Untitled Sermon (11)

Letter to the Suffering

My Suffering

I am all over the place emotionally. Commercial of people cooking our with friends… got choked up.

I am all over the place emotionally. Commercial of people cooking out.. got choked up. Anxiety for everyone is way up.

Everyone seems angry about whatever opinion they are holding on to… including me.

We live in a state that has phases to describe when to open up, on which churches aren’t even on the plan except for in an explanation in parenthesis that we can’t meet until it’s over.... whatever that means. So of all the people out there, churches are the most NON-ESSENTIAL. Which is incredible ridiculous because eternally speaking the answers we have, are MOST ESSENTIAL.

WHETHER BY INTENT OR NOT, IN OUR POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WE ARE EXILED.

The Suffering When Peter Wrote This Letter

Aliens, strangers, exiled,

Martyrs, human lanterns

In the middle of all that, Peter writes....

“ for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 Pe 1:2

I preach this message because in the middle of our struggles, I want to say,

MAY GRACE AND PEACE BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU

LETS GO THROUGH THIS NEXT PASSAGE.

1

1 Peter 3:13–17 ESV

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.

Who is to harm you if you are zealous for doing good?

A rhetorical question that should beg the answer, nobody.

But what is it happens…

It will

You will be blessed

There is coming a blessing that is so great, it will make our suffering seem like nothing

That is not to say you aren’t suffering or you don’t have reason for negative emotions.

For years I have watched people preach this idea that if you aren’t happy 24 hrs a day 7 days a week, you are a lesser Christian.

NO! There are too many positives to our negative emotions to ignore them.

Fear drives us to find safety.

Sadness cleanses our hurt and makes way for peace.

Guilt propels us to do the right thing we know we should be doing

MAY THE GRACE AND MERCY BE MULTIPLIED TO YOU

The Stand Alone Verse.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

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,

Christ is LORD

Be Prepared to give an answer

We overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony.

We don’t only overcome for us… we overcome for them… our loved ones… and sometimes our hated ones.

In our suffering, we are strengthened and brought to victory.. Christ is proven.

1 Peter 3:17 ESV

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

THis verse is not some cloak of suffering we are to wear if we want to be accepted, It is simply a statement encouraging us.. beacause

in the end we are blessed beyond comprehension.

1 Peter 3:18–21 ESV

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,

What Christ Did

He suffered

For all humanity - He was the righteous that died for the unrighteous

SO WE MIGHT BE BROUGHT TO GOD

HE KILLED SIN ONCE AND FOR ALL SO THAT WE COULD LOVE THROUGH HIM

The Salvation of Humanity through Noah

Genesis 6:5 ESV

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

If the world is facebook, youtube, the news, etc. You have to see it. There is some kindess that is out there, but really it’s hard to escape the truth that humanity as whole needs a rescue.

Just like in Noah’s Day

Humanity was saved through the water

Salvation through Baptism?

1 Peter 3:21–22 ESV

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.

I can’t do this without describing what baptism was in that day.

It was a cleansing ritual you would do when something happened that made you unclean.

Being unclean meant you were not connected with God, and when you went down, you were separated and when you came up you were united.

It was temporary… you were going to have to do it again. Maybe tomorrow depending on how your day went. but the idea is when you went in your uncleanliness separated you and you needed to be made clean.

v.18 Christ suffered once for all sin...

His baptism is symbolic of a permanent cleanse only he could provide...

Romans 6:4–6 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

His death and resurrection is sufficient to save permanently.

Here is Our Hope

Jesus doesn’t just cleanse us on the outside, It digs deep.

Earlier we said give a reason for our hope.... Here it is...

Jesus Christ set me free from sin. I am not bound to this mortal body but I have a home with Him in heaven. He died to make that happen and then death couldn’t hold Him. Now he sits at the right hand of God with

all of the angel.

all of the things that try to exercise control over us

all things that seem to be too powerful for us.

They are subject to Him.... and I am His.

So world, so guvna, so sickness, so addiction..... You do not have a hold on me, because Jesus has a hold of me.