AUSTRALIAN BIBLE CHURCH April 17

AUSTRALIAN BIBLE CHURCH April 17, 2011

A Presbyterian Church following the Bible without Qualification
and the Lord Jesus Christ without Compromise,
through Grace by Faith

Sermon Notes I Peter 1:22-23, 3:8-9 with 2:2, Philippians 2:1-4

OF LATERAL RELATIONSHIPS

AND THE DIVINE HEAD

3 Biblical Foci

Today the desire is to flood you with such a torrent of graces to enfold and evils to avoid, that it will BE
like a trip into space, not costing millions, but attention,
like a walk through an arboretum, leaving you footsore,
but suffused with perfumes and sights of splendour,
to encourage growth, prudence and discretion, love in grace and goodness in Christ.

Items are listed for impact, and ready exposition.

POSITIVE PROGRAM - I Peter 1:22-23

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren,
love one another fervently with a pure heart,
having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,
through the word of God which live and abides forever.

Being purified

Obeying the truth through the Spirit

love one another fervently with a pure heart

having been born again

of incorruptible seed

the eternal word of God

NEGATIVE PURSUITS - I Peter 3:8-9 with 2:1-2

with Positive Introduction and Conclusion

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another,
love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be courteous,
not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling,
but on the contrary blessing,
knowing that you were called to this,
that you may inherit a blessing.

Indeed, while

being of one mind,

have compassion for each other, loving as brothers, being

tender-hearted, courteous,

NOT engaging in tit-for-tat evil blows or

reviling for reviling detestations,

BUT blessing, knowing this for a calling.

With this, let malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy (I Peter 2:1) get lost,

keeping desire for the pure milk of the word of God,
voracious as a growling suckling (I Peter 2:2),
and not disdaining spiritual meat (Hebrews 5:13-14).
I Peter 2:20 counsels further, even if in doing good you suffer for it, take that patiently.
What more ?

I Peter 2:8 tells us to avoid walking with those who stumble,
3:15 to give a reason for the faith for those who ask,
4:11 to speak when preaching as the oracles of God,
4:11-12, to endure trial,
4:14 to be wiling to suffer reproach for Christ,
4:17 to realise that if judgment must begin in the house of God,
what will it do outside it!

5:8 is counselling to be sober and vigilant,
resisting with vigour the wiles of the devil (5:8).

II Peter 2 deals with false brethren, II Peter 3 of a failing world at length,
3:2 of the need for zealous care to keep to the word of God as criterion, not straying.

The GAUNTLET OF GRACE - Philippians 2:1-4

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ,
if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any bowels and mercies (tender mercies, kindness, affection and mercy),
fulfil my joy, that you be likeminded,
having the same love,
being of one accord, joined in soul, minding the same thing,
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit;
but in lowliness of mind
all esteeming one another above themselves.
Look not every man on his own things,
but every man also on the things of others.

It is, but in a positive sense, like passing through a gauntlet of soldiers, ready to harass, smite, but it is positive one, ready to encourage, lift. These positive assailants, benignant warriors include, the first three as underlying conditions, the rest as divine overlay:

1. consolation (encouragement) of Christ
comfort of love

2. fellowship of the Spirit

3. tender kindness and mercy

4. likemindedness

5. being of the same love

6. being of one accord

7. being of one mind

8. lowliness of mind, with hopeful esteeming of others

This done, you put on work clothes of

9. Coat - no selfish ambition

10. T-shirts - No conceit, while studying
not just one own spiritual clothes, but those of others.

Ponder that James 5:11 tells us that
we count those blessed who endure,
like Job,
for then the desired result is reached,
the Lord being very pitiful and compassionate.
As He is, so we should endeavour to be.

This can and does work

is pleasant and profitable

is peaceable and pitiful

harnesses thrust to truth

accompanies truth with love

maximises reality

minimises mutual flack

leaves more aeroplanes flying.

but does nothing to prevent grace from the Lord (I Peter 2:3).

RUN then this gauntlet of grace, each attacker, doing so with good,
to stir righteousness, godliness, and growth;
for GROWING in grace and the knowledge of God,
is a work of liberty, love and vigour (II Peter 3:18).
No-growth plants are stunted, miserable.

It is in parallel that I Peter 3:18 undergirds all this with the solemn reality for all,
applied effectually for all Christians, that Christ died the just for the unjust, to bring us to God. When you get there, this is the way.

He, Jesus the Christ, is the Head, the Redeemer, the Resurrection exemplar, the Counsellor, who came that we, careened and cleansed, renewed and regenerated, should go where He is: eternal from God, that we should have everlasting life with Him.

Naturally, when the Head is decapitated, a monster results. Until it is replaced (as in Ezekiel 21:27), the world withers and self-destructs. Lift up your hearts, then, and live with, in and for this same Saviour, Head and Lord Jesus Christ. He is the truth, but also the life and the way (John 14:6). HIs way is exclusive. There isn't any other (Acts 4:11-12): NO WAY! If then you are on another, GO BACK! get back on the highway of holiness, and follow Him. There IS an entrance fee, but HE pays it. How glorious to be repentant and receive such grace as that, to be lost and find such a way as this, to be found and received to be adopted as a child of God (Ephesians 1:5-6,11-14, I John 3:1), for ever...