Living the Good Life

Pursuing the “Good Life”

How would you define “the good life”? Does it really exist? What does it take to get it?

The most trusted source of information…Wikipedia…simply defines the “good life” as “the life one would like to live, or happiness”.

That’s helpful now isn’t it?

If you were to ask 100 people what constitutes “the good life” you would get 100 different answers.

Who gets to decide what defines “the good life”?

Advertisers work very hard at trying to convince you that your life is not complete without their product.

Sadly, many in our culture, including believers, have bought into the hype of pursuing their “right to happiness” through the lens of materialism.

Money, houses, cars, fine clothes, etc. Some find the good life exists in attending high profile sporting events.

The Super Bowl will take place in February in Arizona. The cheapest seats available are $5,302. Most expensive seats, $23,880. (According to Stubhub). Just for comparison...

Average monthly payment on a $100,000 home in Bossier City is around $2000.

For the cheap seats = 2.5 months of mortgage payments — just for 1 ticket

For the premium seats = close to 1 year of mortgage payments — just for 1 ticket

All for the thrill of attending 1 football game and getting a piece of the “good life”

That does not include the rest of the money spent on transportation, lodging, food, etc.

Some pursue more dangerous avenues to somehow make their life better...recreational drug use, frequent alcohol consumption, sexual promiscuity, but the sad reality of all of this is that none of it brings any source of real peace and lasting fulfillment.

Often find that many people live for that next “high” – “good feeling” which is only temporary, continually searching and then they are trapped in addictive and destructive thinking and behavior.

This is not a new problem!

Solomon had incredible wealth in the form of land, palaces, chariots and horses, gold and silver, and many beautiful women. Because he was king over Israel, he also had great power and influence. He seemed to possess everything that constituted the good life.

In fact, 2 Chron 9:3-4 says that when the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon and observed his immense wealth, power, and imposing presence she was breathless.

But toward the end of his life, Solomon was not content and failed to experience life to the fullest. In Eccl 2:17 he wrote, "So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind."

Solomon came to realize that the good life is not found in great accomplishments or much education (Eccl 1:12-14,16).

Neither did he find it in pleasure (2:3) or material possessions (2:4-11).

He finally rendered this sobering conclusion that life was really more oppressive than good:

Ecclesiastes 4:1–3 NASB95

Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

You read a text like that and you are left to wonder does the good life exist, or is it a myth?

The good life does exist and has been defined by God.

It is God’s desire for every believer to love the life He has entrusted to us and to enjoy His goodness every day.

How do I know that?

Our text this morning gives us clear instructions to enjoying life on this side of heaven.

Let me give you hint…it is not in the things you own…it has everything to do with your relationship with God and others...

Sadly, many believers struggle to enjoy life, to overcome the evil and suffering of living in a hostile world, because they seek peace and happiness and joy apart from the God who saved them…no matter what they pursue they only find emptiness.

We have been walking through 1 Peter with an understanding of the historical context of this book being believers suffering under great persecution…living in a world that is hostile towards Christ.

Peter writes so that his readers would learn to stand in grace even though they are experiencing great suffering. – 5:12 “…this is grace, stand in it”

4:19 -- Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (NASB)

So everything we glean from this wonderful book is from the context of suffering, especially unjust suffering.

Let’s remember that as we read and examine our text this morning.

Read 1 Peter 3:8-12

Main Point: Enjoy Life Even When Surrounded by Imperfect People

This text comes on the heels of responding correctly to the imperfect people in our lives… we all live under the authority of an imperfect government…we are called to be godly even when living under a hostile and sin-corrupted government...

Last week Pastor Matthew examined the text regarding marriage…

and I only know of 1 person who is married to the perfect spouse (I will let you figure out which one of us I’m referring to)…not really…

all who are married live with imperfect spouses and regardless of whether they think and act in a godly manner, you have the responsibility to do what is right...

and now Peter shares how to respond to all the imperfect people around you.

