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welcome to everyone you may turn in your scriptures to Isaiah the prophet chapter 52 for our call to worship Isaiah 52 I'll begin reading in verse 13 behold my servant shall deal prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high just as many were astonished at you so his visages marred more than any man and his form more than the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many nations Kings shall shut their mouths at him for what had not been told them they shall see and what they had not heard they shall consider who has believed our report and to whom as the arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground he has no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we did not esteem him surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken smitten by God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it's Shearer's is silent so he opened not his mouth he was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked but with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors amen will please turn in your Trinity hymnal to Psalm 134 Psalm 134 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] let us pray father what a blessed Psalm to sing to you and response to your grace and your mercy and your loving-kindness we thank you that you are so kind and merciful we thank you that you have shown the Lord Jesus Christ to us you have given us that blessed interest in his life as death as resurrection we thank you for all of the benefits that you have poured out upon us and even tonight as we gather to remember in a special way our Lord's death on our behalf may this be a time of encouragement may it be a time where our faith is strengthened and may it be the case that we all grow in the Grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ what a blessed privilege it is to commune with the true and the Living God and what a privilege it is to communicate commune with the brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ what a blessing it is father for you to have saved us free of brought us together tonight to worship and we pray that all that we do would redound to the praise and the glory of our great God even Father Son and Holy Spirit we confess again our transgressions and our sins unto you knowing that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared knowing that you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so god do wash us now in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and as we eat this bread and as we drink this cup not only do we proclaim his death until he comes we speak great peace to our own hearts as we recall the finished work of the Savior on behalf of his people we ask father that you would be well pleased to encourage and strengthen each and everyone in this local church we pray for those who have the physical challenges on a daily basis we ask God that they would have strength that they would have blessing that they would have encouragement from God Most High to persevere and to glorify you in the midst of affliction and suffering and hardship and trial and God prepare each and every one of us spiritually to enter into a new week we know father that your purpose is in our salvation to conform us unto the image of your beloved son and we pray that those things would take place and that we would be faithful witnesses to you in this world that we would shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and that we would have the boldness and the courage to hold forth the word of truth and our Father we pray that tonight you would just bless and strengthen each one here that you would cause us Lord God to stand amazed that the glory of the Saviour who lived for us and died for us and rose again for us and we pray these things now in his most blessed name amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to number 429 429 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to first Peter chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2 for our meditation before the Lord's Supper the bulk of first Peter is practical in nature the doctrinal foundation is chapter 1 verses 1 to 12 and then after that comes mostly practical exhortation for the people of God on how to live before God in this present world there's heavy emphasis by Peter on submission we are to submit to government we are to submit as slaves to masters wives are to submit to husbands and younger people are to submit to their elders so that is a key emphasis by the Apostle in this passage specific or in this book specifically I want to focus on verses 21 to 25 in at first Peter chapter 2 but I do want to begin reading in verse 13 so first Peter chapter 2 at verse 13 therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the lord's sake whether to the king as supreme or to governors as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good for this is the will of God that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free yet not using Liberty as a cloak for vice but as bond servants of God honor all people love the Brotherhood fear God honor the king servants be submissive to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh for this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief suffering wrongfully for what credit is it if when you are beaten for your faults you take it patiently but when you do good and suffer if you take it patiently this is commendable before God for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth who was reviled did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed for you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and overseer of your souls amen let us pray our Father we thank you for that written word that you have given to us we thank you that it demonstrates from cover to cover the glory of Jesus Christ and the salvation of sinners how we thank you Father for this redemptive word how we thank you for this inspired word and how we pray that even now we would receive it that it would strengthen and encourage