I have read some books on what it is like to be a teenager. One said, which I agree with from my own personal experience as a teenager, is that as you go through your teenage journey you are wrestling with identity, autonomy and affinity[1]. There is this tension in this period of your life as you seek to move out from under your parents and to be independent, and yet, there is a real risk in being at being a loner and on the out, so you seek affinity or a sub-culture or group to belong to. It’s a funny tension, where you want to express yourself all on your own and show your independence, and yet you are also seeking a group to hang out with, who will accept you and so generally will be like-minded and similar to you.
Christianity, I think is the real place to be if you want to be different from the world - and who doesn’t? The world is messed up. And within Christianity you will find a group of people or a sub-culture or a family that is willing to welcome you and love you, even if that family is made up of people who aren’t similar to you or are part of a different race or class in society.
Churches are holy
In our 1 Peter (1:13-23) passage we saw the idea of being holy because God is holy.
Now those things could be true. Being holy does have a moral, or counter-culture way of living, and we will get to that, but first and foremost I want you to see that being holy is an identity. It is what Christians are, separate from behaviour.
At the start of many of Paul’s letters to different churches, he calls them holy people, even the immoral messed up ones like Corinth. I don’t want to labour the point, but check it out
[these verses we up on a slide, I tried not to read every word of this, just skimming over]
Romans 1:7
Jesus came to save a group of people for Himself. These people are saved from the world, they do not belong here anymore. In 1 Peter Christians are called foreigners, or strangers in this world. They are just passing through. This world, all its gold and silver, phones and computer games are all going to fade away. Everything you own will end up in a garbage dump one day[3]. It could be in five years time, it could be 50 years time.
But, Christians are saved by the permanent, one-off action of Jesus. He died as our perfect sacrifice in our place and was raised to life again. We live in the same real-world where Jesus walked out of the tomb[4]. You cannot change history, it has happened, it is permanent. Our hope is now in Jesus, who is alive today, who is coming back again, and when He comes Christians will be shown grace. God is going to judge us all, and you can’t bribe Him, you can’t get a clever expensive lawyer to get you out of His judgement of you, for God is impartial. But, God has saved a separate people, a holy people, to be His, forever. This group of people have their hope in Jesus, and so dedicate their life to Jesus.
It never really occurred to me that my family was hilarious, but we probably were. My oldest sister would bait my Dad into some argument, everyone else would see this train wreck about to happen. My two sisters maybe having two different conversations going at the same time. I was the quiet kid who could go an entire dinner without saying a word. Then after dinner, we couldn’t leave the table until we had done the reading. This was some devotional book that we would go through. It was a good habit to have but by the time I was in high school with three teenagers who just wanted to leave the table, during the reading no one really listened, but when the book was closed, it was like the runner's pistol had been fired. We all could leave the table and do our own thing.
My friend thought the whole thing was weird. He did not even do a family mealtime at his place. We were just different.
In this 1 Peter passage, we see that as Christians, we are foreigners, but also obedient children. We call on God who is Father. When we become a Christian, for better or worse, we enter another family. A large family, with its quirks and difference to the rest of the world. We also take on traits of the Father, as His child. That is what this whole term is about. We love because we were first loved. We forgive as we have been forgiven by the Father. We are wise and perfect because of what Jesus has done for us[5].
And today we are told to be holy because God is holy. God is dedicated to God[6]. Everything He does is for His name sake, for His glory. You are not the centre of the universe, God is. There is nothing greater or better in this universe than God, and so God is for God.
God is also separate from His creation, He is the creator. He is not absent from creation, but He is not the same as creation. We are to be separate from all other groups and sub-culture and wider families, but not absent from those group. We don’t cut ourselves off from others. We get involved, but we are different. And this difference isn’t just because of teenage rebellion, or angst, but because we are holy, because we are dedicated to God, we are called to something better, something permanent.
Later, in the next chapter it talks about living Godly lives, verse 1:
This behaviour is hard and so unlike the world. Our world is telling you a whole bunch of things about what is right and wrong. Who or what is going to be on the wrong side of history, what you should and shouldn’t be protesting about, even what is cool or not.
There is overlap in many areas where Christianity agrees with the world, even if it comes from a different worldview or starting point. But, I have to warn you, if you are a Christian, there will be things that our music, movies and friends are telling you which are not in step with Christianity. We can’t just be on auto-piolet all the time. We need to critique what we read, hear, watch. Be careful what ideas and assumptions songs and youTube clips are telling you. These things the world is handing down to you are empty.
This could be the idea that in order to be complete you need a boyfriend or girlfriend.
This could be the idea that you have to pay back someone for something they have done.
This could be the tempting websites that you know are out there.
This could be the fact that you just have to catch up on the latest season of whatever, because of the betrayal, violence or sex in it.
This could be the encouragement to listen to that artist who just clocked up 130 million views in the last two weeks for their latest horrid new song[7].
The idea that everyone else is doing it, just doesn’t cut it with the Church. In these cases, it is precisely because we are holy, that we are different, that we don’t join in on the world.
As the great intellectual band Sum 41 said[8]
Our identity is in who loves us, not in who or what we love[9]. We are children of the Father, and so as we interact with others in our lives, we demonstrate a family resemblance to others. We are to be holy for God is holy.
[1] Mark Oestreicher, Youth ministry 3.0. This is the only good point I got from this book. The rest I wouldn’t recommend.
