Text: 1 Peter 3:9-12
Title: Do you want to love life?
Date/Place: LSCC, 11/20/05, AM
A. Opening illustration: The boxer Muhammad Ali was known as “the champ,” arguably the most famous athlete of his generation. He was on top, and his entourage of trainers and various helpers shared the adulation with him. Ali himself, now halting in speech and uncertain in movement, says “I had the world, and it wasn’t nothin.’”
B. Background to passage: Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16 in this passage as he is still continuing his thought to wrap up the section on authority. He goes a little different direction than before where he simply admonished them to act a certain way towards each other. Here he tells them that if they want to have a great life, live godly. He puts personal comfort under the category of proper motivation for doing good. This illustrates the truth that do something because of the joy it brings does not nullify its value in the grand scheme of things. We must simply be careful that our joy is well-placed—in Christ! Live to please Him! Secondly, Peter appeals to our own desire of self-worth and self-esteem (although not self-centeredness) when he uses the word “agape life.” So in this passage we have the cure for boredom, depression, self-centeredness, fighting, grudges, disputes, anger, wrath, and a multitude of other life cursing sins.
C. Main thought: If you want to have a great life of pleasing Jesus, here is a start…
II. BODY
A. Control your speech (v. 10)
1. Peter says two things about your speech to make your life lovable. First, he says to make a willing concession, or take a rest from speaking worthless, mean-spirited, bad, wicked, troublesome, destructive, harsh words to anyone! Easy enough right? Secondly, he says to cease from lying and deception.
2. James 3:6-8, Eph 4:29,
3. Illustration: marriage counseling is the prime example, trying to explain to Erika one time that not telling the whole truth was not the same a telling a lie,
4. So when that cousin of yours starts ranting and raving about politics, or the way you dress, or how you spend your money, take a rest from what you really want to say, exhibit some self-control, and be sweet! Even children and dogs can be taught self-control. You must learn to recognize when you will be/are being tempted to speak these words. You must stop immediately, apologize, repent when you do it. Deal with root issues like stress, selfishness, anger, etc. Your life should be an open book, you should have nothing to hide. Take some responsibility for your actions, own up to them. Honesty promotes trust and unity in all relationships, and ultimately it will make your life easier, because you won’t be pleasing self directly, but indirectly.
B. Turn from evil, do good (v. 11)
1. This word means to lean out from, shun, avoid, disapprove, and reject evil deeds. And if that wasn’t enough, he says to do good. This word means to do things that are of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary, good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, excellent, distinguished, upright, and honorable.
2. Pro 16:6, Eph 2:10, Titus 2:7, 14, 3:8, 14, Heb 10:24,
3. Illustration: While my wife and I were shopping at a mall kiosk, a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. My eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, my wife asked, “Was it worth the trouble you’re in?” “Well, Dad,” he explained, “I had my bathing suit with me and I couldn’t resist the temptation.” “Why did you take your bathing suit with you?” he questioned. “So I’d be prepared to swim, in case I was tempted,” he replied. "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." -- John Wesley
4. Your life will be easier and more pleasing to you and God if you stay away from things that you should be around. Turn from office gossip, mean thoughts about another person, all kinds of sexual perversions, dating relationships with non-Christians, misrepresenting you self to others, forsaking fornication, drunkenness, adultery, anger, jealousy, covetousness, etc. We must not relegate social and service ministries to liberal groups. However, do forget the gospel. As Christians we must be about the business of doing good! Get involved in the community in some way. Reminder that the only way that we can do either of these things, is to be born again, and empowered by the Spirit.
C. Seek peace diligently (v. 11)
1. Peter says to try to obtain/find/make peace. He says to seek it earnestly, passionately, and eagerly. As Christians we are the ones that should live our lives with inner peace, and peace with others. Inner peace comes from three things: understanding your forgiveneness in Christ, trusting completely in His sovereignty, and walking in close communion daily with Him. Expound on these three. Outer peace comes from maintaining Christ-likeness in our relationships with others. Operating consistently on principles of love, dignity, compassion, and truth.
2. Rom 5:1, 8:6, Matt 5:9, Rom 12:18, Heb 12:14,
3. Illustration: In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley’s execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need, “For the sake of each of us he laid down his life—worth no less than the universe. He demands of us in return our lives for the sake of each other.” - St. Clement of Alexandria, some of the hardest losses of family members are those in which grudges have been held, and words have been withheld for many years.
4. Life will be better when we live lives of peace. This peace only comes as we find our absolute joy in God Himself. Inner peace only comes in Christ, even after salvation. Have you had all your sins forgiven? Do you really believe that He is in control working all things out for your good and His glory? Are their lingering sins that harm your daily fellowship with Him? Outer peace: Do you hold grudges? Do you speak angrily with others? Do you seek to serve and give rather than be served and get? Are you always concerned about what is in it for you, or how a situation affects you? When you fail at one of these, do you go and seek forgiveness from that person? Broken relationships can also hinder your fellowship with God—seek reconciliation, then bring gift, that your prayers may not be hindered. This doesn’t mean that we forsake all conviction for the sake of unity. Peace comes after truth.
D. Reason Why… (v. 12)
1. The primary issue in this verse is the motivation for doing these things. The Lord is aware of and concerned about every issue in the life of a believer. This is God’s special, caring watchfulness over His children. Literally the text says that His ears are “into” the prayers of His children. The picture is of God standing right over the believer bending down, listening intently to the cry of their heart. Only secondarily did Peter mention the judgment of an all-powerful, absolutely holy and just God.
2. Prov 5:21, Zech 4:10, Lam 4:16, Psa 76:6-8, Rev 6:16,
3. Illustration: The driving snow made visibility almost impossible, and it took him more than half an hour to trudge the short distance to the party. As he rang the doorbell, he turned briefly to look out into the storm. His eye caught the shadow of a retreating figure. It was his father. He had followed his son’s every step to make sure he arrived safely. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” –Piper, “Now I will shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smites.” The poor sufferer, with a look of horror on her face, sank back on the pillow, utterly exhausted, and in a few moments she was in eternity. Once more it had been demonstrated that grace rejected brings judgment at last.
4. And as Christians our desire should be to please this loving heavenly Father to the best of our abilities. So to achieve His glory, we are to be satisfied in Christ, content in His love, salvation, and provision. Even though Peter’s focus is God’s care for believers, we cannot sacrifice the justice of a holy God. We must remember that the only reason that we are not consumed is by the grace of God and the propitiary covering given to us in Christ by faith. Therefore, those of you who do not know Christ will be judged under the harshness of God’s wrath because of the infinite offense of your sin toward a holy God.
III. CONCLUSION
A. Closing illustration: one of the last statements that Adrian Rodgers made before he died on Tues was that he was at perfect peace ready to meet Jesus,
B. Invitation to commitment
