Untitled Sermon (7)

1 PETER 3:13-22

YOU HAVE HEARD ALOT OF THINGS THIS PAST WEEK. MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD THAT SUFFERING COMES BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG...MAYBE YOU HAVE HEARD THAT CHRISTIANS ARE LOSING, CHRIST IS POWERLESS, AND THAT UNRIGHTEOUSNESS WILL WIN THE DAY…

SLIDE/POINT: HOW YOU SUFFER WILL DEPEND ON WHO YOU FEAR

A QUICK READING OF VS 13 MIGHT LEAD YOU TO BELEIVE THAT, IF YOU JUST PURSUE GOODNESS, IF YOU ARE JUST A GOOD CHRISTIAN, THAN NOTHING AND NOONE CAN HARM YOU

THIS IS WHY WE READ THE BIBLE IN ITS CONTEXT BECAUSE VS 14 COMES ALONG AND SAYS, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT EVEN IF YOU DO GOOD, YOU STILL MAY SUFFER

SO WHAT IN THE WORLD IS PETER SAYING IN VS 13?

PETER IS NOT SAYING THAT CHRISTIANS WILL NEVER BE PERSECUTED…

ALL OF 1 PETER IS SAYING THE OPPOSOSITE

WHAT PETER IS SAYING IS THAT EVEN THOUGH CHRISTIANS ARE PERSECUTED NOW, THOSE WHO PERSECUTRE US CAN NOT ULTIMATELY OR FINALLY HARM US.

THEIR HARM IS TEMPORARY

SLIDE: ROMANS 8:31 “WHAT, THEN SHALL WE SAY IN RESPONSE TO THIS? IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US.”

CLEARLY THINGS AND PEOPLE ARE AGAINST US, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THOSE THINGS WILL NEVER ULTIMATELY DEFEAT US BECAUSE WE SERVE A GOD WHO GIVES VICTORY TO HIS PEOPLE

IF THAT IS THE CASE, PETER GOES ON IN VS 13

SLIDE: OUR FOCUS SHOULD NOT BE ON THOSE THINGS OR PEOPLE WHO HARM, OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE GOOD

PETER SAYS IN VS 13 WE SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO WHAT IS GOOD

IF WE ARE TO BE DEVOTED TO WHAT IS “GOOD”; DON’T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT “GOOD” IS...WHAT’S GOOD, WHAT SHOULD WE BE DEVOTED TO

SLIDES:

ROMANS 12:9-10

GOODNESS IS LOVING YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER...TALK ABOUT DELTA VARIANT

ROMANS 12:2

1 CORINTHIANS 10:24

1 PETER 3:10

1 PETER 2:3

REGARDLESS OF WHAT COMES, YOUR DEVOTION SHOULD BE TO THOSE THINGS

BECAUSE, ULTIMATELY, SUFFERING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE IS NOT A BAD THING

AS A MATTER OF FACT, PETER SAYS IN VS 14, IF YOU SUFFER FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE BLESSED

SLIDE: BLESSED: NOT A FEELING GOOD, BUT A DEEP SENSE OF JOY WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIFE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GOD

SLIDE: BLESSED: PRIVILEGED RECIPIENTS OF GOD’S FAVOR

KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS WHEN WE SUFFER FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

NOT FOR BEING JERKS

WE WILL TEASE THIS OUT A BIT MORE IN THE 2ND POINT TODAY

NOTICE, VS 14, DO NOT FEAR THEM OR BE INTIMIDATED

WHY, WHY SHOULD WE NOT FEAR THOSE WHO CAUSE US SUFFERING

VS 15 TELLS US, BUT REGARD CHRIST THE LORD AS HOLY IN YOUR HEARTS

PETER IS QUOTING IS 8 HERE

SLIDE: IS 8:12-13A

PETER SUBSTITUTE JESUS CHRIST FOR THE LORD OR ARMIES

LIKE WHY ARE YOU FEARING THEM WHEN YOU SERVE A GOD WHO IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING

SLIDE: THE GREATER FEAR WILL ALWAYS WIN OUT

ILL: A MOUSE AND A LION ARE STANDING IN MY LIVING ROOM…

IF IT WAS JUST A MOUSE I WOULD BE TERRIFIED...BUT THE PRESENCE OF THE LION MAKES ME MORE FEARFUL OF IT...AT THAT MOMENT I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE MOUSE CAUSE THERE’S A LION STANDING HERE

