October 14, 2018
Evening Service

This morning we received a quick lesson on the things we would have to do to be “perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect.”  We must allow our attitudes to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to imitate those displayed by our Savior.  When others hate, curse, or persecute us we are not to return evil for evil but return in we offer love, blessing and doing good back to them.  That in itself is difficult to imagine doing let alone actually pulling it off.  Peter then challenged us through the words of the Psalmist to restrain our tongue, turn away from evil by doing good, and pursue peace. Doing this we assure that “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right and His ears are open to their prayers.”  As we grow in the Lord these things begin to take root in our life and they become less of what we do and it becomes more of who we are. We are God’s children who delight in His ways and desire to be perfect in His sight.  This all happens simply because we committed to follow Him and because we love Him with all our heart, mind, body and soul.  Peter now even goes deeper as he addresses suffering with us.

  1 Peter 3:13-14 And who is the one who will harm you if you become imitators of the good?  (14)  But if you also suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled,

·        Again standing on the promise that the “eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,” Peter asks us “who then are you going to be afraid of?”  Rather than fear our enemies we are to quietly trust in God as the Lord of all things and situations.  When he rules our heart and mind along with our thoughts and emotions, we cannot be shaken by anything our enemies may do.  We know that we are blessed if we are deemed worthy to suffer for our Lord for doing His Will.  Don’t ever allow fear to rule our actions or reactions.  Paul encouraged young Timothy about fear in his second letter.

 

2 Timothy 1:7-8 For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (8)  Therefore you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner. But be partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God,

·        We are not equipped with the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.  We are encouraged not to yield to our fear, but instead to cling to the gifts of power, love and a sound mind that we have been given.  We must trust that “God said it; I believe it and that settles it.”  Zach Williams’ new song kept coming to my mind as I prepared this so I looked it up.  Here is how the chorus goes:

Fear, he is a liar.  He will take your breath; stop you in your steps

Fear, he is a liar.  He will rob your rest, steal your happiness.

Cast your fear in the fire; because fear he is a liar.

·        We are not to live in fear, but live by the power the Holy Spirit gives us.  Paul told Timothy “therefore you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”  Peter also follows that same train of thought as we return to chapter 3.

 

1 Peter 3:15-16  but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you, with meekness and fear;  (16)  having a good conscience, that while they speak against you as evildoers they may be shamed, those falsely accusing your good behavior in Christ.

·        Once we sanctify our hearts to God (setting it apart for His use), we then need to “always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope in you.”  As we live a life that imitates our Savior, we are preaching a sermon every day.  At some point someone who is observing that there is something “different” about you will ask you what it is.  Peter instructs us to be ready to share our testimony at that time.  It does not have to be theologically deep or perfectly spoken, but just needs to be your story told from your heart.  “I was headed this direction when I met the Lord, and now I am here.”  As always it needs to be presented in the spirit of humility and love and without fear.

·        Our personal testimony is the most powerful message of Christ that each of us individually can share.  We lived it; we experienced it personally and no devil in hell can take it away from us.  We know it to be true.  I encourage you to sit down and write down your personal testimony on paper.  Think of that moment that you said “Yes” to the Lord and try to explain where your heart and mind were at that point in your life and where He has taken you since that moment.  I think you will be amazed yourself as you think about it.  God is so good and is always gives us more than we deserve.  Peter now closes this chapter with something that was very personal to him; the suffering of Jesus.

 

1 Peter 3:17-18  For it is better, if the will of God wills it, to suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing.  (18)  For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;

·        Suffering will be a part of our walk with the Lord.  Peter calls us to look to Jesus’ suffering as an example for us to compare to.  He will not ask us to do anything that He Himself had not already experienced.  He is the true example of unjust suffering as He was without sin, but yet suffered the penalty for it.  Our current suffering simply shadows the suffering Christ did for us as He suffered physically but spiritually He conquered sin and death.

 

1 Peter 3:19-22  in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,  (20)  to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water);  (21)  which figure now also saves us, baptism; not a putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ;  (22)  who is at the right hand of God, having gone into Heaven, where the angels and authorities and powers are being subjected to Him.

·        This is one of those set of scriptures that we may just have to admit that we don’t fully understand its meaning.  The traditional explanation is that Christ, between his death and resurrection announced salvation to God’s faithful followers who had been waiting for their salvation during the whole OT era.  All those true believers’ salvation had been rolled forward until it was finalized with the DBR of Jesus.

·        His mention of Noah, I believe is that the “Spirit of Christ” was present with him as he preached for the 120 years as he built the ark.  All that effort ended only with eight people being saved.  He then compares the water of the flood with the waters of baptism.  Both the ark and the waters of baptism are entered into by faith giving us the assurance of our salvation towards God.

 

Summarizing this part of chapter 3, we find Peter and Paul instructed us not to live in fear and let it dictate our actions.  We are not given that spirit, but the one of power, love and a sound mind.  We also need to be ready to answer anyone who asks us about our faith and our walk with the Lord.  It is important for us know why we do what we do.  Know and be able to explain what God has done for you and what you are trying to do for Him.  In Matthew chapter 26 Jesus gives us the “Great Commission.” 

 

Matthew 28:19-20  Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.

·        As we share our personal testimony of what God has done for us, we are fulfilling that commission as its simplest form.

 

Heavenly Father, grant to us to be courageous and bold in living our life for You and sharing our testimony with those who ask us.