A Relevant Testament – 1 Peter 1:22-25

Sermon preached by Joshua Dykes at Swartz Creek church of Christ

INTRODUCTION

Good morning!! I hope all of you have had a great weekend, and a great day thus far. I also hope you guys are ready for Kyle to be here in a few days, I know I am very excited for this! Paul asked me to preach today, and he had a recommendation for the topic of my sermon to prepare ourselves for Kyle and for what he has to say about creation and evolution. Paul asked me to preach about the relevance of the New Testament, and the certainty that we have that this New Testament is complete and authoritative today. 

Now, I am nowhere near as technical or as smart as Kyle or Paul, and I did not think it would be wise to make my lesson so technical that it causes us to move away from scripture. We will be talking about “some” technical things in this lesson, but I will make it more simple so we can all understand it, and so we can get good use out of the things we talk about here this morning. So, as you can see on the screen, the title for our lesson this morning is “The Relevant Testament.” 

This lesson I have divided into four parts, and each of these parts take the form of a question. As we move through this lesson, we are going to answer each one of these questions [[show on the screen]] – and by the end of the lesson, hopefully we gain a greater appreciation for the New Testament, and are moved to act upon it! I have intended for this lesson to step on some toes – when I preach this lesson, know that what may sound harsh does not come from a heart of hate, but rather a love for the Lord and an eagerness to see my fellow brothers and sisters one day in Heaven. 

What Is the New Testament?

Let us begin now with the first question we are going to answer this morning – “what is the New Testament?” Most of us who are Christians know or have a working understanding of the New Testament. In order to understand the relevance and necessity of the New Testament for our spiritual lives, we have to break this word down. 

The Word “Testament”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides 6 definitions for the word “Testament.” As it pertains to the scriptures, we are focused on two primary definitions: 1) a testament is a tangible proof or tribute, an expression of conviction. And 2) a testament is an act by which a person determines the disposition of his or her property after death – a kind of will. The scriptures we have are divided into two testaments – the Old and the New Testaments. Both of these testaments record the wills of God, contain evidence and testimonies of God’s working on the human race, and promises made between man and God called “covenants.”

The Old Testament

The Old Testament describes how God made mankind, how mankind fell as a result of sin, and God’s promises and covenants to different men like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David. God uses historians, poets, kings, and prophets to write the Old Testament. The Old Testament records the history of the Israelite people, it proclaimed the laws of behavior and religious ceremony that these people were to abide by, and promised that an individual that would come forth to save mankind from their sins – the Messiah. The primary purpose of this testament was to bring about the Messiah at the proper time. Even in the Old Testament, there are promises of a greater and newer covenant. The prophet Jeremiah says this in Jeremiah 31:31-34…

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in that day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

The Old Testament recognized its limitations. The covenant law within it worked if the people were righteous, but the people had constantly departed from the law, and the sacrifices could no longer cover their sins, for they were not even offering the proper sacrifices (Mal. 1:6-8). So God had to make a new testament with His people. A new expression of God’s convicting love for His people, and an action that would change the trajectory of mankind’s destiny. 

The Fulfillment of the Old

In Luke chapter 1, we see that God initiates His eternal plan. Beginning in verse 26, God sends forth his angel, Gabriel, to Mary. Mary is told that she has found favor with God, and therefore she will produce a Son though she is a virgin. Let us look at what the angel says beginning in verse 30.

“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.””

In the Gospel of Matthew, the apostle Matthew records the genealogy of this Jesus, and that He comes from those important figures in the Old Testament, those whom God has made covenants with. The plan has been initiated. The first four books of the New Testament record the life of Christ and His ministry. Time would not permit me to cover all that He did. However, He did mighty works – He healed the sick, blind, deaf, and lame; He turned water to wine, walked on water, and calmed the winds and waves; and He forgave the sins of many, and finally, preached a message of righteousness and grace and love. This Jesus was a great man! During His ministry, He commissioned twelve apostles. These apostles followed everywhere He went (more on these men later!). Jesus had a following, and the people loved Him. But ultimately, the time came for this New Testament to be established. Since the blood of bulls and goats were no longer a satisfying covering for the sins of man, the blood of Christ – the perfect unblemished Lamb of God – had to be spilled. Judas, one of the twelve apostles, betrayed Christ. And He was arrested, beaten, and tortured. They mocked Him on the road to calvary, they nailed Him to the cross, and they crucified Him. John writes in John 19:28-30…

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

Jesus Christ had accomplished what was necessary – He became the sacrifice that was needed for a new covenant to be established. For a covenant cannot be established without blood and purification for sins (cf. Hebrews 9:16-22). And “for where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator” (Hebrews 9:16). But that wasn’t the end of the story. Jesus Christ was buried, but three days later, He rose from the grave. The sacrifices of the Old Testament stayed dead, but not Jesus Christ. He had to show that death could be defeated, and that the sin had been fully removed. Since the wages of sin is death, if Christ rose again, then that means that the past sins of man He bore on Himself were completely wiped away – as if they have never happened!! The Old Testament was fulfilled, and Jesus was the fulfiller.

