1 Peter chapter 3. I've entitled this, One Mind. One
Mind. The Apostle Peter in this letter,
he starts here, his conclusion there in chapter 3 and verse
8 when he says this, finally, Finally, be ye all of one mind,
having compassion one of another. Love as brethren. Be pitiful,
be courteous. Now, we know this, that this
text This text of Scripture is not directed to everyone, but
rather this is directed to those who believe in Jesus Christ. It's directed to the elect. That's
who this letter is written to. It's written to the elect, those
scattered abroad, those redeemed by Christ and called by the Holy
Spirit. And we know this because this
is impossible for the church or those who are part of the
body of Christ to be one mind with the world. It's impossible. There can be no unity of the
church of Jesus Christ and the world. There can be no unity
with modern religion. Now, the method of modern religion
is to unite everybody, isn't it? That everybody just get along. That's the idea of modern religion. And I'll tell you this, you can
attract the world into the church most easily by entertainment
and social gatherings, but the one thing the world and the church
cannot agree on is this, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ the
world will not tolerate. The gospel of God's sovereign
grace through Christ. Why? Because it's offensive.
It's offensive to the natural man. The gospel is offensive. It is hated by the natural man.
Now the world will tolerate anything else. The world is tolerating. They even use that as a badge
of honor. We're a tolerant church. We tolerate
anybody, any sin, anything goes on, anything is welcome, no judgment
here. They'll tolerate anything but
this one thing, the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Modern religion of this world
will not keep one in their church who would tell the truth of God's
sovereign, that God is sovereign salvation. That man is absolutely
dead in trespasses and sin, they will not tolerate that a man
cannot come to God except the Father draw him. They will not
tolerate such a gospel. But They'll be standing room
only for a church that unites around entertainment and tells
man that he can get to heaven by doing something, by exercising
his will, or by being obedient to the law. They'll tolerate
such things as that, but not the gospel, the preaching of
the gospel. The gospel, the only thing they
will not tolerate is the preaching of the gospel. They will not
unify on this. But this is something that believers,
we unify around, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The true church
is in unity regarding this gospel that salvation is of the Lord. Now, I know this, there are many,
even people, lost people in the church, in the true church. Those,
when we're preaching the gospel, there are still people within
the church who are not true believers. But I tell you this, they cannot
enter into any unity with the body of Christ. even because
they themselves are not in union with Christ. In order to be in
union, Paul says, let us be of one mind. But you can't be of
one mind unless you are, first of all, in union with Jesus Christ. You must first be one with Christ
before you can be one with the church. You must believe on Jesus
Christ. Our Lord tells us that there'd
be in the church, there'd be wheat and tares, that the tares
and the wheat would grow up together. And so there are many who make
false professions of faith. There are many. Many will fake this unity. Many
will be deceived and deceive themselves. But God is not deceived
concerning this unity of His church. Now, if you're here tonight
and you're without Christ, I want you to know this. You cannot
be of one mind with us. You cannot be of one mind with
the church. You cannot be in unity with the
church of God because you are outside of Christ. If you're
outside of Christ, you cannot be part of this church. Now,
how many people in your family, they still think this is their
church? I'll tell you that. I'll tell you right fast. That's
my church. No, it's not. Now look, if they think it's
their churches because you're part of the family, that may
be part of the local, you know, they can fill out a card or they
can say they're a member of this church. They're not a member
of the church of God, not a member of the body of Christ. Unless you come by faith and
repentance to Jesus Christ, believing on His blood and righteousness
alone, I'll tell you this, there's no hope for you to enter into
this unity. You won't know anything that
I'm talking about tonight unless you are one with Christ. You cannot be one with another. I know this, everyone outside
of Christ, Paul says their mind is darkened. He said their foolish
minds are darkened. Now this may offend people. What
do you mean I can't be a part of this church? No, you can't
be unless you're part of Christ, unless you're in union with Christ. If you're not saved by the grace
and mercy of God through faith of Christ, then your heart is
darkened. You're dead in your trespasses
and sins. If this is your condition, then
what do I say to you? I beseech you, be you reconciled
to God. I beseech you, be reconciled
to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Look and live. Look and live, my brother, live.
