money that they can't stand it because that's what Jesus was like they couldn't get a hold of him and the apostles like the apostles were so indomitable you think about what you do with an apostle. You always try to shut them up like a you better shut up you boli well, I suppose, of the sufferings of his life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us right woman will kill you well for me to live is Christ, the guys game well that will leave you alone so to live is Christ shut you up in prison. While my get some writing done in their honor is you can't stop because there was this hope this sense that they lived with what God was doing that was just drove him crazy and blew her mind all the same time. Numbers five, but they will give an account to him is ready to judge the living and the dead. Like it will have the last word God has last word you keep your eyes on Mac. That's what fueled Christ in the midst of the cross, God has last word goes on.

Well here's number two by the weight. Remember eternity. This is verse five and six.

Remember eternity. Your belief in the resurrection, could, should cause you to live in a way to do things with your money that is baffling to people. Peter goes on to develop for six this kind of confusing verso Judah but your theological big boy pants on for six this is why the gospel was preached, even to those who were dead, but the judge in the flesh, the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God's confusion right you like what gospel preached people are dead so forcefully see what this doesn't mean before you what it does me. It does not mean that after people die. Somebody goes and preaches the gospel to them when their dad and they get a second chance to trust in Jesus.

That's what he does not say what he is saying is this the gospel was preached of people who are now dead when they were alive. The gospel was preached to them when they were alive but they're dead now, and many of them died. Some of them in extreme poverty in the midst of persecution just like Jesus died, but now they live in the resurrection, like God does. Hannah is asking the dumb question, don't you think people that believe the gospel been living in eternity. Now, don't you think they're glad that they chose to follow Jesus and not follow sin, dumb question right nobody in eternity is one. I wish I would've indulge the flesh more and given up less. He says that this is of course in eternity. That's how they think because they are living in the presence of God and what he says to them is you are soon going to be in eternity and need to start living now like you will have wished you would live when you are at that point. Psalm 90 verse 12 so Moses wrote when I favor versus all of this so my verse 12 so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts toward wisdom so teach us is Moses to number our days, so that we may apply our hearts to learn wisdom was average me.

Martin Luther translated members. This way or teach us to think about death so that we might know how to live because it is only when we start to think about eternity that we will develop the right attitude toward our life now is only as we think through our lives to the lives of eternity that we will develop the right priorities you are going to die I thought you information you should be writing it down. You're going to die all of your Sam forgot and when you guys there before God. Nothing that you've accomplished on earth is going to matter at all.

Steve Jobs managed little accomplished more than anybody else in our generation. Steve Jobs knew that is the approach of death. He said that it was in this interview. When I die, nothing I've accomplished on earth. Matters to me anymore. All that matters is God in eternity. And if it's true. Do you understand that you will very soon be in eternity, relatively speaking, James says that her life is like a missed paper that you like in the morning when it if you blow in the mirror to/from only since that's how brief your life is, you better start living now like you will wish you had lived. When you are at that point because it is sooner then you and I think fast-forward your life 100 years and live from that vantage point. What would you wish you had done with your life what would you wish you had done with your money. You wish you had decided about Jesus sort of think I remember eternity number 70 gives 1/3 motivation to stop sending the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be self-controlled and sober minded number three. Remember that both those things, the resurrection eternity.

But the more eminent I two things that are eminent number one your death you'll know when you can adopt some of you maybe six years now some you might be this afternoon. But there's another thing that he saying here and that is the return of Christ is eminent. The end is near. So you ought to live like people who expect to see Jesus Martin Luther. "Him, you should live like Jesus died yesterday was razors morning and that you'll see him again tonight.

I thought you should live if you here's my question. If you knew Jesus was coming back tonight. How would that change how you live today. That's what Peter is telling you to think like that some of you, the more astute of you. Some of you were little more cynical or lightweight like 2000 years ago.