Jesus Christ and His Apostles

After Jesus’s resurrection and ascension back into Heaven, there were 11 apostles, for Judas had killed himself as a result of a guilty conscience for his betrayal. The apostles appointed a 12th, Matthias. In similar nature to Jesus’s ministry, time would not permit me to go into detail of all the works and deeds that these men had performed. In Acts 2, we read of the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was that Spirit that descended upon Jesus after His baptism (cf. John 1:32). After these men were filled with the Holy Spirit, these men lived totally transformed lives. They went from place to place, telling everyone who Jesus Christ was and what He did for mankind. They taught people to believe in the Lord, to turn from their sins, to put Christ on in baptism, to confess Christ’s name to any and everyone, and to live totally transformed lives. There was also a 13th apostle, Paul of Tarsus, a former devout pharisee turned devout Christian. He too was filled with the Holy Spirit. The writings of the apostles, and those on whom the apostles laid hands on, completely make up the New Testament we have as our scripture. 

The Writings

Now, we briefly get into the technical part of our lesson for this morning. And I emphasize briefly! The apostles’ and certain early Christian writings are held to a high and holy standard. But, not every writing of early Christians is included within our New Testament. There are many different writings that are held to high-esteem, and they form what we call the New Testament Apocryphal Writings. The word “Apocrypha” comes from a Greek word that means “things that are hidden or secret.” The modern definition of the word “apocryphal,” is “being of doubtful authenticity.” Amongst these writings are The Gospel of the Birth of Mary, Proto-Gospel of James, The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans, The First and Second Gospels of the Infancy of Christ (also called the Gospels of Thomas), First and Second Epistles of Clement, and First – Second – and Third Hermas. 

These books were rejected by almost all members of the early Church. Most of the writings found in the New Testament apocrypha do not talk about the most essential aspect of the New Testament – Jesus Christ and His sacrifice! The churches of Christ reject these books, though some denominations such as the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches hold them to high esteem, especially the ones that focus on Mary. But are these books relevant?? Absolutely not! Early Christians knew that these works were not written by the Apostles and men on whom the apostles laid hands, and much of these works contradict the writings that the early Christians knew were from the Spirit. It is the 27 books within the New Testament that are relevant to us today.

Why Is the New Testament Relevant?

And why is the New Testament relevant?? There is both internal and external evidence to the modern relevance of the New Testament. Internal being that which the writings in the New Testament claim for itself, and external being historical, archaeological, and personal proofs for its relevance. Because of time, I will only give a resource that can help you see the external evidence for the New Testament’s modern relevance. This is a link to a website called apologeticspress.org … you can scan the Code on the screen and also be taken there. On this website, there is an articles database, and there is a sub-section with articles about the inspiration of the Bible. On this website, you will see many articles that talk about “external” evidence for the Bible’s inspiration. Now, later this week, Kyle Butt from Apologetics press will be in town to talk about creation, evolution, and different matters related to the Bible’s inspiration. If this is a subject that interests you, please come to hear Kyle from October 20th through 22nd, and have your questions or thoughts ready for him! But we will talk a bit now about seven “internal” claims in the New Testament that demonstrate its modern relevance.

1. Jesus’s Claim About Himself: John 14:6

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.””

2. Jesus’s Instruction and Promise to His Disciples: Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

3. The Church Abiding in the Apostles’ Doctrine: Acts 2:42-43

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.”

4. All Scripture Inspired by God: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

5. **The Word of God Abides Forever: 1 Peter 1:22-23

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

6. The Word of God Judges: Revelation 20:11-15

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which are written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

7. The Word of God a Blessing to the Obedient: Revelation 22:14-15

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”

These are just seven of many internal claims in the New Testament of its relevance today. Those who believe in the God of the Bible have to understand these claims. With these claims are some implications that we will get into in just a second. Paul has told me of a lady in Romania named Adriana who helped him and Rachel on numerous occasions. Paul had tried to study with her and get her to become a Christian, but she did not go through with obeying the gospel. Why? Because to her, the Bible was an outdated two-thousand year old book. A piece of the past to be admired, but not adhered to. So you see, this is a discussion we need to have now! There are people in the world that believe the Bible is a good book, but that it is outdated, archaic,  and that it has no relevance to today! But as Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:23, the Word of God lives and abides forever!! And with a New Testament that is still relevant and living and active today, there are some implications.

What are the Implications of a Relevant Testament?

I am going to give us three implications of a relevant testament. I believe these implications are the most foundational and basic, and there are certainly more that stem from these. It is in this part our lesson for this morning that I desire for us to look within ourselves. I know that there is another part of our lesson entitled “Do You Live the New Testament Life?” But if we are not introspective in this part, and we do not carefully consider and apply these implications, then there is no need for us to answer the final question. If we are going to live the New Testament life, we must consider these implications. 

