(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see how)
Focus Question:
What is the church’s “witness?”
Intro:
Today is one of those days I wish we were just reading through the whole book of 1 Peter.
Yesterday we heard Peter make the case that the starting point of hope in the midst of difficulty is the resurrection, but the focus of hope is on Jesus’ second coming. In light of this, we should be motivated to be holy — a set apart people.
Tomorrow we’re going to hear him say that IF we live in this way, we’ll inevitably call attention to our selves. We’ll be different. People will wonder, and we’re to be prepared to give an answer — an apologia, an apologetic, a reason — for this hope that we’ve got. The world sucks, why do you have a smile on your face? And you don’t do what other people do?
So today — the piece in between — we hear Peter talk about what that Christian living looks like — how we are the church, and what holy obedience looks like given that we are the church.
New Testament segment:
Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-3:12
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 34
Words: ~774
Peter used three images to describe the church in this section.
First, he portrayed the church as a living body that gave sacrificial service to God (2:4–5). Christ was a life-giving Stone who enabled His followers to produce such spiritual sacrifices as obedience (Rom 12:1), praise, and practical ministry (Heb 13:15–16).
Second, he described the church as a building or structure founded on Christ as the cornerstone (2:6–8). He quoted Old Testament passages from Isaiah 8:14; 28:16 and Psalm 118:22 to show that Christ was a foundation stone for believers and a rock which caused tripping for unbelievers.
Third, he used the language of Exodus 19:5–6 and Hosea 2:23 to portray believers as a select nation reflecting the glories of God (2:9–10). God had fashioned special recipients of His mercy from those who previously never belonged to anyone.(1)
So, now that it’s YOU that’s the temple of the Holy Spirit and church isn’t THE temple, what should you do? What’s one aspect of how you will be noticed? They’re going to scratch their heads in wonder. You’ve heard me at other times talking about how God has the right to order the universe and how that emanates from his very character and trinity. But this takes on a whole new dimension in this weird cultural moment. If you are the “church,” what is the church’s “witness” according to Peter. He’s not being vague here, and he’s not saying to do so IF they are perfectly honorable — in fact, when mentioning what wives should do, he explicitly says ‘even if your husband ain’t.’ And if someone you know says, in effect, “Well, yeah, you should do what your boss tells you to do, but that obey your municipal leaders…well, that’s just not right,” what they’re doing is cherry picking. They’ve asserted their own individuality above the express will of God.
So…on to Jeremiah and one of the repeated themes of this show (because, well, it’s a repeated theme in the Bible): false teachers. Yesterday it was him opposing kings, today it’s false teachers and people.
OLD Testament segment:
Passage: Jeremiah 23:8-24:10
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 50
Words: ~1393
The bottom line:
I will briefly close with one comment. Peter cited an OT passage that under the new covenant, you’re not only the temple, but as God’s Spirit-bearer, you’re also priest. And in a way that we don’t have time to get into, we are both to submit to our local church’s leadership and we have the right — if not duty — to call them to account if they speak contrary to the Bible. This doesn’t mean disobedience — but in one of those tensions we need to hold carefully, you and your church leaders are co-equals in Christ, co-heirs of the promise, and part of God’s ordering of things much like the other relationships mentioned today.
Love you!
Roger
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 764.