Our reading today is in 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 8 to 22.
In the Church Red Bible, it's page 1219.
Okay, I hope you find the verse.
1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3, chapter 3, verse 8 to 22.
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another.
Be sympathetic.
Love as brothers.
Be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing.
Because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
It's going to harm you if you are eager to do good.
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.
Do not fear what they fear.
Do not be frightened.
But in your heart, set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.
Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against you, against your good behavior in Christ, may be ashamed for their slander.
It is better if it is God's will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous.
To bring you to God, he must put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.
Through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.
In it, only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water.
And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also.
Not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of good conscience towards God.
He saves you by the resurrection of Christ Jesus, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him.
Amen.
Thanks very much, Kevin.
We'll keep your Bible open there at 1 Peter 3.
Before we start, I just want to say that it's a longer passage than we've normally been dealing with on a Sunday morning.
So we're not going to cover everything.
So there may be questions that arise, things that weren't covered, or you just want to come back on.
Please feel free to talk with me afterwards.
Let's pray.
Father, thank you for your word.
Thank you for this letter written all these hundreds of years ago to a people belonging to you, yet scattered, feeling alone, isolated, struggling.
And Father, so we identify as people who belong to you, struggling to fit in this world and knowing how to live.
And so we ask that as we look at your word today, it would equip us and encourage us to be faithful witnesses in our communities, in our work, in our schools, wherever we are during the week.
That we would be a faithful witness, pointing to you through what we say and in how we live.
We ask for your spirit's help to us all today, in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, I want to introduce you to Pastor Alim.
Alim lives in the city of Aleppo in Syria, which you know from watching the television has been turned into a pile of rubble following constant bombing and shelling.
While mothers have left, Alim remains to care for the church.
He explains,
The other day as we finished our meeting on Friday, a bomb exploded next to the church, killing a young girl and her brother.
On Sunday, when we were getting ready for church, bombs exploded around our house.
But I feel a calling from God.
He wants me to be here till the end, as long as there is work to do in Aleppo.
Part of that work has been to provide food and basic needs for up to 2,000 people in their community, half of whom are from the Muslim background.
In the face of severe opposition and persecution, they bless others.
They pray for them, they care for them, they speak of the certain hope that they have in Christ.
And many who saw that church as the enemy have now found a warmth and a welcome.
And as a result, in that bombed city, people are turning to Christ and are being baptised.
Alim is seeking to be a faithful witness in what is a hostile world.
Now that is the big message of 1 Peter.
As we stand up for Christian values, as we speak out for Christian truth, we will get hit.
We mightn't live in Aleppo, we mightn't face being bombed, but if we are followers of Christ, we will face opposition.
Look at verse 9.
You will suffer insult.
Verse 14.
You will face their threats and you will be frightened.
Verse 16.
There will be those who will speak maliciously against you.
The reality is, if you are a follower of Jesus, you will get hit.
So, how do we live in this world that is hostile to Christ and to his church?
Well, look at verse 8.
Finally, all of you, it's as if he's bringing to conclusion what he has been talking about all the way from chapter 2, verse 12.
Having shown us what it is like to be a faithful witness in society, in chapter 2.
What it's like to be a faithful witness in our work, chapter 2, verse 18.
What it's like to be a faithful witness within the home, chapter 3.
He now shows us that this is the calling for all of God's people.
Verse 8.
Finally, all of you, whatever circumstance of life we find ourselves in, all of you, live in harmony with one another.
Be sympathetic.
Love as brothers.
Be compassionate and humble.
If people who are against Christ are going to turn to Christ, we need to respond by being faithful in our witness.
So, what's that going to look like for you and for me?
Well, first, we are to bless those who stand opposed to us.
Bless those who stand opposed to you.
Look at verse 9.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called.
If we're followers of Jesus, we are to bless those who would stand opposed to us.
Why?
Well, look at the rest of verse 9.
So that you may inherit a blessing.
Now, we need to be clear what that is.
This is not tip for tap.
This is not, I bless you and God is going to bless me in return.
So, if I bless five people, then God is going to bless me five times.
No, we have already been given a blessing.
We have already received an inheritance.
Have a look back at chapter 1, verse 3.
Chapter 1, verse 3.
Just starting into the verse.
You see what it says?
In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
and into an inheritance, a blessing that can never perish, spoil or fade, which is kept in heaven for you.
