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“4 ‘MUSTS’ For Spiritual Growth” (I Peter 2:1-3 sermon)

Posted on 2019/07/08 by Shawn Thomas

On Sunday morning, December 7th, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Washington called General Douglas MacArthur, who was in charge of the Philippines, to tell him about the attack, and that they would undoubtedly be next. William Manchester, author of the MacArthur biography, American Caesar, writes that as soon he got the call, General MacArthur asked “his wife Jean to bring him his Bible, read it for a while, and then set out for The House On The Wall (Philippine HQ), where the situation was chaotic.”

It’s striking that in the midst of a crisis moment like that, General MacArthur would take time to read his Bible; but it shows you how important he knew that it was. The question is: Do WE realize how important it is, for ourselves, and for our spiritual growth? In our passage for today, Peter writes about how to grow as Christians. He says:

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Here Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, gives us some requirements, “4 ‘Musts’ for Spiritual Growth”: Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged American Caesar William Manchester, assurance, Bible, Bible pure milk, Bible Reading, Bible studies, commentaries, devotional books, evangelism, General Douglas MacArthur, grace, I Peter 2:1-3, I Peter 2:1-3 sermon, motivation, motives, pine needles, Psalm 34, pure milk of the word, repentance, salvation, sanctification, scripture, scripture reading, sin, skydiving, spiritual growth, taste and see, taste and see that the Lord is good, tasted the kindness of the Lord | Leave a comment

“The Firm Foundation” (I Peter 1:23-25 sermon)

Posted on 2019/07/01 by Shawn Thomas

Years ago, John Wesley wrote:

“I want to know one thing: the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book! Oh give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it: here is knowledge enough for me.”

We can be grateful that like John Wesley, we DO have that book: the Bible, the word of God. It is what God uses to save us, and instruct us. It is the foundation of our lives as Christians, as I Peter 1 reminds us here:

“… for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For,
‘All flesh is like grass,
And all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
And the flower falls off,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.’
And this is the word which was preached to you.” Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged all flesh is like grass, assurance, Bible, born again, church, confidence, discipleship, duct tape, eternal life, fad, firm foundation, foundation, gimmick, gospel, Hebrews 4:12, How Firm A Foundation, Hussein Bolt, I Corinthians 2:1, I Peter, I Peter 1:23-25 sermon, I Peter sermon, II Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 40:6-8, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 55:10-11, James 4:14, John 3:16, John Wesley quote, Matthew 24:35, Matthew 5:17, ministry, Muslim conversion, not perish, once saved always saved, Ozymandias Shelley, perish, perseverance of the saints, Psalm 103, Psalm 90, Rameses II, Romans 10:17, salvation, salvation testimony, scripture, the word of the Lord, Wilbur Wright, word of God | Leave a comment

“The Growing Christian Life” (I Peter 1:22 sermon)

Posted on 2019/06/24 by Shawn Thomas

I have noticed that a lot of time and effort is spent around here by people trying to make things grow. They are trying to grow grass in their yard; or tomatoes or flowers in their garden, or fruit trees in their orchard. And that’s good. I think there is something godly about horticulture (although I seem to have missed out on it … Cheryl & our kids enjoy it, and I know a number of you all do as well. That’s good.) But in no area of our life is it more important to grow, than in our walk with God. How can we have a growing Christian life is one of the important questions there is. And that is what our verse for today talks about:

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart”.

This tells us several things you must do to have a growing Christian life: Continue reading →

Posted in Discipleship, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged adoption, adoption challenges, adoption gospel, agape love, anger, Aristides behold how they love one another, baby growth, behold how they love one another, born again, conversion, decisions, discipleship, evangelism, fellowship, gospel, gospel and truth, grow in love, growing Christian life, growth, Hadrian Aristides, how to grow, I John 4:8, I Peter, I Peter 1:22, I Peter 1:22 sermon, I Timothy 1:5, John 13:34-35, love, love the goal, mature Christian, mind will emotions, obedience to the truth, obey, obey the gospel, outreach, philadelphia love, purify, reprogramming, salvation, sanctification, soul, spiritual growth, truth, witness of love | Leave a comment

“The Blood-Bought Life” (I Peter 1:17-21 sermon)

Posted on 2019/06/09 by Shawn Thomas

There is a man in Australia, James Harrison, whose blood is precious. Harrison has an antibody in his blood which is given to mothers whose systems would attack their unborn babies. When they discovered the antibody in his system, about 50 years ago, they were able to create a life-saving medication from his blood, which is now credited with saving more than 2 million babies! That’s 2 million lives saved by one man’s blood. That’s pretty precious blood. But there’s a blood that’s greater: the blood of Jesus, which has saved countless millions not only from death, but also from eternity in hell as well. Our passage this morning talks about that precious blood of Jesus, and the difference it makes in our lives:

