Submitting to your potential
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Introduce Self
Dismiss Children
Connection point: Launching sign ups for our next set of Life groups today. They start June 28th. We have 5 this term and I couldn’t be more estatic for us to be able to offer more leaders and materials for you to grow closer to God and each other.
Open your Bibles up to 1 Peter 2.
Just as a reminder this letter was written by the Apostle Peter around 64 AD to non jewish believers in what we would now call Northern Turkey.
He focuses a lot on holiness throughout this letter and today we are going to see how holiness relates to the title of our message “Submitting to your potential”
Have you ever been told your not living up to your potential? Or maybe that you have alot of potential, ever been told one of those things?
When someone speaks about potential they are usually talking about what you are capable of doing or becoming in this life. And what is the most common peerscription for us to reach our potential?
Work harder, do more, grind, hustle, and be the best right?
The Bible isn’t opposed to hard work or a good work ethic. However, wheen it comes to the potenntial of who we can be in Christ, there is a completeley different approach given from Jesus and Peter.
The World says to achieve your potential you must work hard and grind. Jesus said to reach your potential you must submit.
Matthew 20:26-28 “26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
The Christian life isn’t about doing more to be great for God. It’s about submitting to God and letting him determine how great you will be.
1 Peter 5:6 “6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
When Peter writes that we should humble ourselves I firmly believe that to do so wee haave to submit ourselves. What do we submit though?
I have 4 areas I believe you should consider submitting to God based on the passage before us. Your heart, your image, your freedom, and your pride.
Is there one of those that made twitch a bit? One of those that hit you as soon as I said it? This messagee is for you.
Maybe none of them stood out to you and your all submitted up. This message is for you.
You could be here this morning and not know Jesus as your Savior and think that salvation is about how much good you do. This message is for you.
As I preach this mornig pleae see the potential that you hve to be used of God to have an impact on those around you.
Understand the honor and privelage it is to life for Jesus and I pray you will walk away from here feeling compelled to do so.
Becuacse when you know that a life submitted to Jesus is hnorable even when people dishonor you, you can choosee to submit your wills and desires to Christ on a daily basis.
So that the name of Jesus will be revered, respecteed, sought after, and proclaimed without shame.
To do this, and reach our potential in Christ, let’s look at these 4 principles.
the first one
I. Submit your Heart to God
I. Submit your Heart to God
1 Peter 2:11 “11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
exegete:
Remember the audience he is speaking to. Non-jewish people that are in modern turkey. Peteer is not addressing their ethnicity when it comes to being strangers and pilgrims.
He is speaking to them as strangeers and pilgrims in this world becuase of their pursuit of Christ.
We often observe Christianity as being counter cultural today, and it is. However, it has always been.
Just like an American Ambassador in a foreign land is a stranger and pilgrim, so are we. While living in the culture around you is fine as an ambassador, if we heard of an American Ambassador dishonoring America in some way we would not be happy about that.
As Followers of Jesus we represent His kingdom just He mean when He said “Seeek ye first my kingdom and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Then Peter describes how to do this, abstain from fleshly lusts.
Fleshly lusts can be understood as sinful desires or internal passions that contradict God and would not honor Him.
When our hearts are submitted to God, then our actions will follow. Let me telly ou a little storry to ullustrate this
Illustrate:
When Sarah and I were dating in High School, we were often around each other. Now, Parents, be careful with this becuase when teenagers begin dating and spending so much time with their girlfriend or boyrfriend, they begin to form that eemotional aattachment which can be unhealthy.
Sarah and I definitlely had that. Nonetheless, if we were not at school or work, we were together. Not only wore wee togtheer but I bought here things. Wee wrote notes to one another, and we or I would be more than will to show some PDA.
Why? Becuase I had given my heart to Sarah. It was hers. And you knew that by my actions. I submitted my heart to Sarah and becuase of that other people kneewe it.
Apply:
When you submit your heart to God, other people should know it becuase of the life that you life. The places you go, the things you watch, the things you do, and the things you say should reflect Christ more than they reflect the culture around you. You will look like the culture around you, but you are meant to be strangers to this culture.
