Greetings my friends. It is Sunday October 23RD 2022, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.
Last Sunday morning I preached my sermon – “Blessings & Benedictions” – to my brothers and sisters of my church family. I anticipated it to be about a 40-minute sermon – and it was just that. This morning I’m preaching again. It’s a sermon titled “Give & Take”, and it appears to be about a 35-minute sermon. I can easily preach for an hour or more, and a few times I’ve done just that. My Pastor favors 35-to-45-minute sermons. His wife will get on him for being “long-winded” when he goes longer than that. (She runs “Childrens’ Church”, so you can imagine her reasoning.) Since my Pastor aims for 35-to-45-minutes, so do I. After 45 minutes the church family starts to get restless, so I always try to finish my messages with my brothers and sisters wanting more and anticipating the next time that I get the opportunity to preach.
Here on #SundayScripture I continue presenting my September 18TH 2022 sermon – “Good & Evil” – in its original written form. It’s based on 1 Peter 3:8-4:8, and it effectively wraps-up my First Peter message series which I began in 2021. Here’s Part 3:
And back to Peter’s letter (3:10-12):
For the Scriptures say – “If you want to enjoy life (yes) and see many happy days (definitely – then do what ?) – keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil.”
So whenever you see that phrase – “For the Scriptures say” – in the New Testament – and Peter’s letter is New Testament – it quotes Scripture from the Old Testament – before Christ.
In fact Peter quotes Scripture from the 34TH Psalm (12-16) – that’s Old Testament:
Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous ? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies ! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right. His ears are open to their cries for help. But the LORD turns His face against those who do evil. He will erase their memory from the earth.
Godly people (that’s us – we strive to be godly with each new day – not just on Sunday – but every day) – Godly people control their words. They think before they speak. Well – not all the time. Sometimes we speak – without thinking. Sometimes we speak – without listening. Sometimes it’s best to listen and think – without speaking. It was a Greek philosopher a long long time ago who once said, “We have 2 ears and 1 mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
That great preacher of law – Judge Judy – she often used a variation of that phrase on her show. She said – OK – she yelled, “God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason, so put on your listening ears !” (I like Judge Judy. She’s been on TV for 26 years, and I’ve been watching her – all 26 years.)
Wicked people are full of cursing, and lies, and threats. We know people like that. Some of us may have been like that before salvation in Christ. The Psalmist says that trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues. (10:7)
Yep we all know some wicked people. Some of them are our friends and neighbors. We may even have some family members who are foolish and wicked. We must search for peace, and we must work to maintain it. You see peace leads to harmony. Peace leads to order. Peace and harmony and order is good. Evil destroys peace and harmony and order. Our God – He created peace. He brings peace to a chaotic world. That’s what we have right now – chaos in this world. Our God brings peace to this chaos through His believers and followers – through His present-day disciples and priests. That’s us. That’s His church. Our God rescues the wise. He will destroy the foolish on that day to come.
So Peter quotes from the 34TH Psalm. Just as a side note – I greeted you earlier – during Praise & Worship – from the start of the 34TH Psalm when I proclaimed:
I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in the LORD. Let all who are helpless take heart. Come ! Let us tell of the LORD’s greatness. Let us exalt His name together. (1-3)
(End of Part 3)
If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !
Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:
The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
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