Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

[Sung Psalm: 84] Sermon Outline: 1. Restoration (vv. 18–26) 2. Renewal (vv. 27–31) 3. Recognition or Rejection (vv. 32–34)

aith – now share in those same promises. Here in chapters 10 and 11, Moses concludes his exposition of the first commandment. He has focused on what it means to have no other gods besides Yahweh, and has repeatedly drawn us back to our need to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength. Moses offers us our motivation for why we should love and obey God TODAY...

[Sung Psalm: 98] There are all sorts of fascinating ways in which Pentecost completes Passover. In the OT, the very structure of the two feasts makes it clear. The fiftieth day (which is what Pentecost means) is calculated from the day after the seventh Sabbath (the seventh Saturday) after Passover. So Pentecost is always on a Sunday! Seven times seven plus one – makes Pentecost the ultimate eighth day – a day associated in the OT with the new creation – with entering into the presence of God. In the OT, the sacrifices and the Law were the two great gifts of God to Israel. Passover signaled the great redemptive act of God in the Exodus – symbolized in the offering of the Passover Lamb. Pentecost signaled the entrance into the Promised Land – symbolized in the giving of the Law – the pattern of life that God expected his people to live in the Land. Acts 2 shows us how Pentecost fulfills Passover in the new covenant as well. The feast of Passover was the feast of the firstborn and of deliverance from bondage. It perfectly sets up the death and resurrection of Christ, as he, the firstborn of the Father becomes the firstborn from the dead. He is the firstfruits of the resurrection harvest. But Pentecost is not some afterthought to the resurrection. It is the fulfillment of the resurrection. As Peter says in verse 33, "being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.} The giving of the Law was a good gift – the problem was that the Law didn't convey power to keep the Law! But the coming of the Holy Spirit changes all that!!

Before we dig into our text tonight, I want to show you how the temptations of Jesus in Matthew 4 map pretty closely to what Moses describes here in Dt 7-10. We've been using three "m's" – militarism, materialism, and moralism. In chapter 7 we heard about the temptation of militarism – "Do not say in your heart..." 7:17 that the nations are mightier and more numerous than you. Only Yahweh can defeat your enemies, So trust in God. Then in chapter 8, we heard about the temptation of materialism – "Do not say in your heart..." 8:17 – that my power and the might of my hand has got me this wealth. Remember that it was the LORD who provided for you in the wilderness - do not forget the LORD and turn aside to trust in stuff – do not love created things more than you love the Creator! You are not self-sufficient! Now in chapter 9 we hear about the temptation of moralism – "Do not say in your heart..." (9:4) – that you are morally superior to others. The only reason God is giving you the land is because he promised your fathers (v5) Do not be self-righteous! These three temptations are echoed rather clearly in Matthew 4. The first two are particularly straightforward: First, "If you are the Son of God command these stones to become loaves of bread" – this is the temptation to materialism (trusting in stuff) Dt 8 Second, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you...'" – the temptation to militarism (trusting in power) Dt 7 And then third, "All the kingdoms of the world I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me" – the temptation to moralism (trusting in self-righteousness) Dt 9-10.

[Sung Psalms: 16 & 110] Have you ever wondered why preachers often use three point sermons? Perhaps it is because Peter's first sermon had three points! The first sermon preached after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a three-point sermon, each point demonstrated from scripture: 1. The Coming of the Holy Spirit Is the Beginning of the Last Days (from Joel 2)... 2. Jesus Was Raised from the Dead, Because Death Could Not Hold Him (from Psalm 16)... 3. Therefore the Gift of the Holy Spirit Demonstrates that Jesus Is the Christ (from Psalm 110)

Sermon outline: 1. Our Blessing (v. 24) a. In This Life b. In The World to Come 2. God's Blessedness (v. 25)

Last time, in chapter 7, we saw that there were two poles to the temptation of militarism: there was the temptation of spiritual arrogance (God chose us because of our strength!), but also the temptation of spiritual anxiety (our enemies are too strong!) In the same way, chapter 8 shows that there are two poles to the temptation of materialism: Do you believe that God will provide? (will you remember his promises?) Or do think that you are self-sufficient (I can take care of myself – and so I forget God)? When Jesus is tempted to turn stones into bread, he doesn't focus on his hunger – he focuses on the promises of God – "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

