Introduction:
A. Recently there was a remake of the movie The Karate Kid.
1. But how many of you remember the original movie?
2. The original movie began with Daniel, a skinny boy who was used to being bullied, asking for a neighbor named Mister Miagi to teach him karate.
3. Mr. Miagi agreed under one condition: Daniel must submit totally to his instruction and never question his methods.
a. So Daniel agreed and showed up the next day eager to learn.
4. To his chagrin, Mister Miagi had him paint a fence. Miagi demonstrated the precise motion for the job: up and down, up and down.
a. It took Daniel days to finish the job.
5. Next, Miagi told Daniel to wash and wax three weather-beaten cars and again prescribed the motion – “wax on, wax off.”
a. Daniel wondered, What does this have to do with karate? But he said nothing.
6. Finally, Mr. Miagi had him sand the deck using a prescribed stroke.
7. At the end of the day, Daniel had reached his limit, and he said to Mr. Miagi: “I thought you were going to teach me karate, but all you have done is have me do your unwanted chores!”
8. Daniel had broken Miagi’s one condition, and the old man’s face pulsed with anger.
a. “I have been teaching you karate! Defend yourself!”
9. Mr. Miagi threw a punch toward Daniel, who instinctively defended himself with an arm motion exactly like that used in one of his chores.
10. Next Mr. Miagi unleashed a vicious kick, and again Daniel averted the blow with a motion used in his chores.
11. After Daniel successfully defended himself from several more blows, Mr. Miagi simply walked away, leaving Daniel to discover what the master had known all along: skill comes from repeating the correct but seemingly mundane motion.
B. Daniel learned the blessing of submission to his master, and so must we.
1. We may not always understand God’s instructions, but submission demands that we obey our master anyway.
2. The word “submission” is the key to today’s section from First Peter.
3. And the keys to submission are humility and trust.
4. As you know, we are living in a culture of pride and rebellion.
5. That rebellion can be clearly seen in children, teenagers and young adults, but they certainly aren’t the only ones who find it hard to submit.
6. At times, most of us find it hard to submit to those in authority.
7. Who are the ones in authority that people despise the most? Government officials, employers, teachers, parents and police officers.
8. Interestingly enough, in our Scripture section today, Peter is going to address submission to several of those authority figures.
C. Let’s spend some time discovering some of the blessings that come from learning to be submissive.
1. As we read this section of 1 Peter, we might be surprised that Peter doesn’t give us advice on how to reduce stress or to make our problems go away.
2. Rather, if things are difficult and it looks like they are going to get worse, Peter’s advice is to submit.
3. The word “submit” is a compound verb that means “to order under.”
4. It is a military expression literally meaning “to arrange in formation under the commander.”
5. Submission is simply the recognition of God’s authority in our lives and ordering ourselves under God.
6. God is our Creator, and God has established the home, and human government, and the church, and therefore, God has the right to tell us how these institutions should be run.
7. Let’s look at some of the areas of our lives where Peter calls for submission.
I. Submit to God’s Commands for Righteous Living
A. Peter began this section: 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Pet. 2:11-12)
B. Notice, first of all, that Peter began by reminding us about our identity – “Dear Friends.”
1. The word is actually “beloved.”
2. We are beloved children of God and beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
3. We are dearest of friends – we must not forget who we are and whose we are!
C. Next, we notice that Peter spoke with conviction and authority – this is not a passing suggestion.
1. “I urge you” comes across with seriousness and urgency.
D. What is it that Peter wanted to make very clear? Our need to live as foreigners by abstaining from sinful desires.
1. We aren’t going to spend a lot of time on this, because it is a theme we have been addressing in almost every sermon in this series.
2. Peter began the letter reminding us that we are to live in this world as strangers, pilgrims, aliens, exiles, and foreigners – this world is not our home, our citizenship is in heaven.
3. Since we are not supposed to be part of the world, we must abstain from the unholy things of the world.
4. We must be holy as God is holy.
5. Last week we talked about being in the world, but not of the world – like the boat in the water, not the water in the boat.
