Being Mindful of God While Suffering

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Q&A Time after service

Little break after service and then come back and start

Opening Prayer

Catching Up

Last week, before dealing with vv.18-21...

We skipped ahead to vv.21-25 and dealt with the truths laid out in those verses...

Those truths are foundational to our suffering unjustly...

While maintaining a mindset that is fixed on God.

After looking last week at the foundation and motivation for our subjecting our self to unjust suffering...

After seeing what Christ willingly subjected Himself to...

The unjust suffering that He willingly subjected Himself to...

After exploring what that looked like in every day life...

After recognizing the example that He left for us to follow...

And, understanding what that factual, historical example accomplished for us...

We move on, this morning, to look at some of the circumstances that we have to follow the example of Christ.

So, this morning, I’d like us to look at vv.18-21...

What is a Servant?

1 Peter 2:18-21 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

The word Servant here is a less common word used in the Greek.

The most common is doulos which means slave.

This word you-ket-es is closely related to the word doulos/slave

But, additionally, it means of the house.

So, here you have slaves who work in the house being addressed.

Slaves that have a job that is more intimate with the family.

In the NT times, the Roman structure of society had slaves.

In the beginning, slaves were those who were captured after they were defeated in war.

Those captives were sold into slavery.

Slaves had no legal rights.

The children of slaves belonged to the Master of the mother.

There was a broad spectrum of how a slave was treated...

And, their life expectancy.

Much of that had to do with the job the slave was tasked with.

Mining and agriculture carried with it a short life expectancy...

And, a much harder life.

They often lived away from their masters and the families.

They were typically ruled my a Manager who stayed where the slaves lived...

And the slaves lived where the work was to be done, day in and day out.

Household slaves, like the ones Peter addresses here...

They were typically treated better and had a longer life expectancy...

Very similar to the families they served.

They were often educated, clothed well, and lived in the house that the family lived.

Typically they lived in a section of the house that was designated for slaves.

It’s been recorded that the household slaves rooms were often nice enough to house guests if needed.

And, they were typically dressed so well that a person could not distinguish between a free person or a slave.

It was recorded that at a time the Senate of Rome debated passing a law that would demand slaves where a certain type of clothing in order for them to be easily recognized as slaves...

However, the law failed to be passed out of fear that slaves would recognize that they outnumber the free citizens 5 to 1.

Many times, depending on the family you served, household slaves were treated with great respect by free citizens of lesser economic status.

Slaves could have technical skills that would be hired out by the Master

Such as architecture, accounting, construction, temple workers.

Anything a free tradesman could do a slave could do...

And the Master hired them out.

Household slaves could be responsible for:

the upkeep of the house

tending the children’s daily affairs

education of the children

managing the household finances

managing the other household slaves

Slaves could work for their freedom, as well.

This was often done, especially in the will of the Master.

Many times household slaves had better lives than free citizens of lesser economic rank.

This, of course, had everything to do with the moral compass and behavior of your Master.

And, so, Peter addresses them with such a circumstance.

The Command to Be Subject

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

So, how is the house servant to behave?

What is the attitude that they are to express from the heart towards their Master?

be subject to your masters with all respect

To be subject is biblically...

In its simplest form, to be subject is to place one self under in an orderly fashion

orderly fashion would be defined by God...

As in behavior, attitude, motivation.

An expanded biblical understanding of to be subject would be...

to renounce one’s own will for the sake of others and to give precedence to others

Do we see this any where else in Scripture?

Matthew 22:37-38 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

So Jesus likened loving your neighbor as yourself as loving God.

So, we are to care that our actions and speech are beneficial to the recipients and hearers.

As Paul states in...

Philippians 2:4-5 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

As Christians, we are commanded to submit our self to God-ordained authority...

And that means that when our will and our authority’s will collide...

We are willing to allow our will to take the back seat...

When the authority’s will is not against God...

IOW, when their not commanding us to disobey God.

Now, how are we to carry out this command to be subject to God-ordained authority?

I mean there’s several ways we could carry it out.

We could carry it out begrudgingly.

We could carry it out half-hearted, not giving our best effort.

We could say we’ll carry it out and not carry it out.

But, those would go against the command to obey from the heart...

And to not give lip service to our authorities.

So, how are we to carry out this command to be subject to God-ordained authority?

Peter says, with all respect

This is interesting because of the meaning that this word carries with it...

The word for respect here is the same word in v.17 where it says fear God

So, the meaning here is that we respect the authority...

With the honor that God has given to this role...

IOW, the respect for authority is because God has ordained it...

And He has given the authority honor in the role they play within society.

Now, here’s how to think about this...

