Holy Advertisements

God is light so shine out of darkness, is the one who is shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. These forces for you were formerly darkness, but now you are like in the Lord's 58 so were giving thanks to the father who is qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Living advertisements to the gospel thought much about that before what people see you will, in some ways influence what they think about Jesus. Part of what it means to be a Christian in this generation and in every generation is to pursue holiness in ways that are countercultural, we need to be able to do that well and today Steve and Dave is going to help us learn how your listening to wisdom for the heart Stevens calling today's lesson. Holy advertisements if we were to have the Lord visit us today. The Lord himself were to stand here with us pointing out his treasures. He would not be putting up a photograph of an old Bible.

He wouldn't be referring to a manuscript she's from preacher of a century ago if the Lord were standing.

If you were to come up here. He would point out something extremely valuable to him. He would point out you you believer happen to be his special collection special collection just look at how the believer in the believing church is described in first Peter two and verse nine but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood holy nation of people for God's own possession. You can render that for God's own treasure possession Jesus Christ would display you. In fact, one day he will for all eternity display that the splendid glorified redeemed as the objects of his glory and his grace first Peter chapter 5 verse four of the world was still in the first century Christians of Peter's writer is writing it it it still say the same thing. The 21st century is like your unwanted your earbuds are nobodies.

The market value and you your your your worthless because they viewed Christ then and now the same manner, just a few verses earlier we discovered the world rejected Christ the cornerstone for seven day trip over him. They stumble over him. He gets in the way verse eight, but also the world has rejected you believer have accepted him. He is valued by you as precious.

Verse four and by his saving grace we learn he Law Review out of the pit. He dug you out and shaved you and attached you as a living stone to the spiritual house we call the church.

Peter's effectively telling them you cannot be worthless.

You can't be without value.

You can't be insignificant. Why because we ordinary people have become special treasure because we belong to take a closer look at how Jesus describes through Peter, you and me and in general his church. Therefore, descriptive phrases first noticed you are a chosen race again.

Peter will rehearse all that we learn that he highlights the reduction of the believer loses salvation of the covenant electing grace of God which is in this text is a it is worth a reminder you're not accidentally or nonrandom your chosen chosen for thousands of years before Peter wrote this statement. This is the language of the nation of Israel, and we do this they call them God's chosen people will guess what Peter says so you know, and we we study this at length they they nation still are uniquely God's covenant and we are awaiting what the prophets declare the New Testament adds to the goodness of God is going to be displayed at some point in time during the tribulation and during that period of heart and harass their going to be brought to repentance by the goodness of God, to give the reconstituted resignation and they will welcome back. The one they pierced the second time he comes in with us.

They will welcome him as their Messiah.

Romans 11 along with Zechariah chapter 12 now.

Here Peter uses this phrase to describe the New Testament believer and church. We are his chosen race word race here in this phrase maybe is translated in your Bibles generation chosen generation. It's a word that refers to two people who belong to a common ancestor word referring to people who have a common origin and end we do, don't we do as a church you been born again by faith in Christ alone and inducted into the family of God, because you received him John chapter 1 and verse 12 so all of us in here you believe happened share the same origin of the new birth, pointing back to our shared ancestor, as it were, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm enjoying reading little commentary on first Peter written by one son shares an Hispanic pastor in Texas. He writes this I thought it wrote it well. He said Peter's informing us that the gospel has created a new race. One race made up of people from every tongue tried social and economic standing and cultural variety like the way he puts this God has chosen the auto light and made him into one new family. And when the gospel is the only way to explain the assortment of people gathered in an auditorium worshiping together the glory of God is displayed.

I like that and assortment of people we've ever been. How do you explain this by the explain the church and assortment of people wrought kinds of backgrounds explain the fact that we share a common ancestor.

We share the same life by our union with Christ Jesus. Because of that we have the same family name taken from the one who gave his life. If you study by the way, the origin of that family name to turn the church didn't come up with was coined in the first century by combining the Greek name of the Messiah crystals and in adding his is a war that generation, the Latin eyes ending and coming up with Christiani in Rome people were often called by the name of leaders.

They adored and revered that during the day that Peter was writing this, you have the Augustinian you had those that followed justice. You had the heroin in the those who followed Herod, they revered a more than the normal individual might have followed or supported, and so the term Christiani was coined by the Roman citizens living in Antioch as a derogatory term for people followed it dead so they viewed it and they wanted to label them. Those who followed the man who claimed to be that Christmas Messiah time he arrived in church history next Chapter 11 where this term first appears is it designation given by unbelievers for the church and it wasn't complemented all but 1900 years later we was at name right I was in the store a couple of days ago and got by the counter recognize any holiday we got again got caught up there and auto parts store a year ago first time I got in there needed over the battery in the camera was working with me. I could tell after 15 seconds, you been there to have it you do you just tell and I'm thinking this this guy is a Christian, you never lose phone ring a church for one thing, I'm sure you turn off mature believer all your reason for your phone, please do and I was thinking you know I get asked this guy. I wanted to nativity when I do talk about with Alina something were to go to church. That's my way of moving from auto parts to justification by faith alone in Christ.