[Sung Psalm: 81] Passover was the feast commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt; but Pentecost was the feast that commemorated Israel's being brought into the land - it is a harvest feast celebrating God's provision. Some rabbis even called it "the closing season of the Passover" because Pentecost brings Passover to completion. After all, when you end the feast of Passover, where are you? In Exodus 12-13, Passover ends, and Israel is still in Egypt, awaiting the coming of the LORD - awaiting the death of the firstborn son of Pharaoh. And the timing of Pentecost is totally dependent on Passover. The barley sheaf is waved on the day after the Sabbath during Passover. (In other words, it is waved on Sunday) And then you count 50 days (7 weeks) until the day after the seventh Sabbath (in other words, Pentecost is always on a Sunday). Pentecost is the fulfillment of Passover - it brings Passover to its completion, as the firstfruits offered in Passover week come to fruition in Pentecost. But also – without Pentecost, Passover is incomplete. This will be at the heart of Peter's sermon in Acts 2...

[Sung Psalm: 69] Why must Jesus have twelve apostles? When Judas kills himself, Peter seems to think that a twelfth apostle is needed. What is the point of having twelve apostles? Our passage today starts with the return to Jerusalem, reminds us of David, and of what David said about Judas, and then emphasizes the importance of having twelve apostles. Jerusalem, David, and the Twelve. Watch what happens as we look at Jerusalem, David, and the twelve – because Luke is preparing us for the restoration of the kingdom. The house of David had been reduced to two tribes – the northern ten went with Jeroboam – and indeed, during the exile, the house of David lost even those two! The disciples had asked if Jesus was restoring the kingdom to Israel. And Jesus had answered that the Holy Spirit was going to empower them, so that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. So it all starts in Jerusalem...

Three temptations from Deuteronomy 7-10 find their final answer from our Lord Jesus. Each time Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus responds by quoting from Deuteronomy 7-10! Jesus plainly thought that Deuteronomy 7-10 contain the answers to the temptations of Satan. Jesus was being tempted with the same temptations that Israel faced. The difference is that Jesus succeeded where Israel failed! Tonight we will look at the worship of strength or power. You see this starting in verses 6-7 – The LORD chose you not because you were so mighty – "you were the fewest" – but "because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers" And what will keep Israel from their enemies is not their military might – but the presence and protection of Yahweh himself (v13-16) If Israel is going to be faithful to the LORD, they cannot rely on military might. This is part of the reason why the Law of Moses is not particularly addressed to modern nations. Deuteronomy does not give a charter for how modern nations should operate! Israel, after all, is a holy nation – language that the apostle Peter will apply directly to the church in 1 Peter 2:9 – "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of a darkness into his marvelous light." What Peter is saying is that the church is the new Israel. What God said to Israel in Deuteronomy is what God is saying to the church in the NT. Are you trusting in your own strength? Conversely, are you afraid that you are too weak? Both attitudes betray a failure to put your trust in the LORD...

[Sung Psalm: 47] Here at the beginning of Acts, Luke makes it plain that he thinks of Acts as "part two" of the story of what Jesus has done and taught. Luke opens his second book by referring back to his first book. "In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." He is writing to Theophilus - whose name means "lover of God." Theophilus may well be the real name of a real person, but Luke cannot have missed the double meaning here: after all, he is not just writing for one person! He is writing for all those who love God – for all those who want to know what Jesus has done and taught. But this reference back to Luke's gospel reminds us that Luke thinks of this book as a continuation of his first book. The first book dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, the second book will now deal with all that Jesus continues to do and teach through his apostles. So we should expect to see continuity between Luke and Acts...

