Pastor Jason’s sermon on 1 Peter emphasizes the importance of Christians loving one another in a hostile world. He draws parallels to the story of Punch the monkey and Go Chan, illustrating the need for mutual support. Key verses include 1 Peter 1:22-2:3, which stress the need to love earnestly, reject malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, and crave God’s Word. Love is defined as sacrificing to benefit others, and Christians are urged to love from pure hearts and without ulterior motives. The sermon also highlights the need for spiritual growth through the Word of God.

Introduction to the Sermon Series and Monkey Analogy

• Pastor Jason welcomes everyone and introduces the fifth sermon in a 20-part series on First Peter.
• Pastor Jason uses the story of a monkey named Punch from Ichigawa Zoo to illustrate the theme of living a holy life in a hostile world.
• He explains how Punch was bullied by other monkeys but was later taken care of by a monkey named Go Chan, who had a difficult past.

The Theme of Loving One Another in First Peter

• Pastor Jason connects the story of Punch and Go Chan to the theme of First Peter, emphasizing the importance of Christians loving one another.
• He highlights the repeated commands in First Peter to love one another, starting from chapter one and continuing through chapter four.
• Pastor Jason explains that loving one another is essential for Christians living in a hostile world.
• He emphasizes that loving one another is not just a command but a way to live out the gospel truth.

The Command to Love and Its Implications

• Pastor Jason discusses the command to love one another earnestly from a pure heart, using the Greek term for command.
• He explains that love is defined as sacrificing to benefit others, using Jesus’ explanation of loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength.
• Pastor Jason shares examples of love, such as a young man cleaning up vomit in a train to illustrate the concept of sacrificing to benefit others.
• He clarifies that the command to love one another is not limited to the church but extends to loving everyone, including enemies.

The Importance of Earnest and Sincere Love

• Pastor Jason explains that loving one another earnestly means putting in effort and time, comparing it to an athlete straining to cross the finish line.
• He shares examples of Christians loving one another sacrificially, such as taking time off work to visit a brother or sister in the hospital.
• Pastor Jason emphasizes that love should be done from a pure and sincere heart, without expecting anything in return.
• He shares a story of an Indian bus captain who sacrificially shielded passengers from the rain, illustrating the concept of loving others sincerely.

Rejecting What Destroys Love

• Pastor Jason discusses the negative prohibition to put away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, which are social sins that destroy gospel communities.
• He explains that these sins are gospel killers and should be rejected by Christians.
• Pastor Jason emphasizes that loving one another and rejecting what destroys love are two sides of the same coin.
• He explains that every command in First Peter is grounded in the gospel truth and the obedience to the truth.

The Conversion Unto Love

• Pastor Jason explains that Christians are able to love because they are born again and have been purified.
• He discusses the dual meaning of being cleansed, both positionally and practically, through the new heart given by God.
• Pastor Jason emphasizes that Christianity is about receiving a new heart from God to love one another.
• He uses the analogy of a surgeon needing to be clean before operating to illustrate the importance of being cleansed by God.

The Confidence in a New Birth

• Pastor Jason explains that Christians can love because they have been born again through the eternal, living, and abiding word of God.
• He emphasizes that the gospel is an eternal word with eternal power, and those who believe in it take on the character of the Eternal Word.
• Pastor Jason explains that having eternal life frees Christians from living fearful and anxious lives, allowing them to love one another.
• He connects this concept to the theme of hope in First Peter, which fuels the imperatives of holiness and love.

Craving God’s Word That Grows Love

• Pastor Jason explains that Christians need to crave God’s word to grow in their faith and love for one another.
• He uses the analogy of newborn infants craving milk to illustrate the need for Christians to long for the word of God.
• Pastor Jason emphasizes that the word of God is essential for spiritual growth and should be desired by Christians.
• He explains that the word of God is likened to milk, which is necessary for growth, and Christians should crave it like newborn infants.

Addressing Lack of Appetite for the Word

• Pastor Jason addresses the issue of Christians having no appetite for the word of God, suggesting that it might be due to not being saved or not understanding the Bible.
• He explains that many people struggle to read the Bible on their own and need help from others to understand it.
• Pastor Jason emphasizes the importance of studying the scriptures and feeding on God’s word to grow in faith and love.
• He encourages Christians to ask questions and seek help if they struggle with a lack of appetite for the word of God.

Conclusion and Prayer

• Pastor Jason concludes the sermon by emphasizing the importance of loving one another earnestly and sincerely.
• He encourages Christians to live out the command to love one another in practical ways, such as forgiving and embracing one another.
• Pastor Jason prays for the church to be built upon the word of God and to always delight in studying and living out the scriptures.
• He prays for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of those who do not know Jesus and for the church to be a priesthood that proclaims the excellencies of God’s name.