Sunday's Message: Being the Church in a Challenging World (The Church Resists)

The First Letter of Peter was written to a church which was confronting certain challenges that it neither chose nor wanted. You see, they were living within a society that didn't share their focus and faith; therefore, they were facing the temptation to compromise what they believed, a situation that seems very similar to what we face as we try to be the church of Jesus Christ within a society that doesn't understand our fundamental values and motivation. And that's the reason we'll look at what Peter had to say about how Christians might be the church in a challenging world. 

• The Church Praises (1 Peter 1:3-9) - April 16
• The Church Remembers (1 Peter 1:17-23) - April 23
• The Church Grows (1 Peter 2:2-10) - April 30
• The Church Resists (1 Peter 2:11-17) - May 7
• The Church Follows (1 Peter 2:19-25) - May 14
• The Church Endures (1 Peter 4:12-14: 5:6-11) - May 21

During the fourth message in this series, we used 1 Peter 2:11-17 to consider how, when faced with a challenging world, the church must resist the pull of culture. Below is a copy and recording of the sermon. Next Sunday morning, you can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m.

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When I got up this morning, I saw on my phone that they’re calling for scattered thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. And even though this is hardly a surprise, not for this time of year, I’ve got to admit, I immediately experienced two very different emotions. I mean, on one hand, I felt kind of excited. You see, I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay and so listening to thunderstorms brings me right back to childhood. And some of y’all may not know this, but I’m a big fan of horror movies made back in the ‘30s, and as everyone like me knows, it’s during a thunderstorm that you make the monster. And so, on one hand, I’m kind of looking forward to this afternoon and evening. But on the other hand, I know that’s not the case for everyone. I mean, for some, thunderstorms are really scary. As a matter of fact, I know that someone really l close to me, in fact, the single individual with whom I spend most of my life, well, she doesn’t like thunderstorms at all. And of course, I’m talking about Coco Chanel. And so, if this weather report is correct, I think Debbie and I are in for a challenging time, as we deal with a trembling little dog. 

But you know, as the church, well, we don’t face just a challenging morning or afternoon or evening. I think all of us would agree that we face a pretty challenging world. And because of that, over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about how we as the Body of Christ can deal with the world that we have, not necessarily the one that we want. And over this time, we’ve used some passages from the first letter of Peter to talk about how, in the face of this world, the church can praise God for what he’s done and for what praise can do. And then, we looked at how we can remember that we’ve been both rescued and redeemed by God. And then last week, we focused on how the church can intentionally grow in its determination and dedication as well as its understanding and unity. And so, in the face of a challenging world, we can praise and remember and grow. Now that’s what we’ve already covered. 

And this morning, we’re going to move to the fourth thing that we can do; we can resist. You see, in the face of all the challenges that surround us, I think the church can and should resist the temptation to compromise what it believes so that it can avoid conflict with the outside and feel comfortable within. And I’ll tell you, in my opinion, I think this temptation to compromise is really strong. For example, I think it’s really tempting just to shrug our shoulders and to run with the crowd and then to jump off a cliff because everyone else is doing it. And I think it’s really tempting to ignore what Jesus actually taught, you know, about feeding the hungry and welcoming strangers and caring for the sick, because the world tells us that there are other issues far more important, right? And I think it’s really tempting to buy into the notion that what we believe is only important if it can be used to advance a particular agenda; therefore, it’s perfectly alright to cherry pick what you like and ignore the rest. Now I think these are some of the very real temptations that we, the Body of Christ, face now-a-days.

And how can we resist them? Well, that’s going to be our focus this morning. And as we’ve done three times before, we’re going to use a passage from Peter’s first letter to do it. You see, we’re going to consider three temptations that he thought believers must resist, if they want to be the church in a challenging world. 

For example, first, according to Peter, the church must resist the temptation to deny its identity. In other words, for the sake of the world around us, we need to remember who we are. And I think that was exactly what Peter had in mind when he wrote this:

Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do. [1 Peter 2:11-12, CEV]

Now, that’s what he said, and I don’t know about y’all, but I think this is pretty clear. Whether we like it or not, we, and I’m talking about you and me, we are foreigners and strangers; man, we are aliens and exiles on this earth. That’s who we are and will continue to be; therefore, we’re never going to fit neatly into the world around us. And for that reason, we should never “surrender to those desires that fight against us.” In other words, we need to listen to what Paul wrote to the Galatians:

People’s desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God’s kingdom. [Galatians 5:19-21, CEV]

Man, we need to recognize that this is not who God called us to be. While at the same time, it’s also important for us to accept that we’re expected to behave properly, just like Peter already wrote in the first chapter of his letter:

Always live as God’s holy people should, because God is the one who chose you, and he is holy. That’s why the Scriptures say, "I am the holy God, and you must be holy too."