It says, Moses lifted up that serpent in the wilderness, that
brazen serpent, and those who were bitten, everyone that looked,
what? Lived. And so it is with Christ. Everyone who is dead in trespasses
and sins, if they look to Christ, they'll live. Look and live. God said this, look unto me.
And be ye saved, who? All the ends of the earth. That's
pretty exhaustive, isn't it? That's just pretty inclusive.
Look and live. Who? All the ends of the earth,
for I am God and there's none else. There's no other Savior
but Jesus Christ. Don't look to your own goodness, you don't
have any. Look not to your religion or
your religious actions to satisfy a holy God. You cannot satisfy
a holy God by your offerings. Look to Jesus Christ. He's the
only one God has accepted. You know that this gospel is
pretty narrow. It only has one person that's
ever been accepted. Jesus Christ. And the only people
that are accepted are those people who are represented by Him. And so, he was accepted of God. His righteousness was accepted.
His offering was accepted. Therefore, all who are in Him
are accepted. Accepted. This is the gospel. This is the
gospel. And only those who receive Christ
by faith have any hope or comfort or peace that we are one with
Christ. And if you are one with Christ,
then listen, this message is for you. Now, Peter, he's encouraging
believers here in this text, and this is his encouragement.
He says, finally, be ye all, all believers, of one mind. This is my first point, one mind.
One mind. What is the mind of every believer? This is not just what Peter said,
this is what Paul also said, the exact same thing in Romans
chapter 15 in verse 6. He said, that you may be one
mind and one mouth glorifying God. even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. So what is the mind of the church?
What is to be the one mind of the church? It is this, to worship
God. Let this be our one mind, our
one focus, to worship God. You remember in Acts chapter
4 how they were praying together. They were all gathered in one
place and they were all praying with one accord. You think they
were all saying the same thing? No, one person was saying it,
but they were all having one mind to it. Tonight I'm going
to be preaching to you, but yet I know this, I'm the only one
speaking out loud. But yet, when you hear these
things, what do you do? You speak them in your heart.
You affirm them to be true. And you are of the same mind
as I am. And we are all of one mind. One
heart. And so what have we as believers
met here to do tonight? What are we here for? You got in your car. He shrank
it up, you got the heat going, you came in here. Now what was
your mind? Was this just habit? Sometimes
it is, isn't it? Sometimes we just get in the
car and we just mindlessly go. This is where we're supposed
to be. Why are we meeting here? What
is our purpose in this place? Did we come out of duty or habit? Or because we think it's just
the place to be? If we have come for those reasons,
I know this, God can still bless us. In spite of our foolishness,
in spite of our mindlessness, God can still and does still
bless us. But this is not the attitude
that the believers should have when we come to worship. We should
come expecting God to be here. Imagine if we kept our minds
and hearts focused on that every time we come in here that when
we meet together God meets with us and We worship God Where you
going? I'm going to worship God Are
you just going to church? People say you're going to church
where they saying you're going to a building aren't you? What are you gonna
do there we're gonna worship God we're gonna come and bow
down and worship God and Let this be our mind when we come
here. Let this be our focus. We learned early in scripture
that God is a jealous God, isn't he? He's jealous over his worship. He will not be second to anyone. He found that out. How many times
have we put him second and he's ripped whatever that is away
from us? He's taken it away. Our children,
our family, our homes, whatever it is we put first, God says,
no, I am jealous and I will be first. And God takes that thing
away from us. He's done that so many times
because he's jealous. Did you come with this mind to
come and bow yourself, to prostrate yourself before the living God? Because that's what we do. When
we come here, we should have this mind, one mind. Paul said, be of one mind to
glorify God. Let us glorify our Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ. Was that not Christ's purpose
on earth when he came? To glorify God? I heard this
before and it stunned me at first, but it was just so true. You
know, Christ, his primary objective and work was not to save you.