If we do not give the respect that God commands...

Then we are actually opposing God’s will.

So, the additional meaning that we have in this word respect...

Is that we subject our self to authority with all respect...

Because we respect God and it is His ordained structure for life…

And His command to his people.

So, the ultimate reason we submit to and respect our authority...

Is because we submit to and respect and worship God, our Father.

Peter adds something to this command...

not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.

Generally speaking, we have no problem submitting to a good and gentle authority.

But, that is not the only kind of authority God calls us to submit to...

He says here not only to the good and just but also to the unjust.

So, even authorities that are unjust, they don’t keep promises, they pass you over for jobs you’re the best suited to take on, they make you work when you don’t want to, they’re overly harsh when you make a mistake...

All kinds of different ways they can wrong you.

We are to subject our self to them as long as they are not commanding us to sin against God.

Now in the NT, if you were a slave you couldn’t change Masters.

In the American culture, we no longer have slavery in our social structure.

We have employment.

And, so, we take this same command from God...

The attitude commanded, the behavior commanded...

Even if it is an unjust employer/boss...

We apply these commands to our situation in our work place.

The difference is that we can change jobs...

And, sometimes that may be necessary.

But, we must always obey this command.

Why? Because we submit to and respect God.

And the expression of submission to God, respect for God, worship of God...

Is tangible in submitting to bad situations...

So that the world sees that you treasure God more than you treasure comfort, riches, wages, ease of life...

And, it says to them…Come and taste and see that the Lord is good...

He’s better than anyone or anything else that you can pursue in this life.

Now, look at what Peter goes on to say...

How to Endure Unjust Suffering

1 Peter 2:19-20 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

Notice the rhetorical question Peter states in v.20

20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure?

The obvious answer is … no credit.

It’s no good. It has no worth.

Why is that the answer?

Why does enduring just/deserved suffering not do any good?

Why isn’t enduring enough to be honorable?

What does it mean to endure?

What is the goal of endurance?

#1 – Defining endurance

A biblical definition of endurance is an unbreakable and patient pressing on in the face of evil and the injustice of the world.

But, there is an addition to this definition in Peter’s explanation of endurance...

He says 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

So, it’s not just enduring…it’s not just pressing through the suffering...

The suffering must be unjust/undeserved...

It cannot be punishment for living sinfully...

It must be suffering brought about by living righteously...

And, it must be a suffering that while you’re enduring...

You are mindful of God

What does it mean to be mindful of God?

We looked at that last week by looking at the mindset, behavior, and attitude of Christ, who is our great example to follow.

He never sinned, He never reviled, He never threatened, He entrusted Himself to His Father.

So, this endurance that Peter speaks of here...

That is needed, as we submit to unjust suffering at the hands of unjust authorities...

Is an endurance that presses through the suffering while keeping their eyes and minds fixed on God.

It is a persistent commitment to God...

It is a clinging to God in order to not only get through the suffering...

But, to get through the suffering while honoring your Savior.

And, we honor our Savior through faith and obedience.

When we do this what the world sees is not an ultimate desire to escape the suffering...

But, an ultimate confidence in the One who is present with you in the suffering...

And that One who is present with us...

Is Jesus Christ who promises to never leave us or forsake us.

And that is better than escaping the suffering. (Shad, Mesh, Abed)

Now, look at this beautiful, motivating addition that Peter adds...

The Privilege to Please God

...20b But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

When you pair this statement with v.19

19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.

What we see here is that we have this opportunity to please God

He looks down upon our unjust suffering...

He sees that we are being mindful of Him...

We are clinging to and hoping in Him...

Not the comforts of this world...

And, He’s pleased in us.

He says, “Yes. That’s my son. That’s my daughter.”

How great is that!

How great is it that we have that kind of privilege with God?

The even greater news is that even though we don’t obey perfectly...

We are united to One that did.

Even though we fail often...

We are represented by One who never failed.

Jesus didn’t just endure unjust suffering...

He endured while obeying His Father’s every command.

He is our great example of obeying God no matter the circumstances...

Which teaches us how suffering deserved punishment contradicts the kind of endurance taught here in this passage...

Because you cannot be mindful of God…while disobeying Him.

Disobeying God shows a lack of clinging to and hoping in Him.

So, the command of God is to be a submissive people...

To honor the authority structures that He has ordained...

To show, through our submission, that He is more pleasurable and satisfying...

Than the comforts, treasures, and glories of this world.

And, we do this by being mindful of God in all of our circumstances.

Closing Prayer

Announcement

Take a 10-15 minute break

We’ll regroup in here and start the Discussion and Q&A