Prepared For Action

Prepared For Action Title: Prepared for Action Text: 1 Pet. 1:13-23

Tracing: Preached December 6, 1992 PM at SDCC

1. INTRO

   In the midst of a world of insecurity and mounting persecution, we have something firm, solid, and unchanging to hold on to: Our Salvation! Peter opened his first epistle by describing its glories

   • a new birth, a living hope, an eternal inheritance, and powerful protection — promises so great that the prophets and the angels longed to know more about it until it was finally revealed for us.

     That salvation is an anchor for us — like a foundation, it gives us something stable on which to build our lives.

2. BODY
   1. Prepare Yourself v.13

      The Christian life is to be one of battle against darkness. We battle in the realm of ideas, attitudes and convictions. Paul said (2Co 10:5) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We are not to sit in the stream of our culture and “go with the flow” but rather to constantly point the way and strive to change the direction of the flow away from its rush to destruction.

      But such mental and spiritual battle takes preparation! It requires our own minds to be transformed. It calls for study both corporate and private. It requires that we become so steeped in the Word of God that our thoughts are His thoughts!

      Yes, that’s lots of work! But if the Gospel is the only stable thing on which to build our lives in a sea of change (and it is!) then there is no more productive use of our time and effort!

   2. Control Yourself v.13

      The Christian walk should be a DELIBERATE one. Our tendency is to live by the whim of our fleshly nature, flitting from one thing to another, satisfying only ourselves. But we must conquer that tendency. We are not our own, we have chosen to not live for ourselves. Now we must bring our lives under control and submit them to His will.

   3. Commit Yourself v.13

      I mean this in the sense of “entrust yourself”. Place all your confidence and hope on God’s Grace and on nothing else. Everything else can, and ultimately will, fail! There is nothing else to build upon at all.

   4. Submit Yourself v.14-15

      Not disobedient but submissive and obedient. Not living in sin but in holiness. Not walking in our own ways but in His ways. 180 degrees different from society — like aliens and strangers. Illustrate.

3. CONCLUSION

   Finally, LOVE ONE ANOTHER for what we have in common is eternal!

4. COMMENTS

Prepared by Scott L. Purcell Minister of Stokelan Drive Christian Church 1501 Stokelan Drive Malden, MO 63863 (314) 276-2343 Reproduce, modify, and use freely for the glory of God and the Growth of the Kingdom! If these outlines are of some benefit to you, a note, postcard, or phone-call would be most welcome!