our hearts and God caused us to reflect the fresh upon the the sufferings of Christ on behalf of his people help us as well to reflect upon that death on the cross that was not for sins or crimes that he had committed but he stood in our place he was our substitute he was our surety and in this week greatly rejoice Lord God we thank you as well that that the grave did not contain him we thank you for that resurrection on the third day and for his current session now at your right hand and even now we pray that from that vantage point he would send the spirit to strengthen us to help us and to guide us as we study your Holy Word and we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well very simply what the Bible sets forth in terms of Christ's suffering and death for his people is not in the first place exemplary the Lord's that means it's not in the first place an example for us on how we ought to live now having said that the Apostles and Jesus himself did point to his example to encourage believers in the life of Christian ethics the purpose primarily of Christ's work was redemptive it was to secure the salvation of his people but then secondarily we see Jesus himself as I said we see Peter in this particular passage we see the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter to point the people of God to the Lord Jesus to study his example on how they to function in the world around that and that is precisely what Peter is doing in this section in verses 18 to 25 notice that first of all he provides her sets forth a duty a responsibility a command that's found in verse 18 servants be submissive to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh this is a very curious and a very interesting sort of exhortation we would think that this is contrary no you report those harsh masters you get those harsh masters fighter you you get them arrested you get them removed from the scene that's not Peters tack Peter says not only to the good and gentle but also to the harsh or to submit you are paid to submit servants in this capacity were not unpaid laborers they were paid fact much of the Roman Empire was made up of slaves and they had rights they had a lot of blessings and things that that the government afforded to them so it was a bit different than a shadow slavery that we have seen in our history but then notice he highlights the importance of this in verse 19 he says for this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief suffering wrongfully in other words you are first and foremost responsible to the Lord as a worker as an employee as a servant as one under the authority of another your primary or chief responsibility is to the living and true God that is the orientation that the people of God are always to have and possess and then in verse 20 he says what credit is it if when you were beaten for your faults you take it patiently what's the implication you deserved it you should take it patiently and then he goes on to say well when you do good and suffer if you take it patiently this is commendable before God so you see the recurring emphasis and Peter is that our conduct before godless masters is two nevertheless two bringing glory and honor to our God we live first and foremost for him and our conduct before our human or earthly masters is no exception whenever you find or wherever you find yourself whatever part of the week it is God is the primary orientation for the believers life now points to the example of the Lord Jesus Christ as a great example of one who suffered of one who did it silently of one who when he was reviled didn't revile back and that is the example to which Peter calls us to consider so I want to look first at the description of Christ's redemptive suffering in verses 21 to 24 a and then secondly the result of Christ's redemptive suffering in verses 24 B and 25 so again he's pointing to it as an example for how we ought to function in terms of our human masters but it does not take away from the reality that the primary emphasis in Scripture is that Christ's sufferings weren't first for our example but were first for our salvation and redemption now in terms of the description of his redemptive suffering if you look at verses 21 to 24 a the background is specifically Isaiah the prophet Isaiah 53 if you look at Peter here in chapter 2 verse 22 it corresponds to isaiah 53:9 it's a direct quotation but verse 23 also is reminiscent of isaiah 53:7 verse 24 is reminiscent of verses 12 4 and 5 in isaiah 53 and then first peter 2:25 is isaiah 53:6 so whether it's a direct quotation or it's an illusion that's the background for peter's exhortation he is thinking of the prophet isaiah he is thinking of Christ's redemptive work he is thinking of what Christ has accomplished on behalf of his people and it's what the prophet Isaiah spoke that is forefront in his mind and then notice in terms of the person of Christ he wants to illustrate and he wants to highlight remember that Jesus was one of us Jesus was a true man Jesus took on our humanity with all the essential properties and all the common infirmities thereof yet without sin Jesus was called to submit oftentimes women hear that word from Paul and Peter that they are to submit to their own husbands and for whatever reason the reflex in our day and age is to recoil oh no you're not the boss of me I don't have meant to anybody we all have to submit to a whole lotta folks we all have to submit to governing authority we all have to submit to governing authority within the context of the local church we all have to submit to one another in the fear of price according to Paul in Ephesians chapter 5 jesus submitted to his earthly parents and they weren't perfect Jesus submitted to the to the civil magistrate Jesus ultimately submitted to the will of his father submission is not bad submission is a good thing if God calls us to it we ought to embrace it and we ought to carry it out wholeheartedly so Christ Christ was one of us in contacts that were not completely unsympathetic all being a verse 