Becoming: A Blessing

1 Peter 3:8–12 ESV

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Here’s the point - whatever is in U eventually comes out - it doesn’t matter if that’s peanut butter, wisdom, foolishness or blessing

We all want God to bless us & that’s good - I believe God wants to bless us

Matthew 7:9–11 ESV

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are 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!

God wants to bless us b/c like a loving father His desire is to express His love for us & better our lives

But I want to share another reason that God blesses us - what if there’s another reason besides enriching our own lives

What if, God’s desire to bless U is so U could also be a blessing to others?

What if God wants to fill your cup so U can in turn, fill the cup of others?

Psalm 23:5 ESV

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

God wants to fill our cup & even allow our cup to run over & many times we try to to simply get a bigger cup

But God wants us to also overflow our cup & bless us so we can be a blessing

That’s the heart of the passage we’re going to look at in 1 Peter today

We’ve been in this series of the last several weeks called, “Becoming”

B/c there’s a person we all want to become - But most of us aren’t sure how to get from here to there

And Peter is showing us how to take steps on the road from here to there & become who God wants us to become

And Peter is going to teach us what the person we want to become looks like It’s a person who’s blessed - but he’s blessed to be a blessing...

1 Peter 3:8–9 ESV

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

#1 - Being a Blessing means Showing Others Your Heart

U know that Peter was a preacher - b/c he says “Finally” in verse 8 & then goes on for 2 1/2 more chapters

Do U know what happens when U speak blessing into people’s lives?

U end arguments that could have gotten out of control & escalated

If U respond to evil w/ evil, what do U think the result is going to be?

But if U respond w/ blessing, they won’t even know what to do

Proverbs 15:1 ESV

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Here’s how U cultivate that spirit :

1 - become teachable That’s what Peter says in verse 8 when he says, “Be courteous”

In our culture, courteous is about saying please & thank you - in that culture, the word translated “courteous” means “Humility of mind”

That means U don’t think U know it all or act as though U know it all

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less,”

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity - but the fact checkers will tell you this is false

Rick Warren in Purpose Driven Life - true

Rich Howard and Jamie Lash in “This Was Your LIfe! - true

I find it fascinating that a quote about humility is attributed to the wrong person regularly …

2 - Here’s a freeing phrase that everyone should learn: “I don’t know”

U will never learn anything when U act as though U know everything

Nothing drives me crazier than talking to someone & they answer everything w/ “Yeah, I know” - be teachable

Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”

3 - Offer folks the unexpected

You get sass from the waitress … you give sass back

Your spouse/friend/co-worker gives you a cutting word … you know their weak underbelly and how to poke it

We are blessed to be a blessing … it means giving the unexpected … soft answers, sympathy, love, tender words, humility …

All of us start new things at zero, novice, beginner

That’s what God offers - instruction in righteousness

Not instruction in how to be self-righteous, but how to live God’s way

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

If U want to cultivate a teachable spirit in your life, then give attention to what God says in the Bible

But don’t just read the Bible for fun -

make 1 conscious decision: that U will begin to do what U read

So if the Bible says, “A kind answer turns away wrath” like we read a moment ago - start doing it - is it going to feel weird?

U bet it will

But as U obey God, its like working out new muscles … God will change your heart & work in U & then God’s way will become your normal way to respond...

1 Peter 3:10 ESV

For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

#2 - Being a Blessing Means Leveraging Your Words

People create problems b/c they don’t know how to use words wisely

How often have we spoken, and then realized we didn’t actually know what was happening, or what the real problem was, or what the effect of our words were actually having …

How often would a change of tone, attitude, volume, proximity, word choice … how often would that affect our conversation/relationship

Prov. 12:18 “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

When we’re sloppy w/ words, it causes more problems than help

Too many of us fail to realize the power & impact of our words

That’s why we are careless w/ our words many times

I remember reading a book circa 2002 - author told the story about a step dad who called him a goose - that he was just a squacking goose … and the author shared how he was then in his 40’s-50’s … still rang in his ears … still had a hard time with his own voice, advocating for himself …

Here’s the deal: we live in an encouragement depleted world

Most of what we see on TV or radio is sarcasm & things that discourage us - cynicism, doubt … the villains are the heros … truly good guys don’t exist

That’s why people naturally gravitate towards encouraging people

- b/c all of us need encouraging … especially by those we love & respect the most

Prov. 10:21 “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.”