HERE YOU HAVE POLITICIANS AND WORLD SYSTEMS THAT MAY PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS

HERE YOU HAVE WORK PLACES AND SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT MAY PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS

HERE YOU MAY EVEN HAVE CHRISTIANS WHO PERSECUTE OTHER CHRISTANS

BUT OVER HERE IS STANDING THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, LIKE I AINT WORRIED ABOUT THEM ANY MORE

SLIDE/POINT: HOW YOU SPEAK WILL DEPEND ON HOW YOU SEE CHRIST

NOTICE PETER MAKES A TRANSITION FROM THE HEART TO THE MOUTH

HE MAKES THE SAME TRANSITION THAT ALL OF THE BIBLE MAKES:

SLIDE: MATT 12:34

SLIDE: HOW YOU VIEW CHRIST WILL BE SHOWN IN WHAT YOU SAY

IF YOU VIEW CHRIST AS SOME IMPOTENT, WEAK RULER WHO CAN ONLY CONQUER WHEN WE HAVE THE RIGHT PRESIDENT IN OFFICE, THAT WILL BE SHOWN IN WHAT YOU SAY, TWEET AND POST

IF YOU VIEW CHRIST AS UNABLE TO PROTECT, UNABLE TO SAVE, UNABLE TO RESCUE FROM THE MOST DIRE OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAN THAT WILL BE SHOWN IN HOW YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST IN THEIR SINS

NOTICE VS 15, BE READY TO GIVE A DEFENSE TO ANYONE WHO ASKS YOU FOR THE REASON FOR THE HOP THAT IS IN YOU

THIS BRINGS TO MIND AN IMMEDIATE QUESTION: ARE YOU READY?

PETER IS TALKING TO EXILES WHO ARE BEING PERSECUTED...AND I HEAR ALOT OF CHRISTIANS TODAY TALKING ABOUT PERSECUTION, OH, WE ARE BEING PERSECUTED, PERSECUTION IS COMING, WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR NATION IS JUST A SIGN THAT SERIOUS PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IS COMING

OKAY, ARE YOU READY

WHAT PETER IS CALLING US TO IS NOT A READINESS TO FIGHT BACK, IT IS NOT A READINES TO CUT OFF THE EAR OF THE SOLDIERS OF THIS WORLD…

SLIDE: PETER IS CALLING US TO A READINESS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION: HOW DO YOU SUFFER SO WELL

LIKE, CLEARLY YOU ARE SUFFERING FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN, BUT YET YOU STILL LOVE THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, YOU DON’T TALK BAD ABOUT PEOPLE WHO CAUSE YOUR SUFFERING, YOU ARE NOT SPITTING OUT VENOM

HOW DO YOU DO THAT….BOOM, GOSPEL PROCLAMATION OPPORTUNITY

SLIDE: SUFFERING WELL LEADS TO OPEN DOORS FOR THE GOSPEL, SUFFERING POORLY CLOSES THEM

VS 15: A DEFENSE:

SLIDE: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEFENSE AND BEING DEFENSIVE

SLIDES:

A DEFENSE IS “LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE REAL CHRIST”

DEFENSIVE: HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JESUS THAT WAY

A DEFENSE IS: CAN I SHOW YOU IN THE WORD HOW YOU CAN BE SAVED FROM YOUR SINS AND BE FREE IN CHRIST

DEFENSIVE IS: CAN I SHOW YOU IN THE WORD HOW YOU ARE THE WORST PERSON, YOUR SIN IS THE WORST, AND YOU ARE GOING TO HELL

SLIDE: FAITH DOES NOT CLOSE DOORS TO RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF EITHER FEAR OR HATE. IT TURNS, RATHER, IN OPENNESS TO OTHERS JUST AS IT TURNS TO GOD.”