It was to glorify God. And by glorifying God, he saved
you. He glorified God in everything
he did. It was his primary focus in everything
he did and said and thought and felt, he glorified God. Therefore,
in the end, he said, Father, glorify thy son. Why? Because
thy son hath glorified thee. He has finished the work that God
gave him to do. David said, I will praise Thee,
O Lord, my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Thy name forever. Christ glorified the name of
God by saving His people from their sins. He glorified God
by doing and keeping that covenant and ratifying it with His blood.
How is it that we believers this night might glorify God? How
do we glorify God when we come in? If that's our objective,
if we are to be one mind in worshiping God, how is it that we worship
God? Very simply, through the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is how we glorify God. We
meet together by hearing and receiving. Not only hearing,
but receiving the word of God by faith. When we do this, we honor God.
When we do this, we rejoice and receive this wonderful message
of the free gift of God. You know what's the only thing
ever free? The only thing that ever cost you anything is something
that God has already purchased Himself and gives freely to His
people. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
us the light of the knowledge of what? The glory of God. Where is it found? In the face
of Jesus Christ. You know, when Moses asked to
see God, he said, let me see thy glory. And God said, you
cannot see my face. Listen, tonight, as we worship,
we may see the face of the glory of God by faith in Jesus Christ,
by believing on Christ, by looking to Christ. We see the glory of
God. We see the glory of God fulfilled
by Jesus Christ. This is the light of the knowledge
He's given every believer. Every believer. We may glorify
Him only through Christ. This is the only way our praise
is accepted. And God will not accept our praise
because of who we are, but He will accept it based on His Son
who is our surety and High Priest. Think about that, the High Priest.
Those people, none of those people offered anything. None of those
people sacrificed anything. It was the High Priest who sacrificed
for the people. and that blood that he sacrificed
was for them and so it is with Christ we offered nothing but
Christ offered himself without spot and blemish to God and God
made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him therefore let us come
to worship and praise him for his mercy his mercy Down in Romans
15, in that same passage I was reading, he said that the Gentiles
might glorify God for His mercy. Isn't that what we come for?
Mercy? Who needs mercy? God's people are the only ones
who need mercy. You know that? Everybody else
may need assistance. We need flat-out free mercy. We need free pardon. free grace,
and therefore we glorify God for free mercy and free grace. Let us glorify God. Let this
be our mind. Let this be our mind. Be of one
mind to worship God through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus
Christ. I want to give you this because
I thought this is still wonderful in my mind. You know the first
mention of the word worship? Worship. It's found in Genesis
chapter 18. And you remember that those three
men came to Abraham. He saw them coming. And this
is what it says. He lifted up his eyes and looked,
and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and he... bowed himself. That word bowed means worship. It's the very same word for worship
in other places. And you know why those, that
one in the center was Jesus Christ. He was coming to tell Abraham
of Isaac's birth. That was the prophecy that he
was going to give. So he worshipped when he heard
of the coming of Isaac. Secondly, the second time the
word worship is used in Genesis 22, and this has to do with the
sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham said to the young men
about here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship
and come again. So if we use the law of first
mention, the word worship here is used in relationship to the
prophecy of the Messiah and the death of the Messiah. See, Isaac
was a type, a type of Christ. And so worship has to do with
these two things, the coming of the Messiah and the dying
of the Messiah. So if we are to worship God,
then it must be done only around the honor and praise of his life
and his death. Isn't this no wonder Paul said
this? I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus
Christ in Him crucified. Why? That's the only way to worship
God. It's the only way to worship God is to praise His Son, to
exalt His Son. This is a wonder and a miracle,
isn't it, how God sent His Son to die for such sinners as we
are. Is that not a miracle? I tell
you, we don't see that as a miracle. It's because we don't see how
wretched we really are. We must think we're something. But God sent His Son into this
world to die for the most worthless people. That He would give His life a
ransom and bear our sins in His own body to satisfy the justice
of God in our stead. Let our hearts sing. Let this
be our mind. Says this in Zephaniah chapter
3 and verse 14. Sing, O daughter of Zion, and
shout, O Israel, be glad and rejoice. Listen, with all the
heart, with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem, why the Lord hath
taken away thy judgments. Is that not something to sing
about? The judgments of God are taken away forever. He hath cast out thine enemy.