Sermon outline: 1. Scoffers (vv. 17–19) 2. Yourselves (vv. 20–21) 3. Others (vv. 22–23)

Last time we saw that Moses speaks of "your fathers" as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here – in verse 10 – you see this explicitly. Do you see how the rebellion at Massah is not attributed to "your fathers" – but to "you" – even though all those who rebelled at Massah are dead. But it was you who rebelled at Massah – because you are Israel. The LORD swore to your fathers that he would give you the land. So "your fathers" are the patriarchs – but "you" are Israel. And in every generation "you" refers to those who are presently alive – and "you" must teach your children so that they remember what "you" have seen. This is the root of the principle that God has no grandchildren! In every generation you are the children of God. And yes, you must teach your children the ways of the LORD – but that means that you must teach your children that they are the first generation!

[Sung Psalm: 45] Sermon outline: 1. New Disciple(s) [vv. 9–13] 2. New Era(s) [vv. 14–17]

[Sung Psalm: 40] Here, at the end of his epistle, Peter draws back the curtain for a moment, and shows you the source of the fiery trials that you endure. "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Suffering has a demonic source. We often speak of the world, the flesh, and the devil. We believe in the world–its temptations are too obvious to deny. We believe in the flesh–we feel most painfully our own weakness. But do we really believe in the devil? Do you really believe that the adversary is seeking to devour us? Peter portrays the devil as a roaring lion, prowling around seeking for easy prey. A lion's roar is terrifying. A roaring lion is a hungry lion, seeking to frighten his victims. But it's important to recognize that our adversary is already a defeated foe. He has lost – and he knows it! That's why he wants to make us suffer. But it's also worth saying that Satan remains a creature. He is a powerful creature – certainly! But as a finite creature, he does not know everything – nor can he be everywhere. He can only be at one place and do one thing at a time. While he almost certainly knows who Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are – he probably does not know our names. If C. S. Lewis is anywhere close to accurate in the Screwtape Letters – his minions don't particularly like each other any more than they like us (and why should they, if they have rebelled against the One who is Love!) So we should certainly take the demonic seriously. The devil is a dangerous foe. But how should we respond to the devil? Peter is very clear how to do this...

Tonight we are listening to Moses' reflections on what the Covenant at Sinai was all about. Moses is about to die. And so he reminds Israel of the things that matter most. Forty years earlier he had received the Ten Commandments. Now he reminds Israel what that was all about...

[Sung Psalm: 130] Sermon outline: 1. Demons (8:28–34) 2. Sin and Bones (9:1–8)

Last week we didn't really have time to talk about the cities of refuge – and since the end of chapter 4 is setting up Moses' second sermon (which starts in chapter 5) – I thought it would be useful to spend a little time today doing precisely what the end of chapter 4 does – and set us up for Moses' second sermon! Deuteronomy consists of three main sermons. But rather than jump straight from the first sermon to the second, verses 41-49 provide us with an interlude. What are these verses doing here? I would suggest the following: As God has chosen Israel from all the nations of the earth, out of his pure mercy, despite the unfaithfulness of the people; so now the Israelites are to show mercy to the manslayer who kills his neighbor unintentionally. In Moses' first sermon, he showed how God has established Israel as the city of refuge for the nations. Those who would flee his wrath must flee to Israel. Now these towns are set apart as cities of refuge for individual Israelites...

[Sung Psalm: 28] Last week we looked at the calling of the shepherd. The elders are called to shepherd the flock that is among them. And as shepherds they are to lead the flock, feed the flock, and defend the flock from their enemies. Today we turn to the character of the shepherd. I should start by pointing out that Peter's exhortation is in the plural. Peter assumes that there are a plurality of elders. A wise 19th century elder once wrote that elders have no individual tasks, but are called to shepherd as a group. Certainly, there may be one-on-one conversations, and a certain amount of preparation and prayer can be solitary tasks, but Trinitarian leadership will always be leadership in community, because that reflects something basic to who God is...

