Service Times
Worship Service
Sun. 9:30am – 10:30am
Sunday School
Sun. 10:45am – 11:20am
Prayer Meeting & Bible Study
Wed. 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Crusaders Club (Seasonal)
Thurs. 3:00pm – 5:30pm
Crusaders Teens (Seasonal)
Thurs. 6:00pm – 8:00pm
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:12 — 33.2MB) Subscribe: 1 Peter 2:13 – 17
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Today there’s a large part of our culture and society that ridicules, slanders, and condemns true Christians. Christians are often represented as uninformed rightists who condemn everyone who doesn’t think exactly as they do. The sad truth is way too many Christians let people think like that because they are themselves afraid of presenting a proper picture of what biblical Christianity really is. In this section Peter tells us how we as Christians are to live as proper citizens.
- OUR PRACTICE = BE SUBJECT! V. 13. There are two words in this verse that raised the hair on the back of our necks. Those words are “subjection, and every.” If you remember earlier we learned subjection is a product of creation and is designed by God as protection rather than punishment. We also learned “every/all” is God’s requirement for true Biblical wealth from a spiritual viewpoint. So that leaves us just “human institutions.” Christians are to be subject first to God’s laws, then we follow the rules of human government. As true believers we are required to follow the law of the land only as long as those laws don’t violate or contradict God’s laws in any way. At any point where any government law goes against Scripture in any way, true Christians are at the point of conflict to follow God, not man! One writer explained it this way: Peter is telling us as true Christians we are to be subject to the Emperor = federal government; and the governor = state and local governments because of their redemptive relationship to the Lord. Nowhere does Scripture ever tell Christians they must rejoice with, agree with, or swallow everything that “comes out of the palace!” We are citizens of heaven and as such we are to live here as proper citizens within our governments.
- OUR PREMISE = BE SERVANTS! V. 15, 16. Here Peter is telling us we are to live as free men, who are servants to God. The biblical truth is we cannot be servants of God until we are first freed from slavery in sin. Our salvation accomplishes that! The desire of the true Christians heart is to live in total servant-hood to God. When we as Christians do that, God than assumes responsibility for us and our reputation, and when the ungodly or unsaved trump up charges against us they are silenced! Finally notice
- OUR PROCEDURE = BE! Peter gives us four imperatives that are hallmarks of Christian character. You will notice the first and the fourth are the same. Peter begins and ends with “honor.” He then uses three verbs that set the tone for all interpersonal relationships. Notice that honor and fear are directed from true Christians to all other people. Fear is directed only to God. In this context fear means fright, dread, or horror. It is not the Greek word translated “respect” rather it means dread fear. With a proper fear of God all other things fall into place. So the question is what kind of citizen are you?
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:20 — 36.3MB) Subscribe: 1 Peter 2: 11, 12
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. One of the most common reasons people hesitate is a fear of being asked a question they can’t answer. God knew it would be difficult for recovering sinners to share their salvation with the lost so he inspired Peter to give us a way to witness without talking. He has been telling us how to interact with each other as believers. Now Peter is going to tell us how we should interact with unbelievers. If we can’t and don’t behave properly with one another as redeemed children of God, we cannot possibly have a proper heart for witnessing to unbelievers. Peter first tells us to:
- PROTECT YOUR SOUL! In our current culture and society of easy believe is him where Christianity has been reduced to God’s welfare program where all you have to do is tell God what you want, and he gets it for you so you can be happy. The biblical truth is that even though all Christians are eternally secure in their salvation, no Christian anywhere is exempt from demonic attack. Peter is just one writer of Scripture that repeatedly warns us to be on guard against such panic attack read 1 Peter 5:8. Does that sound appealing to you? Of course not, we are to protect our souls at all times from Satanic attack in this first Peter tells Christians to be vigilant, alert, and self-controlled, why? So we don’t get eaten alive! In this verse he’s telling us how to be vigilant. Peter also says I urge you, which means strongly recommend, or even warning. In the Old Testament it would be “you shall not.” It implies an absolute action in abstaining or refraining one’s self from doing something. Only a truly redeemed heart that belongs totally to the Lord can do that all any Christian has to do is drop their guard a little, and the devil is right there to tear them up. You must work hard to protect your soul.
- PROCLAIM YOUR SALVATION! If you are intimidated by the thought of talking to someone about salvation or the Bible this verse ought to thrill your heart in essence Peter is saying let the unsaved do all the talking, you just live your life as God directs and he will handle the rest. FYI, if you don’t protect your soul, you can’t proclaim your salvation. Peter is going to show us how our life as a Christian is not just God working, not just us working, but God working through us. Notice the requirement keep your conduct honorable we would say it this way “at all times in all situations keep on keeping your conduct honorable.” However, when we do that we are promised there will be repercussions. Satan relentlessly attacks us for two reasons: first, to wear us out, and to wear us down so we give up and quit. Second, to make us think God is mad at us because we are wrong in some way. The most important truths to learn from this is living and honorable Christian life guarantees severe spiritual persecution and constant satanic attack. The blessing or result to all this is our good deeds are seen and God is glorified. So hang in there; there is both rhyme and reason to the best way to witness to the lost.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.0MB) Subscribe: “The Good Word” radio segment is broadcast from Logansport, Indiana by Indiana’s Best Radio.
It can be found on Hoosier Country 103.7FM Monday-Saturday around 8:05am (just after the 8 o’clock news).
Listen to 1230 AM WSAL on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays around 8:05am and about 7:40am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.0MB) Subscribe: “The Good Word” radio segment is broadcast from Logansport, Indiana by Indiana’s Best Radio.
It can be found on Hoosier Country 103.7FM Monday-Saturday around 8:05am (just after the 8 o’clock news).
Listen to 1230 AM WSAL on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays around 8:05am and about 7:40am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.0MB) Subscribe: “The Good Word” radio segment is broadcast from Logansport, Indiana by Indiana’s Best Radio.
It can be found on Hoosier Country 103.7FM Monday-Saturday around 8:05am (just after the 8 o’clock news).
Listen to 1230 AM WSAL on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays around 8:05am and about 7:40am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.0MB) Subscribe: “The Good Word” radio segment is broadcast from Logansport, Indiana by Indiana’s Best Radio.
It can be found on Hoosier Country 103.7FM Monday-Saturday around 8:05am (just after the 8 o’clock news).
Listen to 1230 AM WSAL on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays around 8:05am and about 7:40am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00 — 1.0MB) Subscribe: “The Good Word” radio segment is broadcast from Logansport, Indiana by Indiana’s Best Radio.
It can be found on Hoosier Country 103.7FM Monday-Saturday around 8:05am (just after the 8 o’clock news).
Listen to 1230 AM WSAL on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays around 8:05am and about 7:40am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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