I Am a Servant - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

1^st Peter – Living as Sojourners and Exiles

Pt. 4: I Am a Servant

By Louie Marsh, 6-25-2023

 

 

 

1) Submission is the CORE of the Christian life.

 

“¹³Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13–14, ESV)

 

The words “submit yourselves” are the translation of a Greek military term meaning “to arrange in military fashion under the command of a leader.” One could translate, “put yourselves in the attitude of submission to.” The exhortation is not merely to obey ordinances, but to create and maintain that attitude of heart which will always lead one to obey them. - Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 60–61.

 

“¹Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” (Romans 13:1–2, ESV)

 

·       God created government because we NEED IT.

 

·       I submit to God FIRST, everything else after that.

 

“²⁸saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:28–31, ESV)

 

2) A submissive heart is the GOD’S WILL for me.

 

“¹⁵For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ¹⁷Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:15–17, ESV)

 

3) But I work for a jerk!

 

“¹⁸Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. ¹⁹For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” (1 Peter 2:18–19, ESV)

 

“²³Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23–24, ESV)

 

4) Following Jesus HURTS.

 

“²⁰For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:20–21, ESV)

 

5) Jesus suffered to SAVE ME.

 

“²²He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:22–25, ESV)

 

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