How do you avoid idolatry? How do you avoid letting your sinful desires and cravings gain control? Moses gives us the answer here in Deuteronomy 4. We avoid idolatry by doing what God commands. The Reformation said that there are three uses of the Law: 1) to show us our sin and drive us to Christ 2) to restrain evil and maintain order in society 3) to teach us how God wants us to live There's a way in which this passage illustrates all three – but especially at the end, the focus in on the third use of the Law. Why is obedience important to the Christian life? FIRST--Because blessing in the land depends upon obedience (vv1-8) SECOND--Because God does not tolerate disobedience/idolatry (9-31) THIRD--Because of the great redemption which God has given you (32-40)

[Sung Psalm: 23] When shepherds fail, in Ezekiel 34, the result is that the sheep begin to fight and quarrel. The sheep that have good pasture trample on the rest to prevent other sheep from eating; after drinking themselves, they muddy the water so that the rest have nothing. The strong sheep "thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad." "Strong" – you see – does not mean "strong in the Lord" weak does not mean spiritually weak. The strong sheep is one who has the power to intimidate the weak. God promises that he will judge between the strong and the weak, between the fat and the lean. He will give them one shepherd – "my servant David." The people of God need a shepherd. They need someone who will feed them. Someone who will ensure that the weak get enough food, and that the strong do not get too much. They need someone who will judge their quarrels and defend them from their enemies. And this is why the Son of David sings "The LORD is my shepherd"...

Sermon Outline 1. Text 2. Doctrine 3. Application

[Sung Psalm: 129] Judgment begins with the household of God! We've been seeing that in the opening chapters of Deuteronomy on Sunday evenings. God brought Israel – through judgment – into the Promised Land. Now, let's be clear what we mean by judgment. Judgment does not equal condemnation. When a judge renders his verdict, he proclaims his judgment. The judgment that comes on the household of God is God's verdict. Peter is saying that the final judgment has come. The eschatological judgment in which God vindicates his people and condemns his enemies, is beginning. But as with our savior, Jesus Christ, the beginning of the final judgment does not wait until the end of history, but begins in the middle of history. How does this judgment come upon us? Through the fiery trials that are sent to test us...

It's important to see that Herem warfare, or holy war, is actually spiritual warfare. With Sodom and Gomorrah, God brought fire from heaven. But his purpose is to bring salvation to the earth – and fire from heaven cannot accomplish that! His purpose is to bring salvation through a man – and so humanity must become the agent of salvation: and thus of judgment also. In Egypt it was the angel of death sweeping through the land – in order to bring Israel out of bondage – "Israel is my son, my firstborn – let my son go, that he may serve me!" Israel is called to be the son of God – to go to the Land of Promise, where he will receive the inheritance from his Father. And so in Canaan it will be the Son of God who sweeps through the land – destroying the wicked in order to bring salvation to the earth. This is the holy war that Moses is describing in chapters 2-3. And in a holy war the LORD fights for his people. And as we'll see, this points us to Christ, who has defeated all our enemies, and who is the Divine Warrior who wins the final battle for us. How does God fight for us? I kept the four points from last time – though we already looked at the first two: 1) God doesn't fight against his own people 2) God utterly destroys his enemies 3) God requires all of his people to fight together 4) God himself chooses his general So we're going to see how Deuteronomy tells us about Holy War, how it points us to Christ's final victory, and how it shows us how Christ fights for us today...

[Sung Psalm: 90] The end of all things is at hand. We live in the last days. Jesus Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for your sake. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrated God's righteous judgment. All the wrath that we deserved was poured out upon Christ. He endured the pains of hell for us. And in his resurrection, God declared Jesus to be the righteous one. God's final judgment was declared in Jesus Christ. In Christ we see the eschatological judgment. Therefore, the end of all things is at hand. If God has already declared his final judgment in Christ, then all that remains is the execution of that judgment. The redemption of the saints is accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All that remains is its application in the salvation of his people. The condemnation of the powers of sin, death and the devil has been accomplished in Christ. All that is left is for them to be cast into the lake of fire. The resurrection of Christ was the beginning of the end. Now, Peter says, we must live in a manner that is consistent with this truth. Peter is saying, "Since the end of all things is at hand, live as those who have passed through the judgment of God." For the believer, the judgment of death no longer holds any fear! This is quite a contrast to the "Gentile way of life" that he has described in verses 3-4...