You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favorites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honor God while you live as strangers here on earth. You were rescued from the useless way of life you learned from your ancestors. But you know you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever. [1 Pet. 1:15-18,CEV]

Simply put, God called us to be his people, and he expects us to do good things and not things that are wrong. That’s who we are, and for that reason, we must never deny our identity. And to be the church in a challenging world, that’s the first temptation we really need to resist.

And second, as a community of believers, the church must also resist the temptation to ignore its purpose, to ignore its mission. In other words, we need to accept the reason that we’ve been called together and to do what’s necessary to get the job done. And you know, I think that’s what Peter was getting at when he wrote this:

The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. You are free, but still you are God’s servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. [1 Peter 2:13-16, CEV]

Now that’s what Peter wrote, you know, that the Lord wants us to be obedient and that we are free. But I want you to notice, there’s a reason for both. For example, “the Lord wants [us] to obey all human authorities” [1 Peter 2:13a, CEV], because “God wants [us] to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right.” [1 Peter 2:15, CEV] You see, there’s a greater purpose for obedience. And you know, I think this same kind of thing was behind what Peter said to the wives of unbelieving husbands:

If you are a wife, you must put your husband first. Even if he opposes our message, you will win him over by what you do. No one else will have to say anything to him, because he will see how you honor God and live a pure life. [1 Peter 3:1-2, CEV]

You see, whether to a spouse or a king, there’s a purpose behind the obedience. And I’ll tell you, I think the same thing applies to how we see our own freedom. You see, although without question we are free, that’s exactly what Peter says; before we go out and do whatever we want, we need to remember that our mission just might be compromised if we do; therefore, “[we] must not use [our] freedom as an excuse for doing wrong.” [1 Peter 2:16b, CEV] Now that’s what he said. But of course, this was the exact same thing Paul said to the Galatians when he wrote, 

My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. [Galatians 5:13, CEV]

I’m telling you, God called us and gave us what we have for a reason; therefore, we must never ignore our purpose. And, in my opinion, to be the church in a challenging world, that’s the second temptation we really need to resist.

And third, right along with denying its identity and ignoring its purpose, for Peter, the church must also resist the temptation to neglect its responsibility and I’m talking about its responsibility to everyone. In other words, as strangers with a mission, we have a responsibility to live the kind of life that demonstrates what being a follower of Christ is all about. And you know, for Peter, it sure seemed to come down to four commands. This was what he wrote:

Respect everyone and show special love for God’s people. Honor God and respect the Emperor. [1 Peter 2:17, CEV]

Now, that’s what Peter said. And you know, when you get right down to it, it’s really not rocket science. We have a responsibility to the people around us, to show everyone respect and to be truly loving to one another. I’ll tell you, it’s like Peter wrote, again in the first chapter of his letter:

You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart. Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever. [1 Peter 1:22-23, CEV]

Now this is how we should treat the men and women we see everyday. And as to those who have heavenly power or earthly authority, well, we have a responsibility to show them honor and respect. It’s like what Paul wrote to children in this letter to the Ephesians:

Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents.The first commandment with a promise says, “Obey your father and your mother, and you will have a long and happy life.”

Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord. [Ephesians 6:1-4, CEV]

Now I think it’s pretty obvious that, whether we like it or not,  God wants us to treat others in a certain way, to treat them with respect and with love, but it’s still up to us to decide whether or not we’re actually going to do it. And for that reason, we must never neglect our responsibility. And to be the church in a challenging world, that’s the third temptation we really need to resist.

Now, if there are thunderstorms later today, Coco will be facing a challenging afternoon and evening. But you know, in a sense, she’s actually kind of lucky, because I’ll tell you, I think we face a challenging world 24/7. And even though it may be tempting to make our lives a little easier by trying to sort of blend in, I think Peter challenges us to resist: to resist the temptation to deny our identity and to resist the temptation to ignore our purpose and to resist the temptation to neglect our responsibility as the Body of Christ. You see, we can resist, and I think that’s another way we can be the church in a challenging world.