So, we have an inheritance that is guaranteed.
So, our blessing of other people is a sign that we have already inherited a blessing from God.
So, in response to this undeserved blessing of this inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade,
the response to that or the sign that we have that is in turn to bless other people.
That's what chapter 3, verse 9 is saying to us.
You see, it's so natural to retaliate and want revenge.
A colleague at work makes fun of you with a snide comment.
You want to retaliate.
A friend speaks aggressively against what you believe and you want revenge.
You get hurt, so you want them to hurt.
You suffer, so you want them to suffer.
But not so for the Christian.
Because we are blessed.
Because we have an inheritance, we in turn bless those who stand opposed to us.
We are to be a blessing.
We are given an example of what this looks like in verses 10 to 12.
This is a quote from Psalm 34.
Now, Psalm 34, you can read it all at home, is at a time when Saul is king.
Saul was the people's choice.
David, who was God's choice as king, is being pursued by Saul.
He's being chased down by Saul.
And David's life is in danger.
But how does David respond to this threat?
Well, look at verse 10.
For whoever would love life and see good days,
so whoever has the blessing and has that inheritance to come,
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good.
He must seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
You see, in the face of extreme opposition,
David sought to bless rather than repay or take revenge.
So a colleague speaks against you,
slanders your name,
spreads a nasty rumour for no other reason than they find your Christian values irritating.
But don't gossip.
Don't look for the next opportunity to belittle them.
Look at verse 10.
You must keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.
You take a stand for Christian values.
You speak up for the right of the unborn.
You take a stand not to cover for your boss or to tell lies.
And as a result, well, you lose out on promotion.
You get all the rotten jobs to do.
But don't fight back.
Don't plot how you can take revenge.
Instead, verse 11,
We must turn from evil and do good.
We must seek peace and pursue it.
You see, it's not our job to get back at others.
It's not our place to retaliate and seek revenge.
It is our role to bless.
It's to do good to those who hurt you.
Have you been hurt by someone else?
Bless them.
We are to speak kindly to those who malign you.
Have you ever felt ostracized or pushed away by somebody else?
Speak kindly to them.
Of course it's hard.
Of course it's tough.
But like David, we pray and we leave things with God.
Verse 12,
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their prayer.
We can hear David praying in the midst as he's being pursued by Saul,
crying out to God for help,
that he might bless rather than retaliate.
For the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
We have been incredibly blessed.
We have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
So do not repay evil with evil,
or insult with insult,
but with blessing.
So first,
bless those who oppose you.
Second,
speak hope to those who threaten you.
Verse 13,
Who's going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
But even if you should suffer for what is right,
you are blessed.
Do not fear what they fear.
Do not be frightened.
Now I don't know about you,
but I suspect it's true.
I get frightened all the time as a Christian.
I fear that if I speak out for Jesus,
if I stand for what the Bible teaches,
I really fear I'm going to lose some of my friends.
I fear that people will think I'm weird.
They probably think I'm weird anyway,
but they might just think I'm a bit more weird.
I fear that I'll be talked about.
You might fear that if you associate with Christians,
you'll be insulted and laughed at.
And so for an easier and more comfortable life,
we just put the head down and keep quiet
and hope that nobody sees or nobody asks.
But, what does it say in verse 14?
Do not fear what they fear.
Do not be frightened.
Literally, it's saying to us,
do not fear their threats.
Don't be intimidated by what people might say to you
or what they might do to you.
Well, you say, that's easier said than done.
That's easy to read.
The theory is fine.
Don't fear.
But we all fear what people think about us.
But genuinely, really, there is no need to fear.
The reason, look at verse 14 again,
even if you should suffer for what is right,
you are blessed.
It's the reminder again that if we are Christians,
if we're followers of Jesus,
we are blessed.
Let's go back to chapter 1, verse 4 again.
Let's remind ourselves of that blessing,
that inheritance.
Verse 4.
Because of the resurrection
and our faith in Christ,
verse 4,
we have an inheritance that can never perish,
spoil or fade,
kept in heaven for you.
But there's more.
Verse 5.
Who through faith are shielded by God's power
until the coming of salvation
that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
The blessing that we have received
is that heaven is kept for us
and we are kept for heaven.
Nothing can take us from our inheritance
and no one can take our inheritance from us.
So, people can say what they like.
People can think what they like.
They can do whatever they want to us
because we will always be blessed
and that inheritance and that blessing
cannot be taken away.
