Sunday Sermon Notes: April 21, 2024

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Don Merritt

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

1 Peter 4:1-6

Peter is now summing up what we covered last time: Therefore…

Jesus as our great example suffered death so that many would be saved from sin and death; therefore, we need to take on the same purpose as He, which is to say that we too need to concern ourselves with the salvation of those who have not yet found it, even in our times of trial and suffering. This somewhat awkward sentence goes on to tell us that since those who suffer for Christ have put an end to living for the allures of this world, they will now live for the will of God.  This is another way of saying that we set aside the things of this world to serve Christ.  We have already had our chance for worldly living, that is now over… and our former associates will sure be surprised!

I’ve run into many who hesitated to commit to Christ for fear that their family and friends will think them crazy, and I’ve always assured them that they are probably right.  When they commit to Him anyway, and over time their lives change, friends and family often follow them to the cross. Let’s be clear, this doesn’t usually happen overnight, but it often happens with time. These former associates may also “malign” you, but this is something for which they will ultimately be called to account.

This is why the gospel has been preached to those who live without Christ, even though they are dead in their sins, they may respond to the gospel and live as children of God.  To be perfectly honest, this is our calling, to take the gospel to those who have yet to commit to Christ, or as Jesus Himself said, to “make disciples.” It is what we do because we love our fellow humans, even when they do not first love us.

That might sound familiar to some of you…

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:7-11

In approaching this text, you can go one of two ways. The first and most common way of looking at it is to analyze it line by line and word by word.  The second is to read it in its entirety and ask yourself what Peter is getting at. Both approaches should take us to the same place, but sometimes we become sidetracked in the details and forget why we are looking in the first place. Thus, for this lesson, let’s use the second and less common method.  What’s Peter trying to say here?

I think it is something like this: Set aside selfish things so that you may glorify God.

Let’s go back and check…

He starts by telling us that time is short, so let’s get serious: The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.  Yes, this is an easy one… Then he reminds us to love one another with fervor.  Such love is never selfish, for selfish, ‘what I can get out of it’ love, is never “fervent.” This is even clearer when you read the second part of the sentence, for it points directly to forgiveness. Forgiving those whom we love fervently is a selfless act. Here’s how Peter put it:  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. 

Then he tells us to be hospitable without complaint, and since the Greek word can also be rendered as “generous” it’s clear once again that Peter wants us to be selfless. Here are his words:  Be hospitable to one another without complaint. “Without complaint” seals this one for me, how about you?  He goes on to mention that we have each received a special (spiritual) gift from God, and then tells us to use it for the building up of the Body as good stewards, not for our own advancement.  As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Now it gets really interesting. If we speak, we are to speak as though our words were the Word of God, so I see that they are not just my own words, my own thoughts any more. If we serve, we should serve like we are serving from God’s strength and not our own.  This would seem to imply that we are to serve for God’s purpose, since He supplied our strength: whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; nothing of “me” here…

Finally, we have arrived at the “why” part, so that God will be glorified: so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Looking back to where we started, I’d say we got it just about right!  Living for Jesus in love is all about God and other people, and not at all about me. Lord, may each of us take this message from your Word to heart!

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Sunday Sermon Notes: April 14, 2024

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Don Merritt

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 

1 Peter 3:13-17

In the previous section, Peter told us what it looks like to love one another in the form of a lesson or instruction, and he continues the theme here asking who would want to harm you if you are doing good?  He continues with transition, into an implied question of “What if they harm me anyway?”  Peter’s answer to that unwritten question is that you will be blessed in spite of everything. The result of course, is that even if we suffer for doing the right thing, as sometimes happens in this life, we will be blessed.

In telling us not to fear their threats (or the things that others fear) Peter is quoting from Isaiah 8:12, and if you think about it, this is a very apt quote, for we who will live even though we die, and to whom blessings are assured, need not fear what the world can do to us for doing right. It may seem odd what Peter says next: always be ready to tell people, who ask, why you have this hope in Christ, and do it with gentleness and respect…

It may be that Peter is thinking that the way we react to problems will serve as a catalyst for such questions; after all, shouldn’t we be afraid?  Everyone else would be− that makes “evangelism” look quite different from handing out leaflets and knocking on doors. Those who slander you may become ashamed and… who knows? They might come to see things quite differently than before.