21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow it steps and then notice in verse 24 he says who himself bore our bore our sins in his own body on the tree he wants to highlight that true Humanity of Christ it wasn't an apparition it wasn't sort of a metaphor for what it is to be submissive he was a genuine man submitting to all things that that fell upon him and he did it without complaint he did it without grumbling he did it without whining he did it without the sorts of things that oftentimes characterize his people and so Peter is holding this up to us so that we may follow and then notice as well he highlights the fact that in terms of the person of Christ he is the sinless one again isaiah 53:9 quoted by peter in verse 22 it says who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth john gill makes an observation he says neither was guile found in his mouth and he says though it was diligently sought for by the scribes and pharisees think about that for just a moment we live in a day and age where you know a politician said something 35 years ago and somebody has you know a transcript of it and they bring it out to show what a what a terrible guy he is there's an investigative authority out there that could find dirt on each and every one of us I'm sure do you think well you know I'm untouchable okay just just let them have a go or a run at you they'll find they I mean things that you said in first grade I mean you know a fit of passion it can be used against you I've often thought you know with reference to your emails be careful they may end up in a desk deposition against you so so be very careful what you say and how you say it that sort of thing so think about what Gill says the scribes and the Pharisees were looking for this they were trying to find Jesus they were trying to trap him they were trying to show him to be a fraud they were trying to display that he was a fake that he was a that he wasn't what he purported to be and while the the Prophet had said this and while Peter is applying this he committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth he had people out there looking for this he had people out there that would have gladly embraced this he had people that would have seized upon it yo goes on to say there was no deceit in his lips no falsehood in his doctrine any more than there was immorality in his conversation he is the sinless one and then that is magnified by Peter and again in example form for us so that we don't whine and complain and grumble and snivel notice what he says in verse 22 who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth and now a concrete illustration of that in verse 23 who when he was reviled did not revile in return remember before the Sanhedrin the Lord Christ is accused of horrific things but he never answers back until he's absorbed by the by the priests to swear with reference to to his origin or with reference to his identity but he doesn't revile back he never says things like I think we would say I'm framed I'm an innocent man I wasn't doing the things that you have said that I'm doing this is all fake it's a sham that's a it's fake news he doesn't do that he willingly submits himself in the midst of suffering on the cross you see the same thing those wretched unbelieving Jews at the foot of the cross are Maquis he saved himself are he saved others let's see him come down from the cross and save himself he doesn't revile back in that posture he doesn't revile back it isn't complain at then he doesn't grumble at them this is a demonstration of his righteousness so not only does he not not only does he not rumble not only does he not complain but he actively committed himself to him who judges righteously notice in verse 23 he actively committed himself to him who judges righteously God was his protector God was his shield God was his all in all and if his conscience is clear before God then that's what matters that's what needs to matter with us if our consciences are clear before God most high it doesn't matter what men say ultimately it doesn't matter met what men do if we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ that's everything were the richest men and women on the face of the earth those who have been justified freely by God's grace there's no better position there's no better posture there's no better status for one to possess than that reality so Christ commits himself to him who judges righteously turns for just a moment to chapter 4 this is a disposition that the suffering church is to imbibe as well 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 17 for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God and if it begins with us first what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God now if the righteous one is scarcely saved where will the ungodly in the center appear therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him and doing good as to a faithful creator so like the saviors so the servant we need to commit ourselves to this living and true God now back to our particular text when we look at this he committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth he was reviled but he didn't revile in return this highlights again the true humanity of Jesus Christ the fact that he is sinless but as well the the fact that he is the acceptable offering Leviticus chapter 23 the the Lord God through Moses there makes it very very plain that when you came to worship at the tabernacle and then temple you didn't pick the worst of your flock you didn't pick the one that was lame you didn't pick the one that was blind you didn't pick the one that lost the the the recent fight on the in the farm you know in the farmyard you picked the past you picked the very best and when Jesus calms the John the Baptist says behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world God provided the best when it came time to provide a sacrifice and that emphasis is obvious in Peters teaching here he was reviled he didn't revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously he is