Title: DECLARING THE PRAISES OF GOD

Focus: God’s calling to all Christians is to toot his horn of praises in all areas of life.

Function: To help the people see their all-encompassing task of bringing glory to God.

Text: I Peter 2:7-10

If you are a soccer fan and are closely watching the world soccer games in South Africa, you probably know what a vuvuzela is. It is a large plastic horn, used by South African soccer fans to cheer on their favorite team or players. The buzzing sound is deafening.

Many soccer players don’t like the vuvuzela because they can’t hear the instructions from their coach on the sideline, nor can they hear the shouts and calls from their fellow team players. And there are many soccer fans attending the World Cup today who have complained about its irritating, buzzing noise. Some of them have appealed to the Soccer Federation to outlaw the vuvuzela in the stadiums, but to no avail. The vuvuzela is destined to stay. And my hunch is that there will be a market for vuvuzelas in the U.S. as well.

Today the Scriptures remind us that the all-encompassing task of Christians is to toot the horn of God’s praises in every area of life. Yes, I’m suggesting that Christians are to be like a vuvuzela. Just as soccer fans bring glory to their teams by tooting their praises, so Christians are to trumpet the praises of God. Obviously, my suggestion requires an explanation.

Last week we read and studied I Peter 2:1-10 and we focused on the project of the Christian church. We observed that the Scriptures call all Christians to live authentically, doing our liturgy or works of service. Today we revisit the passage in Peter’s letter and focus on the phrase “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

The original word in the Greek language that is translated as “declare” has at its root the meaning of “announcing good news.” The apostle Peter, however, also indicates by the original Greek verb that he wishes to include such meanings as “to show forth” or “to report,” or “to strongly and persistently announce in word and deed” the praises of God. That’s why I said earlier that our calling as Christians and members of the church is to “toot the horn of God’s glory and praise.”

In fact, Peter tells us in the text that we are to make known—in word and deed—the excellencies, the virtues, the mighty acts of God in Christ Jesus. I appreciate the 16^th century pastor and Bible teacher--John Calvin’s comments that those excellencies include “God’s wisdom, goodness, power, righteousness and everything else in which the glory of God shines forth.” In short, the works of God deserve our praises. Such is our task as individual Christians and members of the church.

Sometimes, we ministers may give you the impression that the task of all Christians is the same as the one the Lord Jesus gave to his inner circle, the disciples, just before he ascended into heaven. We refer to that task as the great commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Jesus’ great commission, however, contains the marching orders of the apostles—and those whom God may have chosen and appointed specifically for such tasks throughout the centuries. Not every Christian, however, is called to be a bishop or teaching elder, or shepherd; not everyone is vested with the task of a missionary or evangelist or church planter.

In light of other Scripture passages it is far better to understand Jesus’ great commission as a framework for the church and her members to live out their lives authentically and do their daily works of service or liturgy. We are to toot the horn of God’s praises in all areas of life. Here’s how:

1. By telling forth the story of God’s salvation. Pastors and evangelists, preachers and theologians do such telling in their particular context of the church and culture to which God calls them. Thus they preach God’s Word, for example; they evangelize; they teach biblical doctrines; and they plant churches to mention a few things.

Other Christians, however, also tell forth God’s work of salvation. As we mature in the Christian faith and live out the story, we use our tongue to share with our children, grand children, and with our co-workers and neighbors the mighty works of God.

This is our mutual calling: to verbalize and tell in simple, yet meaningful ways, what it is that God has done, is doing and will do as yet for his people and for his creation. God has called us out of spiritual darkness and the bondage of sin and Satan and death into his marvelous light, where we learn of our new status in Christ Jesus: where forgives and newness of life have come our way. Thus we toot the horn of God’s praises by telling forth the story of God’s salvation.

2. We also toot that horn of praise by living authentic, godly lives. By walking our talk as Christians, and by producing works of faith and love and hope we testify of God’s Spirit at work in us and through us. This is why the Apostle Peter can say in vs. 10 and 11: “…I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against our soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

To be a vuvuzela for God, our conduct matters. People observe the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us by the way we behave and relate in all matters of life. Telling forth the good news and behavior that brings delight to God make up our praises of God.

3. Tooting God’s horn of praises also involves being a blessing to people around us. That is, by influencing all areas of life with the knowledge of God, the grace of Christ and the love of the Holy Spirit, we declare God’s praises.

Such declarations of praise belong in every area of knowledge and life, including science, politics, arts, labor and leisure. Today, we have an opportunity to learn from Matt and Katie De Kam how they toot the horn of God’s praises in their work in Honduras.

(I will invite Matt and Katie to take over from here with their presentation)