MOTIVATE

2024 was difficult.

• Many SPBC members lost loved ones.
  I performed 9 memorial services in 2024; and 13 others since 2020.
• Political lows with multiple presidential candidate assassination attempts.
• Reached 1K days of war between Ukraine & Russia.
• Israeli war with Hamas reached 1-year, with many hostages still not returned, and continued disarray and danger in that region. Iran launched over 200 missiles into Israel but thankfully all diverted. Finally this week we’re hopeful for a ceasefire and hostage return.
• Hurricanes Helene & Milton with deaths of 230+ and billions of catastrophic damage to NC, TN, SC, GA, FL, other states, and including Cayman Islands & Cuba.
• Baltimore Key Bridge was hit and collapsed with loss of 6 lives, and impacting thousands of others in the region.
• These with other significant and small happenings both broadly and personally led us to close 2024 with gratitude for God’s sustaining grace, but hopefulness for a better year in 2025.

However, 2025 started with similar trouble and heartbreak.

• New Orleans terror attack with a truck driving thru a crowded street, killing & injuring several.
• California wildfires that have wrecked havoc causing seismic destruction with ashes remaining in a large city. Massive evacuations in LA, 40K acres (62 sq miles – imagine SP to Dover DE), 12K structures, and estimate $250billion in damages – costliest natural disaster in US History.
• And basically trivial: snowstorms impacting the East Coast.
• But who knows what else is to come for our world, our nation, and individual life

These happenings remind us that we are who the Bible describes us as “strangers” and “exiles” (1Pet 1:1). During Peter’s day the church experienced

• Poverty w/o resources or hope
• Displaced & dispersed due to persecution & peril
• Yet, Peter writes about a “living hope” (1:3), built up through the “living word” (1:23), so that we become “living stones” with each circumstance of our life pieced together for good (2:5).

In other words, the suffering we experience in this world does not permanently define us. As Christians, we have a forever home that cannot be touched by fire, floods, or misfortune. This life will have tribulation, no doubt, but Jesus Christ enables us to overcome. And too many people – both as Christians and many more non-believers – are suffering without any sense of purpose or hope. They’re feeling attacked and abandoned, not realizing God wants to walk with them and lead them to green pastures and still waters. So, let’s dig into God’s word…

The suffering we experience in this world does not permanently define us. As Christians, we have a forever home that cannot be touched by fire, floods, or misfortune. This life will have tribulation, no doubt, but Jesus Christ enables us to overcome.

EXAMINE 1 Peter 2:9-12    

Review

• Jesus invites anyone to come [continuously] and taste the Lord’s goodness. Anyone – isn’t that amazing?
• Jesus is building a spiritual house from us living stones with Himself as the Cornerstone. He turns stones into soft clay to shape together into a masterpiece.
• The gospel gives Christians/Church a new identity: chosen generation (not individual); royal priesthood (not priest); holy nation (not citizen).
• Identity informs activity. Our message today will consider our activity.

⁴ As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” ⁷ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” ⁸ and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. ⁹ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Identity informs activity.

Christians are sent to declare the gospel.

⁹ … that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Once a person receives God’s grace, they become a generous sharer of that grace. Once they receive God’s hope, they become a hope dealer. Once they understand God’s love, they don’t go looking for acceptance in cheap substitutes; instead they tell others where to be healed, satisfied, and whole.

Peter uses the word ἐξαγγέλλω which means to make something known with clarity and authority.[1] In the NT world, it was a common practice for a person to exagello helpful happenings in the community (weather or food or sickness) OR important information from authorities (soldiers for taxes, lookout for criminals, or war invasions). It’s making something widely known.

As Christians, we exagello/declare the gospel. The gospel is the good news about Jesus. Light has come. Darkness is being pushed back. Sin can be forgiven. Death has been conquered. And as God sent Jesus into the world, so we too are sent (Jn 20:20; Mt 28; Ac 1:8; Ro 10:15). Spurgeon said: “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” There is no such thing as an unsent Christian.

Declaring the gospel can look different:

• Declaring from a stage. We are grateful for evangelists like Billy Graham or Greg Laurie. We are grateful for preachers and pastors locally who share the gospel. And should you ever leave spbc, this is one of multiple criteria that you should look for in discovering a church home: is the preaching of God’s word faithful and proclaiming the gospel fervent?

• Declaring from a special setting. Your stage might be a school desk, on a sport field, in a work cubicle, on a commuter bus, in a hallway conversation, through a phone, or across a dinner table. The great reality is that most people are not won to Jesus with a sage on the stage but a guide by the side. It takes Christians who care about their family and friends enough that they are willing to push through awkward conversations to talk about the eternal realities of Jesus, sin, death, hell, and heaven. 

The great reality is that most people are not won to Jesus with a sage on the stage but a guide by the side.

Tweet

Further, Peter describes the specific content of our declaration: the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ἀρετή is the costly value and cherished virtue of an item; it’s the reaching of an aspired fulfillment of purpose, like a sculptor slowly chipping away the marble or clay to create the final product. Individuals would use this term for their potential accomplishments, or worshipers would use the term for their idols hoping to flatter or bribe deity to bless them. YET, Peter ascribes this term to Christ based upon His sacrificial death and saving power to transform our destiny from darkness to marvelous light. Marvelous (θαυμαστός) conveys not hopeful aspiration but something presently and enduringly awe-inspiring and worthy of admiration; sometimes its extraordinary features combine amazement with reverent fear (cf Ex 15:11; Mt 8:27; Rev 15:1, 3).