In any event, if God wills it, it is better to suffer for good than to suffer for wrong… so always do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

Now, when you view this in its fuller context of 3:8-17, the whole thing becomes clear:  Love one another, live your life in the love of Christ so that the world may see His love through you.  If the world should react badly, you have nothing to fear because of what you have in Christ… and it might even give you a better chance to share.  In any event, living our lives as Christ would live is better than doing wrong.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

1 Peter 3:18-22

As the chapter concludes, Peter continues his discussion of opportunity and suffering, with the ultimate example of Jesus.  Jesus suffered greatly that we might be saved from sin and death, and He did this while deserving none of the suffering, but accepted it anyway for the opportunity to redeem humanity.  As a result, He was killed in the body, but made alive again in the Spirit. This is a familiar story for a Christian I hope…

I really try to avoid complicating these lessons with discussions of various translations and Greek… but to understand verse 19, I can’t see a way to avoid it.

The NIV goes on to say: After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— In the NIV, there is a footnote after the words “…made alive…” that I have edited out (but probably shouldn’t have) that reads, “Or but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also.”  

The more literal translation of the NASB says, in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison.  Looking at the Greek, I found the words, ᾧ καὶ (hos  kai) which mean “in which also”

Thus, I conclude that what Peter is telling us is that Jesus died in the body and was made alive again in the Spirit, in which also (in the Spirit) he preached to those who are now dead, but who were disobedient in Noah’s day.  The introduction of Noah’s day is important in Peter’s overall point as we will see in a minute.  Sorry for this little excursion, but this is a verse that is often misunderstood, as some do teach that Jesus died and went to Hell to redeem the lost there, and while that might be a nice thought, it isn’t the point Peter is making here.

Jesus, in the Spirit, or as the Spirit, preached repentance to those who were acting in rebellion against God while Noah was building his ark, as God was about to judge the earth and wanted to save as many as possible from His judgment, but in the end, only eight would follow God and they were saved through the waters of the flood (being in the ark). The waters of the flood now symbolize baptism, which saves us also, not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ… You will surely recall that Paul makes similar comparisons between our “death” in baptism, and our being raised out of the water to a new life.

As a result of what Jesus did, He now sits in majesty in heaven… and in due course we, as His co-heirs will join Him.  This is the ultimate opportunity for suffering, should God will it for us, to become a testimony of our faith in Him, that others who see this will come to belief and repentance.  Therefore, should suffering come your way, take heart, for God is working through you, and you will receive the prize for which we all strive.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: March 31, 2024

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Don Merritt

John 13:1-17

The scene opens just before the Passover meal on the night that Jesus would be betrayed.  Jesus demonstrates an act of humility that would normally be done by a slave; the washing of the feet of the dinner guests.

John uses these verses to set the scene by placing the time at the very beginning of the meal.  They had not yet begun to eat, Judas had already been prompted to go astray, and yet Jesus was confident in His destiny and had received all power from God.  It is particularly pointed that John mentions this fact: Jesus had received all power, had everything placed in His control and was about to return to God… when all of the sudden what did He do?

Jesus gets up from the table, takes off His clothes, grabs a towel and begins washing the feet of the disciples.  It is important to note that even though the NIV adds the word “outer” to garments, there is no such indication in the Greek.*  Commentators rise to this and many describe Jesus as in His “undergarments”.  Undergarments for men were invented around the time of George Washington and were not widely worn until the late 19th century; they did not exist as such in ancient times.  If Jesus had indeed removed an outer garment, then it would have been a cloak, comparable to a modern-day coat, and obviously this is not likely.  I do not join the NIV in protecting modern-day sensibilities here because it is vital that we get an accurate picture of exactly what was going on in order to get the full value of what Jesus is demonstrating in this act of humility, for it is in total and complete contradiction to what was stated in verse 3, and it actually becomes the whole point of this incident.  Jesus was not only washing the feet of men who weren’t qualified to carry His briefcase (so to speak), but He had utterly and totally humbled Himself in the process.  (Can you imagine yourself doing this? Remember, He had taken off His clothes.) The NIV also states that He had a towel wrapped around Him, while the KJV says He “girded” Himself with the towel.  Was the towel providing a modesty covering, and at the same time being used to dry their feet after washing? 

It seems unlikely.

We should also keep in mind that Jesus also washed the feet of the one whom He knew was about to betray Him: Now you will understand what this scene means; you will also have some real insight into the metaphor of being naked before God.

Peter seems to have understood that he was not worthy to be treated in this way by Jesus who was so much greater than he.  Jesus’ reply to him is also understood… sort of.  ‘Well, in that case, how about washing my hands and head too.’  Peter believed Jesus when He told him that he must be “cleaned” by Him, but he still didn’t quite grasp the metaphor that was playing out in that room.