What is a holy war? Islamic jihad has given us a modern perspective on this. And some purportedly "Christian" militias have added their own modern take. But there's a problem with all these folks, well, maybe more than just one problem! In Islamic Jihad, the faithful warriors fight for God. In the militia movement, the people are to fight to bring about a righteous nation. But that's not what holy war is about. For modern folks, the people fight for God. In a truly holy war, GOD fights for his people. I say "modern" because contemporary Islamists do not follow historic Islam. They have abandoned historic Islam for a modern "reconstruction" of what Islam must have been!! Just a brief note on this: Historians have noticed that many of the modern Islamist movements grew out of the same soil that produced Christian restoration movements. What they shared was a common idea of "going back to the original way" – the difference was – for Muslims it was "the way of Muhammed" while for Christians it was "the way of Jesus and the apostles." And following Jesus is always better than following Muhammed! But the problem with the both restoration movements is that you can't go back. Every attempt to go "back" to an ancient ideal must fail. Because your efforts to reconstruct this ideal past will run headlong into two problems: 1) You don't actually know what it looked like "back then" – so you will make up all sorts of stuff along the way! 2) The present won't let you pretend that the last 2000 years (or 1300 years, for Islam) didn't actually happen! This is why every effort to go back and "get it right this time" has failed...

Sermon outline: 1. Three Names (v. 1a) 2. Three Truths (v. 1b) 3. Three Gifts (v. 2)

[Sung Psalm: 80] There is no glory without suffering. There is no grace without weakness. As a Christian you will suffer. Today we come to the heart of Peter's epistle. Peter regularly moves back and forth between Christ and your situation, showing how your situation needs to be seen in the light of what Christ has done. In chapter 1, we saw that because of the resurrection of Christ, you need to see yourselves as elect exiles in the midst of a foreign land; you have an eschatological hope that gives you joy in the midst of trials (1:1-12). Because Jesus' resurrection is the promise of his return, therefore you need to be holy in all your conduct (1:13-25). Because he is the precious cornerstone, you are being built into the holy temple for God's own dwelling (2:1-10). Because he suffered for you, you must suffer patiently in civic, economic, and domestic life (2:11-3:17)...

Deuteronomy 1 is all about the coming of Jesus. After all, Deuteronomy 1:38 says, "Jesus, the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it [the good land that I swore to give to your fathers - v35]." I know, your translation probably says "Joshua" – but Joshua is the same name as Jesus – and when the NT refers to "Joshua" it simply says "Jesus" – because that's his name! We'll see this several times in Deuteronomy – especially here in chapters 1 and 3 – and then again at the end of the book. But this contrast between Moses and Jesus – Moses and Joshua – plays a very important role in the book of Deuteronomy. To put it simply – Moses, the man of the Law, cannot bring you into the land. The Law was not intended as the means to enter the Land. The Law is not how you get in. The Law is how you live in the land. So how do we get in? Jesus – the man whose name means "Yahweh Saves" – only Jesus can bring you into the Promised Land!

[Sung Psalm: 29] We are looking today at Peter's discussion of "the days of Noah" – and if you want to understand what is so important about the "days of Noah," then you need to pay attention to what the rest of the scripture says about this. Often, our impulse is to go back to Genesis 6-9, and then try to make sense of what Peter is saying. But, of course, when Peter thinks about "the days of Noah" – he would remember what Isaiah had said as well...

Sermon outline: 1. Saved from Egypt (v. 5) 2. Straying Angels (v. 6) 3. Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7)

Sermon outline: 1. Foxes (vv. 18–20) 2. Fathers (vv. 21–22) 3. Faith (vv. 23–27)

Moses is about to die. But before he dies there are certain things that he wants Israel to remember. So Moses reminds them of what God has done for them. And what God has said to them. The book of Deuteronomy consists of three sermons which Moses gave to the children of Israel on the plains of Moab before his death, as they were about to enter the Promised Land. And right up front, in the first sermon of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds us of the importance of who leads you. While Moses speaks of many issues in Deuteronomy, one of the primary concerns he has is to ensure that the coming generations will have godly leadership. Therefore the book begins with his reminder to the Israelites of what happened when they listened to the wrong leaders; and it concludes with the transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua, the one who will cause them to inherit the land...

