[0:00] This whole section, verses 129 to 136, the God's praise, thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful. Thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful.
[0:21] Thy soul and peace with Him. The endless of thy words, yet I, which wise to send the fire.
[0:49] Thy heart, thy heart, why go and live?
[1:00] Thy heart, thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, thy heart, why go and live?
[1:15] Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live?
[1:26] Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live?
[1:37] Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live?
[1:48] Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live? Thy heart, why go and live?
[1:59] I need you to be loved. O, as my footsteps in thy word, I might still or may be nor may Where I may hope and niembre will be while may be O, as my footsteps in themelody O, as my footsteps in thy word ex posthum Keep it in the instant come to an end From hands of air should sit there in me, so keep thy doors, thy will.
[3:09] Thy gates may call, thy safe sunshine, teach me thy sound you still.
[3:30] Dread earth of water, from my night, it burned when thy soul hath redeemed me, run all this sin, and do not keep thy door.
[4:15] Now as the Lord enables us, let us turn again to this portion of Scripture which we have read together. 1 Peter 2 Reading again at the beginning of the chapter Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up, a spiritual house and holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
[5:18] One or two thoughts on these words. Now the first epistle general of Peter was written at a time when the church was suffering much persecution.
[5:35] And we see from the very beginning of this letter, first epistle of Peter, that Peter is addressing the followers of Christ who are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.
[5:59] And it would seem that the persecution that the church was suffering had something to do with the fact that these people were scattered abroad in these various parts.
[6:13] And the apostle, he recognizes, although they are scattered and suffering at the hands of those who persecute the church, he addresses them as people who are highly favored and blessed by God.
[6:33] He, for example, in chapter 1 at the beginning of verse 2, he reminds us that they were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
[6:47] They were a people, despite the way the world was treating them, they were a people upon whom God's blessing was resting in this world and whom God had foreknown from the beginning, even from all eternity.
[7:07] God's eye was upon them and his purpose for them was that they be blessed. And of course the fact that they were suffering doesn't cancel out the blessing that they were enjoying from that point of view.
[7:27] We know that the people of God often suffer in this world. When you read some of the reports that come from various countries where Christianity is not held in high esteem, we know that there are many people in prison, even this day, because they are Christians.
[7:48] Some people have been put to death because they are Christians, because they love the Lord Jesus Christ and are willing to die rather than deny him.
[8:00] And we see here that these people, although they were suffering, they were the elect people of God. And we see also in verse 4 of chapter 1 that they have allocated or appointed to them an inheritance in heaven, an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away, which is reserved in heaven for them.
[8:31] They may not have had much of this world's riches or possessions, but what does that matter when they had laid up for them in heaven an inheritance that cannot be touched by the hands of the evil one or the enemies of Christ?
[8:51] And then also in verse 5 of chapter 1, he goes on, as it were, expanding this picture of the great favour and blessedness of those who are suffering and scattered abroad.
[9:06] He says in verse 5 in chapter 1 that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. God has not only named them as his own people, but he is present with them.
[9:22] His arms are surrounding them, protecting them, upholding them, giving them grace for every situation. When they feel that they have come to the end of their resources, his grace revives them once again because they are being kept by him and they cannot be destroyed.
[9:42] However much the evil one will try and break them and destroy them. You know that I often remember something that the late Professor Collins said to us one day in the history class in the college.
[10:02] I can't remember the actual theme upon which he was speaking, but this came out of what he was saying. He said, you are indispensable and indestructible until your work is done.
[10:17] And there is a sense in which that is what we have here. The people of God are kept by the power of God. And it says they are kept through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time.
[10:33] So these are the people to whom this letter is being sent. A people greatly blessed and owned by the Lord. But then when we come to the beginning of chapter 2 where we mentioned our text, we see that the people who are so blessed have particular responsibilities that they have to fulfil.
[10:59] And there are three things I think that we can highlight in the first few verses of chapter 2 that he places before them as responsibilities.
[11:11] First of all, there are things that they have to lay aside. Laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings.
[11:23] That is one thing. What they have to lay aside. Secondly, he commends something for them to desire and long after.
[11:36] In verse 2, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
[11:49] That is the second thing. And the third thing. He directs them towards a particular goal. He gives them a focus for their life.
[12:02] And we see there in verse 4 and 5. He is talking about in verse 3, the Lord whom they have tasted to be gracious.
[12:13] And he says, to whom coming. That is, coming to the Lord as unto a living stone. Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. He also as lively stones have built up a spiritual house.
[12:25] A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He gives them this focus. This direction of travel, shall we say.
[12:39] These three things. Things they have to lay aside. A desire that they have to exercise. And a direction in which they are asked to travel.
[12:52] And I would like to say a few words under each of these three headings. First of all, he asks them to lay certain things aside. Wherefore, he says, having covered everything that he has said in the first chapter, mentioning the various blessings that they have received.