true man he is sinless and he is in fact the acceptable one with reference to this sacrifice to God on behalf of his people so that's his person but then noticed the work of Christ the fact that he suffered and died verse 20 for who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness he suffers and he dies on behalf of his people turn back for just a moment to the book of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy chapter 21 Peter refers to this tree that Jesus died on the contrary to Jehovah's Witnesses and their nonsense about the mistake or the cross or whatever it really doesn't matter if you call it a tree or you call it a cross the idea is the same there was this instrument of execution that our Lord Jesus Christ was hung on this instrument of death that he was hung on whether it was a tree or a cross it was a cross made of a tree so we ought to have no confusion about this for those of you who have never been sort of exposed to Jehovah's Witness they think the whole idea of the crosses is just crazy and ludicrous and it was this stay what difference does it make it was a cross according to scripture made out of wood from a tree but I think the use of tree does reminiscently suggest a connection to Deuteronomy 21 notice in verse 22 if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree his body shall not remain overnight on that tree on the tree but you shall surely bury him that day so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance for he who is hanged is a cursed of God see that idea that concept he was hung on cross he was hung on a tree that means he was accursed and you must remove his body before the sunset but notice prior to that in verse 18 it's a passage that I think we visited some months ago in terms of corporal punishment for criminal offenders notice what it says in verse 18 if a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and who when they have chastened him will not heed them then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of this of his city to the gate gate of his City and they shall say to the elders of the city this son of ours is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard then all the men of his City shall stone him to death with stones so you shall put away the evil from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear now it is intriguing that in Matthew's Gospel I don't wanna get too far afield here but I want to show you a connection that I think the New Testament picks up on with reference to this passage in Deuteronomy 21 not just verses 22 and 23 but also verses 18 to 21 remember the complaint of the religious leaders about Jesus in Matthew's Gospel in Matthew chapter 11 they said he was a wine-bibber and a glutton he was a wine-bibber and a glutton the two offenses that are brought out in this passage with reference to the incorrigible son in other words when these parents brought their son their adult son who was criminal to the elders of the city in order to be stoned that was the formal accusation he's a wine-bibber and a glutton well in Matthew's Gospel Jesus recognizes that his contemporaries accuse him of the same thing I think the allusion is to Deuteronomy they were suggesting that he was an apostate they were suggesting that he was worthy of death they were suggesting that he should be executed already at that particular vantage point in Matthew chapter 12 at verse 14 after a Sabbath controversy we see that the Jews plotted to put him to death so they looked at him as the incorrigible son of Deuteronomy chapter 21 will that Paul quotes Galatia three or in Galatians three quotes this section about the curse said one hanging on a cross I think that this is the illusion I think that they thought Jesus was the apostate that was deserving of death what they failed to meditate upon our muse on is that they were the apostates and they were the ones ultimately liable to the judge judgment of God most high but Peter refers to this particular maxim that you do not leave this offender on the tree because a curse it is he who is hung on a tree so back to our particular passage in terms of his suffering it was not first and foremost for our example verse 24 highlights that who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that is crucial information that you and I need to digest on a daily basis he bore our sins in his own body on the tree that's why we have forgiveness that's why we've received a righteousness that's why you and I will go to heaven and in light of that reality Peter says you need to function as servants toward your masters in a manner that is consistent with his redemptive suffering and death that was wrought out for you he saved you not so you can be a whiner at work he saved you not so you can be you know a apathetic performer at work he saved you not so you could be lazy and lay around all day but he saved you to go to work to work hard and to glorify God in the midst of it so don't revile don't complain don't whine don't grumble do what you're supposed to do the way that your master did it he didn't revile when he was reviled now let's look secondly at the nature the result of his redemptive suffering so Peter sets forth what Jesus did on our behalf now he sets forth what we accrue from this and in verses 24 B in 25 I would suggest first we have the freedom of his people and then secondly the recovery of his people in the first place notice the freedom who himself verse 24 bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we here's the first aspect having died to sins it's a beautiful thing isn't it having died to sins now conceptually that might be hard to entertain because you probably just sinned or at least this afternoon at some point I'm just spitballing here do you realize that if you're not loving God with all your heart soul mind and strength and loving all your neighbors as yourself right now you're sinning did you know that here's the good news for you actually that's not good news that's that's what makes the good news good news praise God Almighty that he has