[Sung Psalm: 73] We're covering much of the same ground as last time – but this time with a different focus. Last time we focused on Christian character – from verse 8 – how our thinking should be characterized by unity of mind – which requires humility of mind; how our feeling should be characterized by sympathy (feeling with) – which requires a tender heart; and how both our thinking and our feeling (both head and guts) need to be characterized by brotherly love, which ties everything together in the Christian life. And we saw how this is demonstrated in Psalm 34 (the quotation in verses 10-12). The Christian life consists of loving God with all our heart, loving our neighbor as ourselves – and then, when we fail, we turn away from evil and do good! – we repent and believe the gospel. And when we live this way – when we are zealous for what is good – we have nothing to fear. Because even if we suffer for righteousness' sake, we are blessed! Christians should never sound scared of what might happen to us. What are you afraid of? Why should cross and trial grieve me? For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. And when we suffer for righteousness' sake, this is a gracious thing – it is a gracious gift from God. We are being conformed to the likeness of our Savior! But last time, we didn't really get into the latter part of the passage – especially verses 15-16 – which get at the heart of how we are conduct ourselves before the watching world...

Sermon outline: 1. Certain Creepers 2. Condemnation Confirmed 3. Contend For our Common Salvation

Josiah was the last – and best – of the good kings of Jerusalem. He was the best because he repented better than anyone else! He not only turned away from idols – he turned to the living God, and restored the worship of Jerusalem better than anyone before him. But by this time, it was too late. God's purpose in all of this story was to show us the need for Christ! We need a Son of David who will deal with sin once and for all...

[Sung Psalm: 34] Does Peter seem a little naive? "who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?" (v13) Remember this is the same Peter who watched Jesus die on the cross. "who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?" Peter remembers this very well! After all, his next line is: "but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed." Suffering unjustly is a gracious thing! When you suffer unjustly, you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ! This is why our dear brother – a pastor in Egypt several years ago – could say to those who bombed Egyptian churches on Easter Sunday, "thank you!" Thank you! You are giving us instant tickets to the one we love! Unjust suffering is not something good – or something to be desired or sought after! But it is a gracious thing. God's grace pervades the suffering and sanctifies us through it. It is not something you should seek – but neither should you hide from it. Today we come to the central exhortation of Peter's letter.

Have you ever had those moments? You did your best -- really! (not just half-heartedly, but you whole-heartedly did your best!) – but it still wasn't good enough. That's Josiah. According to the Word of God, Josiah was the best king ever. He followed God and did what he was supposed to do better than anyone. Even better than David? Well, what does verse 25 say: "Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, ccording to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him." That sure sounds like he was better than David! But even the best king ever was not good enough to turn Yahweh aside from his burning anger against Judah. Why not? "Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him." (2 Kings 23:26) There's the problem: the wages of sin is death. When it comes to God's holy standard, anything less than true holiness isn't enough! Once Manasseh's sin is on the books, there is no way for Josiah to erase it. All the faithful obedience in the world simply postpones and delays judgment. It cannot erase it...

Sermon outline: 1. The Authority of Jesus' Teaching (7:28–29) 2. The Authority of Jesus' Healing (8:1–4) 3. The Extent of Jesus' Healing (8:5–17) a. Unto the World b. Unto Salvation

