I PETER 2:21-25

A God Of Nothing

I Peter 2:21-2521 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:22 “Who committed no sin,Nor was deceit found in His mouth”23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

I Peter 2:21-2524 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

A God Of Nothing

We often hear lessons about the goodness of God

Many preachers will preach about God’s great blessings

A God Of Nothing

There is no doubt that we serve a God mighty in good works

The blessings He gives us are simply innumerable

A God Of Nothing

What about when God does nothing?

Do we praise God when He does nothing as we praise Him when He does great things?

Let’s together appreciate the nothing…

A God Of Nothing

1. What did Christ do wrong?

Nothing!

He was falsely accused, but He did nothing wrong or deserving of death

(Matt. 26:58-60)

Christ was tempted like us (Matt. 4; Heb. 4:15)

“But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end. Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none”

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

1. What did Christ do wrong?

Although He did face temptation, He never sinned (I Pet. 2:22)

It is for our benefit that He remained sinless throughout His life

Through His sacrifice, He reconciled us back to God (Rom. 5:10; I Pet. 3:18)

A God Of Nothing“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH”

“For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit”

A God Of Nothing

1. What did Christ do wrong?

The fact that Christ did nothing wrong should cause us to rejoice

While we think of all the great things He did, it was important that He not sin

His sinless life leads us to other blessings as well

A God Of Nothing

2. What does God hold against a faithful Christian?

Nothing!When Christ died, a new covenant

took effect between God and the saved“I will be merciful toward their

iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more”

Heb. 8:12

2. What does God hold against a faithful Christian?

Through faith, repentance, confession and baptism, we can have our sins washed away (Acts 2:38; 22:16)

Once we are a Christian, if we walk in the light, then the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:7)

A God Of Nothing“Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”

“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”

“If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. ”

A God Of Nothing

3. What does a Christian lack that he needs?

Nothing!

God has promised to take care of our needs

Jesus spoke about the necessities of life and said God would take care of us just as He does nature (Matt. 6:25-34)

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.”

A God Of Nothing

3. What does a Christian lack that he needs?

Paul certainly believed that

He said that we should, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God (Phil. 4:6)

He then said God would supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ”

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

A God Of Nothing

3. What does a Christian lack that he needs?

God is a Father to us and cares for us (Matt. 7:7-11; I Pet. 5:7)

The necessities of life (air, water, food, clothing, shelter), God provides for us so that we will not lack

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

A God Of Nothing

4. What thing can separate us from God’s love?

Nothing!

Rom. 8:38-39

There are a lot of “things” on that list (some are very powerful) that Paul gives there

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A God Of Nothing

4. What thing can separate us from God’s love?

Yet still none of those things can separate us from God’s love

Jesus said no one can take His sheep from His hand (Jn. 10:28-29)

There is nothing powerful enough to pull us away from God against our will

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand”

A God Of Nothing

5. What should worry a Christian?

Nothing!

When Jesus spoke of our needs in Matt. 6:25-34, He also spoke of worrying about such things

The message was simple, do not worry about the things in life

A God Of Nothing

5. What should worry a Christian?

Paul gives a similar message in Phil. 4:6-7

He tells us to be anxious for nothing

How do we accomplish that?

Through thankful prayer!

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”

GOD’S SIMPLE PLAN FOR SALVATION

hearhearbelievebelieve

repentrepentconfessconfess

baptismbaptismACTS 3:22ACTS 3:22

JN. 8:24JN. 8:24

LK. 13:3LK. 13:3

JN. 12:42JN. 12:42

Acts 2:38Acts 2:38Rev. 2:10Rev. 2:10