6. The command to abstain from these sinful desires signifies that the people of God have the ability by our new life in Christ to restrain from engagement in sin – even in our postmodern culture dominated by sensuality, immorality and moral relativism – we can abstain.
7. Peter acknowledges that a war is going on – these things wage war against our soul – but thank God that we can win the war with God’s help!
E. Certainly there are many good reasons why we should abstain from sinful desires, but Peter wants us to realize the positive effect that holiness can have on our witness.
1. In verse 12, Peter wrote: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
2. Non-Christians are watching us.
3. Some non-Christian people will speak against us.
4. Some are looking for excuses to reject the Gospel of Jesus.
5. We don’t want to give non-Christians any ammunition to attack us or our Christian faith.
6. Our good works must back up our good words.
7. It appears that the Christians in Asia Minor were apparently being unjustly accused of wrongdoing in spite of living good lives – and that may happen to us also.
8. But what was Peter’s advice to any of us being so treated? Trust God and submit to God’s will by living a holy life.
9. By doing that there will be blessing for us on the day of judgment for our good behavior will bring glory to God on that day.
10. So our first task is to submit to God by living in the world with love and holiness in such a way that the people around us see the radical difference between the two worlds.
II. Submit to Civil Authority
A. Peter continued: 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Pet. 2:13-17)
B. Notice that our submission to civil authority is “for the Lord’s sake.”
1. Ultimately, we are to do all things to God’s glory and for His sake.
2. We, therefore, submit ourselves to the earthly authorities because we are submissive to God’s sovereign authority.
C. Another thing we notice is that Peter tries to help us see that our submission to civil authority is to be broad – “to every human authority.”
1. That includes the ones at the top of the power structure and the ones all the way down.
2. Our submission starts with the King or Emperor – in our system, the President, and then includes those appointed under the President.
3. The same could be said of those in authority at school – the principle, the classroom teacher, and all the way down to the lunchroom worker. The same is true of work.
4. Ultimately, we are submitting ourselves not to the specific person in office, but to the authority of that office.
5. The person holding an office at any given time, may not be a person of integrity who is worthy of personal respect, but if they hold an office, then we must respect the office.
D. Peter mentioned one of the essential purposes of government – which is to promote the public good by punishing those who do evil and praising those who do good.
1. Unfortunately, this ideal was not always realized in Peter’s day, nor is it reached in our own.
E. It is amazing to me to take into consideration that Peter was writing these words during the reign of the emperor Nero who was not good nor kind to Christians.
1. Isn’t it amazing to realize that Peter didn’t criticize the Roman government, nor did he call for it to be overthrown.
2. The church has been able to live and grow in all kinds of political systems and under all kinds of administrations – both those for the church and those against it.
3. Obviously, if government orders us to do something that is in disobedience to God’s commands, then we obey God commands rather than human commands.
F. Let’s notice one other important thing – the “why” of submission to civil government.
1. Look at verse 15: For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
2. We are to submit to every authority in order to shut the mouths of the gospel’s critics.
3. Integrity, obedience, in impeccable moral fiber are all effective character tools to muzzle the enemies of Christianity.
III. Submit to Earthly Masters
A. Peter wrote: 18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18-25)
B. If you are like me, when you read passages like these about masters and slaves, you do one of two things.
1. You either immediately switch the context to Employers and Employees, or you get stuck on the moral conviction that slavery is wrong.
2. We, Americans, especially African Americans, find it very difficult to think of slavery outside of the kind of slavery that took place here in our country.
3. Therefore, we are immediately appalled at what Peter or Paul instructs slaves to do.
4. We react saying, “Peter tell the slaves to break free and get out of slavery, don’t tell them to be good slaves!”
5. Let’s realize that Peter is not attempting to condone or condemn slavery.
6. Rather, he is telling them and us how to live our Christian life in a godly manner in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
C. Let’s also realize that slavery in Roman times was much different than slavery here in America.
1. For one thing, it wasn’t based on race.
2. Even though a majority of slaves came from conquered nations, many people sold themselves into slavery.
3. For some it was considered a step up for them, for others it was a way to pay off a debt.
4. The workforce in the Roman world mostly consisted of slaves – in fact pretty much all the work done in Rome was done by slaves.