You realize there is no enemy in the presence of God to accuse
you? Now there's an enemy accusing you every single day. But there
is no one in the presence of God to make accusations against
you. Not one. Not one. An enemy is cast out. The King
of Israel, even the Lord is in the midst of thee. He is in your
heart. And the result of this, you shall
not see evil anymore. Let that be our focus. When we
come to worship God, should that not be our focus? Our aim? Our heart? to praise Him for
His wonderful works, for His birth, for His death, for His
resurrection, for His ascension, for His coming again, the coming
resurrection. We have plenty to be thankful
for, plenty to praise God for. And secondly, let us be of this
one mind to glorify God, not only by the worship through the
preaching of the gospel, but also by this, good works. It should be the mind and heart
of every believer to maintain good works. Go to Titus chapter
3. Titus chapter 3 in verse 8. This is a faithful saying. Paul said, listen, this is just
faithful. You can put these words to the bank. They're faithful.
And these things, he's talking about the gospel is faithful,
these things, I will that thou affirm constantly that, why do
we preach the gospel? Why are we constantly affirming
these faithful things? That they which have believed
in God might be careful to maintain good works, and these things
are good and profitable unto men." We as believers in Jesus
Christ must keep in mind that works, our good works, never
commend us to God. You got that? You do all these
good works, you don't get kudos, and you don't get extra crowns,
and you don't get extra jewels, and you don't get extra blessings,
and they don't commend us to God.
I'll tell you this, I'm thankful that these things don't condemn
us before God either. Because my good works are mixed
with sin in everything I do. Sin is still mixed with everything
I do. So I'm thankful my good works don't commend me to God,
otherwise they'd just condemn me before God. But rather, let us see this.
Good works are a result, a product of what God has done in the heart
of His people. They're an outpouring of what
God has made us to be in the new man. If a man says he believes in
Christ, and you listen to this, the tenor of that man's life
is towards sin. That man does not know Christ. That man does not know Christ.
I said this before, if it walks like a duck and talks like a
duck, it's not a horse. It's a duck. And if a man is
only walking in sin and has no love for the brethren, no love
for the gospel, no love for Christ, and says he believes, that man's
a liar. John calls him that. I don't
care. How many times John called a man a liar? He said, that man's
a liar. He don't love the brethren. He's
a liar. And the truth's not in him. And believers, We know that works
do not save us, but works do convey something, don't they? Good works do convey something,
not to us, but to others. Isn't that right? They don't
convey anything to my soul. They don't add anything to my
soul or my salvation. But yet they are conveying a
message to those around me. This is why Paul said, be careful. I'm preaching you the gospel
that you should be careful, not negligent of good works, but
careful to maintain good works. So then let us be of one mind
to maintain good works. Let us be of one mind to maintain
good works that our Father might be glorified by our conversation. Isn't that what Jesus said in
Matthew chapter 5 and verse 16? He said, let your light so shine
among men that they may see your good works. How many people think
they just do good works and they keep it inside? Well, they're
doing all the good work on the inside. Jesus said, that don't
do anything. That don't help anybody, does
it? Doesn't help one person. Doesn't convey that message that
you belong to Christ to anyone. It doesn't glorify your Father. John Gill says of good works,
meaning their zeal and fervency. Our good works should be zealous
and fervent. In other words, it should be
on purpose, right? We shouldn't stumble into good works. I think
that's what we're waiting for sometime. We're waiting to stumble
onto something to do something. No, they have to be purposeful,
meaningful. They should be in their plainness
and openness and sincerity and faithfulness and integrity, their
courage, their diligence, their industry, the tirelessness in
preaching the gospel, and by their example in their lives
and conversations. Could anyone look at us and tell
that we are believers? Would they even suspect it? Are
we trying to make them guess? Why? I know this. We don't want to be puffed up.
I know that we don't want to be proud But if we maintain good,
we keep works in their proper place, we would not be. Because
if we do anything good at all, God gets the glory. We get no
glory for doing anything for anyone. These things should shine. Let
your light so shine among men. How's that? That they may see
your good works and glorify your Father. Spurgeon said this. The terminology
is lost in our generation, but he said this. There's no greater
joy than to be a soul winner. I know what he meant, but the
world don't understand what that means today. Is there anything more joyful
than to be used of God in the calling of His people? Can you think of anything more
useful? Yet that's what the church is.