[Sung Psalm: 128] Peter commands wives to "be subject to your own husbands." Submission is a difficult subject in our day. Plainly we live in a very different culture than the apostles did. But the point of what Peter is saying is the same in every time and place. What is submission? Peter enjoins submission three times in this section (2:13-3:6). Christians are to be subject to the emperor and other rulers. Slaves are to be subject to their masters. Wives are to be subject to their husbands. And later, he will say that the younger in the church should be subject to the elders (5:5) Does submission mean the same thing in all four cases? In one sense, yes. The word "likewise" suggests that there is a fundamental similarity between them. All were intended by God to be good: - The state was intended by God to praise the good and punish the wicked. - The master/servant relation was intended to be good, as the master is to reflect the kindness of God in his treatment of his servants. - The marriage relation was intended to reflect the love of God for his people. - And in the church, elders are called to shepherd the flock in the way of Christ. But all four have been perverted by sin: despotism and tyranny in the state; cruelty and oppression in master/servant relations; abuse and infidelity in marriage; domineering in the church. Peter is saying that the Christian must remember the purpose of these various institutions, and live according to that purpose – even when others forget. Because in each of these arenas, God is still in control. And those who trust in him have the confidence that he will turn all things to his glory and our good...

[Sung Psalm: 105] In 1 Peter 2 the apostle says that it is a gracious thing in the sight of God when we suffer unjustly in his service. A gracious thing?! How is it a gift of grace to suffer unjustly?! Remember the story of Joseph! In Genesis 39 we certainly hear about Joseph's unjust suffering. He does what is right – and is punished for it! And yet this is a gracious thing – because God will use all these sufferings to bring salvation for his people! The problem is that we tend to be forgetful... and so we respond to unjust suffering with grumbling and groaning – and we turn away from the LORD and we forget him...

We saw last time that Manasseh is best described as "an idolatrous Solomon on steroids." We saw last time that when Manasseh made Judah to sin God declared that it was time to pull the plug on the house of David. We've been seeing for the whole series that the message of the book of Kings is that Israel and Judah must die. Tonight we see very poignantly that there is nothing that can save Judah from death. All of God's blessings to Israel are found in the reign of Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23: - a reforming king, - a faithful priest, - a true prophetess, - a cleansed and properly functioning temple, - and renewed obedience to the law. But the story of Josiah makes it abundantly clear that none of these things is enough: - A reforming king cannot save them. - The temple cannot save them. - A prophet cannot save them. - A faithful priest cannot save them. - Even obedience to the law cannot save them. Israel's hope is not that they will escape death - Israel's hope is that there is life beyond the grave. Israel's hope is that God will raise them from the dead...

One commentator describes Manasseh as "an idolatrous Solomon on steroids." (Leithart) The other way of saying it is, "the Ahab of the South." Think back to the Omri – and his dynasty (the third story in the book of Kings). Omri was a parody of David. Everything about Omri reminded us of David – he was the general of the previous king, and a few years after he took power he built a new capital city. And then Omri's son built a temple for his god. Omri's son was Ahab. And we saw that Ahab was very much like Solomon – except the temple he built was for Baal. If Hezekiah is the greatest king since David, one would expect his son to be like Solomon. And Manasseh was a great temple builder – but his building projects are all idolatrous. Indeed, Manasseh is rightly compared to both Solomon and Ahab – he is truly an idolatrous Solomon on steroids! Manasseh reminds us – over and over – for 55 years – that the wages of sin is death, but – for 55 years – this most wicked king in all of Jerusalem's history – refuses to die. Why does God do this? Kings never answers this question. Only the book of Chronicles will point out that Manasseh repented! The book of Kings never mentions Manasseh's repentance! Why not? Because the book of King is focused on how Jerusalem wound up in exile. Manasseh's repentance is irrelevant to the story of the book of Kings. The book of Kings wants you to see that Manasseh's sin resulted in the death of Jerusalem. The Chronicler wants you to see that there is hope even for sinners like Manasseh! But the book of Kings wants you to see that in the middle of the story, sometimes we don't understand why God allows wickedness to prosper...