Illus examples:

• Sharing news with family and friends about pregnancy. There’s excitement but also trepidation.
• Employer asks you to relocate… it’s a weighty decision with being honored to be asked but uncertain on prospects.
• In far greater way, the θαυμαστός marvelous news of Christ’s salvation is truly humbling and honoring that we get to partake.

So, Scripture exhorts believers that we cannot be silent with extraordinary news.

• Ps 96:3-4 “Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all peoples. For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.”

God’s work is marvelous light because many people love the darkness and loathe the light (Jn 3:19). Many reject God because they don’t want Him as their authority and to release control of their decisions. They think they must hold on or the outcome of life will not work out. But, these (and ourselves) must understand God’s marvelous power to rescue from dark sins and redeem us from despairing situations.

• Declare to 1-dozen (1 each month), and believe that God will bring at least 1 person to saving faith!

Christians are sent to declare and display the gospel.

¹¹ Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Peter realizes Christians cannot just proclaim Jesus with their lips if they are not also promoting Jesus with their life. Our lives put the gospel on display and are frequently observed by non-believers.

Do you sense that? Do you realize how many people at your school / work / friends are watching your actions, listening to your words, and discerning if you practice what you preach?

So, Peter urges/pleads/exhorts Christians to abstain from passions of the flesh. The passions of the flesh are our human desires.

• It’s fleshly to sleep in on Sundays.
• It’s fleshly to avoid spiritual community and accountability.
• It’s fleshly to get easily annoyed and lash out in anger toward others.
• It’s fleshly to hold grudges and not forgive and reconcile relationships.
• It’s fleshly to wander outside your marriage, believing someone else can make you happier or life would be better.
• It’s fleshly to spend money you don’t have to please people you don’t like to create an image of affluence and enjoyment, – all the while inside you’re restless, unhappy, and despairing.
• It’s fleshly to manipulate, lie (just a little), and cheat to get ahead at school for a grade, sports teams to jockey position, or work to receive a promotion, or even within family/friends to win acceptance. But afterwhile, you realize short-term gains don’t last but long-term reputation and character does.

So, Peter exhorts Christians to abstain from following the flesh, for these wage war against your soul.

Friend, do you acknowledge life is a battle of integrity and a war of allegiance?  Until we realize we’re in a war, we will coddle our sin instead of crucify it. We will continue enjoying feeding our secret selfish pleasures and indulging our public comforts. But when we view sin as a rightful enemy against our soul, then we will fight not in our own power but in the strength of God – like a sail stuck at sea until the south winds compel it forward.

And, we win the war not by hiding our sin or struggles but humbly confessing them. You see, Jesus is a Savior who invites us to come messy and then He will love the mess out of us. THEN when unbelievers attack us for doing wrong – we either:

1. Agree with them. Repent. And point to others where we find forgiving grace and the fueling strength to overcome our imperfect hangups and flawed habits.
   OR
2. Allow them to attack us for what they view is wrong, but deep down we know is right because our beliefs are not opinions but convictions which are tethered to Scripture.

Friend, do you acknowledge life is a battle of integrity and a war of allegiance?  Until we realize we’re in a war, we will coddle our sin instead of crucify it… We win the war not by hiding our sin or struggles but humbly confessing them.

Notice Peter says WHEN they speak against you as evildoers. It’s not IF but WHEN. So, be ready, be repentant when wrong, and be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against you may be ashamed of their slander (1Pet 3:15).

Christian, we seek to declare and display for two reasons:

1. Because Jesus commanded. Jesus isn’t just Savior but Lord. And the same Lord who is coming to rebuke sinners will also provide refining judgment of Christians.
   2Cor 5:9-10 “So we make it our aim to please God, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due for the things done (or not done) while in the body”
   1Cor 3:13 “the Day will bring all to light. It will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each persons work. If that they have built survives, they will receive a reward; if it is burned up, they will suffer loss but will be saved escaping through the flames”

• Because eternity is long, hell is hot, and our love for people is real. And if it’s real, then our heart should beat where God’s does, and we will not let fear or awkwardness get in the way of having sincere faith conversations. We want to make it hard to go to hell from Severna Park – from your faith witness and our church’s proclamation and prayers of the saints.

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

Sand is a cheap ingredient that is accessible in great amounts and free at any beach. ^[2]

• Once it is glued together and on paper, its value goes up close to a few dollars.
• Once it is bagged together, the value goes up close to $10.
• If sand is mixed with concrete mix, the value goes up closer to $50.
• If sand is heated, processed together with silicon, it becomes an intricate part of a computer chip and costs hundreds of dollars.
• The sand is the same, but the greater amounts coming together provide it a higher purpose and increased value.
• Likewise, the more believers unite around a common mission, the greater value we will see in God’s kingdom.

---

[1] https://biblehub.com/greek/1804.htm

^[2] Illustration adapted from Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: faith, p.51.