Christian Governance-&-Work-3 Series

‘For The LORD’S SAKE’—1Peter 2:13—3:12

A. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Government—1Peter 2:13-17

B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work-III—1Peter 2:18-25

C. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Marriage—1Peter 3:1-7

D. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Church—1Peter 3:8-12

Previously in 1Peter we have begun looking at the overall scheme of Submission—the give-&-take of relationships within CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE.

So far we’ve examined CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Government(1Peter 2:13-17).

Today we will continue looking at CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE & our WORK Obligations in:

B. CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE-&-Work-III—1Peter 2:18-25

Attention:

Green Side Up

A woman hired a contractor to repaint the interior of her house. The woman walked the man through the second floor of her home & told him what colors she wanted for each room.

As they walked through the first room, the woman said, “I think I would like this room in a cream color."

The contractor wrote on his clipboard, walked to the window, opened it & yelled out, "Green side up!" He then closed the window & continued following the woman to the next room.

The woman looked confused, but proceeded with her tour. “In this room”, she says, “I was thinking of an off blue.”

Again, the contractor wrote this down, went to the window, opened it & yelled out, “Green side up!”

This baffled the woman, but she was hesitant to say anything.

In the next room, the woman said she would like it painted in a light rose color.

And once more, the contractor opened the window & yelled, “Green side up!”

Struck with curiosity, the woman mustered up the nerve to ask, “Why do you keep yelling ‘Green side up’ out my window every time I tell you the color I would like the room?”

The contractor replied, “Because I have a crew of teenagers laying sod across the street.”

As Christians, we regularly work with people who don’t know up from down & These need your witness to Christ!

CHRISTIAN GOVERNANCE is expected to rule/control your WORK Obligations. The way in which you handle your Work Obligations, speaks, either positively or negatively, to others about the power of God in Christ Jesus.

Peter confirmed the role of Christian submission in relation to the obligations of servants.

Christian submission is crucial in or pertinent to our work obligations.

‘Pertinent’—“Having a clear decisive relevance to the matter at hand.”

How is Christian governance addressed thru our work obligations?

4 aspects of Christian governance that are addressed thru our Work obligations. (or at work or in the workplace)

We have previously found that Christian governance is at WORK thru submission to...

1. SUPERIORS(:18)

2. SUFFERANCE/ing(:19-20)

3—Christian governance is also at WORK thru submission to...

EXAMPLE(:21-24)

Explanation:(:21-24)

:21—“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

The calling of Christians is to patient suffering against wrongful abuse on the job.

Christians must look to & follow the “example” of Christ in regard to righteous sufferance. He suffered for the sake of others—you & me— & any other of any generation, which witnessed or followed Him.

He “left us” a powerful “example” of wrongful “suffering for us.” Jesus’ “example” is to guide us in our endeavors in this life. We are exhorted to make the effort of “following in His steps.” It is imperative for the individual Christian to answer & fulfill that “calling” to “follow His steps” even though it may bring “suffering” to the one doing the “following.”

To “follow His steps” is something we “should” do, but not necessarily what we ‘will’ do!

Anything less is NOT graciousness lived-out(commendable) before God(:20).

“Called”—kalew—Verb—1) To call—1a) To call aloud, utter in a loud voice, 1b) To invite; 2) To call i.e. to name, by name—2a) To give a name to—2a1) To receive the name of, receive as a name, 2a2) To give some name to one, call his name, 2b) To be called i.e. To bear a name or title(among men), 2c) To salute one by name. Kalew is to cry out for a purpose & suggests intelligence. Strong—To "call"(properly--aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise).

“Also”—kai—Conjunction—

“Suffered”—[See :19, 20]—pascw/payw/penyw—Verb—1) To be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo—1a) in a good sense--To be well off, in good case, 1b) in a bad sense--To suffer sadly, be in a bad plight—1b1) Of a sick person. Strong—used only in certain tenses for it; apparently a primary verb; To experience a sensation or impression(usually painful).

“For”—uper—Prep.—1) In behalf of, for the sake of; 2) Over, beyond, more than; 3) More, beyond, over. Strong—a primary preposition; "over", i.e. (with the genitive case)of place--Above, beyond, across, or causal, for the sake of, instead, regarding; with the accusative case--Superior to, more than.

“Us”—hmwn—Pronoun—1) Our, we, us. Strong—genitive case plural of egw[first person pronoun “I”]; Of(or from) us.

“Leaving”—upolimpanw——1)To leave or leave behind. Strong—a prolonged form for upoleipw[to leave under or remain(survive)]; To leave behind, i.e. Bequeath. Used 1X.