OUR DEFENSE HAS PERIMETERS, BOUNDARIES: NOTICE IN VS 16

GENTLENESS, REVERENCE, KEEPING A CLEAR CONSCIENCE

THESE ARE THE REINS WITH WHICH WE DEAL WITH THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW CHRIST

THESE ARE THE REAINS WITH WHICH WE DEAL WITH THOSE PEOPLE WHO WE THINK THEIR SIN IS SO BAD

AM I GENTLE, DO I FEAR THE LORD, IS MY CONSCIENCE CLEAR

SLIDE: THE OFFENSE SHOULD BE IN THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, NOT IN YOU

BEING A JERK

SLIDE/POINT: HOW YOU SEE YOUR SUFFERING WILL DEPEND ON HOW YOU SEE CHRIST’S SUFFERING

OUR POSTURE TOWARDS SUFFERING IS BASED UPON WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US

PETER IS TALKING TO EXILES WHO WERE PERSECUTED, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT BY THE GOVERNMENT...AND HE SAYS CHRIST DID THE SAME THING

WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, SAINTS, WHEN CHRIST CAME THE FIRST TIME, HE HAD THE POWER TO OVERTHROW THE WICKED GOVERNMENT IN WHICH HE LIVED (THE DISCIPLES AND THE PHARISEES WANTED THIS); BUT HE DIDN’T BECAUSE HE PRIMARY MISSION WAS TO SUFFER UNDER THE WICKED GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO BRING WICKED SINNERS TO HIMSELF, VS 18

SLIDE: A CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT WASN’T CHRIST’S PRIMARY MISSION: IT WAS TO MAKE CHRISTIANS

AND CLEARLY IT DIDN’T TAKE A CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN

VERSE 19 IS AN INTERESTING VERSE: IT SAYS CHRIST WENT AND MADE PROCLAMATION TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON WHO WERE IN THE PAST DISOBEDIENT IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

WAIT, CHRIST, WHO CAME IN THE FLESH THOUSANDS OF YEARS AFTER NOAH; SOMEHOW WHEN CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD, HE WENT AND PROCLAIMED TO SPIRIT WHO ARE IN PRISON, YET THESE SPIRITS EXISTED THOUSAND OF YEARS BEFORE IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT VERSE 19 MEANS….I HAVE NO IDEA

SLIDE: MARTIN LUTHER: A WONDERFUL TEXT THIS IS, MORE OBSCURE THAN ANY OTHER PASSAGE IN THE NT, NOT FOR CERTAIN WHAT PETER MEANS

MARTIN LUTHER, A GUY WHO IS FLUENT IN OVER 6 LANGUAGES, DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO STUDYING THE BIBLE, SOME SAY HE WOULD READ THE BIBLE THROUGH ENTIRELY 4 TIMES A YEAR, 2 OF THOSE TIMES WOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, TRANSLATED THE BIBLE FROM GREEK HEBREW AND LATIN INTO GERMAN

I’M OKAY IN MY IGNORANCE

***BLANK SLIDE***

PARADIGM FOR STUDYING THE BIBLE WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS: GOD TIME

1) WHAT IS THE CONTEXT

PETER IS WRITING TO EXILES TO ENCOURAGE THEM, THAT THOUGH THEY ARE SUFFERING NOW, CHRIST IS IN CONTORL

SO WHATEVER HE MEANS BY VERSE 19, IT WAS AN ENOURAGMENT TO THEM

2) DOES ANY OTHER SCRIPTURE WEIGH IN ON THE UNCLEAR TEXT

GENESIS, NOAH, WEIRD ACCOUNT IN GENESIS 6:4 OF ANGELS (SPIRITS) COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND CHILDREN WERE BORN TO THEM

RIGHT AFTER THIS, THE LORD DESTROYED THE EARTH WITH THE FLOOD BECAUSE OF WICKEDNESS

BASED UPON THAT, I’M READING VERSE 19 TO MEAN THAT WHEN CHRIST GOT UP FROM THE GRAVE, THIS PROCLAMATION THAT HE MADE TO THE SPIRITS WAS A PROCLAMATION OF VICTORY; THE SPIRITS ARE THE ANGELS WHO DISOBEYED GOD BACK IN GENESIS (OF WHICH WE KNOW SATAN IS AN ANGEL)

HOW IN THE WORLD DOES THIS ENCOURAGE THE EXILES: WELL, IT SAYS THAT SUFFERING DOESN'T’ HAVE THE FINAL SAY

CHRIST HAS BEEN VICTORIOUS AND THAT VICTORY IS KNOWN, NOT JUST BY HUMANS, BUT BY ANGELS WHICH IS HOW PETER IS GOING TO END OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING.