Jesus’ comments in verses 10-11 refer to the fact that a person attending a dinner would bathe before leaving their house, so that when they arrived at the dinner, only their feet would have gotten dirty on the walk to the dinner venue; thus, the custom of having your feet washed by a slave prior to reclining at table.  Remember that dinner tables were not like the ones we use today, and the “reclining” was literal.  The comment that not all were clean gives us a hint that Jesus is not really concerned about hygiene, for He knew what was afoot with Judas; His concern was that they be spiritually clean.

Jesus gets dressed and resumes His seat; then He explains what He has done.  He has set for them an example, a twofold example.  First, we as His servants must be willing to humble ourselves in His service.  Do we dare humble ourselves as He has done?  Second, our service must be to clean the filth of sin from one another, to help one another to obey all that He has commanded us, and to be willing to dirty our hands in the process.  We can never do this by glorifying ourselves; we can only accomplish this mission by humbling ourselves:  We are to follow His example of both humility and service.

I realize that this may seem an odd choice for a message on Resurrection Sunday, but let’s think about it for a minute…

We’ve just seen Jesus humble Himself in service, a service most of us would decline to participate in, even if we didn’t have to shed our garments in the process. The extent to which Jesus humbled Himself in this service may seem to many to be a bit extreme, in fact. Yet, think about this: This scene is nothing compared to what was about to happen with Jesus. He would allow Himself to be captured by sinful men, beaten and humiliated, convicted falsely in a joke of a trial, stripped naked and be nailed to a cross to die a slow and horrible death while being taunted by His enemies. All in service to His Father so that you and I might have the opportunity to receive His amazing grace.

With all of this as our example, how can we even think of giving excuses to avoid a little service to God? How can we even consider hesitating to humble ourselves in His service?

What we celebrate today is the victory Jesus achieved for us through weakness, extreme humility and amazing love, a victory that not only brings God’s grace to forgive us our transgressions, but it gives us victory over sin, death and evil, and it seems to me that this is the greatest victory of all.

*  The Greek word is himation (G2440) which can mean any or all garments.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: March 24, 2024

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Don Merritt

1 Peter 3:1-7

Peter moves on from his discussion of Christian slaves and their masters in which he called upon slaves to be good and reliable workers who respect their masters for the sake of the Gospel, and now applies the same thinking to marriage.

Marriage is an interesting relationship: Two people love one another, live together and relate on multiple levels with each other… and they get to know each other for all of their faults, and all of their strengths.  They see each other at their worst and at their best, and they have times of bliss and times of turmoil. Peter teaches that each is to put the other first.

He tells wives that they should submit to their husbands, as Paul says that wives should obey their husbands. Peter says that husbands should be considerate to and give respect to their wives. Paul says that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave His life for her.  Even though some today would be critical of these comments, in truth, allowing for the fact that Peter and Paul wrote in a very different cultural context, the message is really the same: Each should put the other ahead of themselves.  For one thing, this is a recipe for a happy marriage in most cases, for another reason, this is how we are supposed to treat everyone. It is how Jesus behaved toward everyone also.

Sadly, as in some other areas, there have been those who used Bible passages for selfish purposes at various points over the years, using selectively some of these injunctions to assert male dominance over women.  People who deliberately misapply Scripture are called “false teachers” by the Scriptures, and in our time, I think that it is important that we not allow the sins of false teachers to sour God’s Word for us.  The whole point of these passages is to demonstrate what Christ’s love looks like in action in various everyday situations.  Oppressiveness toward one’s spouse can hardly be called the love of Christ.  Putting the interests of the other person first, even when they are not being very lovable, is always Christ-like.  Being abusive and then citing the Word to justify it is downright evil.

Putting others first, is very much like something Jesus said one day.  It’s a rather famous statement, and I’ll bet you’ve heard it once or twice: Do unto others as you would they should do unto you.  Yes, that’s it, the Golden Rule−  That is how husbands and wives are supposed to behave toward each other. So, one cup of the Golden Rule, plus a teaspoon of forgiveness is a good recipe to begin a happy marriage.

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-9

In these two verses, Peter is telling us what it looks like when we love one another.  What may confound us at times is that He has set this out as an imperative, making it a lesson or instructions. When a group of people share real fellowship, what happens, what do they look like to others?