forgiven us that we don't do what we're supposed to do with reference to the two chief Commandments love to God love the man with reference to this whole idea having died to sin again we are so experienced Lee experientially connected to said it's tough to conceptualize this but it's a first first and foremost of reference to our our position we have died to sins Paul the Apostle brings that out very clearly in the book of Romans at Romans chapter six after having dealt with justification by faith alone the imputation of the righteousness of Christ in three four and five he then gets into the practical ramifications in terms of our sanctification in Romans chapter 6 and he uses this sort of language we we've died to sin we're no longer sins slaves we're no longer subject to said we're no longer subjects in a mindless sort of way that we always do sins bidding again there is that aspect of remaining corruption and the things that we want to do we don't do and the things that we don't want to do we find ourselves doing there is still that going on in the lives of God's people but positionally we have died to sin is what the apostle brings out and to tease this out a little bit further the believer is delivered from the condemnation of sin turn to Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 the believer is freed from the condemnation of sin Romans chapter 8 verse 1 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus it's a beautiful thing isn't it there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus what does that mean are in Christ Jesus how are we in Christ Jesus by belief in the gospel accepting the propositional revelation given to us from Genesis to Revelation by by God's grace laying hold of it in faith receiving and resting upon Jesus Christ and His righteousness alone for salvation that's what it means to be in Christ and as a result of that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus the believer is delivered from the curse of the law you can turn to Galatians 3 Galatians 3 verse 10 for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do that see this is where the the impossibility of a covenant of works is seen God demands not partial obedience to his law God demands complete obedience to his law so Paul says as many as are of the works of the law are under the currents for it is written cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them but that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the jaw shall live by faith yet the law is not a faith but the man who does them shall live by them Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law it doesn't mean there's no law for the believer We certainly have law as blood-bought children of God the Lord Jesus justifies us freely by His grace once we are justified freely by grace he then points us to the law as a pattern for sanctification we call this the normative use of the law which means normally using the law for our day-in day-out activity and conduct but in terms of being under the law as a covenant of works that curse is gone it has been abrogated by our blessed Jesus and then the bully is delivered from the wrath of God you can turn to Romans 3 Romans 3 I mentioned this word propitiation a couple of weeks ago and said there was a goldmine of great things in it Romans 3:24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus this word propitiation is a great gospel word the presupposition is God's wrath see Paul starts his presentation of the good news with the bad news and the bad news according to Paul in Romans 1:18 is that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men the wrath of God is revealed from heaven Psalm 711 tells us that God is angry with the wicked every day the wrath of fury the judgment of God is is directed toward sinners well this word propitiation means that Christ took that on our behalf it's not the case that he deflected it or diverted it but it is the case that he received it himself it was spent on him he drank the cup of God's wrath to the final dregs and satisfied divine justice propitiation is a wonderful gospel word that ought to speak great encouragement and comforts to huh comfort to our soul one of the fathers the utterance said a new and strange method of healing the doctor suffers the cost in the sick received the healing I think that's beautiful back to first Peter chapter 2 we are freed from the penalty of sin but if we continue in Peters section there we see that we're freed from the power of sin this is important brethren the grace that justifies is the grace that sanctifies not to conflate the two keeping them in their proper categories keeping them in their proper compartments we do need to initiate the reality that we have freedom under God to not engage in the acts of lawlessness that once characterized our lives going back to verse 24 who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we having died to sins might do what we might live for righteousness I don't think we appreciate that fact now maybe you do and I don't I'm showing something about you know me here but but it's almost like maybe it was you know my Roman Catholic upbringing maybe some of you have that if you were brought up Catholic or maybe in other sorts of religious context where they were heavy on guilt and heavy on shame and heavy on God's always mad at you and gods always angry and he's always out to get you I mean you know this is one of the tendencies that we have perhaps as we come into the state of grace to realize that we now have the freedom to actually do something that pleases God yeah we do not perfect not exactly not entirely not perpetually but but we do you know the letters to the churches in the book of Revelation those seven churches in Asia Minor several of them can contain commendation commendation from our Lord ah I know your works I know that that you're you're being faithful I know that you're persevere I know that you you've tested those who claim to be apostles and are not Christ sees the good that we do and actually commends those