When Life Ain't Fair!

Ill:

• A surgeon, a civil engineer, and a computer software engineer were chatting.

• And the discussion rolled around to whose profession was the oldest.

• The surgeon said that his was, since in the Book of Genesis,

• God created Eve from one of Adam's ribs, and surely that involved surgery.

• The civil engineer countered by saying that before God created man,

• He created the heavens and the Earth from chaos, surely a feat of civil engineering.

• The computer software engineer just smiled and said,

• "Where do you think chaos came from?"

We live in a chaotic world, a world where life ain’t fair:

• Those words ‘It’s not fair!” So easily fall from our lips;

• ill: According to Ann Landers,

• The average teenager uses the phrase “it’s not fair”, 86 times a day!

• ill: If you put those words “When life is not fair” on an internet search engine:

• Depending which search engine you use;

• But your search will yield a staggering 97.2 million results.

Enduring unfair treatment is tough.

• All of us at some stage have been there;

• And when hard times come and we don't have the answers,

• We cry out to God about the unfairness of it all.

• But sometimes He seems silent when we so badly want Him to speak to us in our need.

• We admire people who endure pain and difficult circumstances that they don't deserve;

• But if we are honest, we just don't want to be one of them!

• In our verses this morning;

• The apostle Peter reminds his readers (and us) that “Life aint fair!”

• His good, practical advice is simple – press on!

• Unfair treatment is part of the package, part of the normal Christian life,

• Your master and Lord was not treated fairly (verses 21-25);

• So why do you (follower and servant of Christ) expect to be treated any better?

Quote: Amy Carmicheal (18-67-1951):

• She was a missionary in India for 55 years;

• Author of 35 books,

• Worked among girls who were victims of sexual-abuse, or temple prostitution.

• Help with the babies born as a result of the temple prostitution.

• On numerous occasions she faced legal charges of kidnapping,

• And often faced physical threats.

• Following a serious fall;

• She spent the last the last twenty years of her life as an invalid.

She wrote some incredible and challenging poetry, including: ‘Hast thou no scar?’

Hast thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,

Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spend,

Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent

By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:

Hast thou no wound?

No wound, no scar?

Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,

And, pierced are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole: can he have followed far

Who has no wounds nor scar?

Note:

• In these verses this morning;

• The apostle Peter uses four word-picture illustrations to encourage and help us;

• Followed by a section on ‘submission’ (that’s right submission);

• He reminds us that the Christian life is a life of submission.

(A). Christian Life: Metaphors (vs 11-12):

• There are four imaginative images contained in these two verses;

• Metaphors that describe to us that life for the Christian ‘aint fair!’

(#1). Temporary residents (vs 11a):

• N.I.V: “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world.”

• The Message: “Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cosy in it”

• The beginning of this letter (chapter 1 verses 1-2) informs us of the audience;

• The people that Peter was writing too.

• The list of believers mentioned were varied:

• Jewish & Gentile,

• Slave & free (some of those ‘free’ were even fully-fledged Roman citizens.

• But regardless of their official status, or origin;

• Once they put their faith in Jesus Christ,

• Peter reminds them that they became "aliens and strangers" in this temporal world.

Ill:

• An American tourist once visited the 19th century Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim:

• The tourist was astonished to see;

• That the rabbi's home was only a simple room filled with books,

• Plus a table and a bench.

• The tourist asked, “rabbi, where is your furniture?”

• "Where is yours?" replied the rabbi.

• "Mine?" asked the puzzled American. "But I'm a visitor here. I'm only passing through.'

• "So am I,” said Hofetz Chaim, "So am I,”

• According to this book, all of us are pilgrims in this world: