Don't leave me, Lord, till I
have been pleased with Thee. Call me nearer, nearer, blest
and more, Till I rise proud and bright. Call me nearer, nearer,
nearer, blest and more, Till I raise Thank you, Sherry. 1 Peter 2. Let's read the first three verses. 1 Peter 2, verse 3. Wherefore, laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that
ye may grow thereby." If so be, ye have tasted, that the Lord
is gracious." If I had a title, that would
be at verse 3, If so be, if so be. All right, that first verse
begins with a wherefore. So you can't begin there. And so that refers back to something
else. But if you go back to chapter
1, verse 13, you see that? It says, And that refers back to the first
twelve verses. If you look at each verse, every
verse begins, and it's not the beginning of a thought,
it's a continuation. But we'll have to begin somewhere.
We can't go all the way back. We just don't have time. So let's
begin with verse 13. I believe chapter 2 begins as
a continuation of these last dozen verses of chapter 1. All
right, he says, wherefore, gird up. So gird up, he said, the
loins of your mind. Be sober. Hope to the end. Hope to the end, hope to the
end, for the grace that is to be brought, is, that is most
certainly to be brought unto you at the revelation or the
great revealing of Jesus Christ. The great revealing, that's when
he splits the sky open and every eye shall see him. no secret
rapture. Scriptures don't teach that.
It says, as the lightning hits the sky from the east to the
west, so shall his coming be. So he says to us, gird up. Remember that? Gird up the loins
of your mind. Be sober, sear it, and hope to
the end, to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you. We're going to find out just
how great the grace is. Verse 14, he says, as obedient
children. As obedient children, not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lust or in your ignorance, or
that is, back when you were child of wrath, even as others, disobedient. Paul says, Peter said they ran
the same excess of riot as they did, but not now. And Paul did say this, be not
conformed to the world, but rather transform. He says, not fashioning
yourselves any more according to the form of lust in your ignorance,
for ye knew better. Verse 15, But as he which hath
called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Holy means consecrated. Verse 16, he says, Be ye holy,
for I am holy. And if you call on the Father,
if you call on the Father, or that is, if you call God your
Father, if you do, if he has, like Paul said in Romans 8, given
you the spirit of adoption whereby you call him Father, Abba, Father,
who without respect of persons judges, judgeth according to
every man's work while past the time. of your sojourning here
in fear. Pass the time. How do we pass
the time? By doing what we're doing right
now. Pass the time. This is a believer's pastime,
full-time action. For as much, verse 18, he says,
this is what it costs to bring you to where you are. This is
what it called. As much as you know, you were
not redeemed with corruptible things, silver and gold and so
on. But verse 19, precious blood,
costly blood. It really doesn't cost us anything to save us. It costs
Christ everything. What does salvation take? Well,
nothing from us, right? Nothing from us. We don't contribute. In my hands, no price I bring. The blood of Christ is what obtained
eternal redemption for us. What does salvation take? Nothing from us, but all of us. Once saved, he says, you're not
your own. You're bought with a price. All
of us. Love, the song says, love so amazing, so divine, demands
my soul, my life, my all. What's that one song we sing
that says, oh, it talks about love like that and a cost like
that, merits my soul's best song. All right, and that's what we
read in Psalm 34. Oh, he said, let's praise the
Lord together. So he said, you know now what
it took to redeem you. Verse 20, who Christ was there
for, ordained before the foundation of the world. But now look at
this line here. This is amazing. And you remember,
Peter started talking in this chapter about things that kept
hid from the prophets. who diligently inquired into
this grace, and even the angel's desire to look into it. He says, now it's made manifest
to you. You've got to stop and think
about who you are to appreciate this. Huh? It's manifested in these last
times. God passed by. Not many mighty, not many noble. If we stop and think about this,
how God in Ephesians, Paul and Peter, all of them use the same
language. Paul in Ephesians 1 says, Oh,
how he hath abounded toward us in wisdom and prudence, making
known unto us the mystery of his will, which things have been
kept hid. but made manifest. Paul said
the same thing, didn't he, John, in Ephesians 1? To us. Who? Who's us? Who we? Who you? I mean a nobody, from nowhere,
of no lineage, no great heritage, whatever. A nobody from nowhere, but yet
God chose us to reveal Christ to the world. We never take it for granted. Verse 21, "...who by him," and
the only reason you believe is by him, who believed in God,
"...they raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that
your faith and hope might be in God, seeing you have purified
your souls in obeying the truth." Now, remember, that's not of
yourselves, it's a gift of God. But it's through the Spirit,
see that? And to unfeign our true love of the brethren. Remember
John said that we know we pass from death unto life because
we love the brethren. We know we love God because we love the
brethren. And so he says, see what you
do, see what you do with a pure heart, fervently, being born
again. being born again. These are the
only ones that will love God, those that are born of God. Not
the will of man or the will of the flesh, but born of God. Those
that do love God are born of God. Those that do love the Brethren
are born of God, born again, being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible the Word of God, which liveth and
abideth forever, never perishing. Now all flesh is as grass, and
all the glory of man is a flower of grass, the grass withereth,
and the flower that thereof falleth away, but the Word of the Lord
endureth forever. And this is the Word. This is
how you were born again. This is the Word, which by the
gospel is preached unto you. Wherefore? You see that? Why he says, wherefore? In light of all that. In consideration
of all that. All right, look at it. Look at
these things. He gives us five things, he says, to lay aside.
Wherefore, laying aside all mounts, as Paul said, old things pass
away, all things become dead. Paul said, new creatures in the
fire. An old man and a new man. Wherefore, if ye are born again,
If so be, that ye have tasted it. If you call on the Father,
if so, if you have been born again, all right, lay aside.
Right there. No more malice. Lay aside all
malice. Malice means, very simply, depravity. Don't act depraved, he said.
Badness, another word for it, is badness. Bad attitude, bad
actions, bad talk, bad reactions, like a depraved person. A depraved
person only reacts one way, only thinks one way, only acts one
way, basically. Bad. Depraved. He says, be done
with that. Be done with that. Don't act
like a depraved person would act. A depraved person. Depraved means somebody who has
not been shown saving mercy, saving grace. Don't act like somebody without
any mercy. Show mercy. Remember, you're going to see
how much these things go together with everything we've been studying.
It's all relevant. It all goes together. Remember
over in Luke, our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount, he said,
Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful. You know
how we looked at those things? Judge not and you'll be not.
Condemn not and so forth. Love your enemies and so on.
Remember all that? Well, here Peter is telling us
the exact same thing. Sure he is. That's where he got
it. He got it from the Lord. He says, Lay aside. Lay aside. Don't act like a person who's
never experienced mercy. You'll be merciful. Don't act
like a person who's never received grace. Be gracious. Long-suffering. When they condemn, when they
convict somebody of a certain crime, sometimes they call it with malice or forethought. Is that how they say it? Malice
being you plan it beforehand. Malice means you've thought about
it beforehand. I'm going to get them. I'm going to get them. That's
malice. I'm going to get even. Retaliation,
meanness. He said, be done with that. Remember
our Lord said, look at the next thing, all right? He says, lay
aside all guile. Lay aside all guile. All these things use this same,
what do you call it, adverb? I lay aside all malice, all guile,
all hypocrisies, all envies, all evil spirits. I lay it all
aside, every time, in every case, in every instant, all malice. And that means all people. He
said, do good unto all, especially them that are of the half-soul
of faith. He just said that, didn't he? See that you love
your brethren with a pure heart, laying aside. All this, all guile,
all guile. Guile is deception. Guile is trickery. Guile is dishonesty. Guile is using lies and subtlety
and guile. You know some of that guile or
cunning or sneaky, or I've known some people like that. Let me
ask you a bit. Think of somebody that you really
admire, a believer. The only person I admire is a
true believer. The only persons on earth I really
admire are believers. But you think of someone that
you really admire, someone you really look up to, and wouldn't
this describe that person? No doubt. You can be what they
say. You can trust them. You can count
on them. You know what they're saying.
There's not a hidden motive behind it. There's not an ulterior motive,
hidden agenda, not trying to get something out of you, not
trying to pull something over on you. There's many people I
can think of like that. One person comes to mind in particular,
Walter Gruber. is not a gal, he's a Nathanael,
an Israelite in whom is no gal. It would be like that. Why is Walter
like that? Because he got it from his Lord.
Somebody who is like that is somebody who walks closely with
the one who is like that the most. Who is that personified?
Our Lord. Gile, not thinking or doing anything
underhanded or with an evil motive, but all above board, honest,
straightforward. He said, Lay it aside. Lay it
aside. Children are without Gile, aren't
they? The younger they are, the the
less guile they have, aren't they? Children. We call them
gullible. We call them naive. Why? They
believe everything you tell them. What's wrong with that? I wish I was more like that instead
of cynical and bitter and, you know, he's out there getting
married. What do you mean by that? Childless. Childless. Children without guile.
Our Lord said that, didn't he? Except you be converted and become
a little cow. Here's the next thing. Lay aside
all hypocrisy. Hypocrisy. You know where the
word Well, you know what hypocrisy, hypocrite, you know what that
translates into? Our English word, the English
word actor came from the word hypocrite or something, Greek,
hypocrite, actor. We look, people look up to those
hypocrites, don't they? Hypocrite. That means acting,
acting without sincerity, playing a part. He said, lay it aside. Lay aside, playing a part. Look
at the next thing. Lay aside all envies. Envies. Love envieth not. Edward, do
you envy your son's anything good that happens to him, anything
he receives, anything? Do you envy your children? Goodness, that goes without saying,
doesn't it? You want, if you, if you lose
everything, that they could have everything." I said, I don't
need that. Huh? It really is. It says the
same thing about the brethren. Envieth not. And I wish, like John, above
all things, that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even
as thy soul prospereth. I could wish you all things,
whatever, whatever, as long as it didn't take your heart away
from Christ. Lay aside all envies. successes and the gifts of your
brethren. Don't envy them at all. Love,
envy them not. Look at the next thing. Evil
speakings. Lay aside all evil speaking. What's evil speaking? We know
what evil speaking is, don't we? It's anything. It's anything
that's not true, it's not kind, it's not necessary. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Lay aside it all. What does that mean? Don't even talk to your
husband about it. Somebody. Don't talk to your
wife about somebody. Lay aside all evil speaking.
Lay it aside. Talk of the brethren. That's
a subtle form of sowing discord among the brethren. It sure is.
You talk about one of the brethren to your husband or your wife,
and if you're bringing up some bad things or whatever, you're
sowing discord. Lay it aside, he said, lay it
aside. Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
All right, look at the next sentence, verse 2. Wherefore, as newborn
babe, as newborn babe, he said up there in chapter 1, being
born again. Do this, be this, as newborn babe. Since you're
born again, he said, as a newborn baby, and right here is a baby's
greatest need. A newborn baby needs this one
thing more than anything else, and so do we. Look at it. Desire
the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby. This is a source of grace and
strength to lay aside all malice. Well, how are we going to lay
aside malice? We're going to take grace and strength without
ourselves. Where is it to be found? Lay aside, lay aside, the desire
of the sincere milk of the Word that you might grow." He talks
about growing and laying aside these things, being done with
these things, indicates growth, doesn't it? Understand? Understand what he's saying?
That indicates that we're maturing in grace. growing in grace and
in the knowledge of Christ. Emulation of him is proof of
growing in grace and knowledge of Christ. He said, so laying
aside these things is proof that we're growing a little bit. All right? How do you grow? Well,
he just said it. Milk. Milk. Verse 3, If, if, there's a big little
word in it, if, so be that you have tasted. If truly you have
been born again by the word, by the gospel, if you truly have
heard, seen, loved, had your mind, heart, affection set on
things above, if so be you have." See why the title of the message?
If so be you have. If you really have tasted grace,
if you really have received mercy, if you really have received grace,
then lay aside malice. Now, he said, if so be you tasted. And folks, that's all we truly
have done is tasted. We haven't drunk to the fullest.
This is a foretaste. We've had a foretaste of glory
divine. We haven't eaten or drunken to
fullness, but if so be that you have tasted grace, what's it
taste like to you? What's grace taste like to you?
If so be that you've tasted it, how's it taste? Sweet to the
taste. And David says, honey, to the
taste. Psalm 34, he said, tasted that
the Lord's good, goodness, the goodness of God leads you to
repentance. He loved to taste. It was all
right then, if so be it. You have tasted grace, tasted
the gospel, and it's good to your taste. Then he says, desire
the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. desire the sincere milk of the
word. Now, has this verse ever given you a little problem, like
it says, desire? It's almost like he's telling
us to desire it, isn't it? He is. He is. Now, it's certain, listen to
me, it's certain that a born-again believer desires the sincere
milk of the word. If not, They haven't been born
again. That's the reason you say, if
so be ye have tasted. A baby, when it's born, what's
it want first thing? If it's alive, it wants its mother's
breast. Modern thought. That's indicative of modern religion,
isn't it, Jenny? It's not good for them. Give
them something else. Give them some hormone, you know. Isn't
that indicative of modern religion, huh? Well, if it's alive now,
it wants mama, mama's milk. And, oh, you know, there's so
much that can be taken from that, that colostrum and all that's
in there. What a picture of the Word the
milk is. But it's certain a truly newborn
child desires the mother's breast, or milk, all right? And it's
so everyone has been born again, born of God, born of the gospel.
Everybody's really heard the word, heard the gospel, and tasted,
oh, that's good, they desire it. If that's not so, they haven't
been born again. They say, oh, that's good, and
they go their way and never return again. I don't care what they
say. I've heard so many comments.
I don't listen to a thing anybody says anymore. I really don't. People, you know, come back,
oh, that's the greatest message I ever heard. Did they come and
hear it? No. They didn't. Talk is so cheap. I'd rather see a smile on somebody's
face and never say a word as the gospel is being preached.
They sit, come, and come, and come, and come, and sit. Talk
is cheap. Well, listen to me. It's certain
that children, newborn babes, desire the milk, right? They're right. It's very simple. They don't stay newborn babes
very long, do they? Huh? Do they? Now, what he's saying is, as
newborn babes, you're not newborn babes, he's saying. Peter is
saying, back in chapter 1, verse 14, as obedient children. What's
an obedient child? It's not a newborn baby. That's
somebody who has grown up a little bit and is responsible. Understand? That's a child of
some age, isn't it? Nearly everybody in here is of
some spiritual age. You've been hearing the gospel,
and it's all right. We're not newborn babies anymore, but as
newborn babies. He said, as newborn baby. Now here's the point I'm trying
to make. It's certain that a newborn baby
will desire the milk of the Word. It's certain. But as they grow
up, they need to be exhorted to eat what's good for them.
And so he says, those who have truly been born again by the
Word and are growing in grace desire the sincere milk of the
Word as You first desired it. That's
a new one. Turn over to Revelation 2 with
me. Revelation 2. You see, this is both an exhortation
and an admonition. Are you listening? I need this,
people. I need this worse than anybody
in here. And the preacher needs it. This is both an exhortation,
a desire, and an admonition. All right? Revelation 2. John, you know, he talks about, hold
fast the beginning of your The same thing, saying the same thing.
Hold fast the beginning of your conflict. Here in Revelation
2, verse 4, he says, I have somewhat against thee. Now, he commended
them up in verse 2. I know you labor your patience
and so on. You can't bear them which are
evil, talking about religious. You tried them that say they're
apostles, and you found them out. They're liars, and you know
it. It's all this talk. He said,
I commend you for that. I have somewhat against you."
And he says, you've left your first love. Now it doesn't say
that you've lost your first love. Love never fails. You can't lose love. Right? He says you've left it. Understand? He left off loving
who is first. That which is first has become
secondary. All right? First things first. Now, read on down. Let me see. Verse 5, Remember
therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works. What's the first works? Desiring
the sincere milk of the Word. That's the first thing. What
could you do when you were a young believer? Nothing. You didn't
know anything. You didn't have much grace. Huh? Not much knowledge. Huh? A newborn baby? What can a newborn
baby do? Huh? Get up, kid. Do something. Pull your weights. He can crave the milk. This way,
sir. Do the first way. And everyone who has truly been
born again begins with an insatiable appetite
for the gospel. Huh? You can't... Listen now. who has truly been born again,
begins with an insatiable appetite for the gospel." I mean, they
just can't get enough. Pour over bulletins, articles,
books, everything, anything, any meeting, any service, early. They just can't get enough of
it. They can't talk enough about
it. as newborn baby. Desire it. Desire it. Well, how do you desire it? Turn back to Psalm 34 in closing. Psalm 34. It's just been slightly
30 minutes, people. Psalm 34 that we read a while ago. He tells us to desire it. Now,
that's both an exhortation and an admonition. Desire it, he said, just like
he did in the beginning. Taste it again for the first
time. Well, how is desire formed? Well, we've already read that.
Born of God. The desires of God. God gives
the desire in the beginning, right? Until God gave me a desire
after Him, I wasn't interested in it. So see, I get no credit. No room for boasting. Anybody
has any interest in the gospel, no room for boasting. And God
did it. You, you, that's He questioned
who were dead. Children will laugh even as I
talk about God. Quickened you. What? Made you
alive. You were. Caused you to crave the milk
of the Word. And love it. Gave you a taste. Fed you with the milk of consolation. All right, the desire comes from
God. Well, then how is the desire increased? Same source, right? That's where it comes from. All
desire comes from him. Ask, and you shall receive. In
closing, Psalm 34 again, and maybe this will mean a little
more to us now. Oh, taste, for the first time,
verse 8, and see that the Lord is good. Remember our message
on the goodness of the Lord would lead the feet to repentance. despises thou the riches of his
grace, knowing not but the goodness of God." Where did he find you? Looking at the backside of him?
Out in the back. And brought you here. Oh, so
then, at the taste of good words. Not the cream. Joe, the cream. He saved it. He skimmed the cream off the
top to give to us, didn't he? While the people out there are
feeding on husks. I'll be the first to admit there's
some people, better men than I am, feeding on husks. Skim off the cream to give to
this old prodigal boy. The goodness of God ought to
lead us to repentance. Repentance over what? If I've
left my first love, if I've left off first works, oh, taste and
see that the Lord is good. Isn't it good? How good has the
Lord been to you? That's what Peter said back in
chapter one. He said, God has no respect for
persons. No respect for persons. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. Verse 10. Young lions do lack
and suffer hunger. That strong, virile, robust lions
that are able to take anything, to seize it, anything they want. The fastest and strongest prey,
they can get it. Sometimes they suffer hunger.
How about you? I mean, we're the weakest animal
on earth. Last night I went out worried
about one of the horses. They don't have enough straw
to put all the horses in. One of them was left outside,
and it got down in the teens, you know, and I was kind of worried
about if I ain't got to coat that fish, you know. I wouldn't
make it 30 seconds. without a coat on. Man's the only animal on earth
that's born without a covering. And that applies spiritually,
doesn't it? God's covered us, warmed us with
the gospel, fed us with food, meat, honey out of the rock,
water out of the rock, just like the Israelites. Delivered us,
made us lie down in green pastures, restored our souls. Goodness
and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. Young lives might go without,
but a weak center is not going to help you. Lord, forgive me. How could I
forget you? Forgive me. Remember me. I've
forgotten you. I'm going to teach you the fear
of the Lord. Are you reading it with me, verse
11? I'm going to teach you the fear of the Lord. What man or
woman is he or she that desires life? You desire life? Desire? Desire? There's the word. Desire
life? Love good days? Many? How about
eternally? Want to see some good days? You
want to see good? Listen to these verses. It sounds
like Peter, doesn't it? Keep your tongue from evil. It
sounds just like Peter, doesn't it? Where'd Peter get it? From
David. Where'd David get it? From his
son, from his Lord. If he's David's
son, why'd he call him Lord? Well, that's where he got it.
That's where we get it. Keep this tongue from evil, my
lips from speaking. God, depart from evil. Pray the sight. Do good. Seek peace. Pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous. His ears are open unto their cry. The righteous cry, and when the
face of the Lord is against them, it will cut off remembrance of
them from the earth. It will burn this thing up where
the righteous cry, and the Lord hear it, and deliver them out
of all their trouble. Yes, the Lord is nigh, near unto
them that are of a broken heart, save that such as be of a contrite
spirit." So shalt thou dwell in the land,
and there thou shalt be fed." Delight thyself. It sounds like
desire, doesn't it? Delight thyself in the Lord.
He'll give you desires. Why not? Verses 8 through 11, and we'll
quit. Cease from anger. Forsake wrath. Threaten not thyself in any way.
It's too evil. The merciful, though, won't.
Don't we see it? Mean people, meanness, malice, cease from it, if so be it. You've
tasted it. Have we ever seen meanness from
God? No, taste and see, the Lord can do it. Nothing but good,
nothing but mercy, nothing but mercy. What he will do is be cut off,
but those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the earth from
me. And yet a little while, the wicked won't be saved. Thou shalt look for them, and
they won't be found. But the meek shall inherit the
earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Then we'll be done with those
things. laid down, then truly all malice
will be done with one. But if so be that you have tasted
the Lord's blessed desire, the sincere milk of the Word. If
so be you've been born again, and have laid aside these things.
If so be, if so be you've received mercy, be merciful. If so be,
if so be, if so be. Lord, make it be so. Our Father, we're so thankful
that you've chastened us principally with your word. In fact, what
a kind, merciful, wise Father that you are. speak to us, just as he did Adam
and Eve in the garden, the first sinners who sinned grievously. rebelliously, sinned against
love, perfect love and grace, every good and perfect gift and
provision, yet they sinned, ungrateful, rebels, should have been cut
off just like the angels who right now await destruction. And yet you spoke. The voice
of God came walking and spoke to that first sinner. And how
we thank you that you continue to speak to sinners through your
word. How you've chastened us with
your word. Lord, is this the manner of man? No, it's not. Thou, Lord, art
gracious, plenteous in redemption, mercy, and grace. How we thank
you that you delight to show mercy and show grace. Lord, make
that our delight. Make that our desire. And this
growth cometh from the Word, O Lord. I ask for myself and
all who pray with me. give us an insatiable desire
for the Word, that we may grow thereby for your glory. For herein are you glorified. that we become like Christ, that
we grow up in the measure, the stature, the fullness of Christ
in every grace, grace growing in grace and the knowledge of
Christ. Lord, make it so. Make it so. It's up to you. Every good and
perfecting gift cometh from above. And so we start here. We start
with where Peter told us to start all over again, desire as sin
has newborn babe, desire the milk. Lord, make it so that nothing
hinder us from this blessed portion which is able to make us wise
unto salvation. I pray, we pray, giving thanks
again, we give thanks for your continued goodness. Your mercies
that are new every morning will go to sleep centers and will
wake up in mercy. How we thank you. Now cause us
to be doers, obedient children, we pray according to your word. In Christ's name, amen. you