If U want to be a blessing to others, speak words of life to them

Your words can be like a nuclear bomb & destroy everything or they give birth to dreams, ideas & vision about what God has for someone’s future

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

So do U want to speak death into people’s lives or do U want to be a person who speaks life & blessing into others?

How do U do that?

#1 - Use You Words Wisely - Words have the ability to destroy or build up

I will venture to say that the biggest hurts & scars in your life aren’t physical, but instead they’re connected to words that were spoken to U

That’s the truth in my life - there are words that have been spoken to me that have scarred me & usually it’s b/c people were careless w/ words

Proverbs 10:14 “The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.”

Parents, can I talk to U for a moment?

Be careful the words U use w/ your kids - b/c those words are shaping them - our words are one of the most profound hammers & chisels forming them

“Oh no, they know I’m kidding when I call them dumb, slow, .” - no they don’t

A recent study I read said kids 32 negative words for every positive 1

At home, are U working to build up your kids & reinforce the positive?

Your kids are looking to U for their validation/security/protection - they’re looking to U to find out who they are … are they valuable, and not just when they are “good”, not just when they ace the test, not just when they do the polite and appropriate thing

- Speak words that build them up & reveal God’s vision for them

As Christians we need to be known for speaking wisdom & life into others

Be someone who consistently speaks life & God’s wisdom into your conversations w/ others … I think it is one of the most telling things we see in the gospels … people wanted to be around Jesus, sinners wanted to be around Jesus, the broken, the poor, the outcast … they wanted to be around Jesus …

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”

#2 - Eliminate Sarcasm - no man has ever married the woman of his dreams b/c she fell in love w/ his biting sarcasm

However, lots of relationships end b/c of sarcastic comments that cut

It is often the end of your sentence you need to guard, that last little comment, the knife that flashes, the reminder of their mistake, the calling into question of motive, the doubt of their sincerity …

What is the excuse/justification/get out of word jail free card - Jesus knew it was coming

Proverbs 26:18-19 “Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I am only joking!””

Married couples - let me tell U something - your words are the most powerful words in your spouse’s life

As powerful as the words of a parent are to a child when they are young is the power of a wife’s words to her husband & a husband’s words to his wife

So eliminate sarcasm & go about speaking words of life to your spouse

I like my wife - she knows it - I know it - it’s not a secret

If I preach a message & everyone hates it, but she loves it, then it was a great message & U are all crazy … too long, too short, bad jokes, fell flat … I want to know what she thought … her words matter

Why? B/c in my life, her voice is the loudest & in her life, my voice is the loudest, so spouses/friends/parents/teachers/family .... use your words wisely

#3 - Be Generous with your Words - Some people withhold compliments & encouragement - don’t be that person

Instead, go out of your way to be generous w/ your words

Proverbs 27:5 “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.”

Tell the people U love that U love them - if you’re proud of someone, tell them

Speak words of life to the people U love

- in fact, I want to challenge U to find someone and speak life to them … like sunshine and water to a plant are encouragement, life-giving words … find someone this week who needs them … co-worker, boss, kid on your street with a hard or absent dad, spouse, parent … I read something once about social media … in a world that often measures itself on likes and retweets … be the person who likes, don’t be stingy … my most viral post ever happened recently … I shared our scotland trip … in a group about costco … 500+ likes, comments, etc … so basically I’m an internet star

