INTRODUCTION
Persecution is real for the believer. While it comes in many different ways, it is real – The group we’ve been studying about in 1 Peter suffered this horror in much a different way than we do as Christians today:
Dr. M.R. DeHaan put it this way:
In the early days of the church. . . , baptism was a declaration that the believer was identifying himself with that group of people who were called Christians and were despised and hated. To be a Christian meant something. To identify yourself with those who were called Christians meant persecution, maybe death; it meant being ostracized from your family, shunned by friends.
The one act which was the final declaration of this identification was BAPTISM. As long as a man gathered with Christians, he was tolerated, but when once he submitted to baptism, he declared to all the world, “I BELONG TO THEIS DESPISED GROUP, and immediately he was persecuted, hated, and despised.”
PERSECUTION CAN AND IS REAL. The key is how we approach Persecution. Our text today was written by Peter to prepare small and scattered churches for a time of Persecution. At least 15 times in this letter using 8 different Greek words, Peter referred to suffering from some form of Persecution. To better understand the reason Peter felt it necessary to write this repeated warning, I did some research…
This is what I found regarding this Fiery Trial About to Begin:
1. When the church began in Jerusalem, it was looked on as a “sect of the traditional Jewish faith”. They were Jews meeting in the Temple Precincts. And since the Jewish religion was accepted and approved, the Roman Gov. took no action against them.
2. BUT when it became clear that Christianity was NOT a “sect” of Judaism, things began to change.
3. This was ALSO when PAUL was arrested and tried defending the Christian faith before the official court in Rome (Phil 1). He was released the 1st time but THEN was arrested again. His SECOND defense failed and he was crucified by NERO.
4. It is believed that Peter was in Rome during this trial and witnessed this execution. NERO was also the emperor who crucified Peter after 2nd Peter.
5. NERO began the official persecution of Christians and emperors following NERO followed that example.
Peter’s lesson for this section teaches that a lot of the Effects of Persecution depend on the mind and attitude of the individual.
1. CULTIVATE CHRISTIAN LOVE (Vs. 8-12)
2. PRACTICE THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST (Vs. 13-16a)
TEXT: 1 PETER 3:8-15
I. CULTIVATE CHRISTIAN LOVE (Verses 8-11)
Peter addresses 3 Attitudes of Love
A. LOVE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE -
When times are tough – you can come together or you can pull apart
5 BUILDING BLOCKS FOR UNITY in verse
1. Live in “harmony” - to be of one mind. Working together for the common good of the gospel and the call to be a chosen people worthy of that calling.
ILLUSTRATION: just as if I play ONE NOTE on this keyboard. It sounds OK I guess. But if I ADD ONE MORE NOTE, it begins to take a new tone. But then if I ADD ANOTHER AND ANOTHER, - and WHAT IF I even play DIFFERENT VARIATIONS of the notes, they really become one gorgeous sound of harmonious music all working together.
APPLICATION: We- as God’s people should also work together harmoniously to compliment the other for the general good of the gospel.
2. Be “Sympathetic” – Willing to share in another’s needs – being responsive to another’s needs and feelings.
3. Love As “Brothers” – The word ‘brothers’ is used to express more than a general concern for another Christian.
4. Be “Compassionate” – Tender hearted, implying conscious of another’s needs – BUT MORE THAN AN AWARENESS. It includes a drive to alleviate that need.
5. Be “Humble” – Having an honest assessment of oneself before God. (WHAT IS THAT VIEW?)
- Does not negate one’s own worth – nor does it inflate that worth.
- ‘strangers in the world – God’s elect’ (1.1), we are to follow the example of Christ (2.21)
TRANSISTION - While verse 8 calls for a Love of God’s People to help each other through tough times, VERSE 9 takes the other side…
B. LOVE FOR ALL OTHERS --
Peter address the possible choices for responding to EVIL:
1. Can Return Evil for Good – Called the “Satanic Level”
…when one is jealous, different, grudge etc. and cannot see the good (I see this a lot – INSIDE the church rather than OUTSIDE)
2. Can Return Good for Good/Evil for Evil – Called the “Human Level”
One treats another based on how he is treated.
3. Return Good for Evil – Called the “Divine Level”
Again using Jesus as our example – READ 2:23-24.
Remember, it was Peter himself, who once tried to fight Christ’s enemies with a sword.