Well, let’s see, they are in harmony, they aren’t fighting, they are gentle and they are humble in their demeanor, caring for one another.  They are forgiving of one another, and they are blessings to one another.  Isn’t that about what he said? OK, maybe you are thinking that I simply found different words and re-wrote the text… a kind of paraphrase. Fine, then let’s think about it.

To love is to put the interests of others ahead of our own interests.  So, when it comes to opinions, we are not going to argue and fight to “win” every point, we are going to respect the views of other people, and in this we are “like-minded.”  That love involves being sympathetic with those whom we love is pretty much a given, right?

Can you love a person and not have compassion when they are hurting?  Of course not, because you care about them.  Isn’t the same true for humility?  If you are putting their interests ahead of your own, you aren’t going to be cramming things down their throats are you?  It would seem not…

If someone you love sins against you, aren’t they usually the first ones that you are willing to forgive?  So, there is no evil for evil and insult for insult.  No, you would try to be a blessing to those you love, even when they aren’t being good to you… forgiveness again.

See it now?  Peter is describing love in action:

For,

“Whoever would love life
    and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
    and their lips from deceitful speech.
They must turn from evil and do good;
    they must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:10-12

Lord, may we become the people you would have us to be, loving one another as you loved us, so that in all that we do, we would be pleasing in Your sight.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: March 17, 2024

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Don Merritt

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

“He committed no sin,
    and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2:18-25

The second chapter concludes at the foot of the cross, as Peter applies the prophecy of Isaiah 53 to make it clear that Jesus is our example in dealing with the hardships of life.  In everything that Jesus said or did during His ministry, His priority was on serving the Father by serving others in a way that would advance the Father’s purpose. When this involved sacrifice, He sacrificed. When it required suffering, He suffered, for that is how great His love for us was… and is.

As followers of Jesus, can we expect to do less?  If that means putting others first, we put others first, because we love Jesus. If that means that we endure hardship, then we endure it for His sake because we love Him. If that means we love our neighbor even when our neighbor seems less than lovely, then we do it because we love Him. Through this process, we are modeling the behavior of our Savior to the world. Some might scoff and call us fools, but others will respond and follow the One who reached out to them through us in love, and we will have added to His holy spiritual house one more living stone.

And all because we love Him who first loved us.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: March 10, 2024

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Don Merritt

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 2:11-12

Verses 11 and 12 are transition into the next section of Peter’s letter, transition that is of particular interest to us today.  Peter’s general context here is that we are in this world of Mankind at the present, but we are citizens of a heavenly Kingdom that is not of this world at all, thus we are foreigners and exiles where we are now.  Oh no, we are not exiles from the heavenly Kingdom, we are exiles from this world.  As such, we are here representing that heavenly Kingdom of which we are citizens.

Have you ever visited a foreign country? When you did so, did you behave as unofficial representatives of your own country and adopt your best behavior, or were you a jerk?  We Americans have sometimes been described as “ugly Americans” in other countries because apparently, we don’t behave well when we travel.  I don’t know if that is true or not… when I visit other countries, I am on my best behavior…  but I have seen how we are usually portrayed on British television and I must say if Americans are really like that in Britain, they don’t act the way we do at home! Suffice it to say that Peter is going in much the same direction that Paul went when he spoke of us as Ambassadors of Christ.

The other side of this “strangers and exiles” metaphor is that we really don’t belong to this world any more, and as such we need to let the priorities of this world go by the wayside.

This is what Peter is referring to when he says that we should abstain from “sinful desires that wage war against your soul”. Sin is over. Slavery to sin is over, and it has no hold on us any more… our chains are gone; we have been set free from the law of sin and death!  So why must we insist on holding onto sin? Peter’s alternative is that we should so conduct ourselves, that the un-Christian world we live in may come to belief when they see how we live.

There is one other point we should consider here.  Notice that Peter says, though they accuse you of doing wrong. 

So, here we are, strangers in a strange land, citizens of a heavenly Kingdom, representing our King… let’s act like it, and show the world what Christ’s love looks like in action.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:13-17

You will recall that Peter has told us in general terms that we need to behave in a manner that is right and proper, as citizens of heaven and not of this world.  His particular concern in verse 12 is that we must live good lives among the pagans, even though they will accuse us of all sorts of things, so that the love and light of Christ will save some of them. Now, starting with verse 13 Peter gets more specific, first talking about our relations with government officials, then with Masters, and then within our own homes.

First off, we are to show proper respect to the rulers of human government.  I always told my students, that this is where the Bible commands that they obey the speed limit, and do you know what they always did?  They laughed, thinking that I was joking! You are probably laughing as you read this… Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we can’t do the little things, how can we do the big things? Oh yes, put a “Jesus” sticker on your car and drive recklessly… great, just great. We are to obey the laws, and show proper respect to our officials, even when they aren’t as respectable as they should be.  Why?