It's this blessing
that keeps Pastor Alim in Aleppo.
It's what keeps many
travelling into North Korea.
It's what keeps thousands of Christians
talking about Jesus
even when it's not safe.
Yes, people can be imprisoned.
At worst, their lives can be taken
and it does happen.
But even if someone should lose their life for Christ
it will mean that they receive
their promised inheritance.
So, people can say what they like
do what they like
because we will always be blessed
and it's because of this inheritance
because of this blessing that we have
that we too do not need to fear the threats.
We do not need to fear what people think of you
if you stand up for what the Bible teaches.
Do not be frightened.
We have a blessing.
So, don't fear.
Instead, we can speak of the great hope
that we have.
How do we do that?
Look at verse 15.
Chapter 3, verse 15.
But in your hearts
set apart Christ as Lord.
Christ is your King,
not your boss.
Christ rules over your life.
He controls your destiny.
He has given you the inheritance
and the blessing.
God has made you a child.
Make Him your Lord.
Make Him the reason for your life.
Verse 15.
Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you
to give the reason for the hope
that you have.
You see,
when we bless those
who speak against us,
when we repay hurt
with kindness,
when we do good
to those
who speak maliciously
against us,
it is so counter-cultural.
It is so different
to how the world responds.
that a time will come
when someone
is going to ask of you
or speak to you
and say,
why?
Why do you not get angry?
Why do you care
for those people
that insult you?
Why do you respond
in kindness
when you've been
so desperately wronged?
Why do you respect
your boss
even when they
disrespect you?
Why do you still
love your spouse
even when
they speak bad of you?
Why do you not
repay evil with evil
and insult with insult?
Answer.
Look at verse 15.
Because of the hope
that we have.
Because Jesus
has died for me
and forgiven me,
I can forgive others.
I don't need
to hold a grudge.
Because Jesus
has risen
from the grave
for me
and has given me
an inheritance
and a blessing,
I've got everything
to look forward to
so I can give my life
to serve those
who may stand
against me.
Because Jesus
has blessed me,
because I belong
to him,
because I am
part of his family,
because I am
a royal people,
that royal priesthood,
a people belonging
to God,
I can now
bless.
I can speak
of the hope
that I have.
So in the face
of opposition,
do not fear.
Always be prepared
to give an answer.
Be ready.
Have it on the tip
of your tongue
to talk about Jesus
and what he means
to you.
End of verse 15,
but do it with
gentleness
and respect.
I was talking
to someone recently
who had made
the decision
not to play
matches
if it clashed
with their times
of their church
gathering.
An important match
had come up
and they told
the rest of their team
and their coaches
I'm not able
to play
today.
Inevitably,
they were asked
why?
And their answer
was really simple.
They just said
because I'll be
going to church.
The response
caused the group
of friends
to laugh
and ask
why would you
go to church?
And very simply
they said
Jesus
is more important.
He's a hope.
He's the reason
for our life.
So don't be afraid
of people's threats.
Don't fear
what they may
think about you
or what they may
say about you.
Instead,
speak confidently
of the hope
that we have
in Jesus.
Bless those
who oppose you.
Speak hope
to those
who threaten
you.
And third,
look to Christ
who will
vindicate you.
You see,
being a faithful
witness in the world
is not easy.
It's really,
really tough.
Look at verse 17.
It is better
if it is God's
will to suffer
for doing good
than for doing evil.
But why?
Are you mad?
What's the point?
Why would we
be so stupid
and be so willing
to suffer?
Why bless
those who insult
you if all
you're going
to get
is more insults?
Why speak
hope to people
if all we're
going to get
is abuse?
Why be
a faithful witness?
Why bother?
Why suffer
for doing good?
Why?
It doesn't
make sense
unless
Christ
vindicates
you
and he will.
Christ
will put
the record
straight.
Christ
will correct
every rhyme.
Christ
will see
that you
taste
victory.
Let me
explain this
in three
ways.
First,
Christ
suffered
and now
rules.
So we
are to
keep going.
We are to
bless those
who oppose
us.
We are to
speak hope
to those
who threaten
us because
verse 18
for Christ
died for
sins once
for all
the righteous
for the
unrighteous
to bring you
to God.
Christ
suffered
for you.
He didn't
repay evil
with evil.
He didn't
retaliate
with insult.
He blessed
those who
opposed him.