[Sung Psalm: 67] In chapter 1, Peter showed us the eschatological hope of salvation – as God "has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance is that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1:3-5) And this eschatological hope is rooted in the Christological substance of salvation – the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1:3), or in 1:18-19, "you were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ" And all of this comes to us through the preaching of the gospel (the kerygmatic means of salvation – since kerygma means "preaching"). Then at the beginning of chapter 2, Peter shows us how we are living stones, being built up in Christ, the chief cornerstone, into a dwelling place for God. Peter tells us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation – drawing on the language of Exodus 19 – which God spoke to Israel. In other words, Peter is telling the church, that YOU ARE what Israel was called to be. In Jesus Christ, who himself is the true Israel, you have become citizens of the kingdom of God. Your identity is no longer that of Americans. You are now Christians. And as citizens of the kingdom of God you cannot live the way you once did...

We have come to the final section of the book of Kings: the end of the house of David (at least as a ruling power). And the last chapter of Hezekiah's life is the first chapter in this final story. It is the beginning of the end. Because in those days, Hezekiah became sick...

[Sung Psalm: 34] At the end of chapter one, Peter said that you have been born again "not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." "And this word is the good news that was preached to you." So we have the eschatological hope – that's where we're going! We have the Christological core – we are born again in Christ – joined to his life. And we have the kerygmatic means! Kerygma is the Greek word for "preaching." It is through the preaching – it is by means of the proclamation of the word - that we are born again to this living hope. As Paul says, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Rom 10:17) And so because of this – because of the eschatological hope (the goal), because the Christological core – the substance of our faith, and the kerygmatic means of grace in preaching – that Peter opens Chapter 2 telling us to crave pure spiritual milk...

Last time, we saw that Hezekiah was the best king in Jerusalem since David – "he trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him." His father, Ahaz, had renounced his Davidic sonship, acknowledging Tiglath-pileser – King of Assyria – as his father, but Hezekiah is a true son of David. After the death of the house of Ahab, the house of David renewed the covenant under Joash; and now after the death of the northern kingdom, the house of David renews the covenant under Hezekiah. God is faithful to his promises to David. And even when he brings judgment against his people, his purpose is to restore his people under the son of David forever...

Does this language ring any bells for anyone? "they stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field." Have you heard of this place? It is the place where, thirty years earlier, God had sent Isaiah the prophet to meet Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, "at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer's Field." It was here, thirty years earlier, that Isaiah told Ahaz to ask for a sign, "But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.'" And so Isaiah replied, "The Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:3-14) So this is the place where God had promised Immanuel – God with us. In a very real way, Hezekiah himself was a partial fulfillment of this promise. Verse 7 of 2 Kings 18 tells us this: "The LORD was with him" Truly, with the coming of Hezekiah, there was at least a partial beginning of what God had promised: that he would be with his people! And now, in the same place where that promise was made to Hezekiah's father, comes precisely what his father had feared! The Assyrian army. Ahaz did not trust in the LORD. What will his son do?

[Sung Psalm: 99] "You shall be holy, for I am holy." How do you react to this call? Do you say, "that's impossible!"? On one sense, that's the right reaction – for no one can be holy exactly the way God is. But that is NOT what Peter is saying. God is not saying "be holy exactly as I am holy". No, God says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." Because I am holy, therefore you are to be holy. This sort of holiness is what God calls us to. And if God has called us to be holy, then let us believe his promises, and in faith, obey his commands. So what does it mean to "be holy, for I am holy"?...

The overarching pattern of the book of Kings communicates clearly that the wages of sin is death. Israel is going to die. Judah is going to die. And there is nothing you can do to stop it! Reforming kings are great! But their sons do not follow in their paths – and so the relentless tide of destruction continues. Godly priests are wonderful! But all it takes is one weak link to break the chain of succession. And faithful prophets who proclaim the word of the LORD are essential! But as we saw in the central stories of Elijah and Elisha – all they can do is bear witness to the word of the LORD! They cannot change the hearts of man! But Elijah and Elisha do bear witness to the solution! Yes, Israel is going to die. Yes, Judah is going to die. Yes, the wages of sin is death! Israel's hope is not that reforming kings can save them. Israel's hope is not that faithful prophets will deliver them! No, Israel's hope is that God will raise the dead! That's why Elijah raises one son from the dead. And Elisha raises another! And right in between those two events is the ascension of Elijah up into heaven! Israel's hope is that God raises the dead and seats him in the heavenly places!