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THE ORIGINAL PETER PRINCIPLES - "The Submission Principle" - August 7, 2016 - Senior Pastor Scott Christenson

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St. Paul's Lutheran Church Orange, CA

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anyone who studies the life of Peter throughout the New Testament will notice a dramatic change that takes fish in his life  the Peter that we encounter in the book of Acts is a very very different guy from the Peter that we find in the Gospels Peter in the gospels is impulsive and full of fear and anxiety  Peter in the book of Acts confident and courageous and finally at peace with himself  you know know where do you see this better than in our reading for today from Act 4 I mean can you can you just imagine what this would have been like if this had happened to Peter in the Gospels if Peter have been brought before the high priest in the Sanhedrin in the gospels he would have been shaking in his boots  but no later he appears before them and it says in verse 13 and I absolutely love this first when they saw the courage of Peter and John then realized that they were unschooled ordinary men they were astonished and they took note that these had been with Jesus but here's my question for you this morning  what play did Peter learn when he was with Jesus that's so dramatically changed his life and I believe learned is what he wrote about here in 1st Peter 2 what we're calling the submission principal First 1st Peter 2 13 says submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every Authority that's it that's the in principle but what is it mean exactly to submit  well the good thing is the word itself tells you pretty well in the rich read text of 1st Peter the word that's used to your for submit is the Greek word hippotizer which is actually you'll see a compound it's two words that have been put together to make one word and so the prefix hippo means under and Russell means to place and so hit pataso or submit literally means to place yourself under another another words you defer to the other person's Authority or plans or desires listing about this is that inviting them to do willingly what they were really required to do anyway we have to remember Peter wrote these words during the time when the Roman Emperor Nero was in power and I doubt very much that he would have thought that submission to the King was an option for anyone so maybe a better way to define the submission principle as a condition of the heart  Peter is telling us to submit not just because you have to because you're willing  you submit to the king's Authority more importantly you submit to God's Authority but also you see according to verse 17 you live a life of submission to basically everyone if y Christian  as Martin Luther once famously said in one of his Works he said a Christian is a perfectly free Lord of subject to none  and yet at the very same time a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all subject you all  now that's very heavy and Theological though so what exactly does that look like in day-to-day life well I found this wonderful I much more modern illustration in a recent book by John ortberg in fact I printed the quote for you on the if your worship Fuller's invite you to grab your worship full there and flip it over on the back cover and take a look with me here's what it says he says it's a scary day when parents place their newborn child in a car seat for that Child's first day out in the world as they head down the road the fragility of life becomes very real  do you know when the next scary day with your child in the car is 16 years later my sons and driver's ed right now I can vouch for this he says no you are handing over the keys they are moving from the passenger see to the driver's seat up until then you have been driving you choose the destination route and the person behind the wheel is the one in control  he says many people find Jesus handy to have in the passenger seat when they require his services Jesus I have a health problem and I need your help something hard is going on at work and I'd like it to be different  I'm feeling anxious and I want you to give me peace of mind I'm feeling night like a little hope I'm facing death and I want to make sure I'm going to heaven  but these people are not so sure they want Cheese's driving because of Jesus is behind-the-wheel they are not in control anymore in my life and in your life there was always the question before us who is driving you can have a rebellious heart telling God to stay out of my car all together that I will go where I want when I want with my life or I can have a divided keeping Jesus in the car but driving myself saying to him I will keep this area of this pattern this relationship under my own control I will hang on to this garage I will enjoy this pleasure I get from this habit I know you want full surrender but I don't lost you  I'm not a great illustration that's exactly how we all struggle with why doesn't it  Define that to accept Jesus as Savior  is so much easier than to ignore him as Lord of your daily life  and what happens if we don't  what happened if we chafe under his authority and never really do submit to his plans and his authority  all the driving stration is helpful here still I have you ever been in in a car with someone who likes to be The Driver they happen for whatever reason to be in the passenger seat  what happens right first of all they drive everyone else in the car what's right  cuz they're constantly second-guessing the driver right they're going too fast they're going to slow they turn to early they turn to skip they're going the wrong way and so on you know some of you here do this car  but in nearly every other aspect of life  your obsessive need to control thing drive to your family and friends nuts  but worse than that is the effect on you cuz the person in the passenger seat who still wants to drive  is incapable of enjoying the journey they're constantly stressed out and anxious to have no joy  and why because being in control is a terrible burden  actually that's not quite right the burden is trying to be in control when you're really hot  so here's what I'd like you to do this morning I'd like you all to turn to the person next to you right now go ahead and what you to raise your right hand raise your right hand and repeat after me to your neighbor hi  my name is insert name here  adult say insert name here and let's start over for the remedial group raise your can save your neighbor hi my name is insert name here  I am not in control of my say it again I am not in control of my life okay you can hands down turn back how's it feel to say that submitting to God as the driver of your life can feel bad at first but it's actually freen because going to God means you're no longer responsible for results and it means your identity is no longer bound up in y so-called successes  Christians who understand the submission principal understand that the point of life is not to be sick gospel  but to be faithful  Wikipedia here before the Sanhedrin he had every reason to be a play the first 18 says they call them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus Peter and John said basically no  no we're not going to do that now people can efficiency they're not submitting to their Authority but in a way they really are because they just stood there in total peace ready to accept the consequences  I don't care what other people thought of them they didn't care if they lived or died what they cared about was speaking the truth about Christ  what happened after that they willingly left in God's hands  and this is the way God wants all to live  those of you who are parents here today do you understand you are not responsible for how your kids turn out  I certainly you are too love pray for your kids and help your kids and provide for your kids and all of that but you are not responsible for making sure they turn out you can't control that you're not responsible for that you have to MIT Vera future to God how about those of you who are students here today you know School is playing again soon isn't it that's the bad news here's the good news students do you know that you are not responsible for your grades mom and dad are like really our to work very hard you to do your best you to develop your gifts that God has given you but what I'm saying is the results of all that is not up to you and your identity is not dependent on whether you end up at Stanford or Santiago Canyon have to submit your future to God and know that your identity is in his hands not in yours you know I saw a new account slur once many years ago had a sculpture of two hands like this in her office they were way up Anna bookshelf in the corner of her office hardly notice them but one day she told me that to her they represented the hands of God  and she said every day when she was done counseling many people before she went home she would pray she looked at that little sculpture and in her prayers she would Place each of the people she had just met with into the hands of God because she knew that ultimately she couldn't fix anybody she was a brilliant woman she worked very hard she used all of her skills and expertise and training to help many many people but she knew she could not control the results friends God is inviting to submit our families are Futures our work our finances our hopes and change everything we are and have to him  to put it all in his hands  and leave the outcomes to him in a word he's asking us to let him drive and that's hard to do isn't it you know the reason it's hard as because despite what we often confess here in this room with our lips there's still a sinful part of every one of us that says to God as John ortberg put it I don't trust you and that's why Peter brings us back to the cross first 10 know this you says you and will the people of Israel it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead that this man stands for you healed he is the stone you Builders rejected which is become the Capstone  that's why we can trust God even in the most hopeless situations of Our Lives  because in the history of the world where was never a more hopeless looking situation than when Jesus Christ the son of God was brutally murdered on a cross and yet in that very moment when it appeared to everyone that all hope was lost God was in fact accomplishing greatest work  do you understand Peter is not just saying that you should submit to God he saying you can submit your life to God because God really can't be trusted  the cross proves God is always doing more than you know or understand  and every single thing he does is done with your welfare in mind you are loved by him more than you could possibly imagine  you don't need to drive the car of your life anymore  because you are absolutely safe and secure in his hands so turn to the person next to you one more time William raise your right hand repeat after me high my name is insert name here I am not in control of my life and I don't need to be  thank God  let's bow our heads and pray oh God our father in the midst of a world that so often seems to be just absolutely spinning out of control we are so grateful to know that Underneath It All are your Everlasting Arms of Grace Lord help us to submit Our Lives everything that we are and have to you  your plans and purposes  trusting in your mercy and Grace for us we ask it in Jesus name for his sake I meant

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THE ORIGINAL PETER PRINCIPLES - "The Submission Principle" - August 7, 2016 - Senior Pastor Scott Christenson

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