He spoke
to those
who threatened
him.
In fact,
he died
for those,
for people
like us
who also
stood
against him.
He died
for our
sins,
for my
sin,
for your
sin,
the righteous
for the
unrighteous.
He took
all our
unrighteous
behaviour
on himself,
suffered the
punishment
that we
deserve so
that we
might have
his
righteousness
and be
treated
as Jesus
deserves
to be
treated.
End of
verse 18,
he was
put to
death
in the
body,
crucified
on a
cross,
but made
alive by
the Spirit,
risen again
from the
dead.
Verse 22,
who has
gone into
heaven
and is
at God's
right hand
with angels
and authorities
and powers
in submission
to him.
Yes,
Jesus
suffered
and died.
He was
mocked
and ridiculed,
laughed at,
spat upon,
but now
he lives
and he
reigns.
The powers
and authorities
that stood
against him
now bow
in submission
to him.
Jesus
has been
vindicated.
The record
has been
put
right.
Now,
what is
true of
Christ
will be
true
for you
if you
follow
him.
Look,
what happens
when Christ
died for
us in
verse 18?
What does
it do?
The end
of verse
18,
it brings
us
to God.
We are
united
with him.
His life
becomes
our life.
So,
what is
true of
Christ
will become
true for
you.
We too
will die,
but we
will live.
We too
will suffer,
but we
will reign
with him.
The victory
that Christ
enjoys
will be a
victory that
we too
will share
and enjoy.
Vindication
will come.
And this
is true
for all
God's
people.
Noah
suffered
but was
saved.
Do you
remember
Noah?
Called by
God to
build an
ark,
that great
big boat
in a
landlocked
country,
and to
preach to
the people
and tell
them that
God was
going to
judge by
sending a
flood in
the world.
Can you
imagine
the abuse
and the
mocking
that Noah
faced as
he built
this ark
with no
water in
sight and
preaching?
And yet
Noah was
faithful in
his witness.
This is how
Peter describes
it.
Follow
closely.
They're
difficult
verses,
but we
can work
our way
through
them.
Look at
the end
of verse
18.
This is
speaking of
Jesus.
He,
that's
Jesus was
put to
death in
the body,
but made
alive by
the Spirit,
through whom,
so through
the same
Spirit,
Jesus also
went and
preached to
the spirits
in prison.
So,
at the time
of Noah,
Jesus,
before he
ever came,
the pre-incarnate
Jesus,
was preaching
through Noah,
warning them
of God's
coming
judgment.
He preached,
we're told,
in verse 19,
to the
spirits in
prison.
It's a
strange
phrase.
Who are
the spirits
in prison?
Well,
read on
verse 20.
They are
they who
disobeyed
long ago
when God
waited patiently
in the days
of Noah
while the
ark was
being built.
The spirits
in prison
are the
people,
those who
are,
if you like,
are entrapped
enslaved
to their
sin,
who
disobeyed
God
and ignored
God.
It was
not an easy
task for
Noah to
preach this
message to
a hardened
bunch of
people,
but he
kept on
preaching,
even though
they didn't
want to
listen,
even though
they ignored
everything he
said.
And Noah
suffered for
doing good.
He faced
abuse,
he faced
mocking,
he laughed
at,
he was
ridiculed,
it was
really tough.
But what
happened to
Noah?
End of
verse 20,
in it,
in the
ark that
he built,
only a
few people,
eight in
all,
were saved
through
water.
Noah
suffered,
but yet
he was
saved,
he was
vindicated.
now it's
not just
true for
Noah,
it's true
for all
of God's
people.
You see,
we suffer,
but we
are saved.
Look at
verse 21,
follow with
me,
keep closely
to the
text and
we'll work
our way
through.
Verse 21,
and this
water
symbolises
baptism
that now
saves you
also.
So the
flood of
God's
judgment,
back at
the time
of Noah,
and the
ark of
salvation,
the flood
of judgment,
the ark
of salvation
is a
picture,
he's saying,
of Christian
baptism.
The water,
the rain,
the flood
brought judgment,
death,
and separation
from God.
The ark
which carried
Noah through
the waters
brought salvation,
life,
and eternity
with God.
Now when
we are
baptized,
it is a
picture of
being saved
from the
judgment of
God.
Being baptized
is going
down into
the water,
under the
water.
