8.2.20 Sermon Notes

A LIVING HOPE “LIVING HONORABLY” 1 Peter 2:11-17 (NKJV)
Sunday, August 2, 2020, Dr. Mike Milburn

Living Before the World
11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government
13Therefore submit yourselves to every [c]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for [d]vice, but as bondservants of God. 17Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:11-17 (NKJV)

From its inception, the Christian Faith has been under attack. Herod tried to kill the baby Jesus. They crucified the Lord. Stephen became the first Christian martyr (Acts 7). James, one of the 12 Disciples was murdered in Acts 12, and the persecution of the Church only ramped up from there.
The 1st Century Church was accused of
• Immorality – Agape Feasts
• Terrorism – the burning of Rome
• Cannibalism – the Lord’s Supper

Oh, to be sure, there have been brief periods of public acceptance, such as in America until the 1960’s. In the Bible Belt, we have been largely insulated from the rising anti-Christian bias. But today in America, the Church is under serious attack. Her enemies specialize in lies, innuendo, and misrepresentation.

The Character of Christ-Followers. v11
Character is revealed by who you are when

.

The Conduct of Christ-Followers. v12
The total range of a Christ-Follower’s behavior should be marked by

& .

The Code of Christ-Followers. vv13-17
The Code is summed up in three short commands, under the banner – Honor All People:

God. Jesus in Matthew 10:28

other Believers

the King

By doing this, the Christ-Follower
• Silences the Church’s

. v15

• Engenders begrudging

. v12

• Bears a

witness for Christ. v12

The Point of Commitment. The Lord Jesus is our example in how we are to conduct ourselves in the public arena with its growing hostility toward the Church. Will you follow Him?