1. The Desire to be Like Christ Must Be In Us

A relevant testament implies that all Christians should have a desire to be like Christ. The flesh says “Be yourself! Whatever you want, you can have it! And whoever you want to be, you should pursue it!” And that lie from the flesh is there so we can convince ourselves that we are in control of our own lives and destiny. But Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians that our lives must be hidden. Let us consider Colossians 3:4!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. ”

Our lives are not our own. You are not your own. And none of us should want to be our own. The people of Israel had desired to be like the world, they wanted kings like the rest of the nations wanted kings (1 Samuel 8:7); and their desire to be like the nations resulted in their confusion, spiritual ignorance, and downfall. But the model for the Christian should not be the world, the cornerstone of the Church should not be the politics of this new postmodern age, it is Jesus Christ!

No-one can be exactly like that God-Man. Jesus Christ had no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), but John writes that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). But like Christ, we are to strive to be holy (1 Peter 1:15), to have an attitude of disdain and sorrow for sin (Romans 8:7), to have a heart of love, empathy, and compassion for the sinners (John 8:1-11), and to do the will of the Father even if it means sacrificing ourselves (Luke 22:42). You may want to be like the famous celebrities, athletes, and powerful politicians of today – but who has ever been a more famous person than Jesus Christ? Who has ever held, and still currently holds, more power than Jesus Christ?! A vain effort and disappointment it would be to try to be like anyone other than Christ. 

2. The Passion Within Christians Must Manifest Itself

The next implication of a relevant testament is that we must continue to have a passion to serve God. This passion manifests itself in many ways. Christ had a passion – the gospels make it evident that His life revolved around His service to the Father. As a matter of fact, according to the gospel of John, Jesus says that His food is to do the will of Him that sent Him (John 4:34). Peter and John had passion. Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus Christ. They were freed from prison only for the apostles to be arrested again. And they were put on trial before a Jewish council in Acts 5. And as they are facing the charges before them, look at what Peter says in Acts 5:29…

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.””

Is it hard to imagine that strong of passion? Is it difficult to comprehend the amount of zeal that the apostles had for the Lord? For many of us it is. But if we lived 2000 years ago, what would our zeal and passion look like? Do we think that just because Peter and the other apostles were witnesses to Jesus Christ’s ministry and resurrection, that they are the only ones that can demonstrate this amount of love and passion? If we believe the word of God to be true and reliable, and if we believe that the testimonies within it are true and reliable about Jesus Christ, then a passion should flow from that belief! 

How about the passion of Paul? In Acts 21 beginning in verse 10, we read…

“And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying “The will of the Lord be done.””

Do you notice the passion within Paul?? Do you notice his heart being broken because his fellow apostles are trying to tell him to not preach the word in Jerusalem?? Sometimes, it seems members of the Church in modern-America are looking for ways not to be involved. The passion for Christ must manifest itself within us! You can sit in a pew at worship service and class for a couple hours each week, but in what other ways are we demonstrating that the gospel of Christ is the end-all be-all? In what other ways are we going to be involved in serving God and serving others? 

3. The Longing for Heaven Must Persist Within Us

And the final implication of a testament that is still relevant today is that we have a longing for Heaven within us. Is it bothersome or annoying to spend a few hours per week worshiping God? If it is, then you may not want to be in Heaven. That is all there will be! Constant worship to God and fellowship with others (Revelation 7:9-12)! But if you believe in God and His Word, then Heaven is a place you should long for. If Christ is our role-model, then we should seek Heaven – that is where He is! In Hebrews 12:22-24, it is written…

“But you (the Church) have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”

Can you just imagine the glory of this place? John describes this New Heavenly Jerusalem in Revelation 21, but that is just a vision of what it could be like. God is still preparing this place for us, and we have that to look forward to as our hope if we are in Christ Jesus. We only spend an “x” amount of years on this earth, but the Lord says that Heaven will be our home forever and ever – a boundless number –  if we are faithful in this life. It is said by our Lord…

“For God so loved the word that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)

In order to get to that wonderful place where we will have everlasting life, we have to be living a New Testament life here on this earth. 

Do You Live the New Testament Life?

And this brings me to my last question – “Do you live the New Testament life?” For all intents and purposes, this part of our lesson is a lengthened invitation. Is your life so pricked and touched by the word of God to the point you want to live a passionate life? I’m talking about a life so passionate that all you want and desire is for you and others to get to Heaven – it is the air you breathe, and the reason you get up in the morning, and you sleep comfortably at night KNOWING that you do all you can to show the glory of Christ to others. 

The scriptures we hold in our hands today are a result of God wanting us to be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). The only way to know you are on the track to Heaven by living the New Testament life is to use the scriptures to reflect on yourself. 

The first step to Heaven is to become a Christian like the Bible says, and to clothe yourself with Christ. We have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins; we must repent of our sins, confess Christ as our Lord, be baptized so Christ can wash away our sins by His blood, and then we must be faithful to Christ unto death. If you now know that the New Testament is relevant to you, and you have not become a Christian, it is time to act. Maybe you are a Christian, but you have fallen by the wayside. We have a gracious Lord, and a loving congregation, let us help you and pray for you. If you have any need this morning, any need at all, please come as we stand and sing.