Now is the Time #3

Be Ready Always

1 Peter 3:15–16 KJV (WS)

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

Introduction

“Seventy years ago, in 1955, Collinsville Baptist Tabernacle held its very first service. And oh, how the world has changed since then.

Back in 1955, the average American made just under $4,000 a year. A brand-new house cost about $11,000. Gas was 23 cents a gallon, and you could buy a loaf of bread for 18 cents. The hottest new car on the market was the Chevy Bel Air, and you could drive one off the lot for under $2,000.

In living rooms across America, families gathered around black-and-white TVs to watch shows like The $64,000 Question. Disney had just opened its very first theme park. Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were household names. And if you turned on the radio, you’d likely hear “Rock Around the Clock” or “Unchained Melody.”

Fast forward to today—2025. The average home now costs around $400,000. Gas prices have tripled, cars are electric, phones are smart, and televisions talk back. What once felt like science fiction is now everyday life.

But here’s what hasn’t changed…

God is still good. His Word is still true. The Gospel still saves. And the Church—this church—still stands as a light in this community.

The world may be different, but the mission remains the same. And we’re here today, 70 years later, not just to celebrate the past—but to give glory to the One who has brought us through every season, and who still leads us forward.

Things are different than they were 70 years ago.

Today’s generation is not as closed off as you think. A Barna survey found that 3 out of 4 Americans want to grow spiritually, and 44% say they’re more open to God now than before the pandemic.

Among teens and young adults, that number is even higher—over 70% say they’re spiritually open. Many don’t trust institutions, but they’re hungry for truth, purpose, and hope.

Jesus said, “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” That’s not just a poetic metaphor—it’s the reality of 2025.

Now is the time. The door is open. The hearts are ready. Let’s go out with boldness, confidence, and compassion—and share the gospel like never before.

If the Baptist Tabernacle is going to do this, there are three things we must do.

3 things that we learn from this passage.

Sanctify the Lord in your hearts.

Peter is dealing with the topic of persecution in this passage.

The scattered saints that he is writing to, have and will experience persecution for their faith.

Depending on their location this may come in the way of mild to severe situations.

Disowned, loss of business, and social stigma.

Beaten, imprisoned, and even death.

People don’t like to face persecution.

The temptation will be to try to earn the approval and acceptance of their communities by making Christianity more palatable.

This will inevitably lead to compromise and heresy.

A Christian community that prioritizes the approval of the lost will soon cease to look or act like a Christian community.

This is why they must sanctify the Lord in their hearts.

Sanctify means to set apart.

Peter is encouraging these believers to set God apart from all other authorities.

When we think set apart, we think set aside.

Peter is telling them to set God above all others.

All believers from all times must make this decision.

We must set God above all other influences.

We must seek his approval first and foremost.

How would this change our response when people are negative about our faith?

I don’t know if we have another 70 years, but if we do, we need Christians who will seek God’s approval more than anything else.

If you make this commitment, there is something you must be ready to do.

Be ready to give a defense.

A person that genuinely seeks to serve God above all is so rare, that if you make this decision, others will notice.

Even among believers, a life like this will stand out.

We have forgotten the cost of discipleship requires us to forsake all others.

If you really do this, people are going to wonder why.

You need to be ready to defend your decision.

Can you verbalize why it’s more important for you to live for God than for anyone else?

When your boss, or the coach, or the teacher, or your friends question your priorities, how will you respond?

If your answer starts with…

Well, my pastor said…

You know how my wife is…

My parents will…

Then you are still on the wrong foot.

When you have sanctified God in your hearts, then your answer will sound more like this…

Jesus did so much for me how could I…

The Holy Spirit goes with me wherever I go…

God loves me too much for me to…

Peter reminds us that this defense, this answer, this apologia must be delivered with the right tone and attitude.

Meekness

Strength under control.

Gentleness.

Not combative.

Fear

Reverence.

An understanding that this opportunity is a sacred moment.

We must not waste it.

We must take the opportunity to point people to Jesus.

If we become a church that is unafraid of speaking up for Jesus, then there is a danger we must be ready to deal with.

Silencing the opposition.

By sanctifying God in our hearts, we protect ourselves from the influence of those that oppose God.

By preparing to give an answer or a defense of our faith, we are able to point people to God.

But what can we do when people try to talk bad about us to others?

Peter’s answer?

Have a good conscience and good conversation.

Live the life that backs up what is going on in your heart and what you proclaim with your words.

It is no accident that this is mentioned after the previous two points.

Living an outward Christian life takes place after you have sanctified God in your heart, not before.

It is is the outward overflow making God your #1.

When the work God is doing inside you matches with the conversation/lifestyle that is taking place on the outside, it has an incredible effect.

We should expect to be accused of being evil.

Sometimes the source of these accusation will surprise you.

As you live the Christian life there will be people who talk about you like you are the worst evil doer that ever lived.

This is by no means unique to pastors, but I’ve got to be honest with you, I would never have imagined how people people were going to talk about me and my wife.

I’ve admitted to you before that I am a people pleaser.

When I know, because I do hear, about how people talk, it’s pretty tough.

I want to defend myself.

When people take shots at our church, I want to get snippy.

Peter tells us this is not the way to respond.

We aren’t trying to gain their approval, first of all.

Second, the best defense against these accusations is to keep doing right.

You can either confirm their opinion of you, or you can prove them wrong.

Peter says that we can make them ashamed if we will maintain a good conscience and a good conversation.

I wonder how many people have talked about the Baptist Tabernacle over the years.

Over 70 years, I bet there are some people who were critical of God’s church and his people.

I wonder how many of them have been made ashamed by the good testimony of this church?

There’s probably some people out there today, that don’t particularly care for us.

They don’t want the best for our church.

How do we respond to that?

We keep doing what we are supposed to do.

We keep loving our community.

We stay faithful to the word of God.

We go boldly into the public squares of our community and let our lights shine.

That’s been our testimony, and by God’s grace it will continue to be.

Peter was encouraging believers to live and proclaim the gospel by sanctifying God in their hearts.

This was needed 2000 years ago.

It was needed 70 years ago.

It is needed today.

Application

Sanctify God in your heart this morning.

Give him his rightful place as #1 in your life.

Be more concerned with pleasing him than anyone else in the world.

This will set you apart.

This will open up doors of opportunity to minister.

When those doors of opportunity come…

Be ready to give an answer.

If God is #1 in your life, then God is the answer.

Please don’t base your faith off of the church.

Develop your own relationship with God.

Don’t rely on your parents and grandparents stories of faith.

Let God write a story of faith for you.

Then, when someone asks, you can tell them what god has done in your own life.

Finally, when people misrepresent you as fake or a hypocrite or a bigot, let your right living speak for itself.

Conclusion

Praise the Lord for the past 70 years.

Let’s not be satisfied with what’s been done.

Let’s gear up for the next 70 years by following Peter’s directions in this passage.

Make God #1.

Be ready to give an answer.

Silence the opposition with a clean life.

The time to serve God is not past; Now is the time.