You know how you doing before I could ask him what you're doing to.

He stopped and he's head are you Christian, I am. And he said all I am to tell and I knew you were you were first increasing competition going on. So here you have this black man and this very pale white man celebrating together the auto parts store is a four brothers why because we are we are brothers and we share a common ancestor.

We are members of a new race and we happily share the same family name Peter is on the Telus were not only members of the same race notice he says were royal priesthood. Now I don't get too deep in the weeds here, but this would been a puzzling expression they would have puzzled in the early days over the offices of Jesus as both kingly and priestly because of the Old Testament you didn't combine the two.

They were separate royalty had nothing to priesthood like the king dabbled it was in trouble from fact, they would have been puzzled by Jesus, a descendent of David through the royal line of Judah claiming then the right of priest of high priest which came from the tribe of Levi through Erin. They just weren't connected with the answer simply was the Jesus Christ priesthood was derived appointed assigned to the book of Hebrews chapters 5 and six, not from Aaron from Melchizedek. If you're old enough of the faith. You know he appears in Genesis chapter 14 is not a lot said about him but he is the combination of this royal priest and he shows up to bless Abraham and in that he foreshadows the blessing of the coming royal high priest, so we in union with Christ as children of God have inherited from Christ the right to be both royal and pre-John the apostle apostle describes in the book of Revelation in chapter 20 and verse six he combines that you and he says to us to redeem you shall be priests of God and will reign with Christ a thousand years. We can't even begin to imagine.

We have been given much information, but it is going to be amazingly glorious as we serve him directly, face-to-face and rain with Peter goes on to add another descriptive phrase to the treasurer of God are children because the church know to start a holy nation. Ordination is not the original language gives us our work ethnic word that refers to a community of people that are held together by the same laws the same customs and even more importantly, the same interests. I remember the word holy is attached to it that is telling how Diaz it means separated on the God where nation belonging separated on the God of holy very regularly simply means different and are we ever we the church are different nation than the nations around us affect the church is at her worst when she is light the nations around her in interests and even loss. Most of the early believers reading this letter from Peter would've probably already disobeyed one of the 12 tables of Roman law that decreed that I quote deformed incentives shall be killed and others in order to give the Roman bloodline as superiors they thought possible deformed incense were given a chance to live.

Even Seneca the brilliant tutor of the number of Caesar's who lived during the time of the apostles defended an abortion was rampant, but so is infanticide. When we got there yet we never do. But he defended infanticide by writing these words quote we ground children. Whoever's are we and abnormal.

This is true in other parts of our world to this very day out missing the value of human life is raised by the presence of the gospel and in its absence, human life becomes pretty much worth people are use by those that have greater power or authority. I found it interesting to discover and like studied it in the latter part of the second century church leader by the name of Clemens. He was known as Clemens of Alexandria, Heros of the Roman government and its citizens were known for saving and protecting young birds and other animals while lacking any moral regard about abandoning or aborting their own children to church comes along and she's different noisy guys like that. Plato argued that it should be the right of the city state to force a woman to have an abortion to control population sounds like Plato and Planned Parenthood would been a great friend, the early Christians were at odds with the devaluing of human life in the elevating of animal life just as many countries today, including our set up a formative grade placement repeated in this owner in our country that it's a violation you pay a fine. If you knowingly crush the egg of a pre-born eaglets you can crush a pre-mortal life. Human was this Alvin Schmidt catalog. This is the start of the book rather stunning book entitled how Christianity changed the world. Recommend you get a sometimes been out for eight years or so.

He writes this in A.D. 379 church leaders publicly condemn the practice of selling aborted babies to the manufacturer's of beauty cream this in the gospel doesn't just elevate the value of human life.

It means for those of you that where Christiani on your sleeve you're going to be at odds with your culture no matter what country or you're in at some point is going to be obvious. Your interests are different. Your laws are different. Your customers are different Peter rights it ought to be forget you are a holy nation, by the way, would you notice in the text he doesn't save you the church are a successful nation. You are a wealthy bank you are protected nation now known none of that. He simply said, as if to say, above all things, make sure your holy nation. Yes, where people for God's own possession like the old King James translation of this phrase, we already peculiar people. I think it fits a lot of is done, you could you could paraphrase it. We are people of God's private possession. I like the idea of collection. We are part of his private collection and we happen to be in that collection is it ever occur to you that you happen to be his treasure because he was willing to die for you even purchase you a lot of money or right.

