In verse 14, literally, “Do not be intimidated or disturbed; unsettled.” Simply what the apostle is saying is, “Don’t let the world intimidate you.” I think one of the most effective weapons the devil has ever forged against Christians is this weapon of intimidation. The world can be very intimidating. If it were not so, this verse would not have been written. This is written to Christians who have been scattered. It was written during a time of great persecution. They were being slaughtered for the cause of Christ. They were being mistreated, light up, so Peter has some strange sounding instructions, verse 14.
Peter says no matter what the world does, don't let it trouble you. The word trouble is used to describe agitating water. Let your heart be calm, don't be unsettled. I believe this is a needed message for today. There are a vast number of Christians who cower their way through the world. While we are safe within these four walls, Satan is about like a roaring lion. A lot of Christians live their lives safe in church and intimidated in the world. I don't know of anything else that will sow hinder our Christian service as fear intimidation. You fail to live according to your conviction because you fear how someone will react to it. There is another thing in this matter of intimidation, it is not only a feeling of fear but the feeling of inferiority. If you are around someone, do you feel inferior? You are intimidated by them. The world has us in all. It's wealth Constipation come knowledge; we Feel inferior.
This is why a lot of Christians seem to go silly when the celebrity is saved. We somehow feel that if a worldly grape comes out for Jesus, we have been strengthened. We feel our chances of survival is now greater. Why is that? We are intimidated. We feel inferior. I wonder if this week you have failed the Lord because you've been intimidated by the world. Peter says, “don't let this happen.” He gives us some defenses against this intimidation. Peter is saying, “you don't have to be afraid of the big bad world.”
I. Sanctify Christ as Lord in Your Heart
1. Verse 15
2. what does that mean?
a. In your heart.
b. It's a place of worship.
3. There's someone or something that you are worshipping in your heart.
4. There are worshippers in the heart. What are the worshippers?
a. Wishes
b. Desire
c. Ambition
d. Pleasure
5. right now, in my heart, worship is going on. My desires, ambitions, pleasure, et cetera is secondary. There is something my will is going to serve.
6. He says, “enthroned Christ as Lord in your heart.”
a. If it's money, all my energy goes to making money.
b. If it's an ambition, I'll seek a larger church.
c. If it's a pleasure, I'll give myself pleasure.
7. If I worship ambition, prestige, power, pleasure, I'm going to be intimidated by the world. The world is full of these.
8. If Christ is Lord in my heart, then the world will not intimidate me because the world can't take Christ from me.
9. Job 22:21, I see a lot of people who are not at peace within themselves. They are restless and dissatisfied. They worship what the world can give.
10. I'll not be afraid of the world, and neither will I feel inferior to the world. This is what happens when Jesus is Lord of all:
a. my desire worships him.
b. My ambition worships him.
c. My future worships him.
d. I'm not going to feel Inferior to anyone.
11. Why should I feel inferior? It is only when I am bowing in my heart and worshipping anything else as Lord that I can be intimidated.
II. Second Defense is a Convincing Confession
1. Verse 15
2. be ready always to give an answer. That is a courtroom term.
3. He is saying a Christian who does not have a ready answer can be intimidated by the world.
4. I've seen more Christians intimidated because someone asked them a question that they didn't have an answer for.
5. That is why some of you are afraid to witness. You go through life saying, “I sure hope no one asks me anything today.”
6. I doubt very seriously you have a right to hold to any truth if you don't know the reason you believe it.
7. You're going to be intimidated by the world or you're going to be always ready to give an answer.
8. We need to be prepared psychologically. Like a lawyer. They expect to have to give a defense for their client. They are prepared for it. Most people aren't.
9. We ought to live every day of our life expecting someone to ask us for the reason for the hope that is in us.
10. You have a reason to worry about your Christian conduct and testimony if nobody ever asks you any questions about it.
11. We ought to be ready intellectually. You can't be ready if you don't get ready.
12. If you believe something the Bible teaches you ought to know why and where it says it.
13. Many can't tell of events of the second coming or many other things for that matter.
a. Why do we immerse in baptism?
b. What is the meaning of the Lord's supper?
c. What is the security of the believer?
d. 2 Timothy 2:15
14. we need to be spiritually prepared. Giving our answers with meekness and fear.
III. The Third Defense is a Good Conscience
1. verse 16
2. the word conscience means knowing together with oneself. That means my conscience knows me through and through.
3. A good conscience is right with God. A conscience that does not accuse.
a. It cannot condemn us.
b. A conscience that cannot pronounce judgment on us.
4. Let's look at the cause of a good conscience. Your good behavior in Christ.
5. That means what my daily walk, conversation, behavior, agrees with what I testify. My life does not conflict with the savior I claim.
6. If I live a life that is in harmony with all that Jesus is, that gives me a good conscience.
7. Do you know what good behavior is? No matter what they accuse you of it's always false. That's the only behavior that is worthy of our relationship with Jesus.
8. Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of confidence from your fellow believers.
9. The effect of a good conscience is this: they will be ashamed. Because of the testimony of your good life.
10. You should be living such a life that when you are accused, you don't have to hang your head. The accuser hangs his head in shame.
11. These three things are our defense: Christ as Lord in our heart, a convincing confession, and a good conscience.
12. If you have these three things, there is no way the world can intimidate you. They cannot padlock your mouth. They can't stifle your convictions. They cannot make you compromise your Christian life!
