Sermon Tone Analysis

Several years ago, I had a friend who started going to a new dentist.

You know the drill whenever you go to a new place—there are a million forms to fill out at your first visit.

He was in a bit of a mood that day, so there were some questions he was brutally honest about.

When the form asked what implements he used to clean his teeth, he answered honestly—toothbrush, floss, thumbtacks, paper clips, whatever he had on hand.

He decided to have a little fun with it, though, when it came to the question about allergies.

He didn’t have any allergies to speak of, so he simply put down one word: pain.

I hope the dentist got a kick out of it, but if we were honest, I imagine most of us would say the same thing—we are allergic to pain and discomfort of any kind.

That is what makes what God calls us to do in 1 Peter so difficult.

We want to avoid pain at all costs, but following Jesus often causes pain.

It is uncomfortable to push back against the culture, but as we will see this morning, it is worth it all.

In fact, jump down to the last verse we will be looking at this morning to see what God says about suffering for him…Look at 3:17...

Here’s what we are seeing this morning: suffering for Jesus is always worth the pain.

We will see that as Peter gives us three groups of commands.

Each of these groups has a unique emphasis that shows how God makes suffering for and with Jesus worth it.

Let’s dive right in to see that we are called to...

1) Demonstrate Christ because it brings blessing.

Over the past two weeks, we have looked at how to live honorably among the Gentiles.

We have seen that God calls us to submit to the authorities he placed over us and model Christ in our marriages.

As Peter shifts to a new section, he calls us again to demonstrate Christ.

This isn’t about submission and authority; rather, it is about maintaining right relationships anyone.

They may be peers, family and friends, saved followers of Christ and lost enemies.

The attitudes and actions he lists in verses 8-9 are all attitudes and actions we see demonstrated in Christ, so God is calling us to demonstrate Christ in every relationship we have.

The first characteristics seem to apply to the way we relate to other exiles; other Christians who are part of God’s kingdom.

Look back at the first part of verse 8...

We are called to “like-mindedness.”

This is one of the key components of unity that God often calls believers to develop.

This is the idea of literally thinking the same thing.

That doesn’t mean that we will think the same thing about everything though.

For example, how many of you think cilantro tastes like stink bugs?

How many of you think it is one of the best herbs out there and would walk around with it in your teeth all day if you have the chance?

We can disagree on things like that, and even more significant items.

However, as believers, our ultimate purpose in life should be the same.

We should want to do whatever we can to honor and exalt Jesus as our king.

We may disagree about the best way to do that, and we may not see eye to eye on every little detail of Scripture.

However, we show like-mindedness when we put exalting Christ at the head of everything.

Our unity continues as we act with sympathy for each other.

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to talk to someone when they have been through something similar to what you have?

We find that in support groups for substance abuse, or for families who have gone through the trauma of miscarrying or losing a child—there is a different level of sympathy among those who have common experiences.

If that’s true, then, then our common life as exiles, our common salvation in Christ, and our common kingdom citizenship should open us up and help us be more sympathetic to others who are walking through similar struggles as they seek to honor Jesus.

This works itself out practically in the sacrificial love we show for each other.

Just like Jesus has sacrificed himself for us, we seek to demonstrate Christ to other believers by cultivating a sacrificial love for each other.

The next two attributes seem to form a bridge as we shift from our relationships to other believers to our relationship to those in the world who don’t know Christ.

We don’t have the same goals and purpose in life with those who don’t know Jesus, so we can’t be like-minded with them.

Our sympathy and love for other believers is also different than the love we show to the world because we don’t have the commonality in Christ.

However, to both groups, we can show compassion and humility.

With believers, that isn’t terribly difficult.

After all, we are all on the same team.

What about when it is people who don’t like that you are following Jesus?

That’s where things get even more difficult.

Look back at verse 9…

It is one thing to be nice to people when you are on the same team, but it is something completely different when you are dealing with people who are actively fighting against you.

As God gives us this command, though, I hope it reminds you of a passage we looked at a few weeks ago.

Look back one chapter at 1 Peter 2:21-23.

He uses almost the same language, reminding us that we are called to follow the model that Christ has set for us.

Jesus was insulted, but he didn’t insult back.

People did terrible, evil things to him, and yet he went to the cross and died, asking God the Father to forgive them because they didn’t realize what they were doing.

In fact, while they were killing him, he was also taking the penalty for your sin and mine, becoming the way of salvation for anyone who will call out to him and be saved.

Leaning in to pain, then, means putting my brothers and sisters in Christ ahead of my own wants and desires.

It means blessing people who hate me, who insult me, and who sin against me.

Why?

Because God promises a blessing to those who are his.

We have seen throughout the letter that he is preparing an inheritance for us.

It is in heaven, right now, waiting for us to get there or for him to bring it here when he returns.

It is better for me to hold my tongue and even bless others because I know that God has a blessing waiting for me.

The suffering we may endure for Christ will one day give way to the blessing he has been preparing for us all along.

With that said, honoring Christ like this isn’t just about what will come in the future.

Peter goes on to show that we should…

2) Devote yourself to doing good because it brings God’s attention.

Read verses 10-13.

Like Peter has done throughout the letter, he looks back to what God taught the Israelites in the Old Testament and applies it to those who follow Christ now.

He quotes from Psalm 34 to remind us that honoring Christ is the way to live the most fulfilling life we can find.

You and I were created for a relationship with God where we honor him and learn from him and enjoy life together with him.

That’s why verse 10 says that this is the way to good days and a life you can love.

It isn’t always easy, but you can live with the constant knowledge that you are loved by the God of the universe.

That’s not based on our ability to do the right thing; instead, God loves us because he loves us!

He drew us into his kingdom not because we are smart or because we are beautiful or handsome or because we would be a real asset to the team; rather, he drew us to himself simply because he loves us.

If you want to love your life, devote yourself to living for him!

Notice the emphasis of several of these commands— “let him keep,” “seek peace and pursue it,” “devoted to what is good.”

If you say someone is a devoted fan of something, what do you mean?

We use that phrase a lot with a devoted fan of a sports team.

What does that mean?

They wear their merch, they know all the players and the stats, they watch every game, and they will fight you if you say something bad about their team.

They are devoted fans.

Sometimes you think about a devoted mom or a devoted dad—someone who sacrifices to take care of their kids and their families.

They put a bigger priority on their kids than their own needs.

So, what does it mean to be devoted to what is good?

It means we are making being and doing good a priority because God is good.

We don’t just watch our words once; we strive to keep our tongues from harming others and lying.

We pursue peace, striving for reconciliation when others would give up on relationships or injustice around them.

We devote ourselves to learning what is good and making sure our lives line up with the standards God has set.

Why?

Look back at the statements in verse 12…

Because living in a God-honoring way gets God’s attention.

Let’s be clear: God is always aware of everything going on in all of creation at all times.

This verse doesn’t imply that God is only notices when we do good things.

Rather, as we honor our king, we see him guiding us more clearly.

He sees everything, but devoting ourselves to good demonstrates that we are his, and it allows us to walk in his favor.

He sees everything that is going on, and his ears are open to our prayers.

On the days you doubt his care or his concern, remember that he is attentive to those who are his.

However, for those who oppose Christ, they will find God is against them.