A Living Hope In The Midst Of A Lost World! (25)

OUR EXAMPLE IS CHRIST!

1 Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,”

1 Peter 3:8-9 “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

I. The INSTRUCTIONS That We Can FOLLOW!

There are three sets of instructions Peter gives that we can and should follow on a daily basis:

A. WIVES can SUBMIT to their husbands!

1 Peter 3:1 “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,”

1 Peter 3:2 “as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.”

B. HUSBANDS can SERVE their wives!

1 Peter 3:7 “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”

C. EVERYONE can SURRENDER to their spirit!

1 Peter 3:8 “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;”

Notice the five things that require a surrender to our spirit to be able to do:

HARMONIOUS =

SYMPATHETIC =

BROTHERLY =

KINDHEARTED =

HUMBLE in SPIRIT =

What is the secret to living with a surrender to our spirit?

Galatians 2:20 ““I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

What happens when we crucify our flesh each day?

Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

II. The INHERITANCE That We Can FORFEIT!

1 Peter 3:9 “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

What did Peter say that we were called to inherit?

A. What is the MEANING of blessing in the Bible?

The word for blessing literally means to speak well of a person, place or thing!

B. What is the METHOD of blessing in the Bible?

1 Peter 3:10 “For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

C. What is the MANIFESTATION of blessing in the Bible?

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

When we speak a blessing into or over a person, place or thing, we literally speak the Presence, Power, Peace and Provision of God over or into the person, place or thing!

Speaking the blessing through our words results in a FERTILE atmosphere! A fertile atmosphere is fruitful, peaceful and desirable and people want to be there!

Peter says that we have been CALLED for the very purpose of inheriting blessing but it is something we must pursue, protect and participate in it!

1 Peter 3:10 “For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

1 Peter 3:11 ““He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it.”

What happens if we do not desire life, love, good days nor keep our tongue from evil and or from speaking deceit?

If we don’t speak blessing or inherit blessing, we will forfeit blessing!

When we forfeit blessing, we actually CURSE the people, places or things we are called to bless!

A CURSED atmosphere becomes void of the Presence, Peace, Power and Provision of God and nobody wants to be in that kind of atmosphere!

What can we do to remove the curse and inherit the blessing?

REPENT of our PARTICIPATION in it!

Eph 5:11 “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;”

Repent means to APOLOGIZE

2. RENOUNCE the PRESENCE of it!

1 Peter 3:10 “For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”

1 Peter 3:11 ““He must turn away from evil and do good; He must seek peace and pursue it.”

Renounce means to CALL it BACK!

3. REVOKE the POWER of it!

1 Peter 3:12 ““For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””

Revoke means to Break the Back!