The connections peters Artie told us we were not purchased. We were not redeemed by perishable things like gold or silver, but by the cost of Jesus Christ died to make you a part of his private collection of believers in view of everything about Gore's significant everything of value is related to the fact that you belong to him. The final question is pretty simple when we get to do about it. I mean of all this is true, and it is and more what you are responsibly. Will Peter answers that were the purpose statement is residing in the latter part so that here is to purposely mislead you may proclaim the excellencies of him who is called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. The verb for proclaim or declare is a compound formed only appears here in this text it, it means to make widely known to advertise.

I like that rendering already this way will advertise is aware that we been rescued from the domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of his beloved son closet 113. Peter says he used to be darkness in now to live as if he is saying to God in his grace through the light switch and when the light of the glorious gospel shed abroad in our hearts. Her eyes open to the value of Christ, and now in union with him. We have discovered we have great value and significance of the chapter 1 verse 10. I found it interesting. One of the mottos of the Reformation affect your hearing a lot about that because this is the five year anniversary of the Reformation.

One of their catchphrases we would call it today. Amado was in Latin, of course, asked him numerous locks out of darkness, light only God can do that only he can call us out of darkness he has to do the he does the calling. Did you notice it was like, what is it called outline marvelous magnificent light.

He says do we delight and desire and were were advertising having been brought from darkness to light and what we advertising ourselves no were advertising the excellencies of him, consider outside idea what a treasure. We met him bragging about him were exalting him.

I got a great illustration that by the way a week week ago or so my wife and I babysat two of her grandkids for two days on a jury babysat who actually my wife did all the heavy work that are three-year-old grandson Nicholas. You know I knew it was it was one outfit after another, dressed up like his favorite superhero's bits and pieces of the cost of the other ask you of Spider-Man and his favorite.

We had the helmet of iron and I was his favorite pop others of the environment and duty Debbie bracketing to your hands like this, it sends out energy raised to knock people over and I tried on never worked. It never knocked them down or slowed him down but it was one superhero event after another. LSU think that you know my three-year-old grandson is worldly.

He also quoted the 10 Commandments to me in Hebrew is is what it sounded like to make one thing was obvious to me and I could and came back to back to my mind rather convicting their times when I'm not nearly as excited about Jesus Christ as my grandson is about iron. I mean, are we doing on this advertising campaign to which we talk about say something about I don't know might offend somebody might ruin her lunch date. If the people in your sphere of influence only knew about God.

Heroic deeds about what they heard from you, what would they know would they be completely in the dark. At this point Peter evidently thinks it's a good idea to remind us of some heroic deeds. First, he wants us to remember that God is miraculously included us.

Notice verse 10 for you once were not a people, but you are the people of God's miraculous is that you once worked.

Now you are pretty heroic deed by our gracious God, you didn't belong.

Now you belong just by faith in his son received them and you become children of God.

John 112 Peter evidently thinks it's a good idea for us to remember who we once were. That evidently deepens our resolve to be advertisements of his glory. He wanted to think about it, get buried by but he wants you to remember that you can echo the model of the Reformation. I can remember I was in darkness, and the like.

For God said light shall shine out of darkness, is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ figure. These 46 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord Jesus. 58 so were giving thanks to the father who is qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 112 reliving advertisements to the heroic deeds of the gospel through Christ. Secondly, Peter not only reminds us that God is miraculously included us. He wants to remind us that God is miraculously parted. Notice the latter part of verse 10 you had not received mercy, but now you've received mercy. All just like that how often we can take that for granted. You remember you are under judgment. Your verdict hopeless within God called you out of hopelessness and into his mercy mercy is that which rescues us from everything we deserve. We are living advertisements campaign to our world.

We have been pardoned from our crimes old Puritan prayer put to music not too long ago says mighty merciful. How could it be the high King of heaven stands grace to me my sin.

They were many parents might want justice power are held in your hand but use shoulder. The shame of man. This holy mystery is hard to believe forgiveness shown by Royal mining yet merciful the stands. Grace merits mercy and you're listening to wisdom for the heart Stephen Davey Stephen pastors a church in Cary, North Carolina, and he's the Bible teacher on this daily program. You can learn more about wisdom for the heart by visiting wisdom online.org. That site is filled with valuable resources to equip and encourage you in your walk with Christ. All of the lessons are posted there in both audio and written transcripts and you can access that free of charge.

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