churches in Asia Minor it's a bless of thought again it's not the case that we wake up in the morning I'm gonna go out and do 50 great things so God's happy with me no it's not that way at all it's a reflex of our salvation it's a reflex of our having been born again we've we've died to sins and now we we live unto righteousness now we we don't let sin reign in our mortal members we we do not present our members as instruments of unrighteousness like we used to do so often fact look at Peter in 1st Peter 2 at verse 11 beloved I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul having 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 he tells them don't don't live the way that you once but rather live on to righteousness that is something that's in our wheelhouse now that is something that we have the capability of actually engaging in the spirit filling the people of God who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ can live unto righteousness again not holy you know perfectionism not Wesley and as I'm not second work of grace not higher life blessing or either any of the other sanctification nonsense that sort of attached itself to this doctrine but we can live under righteousness we can do those things that are that are pleasing to God not for our salvation but because God has saved us the believer now has the spiritual freedom that brings true joy and everlasting happiness the reality is is that we have died to sins and now we live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed never lets us forget the reason this is not because you're great it's not because you're wonderful it's not because you're perfect but because through the stripes of Christ you have been healed from your sin and malady and then look finally at the recovery of this people verse 25 is a blessed statement of what God and the gospel does with us or Christ does for you were like sheep going astray so isaiah 53:6 right all we like sheep have gone astray you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and overseer of your souls now we think sheep we think cuddly don't we white fluffy happy careless that's what I think I mean I see sheep once in a while they look nice to me they look cute they look like you could give him a big hug and it would be quite nice but when the Bible compares us to sheep that's not a good thing it's not saying you guys are fluffy and cuddly and huggable and all that sort of thing when it speaks about sheep it is not reflecting well on people John Diehl says not that they have the agreeable properties of sheep as to be meek harmless innocent clean and profitable for they are the reverse of all this he's right and then Dee Edmond he Bern and Armenian commentary a commentator excellent commentary on first peter says the comparison of sinners to straying sheep is a common biblical figure it is not a complimentary comparison since sheep are notoriously dull prone to stray and helpless to find their way back straying sheep lost in the wilderness or mountains and exposed to wild beasts and destruction present a wretched picture of the needy State of the Lost so it's not complimentary you were like sheep Oh cuddly white clean loveable huggable that's not it at all ignorant dog I remember years ago my daughter Kelly showed me a story about a sheep that jumped off a cliff and as sheep are want to do everyone followed after it and of course the initial sheep fell and died but by the time there was a good base of sheep other subsequent sheep jumping into it did die because there was enough sheep cushion so that they wouldn't hit the ground and die that's what sheep do they follow the leader and they jump off cliffs that is not a complimentary comparison all we like sheep have gone astray but the Shepherd came and sought us the Shepherd came and caught us the Shepherd came and put us on his shoulders the shepherd went back into heaven rejoicing over this one sheep that was lost and is now found and Paul or Peter highlights you were now or you were like sheep going astray but have returned to the Shepherd Jesus Christ is the shepherd of his people Psalm 23 the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want Isaiah 40 Ezekiel 34 all of these passage prophesied concerning the new covenant era where Christ is the Davidic Shepherd over his people and then he uses the language of overseer you've all heard that word before it's the Greek word of Pisgah pause where we get the word Episcopalian it means simply that to be an overseer praise God Almighty that he doesn't leave us on our own praise God Almighty that Christ is our Shepherd that Christ is our overseer that Christ is that chief Bishop that left heaven above to come into this world on a mission of recovery to save us from our sins that is the emphasis of the Apostle in this particular passage Gill says not returned themselves but were returned by powerful and efficacious grace Saints are passive and not active in first conversion they are turned not by the power of their own free will but by the power of God's free grace they are returned under the illuminations and quickening zuv the blessed spirit and through the efficacious drawings of the father's love unto Christ that's Peters emphasis Christ the true man was the sinless one who presented an acceptable sacrifice to God Almighty that one bore in his own body our sins on the tree that we might die to sin that we might live unto righteousness having been recovered by the Shepherd the one with whom there is no want and the one who is the overseer the bishop the Episcopal over our souls he has sought us he has found us he has put us on his shoulders and he has gone back rejoicing over sinners who have repented by God's grace and for his glory so Peters argument in context is don't whine don't grumble don't complain at work Peters argument in context is be like the Savior he didn't revile when he was reviled he did it wine when he was put into excruciating circumstances he didn't sort of you know maintain his innocence or demand his rights or demand mediation no he submitted