Watfaring Strangers , A Study Of 1 Peter- Part 11- " Wives" Series

Thanks to Jeff Strite for thje illustration and Bill Glass for the outline

Wayfaring Strangers

a study of 1 Peter

part 11

and “In the same way, you wives”

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:1-6

1 Peter 3:1-6

Let me read you a letter to a wife sent to tech support

Dear Tech Support, last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0

I noticed a distinct slowdown in the overall system performance

Most specifically in the flower and jewelry applications.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs

Such as

Romance 9.5

Personal Attention 6.5

and then installed undesirable programs such as

internet 5.0

television 3.0

and

Sports 4.1.

Because of these installs

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do? Signed, Desperate Woman.”

Response

Dear Desperate Woman, first, keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package

while Husband 1.0 is an older more reliable operating system.

Try to download Tears 6.2.

If this application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above applications can cause a default to Silence 2.5.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources).

In summary, you might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance.”

A magazine for Christian leaders published a cartoon that showed a pastor peering out anxiously from inside a World-War-II-style bunker, which was behind the pulpit.

The well-protected pastor announced, “My text for today is 1 Peter 3:1-6.”

I’m not looking for a bunker today because I’m committed to preach what the Bible says, no matter what grenades may come my way.

But before we read our passage, I do want to make some preliminary points.

The context of this passage deals with how a Christian wife can witness to a husband who is not saved…yet.

Some of you are in that exact situation and you long for your mate to share your faith.

I pray that this passage will give you hope and a godly game plan.

A good marriage is more than being with the right person;

it’s being the right person.

Listen

If you are single, make a choice based on God’s word not to enter a spiritually mismatched marriage.

2 Corinthians 6:14 says clearly

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

Some of you are single

divorced

or widowed

and may feel that this passage does not apply to you.

Hebrews 13:4:

Give honor to marriage and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

It is a shame that marriage is no longer honored in our society

It’s dismissed as irrelevant

It is demeaned

denounced

discouraged by many.

Marriage is being ridiculed and has been redefined.

Listen

God declares that marriage is between one man and one woman for life.

And no supreme court or set of laws can change God’s word

This passage does not contain all that Scripture teaches about marriage

So, this sermon will not address everything that the Bible has to say about this topic.

We will only cover Peter’ teaching on marriage today

Please listen to me

If you are in an abusive and dangerous relationship, please find a safe place and get some help.

In this passage of scripture there are six verses directed to wives

And only one verse is directed to husbands.

Originally, I was going to preach about both wives and husbands today but in order to do our passage justice I’ve decided to handle husbands next week

If it seems that wives have more to work on in this passage, remember that other sections of Scripture, like Ephesians 5, lean heavily toward a husband’s duties.

Peter is giving more attention to wives because of the suffering they’re enduring.

In the context of this passage

Many women are accepting Christ

Desiring to live a better life

And fellowship with other believers

And they are being mistreated by their unbelieving husbands in the process

With that, let’s dive in to 1 Peter 3:1-6:

Please open your bibles to 1 Peter 3:1-6

Please remember for the last 2 weeks we have been teaching on submission even in unjust conditions

“In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.

3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do