Paul turns his focus now on addressing the elders of the church. To be an elder takes commitment, responsibility, service as overseers, and being examples (not lords- like the Roman government did). Service in this capacity should be delivered willingly and eagerly, to be powerful, effective, and relevant as true representatives of Jesus Christ. Pastor Troy also connects Christmas to Peter's letter to the elders and shares a very interesting experience with a stranger who visited this church. Also featured this week is some powerful Christmas music performances.
Peter shifts his focus to believers (which is true for all time) going through strange times, encountering strange reactions from people, and experiencing strange, evil offenses against them. He basically says, not to think of strange things that are happening to you as "strange". Christians experience alienation (at best) persecution (torture, murder, wrongful slander), and are shut out, shut down, demeaned, "cancelled" and ostracized (at worst). Peter is saying that if you experience these things, think of the future glory to get you through the pain and suffering. Peter ended up being a strong example of this in action, as the Romans took him away to crucify him. God's people, should they be different from the world (which is due to a change of direction in one's life) will encounter opposition, but at the same time, will experience maturity, completion, and wholeness in their life with Christ. We also open the Christmas season with an advent reading and Christmas music.
Living Faith's own Thom Espinos brings the message on the selfish young man who wanted his inheritance from his father, and then squandered it all by wild living and constant partying. But when the money completely ran out, what came next? What happened to the son who was at the end of himself? He couldn't make it on his own merit and he had tom come home. In this message, Thom shares his testimony in how he connects to this son when he ran away from God, only to later experience God's reaching out with open arms to Him. This story and Thom's testimony inspired Thom to sing the powerful song "When God Ran" which Thom also sings to compliment this thought-provoking message.
The return of Christ is rapidly approaching. The end of all things is at hand. Peter tried to prepare people for this event in his lifetime, but it is even more so today, than ever before. What Peter teaches to prepare for the end times is this; be most serious and watchful in your prayers, acting out the love of Christ to others, listening to the Holy Spirit, listening to other perspectives, and hearing each other out. In other words, be serious about being there for people and radiating the love and power that Christ instilled within you. What does serious mean? It means be sober-minded, watchful, and careful in executing these actions, because when the church carries out their identity in Christ, God will bless them. Pastor Troy Billow explains in deeper detail what all of this means and why this is so important especially for the time we are living in today.
Peter has been addressing all of the areas of our lives that affect us abroad and up front (government, the workplace, the home, our relationships with our spouses & each other as a community). He even zeroes in to our attitude. But here, Peter is going to speak to our hearts and to our sin. While so many continue to go the way that allows them to indulge in their favorite sins, God calls His people to a life of holy living and once again sets the example. And yet to accomplish this, self sacrifice is required. Peter stresses the importance of arming yourself (a military term), "soldiering up" with Christ, and the more you do this, and the more you sacrifice, the more the sin nature will become less powerful in your life and just "drop off". See the power of how this works as Pastor Troy Billow explains from experience the positive effect that following Christ in this area has impacted him, and will impact you when you apply it.
In this passage, Peter zeroes in on the coming judgment that will come upon the earth. Much like the worldwide flood (recorded in Genesis 7), which Peter, just like Jesus conveyed as a similar model for the end times, God's grace is going to last so long before time is up, and judgment "rains down on the earth". God makes this judgment known because there is more judgment coming, so it is wise to be both in good standing and revitalized in spirit through Jesus Christ.
Peter now moves to the Lordship of Christ in these passages. What that means is putting Christ on the throne of one's heart. Peter had to learn to revere Christ as Lord of his heart, whereas he didn't before. If you are truly connected to Christ, and you respect, honor, and love Him you will act like you believe it, talk like you believe it, and it will show.
Peter changes his communicative approach from addressing the believer from an individual standpoint to addressing everyone in the church body as a collective. Peter stresses how important it is to be like-minded, sympathetic to others, humble, show love, dignity, respect (Christ always sought out the people society deemed "despicable"), among a host of other things. If you do these things (i.e. follow Christ's example and carry it out in your own circle), you will have an impact on people. On top of that, God is attentive to those who emulate the nature of Christ and from that, stand out differently from this world. Pastor Troy Billow explains what this all means, how applying it has impacted him personally, and the power it has in every walk of life in every generation since Christ set the example.
Peter (who was once most resistant towards the thought of submission) is continuing his theme of submission in his letter. Just as he touched on wives submitting to their husbands, Peter now focuses on the importance of husbands honoring their wives. If a husband fails to honor, show consideration, and love their wife, it will reveal coldness within the heart, and as such, their prayers will be hindered. Practicing honor, love, consideration, & faithfulness will result in unhindered prayers, as Pastor Troy Billow explains in this message.
Throughout scripture, God is teaching people to be submissive; submissive to God, authorities, employers, to each other (as a community of believers), and for women to be submissive to their husbands. What does that mean? Since the latter part of the 20th century in American culture, the idea of wives submitting to their husbands has been seen as deeply controversial. Why? Because it is always viewed from a very limited, worldly perspective which gives a negative and demeaning image. When examining the truth of what is being said in scripture, the flaws in that perspective pop out strongly as that is not at all what is being conveyed. In this message, Pastor Troy Billow explains what is really being said here, and why it is being said. After all, there is a much more important, transcendent truth being taught here that is very beneficial, and that is this; when Christ was on earth He submitted to the Father, governing authorities, and in turn set an example for those of us (who care about advancing the Kingdom of God) to follow, so that the labels of extremities can be dissolved by the very actions conducted by the believer following Christ's example in this world.