When we do this, other see something is different and that is an easy opportunity for you to tell them about Jesus. Becuase remember from our first message in the series. Holiness is not about what you do, it’s about who you pursue. Becuase of who you prusue you will change what you do.
Submit your heart to God and then
II. Submit your image to God
II. Submit your image to God
1 Peter 2:12 “12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Exegete:
Alright, just a reminder, the word conversation in the King James Bible means lifestyle or conduct.
be honest o when they tell you that your evil, a bigot, sexist, homophobic, and such your good works will say differently and will glorify God when.
either 1. He returns or some would argue that this statement is referring to when God would visit them and bring them to the sving knowledge of Jesus.
While I both can have valid arguments, I lean towards the latter.
The reason is because of the overall writing of this letter is about holiness and the means by which you live your life and others see you and what you do, has more of an impact on when God visits their hearts for salvation than on His return.
When Jesus comes back He will be glorified whether you’ve done good or not.
However, when you are a Christian, you have to understand your actions are not just about you. they are about the one you represent.
Illustrate:
Have you ever heard of Red Jacket? the native Americn cchief that attended the council at buffalo creek New York to hear the gospel message by Mr. Cram from the Boston Missionary Society?
I hadn’t eitheer until last week.
After Mr. Cram had preesented the gospel Red Jacket said, “Brotheer, you say that there is but one way to wroship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree as you can all read the Book?”
He went on “Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. We will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If w find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Native Americans, we will then consider again of what you have said.”
Apply:
Red Jacket wasn’t going to trust the gospel message until he could trust the ones who said they were living it out.
I’m afraid many who profess faith in Christ are like the guy that made the commitment to go to the gym this year.
He went out aan dbought allthe equipment, wears all the clothes, yet when he goes to the gym he just walks around and taks to people, listens to a podccast about working out, but doesn’t actually do anythign that changes his body shape or has anything to do with working out.
When he is out from the gym he will wear some gym clothes but when asked if he goes, he says “yea, I go all the time”
He goes all the time but there is no change.
But he keeps up the appearance becuase he doesn’twant people to think poorly of him.
Double application here..you ready?
When you submit your image to God you no longer concern yourself with what someone is going to say when you tell them you are a followeer of Jesus.
When you submit your image to God you no longer fake who you are in Christ. You accept your faults and weeaknesses and don’t put on a show.
Reacching your potential in Jesus requires your image to be submitted to Him.
the thirdd principle
III. Submit your freedom to God
III. Submit your freedom to God
1 Peter 2:13-14 “13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
Exegete:
I don’t know about you but as a red blooded American…this one can hurt. It lines up with other part of scritpure where we are to pray for those who rule over us.
But the rebel in me does not like this.
Whether it’s the presideent or your governer...
they are there supposed to be punishing evil and praising the ones that do good.
Now, there is a line in the sand where I do oppose the governers and the men in authority however I dont’ have to stop respecting the office or the fact they are a lost soul that Jesus died for.
That line is when they begin requiring me to go against God.
Peter and John said this when the authoirty in there area told them not to speeak the name of Jesus
Acts 4:19-20 “19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
It’s important for us not to obey man rather than God howver when we can obey, wee should.
In America, this is easy. And don’t come at me with “o they shadow ban me on fb. They sell this stuff at this store.”
Yea well, i read last week that in north Korea they put a 2 year old and his family in prison for life because his family owned a bible
The article in the new York post that was on various news sites as well says and I quote
“A two-year-old North Korean was sentenced to life in prison after officials found a Bible in the toddler’s parents’ possession, as the totalitarian regime continued to “execute” and “torture” religious worshippers.
As many as 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in North Korea, according to a new International Religious Freedom Report by the US State Department.”
So, let’s dial it back a bit.
While our physical freeddom must be in submission to those that are around us we must alos see the spiritual implications of this
Illustrate:
What age do you get your license in Ct? 16?
Now, how many of you were driving before 16? I was with my grandmother at 12 years old driving around an 88 oldsmobile with no power steering. She was smoking out the passenger window and we were having a good old time listening to 96.9 WXBQ on this back road in North east TN.