“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

The Bible says if you are a Christian, then you have a “Blood-Bought Life”: Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged American Caesar, Bataan, blood, blood bought life, blood of Christ, blood of Jesus, Calvin Fairbank, Carl Sandburg Abraham Lincoln, Christians aren't perfect just forgiven, church, conduct yourselves in fear, Douglas MacArthur, George Pickett, Gettysburg, gold, good works, I Peter, I Peter 1:17-21, in an hour you'll be in hell or glory, James Harrison Australia blood, John 8:34, John Piper Don't Waste Your Life, live differently, precious blood, price of slave, Psalm 49:7-8, ransom, redeemed, redemption, religion, religious, salvation, saved, seashells, set free, silver, sin, slave bought to set free, slavery, slaves of sin, sober, submarine, take life seriously, What can wash away my sin?, William Manchester, worth its weight in gold, worth their weight in gold | Leave a comment

“The Call To Holiness” (I Peter 1:14-16)

Posted on 2019/06/03 by Shawn Thomas

Duncan Campbell was a Scottish minister who lived in the mid-1900’s. He was involved in an amazing revival in the Hebrides Islands in the northwest of Scotland. Years ago he said, “Holiness — a demonstration of godly living — is the crying need of our day.” What Dr. Campbell said may be more true now that it was then. There are SO many people today who claim to be Christians, who say they know God, and the way to God — but nobody listens to them — and often the reason is that they do not live holy lives. What people around us today need to see more than anything else, is NOT just someone says they know God, but someone who really LIVES a holy LIFE! That holy life will speak more powerfully than a thousand empty words. And a holy life is just what God calls for in today’s passage:

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged adultery immorality, Be killing sin or it will be killing you, business, business ethics, C.S. Lewis, cathedral, compromise, cross, cross of Christ, daily repentance, drug use, drunkenness, Duncan Campbell, holiness, holiness of God, holy, Holy God, holy holy holy, holy life, Holy One, Holy Spirit, I am holy, I Peter 1:14-16, I Peter sermon, II Corinthians 5:17, imputed righteousness, Isaiah 6, Ivory soap 99 and 44/100 percent pure, Job, John Owen, justification, Leviticus 11:44, Matthew 5:48, moral life, Pamela Brooks, Paula Mutina agency, pornography, repent, repentance, revival, salvation, sanctification, sexuality, snake, standard of holiness, trisagion, vocation, Yahweh, you shall be holy | 1 Comment

“How Should We Then Live?” (I Peter 1:13 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/28 by Shawn Thomas

Years ago when I was in seminary, we watched a video series based on a book by Francis Schaefer, a legendary Christian philosopher, called, “How Should We Then Live?” The point of the series was, that becoming a Christian isn’t just “making a decision,” but it should impact the way you think, and the way you live, in every area of your life: arts, philosophy, science, everything. It’s a great book, and series. But we also find how we should live as Christians in another book: The Bible, in passages like the one we are looking at this morning in I Peter 1:13:

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

This verse begins with the word “therefore”, which points us back to the salvation we have talked about the past couple of weeks. BECAUSE of the salvation we get through faith in Jesus, how are you to live? How should you think? What should you do? This verse verse gives us a good start on “How Should We Then Live” once we give our lives to Jesus. (By the way, this is appropriate for our graduating seniors today — but it is also fitting for each one of us: “How Should We Then Live”? Continue reading →

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“The Prophets and Your Salvation” (I Peter 1:10-12 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/19 by Shawn Thomas

Back when I was a young preacher at my first church in Oklahoma City, I got a little book in the mail one day, from Edgar Whisenant: “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988.” Whisenant was a NASA engineer, and Bible student, and many people took him seriously. His book sold over 4.5 million copies! Of course, when the rapture didn’t happen in 1988, he wrote another book in 1989 …” (you can make this stuff up!)

More recently it has been the “blood moons” that sold thousands of books, and prophesied some “earth-changing event” to take place after Fall, 2015 — but again, nothing happened. Which is a good reminder to us as God’s people, not to get caught up in these “fads.”