5. And I’m not just talking about menial tasks, most doctors, teachers, musicians, and secretaries were slaves.
6. Not every slave had a miserable life, many slaves were loved and trusted and were thought of as part of the family.
7. And slavery was not usually a permanent condition in life, rather it was a temporary condition on the path toward freedom.
8. So, with these things in mind, let’s look at Peter’s instructions to slaves.
D. Notice how that Peter began by pointing out that this submission to masters was to be done in reverent fear of God.
1. God is the number one master of our lives in all things.
2. Paul said something similar in his instructions to slaves: “Slaves, obey your masters in everything…with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.” (Col. 3:22)
E. The God-fearing attitude of the slaves was to be exercised with both good and gentle masters and also with those who were harsh and unreasonable.
1. It goes without saying that it is easy to work for masters who are kind and generous, but it is hard to work for those who are nasty and unfair.
2. Ultimately, God is pleased when believers do their work in a humble and submissive way for their superiors - regardless.
3. Whether it was a slave in Peter’s day patiently enduring brutal treatment, or whether it is a modern-day employee not retaliating against an unkind and unjust supervisor, God is pleased.
4. The Lord wants believers who are suffering unjustly in the workplace to not falter in their witness, but to humbly and patiently accept unjust treatment, knowing that God has sovereign control of everything and God promises to bless and reward.
F. Peter then finished this section by presenting the notion that the call to suffer unjustly is rooted in following Jesus.
1. Jesus suffered because of righteousness and we can expect the same.
2. We are to live holy lives and submit in obedience, even to petulant taskmasters and in so doing we will be following Christ who responded righteously to opposition and suffering – He entrusted himself to God..
3. As we follow Jesus’ example, we become more like Him and our witness becomes stronger.
4. Peter also reminds us that Jesus is not only our example, Jesus is our Savior, and the Shepherd of our souls.
Conclusion:
A. I hope we have learned something today about the blessings of submission.
1. It is so important for us to learn to submit to God and to all the authorities God has placed over us – government, employers, teachers, and parents.
2. In the end, it is all a matter of trust – Will we trust and obey God?
3. Will we trust that God knows what He is talking about when He commands us to submit ourselves to civil authorities and earthly masters?
4. Will we trust God and submit to whatever difficult circumstances or unjust suffering we may be experiencing?
5. Will we trust God and follow Jesus’ example?
B. Have you ever heard of the Automated Highway System (AHS) or the Smart Road?
1. Engineers and inventers have been working on these kinds of systems for years.
2. At one point the Department of Transportation gave $200 million for research and testing of such a system.
3. The Automated Highway System would purportedly relieve traffic woes with “super cruise control” in heavily congested cities.
4. Basically, the cars would drive themselves – doing all the steering, accelerating and braking through computer navigation systems.
5. The 8 cars you see in this picture were driven in tight formation at highway speeds by a fully automated system in the 1997 demonstration of the Automated Highway System on I-15 in San Diego, CA.
6. Researchers and government officials claim they have the technological capacity to make such a system work, but there is one challenge they have yet to address.
7. Mike Doble, Buick’s technology manager, said: “The only thing we can’t do yet is get people to comfortably trust the system. It’s not a technology issue. Would you ride in a car, traveling at high speeds, closely spaced with other cars, being driven completely by a computer?”
C. Trust is always the biggest question or challenge, especially when it comes to submission.
1. Like the person on the trapeze – will we let go and trust that God will catch us?
2. God is certainly a master, teacher and driver we can trust and submit to.
3. When we submit ourselves to God, we will experience the blessings of submission.
Resources:
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, 1 Peter, by John MacArthur, Moody Publishing, 2004
The Bible Exposition Commentary, 1 Peter, by Warren Wiersbe, Victor Books, 1989
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 1 Peter, by Edwin A. Blum, Zondervan, 1981
Submission: The Dilemma of Submission, Sermon by Peter Loughman, SermonCentral.com
The Submission of the Church, Sermon by Kerry Bauman