himself he committed himself to the father who judges righteously so believers all of us we need to be like Jesus when it comes to these particular things in our lives but in the larger scheme of redemptive history this isn't exemplary first it is redemptive Christ went through what he went through in order to save us from our sins he went through what he went through so that you and I might die to sin and live unto righteousness he went through what he went through so that the wrath of God is no longer our foe Lord God the Lord God Almighty has sent his son into this world for sinners for the likes of you and I and I just want to conclude with this sort of summary statement he took upon took upon himself man's nature for our salvation he rendered in the language of our confession of faith personal entire exact and perpetual obedience to God's law he was wholly harmless and undefiled he was separate from sinners he was in the language of the Prophet and the Apostle he had committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth this is demonstrated in the fact that he didn't revile when he was reviled he he he committed himself to him who judges righteously and he does this he does this for you and I he does this so that we might have salvation he does this that we might have the forgiveness of sins and the imputed righteousness of Jesus and that we might live lives that are somewhat pleasing to God Almighty let's remember that together the reality that we might live for righteousness things that we do don't matter in terms of now listen to what I'm saying trying to distinguish and qualify in terms of our acceptance with God we're justified on the basis of the the active and the passive obedience of Jesus Christ but in terms of our sanctification and what we do that stuff does matter as you know we think it was Luther said God doesn't need your good works but your neighbor does now you know we need to make sure we understand that as well it does bring glory to God you see that in the Apostle Peter here they see your good works that may silence them it will glorify God Almighty Jesus makes the same emphasis in the Sermon on the Mount that your lights so shine before men that they may see your good works and do what give glory to God other words when you and I do something right it's not that you and I get the credit it's that God gets the glory and that's the way it's designed to be so take this particular passage to heart praise God Almighty for it and rejoice in the one who is the Shepherd and overseer curiously these are terms applied to the pastoral ministry Shepherd and overseer we need to remember under Shepherd and under overseer we are under the Lord Jesus Christ he is the shepherd he is the overseer he is the owner of the master of and the one who has rule and authority over his church shepherds and Sears in a local church contacts our ministers they are servants they carry out the will of the master they don't engage an authoritative dictatorial sort of conduct they are always bought with a price and they are called to serve the Lord God Most High in a manner that is consistent with his revealed will let us pray father we thank you for your word we thank you for Christ's redemptive sufferings and death on behalf of his people thank you for including us in that blessed number and God made this passion speak great comfort to our hearts because it tells us what Jesus did for us as well may it speak comfort to our hearts as it as it shows us what freedom we have freedom from sin freedom to righteousness and the things that that we see oftentimes in the New Testament give us grace Lord God to live in a manner that is consistent with your holy gospel and do continue to conform us unto the image of your beloved son and we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can chapter 26 we'll read the section where Jesus Institute's the Lord's Supper in verses 26 to 30 but just a couple of observations concerning the supper the first place it is an ordinance or a sacrament of the New Covenant and as an ordinance or a sacrament of the New Covenant it is for believers only the Lord's this is not an ordinance given so that people might become believers but rather it is an ordinance given to those who are believers so if you're not a believer tonight if you're not a Christian if you have not come to Christ and and and receive the salvation that God freely gives then please do not take the Supper as well the ordinance of the supper is for believers who are dealing with their sin according to God's Word one of the problems facing the Corinthians where the Apostle Paul sort of cites this passage when he brings it to bear upon that church in Corinth is that there was great sin going on in Corinthian are in Corinth in fact if you read first Corinthians 1 all the way to first Corinthians you know 15 and 16 you will see they had issues that church they had big issues in that church and one of the issues they had in that church was their lord's supper ethic they had a meal in conjunction with the supper so prior to actually eating the bread and drinking the top and and engaging in this aspect they would have met you know in the fellowship hall they would have brought you know covered dishes they would have all the sorts of food and whatnot but but in there their context the poor people were suffering poor people didn't have food to bring and the rich people weren't sharing with that and this betrays the unity of the people of God the Apostle Paul does not take this lightly he sees it as having theological ramifications this is you know not just a dis at the poor by the rich but but it introduces this idea in the context of the church that there's sort of two tiers so that there there really isn't unity there really isn't camaraderie there and so for the Apostle Paul this is a bad thing and so he councils he exhorts that a man must examine himself in other words you don't just take the supper if you're harboring Sid you don't just take the supper if you're not repenting of your sin you don't take the