[13:14] Now, he says, in the light of all that, this is something you have to take on board. You have to lay aside certain things. And he says that there are these things.
[13:28] Malice. And guile. And hypocrisies. And envies. And all evil speakings. Maybe you are surprised to read that this is something you have to take on board.
[13:43] Maybe you are surprised to read that these things may even be present with those who are elect of God. Those who have tasted that he is gracious. Those who have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not of his reserved in heaven.
[13:58] Those who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. How is it possible to speak of these sins and bad attitudes in the same breath as these blessings that they have received?
[14:17] Well, every Christian will tell you. Every Christian taught by the Spirit of God and from the Word of God that he or she is not perfect in this world.
[14:30] Although they have tasted of the grace of God and have had their sins forgiven. There remains with them and within them. As the confession of faith puts it, a remnant of corruption.
[14:45] Still within us. And this is the focus of what he is saying here I believe. He is saying to them all of these nasty things.
[14:59] That corrupt nature. You are by grace to lay it aside. Lay it aside. Lay it aside. And see the people of God here this evening.
[15:13] Are ready to accept that they themselves discover things in their own thinking and in their own lifestyle.
[15:27] From which they want to recoil. You remember what the Apostle Paul was saying in Romans chapter 7. He said, The good that I would, I do not.
[15:40] But the evil that I would not, that I do. The Apostle discovers that there are two laws working within his soul and life.
[15:52] The law of sin which seeks to assert itself. The law of sin. And the law of sin. The flesh lusts against the spirit.
[16:03] And the spirit against the flesh. So that you cannot do what you want to do. And the Apostle Peter here is saying, you have got to lay these things aside.
[16:17] You cannot let the flesh dominate your life. You cannot let the flesh ruin. The Apostle. The Apostle writing to the Ephesians in chapter 4.
[16:30] he puts this light on he asks them to put off concerning the former lifestyle the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which after you is created or after God is created in righteousness and true holiness put off the old clothes the old habits the things that belong to the old lifestyle don't let them be what you wear lay them aside and we see in Romans chapter 8 what the apostle there is saying if you live after the flesh you shall die but if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live the apostle Paul and Peter are talking about the same kind of thing aren't they?
[17:46] Peter says lay them aside Paul says mortify these things kill them by the Holy Spirit's enabling and you say well how am I able to do that?
[18:02] I acknowledge that I know in my own heart that there is malice and envy and guile and hypocrisy and maybe evil speakings and lust and wordliness and a whole long list of things how am I going to cast these things out or lay these things aside but we cannot in our own strength can we?
[18:35] we cannot in our own strength I believe that we need the grace of God to respond to this verse surely repentance has something to do with fulfilling what the apostle Peter here is saying what is repentance unto life?
[18:59] well the catechism reminds us that repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after in obedience can you see the picture?
[19:29] lay aside all these things it's as if he's saying turn away from them leave them behind you don't let them clothe your lifestyle and we need the grace of repentance to turn away from all of these things martin loyd jones once said that christianity starts with repentance and turning away from all sin from every known sin turning away from it unto God and those who turn away from it will show in their life that they have done so the teaching of forgiveness without turning from sin is a great error if we are seeking forgiveness we must by God's grace turn from our sin that is the way of living a christian life empty of repentance
[20:53] I don't think it's possible and he says here lay aside these things this evening in this congregation looking forward to the lord's supper on the lord's day god willing reminded of what the lord jesus christ says to us in the scriptures let a man examine himself and so take this bread and this wine we have to have self-examination and when we discover the sinfulness of our hearts we will ask the lord give me the grace of repentance that I may lay aside these things that would seek to dominate and destroy my life and character and turn from them unto God with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience turning aside false sin unto God that's the first thing and that's a responsibility that devolves upon every one of ourselves lay aside these things that are so destructive secondly he gives them or he highlights a desire that they ought to have and cultivate in their life in verse 2 as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby thereby the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby these people had had experience of the word of God in their lives before this in fact in verse 23 in the previous chapter he says of them that they have been born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abindeth forever you see the word of God has dealt with these people and it is the word of God in the hand of the spirit of God that deals with people in their hearts and lives unto salvation and he says you must have a continuing healthy relationship with the word of God for you to grow desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby you remember what the apostle
[23:59] Paul said writing to Timothy 2 Timothy 3 and he says of him that he was from a child that he had known the holy scriptures and then he expands and he says the scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus and then he goes on all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that a man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works it's all in the scriptures I know that good commentaries are to be recommended good Christian writings are to be studied and prayed over and received as long as they are in accordance with the scriptures but first and foremost make the word of God your first port of call every morning before you set fruit out of your house and every evening before you close your eyes may the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament be the focus of your life he says as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby
[25:29] Lord thee my God I rarely seek my soul doth thirst for thee my flesh longs in a dry parched land for in no water be and then he comes into the presence of God and he sees the vast resources available to him that he may grow in grace and in the knowledge of this God Lord and Saviour I once heard an old elder commenting on growth in grace and he said this how do we how are we expected to grow and he said we're expected to grow upwards in heavenly desire we're then expected to grow downwards in humility grow inwards cleaving fast to Christ and outwards with our holy life and this is what he's asking these people to be desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby that you may feast your soul upon the promises of God's word upon the doctrines that will root you deeper and deeper in the things of God on the person of Christ that you may admire him and rejoice in his presence and know more of his peace and of his love in your own heart and life and the picture he gives of desires so stunning isn't it when he says as newborn babes desire desire the sincere milk of the world that you may grow most of us
[28:03] I'm sure have seen if not newborn then very little babes and when the time comes round before they're feeling surely they start crying almost invariably and nothing will stop the urgent cry of the newborn babe like the babe receiving a drink of milk a drink of milk didn't they used to say that was the first cry the newborn babe made that there were three particular things in it firstly within the cry of the babe there was this wash me newly born the babe needs to be washed and he cries wash me and secondly he cries clothe me and then feed me there is that urgent cry of the babe and surely that is something that continues with the
[29:26] Christian not that they need to be washed with the washing of regeneration more than once no they do not but the Lord needs to wash us as he washed the feet of the disciples in John 13 when he took the basin you remember he went around and he washed the feet of each one of them and he acknowledged that the feet needed to be washed although they didn't need a bath to have a whole washer as it were they had been cleansed forgiven already but nevertheless the dirt that their feet picked up of the roads that they had been walking needed to be washed off so it is with us so it is with us as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby the question for us all is are we growing it is one thing to begin but are we growing maybe you would visit a newborn babe one day and going back to the same house
[30:42] I hear later you would expect the babe to be grown so much but if you discovered that the babe was the same size you see there's something wrong here the baby's not developing maybe the milk isn't up to standard maybe there's something else wrong we as believers need to desire the sincere milk of the world that we might go where do we come that we may have a fill of this wonderful milk of God's word that will teach us and through which we can be sanctified well you come to the Bible in your own private time you also come to the public meetings in the house of God to hear the word of God explained and opened up preached and you know you must attend upon that word with diligence and with preparation and with prayer this is what the directory of public worship says for us to make the best use of the means available to us we must come with diligence preparation and prayer that you may grow thereby if so you have tasted that the
[32:21] Lord is gracious it's not a wonderful phrase in that third verse that they have tasted that the Lord is gracious maybe they were sitting hearing the word of God and the word of God penetrated into their hearts and souls sometimes think of Lydia when you read in Acts 16 when Paul and his companions went across there to Philippi and he went down to the riverside and there were a number of women gathered for prayer and Paul began to preach and it says of Lydia that she heard or listened to what Paul was saying and she responded to it because the Lord had opened her heart the Lord had opened her heart he accompanied the word preached with his gracious favour and power and she was able to respond to him to the gospel and she gave ample proof in her life that that response was one of faith and love maybe you remember a time in this church when you knew something of the grace of God in your own heart like Wesley of old said that he felt his heart strangely warmed as the word of
[34:00] God was being read and expanded have you been aware of the warming influence of the Holy Spirit of God drawing you away from sin and turning your whole life around God the apostle Paul had a very sudden experience of that we believe on the road to Damascus but the Lord turns people around very gradually also so that they are facing eventually the opposite way to the way that they have been facing before their life is turned around because the grace and the favour and the blessing of God has come and given them an appetite for heavenly milk heavenly food and given them a hatred for all kinds of sin desire the sincere milk of the word that you may go thereby if so be you have tasted that the
[35:08] Lord is gracious and thirdly he gives them shall I say a direction of travel in verse 4 and 5 he's been talking about the Lord who has shown his grace to them in verse 4 and now the Lord to whom coming as unto a living stone this word to whom coming is what the people who know grammar describe as a present participle it is something that keeps going on to whom come but enough just to come and go and maybe come again sometime down the line and then go back the picture we have here is coming to him all the time or surely it's true that if we have tasted something of the love of Christ and seen a good glimpse of his beauty as same we will want to spend as much time in his company as possible to whom coming and then he says coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but grossen of God and precious it's not a very interesting picture coming to the
[36:43] Lord as unto a living stone what does he mean by this well I think what he's talking about here is the reference we have to the Lord as the foundation stone of his church remember what it says in Psalm 118 verse 22 that stone was made head cornerstone which builders did despise this is the doing of the Lord and one was in our eyes to whom coming as unto a living stone in other words coming to the foundation stone to Christ himself and set your feet upon this rock against which the gates of hell cannot ever prevail what kind of foundation are you building on this evening is it your own works that foundation will crack is it something else well whatever foundation you're building on for eternity no foundation will sustain you except the foundation that is