2 MORE OBSERVATIONS FROM THE TEXT AND THEN WE ARE DONE

SLIDE: WHAT IF GOD WANTS TO USE OUR SUFFERING IN ORDER TO BRING SOMEONE ELSE TO HIMSELF

(MESSAGE OF PETER, WIVES TO HUSBANDS, SLAVES TO MASTERS...OUR SUFFERING CAN BE REDEMPTIVE)

HE USES NOAH: VS 20: GOD PATIENTLY WAITED IN THE DAYS OF NOAH

WHY DID IT TAKE NOAH SO LONG TO BUILD THIS ARK? WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD GOD GIVE NOAH A PROJECT THAT WOULD TAKE HIM YEARS TO COMPLETE? WHY DID GOD CALL NOAH TO BE MOCKED, RIDICULED, AND OSTRACIZED FOR YEARS?

IT WASN’T FOR NOAHS BENEFIT, IT WAS BECAUSE GOD WAS WAITING PATIENTLY FOR OTHERS TO BE SAVED

MAYBE YOU HAVE ASKED GOD WHY YOUR SUFFERING IS LASTING SO LONG: MAYBE IT’S NOT FOR YOU ALONE; MAYBE GOD IS BEING PATIENT WITH SOMEONE ELSE THROUGH YOUR SUFFERING

***BLANK SLIDE***

VS 21 BAPTISM: WE JUST CELEBRATED IT LAST WEEK.

BAPTISM IS ASSUMED...IT IS A NORMAL PART OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS GOD BEING ABLE TO SAVE THROUGH DEATH

ILL: TELLING ALL THE BAPTISM CANDIDATES WHAT BAPTISM MEANS…

BAPTISM IS ULTIMATELY A PICTURE OF THE RESURRECTION

GOING THROUGH THAT WHICH MEANS DEATH BUT COMING OUT THE OTHER END

NOW, PETER ENDS, BECAUSE CHRIST IS RESURRECTED, HE IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD WITH EVERYTHING UNDER HIS AUTHORITY

THE OLD FOLKS WOULD SAY: HE GOT UP FROM THE GRAVE WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS

ANGELS, AUTHORITIES, AND POWERS

ANGELS: WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT SPIRITUAL WARFARE WITHOTU SAYING, YEAH, WE IN A SPIRITUAL BATTLE, BUT SATAN IS DEFEATED

HE IS A TOOTHLESS LION

AUTHORITIES: THAT IS GOVERNING OFFICIALS

WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT POLITIECS WITHOUT SAYING YEAH I VOTED BUT CHRIST IS IN CONTROL

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO IS IN OFFICE THE RESURRECTED LORD HAS AUTHORITY OVER THEM

POWERS: THAT’S LIEK ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS POWER IN THIS WORLD….ANGELS, CHECK, POLITICIANS AND GOVERNING OFFICIALS, CHECK...WHAT ELSE, WHAT DID I MISS, OH YEAH, ANYONE ELSE WHO THINKS THEY HAVE ANY POWER IN THIS WORLD IS SUBJECT TO THE RULING POWER OF THE RESURRECTED LORD

SO, AS EXILES, WE DON’T FEAR THEM, CHRIST HAS RISEN AND HE IS IN CONTROL

SO, COMMUNION, CHRIST SAYS, IS A CELEBRATION OF HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION UNTIL HE COMES!

COMMUNTION IS A CELEBRATORY EVENT TOO! EVERY TIME WE TAKE THIS CUP AND THIS BREAD, WE, ALONG WITH CHRIST, ARE PROCLAIMING TO THE ANGELS, PROCLAIMS TO THE AUTHORITIES, PROCLAIMING TO THE POWERS, THAT OUR RESURRECTED LORD IS THE KING OF KINGS