This is addressed to the entire Christian community… “all of you”

When Peter says “to sum up” he is concluding this section on standing in grace under difficulty… he ends with a general exhortation regarding our relationships to others, even when those around us are hostile towards us.

He shares the purpose for this exhortation in v.9 — that you might inherit a blessing…Peter knew what was coming for God’s people…as the suffering would spread and intensify, he wanted them to find joy in this life, regardless of the suffering they would endure...

v. 10 he says “The one who desires life…to love and see good days”… enjoying life as God intends…even when surrounded by imperfect people…some of whom will be hostile towards you...

Peter wanted his readers and us to view life as a precious gift from God and to enjoy it the way God wants us to…to inherit the blessings

Please, don’t anyone leave here thinking Pastor Kevin said we could do anything we want so we could enjoy life because God wants us to live life to the fullest...

What we are talking about this morning means living it to the fullest HIS way not ours.

Trying to live the good life on our terms only produces a temporary satisfaction or heartache

How can we enjoy life the way God intends?

Four admonitions for living and loving the good life.

The first admonition is found in verse 8...

Develop Right Thinking (8)

This is where it all starts…everything you say and do is a result of the way you think…

Attitude

We see five specific attitudes to have if we desire the good life God provides.

Be harmonious.

This is a compound word that means “to be like minded, united in spirit”

Doesn’t mean you have to think in the same manner.

Differences of opinion will exist – that is okay.

The key is how we handle those differences.

Believers are to live and serve together in unity, not allowing the differences to divide us…instead those differences enrich us.

The exhortation here is to let the mind of Christ govern our interactions and not allow those differences to divide us but rather enrich us.

Our culture is hostile enough towards believers that we don’t need to be against one another also.

Believers are to stand together for the sake of the Gospel…all serving with the same purpose.

Phil 1:27-28 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

How do we live in harmony? It takes a concerted effort from everyone...

Phil 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Rom 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

Learn to listen to each other

Lay aside our own agendas (which leads to the next attitude)

Be Sympathetic,

This word is a transliteration of the Greek Word which means "sharing the same feeling."

We should be continually demonstrating our concern for and interest in others, especially in times of joy and sorrow.

Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.

There are some believers who just don’t know how to do this…

Sometimes I wonder if those individuals sleep with an endless supply of lemons on their nightstand and then every morning when they wake up they take this huge bite out of one and then just suck the juice out until their whole face is caved in

They just have this sour look on their face all the time and can’t find ways to rejoice with those who rejoice…and if you can’t rejoice with them how can you mourn with them?

Don’t become hard-hearted towards each other…not just within this body, but other believers all over the world.

Share both joys and sorrows…we are all part of the same family.

So be ready to sympathize with the pain of others

Be Brotherly

Peter used the term ‎philadelphoi‎,

The first part of the word stems from the verb ‎phileœ‎, "to love," and refers to affection among people who are closely related in some way.

manifested in a willingness to go out of your way to help…

Such service begins in the church among believers and extends out to the world.

Be Kindhearted

“Compassionate”, “tenderhearted” ...The word here is a root word which refers to one's internal organs and is sometimes translated "bowels" or "intestines" (e.g., Acts 1:18).

Depicts feelings that come from the deepest part of us

This is the action that accompanies our sympathy...when we observe the suffering that others endure we are to do something about it...

It is being sensitive to those who are suffering need. Showing genuine concern…

It requires taking your eyes off of your situation and caring for another’s… (even if nobody asks about your situation…)

Be Humble in spirit

This is actually one word in the Greek.

Humility is arguably the most essential, all-encompassing virtue of the Christian and the most fragile of all virtues…(humility badge illustration)

It is the willingness to be the least accompanied by a desire to be the servant of all.

Jesus modeled this when he washed the disciples’ feet.

Humility doesn’t focus on the imperfections of others or the hurt they cause.

It is seeing yourself as an object of God’s grace…recognizing that you are totally unworthy of anything from God! (view of God = Santa Claus or Vending Machine)

It is manifested in a readiness to serve others – Phil 2:3-4.