We're here because God has an elect people. We are here because
God has a lost people, and they must be found. Therefore, we
must and should maintain good works so that men should see.
Maybe God would use these things. You may not be preaching from
a pulpit, but surely you have light. Surely you have understanding
of the gospel. Surely you may convey this to
someone else. Let this be our mind. This should
be all of our mind working in the same direction. Let us take every opportunity
to tell others of the love and mercy of Christ. Shouldn't that
be our mind? In whatever way to convey that, we should. Whatsoever
thy hand find to do, do it with what? All thy might, as unto
the Lord. Let this be our mind. Not only
worship, not only good works. Next, Peter says in our text
that we should be of one mind in this. Look back in your text.
Look at verse 8. Be of one mind, we said, of worship
and concerning good works, having compassion one of another, love
as brethren, be pitiful and courteous. We as believers in Jesus Christ,
we know this, we're not without sin. We are not without pain. We are
not without trouble in this life. In fact, the opposite is promised
us, isn't it? It is not only given to you on
behalf of Christ to believe on Him, but also to what? Suffer
for His namesake. We know that all our troubles
and pains and hurts that come to us in this life, they're grievous,
aren't they? Have you found your suffering
to be grievous? It's grievous! But isn't this a comfort? All
of your suffering All of your grief and sorrow is measured
and designed by God. All of it. I like this. As a wise and skilled
pharmacist measures and mixes medicines, even so the Father
mixes exactly the right amount of bitter and sweet for the good
of His people. Too much joy would intoxicate
us. Too much sorrow would crush us. Too much grief would cause us
to despair. Too much pleasure would ruin
us. He knows exactly what we need. and His providence is wise
and has designed and sovereignly decrees and sets it out for our
good." Have you not seen that? In Scripture, have you not seen
this? In God's people, in God's men. Consider David. David, he
sinned against God. He committed adultery and murdered
that man. Murdered him in cold blood. Murdered
him. That was a man after God's own
heart, yet he sinned. And you see how God meted out
his chastisement. Not so as to kill David, not
so as to destroy David, but so as to bring David to repentance,
so as to bring David to humility. And he did that, didn't he? He
did exactly what he's... What about Job? Now, Job, it
seems as though nothing was wrong with Job. He didn't seem to do
anything, and God brought it on him. And so we see these two
men as pictures of us. We're either being chastened
because of our sin or we're being chastened and we don't know what
it's for We're suffering. We don't know what it's for So then in our suffering let
us be of one mind What kind of mind is this compassion Compassionate people It is here that we as believers
often think that sorrow comes because... We think that sometimes when
someone is being afflicted because of sin, it is our duty to chasten
them. Is that right? It's not our duty
to chasten anybody. It's God's business to chasten
His people and He does it to draw them. How does He do it?
How does God chasten His children and then cause them to draw near? Isn't it with tenderness? Isn't
it the love of Christ that constrains us? Isn't it the love of Christ
that draws us back? Isn't it the love of Christ that
chastens us, that makes us feel low when we commit sin against
Him? God uses that and draws it. Sometimes
God uses physical suffering to draw us back. But whatever God uses, I want
you to know this. God only desires the restoration
of His children. Isn't that right? Isn't that
what chastening's for? Isn't that what He meeds it out for?
He meeds it out, the suffering, the afflictions. Even our sin,
He needs it out for this one purpose, to restore His children. Now listen, when we see our brethren
fall into sin, what should be our mind? Shouldn't it be the same mind
as God, to restore? Corinthians, when that man was
taken in incest with his father's wife, You remember that church,
they thought they were being tolerant and allowing this man.
They said, we're not a judgmental church, we're going to let this
man be in here, we'll just embrace it. Paul said no. He said, by
his apostolic power, he said that you should deliver that
one to Satan, that his soul might be saved. Deliver his flesh to
Satan. Now what did Paul desire that
for? for his repentance. And you know that that man in
2 Corinthians, that man repented, that man turned from his sin.
And how then should they receive him? Should they give him a test? They give him a test and put
him before a council or give him some disciplinary actions
and restrict his privileges in the church? Is that what they're...