supper if you're not dealing with your sin now that doesn't mean you have to spend four months preparing to come to the supper you can confess your sins God always hears God is merciful and we have the promise of first John 1 that he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so if you got sin in your heart that you haven't been dealing with and you want to take the supper you need to deal with it if you haven't been dealing with it then don't take the supper so it's not for unbelievers but it's also not for believers that aren't dealing with their sin the Apostle Paul later on in the book of Acts says that he only strives to live to maintain a conscience void of offense toward God and men I think that's a great sort of paradigm that we all ought to adopt we ought to live with a conscience void of offense toward God first and toward men if that is true of us then by all means we should take the supper as well the elements remain bread and wine bread and grape juice they do not become something other they are not changed with words of consecration they do not become the the implements for an actual atoning sacrifice that is the abomination of Rome and that is not one that we duplicate it is Memorial in this regard we don't transubstantiated on't transfer these things into something other andrey crucify again the Lord of glory that's simply not what's happening the bread and the wine they are consecrated for a sacred or holy use but they're not changed or become something other in a manner that is inconsistent with the Word of God and is repugnant to common sense and then ultimately the focus of the supper is on Jesus Christ the focus of the supper is on Jesus Christ this is a time for extra speck ssin not introspection look at yourself and see what a wretch you are and then look at Jesus and thank God for him extras faction be consumed with the Savior John Murray says it is the Lord we are remembering so frequently believers become so introspective that preoccupation with themselves excludes preoccupation with Christ anything that gets between you and Christ is a bad thing be preoccupied with him the Supper is no excuse obviously as we eat this bread as we drink this cup we are mindful of the larger theological context as to why Jesus came into this world which certainly suggests or is reminiscent of our sin but we ought to be thankful that he forgave us of our sins that he has provided the substitute and sacrifice and that he has blessed us immeasurably so with those things having been said I'll ask the brothers now if they'll come and pass out the bread and then we'll read the appropriate section in Matthew's Gospel after they do so and for the rest of us please remain seated and turn in your hem books to Psalm 130 a it's 1:30 alpha please remain seated as we sing they'll pass out the bread we'll read the section and pray and then take the bread together [Music] in matthew 26:26 we read and as they were eating Jesus took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body well let us pray Our Blessed God and Holy Father we thank you that Jesus bore in his own body our sins on the tree and how we thank you that by that activity by that work we have died to sins we have been made alive to righteousness we have received all the benefits that Christ that Christ accomplished on the cross and through his life we give praise to you for this great transaction we give praise to you that you you sent him into this world on this mission this this mission of recovery is the Shepherd and the overseer of our souls we give praise to you that you've included us and that you've blessed us richly now we ask that you would encourage our hearts as we remember these things and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord amen we'll take together well please turn to 476 while the brothers pass out the wine the juice is in the outer ring the juice is in the outer ring and the wine is in the center part of the holder so 476 please remain seated and we'll sing together [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] we continue in Matthew's Gospel at verse 27 then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives amen well let us pray God thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ your son and we know that that would be an odd thing to pray and in a different company of people but those who know Scripture those who know the truth rejoice in this reality that the blood shed by Christ is that which cleanses us from all sin all transgression and iniquity we rejoice in your loving-kindness we rejoice in the gospel of free grace we rejoice that you have made us willing in the day of your power that you effectually called us that you justified us that you are sanctifying us and that one day you will glorify us God made these things encourage us and strengthen us each and every day that we may persevere and we ask this through Christ our Lord a Madan will take together we can take your handbook and turn to three five two and we'll stand as we sing together 350 two [Music] [Music] [Music] now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete and every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever amen God go with your saints now cause your face to shine upon each of us keep us watch over us protect us and grant us grace to bring glory to you each and every day father we thank you that you have placed us in Christ we thank you that you've placed us in this church we love the Savior we love to commune with you we love to commune with one another and God encouraged and strengthened our hearts fill us with that joy unspeakable and full of glory caused us to reflect upon the reality that our Christ is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead he will usher in an eternal state wherein righteousness dwells we will be in the presence of God Almighty world without end may this indeed spur us on to joy to Thanksgiving and to good works to bring glory and honor unto your great name go with us now we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation you