Good evening again. Just thinking, Drew was singing
that special. God sees the Savior, then he
sees, then he sees me in the beloved, accepted, free. Thank you for that. Thank you
for that special. I'd ask you to open your Bibles
to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 2. We're going to look at the last
few verses of 1 Peter 2, but I want to read through the The
first 20 verses he uses here. With this thought in mind, the
Lord Jesus Christ, much, much more than an example. Let's begin
in verse one. 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 you may
grow thereby. If so be you have tasted that
the Lord is gracious to whom coming as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious Ye
also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices to this acceptable
God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore, also it is contained
in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be
he confounded. Unto therefore which believe
he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone
on which the elders disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of fence, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto
also they were anointed. But ye, ye, ye are a, a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood. He's made us kings and priests,
a holy nation, a peculiar people that should show forth the praise
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light, which in time past were not a people, but now. are now the people of God, which
had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lust, which war against soul. Having your conversation honest
among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak evil against you,
evildoers, they may, by your good works, which they behold
glorify God in the day of visitation. Those good works they refer to,
he says that they may behold your good works. I couldn't help
but think of Job. Job who was known as a man who
feared God and avoided evil. Daniel, Daniel of whom those
men sought to find fault with him. And they said, we'll not
find fault with this man, except we find it in his worship, in
his God. Noah, Noah was known as a just
man. But these good works, these aren't
before God. These are before men. We're created
unto good works. Wouldn't it be good? Wouldn't
it be a good thing if God's people were known as whole people? Let's read on here. Submit yourselves,
therefore, to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether
it be to the king as supreme or unto governors. unto them
that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and
for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God
that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance
of foolish men, as free, and not using your liberty for a
cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God, that we
might have a humble and gracious spirit. Honor all men, love the
brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Serve to be subject
to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle,
but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy a man
for conscience toward God endure grief and suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it if when
you be buffeted for your faults, you gotta take it patiently,
but when you do well and suffer for it, take it patiently. This is acceptable with God. Now look with me beginning in
verse 21. Again, Christ, the Lord Jesus
Christ, more than an example. Here we read in verse 21, for
even here unto where you called, because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. Christ suffered for us. He suffered for us. You see that?
He, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from before the foundation
of the world. He that was one with the Father. He that said, I and my Father
are one. In John chapter 1 and verse 1,
in the beginning was the Word, and the Word of the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. He. He suffered for us. The Lord Jesus Christ, He that
was made flesh. We read that the word was made
flesh and brought among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. The Lord Jesus Christ, who being
in the form of God, thought it not to be robbery to be equal
with God. but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in
the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death at the cross. He suffered for us. He suffered as our substitute,
as our Redeemer, He suffered for us. My friend, God is holy. He is just. He is righteous. He will by no means clear the
guilty. His law, it must be honored. His justice must be satisfied. And the Lord Jesus Christ came. and he obeyed the law and he
suffered and died on the cross that God might be holy and righteous
and just in his love and mercy to sinners. He suffered for us, us who disobeyed
his holy law, us who have continually sinned against all my God. Us
who are guilty and deserving of death. You see that? Christ suffered for us. Look at verse 22. First Peter
2 verse 22. Second point. Christ who did
no sin Neither was Guy found in his mouth. We read this in
our Bible study this morning about that lamb without spot
or blemish. He was made in the likeness of
sinful flesh. He kept company with sinful men,
with publicans, publicans like Matthew and Zacchaeus and Harlots. He was called a winebibber and
a gluttonous man. Turn with me over to Luke chapter
seven. chapter seven, beginning with
verse 36. And one of the Pharisees desired
him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's
house and sat down to meet and behold, a woman in the city,
which was a sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat
at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment
and stood at his feet behind him, weeping, began to wash his
feet with tears and then wiped them with the hairs of her head
and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now,
when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself
saying, this man, he were a prophet, would have known who, and what
manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner." The Lord knew she was a sinner. She knew that she was a sinner. And look where she found herself,
at the feet of the Savior. I believe that would be a good
place for all of us, wouldn't it? To be at his feet. That was revealed unto her. She
knew that. And listen, the Pharisees thought
they were assaulting him when they called him a friend of publicans
and sinners. Aren't we thankful? Aren't we
thankful that he's the friend of sinners? Doesn't that give
us hope and peace and rest? After 40 days of fasting, our
Lord was tempted in the wilderness. You remember that Satan said
that, he said, if thou be the son of God, command these stones
to be made bread. And our Lord replied, it's written,
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded
out of the mouth of God. Satan tempted, each time our
Lord responded with scripture. in Hebrews chapter four. Turn
there with me, Hebrews four. Look at verse 15. For we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Listen, he knows our weakness. He knows our infirmities. He
knows our pain. He knows our temptation, our
sicknesses. He hungered. He thirsted. He
wept. He became tired. Listen, he was
in all points tempted like we are. But here's the big difference,
without sin. Without sin. This was revealed
to that one thief on the cross. Remember that as our Lord hung
on the cross, there were two thieves there. And both of them
at one time railed on him. Both of them at one time mocked
him, but something happened. Something happened. And that
one thief, as he railed on our Lord, as he hung on the cross,
the other, we read, he rebuked him. And he said, don't you fear
God? Don't you fear God, seeing that
you're in the same condemnation? And he said, we, we indeed, justly,
huh? We're gonna get what we deserve.
We're receiving the due reward of our deed. Man thinks he wants
a reward. Listen, there's only one thing
we can earn, and it's clear in scripture, the wages of sin and
death. We're getting what we deserve.
That's what he told that other thief. But this man, speaking
of the Lord Jesus Christ, this man, Christ who did no sin, this
man hath done nothing amiss. Isaiah 53 verse nine, he had
done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth. He did no sin, he knew no sin
of sin, he was a lamb without blemish and without spot, Christ
who did no sin. He's much more. He's much more
than an example, in that he suffered us, in that he did no sin. And
listen, we read on here in our text, when he was reviled, he
reviled not. When he was abused, when he was
reviled, when he was called a glutton, a wine bimber, a friend of publicans
and sinners. You know, I can only speak for
one person here this evening. And I can tell you this, when
men say wicked things about me or about my family, whether they're
true or not true, my desire is to say something back. The Lord Jesus Christ, when he
was reviled, he reviled not. He didn't speak in anger. He
didn't speak in haste. He said this, he said, wisdom
is justified of her children. When the Jews said that they
called him a Samaritan and said he had a devil, he simply answered,
I have not a devil, but I honor the father. And on the cross
when he was revived, when he suffered and was threatened like
none other, when he was scourged and buffeted When those officers
spit on him, they smote him as he passed by. They smote him
and they said, prophesy. Tell us which one of us hits
you. When they plucked out the hair
of his beard. Over there in Isaiah 50 verse 5, it said, the Lord
God hath opened my ear. I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. And as he suffered like no man
has ever suffered, as he was crucified on that cross, In his
pain, and in his agony, and in his misery, he didn't threaten. He didn't take vengeance. He
didn't execute wrath. No. Instead, he prayed, Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do. And if we read
on in the text, here in 1 Peter 2, verse 23, when he was reviled,
he reviled not, but he committed himself to him that judges righteously. Shall not the judge, shall not
the judge of the earth do wrong? He suffered for us. He did no
sin. When he was reviled, he reviled
not. And fourth, he, this man. He, his own self, bear our sins
in his own body on the tree. He bore our sins. Let that settle in for a minute.
He bore our sins. His own self, bear our sins and
own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live
to righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. He, the Lord
Jesus Christ who suffered for us. The Lord Jesus Christ who
bore our sin. Christ who when he was reviled,
reviled not again. Christ who his own self bore
our sins. He took our sins, the sins of
his people, upon himself. He carried our sins. He endured
the wrath and punishment of almighty God. His own self. There was none there to help. And just as the high priest went
in alone into the holy of holies, Not without blood, he entered
in. He entered in for his people. Christ and Christ alone. Christ
Christ himself, he alone bore our sins. Original sin, actual
sin, every act of sin of his people. The guilt of it, the
punishment of it, and the sins he bore were not his own. He took them upon himself. He
was sinless. All the iniquity of his elect,
not of all men, not of every man, his elect, all those he
ordained to eternal life. The scriptures declare, call
his name Jesus. We read that this morning, for
he shall save his people. his people from their sin. And as the surety and substitute
for his people, our sins were laid on him. Second Corinthians
521, we read that great transaction where he was made, the Lord Jesus
Christ was made to be sin for his people. He made Him to be
sin for us. Almighty God made the Lord Jesus
Christ to be sin for us. He who knew no sin. He's the
spotless Lamb of God, that we might be made the very righteousness
of God in Him. Gil wrote this, he said, as a
man takes up a burden and lays it on himself, So Christ took
up our sins and he carried them up. And by one offering, by one offering,
he himself perfected forever them
that are sanctified, them that are set apart. Turn with me to
Isaiah 53. The best commentary on scripture
is always scripture. Look here in Isaiah 53. Verse four, surely he hath borne
our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him extremely. You know, to get the true meaning
of that, we put our name in there, don't we, don't we? Huh? Surely
he hath borne Eric's griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgressions. Put your name right there. He
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him and with his stripes. Put your name right there. We
were healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all. He was made sin for us. He was oppressed, he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth. He's brought as a lamb to the
slaughter and as a sheep before her shears is done, so open,
so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and
from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? For he
was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression
of my people was he stricken. Isn't that clear, clear? He said
the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made
his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because
he had done no violence, neither was any seed in his mouth, yet
it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt 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 of the travail of
his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore
I divide him a portion with the great and he shall I divide the
spoil with the strong because he had poured out his soul on
the day. And he was numbered with the transgressors and bear
the sin of many. and made intercession for the
transgressors, sin paid for. He, his own self, bear our sins. Turn back to our text, back to
1 Peter 2, verse 25, fifth point, and I'll
close. For ye, ye were as sheep going
astray, but are now returned to the shepherd and bishop of
your souls. Now listen, here's some good,
even when we were going astray, we were still his sheep. You
see that? But now, he says, but now you're
returned. Now that's not our doing. We
look up that word, we look up that word return. It's by His
power, okay? It's by His grace. It's by His
doing that we are turned. We read that in Isaiah, all we
like sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to our
own way. And that way, that way, that's
the way we turn. It's our own way. The way that
seemeth right. the way that the end thereof
or the way of death. But listen, we're his sheep. And throughout the word of God,
his church, his bride, his people, we're his sheep. And he said
this, he said, my sheep, everybody else in the world might
hear it, but my sheep, they hear my voice. WE READ HERE THAT WE
ARE RETURNED TO THE SHEPHERD AND BISHOP OF OUR SOULS. LISTEN
TO A FEW VERSES OF SCRIPTURE. WE READ THIS MORNING, PSALM 23,
HUH? THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. HUH? I SHALL NOT WANT. HE PROVIDES
FOR HIS SHEEP. ISAIAH 40, VERSE 11, HE SHALL
FEED HIS FLOCK. Like a shepherd, he shall gather
lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall
gently lead those that are with him. He leads his shepherd. Our Lord is described in the
scriptures as the good shepherd. He's described as the great shepherd,
the chief shepherd. In 1 Peter 5, verse 24, when
the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of
glory that fadeth not away. And here in the text, he's the
bishop, overseer of the souls of his people. He watches over
his flock. He visits his flock. He never,
never forsakes his flock. He said he'll never leave. And
each one, each one of them are going to be delivered. Each one
of them are going to be saved by his obedience, by his suffering,
by his death. That's good news, isn't it? Turn
with me to one more scripture. Turn to Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15. One more thought on this being returned. We are
now returned. Luke 15, verse four. What man of you, having a hundred
sheep, our Lord told this parable, he said, what man of you, having
a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, do not leave the ninety
and nine in the wilderness and go after the lost until he find
it? What we read there, all we like
sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to our
own way. Look at verse five, when he hath found it. There's
no question about that. We read that earlier. He said
he goes after it until he finds it. And when he finds it, it's
not if he finds it. It's not if it finds itself.
It's not if somebody else finds it and brings it to him. When
he finds it, he lays it on his shoulder rejoicing. He seeks,
he finds, and then listen. when he comes home. He's gonna
find that sheep, he's gonna put it on his shoulders, and he's
gonna bring it home. When he comes home, he brings
it, he brings us, when he cometh home, he calleth together his
friends and neighbors and said, rejoice with me, for I have found
my sheep, which was lost. Look at verse seven. There's
joy in heaven. over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. He turns us, he brings us, he
brings us home. Oh, we thank God for his word,
don't we? He's more. Oh, Christ is, the
Lord Jesus Christ, no doubt he is an example, but he is much
more. He's much more than an example.
He suffered for us. He did no sin. When he was reviled,
he reviled not again. He bore our sin in his body,
body on the tree. And then he returned us. He returned
us to himself. May God be pleased to bless his
word, his word to our heart.