[2] Joel Scandrett, What does God mean when he asks us to be holy as he is holy?
[3] I heard Mat Chandler say this, not sure where, maybe at an Engage Conference in Katoomba
[4] I think is a quote from Karl Barth
[5] I was hoping this recap would spark some memories from our past Friday nights
Romans 1:7
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people..1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ2 Corinthians 1:1
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout AchaiaEphesians 1:1
To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus...Philippians 1:1
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deaconsColossians 1:2
To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ...Those in Christ Jesus are God’s holy people, this is before any moral behaviour[2]. The word “holy” has a range of meaning, but one main idea is that it is to be different, to be separate from the common, to be dedicated to God.
Separate from the world
But, Christians are saved by the permanent, one-off action of Jesus. He died as our perfect sacrifice in our place and was raised to life again. We live in the same real-world where Jesus walked out of the tomb[4]. You cannot change history, it has happened, it is permanent. Our hope is now in Jesus, who is alive today, who is coming back again, and when He comes Christians will be shown grace. God is going to judge us all, and you can’t bribe Him, you can’t get a clever expensive lawyer to get you out of His judgement of you, for God is impartial. But, God has saved a separate people, a holy people, to be His, forever. This group of people have their hope in Jesus, and so dedicate their life to Jesus.
Family resemblance – God is Holy
Now, does your family do some quirky things, that other families don’t? I remember when I was in year 9 or 10, I had a mate say to me, “when is the next time I can come over to dinner at your place?” I was like “why do you want to have dinner at my place”, he said “cause your family is so funny. It’s hilarious watching your family at dinner.”
My friend thought the whole thing was weird. He did not even do a family mealtime at his place. We were just different.
In this 1 Peter passage, we see that as Christians, we are foreigners, but also obedient children. We call on God who is Father. When we become a Christian, for better or worse, we enter another family. A large family, with its quirks and difference to the rest of the world. We also take on traits of the Father, as His child. That is what this whole term is about. We love because we were first loved. We forgive as we have been forgiven by the Father. We are wise and perfect because of what Jesus has done for us[5].
And today we are told to be holy because God is holy. God is dedicated to God[6]. Everything He does is for His name sake, for His glory. You are not the centre of the universe, God is. There is nothing greater or better in this universe than God, and so God is for God.
God is also separate from His creation, He is the creator. He is not absent from creation, but He is not the same as creation. We are to be separate from all other groups and sub-culture and wider families, but not absent from those group. We don’t cut ourselves off from others. We get involved, but we are different. And this difference isn’t just because of teenage rebellion, or angst, but because we are holy, because we are dedicated to God, we are called to something better, something permanent.
Be different
And so in relationships, what does this holiness look like? Verse 22 & 23 sets the path.Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.We are to love others. This is not a checklist, or a prescribed set of actions in how we treat others, but a way of love.
Later, in the next chapter it talks about living Godly lives, verse 1:
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.And then a little later (v11-12)
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.We are to stop our sinful desires that fight against us, but instead, even if we are accused of doing the wrong thing, even if we are considered on the out and going against the flow, we are to do good, and we are to let our actions speak for themselves. We are to be kind in our speech, honest in our retelling of stories, we are not to want what others have, remember it is all going to fade away anyway.
This behaviour is hard and so unlike the world. Our world is telling you a whole bunch of things about what is right and wrong. Who or what is going to be on the wrong side of history, what you should and shouldn’t be protesting about, even what is cool or not.
This could be the idea that in order to be complete you need a boyfriend or girlfriend.
This could be the idea that you have to pay back someone for something they have done.
This could be the tempting websites that you know are out there.
This could be the fact that you just have to catch up on the latest season of whatever, because of the betrayal, violence or sex in it.
This could be the encouragement to listen to that artist who just clocked up 130 million views in the last two weeks for their latest horrid new song[7].
The idea that everyone else is doing it, just doesn’t cut it with the Church. In these cases, it is precisely because we are holy, that we are different, that we don’t join in on the world.
As the great intellectual band Sum 41 said[8]
I don't want to waste my timeWe have something better, something more secure than teenage angst and rebellion that makes us different from the world. We have the blood of Jesus that forgives us from our sins and we have the hope of His return.
Become another casualty of society
I'll never fall in line
Become another victim of your conformity
And back down
Our identity is in who loves us, not in who or what we love[9]. We are children of the Father, and so as we interact with others in our lives, we demonstrate a family resemblance to others. We are to be holy for God is holy.
[1] Mark Oestreicher, Youth ministry 3.0. This is the only good point I got from this book. The rest I wouldn’t recommend.
[2] Joel Scandrett, What does God mean when he asks us to be holy as he is holy?
[3] I heard Mat Chandler say this, not sure where, maybe at an Engage Conference in Katoomba
[4] I think is a quote from Karl Barth
[5] I was hoping this recap would spark some memories from our past Friday nights
[6] This is a big idea that could have been expanded on for a whole talk. See David Platt - The Secret to Radical Leadership for more
[7] I have Cardi B, WAP in mind here. I didn't even name the song as those who haven't heard it are better off, and so aren't encouraged to look it up
[8] Sum 41, Fatlip
[9] This was trying to be a reminder from two weeks ago from the talk on love
[7] I have Cardi B, WAP in mind here. I didn't even name the song as those who haven't heard it are better off, and so aren't encouraged to look it up
[8] Sum 41, Fatlip
[9] This was trying to be a reminder from two weeks ago from the talk on love
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