1 Peter 3:1-7
Suffering from Happiness:
It’s all in the family
Introduction:
Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in America. In 1997, among the 70 or so people in this country who were worth 1 billion dollars or more, Buffet was the only one of only a few who acquired his wealth through investing. Many investors look to him for investment advice. His firm Berkshire Hathaway has one of the most widely read annual reports issued. And a book has been written about his investment strategies; it’s called The Warren Buffet Way.
If you could sit down with Warren Buffet for a while and get some investment tips would you?
Imagine for a moment that your family is your greatest capital. If you could get some investment tips on how to grow it in quality would you be interested?
We hold in our hands a treasure of investment strategies for growing our family relationships. The Bible, God’s Word in written form, contains countless pro-family principles and precepts. If we learn and practice them they will make our family’s relationally wealthy.
Today we will look at just a few of the tips.
Biblical interpretation
I. Why have passages like this in the Bible?
A. Paul and Peter spend time writing about husbands and wives.
I Corinthians 7; 11:3-16; 14:33-35; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; I Timothy 2:9-15; Titus 2:3-5
B. The family is part of God’s design
MARRIAGE
When God made light, the angels drew near to let the refractions roll over their faces like a symphony.
When God made earth, they poked their fingers into its moistness; they put a fleck to their noses and smiled.
When God made the sea, they kicked at the foam and sat in its cool till their bones laughed.
When God made a rose, they parted its petals and passed it among themselves, saying, "So fragile, yet how it grasps the soul."
When God made a giraffe, they touched the strange hide and murmured to themselves that God was up to something magnificent.
When God made man, each one retired to his chamber and peered into the writings, looking for some clue to the mystery.
When God made woman, they came back out of their chambers and gazed, their jaws slack with awe.
When God joined man to woman and said, "Let them become one flesh," everything suddenly made sense. The cheering still shakes the galaxies.
--Mark Littleton
C. The family is the building blocks of society and the relationship between a husband and wife is the cement that holds a family together.
D. The Word of God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. (Think about the different cultures today and throughout history)
II. Defining words
A. Be won over (NIV) vs. 1
in a debate, to sway your opponent to your point of view
B. Inner self (NIV) vs. 4
the hidden person of the heart
C. Considerate (NIV) vs. 7
understand the rules from a higher authority
D. Respect (NIV) vs. 7
the honor which one has by reason of rank, place and/or state of office which he holds
E. Weaker partner (NIV) vs.7
deals only with physical strength
III. Wives and Husbands
A. Remember this passage is link to context – Submission (which runs from 2:11-3:12
1. The readers 2:13
2. Slaves 2:18
3. Wives 3:1
4. Husbands 3:7
5. All of you 3:8
B. Conduct
1. Wives – be submissive vs. 1
First century wives – non-believers etc
Not a door mat
Slave or ect.
Your actions mean more than your words
Your actions are the best testimony
2. Husbands – be considerate
NASB – “Live with your wives in an understanding way”
Love as Jesus loves; forgive as Jesus forgive etc.
C. Dress
1. Wives – do not be concerned with outward beauty
Three examples – Braided hair; wearing gold; fine clothing
Does this mean we must follow Isaiah 3:19-24 NO!
Culture – that day
Be concerned with inner beauty – vs. 4 Literal translation is “the hidden person of the heart”
This is of great worth to God
2. Husbands – Adorn yourself with respect – for your wives
How do you respect them – by honoring them
Weaker deals with physical strength - Honor, sustain and love your wife
re•spect Websters
Pronunciation: ri-’spekt
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin respectus, literally, act of looking back,
1 : an act of giving particular attention : CONSIDERATION
2 a : high or special regard expressions of respect or deference
D. Dignity
1. Wives – vss. 5-6 Give three characteristics:
- Put their hope in God
- Made themselves beautiful – as above
- Were submissive – as above
Example – Sarah Master?? Culture John 2 Jesus wine
Just follow her example
2. Husbands – Spiritual Life
Devotional Life praying for your wife
Peter is speaking form experience –
Hinder –
“When a husband fails to live with his wife according to Scriptures and does not respect her, he finds that he is unable to pray for her. Similarly, when a wife refuses to accept her husband’s authority, she experiences an inability to pray.” Simon J. Kistemaker
IV. So why?
“Piety becomes hollow and false if it is not expressed in the closest of human relationships. Marriage is not a sacrament conveying divine grace, but it is the human relationship that God has designed to mirror the love of Christ for the church, and the church for Christ” John Stott.
This is the testimony each of you has to the watching world.
