Sermon Tone Analysis

Our New Life in Christ

1 Peter 4:1-11

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Feb. 10, 2013

*A new house, a new truck, a new TV, a new phone, a new book, a new grandbaby: We like new things.

But better than all is the new life we have in Jesus Christ.

In John 3:3, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

And in 2 Cor 5:17, Paul said, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

*When we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive a brand new life.

But how do we live this new life?

-- What’s it all about?

1. First: Our new life in Christ is about right living.

*And in the first six verses, Peter gives us a flood of good information about right living.

[1] In vs. 1, we see God’s weapon for right living.

*Here Peter tells Christians: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” God’s weapon in this verse is the mind of Christ.

And Peter says, “Arm yourselves with the same mind.”

*Christians, we can do that because in 1 Cor 2:16, Paul tells us that “we have the mind of Christ.”

This is the new nature we receive when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

We are born again with the mind of Christ.

*And this new nature enables us to live the right way.

But in Philippians 2:5, Paul urges us to “LET this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

*In other words, there is a struggle between the old nature and the new.

So, in vs. 1, Peter tells us that we have to intentionally and consistently ARM ourselves with the mind of Christ.

That’s God’s weapon for right living.

[2] But in vs. 1&2, Peter also shows us God’s will for right living.

1.

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

2. that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

*Our goal for right living is the same goal Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer.

Listen to part of this model prayer from Matthew 6:9&10:

9. . .

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

10.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

*Our goal for right living is also the same goal on Jesus’ heart, as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

In Matthew 26:39, Jesus “fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.’”

*Our goal for right living is God’s will in our lives.

[3] Next in vs. 3, Peter talks about the ungodly waste of our lives without Christ.

3.

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in licentiousness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

*What a wasted life!

-- God doesn’t want us to walk in “licentiousness” or “lasciviousness” in the KJV.

What’s that?

-- It’s unrestrained indecency: No blush, no shame.

Also in 3, God doesn’t want us to waste our lives on drunkenness, wild parties and false gods.

*All of these things add up to the ungodly waste of our lives without Christ.

[4] Then in vs. 4, we see that our Godly living will bring on some ungodly words.

*In this verse, Peter said, “In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.”

Peter reminds us that some people will think we are crazy for trying to live the right way, and many do think we’re crazy.

*But there are also people out there who are dying to see somebody who’s real, somebody whose life has been radically transformed by Jesus Christ.

We need to be those people!

-- And it’s not always easy.

*I may be wrong, but I think it’s a hundred times harder to live the right life than it was 50 years ago.

When I was a kid, we had shows on TV like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “I love Lucy.”

Today’s TV line-up is filled with all kinds of terrible trash.

And that’s just one example.

*It may be much harder to live the right life today, but it’s never been more important!

[5] That’s why in vs. 5, Peter gives people a Godly warning: “They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

[6] God’s judgment is coming.

So in vs. 6, Peter also gives us God’s Way of salvation: For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

*The only way that anyone can ever live the right way is through the good news about Jesus Christ, the gospel good news:

-That God loves us in spite of our sins.

-That God’s Son, Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins.

-That He rose again from the dead.

-That we can have God’s mercy and forgiveness by trusting in the Lord.

-And that we receive a brand new life when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

*“For this reason the gospel was preached” that we might live the right way “according to God in the spirit.”

Our new life in Christ is about right living.

*Sarah Jo Sarchet has served as a Presbyterian pastor in Chicago.

Back in the early 2000’s, there was a ten-year-old boy in her church named Cameron.

One day, Cameron walked into the pastor’s office and said he needed to talk.

*Fresh from soccer practice, and wearing his Cincinnati Reds baseball cap, Cameron had a request: “I'd like to be baptized,” he said.

“We were learning about Jesus' baptism in Sunday School.

The teacher asked the class who was baptized, and all the other kids raised their hands.

I want to be baptized too.”

*Pastor Sarah asked: “Cameron, do you really want to be baptized because everyone else is?” -- He looked up and replied, “No.

-- I want to be baptized because it means I belong to God.”

*The pastor was touched and said: “How about this Sunday?”

-- Cameron’s smile turned to concern and he asked, “Do I have to be baptized in front of all those people in the church?

Can't I just have a friend baptize me in the river?”

*“Where’d you come up with that idea?” she responded.

Cameron replied, “Well, Jesus was baptized by his cousin John in a river, wasn't he?” -- Caught off guard, the pastor said: “You have a point.

But, if a friend baptized you in the river, how would the church recognize it?”

*Cameron thought about it as his pastor got on a footstool to reach for a book on a high shelf.

Good question: How would the church recognize that he belonged to Jesus? -- While she reached, Cameron wisely said: “I guess by my new way of living.”

When his pastor heard that profound answer, she almost fell off the stool!

(1)

*Cameron got it just right.

They will know we belong to Jesus by our new way of living.

Our new life in Christ is about right living.

2. And it’s about regular praying.

*We see this truth in vs. 7, where Peter said: “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.”

The KJV says: “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”

*The idea is that we will not get distracted by the things of this world, but will be intentional, serious and disciplined about our prayers.

Why did Peter tell us this?

-Because he knew that the things of this world are passing away.

-And because he knew the power of prayer.

*Peter knew how important prayer is, and how much it can do.

God answers our prayers at just the right time, in just the right way, so we should pray.

The greatest Christians who ever lived were people of prayer.

*Many of us have heard of George Mueller.

He was the remarkable British Christian who supported his orphanage ministry exclusively by prayer.

Mueller never directly asked anyone for a contribution.

He simply prayed to God about his circumstances.