Suffering For Righteousness Sake: Three Incentives to help us in our suffering

1 Peter 3:13-22 Suffering For Righteousness Sake (Three Incentives to help us in our suffering) Introduction: ....... According to the teaching of 1st Peter we are the people of God in exile in the city of Santa Rosa, and God’s desire is that we: Be a People of Blessing. (Period. Regardless of persons, deserving or undeserving,) It’s important to remember that Peter was writing to a Church that was suffering social persecution. Although at this time their persecution was not necessarily physical it doesn’t mean it wasn’t real and hard. These Christians suffered the loss of reputation, family love and support, the loss of jobs, the loss of business. Their faith in Christ made life difficult, they felt unwanted by those around them, their neighbors and friends became suspicious of them. Not only that, but because they were an obscure people that didn’t do things the way that the rest of the culture did them, (religion, sex, business, family...etc) they were treated unfairly by the local government and court system. As seeming “foreigners” they did not receive the same kind of treatment as the “citizens”. The book of Hebrew gives us a description of what Christians went through. “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.- Hebrews 10:32-3) Many of them would have been told by their parents, their siblings, their spouses, and their villages not to speak to them again until they pulled themselves out of this Fishermen’s cult. And, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”-2 Timothy 3:12 Following Jesus Christ will cost you......The New Testament says this many times and in many ways. It is in this scenario of suffering for righteousness, that Peter calls The People of God to be a People of Blessing. I believe in these verses Peter gives us incentives to motivate us to bless in the midst of suffering. 1. The Present and Eternal Benefit of Doing Good. a. “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” b. Do Good. It often makes life easier. i. Peter’s first incentive is just the playing fact that for the most part, doing good leads to a life of peace. ii. Men like Friedrich Nietzsche, who considered the Christian virtues (i.e. The fruit of the Spirit, the sermon on the mount) to be revolting and emasculating to human beings, are still rare in the world. Most people view these and wonderful traits that should be practiced by all. iii. If and when we follow the life set out in scripture we find it often makes for peace, even with our enemies. iv. So Peter reminds us of this truth. It is in our best interest and the best interest of the Gospel for us to do good. (to do righteousness) c. Do Good. Don’t Fear Man, Fear God. i. Peter gives two reasons here: 1. You will be blessed. Goodness will be rewarded. 2. They will be put to shame. Evil will be judged and put to shame. a. The righteous will be acquitted! God is the ultimate Judge so fear him. 3. In Luke 12 Jesus tells us a very good reason why we ought to fear God more than man. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. -Luke 12:4-7 a. Peter tells us that instead of fearing man and what they can do to us (making life hard, mocking us, or doing us harm, even if they threaten to kill or do kill us) we are to honor Christ as Lord in our hearts. b. At first glance this instruction sounds like a very private matter. Whatever is going on around you, in the secret place of your heart honor the Lord.... Nobody has to know, see or hear, just make sure this is something you are doing. i. Although Peter is talking about us setting Christ apart in our hearts, it is not a private or secret matter that he is referring to. ii. The heart is the origin of human behavior (3:4) and from it flows everything people do. Therefore, setting apart Christ as Lord in the heart will not be private, but evident to all when believers suffer for their faith. 1. But what exactly does it mean to set Christ apart as Holy? a. “Regard him as unique, one of a kind, without peer or rival in purity, (righteousness) and goodness. When the NIV says (in v. 15), "Set apart Christ as Lord," I think it means, Put him in a category by himself—the highest place, the greatest value, the most supreme treasure, the greatest admiration, the most cherished prize, the one you esteem and honor and love the most out of all persons and all things in the world.” -John Piper b. The OT constantly used the term “the fear of the Lord” c. “Obviously, to be in the fear of the Lord is not to be scared of the Lord, even though the Hebrew word has overtones of respect and awe. ‘Fear’ in the Bible means to be overwhelmed, to be controlled by something. To fear the Lord is to be overwhelmed with wonder before the greatness of God and his love. It means that, because of his bright holiness and magnificent love, you find him ‘fearfully beautiful.’ That is why the more we experience God’s grace and forgiveness, the more we experience a trembling awe and wonder before the greatness of all that he is and has done for us. Fearing him means bowing before him out of amazement at his glory and beauty.” -Tim Keller 4. A Defense to anyone who asks a reason for your hope. a. Instead of fear believers are to honor the Lord Christ this will naturally lead to us speaking boldly about our hope. i. This implies a constant willingness to speak up for Christ, to confess one's allegiance to him, and to witness fearlessly to his saving grace. ii. The defense of the Christian specifically concerns their hope. This term is to be understood comprehensively, as all that drives the present history toward it's destined future. (This is why I’m always encouraging you to read passages about God’s glorious future) 1. This term would include Salvation, Inheritance, Hope, and Final vindication. Christians are called to speak of Christ redemption and the culmination or restoration of all things…This hope is what sustains us in the midst of persecution and gives us strength. iii. But notice, Peter says there is a certain way it is to be done: with gentleness, respect, and a clear conscience. iv. This boldness should not lead to haughtiness, ugliness, and defensiveness, but to gentleness and respect. As we share about our hope, the peace, rest, love..etc that we have in Christ, we must also properly represent Christ. Often times Christians in their zeal to win an argument, lose the soul. We are to defend the Lord, to testify to our hope, yet in a humble way (we are sinners, in need of God’s grace) and respectful way. This will lead to conversions and toleration from other. 2. Do good, You are already victorious. - Our Future is Certain a. Suffering and the Eternal Perspective - Remember Jesus i. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” 1. Have you ever watched a great epoch (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, with someone? You've seen it before and you know how it all ends, but they don't. They're nervous! Will it end happily ever after? Is it one of those sick and twisted European endings? You watch them wring their hands, bite their nails, move to the edge of their seat, maybe even shout at the characters, get up and pace the floor... It's because they don't know the end of the story. There is so much uncertainty for them. 2. Here in this passage, Peter reminds us that we know the end of the story. It ends with a perfect King, in a perfect creation, in a perfect city, with a perfect government, with a perfect justice, with absolute peace, with total prosperity, that goes on forever and ever and ever and ever.... Christians can rejoice and rest from fear of man and the demonic realm even in their sufferings, because we know how it all ends. Christ has triumphed over all, our future is not only glorious, it is secure. He is the Alpha and Omega; He has the keys of Hell and Death. What can man ultimately do to us?? a. Peter talks about some crazy stuff in these five verses, but we cannot, and must not lose the main point. i. Christ suffered, was raised from the dead, triumphing over his enemies, now he reigns over all.... ii. Peter tells us that Christ proclaimed (victory) over the spirits who formally disobeyed in the days of Noah. iii. Peter uses the picture of Noah and his family’s salvation through judgment to talk about our salvation. iv. We share in Christ triumph through Christian baptism, which is not a cleansing from the dirt of our physical bodies, but is an appeal to God for a good conscience (purity, righteousness), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. v. Because we are partakers of Christ life death and resurrection we will also partake in his glory and victory. vi. Ultimately, we have nothing to fear. This should give us rest, and strength to endure whatever kind of persecution may come our way. b. Because Christ has triumphed over all there is nothing that can ultimately separate us from God's love; Christians should therefore be encouraged to suffer temporarily knowing that the will be vindicated and victorious eternally. i. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:33-39 Conclusion: Christians! We are so blessed, our future is so secure, we are headed to glory... Therefore we can bless,by the grace of God, whatever the circumstance. "And to the extent that that future is real to you it will change everything about how you live in the present. For example, why is it so hard to face suffering? Wy is it so hard to face disability and disease? Why is it so hard to do the right thing if you know it's going to cost you money, reputation, maybe even your life? Why is it so hard to face your death of death of loved ones? It's so hard because we think this broken world is the only world were ever going to have. It's easy to feel as if this money is the only wealth we'll ever have...But if Jesus is risen, then your future is so much more beautiful, and so much more certain, than that.....If you and I know that this is not the only world, the only body, the only life you are ever going to have - that you will one day have a perfect life, a real, concrete life - who cares what people do to you? You're free from ultimate anxieties in this life, so you can be brave and take risks. You can face the worst thing...with joy, with hope. The resurrection means that we can look forward to that day that our suffering will be gone. So live in the light of the resurrection and the renewal of this world, and of yourself, in a glorious, never ending, joyful dance of grace.” - Tim Keller