READ LUKE 22:47-53. – wonder how it felt to now be teaching from his own experience! (teachable spirit)
Love for God, Love for Others, and now…
C. LOVE FOR LIFE --
Psalm 34:12-15 –are there are times one feels as to throw your hands up. BEEN THERE?
Lesson here is “bad days” CAN BE “good days” IF we will MEET 4 CONDITIONS:
1. Must “DELIBERATELY DECIDE TO LOVE LIFE” (10)
An act of will - an attitude of faith that sees the best in every situation.
2. We Must “KEEP TONGUE FROM EVIL” (10) – most problems are from tongue!
I bet 99% (my estimate) of tensions caused in relationships are because Christians are AFRAID TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. (they would rather talk to someone else)
Psalm 141:3 (NIV)
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
3. We must “TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD” (11)
-- “evil”, “hate”, “eschew” -- means ‘to turn away’ BUT it’s much more -- It means to avoid something because you DESPISE and LOATHE it. It’s not enough for us to avoid sin because it is wrong, the thought here is that we shun it because we HATE IT.
4. We must “SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT” (11)
Let’s be honest – IF WE SEEK TROUBLE, TENSION, OR HARM FOR ANOTHER – we can find it (we can start it for that matter). We know where and who to turn.
ON THE OTHERHAND, if we seek peace to the point that we ACTUALLY “pursue it”, we can find it.
Romans 14:19 (NIV)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
THESE ARE TOUGH ORDERS! And Only ONE WAY to reach this approach to life …
II. PRACTICE THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST (verses 12-15)
I think you would agree that the 1st part (VERSES 10-11) require an action on the part of the believer. The 2nd part (VS 12) shows an action on the part of the Lord.
A. LORDSHIP IS MORE THAN A DECISION – IT IS RATHER AN ACTION
READ VERSE 12
Notice The Word: “RIGHTEOUS”.
Understand the APPLICATION: if you have received Christ as Savior, in God’s eyes you are ‘righteous’. BUT -- the application is not SALVATION but LORDSHIP BECAUSE OF SALVATION.
So many people today have the idea that they can live any kind of life they want and then come to God in prayer when he is in trouble expecting God to hear and answer him.
May I say this very plainly: it is NONSENSE and absolutely UNSCRIPTURAL.
It is a false idea today to think that you can call on God under any circumstances whether or not you are His child. My friend, He has not promised to hear the prayers of those who are not His own.
B. LORDSHIP IS A PRACTICE OF LIFE (Verses 13-15)
READ VERSE 13
READ VERSE 14-15a
1. ‘in your hearts’ – not head knowledge – but your total makeup.
2. ‘set apart Christ’ – most translations use the word ‘sanctify’ – Set HIS ways apart.
"Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." – Christ is to be SET APART from all other parts of your life – BEGINNING WITH THE HEART!
READ VERSE 15b
3. ‘always be prepared to give an answer &… a reason’
If Christ is Lord, then we ARE ALWAYS PREPARED AND NOT…
4. ‘with gentleness and respect’
I sometimes think we need to remember this with Christians as well as the world. Sometimes I feel like it’s too important that we are right and that another know it. Too many have LOST that Teachable Spirit.
Peter says with gentleness and respect for the other.
SUMMARY
CHRISTIANS/ BROTHERS & SISTERS: WE HAVE A CHOICE --
We can allow satan to use it to tear us down OR we can remember that God is much stronger than he and can bring us victory! We can also help others PREPARE FOR THE BEST OR WE CAN BE A PART OF TEARING THEM DOWN!
Persecution WAS and IS a real VICE for Satan. For hundreds – thousands of years, this has been one of his main tools to destroy the church.
ILLUSTRATION: The Devil always fights the church when the church is on the move. Charles Spurgeon used to say that Satan never kicks a dead horse. Satan knew that the church was on the move, so he attacked it.
In Acts 2 we read that 3000 people were converted. Then what happened? According to Acts 4, Satan came like a lion and had the apostles threatened. In chapter 5, Satan came like a serpent, influencing Ananias and Sapphira to infect the church with their lying and hypocrisy. If Satan can?t win by persecution from the outside, he will try pollution on the inside. Then Satan came as the accuser in Acts 6. One group of widows accused the other group of widows of taking over. ?We are being neglected,? they said. Satan likes to get the saints to accuse one another. Then according to Acts 12, Satan came as a murderer. James was killed, and Peter was put into prison to be kept for execution.