However, there were legitimate prophets, through whom God spoke, and to whom we do well to still pay close attention to, today. These are the Old Testament prophets who prophesied about the coming of Christ. We see them referred to in our passage this morning, I Peter 1:10-12: Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Music, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized, worship | Tagged "me" generation, Acts 2:39, Bethlehem, blood moons, building, church, contemporary music, contemporary service, Daniel, Edgar Whisenant 88 Reasons Why, end times, eschatology, family, generations, God's plan, hymns, I Peter 1:10-12, I Peter message, imitate, invitation, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 7:14, It's not about you, Jesus, knowing vs. doing, love, marriage, Martin Luther, Message, Messiah, Micah 5:2, Old Testament prophecies, Old Testament prophets, personal application, prophecies, prophets, Psalm 16, Psalm 22:1, rapture, respond, response, sacrifice, salvation, saving faith, second coming, self-centered, self-centeredness, selfishness, selflessness, Suffering Servant, traditional service, witness, witness of the prophets, worship, Zechariah 9:9 | Leave a comment

“The Faith That Saves” (I Peter 1:8-9 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/13 by Shawn Thomas

II Timothy 1:5 has one of the great Mothers Day verses. It says: “For I am mindful of the sincere FAITH within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.” That verse talks about how these faithful moms passed down their faith to their children and grandchildren. And there is nothing more important than that. If you would ask any Christian mother, I am sure they would say that THE single most important thing to them, would be to know for sure that every one of their children and grandchildren had that true faith.

But just what IS saving faith? How can you know if you have a faith that really saves? The good news is, the Bible teaches us here in I Peter 1:8-9 about the kind of faith that saves. Verses 8-9 here tell us:

“… and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

Here the Bible teaches us several things about the faith that saves: Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 4:12, affections, doubt, Ephesians 1:13, faith, Hebrews 1:11, I Corinthians 15, I John 5:12, I Peter, I Peter 1:8-9, II Timothy 1:5, Jack Tillery, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 14:6, John 20, John Piper affections, John Piper Think, love, love God, love Jesus, Mothers Day, not seen, object of faith, prosperity gospel, resurrection of Jesus, salvation, saves, saving faith, sight, soul, Thomas, transplant, unseen, unseen love, Your Best Life Now | 1 Comment

“Tried By Fire” (I Peter 1:6-7 sermon)

Posted on 2019/05/06 by Shawn Thomas

Theodore Roosevelt was a man of very unique character: he gloried in facing obstacles and overcoming them. He would take his guests out on a 20-mile hike – and much to their dismay, the tougher the course, the better he liked it. They would come in exhausted, but he would just smile and say: “It was bully!” The higher the mountain he had to climb, the better. The stronger the wind against him when he was rowing, the better. He just loved facing and overcoming difficulties.

Well, not too many of us have that kind of composition, to where we just delight in difficulties. But as God’s children, if we knew more of what the Bible says about our trials, and the difficulties we face — and what is waiting for us on the other side of them — then we would be a lot more able to rejoice in the trials that face us in life, than most of us do now.

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Continue reading →

Posted in I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Christianity in America, confess Jesus, confession, dark year, difficulties, distress, facing death, faith, faith proof, Garden of Gethsemane, Hawaii, I Peter 1:6-7 sermon, I Peter sermon, illness, John Calvin, John Calvin blocks of wood, joy, joy in trials, maturity, perseverance, professions of faith, real faith, refined by fire, rejoice, reward for trials, rewards, run tee shirts, salvation, saved, saving faith, temptations, Theodore Roosevelt, trials, tried by fire, various trials | Leave a comment

“Great Expectations” (I Peter 1:4-5 sermon)

Posted on 2019/04/29 by Shawn Thomas

One of Charles Dickens’ greatest novels bears the title: Great Expectations. “Great Expectations” didn’t just mean that great things were expected of the young man Pip, whom the story was about. To have “expectations” in old England meant that you had the “prospect of an inheritance” that was coming to you. So if a large inheritance was expected to come to you, then it might be said of you that you had “great expectations.”

Well if anyone has “Great Expectations,” it is the child of God. Our scripture in I Peter 1 this morning says we have been “born again to a living hope … to obtain an inheritance, which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Last week we saw that because Jesus rose from the dead, those who commit their lives to Him have “a living hope.” And this verse now goes on to tell us that this “living hope” is TO an INHERITANCE that God has waiting for us in heaven, that is the greatest of all “Great Expectations”! Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, I Peter sermons, Sermon Illustrations, Sermons, Uncategorized | Tagged Acts 20:32, Ephesians 1:14, eternal reward, eternal security, false teachers, father, FDIC, giving, glory, government debt, Great Expectations Charles Dickens, health and wealth gospel, heaven, Hebrews 9:15, I Peter, I Peter 1:4-5 sermon, II TImothy 1:12, imperishable, inheritance, John 10:28-29, kingdom of God, kingdom work, materialism, once saved always saved, prosperity preachers, reward, rewards, Romans 8:38, salvation, security, service, Social Security crisis, stephanos, theology, time, tithing, U.S. Government, victor's crown, wasting time, Your Best Life Now | Leave a comment