May 15th-- 1 Peter 4:1-11 GOD THE “Father”
God THE “Father”
I. Being like-minded with Christ
A. Suffering in the Flesh w/ victory over sin
B. Placing our focus on the Father
II. Pray, Love and Serve as a response to the Father’s Love.
A. Spend time praying to your Father, in Christ
B. Spend time loving your Father, in Christ
C. Spend time Serving your Father, in Christ
III. God THE “Father” in everything
A. Complete surrender = Complete Freedom
1 Peter 4:1-11
In 1 Peter 4 we see how we can be Stewards of God’s Grace by Living for God
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen
Last week we talked about the God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Today I want to talk about one person of the trinity God the Father.
After reading our passage you may find it a stretch to see exactly what I’m trying to show you in the short time we have here this morning but I want you to remember the Series, THE FATHER’S LOVE,
Last week we talked about THE GOD, that love was from God and because God loved us we can love others. This week we will see how Jesus, fully God and fully man, saw God as Father, he did NOT think that equality with God was something to be grasped.
Philippians 2:5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Let’s begin by taking a big picture view of the first two verses of our passage,
1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
Jesus suffered to end the penalty of sin for us, He suffered to defeat the power of sin over us, He didn’t live in the flesh for human passions but for the will of God, (GOD THE FATHER!)
So what if we suffer, SERIOUSLY, WHAT DOES IT MATTER? I’ve suffered a lot lately, so have you, some of your suffering is what makes me suffer, so what are we to make of it? DOES IT MATTER that we suffer?? YES it matters to God. He has given us victory of sin! He has given us His Word to arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. He has given us Jesus HIMSELF! When Jesus suffered in the flesh what did he do? He cried out to his Daddy! His Father! God the Father please take this away, if not please help me through, because I know my Dad cares, my Dad loves, my Dad gives. What should we do when we suffer, blame everyone around us, blame ourselves, or run to God the Father and bow the knee to our selfish pride, our self centered, limited, myopic view and ask that His will be done.
WHAT GREAT NEWS, point one on the outline should cause us to exhort one another, to enjoy one another and erupt with thankfulness…We aren’t dead in sin, yet we are living for the will of God, in Christ Jesus, and not just living we are living with blessings upon blessings, with grace upon grace from our heavenly Father, we have been made holy priests, co-heirs with Christ, we have been given the Helper in the Holy Spirit, we are children of the living, everlasting Father.
Next let’s look at verses 3-6.
2 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
NEXT in the outline you see Pray Love and serve as a response to the Father’s Love Pray, Love and Serve as a response to the Father’s Love.
D. Spend time praying to your Father, in Christ
E. Spend time loving your Father, in Christ
F. Spend time Serving your Father, in Christ
3 < People will be surprised when you do this, We are not to engage in Sensuality, passions, drunkenness, origies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. Don’t join in this flood of debauchery. But preach the gospel to the dead, so they might come to know the FATHER! So they might come to live in the spirit the way GOD DOES.
God the Father will be the final judge. Not us. Not me. Not you. This is why we must pray to our Father that in Christ he would bring the lost to himself. This is why we need to spend time loving God the Father, just spend time thanking him and rejoicing that He is your Father and that from right now through eternity that will never change, That is much more permanent than the fleeting high we get from immoral behavior listed above. If we look at Jesus he took time to talk to His Dad, he took time to love his Dad, he took time to serve his Dad, Everything he did was to serve his Dad. EVERYTHING he thought, taught, or took part in was to bring about God’s will, because JESUS UNDERSTOOD INFINITELY MORE THAN WE DO that GOD LOVED HIM!
Do you see it yet, THE FATHER’S LOVE? Are you starting to get a picture an idea and inkling… that THE GOD, God the FATHER, loves you… well hold on there’s more.
Maybe you are not there yet, maybe you are like some of the old testament believers that, God is Master and Lord, but Father is a stretch.
I think he has to be everything to us before we can totally submit, even saying totally submit is kind of a ridiculous statement
once you have …
you see it’s not really submitting as much as it is rejoicing over what you have received.
Let’s look at the last several verses,
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:
IN ORDER THAT IN EVERYTHING---GOD may be glorified through Jesus Christ.
What gift, God’s varied Grace, GOD’s RICHES AT CHRIST EXPENSE… His grace is so varied and so overwhelming and so unbelievable at times we feel like we can’t receive it, but we must not only receive this gift of grace we must be good stewards of it, we must be grace dispensers, not lawless idolators!
IN EVERYTHING!! In our marriage, in our parenting, in our jobs, in our friendships, in our families, in our society, we must be GRACE DISPENSERS not LAWLESS IDOLATORS!
HOW? BY THE STRENGTH THAT GOD THE FATHER SUPPLIES!! Why so HE MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
Because why, because the glory and dominion for ever an ever are HIS!! Not yours.
IV. God THE “Father” in everything
B. Complete surrender = Complete Freedom
Once THE GOD, is GOD THE FATHER! In EVERYTHING, then you can, no then you will want to, no then you will be glad to receive his gift and gladly surrender your junk(life) and then you will be surrounded by the FATHER’s LOVE, you will have complete freedom in Jesus Christ to approach the Father, You can cry out to Him, love Him, rejoice over Him, share Him, serve Him, with no worries, no fears, no shame.
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