[38:10] Christ Jesus our Lord in his passion as the eternal son of God the God man and in his finished work his work of perfect obedience in this world and the sacrifice of himself on the cross that is the foundation stone upon which the church of Christ is built a living stone well I think what Peter is here saying is when we come to this stone we will know the life of Christ within us we will know something of what it is to be in a vital union relationship with God through Christ Jesus remember what Christ says to the disciples I give them eternal life and none shall pluck them out of my hand that also is a part of
[39:12] I am giving them eternal life it is not something that he left with them as it were but he constantly supplies this life to them day by day even the days when they're feeling most miserable and most challenged by sin and the world and the devil Christ sustains them with this new life spiritual life eternal life prevailing upon them in all the faculties of their being Christ as the foundation stone is disallowed indeed of men it says in verse 4 but he's chosen of God and precious and then verse 5 it goes on you also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
[40:14] God by Jesus Christ when we come to Jesus Christ we are integrated into this glorious house of God buildings like this are wood and stone this isn't the church in North Tolster the church in North Tolster is made up of all those in this community who are joined to Christ by faith young middle aged elderly strong and weak doesn't matter what their circumstances might be if they're joined together with Christ through faith if they have received Christ and rest upon him alone for salvation they are members of the church they are stones in his glorious edifice and then he says you as lively stones are built up as the ritual house it is the
[41:25] Lord who undertakes to build up his house it is not ministers although ministers are used to teach and preach it is it is God himself who effectively calls sinners out of darkness into his marvellous light it is God as it were who puts row upon row of stones upon this spiritual house and they are united to Christ in their effectual calling and they all receive of his life and they are a spiritual house and they are a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ isn't that an amazing statement that all the members of Christ's church are priests we remember that
[42:32] Jesus Christ himself is the great high priest and he accomplished by his life and death what we could never accomplish he offered himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile his people to God with one sacrifice he has forever made perfect those who have sanctified that one sacrifice was all that God required from the great high priest who is our Lord Jesus that salvation may come to his people but the thing is in what respect are the people of God priests well it says here that they offer up spiritual sacrifices they offer themselves and their lifestyle as it were upon the altar of
[43:38] God here am I Isaiah said send me if you read in Isaiah chapter 6 you'll see there that the Lord asked whom shall I send and who will go for us and immediately I say here am I send me I offer myself my service my talents everything that I am I offer in service to God for he says brethren by the nurses of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable selves and this is what
[44:56] Peter is asking these people I believe the people who have been blessed already who are elect of God who are the inheritors of eternal glory who are kept by the power of God and all of these wonderful things he says to them now there are things you have to lay aside there are things that you have to desire and there are things that you have to have us focus for your life desire the sincere milk of the word lay aside all these sinful traits and come regularly unto Jesus as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of me but chosen of God and precious and I pray that as the services of communion continue that you will all know the blessing of God upon your own hearts and lives as you seek to come unto him as unto our living stone chosen of
[46:01] God and precious and that you all may be able to know what it is to offer up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God by Christ Jesus let us pray Lord O God help us this evening to express our thanks to thee for thy great kindness in giving us yet another opportunity to open thy word and to meditate upon it and to gather with thy dear people here in this place we pray for thy rich blessing to be upon every one of them this evening as they go home some may be to a home with nobody there but themselves others to a home full of family but we thank thee that if we have thee as our friend and our good shepherd we have the best company that we can have in this world we pray for thy blessing to be upon the ministers who are expected to come or the services expected to be conducted here in the days to come we pray that thy presence may be known unto the salvation of many forgive us sin for
[47:35] Jesus sake amen so we conclude by singing to God's praise from psalm 119 and at verse 57 thou my sure portion art alone which I did choose O Lord I have resolved and said that I would keep thy holy word my whole heart I did entreat thy face and favor free according to thy gracious word be merciful to me I thought upon my former ways and did my life well try and to thy testimony is pure my feet then turned I I did not stay not linger long as those that slothful are but hastily thy laws to keep myself I did prepare these tanzas psalm 119 verses 57 to 60 thou my sure portion art alone with k indulge un pound
[48:53] Ço io roar un hy in threw forth You My lovely soul, I'm safe, that I would be like holy birth.
[49:26] With my whole heart I live empty, I face my victory.
[49:46] I'm walking to thy gracious word, in mercy unto thee.
[50:09] I thought upon my former race, and in my life will die.
[50:31] I knew I'd like to call me true.
[50:43] My feet then turned and died. I did not shame nor finger on.
[51:04] I thought upon my heart, but I did not shame.
[51:16] I did not shame nor finger on.
[51:28] I thought upon my heart, I did not shame. I thought upon my heart, I would be like holy birth. Thank you. Thank you.