Speak words of intentional blessing …

Proverbs 12:18 ESV

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Choose words that bring healing, that bring encouragement, that speak into someone's future and potential …

Healing soothes, healing is gentle, healing requires wisdom and knowledge of the need … healing means that your words are chosen for the other, not yourself … far too often the words we speak are designed to serve ourselves … we want to make a point, remind of a fault, make us look smart … and what will bring healing is quieter, softer, gentler, words fit for that person, in that situation … words of hope and life and promise

1 Peter 3:11–12 ESV

let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

#3 - Being a Blessing Means Doing what’s Right

There’s a common mistake that we make as people - we try to stop doing something w/o replacing it w/ something else

Think about stealing for a moment - it’s taking something from someone else - they didn’t earn it, they just took it

Why? B/c they were either too greedy or too lazy to earn it for themselves

But then Jesus comes into someone’s life & here’s what happens:

The same hands that once took from people now are used to give to others

The transition is from Evil to Good

We become those who seek peace … we pursue it

Culturally we are conditioned to think of blessing in a monetary, resources sort of way … man they are really blessed, look at their tesla’s, house, pool, ________

And I do think that we should see what we have as a blessing from the Lord … but I believe that what this passage is saying … is that our blessings aren’t for the purpose of comparison … see who God has blessed the most is the one God loves the most

No … all of our blessings are for the purpose of blessing others … doing what is right and good

This means that for those who have resources … give them … to your church, to those in need … be gift-givers … learn to find joy in giving … I never want someone at Journey to give “under compulsion” … motivated by guilt, shame … I want us to be a people who give because we see God as the great giver … we give and partner with our local church because God has been so generous to us …

It is why as a church we give … we encouraged our students this summer to gather their/your loose change so that kids who needed school supplies would have them

For years we collected food and partnered with the Bountiful Backpacks program, providing a bag of food each week for families in need in our community

During the pandemic we knew of a few families that were really struggling to make ends meet, and feed their families … multiple times I loaded up the back of my pickup from Costco and delivered a load of food, paid an electric bill, got a bug infestation fixed …

And now if you look at the back side of our building our new, rock-solid food pantry is under construction, and in a short time we will begin asking for food donations to fill it as the weather gets cold and the financial realities happening around us set in

And it’s why we continue to encourage you to give here at Journey … we want to continue these kinds of things and more … we want to not just meet physical needs but spiritual ones … we want to continue to be a place where folks can come and hear the beautiful message of grace and mercy … we want to continue worship, DivorceCare, bible studies, teen and kids ministries … we want to love our community by opening the building for local events

So what do U think of yourself? Is it based on what someone said in the past or the future God has for U? Here's what God says about U...

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

According to Eph. 2:10, U are His masterpiece His workmanship - literally his "work of art"

U are created in His image & the goal of life is for us to look like the God who created us

Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

God wants to bless your life - He wants to transform your life - He’s not going to withhold any good thing from your life when the time is right

But the 1st order of business is for U to know God & walk w/ Him That promise of God that we just read is only for those who walk w/ God But the good news is that U can decide to walk w/ Him today...

I remember my mom talking to me when I was a boy sharing with me - that even though I was a sinner, God loved me so much that Jesus died for me - why?

So that I could have a relationship w/ God - so I prayed w/ her

And when I invited Jesus into my life, my everything, my past, my present, my future all changed

There’s a life I wanted to live, but I could never find it on my own B/c it’s a life that’s only found in the love of God as U walk w/ Him

Maybe things haven’t turned out the way U hoped - maybe you’ve had some big setbacks

- but I’m here to tell U that God specializes in 2nd chances

He wants to give U a fresh start

- He wants to speak blessing into your life as He does a transforming work in U

So what are U waiting for? I’m going to invite U to take a step in God’s direction & accept God’s free offer & see what God does

He wants to forgive U, love U & release U from all the things that are holding U back so U can embrace the life He has for you - let’s pray