It is as
if God's
judgment is
falling on
us,
but the
point is
we don't
stay under
the water,
we come
up,
we come
out through
the water,
symbolizing
our rescue
from God's
judgment.
Now we
must be
very careful
not to
think that
this simple
act of
baptism
saves us.
No,
look at
the end
of verse
21.
it saves
you by
the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ.
Just as
Jesus was
raised to
life,
so by
faith in
his
resurrection,
we too
are raised
to new
life.
As we
come up
out
through
the water,
we are
demonstrating
our trust
in Christ
for our
salvation,
just as
Christ was
raised,
so we
too will
rise with
him.
you go,
what's he
talking about
baptism for?
What's
this
baptism
got to
do
with
when I'm
being
laughed at
when I'm
at school?
How does
baptism help
me when
people ignore
me at work
and speak
against me?
What's the
point of
baptism
when I
suffer as
a Christian?
How is
this going
to help
me?
Well,
when we
face
opposition,
when we
face
unjust
suffering,
insult,
abuse,
malicious
talk,
whatever it
may be,
he's saying,
I want
you to
look back.
I want
you to
remember
your
baptism.
Because
baptism
is something
visible,
something
tangible.
It is
something that
we physically
experience.
As we
look back
to our
baptism,
we remember
that just
as we
came up
out
through
the
water.
So a
day will
come when
we too
are going
to rise
and we
will
experience
salvation
in all
its
fullness.
The
suffering,
the
struggles
that we
go through
right now
are not
going to
be
forever.
We
will
rise.
So
think
back,
remember
the time
when you
were
baptized.
That's
why
baptism
is so
important.
if you
are a
Christian
here today
and you
are claiming
and saying
yes,
I follow
Jesus
and you
are not
baptized.
Well,
you ought
to be.
You ought
to be.
Because in
this context
it's going
to be a
tremendous
help to
you as
a Christian.
As you
seek to
live the
Christian life
and as you
find it
difficult to
be a
Christian
where you
are,
this
baptism
that you
look back
to is
going to
help you
and bring
to memory
and remind
you that
yes,
it is a
struggle.
But it's
not going to
be like this
forever.
I too
am going
to rise.
You see,
for the
Christian,
baptism
becomes that
defining
moment in
our lives
when we
publicly
align
ourselves
to Christ,
when we
declare
yes,
I am
with
Christ.
Where
he goes,
I will
go.
What is
true of
Christ
is true
of me.
In
times of
struggling
and suffering
we can
look back
and remember
just as
Christ
suffered,
we too
will suffer.
Just as
Christ was
raised,
we too
will rise.
Just as
Christ was
vindicated,
so we
too will
be vindicated.
The
victory
that Christ
enjoys
today
will be
ours to
enjoy
forever.
I don't
know every
circumstance
where you
will be
this week,
but as
you
go,
bless
those
who may
stand
against
you.
The
person who
you find
difficult to
work with,
the person
who you
find it
hard to
be a
friend to,
bless
them.
For
those that
may
threaten
you,
those who
may speak
against
you,
speak hope
to them.
Speak
speak about
Jesus.
Don't fear
what they
say.
You have
a blessing
to come,
an inheritance
to come.
You have
everything to
look forward
to.
And we
can keep
on doing
it because
we will be
vindicated.
We will
share in
the victory
that Christ
has.
Look back
and remember
your baptism.
remember
that day.
Feel it,
picture it,
think of it.
I went
down,
I rose,
I will be
vindicated
with Christ.
Let's pray
together.
Father,
we recognize
that it's
so easy
to be a
follower of
Christ in
this room,
in this
gathering.
It's easy
to sing
songs about
you.
It's easy
to declare,
I believe
in God
the Father.
God,
we all
fear
leaving
this
building,
going to
work
tomorrow,
going to
college,
going to
school,
going into
our families,
what people
will think,
what people
will say.
Father,
remind us
today,
fill us
with the
hope of
that inheritance,
that blessing,
that we
will not
fear,
but that we
will be
confident to
speak out
for Jesus,
knowing
that just
as Christ
suffered
and now
reigns,
so we
too will
reign with
him.
We will
be vindicated,
the record
will be set
straight,
we will
receive glory
and we
will be
with you.
So,
Father,
fill us
with that
vision today.
May it
be the
vision for
our week,
that as we
go forward,
we would
live for
you.
Thank you
that you
are our
saviour
and ruler
of the
world.
Amen.