The Word at Westminster

Honour everyone - emperors, slaves, masters, husbands, wives (1 Peter 2:13-3:7).

There are tough passages in the Bible. Perhaps youve come across verses about the necessity of forgiveness, or bloodshed in Canaan, or loving enemies, or sexual holiness, and thought to yourself, Um, I think Im just going to skip over that part and keep going. However, when we look at these passages seriously, it can deepen and mature our faith. Thats what we do in this sermon as we unpack a challenging text in 1 Peter 2:13 - 3:7. The fisherman-turned-apostle instructs his readers about challenging relationships between Emperors and subjects, slaves and masters, and wives and husbands. What if there was more happening in these ancient texts than we often realize? Tim Keller says that a sailboat moves swiftly because the sailor honours the boats design. In the same way, humans thrive in certain environments and break down in others. Lets honour everyone, and lets do so in a way that respects the Lords design for his people to thrive.

Why loving people isn’t the same as liking them

How do you be at your best when some people put you at your worst? It helps to not be naive about what love means, and to know what Jesus meant by love. You can find a text version of this episode at MatthewRuttan.com.

Holiness is heaven’s map on earth.

When were young, certain words or ideas can seem big, bad or burdensome, like responsibility. It makes us think of cutting grandmas lawn or doing chores when we dont want to. However, as we mature, we see its importance. Its response-ability, using my abilities to consistently respond to the situations around me in a way that honours God and others. Holiness can be like that too, even as we get older. Initially, we think its about perpetual moral perfection or a lack of joy. This is often rooted in a mis- (or partial) understanding of what it means. To be holy is to be set apart (distinct) for Gods special purposes. This sermon on 1 Peter 1:13 - 2:12 takes us through the text and encourages us to see holiness in a very positive light. After all, God said: Be holy, for I am holy. It looks at four aspects of holiness which stand in contrast to the prevailing mood of our culture today. As it says in the Rule of St. Benedict: Live as a stranger to the ways of the world, and place nothing above the love of Christ.

Why I think we should say The Lord’s Prayer every day

It is one of Jesus' most famous teachings. It's influence is global and unparalleled. But why did he teach it, and how often did he expect his followers to say it?

From Why Me to How Me.

He was a fisherman by trade. It was back-breaking work. He fished all night, brought in and cleaned his haul in the morning, and then took it to market. One day, a man named Jesus of Nazareth confronted him and his brother: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Peter became an apostle of Christ--in fact, he was often the spokesperson for the apostles. He was passionate (and imperfect), and rebellious (and reconciled). He was also someone who suffered (but was saved). Maybe this is why we relate to him so much. We see much of ourselves in him. He was following Jesus, but stumbling in the process. This sermon is Part 1 in a teaching series through 1-2 Peter called Rocky. We explore 1 Peter 1:1-12, and provide a different perspective on the adversity we often face in life. Affliction can be an accelerant which refines you to bless others in your future with greater integrity, wisdom or power.