Humility doesn’t whine and complain about others or to others about what you are going through!

It doesn’t have the attitude that somehow you’ve been given a raw deal by God.

You are drawn to what you focus upon!

Implications

Peter was trying to prepare his readers for the REAL persecution that was just around the corner…be prepared…difficult times are coming.

Cultivating these attitudes in our lives right now prepares us for the days ahead.

When believers live by the principles outlined in this text, we place ourselves in the best position to be blessed by God and can really enjoy life the way He intended.

All of these require a serious attitude check and adjustment.

If you are struggling to enjoy life, then check your attitude and relationships with others.

Act with Right Behavior (9, 10)

In your deeds

not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. (3:9)

Human instinct is retaliate when wronged...

The way Peter constructed this sentence grammatically is really instructive..."stop returning evil for evil"- literal rendering

If you are not retaliating to evil with more evil, then don’t start

If you are STOP!

Stop trying to settle your injuries and insults on your terms.

There is no place in our walk with God for this type of behavior.

Evil denotes the inherent quality of badness, not just bad words or actions.

Even when you are mistreated by someone who is just flat out mean or being a bully do not retaliate.

Peter admonishes us all here to act contrary to our old nature…2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” …applies to the way you respond when you are wronged.

With your speech

This is where our decision to stand in grace will become the most evident…controlling of the tongue

Do not to return insult for insult.

The term insult (‎loidoria‎) means "an abusive railing against," "cursing," or "speaking evil of" someone and is the root of the word translated "reviled" in 2:23.

How sinful it is to banter back and forth! “I wouldn’t have said what I said if you didn’t say what you said!”

But rather “giving a blessing instead!”

“Blessing” is from the word that we get “eulogize!”

Janine’s brother, Dale, who pastors First Baptist in Ohio, once had a funeral where the deceased’s family said, “We don’t have anything good to say about our dead family member!” How sad…

That ought not to be in your relationships with one another…

Instead of returning evil with evil and insults with insults, respond with a blessing!

God has called us out of the hostile world to live differently…to extend the mercy and grace afforded to us…especially towards those who mistreat us.

Revenge is not the path God desires us to take. Instead

Pray for them

Treat them kindly, even with sympathy

Forgive them even when they have hurt you deeply

He goes on to say that God will bless us in the process.

Peter turns to Psalm 34:12-15 to drive his point home!

Encourage you to read that Psalm....it describes what God means by “good days”.

They are not necessarily days free from problems…the Psalmist is David and he writes about fears, troubles, afflictions, and even a broken heart.

Being blessed with “good days” doesn’t mean God is going to pamper you and shelter you from trouble. Being blessed means God is going to help you and provide joy for you THROUGH the trials.

David goes on to say in that Psalm that he magnifies the Lord, experiences answers to prayer, tastes the goodness of God and is aware of God’s nearness.

So when you think you are having a “bad day” and you are tempted to “hate life” here is what Peter says to do:

v. 10 — You MUST...

Refrain your tongue from evil — “Watch your speech!” Be careful what you say and how you say it!

Eph 4:29 “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Guard against vulgar, nasty speech, off color, coarse joking…some words that just aren’t becoming a Christian…

Be careful of your tones and body language…rolling of the eyes, huffs and puffs, etc

Keep your lips from deceitful speech

“deceit, treachery, cunning” has the idea of a “decoy”…so as to trick…and deceive…

Would include withholding important information or details out of fear of what others might say or think about you…or attempts to sway others to “your side” of the issues.

“The sarcasm, the bitterness spewed forth, the biting, venomous comments made by one believer to another are often so out of accord with Psalm 34 that the person who indulges in them can’t expect to know the good days of which God speaks.” — Jay Adams

Maintain Right Standards (11)

Turn away from evil

The verb turn away connotes an intensely strong rejection of what is sinful—in this context, sinful treatment of others, even those who persecute the saints

We are to avoid even the appearance of evil…if it is questionable…don’t do it.