So what do you wrong about the fact that the end was near 2000 years is a long time and it's true there been some skeptics like people who teach at Chapel Hill into state who have taken that were to say the apostles expected Jesus to return in their lifetime and therefore the apostles wrong about that but that is not what that says.

Say that Jesus returning his lifetime, is that the end is near you allowed to live like we expect to see Jesus in a minute because that actually could happen like this.

The end is near. Like God's work in history like a set of acts in a play you got like 45 acts and play one with God's creation act number two was the Abraham covenant at number three was God working through Moses in the law back before was Jesus actually coming to earth at number five is where we are right now where we're spreading the gospel throughout the world and number six when Jesus comes back, establishes his kingdom and brings judgment. We are in this penultimate act right now at number five.

We have no idea when Jesus is coming back. Even though we don't know if it's now 2000 years from now.

He says live like you could see him at any moment because it might be today. The end is near. You just don't know. Another analogy to think about, like miss you man your husband should be able try with me on this. My family and I will decide to go somewhere. So we go get in the car and by we I mean me and my four kids go sit in the car and my wife build a house, doing whatever it is that you girls do for that extra five or 10 minutes is in their putting the finishing touches on her face or whatever it is okay so worst car. They were waiting on her to come out the garage door and as I'm sitting there. One of my daughters who has been to this charade before is like like that you know.

Can we run up to Dunkin' Donuts and you grab something you have dug it out like four minutes away from us grab and come back now.

What I Sam I know we can't because right on your mom. She knows that we got time to go to Dunkin' Donuts and come back electrically told there probably three or four times and get back she knows that. But I also know that if we go to Dunkin' Donuts and my wife comes out and we are not there. There is going to be hell to pay right so I have to sit there like she's coming back at any moment because she might have to be ready. What Peter is telling them as you want to live like Jesus could come back at any moment because he might, you have to maintain this posture of ready nests because it's only when you maintain that posture that you are thinking about life rightly see purses be sober. Here's the irony of this passage is living in light of the eminence of the yen that makes you live soberly, to keep her priorities straight. The irony is, we always think of people who think the end is near like crazy people right giving her some dude in a sandwich board walk around the campus of NC State yell begin to smear you think he's lost his mind.

No, chances are he has lost his mind.

But he saying that it is people who understand that Jesus eternity is eminence there. The only ones Rev. of the Broward spring. They don't want to live soberly, if Jesus were coming back tonight. How would that change how you live today. The knowledge that Jesus was coming back tonight would cause any change in your life. You are not living soberly. You are drunk right now on the world's destruction distracted sobering questions today from Pastor Jeannie Greer consummate life.

Tomorrow will be concluding this study in first Peter, I am an alien in the meantime you can catch up on previous messages Jeannie Greer.com Pastor Jenny over the past couple of years now. You had one theme for our church and other churches of 201 for this to me is Mr. explanation on that earlier this year. What do you mean by 2011 is somebody that is is is not a believer. I'm actually Molly's good news.

One of my ones actually had to once one of them cages came to faith in Christ amazing and started to come to our small group.

It's amazing. And sometimes it just takes a lot of relational effort. A lot of prayer what we find in the New Testament is that the best way that people come to know God is been introduced to them by somebody that they know and that the trust on the most rewarding things you can do as a Christian. And so we want to do stuff. Here are some of life that will help you so is a free resources mom we want to give you a 40 day devotional that help you focus and ask the right questions start the prayer journey on vocation of someone you know needs over the gospel. Maybe that's a child or a parent or a neighbor or somebody that gotchas put into the course of your life can have a daily verse a few short paragraphs. Simple, straightforward, to the point just the way that I like it you get it right now is a free download@jdgreer.com so if you go there JDGREEAR.com you can get it right now. Free resource stating the website getting your free 40 day devotional check out the special new Bible study we created just for our Summit life listeners to bring a study covering Romans chapters 4 through eight, and volume in our three-part box that offering here to our Summit life, family time to go through with the framing. You're welcome to request the study today.

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