While I don’t recommend that to anyone…well maybe I do. It’s a grea memory.
I do recommend that any 16 year old driver has some parameters put on their driving. Especially if they are a 15 year old with a permit.
Curfew, restrictions on where and when to drive, who they can ddrive with.
And what happens when the 15 and 16 year old hear these restrctions? Usually, beccuase of their imamturity and/or misunderstanding, they will push back against them. “You dont’ trust me.” HA Teens don’t…don’t say that to your parents. See, I’m a rebeel at heart to. And I would respond with “Yes I do. However for you to better understand what it looks like to not be trusted, give me the keys and now I’m taking the door off your room.”
You see, just as the teenager doesn’t see the freedom they are getting to drive becuase of the adjustments they ahve to make to their life in order to drive, wee often look at what wee perceive holiness and following Jesus as keeping us from ratheer than the beautiful freeddom He has given us to live for and with Him.
And just like when you say “I don’t want to give this up for Jesus. I dont’ want to give up porn. I don’t want to give up drunkeness. I don’t want to give up anything that could dishonor Christ.” You show you misunderstanding of what it means to have Freeedom with Jesus.
Apply:
Becuase of Christ we submit our physical freedom to the ordinancces and rulers over us. Becuase of Christ we submit the actions, decisions, and lives we live to Him so that He may be honored above all, including ourselves.
The last principle I have for you today is this
IV. Submit your pride to God
IV. Submit your pride to God
This has been inteerwoven throughout the message aand it is where Peeter endds this segment of his letter on.
1 Peter 2:15-17 “15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. 17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.”
Exegete:
Here is the will of God.
People often ask and are searching for the will of God for their life. Man, I think we overcomplicate that but that is for another day.
Here peeter makes it plain and simple
In doing well, in living a life well for Jesus, you will silence those who speak poorly of you. You are free to do what you want but you are ento using that libeerty to do anything bad. You are servants of God.
And then he just puts a period, a stamp, and a seal on this passage right here and I think this part is for the men ebccuase we like direct communication.
Honor men, love the chritiaan brothers, fear god, honor the king. Done!
And then we hear the voice in the back of our heads...”But I don’t want to.”
Arent’ I free to go to the bars with my buddies and have a drink?
Aren’t I free to watch whatever I want?
Aren’t I free to listen to whatever I want?
Aren’t I free to say whateveer I want?
Pastor, you can’t make me do anything.
and while some of you would never say this, some of you may find your lifes reflecting the sentement: Jesus, I trust you as my Savior but I’m not letting you tell me what to do.
Soundd silly right?
However I’m aafraidd that is how some followers of Jesus choose to live their lives and then we are left with children that don’t see a faith that has an impact, we see a community that doesn’t know the difference between those who follow Jesus or those who follow a religion. We have poor list souls with misguided ideaas about their identity who won’t speaak to someone that claims the name of Jesus becuasee all of the other people that they know who claim the name of Jesus don’t act like it.
If you haven’t figured this out yet, I want to key you in on a truth.
listen till the end ok…dont’ tune me out…here this
I don’t believe God wants your behavior to change. I believe God wants your heart and when you give Him that, your behavior will change.
Illustrate:
If God just wanted your behavior to change, if he just wanted your money, he wouldn’t say things like “The lord loves a cheerful giver”
If it was about the money it wouldn’t matter if your cheerful.
Jer 17:10 “10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
notice…God is looking at the heart not the doings. He looks to the heart to see if the doings are done with the right motive, with the right love and affection. Becuase a bad heart bares bad fruit.
Apply:
Being Set apart for God, being holy, choosing not to do things to honor Him isn’t about you performing the act. It’s about whether or not you have given your heart o God.
Listen, I’m a firm believer that when you give your heart to God everything else is easy. Money? You can have it Lord. time? It’s yours Lord. Talents? It’s yours Lord. Family? They are yours Lord. My life? It’s yours Lord.
But it all staarts with the heart. Which is why that is the first thing that must be submitted to Him.
4 Principles
Subimt your Heart, Submi your image ,Submit your freeedom, and submi your pride.
Oncee you have submitted these things I beleive you will find your potential for who you are in Christ.
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