God has revealed enough information to us for us to CLEARLY know what is good and what is evil.

do good

do what is excellent in quality, what expresses deep-down virtue.

The contemporary idea of the good life is "doing your own thing,"

whatever feels good (illicit sex, drugs, alcohol, excessive and mindless entertainment) at the expense of obeying God's will.

seek peace and pursue it.

The verbs translated seek (zealously look for) and pursue (hunting, tracking down a quarry) both convey an intensity and aggressiveness of action…it seems counterintuitive but we need to aggressively pursue peace!

Because peace itself is fragile and elusive, we can never take it for granted…we are to hunt it down and vigorously pursue freedom from strife

We are to aggressively seek peace and hunt for it.

God calls us to be peacemakers,

Without compromising the truth, we are to pursue peace with all men as much as possible. Rom 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”

Understanding that not everyone will be peaceable.

You cannot be seeking peace when your heart is set on revenge!

or getting even by inflicting the same or more pain on those who hurt you

Revenge is God’s responsibility to deal with the offender as He sees fit…

Harboring revenge leads to bitterness… …which by the way is sin…and of which you must confess and repent…and leave room for God’s wrath…let God deal with it!

If you continue to live with a vengeful heart you will lose the blessing of peace…You CAN live at peace…IF you do things God’s way…and even if the other person won’t…

Respond with the Right Motive (12)

Our motivation is to always please God 2 Cor. 5:9

Peter quotes the psalmist's words here describing a sovereign, ruling God who sees all, knows all, holds people accountable for their behavior, and threatens punishment for disobedience.

However, the primary issue here is not judgment but God's gracious care for His people.

God blesses righteousness.

The eyes of the Lord...

relates to God's special, caring watchfulness over His people (Prov 5:21; Zech 4:10).

Sometimes the phrase indicates God's judgmental watchfulness (Amos 9:8; cf. Prov 15:3), but here the emphasis is on His omniscient awareness of every detail of believers' lives (cf. Ps 139:1-6).

God is looking toward the righteous so that He can attend to their prayer.

The word translated prayer relates to believers' crying out for God to meet their needs.

God is always fully aware of everything in the lives of His children.

When Scripture tells us that God’s eyes are upon us, we know that God sees us even when we cannot see Him. Yet we often act as if we are behind reflective windows and God is unable to notice us.

God is always observing us and nothing escapes His attention.

It ought to be a great incentive for believers to live as Peter has outlined, knowing that they can have confidence that the Lord is always watching and waiting, ready to hear and answer their prayers.

God judges those who do evil.

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

The Old Testament concept of face of the Lord refers to judgment

His eyes represent His all-seeing omniscience, whereas His face in this context represents the manifestation of His anger and displeasure (cf. Ps 76:6-8).

God's wrath is against those who do evil and those who disobey His Word (cf. Rev 6:16).

Implications

Much like Peter’s time we must live and contend with a hostile world.

God has provided all we need to live humbly and respond with Christ-like attitudes and actions to any suffering and persecution

To do this requires a commitment to living by God's standard of authority knowing that even in the midst of trying circumstances, He is watching over us, protecting us, and ready to bless us.

Life Step – Choose Righteousness Trusting God for the Outcome

This is really about following the example of Christ...

go back to 1 Peter 2:23 “and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

We cannot and will not enjoy life by responding to suffering and hurt on our terms.

We should never expect to find joy and lasting peace when our attitudes, actions, standards and motives are inconsistent with God’s directives.

To love life and experience it to the fullest means we MUST choose righteousness trusting in God for the outcome.

We cannot control how others will treat us.

We cannot control what others will think about us.

We cannot control what others will say about us

We can only control what we think, say, and do. We can choose righteousness trusting God for what we cannot control. We don’t have to let what others think, say, or do steal our joy.

God never promised a life of ease…but He did promise to never leave us or forsake us.

God calls us to live in this hostile world with the joy He brings as we live life according to His plan. In so doing, we can experience life at its fullest, the way God intended, regardless of how others treat us.