No! Paul said, Be of one mind, having compassion on one who
has fallen. If we find our brothers and sisters
have fallen into the grievous and heinous sins, as we are all
prone to do, how then, if they repent, should we treat them? Let us be of one mind to seek
their restoration. to restore them into the fellowship. Oh, friends, let not sin reign
in your mortal body. Don't let it do it. Sin is horrible. Sin is death. Oh, but when we
find one of our brethren that has fallen in sin, how then are
we to restore him? Paul said this, Brethren, if
a man be overtaken in a fault, you that have spirit shall restore
such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself.
Listen, let's be of this mind. Let's consider ourselves. When
we start trying to judge other people, we should first consider
our own nature, that we're no different, and if God were to
take his hand off of us, we'd be the same. This should be our
mind, shouldn't it? This should be our focus, to
love and comfort God's people, to restore them. What about those
who are in trouble of no fault of their own? A lot of times we just assume
it's sin, right? Somebody's in big trouble, we
assume they did something real bad. That's not always the case,
is it? But when you find brethren who
have fallen into great suffering as no fault of their own, what
should be our mind toward them? Simple. The same. Love and compassion to fulfill
all their needs. James said, look, you see a man
hungering and thirsting and being cold, what are you to do? Just
say, be warm and filled. No, you're to give him what he
has need of. Let this be our mind, to give
what is needed to those among us, those believers who have
need. Why? Because this is the commandment
of Christ, isn't it? Our Lord says this, a new commandment
give I unto you. that you love one another. Now listen, a commandment has
no regard for how you feel, does it? A lot of times we don't feel
like loving. Well that's alright if you don't
have to. It's a command, it's not a suggestion. Love one another. One pastor friend told me this
before I got married and it's saved me countless times. He
said, Fred, love is not just a feeling, it's a commitment. And when you cannot feel, you
can still be committed. Let us then be of this one mind. Let us be committed to one another. Serve one another. Listen to
this. Forgive one another. Paul says in Ephesians chapter
4, Be ye kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. How? As
even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Now how is
that? What kind of forgiveness is that? Is that not complete
forgiveness? Is that not free forgiveness? Yes. And let me see, let me close
with this. Look at this last part. Look at verse 9, not rendering
evil for evil, or railing for railing, but counterwise blessing,
knowing that you are thither to called, that you should inherit
a blessing. When our brethren, when you find
a brethren that's taken in a fault and you are trying to help them,
and their sin is exposed, how do you suppose they're going
to react to your love? What's the first thing we do
when we're caught into something? We have a defense mechanism,
and it's usually railing and lashing out. When our brethren
lash out at us because they have sinned, because they have fallen,
and we are trying to restore them, we are trying to help them,
and they lash out, how are we to respond? Let us be of one
mind. Respond with blessing and not railing. Not evil for evil. But blessing, why? You're called
to a blessing, aren't you? Aren't you to receive a blessing?
Then how can you not give one? Believer, let this be our mind,
let this be our heart. And not only to the brethren,
I tell you this, to all men. Should this not be the way we
treat just all men? Did our Lord not say, love your
enemies? Do good to them that persecute
you and despitefully use you, on purpose use you, on purpose
hurt you. Why? That you might be just like
your Father. Isn't that how He did you? Let this be our mind. Let this
be our mind, want mind. Here it is. Worship God through
the preaching of the Gospel. Good works maintain good works
for this glorifies our father and furthers the gospel Let us
be compassionate to those who have fallen and to those who
are suffering let us love them and Not answer railing for railing,
but rather give blessings now if we set our mind as a church
to this I Know this God will bless us God will bless the this
labor. He will bless this work Why? Because all the glory belongs
to Him if we've done anything. I pray God will help us have
this one mind. One mind on purpose. We don't
do this on accident, do we? No. We do this on purpose because
our salvation's on purpose, isn't it? So let this mind be in you. It was in Christ Jesus. We should be servants. Servants
of God and servants of each other.