Honour Everyone

Intro

*Give brief recap of being away at Grand Beach last weekend/Dad’s fiancee*

Big thanks to Emery for preaching last weekend

I never heard a sermon that smelled so good (passing the sniff test)

Focused on 1 Peter 2:11-12, the latter of which says to “keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

TONS of false accusations levelled against the early church (undermine social and political structures, cannibalism, hedonism, etc.)

Based largely on ignorance of the teachings of a brand new sect of Judaism

Peter believes that the best way to put these (unsubstantiated) fears to rest is to live honorably

Don’t give any fuel to the fire; don’t try to explain something people won’t understand; live in a way that honours everyone

This, then, is his motivation for the passage in 1 Peter 2:13 - 3:7, specifically the key verses in 1 Peter 2:15-17 (read here)

The goal = honour everyone to refute false accusations and misunderstandings

The way = outline how different relationships in society now work in light of the fact that all are made free in Jesus Christ

Pray and then continue

Live as People Who Are Free

The crazy fact of the Gospel is that Jesus sets people truly and completely free

Free from bondage to sin

Slaves to sin -> freedom to no longer sin or be under its control

Free from the broken systems of the world

Political power, social hierarchies, racism, sexism and slavery were all thrown aside by Jesus

Christian gatherings were the ONLY place you would find high-ranking officials on equal footing with women, slaves and other marginalized people

Which is one of the reasons why outsiders viewed Christians as socially disruptive

So how are Christians to utilize this newfound freedom in Christ? By turning around and serving God

Re-read 1 Peter 2:16.

First, this freedom is NOT to be used for covering up evil, or doing whatever we want

Any notion of Christian freedom being the autonomy to do what we want or desire is absolutely false and unbiblical

At its worst, we can use this sense of freedom to justify our own selfish (and sometimes evil) desires

Instead, the truest expression of Christian freedom is the opposite of autonomy: it is to willingly (freely) choose to obey God

“servants of God” (v. 16) = “slaves” of God

Whoa! That sounds different than how our culture defines freedom

Paul takes it one step further: Cf. Romans 6:17-18.

Slaves to sin -> freedom in Christ -> slaves to righteousness

While this is an extreme calling, using our freedom to choose devoted service to God is the most fulfilling way to live

This is what biblical freedom looks like, and it will satisfy like no other

One significant way that we use our freedom to serve God is by also serving others

Cf. Galatians 5:13-15.

When we are driven by using our freedom for our own gain and desires, it comes at the expense of others we are in relationship with

It’s not uncommon for the Gammarus duebeni shrimp to indulge in eating some of their young, but this goes into overdrive when they are infected by the Pleistophora mulleri parasite. The tiny parasite is only as large as a human red blood cell, but they can exist in the muscle fibre of their host in their millions, demanding more and more food to survive. This, in turn, makes the shrimp hungrier but less able to catch their traditional prey, turning their attention instead to their unsuspecting juveniles, which they gobble up quicker and in greater numbers than they would normally. (BBC Science Focus)

Conversely, when we serve God by serving others, it protects our relationships and community

And, according to Peter, it protects the reputation of the church as well

How are you utilizing the freedom found in Christ? To serve yourself, or to serve God and others?

Submit to the Government

If the goal is to utilize Christ-given freedom to honour all others, the way to that goal is to submit

This shows up in the remaining part of the passage: Peter’s household codes

What were these codes? Practical examples of how Christians can live in their existing relationships in a way that uses freedom to honor those around them

Must be set against the backdrop of the Roman social order (hierarchy and patriarchy)

Peter gives a “Jesus remix” to the entire situation (Rachel Held Evans)

Not designed to overthrow the social order but to instead live within the social order in a radically different way

Make the best of a broken system and reform it from the bottom up

To start, Peter declares to the persecuted church that they are to submit to governing authorities

Read 1 Peter 2:13-17.

This was ANYTHING but easy for Peter’s original audience

Current emperor = Nero = first to radically persecute Christians

The reason? God has instituted these human institutions to “punish those who do evil and praise those who do good”

Cf. Romans 13:1-2.

This also introduces a level of accountability

Most importantly, we aren’t called to submit to the government for the government’s sake, but “for the Lord’s sake”

As we seek to honour everyone through willing submission, our primary submission in EVERY instance is to God

Therefore, we know where our primary allegiance lies

So when submission to the government and submission to God come into conflict, we should always side with God

Remind of the complexity of decisions for churches during COVID

Submit to Others in Authority

Peter shifts gears and calls servants to submit to their masters (even in their freedom)

Read 1 Peter 2:18-21.

“Servants” = “slaves”

Slaves in Roman times were much better off than some of our conceptions; still owned by someone else (need a middle term)

Didn’t Peter want to abolish slavery? Remember, his goal was for Christians to live freely in Christ in a radical way WITHIN the existing cultural system

Slaves were equals during worship gatherings

Christian ethics would drive emancipation in the future (redemptive arc)

Specifically, Peter calls servants to submit and serve well in difficult situations

What good is it when you suffer because you deserve it? It is a gracious thing to endure suffering unjustly

Peter goes on to point to Jesus as our prime example (more next week)

This is a dangerous teaching! Is Peter counselling those stuck in abusive and destructive situations to stay unsafe?

No! There may have been some slaves in AD 60 that could not change thier situation, only change the way they served, but we have much more freedom today. Get and stay safe.

This passage translates the best to employee/employer situations

NOT the exact same; but the principle works

How many have had a bad boss? Raise your hand

It can be difficult to submit to those in authority in your life “with all respect” when you believe they don’t deserve it

Share story of the 2 foremen

Submit in Marriage

Read 1 Peter 3:1-7 and invite Pastor Earl to come and preach

“Likewise” ties in with other acts of submission; but remember, this is the “Jesus remix” on normal Roman social order

Paterfamilias = Everything ran through the husband/father/son

Stay in this structure, but live it radically different

Stay because it can help save the eternal lives of unbelieving husbands (those that do not obey the word)

When wives would live out true Christ-like freedom in their marriages, that got everyone’s attention (including husbands)

Peter focuses on inner beauty (hidden person of the heart) vs. outer beauty

Outer beauty is not bad, but it is not the true beauty that matters

“Gentle and quiet spirit” does NOT mean wives can’t be heard; it means to live peaceably in marriage

Peter also acknowledges Sarah as being an example of godly woman, adorning herself with true inner beauty and submitting to her husband

Husbands, sounds pretty good so far, right?

“Likewise” husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way

If the first “likewise” was about submission, the second one is too

Completely counter-cultural! Men would NEVER be addressed this way

Cf. Ephesians 5:25-28.

Paul takes this waaaay further! Now husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church

Complete self-sacrifice and… submission (just look at 1 Peter 21)

Biblical marriage is one of mutual submission (with role distinctions)

Submission to the Lord first, and then each other

Why should husbands do this? Because women are the “weaker vessel”

Only “weaker” because of the game stacked against them (not referring to inequality, physical strength, or emotional sensitivity)

Women were ENTIRELY dependant on men; they couldn’t look after themselves if they tried (biblical emphasis on widow care)

In fact, Peter drives equality home be declaring women to be “fellow hiers of the grace of life”

The last word goes to equality: Cf. Galatians 3:28-29.

When you place your faith in Jesus, you are free and equal. Doesn’t matter where you came from of what your race, gender, social status, gender orientation is. You are a co-heir with Christ

So use this freedom to serve God well by submitting to him and to those around you in government, authority and marriage

Pray