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. (v. 15)

If we behave badly, it will reflect badly on the Gospel.  What goes through your mind when you read a news story about a foreign diplomat who breaks the law and gets away with it because they have diplomatic immunity?  Probably something not very close to good feelings, shall we say maybe something negative?  How does it appear to the unbeliever when you tell them about Jesus and then misbehave?  Does that unbeliever want to hear more from you about righteousness?  Not likely, you’ve lost your credibility, and so have all other believers.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. (v. 16)

This is a contrast between free people and slaves.  Keep in mind that the Roman Empire was a slave economy, and a significant percentage of believers were slaves.  Peter is reminding them and us as well, that we are God’s servants (slaves) and our freedom in Christ must never be used to enable evil conduct on our parts.  This is followed by Peter’s imperative in verse 17:

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

As Peter has set this up quite nicely, I have little else to say here… Oh, except that you should obey the speed limit!

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:17-21

Slavery was a fact of life in the Roman world of the first century, and Peter addresses it as such.  It isn’t accurate to insist that the Bible condones it, however, as some would do.  It was not permitted under the Law of Moses, and the New Testament addresses it only as one of the ways of this ungodly world. There were many in the past who cited the New Testament’s treatment of slavery in an attempt to justify the practice, and of course there are some today who use the same approach to discredit Christianity, but in both cases, such commentators demonstrate a complete lack of understanding concerning the nature of the New Covenant, which established a Kingdom not of this world, and in opposition to this world.

Since we, for the most part, live in places where slavery does not exist as an economic system, we can draw insight from this passage regarding our relations with employers, and others in authority, and that is how I’ll approach it here.

Peter is telling slaves (employees) to submit themselves to their bosses out of regard for God.  He goes on to say that we should do this not only with “good” bosses, but with the harsh ones as well.  For our time, let’s look at it this way: If you are a Christian and you have a bad attitude at work, how does this look to your fellow workers or your boss?  You talk about all the good and wonderful things, and then you are resentful, demanding, and lazy and cause problems for everyone. So, is this what it is to be a Christian? Seems a fair question. If you are always telling your friends that the boss is always trying to cheat you, what kind of impression does that make?

OK, to be fair, I was almost always in management, but to me you would just sound petty and selfish, certainly not like a humble servant of Jesus… but maybe I’m wrong.

Peter goes on to ask what good it would do for you to suffer a beating for doing wrong.  For our time, you sure can’t complain too much if you get fired for doing something wrong, can you?  Getting in trouble for doing right is a whole different matter!  In all cases, Peter is saying that we need to do what is right in God’s eyes and in building God’s Kingdom, and if that requires some sacrifice on our parts, that’s well worth enduring for His sake. Jesus thought so, and as a result of His willingness to suffer and sacrifice, you and I are free from sin and death.

In the next section, Peter looks directly at the suffering of Christ, and we will dive into that one next time.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: February 25, 2024

Posted on February 25, 2024 by Don Merritt

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Peter is summing up his discussion in the first chapter and transitioning into the next section in these three verses.  There’s some good stuff here…

You will recall from last time that Peter has reminded us of our salvation, and how we have been purified from our sins and now it’s time to live as followers of Jesus by loving one another.  Therefore, we need to rid ourselves of the old ways, and He mentions several things that we should no longer harbor or practice. I’m sure (or at least I hope) that I don’t need to elaborate on malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy or slander; we can move on to the “good stuff.”

Like newborn babies… Can you think of what a newborn baby is, that we were not, but now are in Christ?  (Hint: We covered this in last time)

Newborn babies are innocent. Now that our sin has been taken away by the blood of Christ, we are as innocent as a newborn.  So, Peter uses a metaphor, a baby’s milk.  Peter says:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

We’ve received so much already from our relationship with Jesus; crave more!  Seek out His Truth in your relationship with Him.  Dig into a healthy portion of His Word, pray unceasingly and seek His guidance, asking Him always to grow in your being so that in all things you do, your walk with Him will grow closer.  Form the habit of seeking His presence and His Word so that your testimony to the lost will give Him glory… and do all of this because you love Him and remember that we love one another because He loves all of us.

This passage, 1 Peter 2:4-10, is a very rich one, but it might seem a little confusing at first because of the imagery involved, that of living stones, but as you’ll shortly see, this too is a simple passage to understand.  To begin with, Peter writes:

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:4-5

It’s pretty obvious that “the living stone” that we have come to is Jesus Christ; He was chosen from the beginning and is precious to God.  Next, that we are illustrated as living stones is also clear.  The next part used to puzzle me, until I caught the fact that all of us living stones are being built into a spiritual house where sacrifices are to be offered.  

The Old Testament Temple was the place where acceptable sacrifices were offered. It was also said to be the dwelling place of God on earth, and that His Spirit dwelt in the Holy of holies, behind the veil.  But now in the New Covenant, His Spirit is the indwelling Holy Spirit that lives within us as covenant partners of Jesus Christ, and we offer spiritual (not animal) sacrifices through Jesus Christ as a holy priesthood. What is a priest? A priest is one who intercedes between man and God, offering sacrifices as they do so.  Because of what Jesus did in taking sins away, He is our only intercessor, and as His co-heirs, we can approach the throne of God with confidence, and can we do so in prayer all the time.  Thus, when built up together, all of us living stones are a royal priesthood, the dwelling place of God on earth… the Church. (Hebrews 8-10)

Peter is using these images from the OT to illustrate our awesome relationship with God to teach Jewish Christians how all of this works together to fulfill the Law, and once we get the hang of it, it’s actually really simple, and really very amazing. Next Peter cites some OT passages that show where this imagery came from…

For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6 c.f. Isaiah 28:16)

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,” (1 Peter 2:7 c.f. Psalm 118:22)

and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:8 c.f. Isaiah 8:14)

Notice that the first quotation, Isaiah 28, is Jesus, the cornerstone or foundation stone for Zion? Zion is the mountain upon which the Temple was built, the seat of worship, the dwelling place of God. Those who trust in Him (yes the stone is a “him”) will never be put to shame, for their names are written in the Book of Life.  The next 2 quotes are contrasts.  Psalm 118 is why a believer would consider the “stone the builders rejected”. Remember that Jesus was “despised and rejected by men,” because Jesus is the very foundation of all our hopes.  Contrast that with the Isaiah 8 quote that follows. For an unbeliever, one who has rejected Jesus, He is their stumbling block and causes them to fall, why?  For the Jews of Peter’s time who refused to follow Jesus, He was not what they wanted or expected in a Messiah. This caused them to turn away from Him and that was their ultimate undoing.  For the unbeliever today who refuses to follow Jesus, because they just can’t accept the story of His death, burial or resurrection… or because they are just too cool… their rejection of His grace will also be their ultimate undoing. Yes indeed, they stumble because they disobey His message.  Finally, something truly wonderful…

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

We as followers of Jesus Christ are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession! No, Peter is not addressing Old Testament Israel, he is writing to Christians.  The old Temple is over.  Israel is over. The Law of Moses is over.  We are in a whole new age, we who were not a people, are now God’s special people; we come from every Nation. In His church, God has recaptured the purpose for which He created Mankind in the first place: Fellowship. (Relationship + Purpose = Fellowship) We have what Israel never had, direct contact with God’s presence. We have an inheritance Israel never contemplated, being co-heirs with Christ to everything. We have received what Israel never received, mercy and eternal life. Yes, dear reader, I think Peter may have understated one thing: That we “may declare the praises of Him…” should be more like “praise Him from the rooftops!”

Reviewing all of this, how can we not love Him? How can we hold back any longer taking up His work to share this great salvation, brought about by His great love, with those who still hold back from following Him?

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Sunday Sermon Notes: February 18, 2024

Posted on February 18, 2024 by Don Merritt

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:17-21

These few verses have really been “messed with” over the years.  I used to read terror into them, as though they were a serious threat of hellfire, but these days, I’ve changed my view.  Let’s bear in mind what Peter has been telling us up to this point:  Recall that he has been talking about our great salvation, pointing out that it has already come. Then he mentioned our inheritance as co-heirs with Christ and reminded us that we have so much to look forward to that, in faith, we set this crazy world and its ways aside for Him. Now, he is continuing in that vein.

He reminds us that our salvation is great, by pointing out that it wasn’t bought with mere perishable things, but with the very lifeblood of the Son of God; what amazing, incredible, awesome powerful love− WOW!! Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate, was chosen from the beginning to redeem us all.  He was without sin, totally undeserving of His fate, and yet He willingly allowed Himself to be led to slaughter for you and I: Amazing Love! He took our sin away…

So then, why would we want to go back to the old ways?  With this great salvation that came from indescribable love, why ignore it for a moment’s amusement?  It makes no sense.

Are we missing anything if we decide to knock off the things we really don’t need to be wasting our time with?

NO! We are gaining everything!

The long and short of it is simply this: We modify our behavior not because we fear punishment, but because God loved us and in return we love Him.  Remember that next time you are tempted, and see if the temptations don’t fade significantly…

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Peter wraps up chapter one with these wonderful verses, bringing his discussion of our lot as followers of Jesus back to the source of everything in a Christian’s life: Love.  His reference to our having “purified” ourselves is another reference to our having our sins taken away− I wonder how many of us really grasp what that means…  Our sins haven’t been merely atoned for, as they would have been under the Old Testament Law, they have been taken away, removed, eliminated entirely.  They are gone. It is as though they never happened.  This is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Great news… in Christ you have been “purified.” This is the truth, and when we obey the truth, we love one another as God loved us.  

 Love one another.

Why should we love one another?  Because we have been born again.  We were not born again in the biological sense, but in a spiritual sense.  We are without sin because our sins have been removed, so we no longer have the stain of sin… and it’s about time we acted like it.  Again, this is the power of the Gospel going forward; act as though you are in Christ… because you are.

Take careful notice of the quote from Isaiah 40 in the next verses. Isaiah tells us that we are like grass or flowers.  We will grow, fade and die, but God’s Word is eternal and will endure forever.  As mortal humans, living in a physical, biological body, we will grow up, fade and then die, but as followers of Jesus Christ who have been redeemed from the old, sinful life and filled with the truth of the salvation of Jesus Christ, we too will carry on forever.  Do you know why that is?  Note that Isaiah said that the word of the Lord endures forever.  The word is none other than Jesus Himself who lives in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, we are different now… love one another, and let the earthly things go…

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Living Hope

Posted on February 11, 2024 by Don Merritt

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:3-9

Peter begins this letter by giving praise to God for the living hope that we have in such abundance through Christ, what an amazing hope this is! It cannot be taken away from us, and it is being kept pure and unsullied by the very power of God in Heaven, waiting for the day we will inherit.  It remains intact even though we will have our share of problems during this time on earth, but take heart, for whatever may happen to us now, we remain co-heirs with Christ, and if what He received after His sufferings is any indication, our inheritance is far greater than the human mind can even begin to comprehend.

Even now, because we believe, we are filled with joy, and we have already received the salvation of our souls, which is to say that we have received forgiveness for our sins. But wait− there’s more…

 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

1 Peter 1:10-12

This is one of my favorite passages, for it demonstrates that the work of Jesus in establishing His Kingdom at the time and by the methods He used were no mistake, having been part of God’s purpose from the outset.  Look carefully at the words here and you will see something truly amazing… The Old Testament prophets were filled with the spirit of Christ and understood that they were serving a different people in a different time when they foretold of the salvation that we have received.  Notice that we have already received this salvation; it is not still in the future.  Those prophets searched carefully to figure out when this would happen as they wrote of the work of Christ, and in this, they were serving us.

Then, Peter says the most interesting thing:   Even angels long to look into these things.  Even the angels want to look into these things, for our inheritance is far greater than anything they will get, and we have been sinners.  When God created Man, He had a great purpose in mind, and even though things went astray back in the Garden, God is sticking with His plan, and you and I are right in the middle of it, for we are on a track where even the angels cannot follow.

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13-16

Peter tells us that we, as “obedient children” shouldn’t concern ourselves with the evil nonsense of the past, reminding us that next to what is coming, such things appear to be foolish indeed.

Then the “be holy” part…

It seems that many of us think that we are being “holy” when we are busy disapproving of other people, but that is far from being holy.  “Holy” means “set apart,” and we are not to be set apart from other people−  far from it, in fact.  We are to be set apart from the evil of this world, not from the inhabitants of this world.  In truth, these are the very people we are supposed to be reaching out to in love.  Think about it this way, when a person is “set apart” and they reach out in love, and then the person who needs Jesus Christ sees Him in the faces of those who are reaching out, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful force on the planet, and it can bring about nothing less than a movement, sometimes called a “revival.”

Now, I ask you: Is any part of this complicated? No, it is simply… simple!

I wonder why this sort of thing is so rare. Surely not because it is complicated.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: December 10, 2023

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Don Merritt

One of those meetings, the one in 1862, was quite important in American history because they took up their final preparations to prepare for the Emancipation Proclamation which took effect a week later, on January 1, 1863. Just as that historic session was about to break up, the Secretary of the Treasury dropped a bombshell on the group: The United States Government, embroiled in the midst of Civil War, was bankrupt. Secretary Chase’s only solution for this crisis was to issue paper currency to the general population, and to hope they went along with it, since there was no more gold or silver with which to mint coins. It may be hard for us to comprehend this now, but the Government had never done anything like that before…

Christmas hasn’t always been a holiday in America, in fact it didn’t become an official holiday until the Administration of U. S. Grant in the 1870’s. During the time of President Lincoln, Mrs. Lincoln would hold a Reception in the White House on Christmas Day for the President’s Cabinet and their wives, along with other special guests. At some point in the proceedings, the President and his Cabinet would step out of the room and go upstairs to his office for their annual Christmas Cabinet meeting.

Attorney General Bates agreed that in spite of the fact that paper currency was illegal and Unconstitutional, this drastic move was a wartime necessity− as was the Emancipation Proclamation itself, which was also probably Unconstitutional.

Someone came up with the idea that since the value of paper money is based upon faith alone, perhaps there should be some sort of a motto on the bills, and the President himself quickly offered a suggestion from the Holy Scriptures. Mr. Lincoln suggested the motto should be: “Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee.”

The Cabinet chose instead, “In God we trust” and it remains the motto on our currency to this very day.

There is still one in whom we can really place our full faith and trust:

In God we Trust.

There is so much that goes on this time of year, so many distractions, so many little traditions that we find ourselves going through, sometimes without even thinking about what we are doing. Yet the birth of Christ, His arrival on the scene, was an event that had been foretold centuries before, had been anticipated, yearned for, and dreamt about… and then it happened! You know… there is a lesson just in that small fact: “and then it happened!” Isaiah 9 is one of the prophecies that is held dear by millions… let’s have a quick look at it:

This passage falls within a section that runs from 8:1-9:7. The section begins with a discussion about the relationship between the lack of belief in Judah and the resulting invasion of the Assyrians. (8:1-10) It affirms that God will not allow His people to be entirely wiped out, and moves on to tell those who remain faithful not to join in disbelief (8:11-22) presenting a very dark picture of anguish for those who are not faithful to God.  9:1-7 tells of hope; that just as God brought light out of darkness at the creation, so will He bring light to a world darkened by unbelief.

Our passage begins by telling the people that deliverance will come first in the North; “Galilee of the Gentiles”.  This area was the first to be invaded by foes from the North, and would also be first to see deliverance.  It is “of the Gentiles” because at the time of writing, the Israelites had been taken into captivity from this area, and the resultant inhabitants were Gentiles.  The two tribes mentioned in the text, Zebulun and Naphtali were representative of those “lost” tribes. The reference, in verse 4, to the defeat of Midian is noteworthy, as it reminds the people of what God has done for them in the past.  In addition, it was a deliverance that had particular effect on Zebulun and Naphtali.  (Judges 7). Of course, after God’s deliverance the people again fell into disobedience and were re-conquered.  This was a cycle that Isaiah’s readers should have been well aware of.  Yet this time, the deliverer would be far greater than before:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV

Deliverance would come through a child of the House of David; but not a ruler like any they have seen before.  Verse six contains a series of names for this coming ruler which reveal beyond dispute that the child will be no mere mortal: “Mighty God” for example is hardly a term that Jews would apply to a mortal man.  “Everlasting Father” is most definitely another one that is beyond debate: the child would be God Himself!

Verse 7 indicates that His rule will last from that time on forever, and that all of this would be accomplished through the “zeal of Lord Almighty”.

In short, Isaiah is telling the people that they have grave trouble with God, and bad times ahead.  This is all brought on by their own disbelief and rebellion against God, yet in the end, God will replace their disbelief with deliverance when He Himself will rule over His people.

It would be unthinkable for a Christian not to see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment for this prophecy in light of Matthew 4:13-17 in which Matthew specifically states that Jesus went back to Galilee to fulfill it.  Note also that in verse 17 what is Jesus telling the people?  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  Jesus was bringing the kingdom of heaven to Galilee. He established this kingdom by bringing deliverance to those who would remain faithful to God through His work on the cross.  This was deliverance not by the sword, but by forgiveness; and the Kingdom of Heaven came into being.  This Kingdom makes war obsolete, for it is not of this world.  (Isaiah 9:5; cf.  John 18:36)

In this Christmas season, may we remember who is faithful, may we place our full faith and trust in Him, and live, from this day forward, in His service.

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