WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.120 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:13.519 If you're new or visiting with us, welcome. We're glad that you're here. 00:00:14.060 --> 00:00:20.420 And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:29.060 And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they can't have it. 00:00:29.059 --> 00:00:32.879 In other words, everyone needs to hear what God has to say. 00:00:33.799 --> 00:00:39.619 And so that's why we come week after week, every Sunday, and look at what God has to say to us in his word. 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:42.920 If you've been with us, you know that we're in the book of 1 Peter. 00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:47.119 And the book of 1 Peter is a letter written by a man named Peter. 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:53.239 And he writes it to Christians who are living in the first century A.D. in what is now modern-day Turkey. 00:00:53.239 --> 00:00:57.340 And he writes because these Christians are facing some struggles. 00:00:57.340 --> 00:01:00.940 They're feeling out of place in the world because they're Christians. 00:01:01.400 --> 00:01:05.079 And they're also facing opposition from the world because they're Christians. 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:10.320 Peter writes into that situation to encourage them and to instruct them. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:12.579 He writes to encourage them that Jesus is worth it. 00:01:13.820 --> 00:01:16.680 Jesus is worth living for. He's worth loving for. 00:01:17.600 --> 00:01:20.100 Jesus is worth suffering for. He's worth dying for. 00:01:20.099 --> 00:01:26.259 And he also writes to instruct them how they should live as Christians in the world, especially when they face opposition. 00:01:27.399 --> 00:01:33.599 Now, last week, if you were with us, you know that we looked at Peter's instructions for how to relate to the government. 00:01:34.759 --> 00:01:40.299 And Peter told these folks that are receiving his letter that their posture towards the government should be one of submission. 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:46.979 Even though they belong to God, they've been chosen by God, they are what he's called earlier a special holy nation. 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:49.799 Verse 9, even though they're our own separate nation, they belong to God. 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:55.179 They have such a radical new identity that doesn't free them to do whatever they want and ignore the government around them. 00:01:56.539 --> 00:02:00.859 And he ends that section by telling them that they need to honor everyone. 00:02:00.979 --> 00:02:01.620 Verse 17. 00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:07.800 And so we're going to enter a section now that's sort of following up on that, the honoring. 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:11.920 And also what we saw a couple weeks ago about them being a royal priesthood. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.900 Remember, they're priests to the nations, so they're meant to represent God to the world. 00:02:15.980 --> 00:02:20.439 That people would understand and know what God is like because of how his people act and how they behave. 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:26.879 And not only are they priests, but now we know that as they're priests, as they're representing God, they're meant to honor other people. 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:30.599 Taking those two ideas, we have our passage before us today. 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:37.180 It's going to be somewhat different for us because he's going to be talking to slaves who are living in first century Rome. 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:38.639 And of course, we're not slaves. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.659 We don't have slavery as an institution in the United States. 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:47.180 And so we're going to have to take sort of broad principles from what he tells them and apply them to us today. 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.139 But think about it in the category of honor. 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:58.280 He's continuing to give these people instructions about how they honor everyone and how doing that they can represent Christ well. 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:02.699 And we're also going to see in this passage not just represent Christ well, but follow Christ well. 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:06.659 And so with that, we're going to turn to our passage. 00:03:06.819 --> 00:03:09.900 We're in 1 Peter 2, starting at verse 18. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.860 And remember, as we come to this, God tells us that this is his word. 00:03:13.860 --> 00:03:22.780 And he tells us that his word, unlike the grass which withers and the flowers which fall, will stand forever. 00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:26.580 And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 18. 00:03:26.580 --> 00:03:43.740 Verse 20. 00:03:43.740 --> 00:04:06.400 Verse 22. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:11.300 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 00:04:11.980 --> 00:04:14.819 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:21.340 When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 00:04:22.579 --> 00:04:29.259 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. 00:04:30.220 --> 00:04:32.199 By his wounds you have been healed. 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:39.719 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. 00:04:41.639 --> 00:04:44.579 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:51.560 Father in heaven, we thank you that you're a good father. 00:04:53.019 --> 00:04:55.620 And like a good father, you want to instruct us. 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:56.639 You want to talk to us. 00:04:56.980 --> 00:04:58.039 You want to be with us. 00:04:58.419 --> 00:05:00.139 You want to train us and you want to raise us. 00:05:00.139 --> 00:05:02.899 We ask that you would do that this morning. 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:06.439 That you'd use your word to give us instruction. 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:11.419 And even more than that, you would use your Holy Spirit to encourage us. 00:05:11.979 --> 00:05:17.319 That we would see Jesus as more beautiful than we'd seen him before. 00:05:18.579 --> 00:05:21.339 And that you'd grow our faith and our trust in him. 00:05:21.339 --> 00:05:29.579 We ask these things not because we have earned them or deserve them, but because Jesus has earned them for us. 00:05:29.979 --> 00:05:31.279 And so we ask them in his name. 00:05:32.019 --> 00:05:32.319 Amen. 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:46.139 When I was a teacher back in the day, I had kind of two TV show binge seasons every Christmas. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.339 When I had Christmas break, that was my chance. 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:50.339 I think I need to decompress. 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.079 I haven't really watched shows during the semester. 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:53.719 I've just been trying to keep up with these students. 00:05:54.339 --> 00:05:55.459 So Christmas was my time. 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:57.240 I would pick a show and I'd watch a whole season. 00:05:58.060 --> 00:05:59.879 And then also summertime was my time. 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:03.480 So after each semester essentially, so the spring semester would end. 00:06:03.980 --> 00:06:04.860 I think, okay, I'm done. 00:06:04.920 --> 00:06:05.660 I have a summer break. 00:06:05.740 --> 00:06:07.720 I have a few kind of odd jobs I'm doing. 00:06:07.819 --> 00:06:09.420 But I have to have some time to decompress here. 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:10.920 So I'm going to watch a couple seasons of this. 00:06:11.780 --> 00:06:15.759 And one summer, the show that I picked was Down Abbey. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.060 So I binged through season one and season two. 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:21.379 This was back in probably 2013. 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:27.480 And I will confess near the end of season two, it got a little too soap opera-y for me. 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:29.800 And so I never made it to season three. 00:06:31.079 --> 00:06:32.579 But seasons one and two were glorious. 00:06:32.579 --> 00:06:39.599 I mention that because as we're coming to this passage, we're talking about sort of a challenging issue here. 00:06:39.659 --> 00:06:42.659 Because Peter is writing to people that he calls slaves. 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.579 It translates it servants here in verse 18, which is helpful for us. 00:06:48.159 --> 00:06:52.319 But he's told them earlier in some translations you'll find this translated slaves. 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:55.560 And it's difficult for us to understand exactly what's going on. 00:06:55.599 --> 00:06:59.219 Because we didn't live in first century Asia Minor under the Roman Empire. 00:06:59.220 --> 00:07:05.080 And so when we're talking about servants, if we're on a scale of American slavery on the left 00:07:05.080 --> 00:07:08.560 and Downton Abbey downstairs people on the right, 00:07:09.700 --> 00:07:15.320 we're not all the way to the Downton Abbey downstairs people, but we're pretty close. 00:07:16.140 --> 00:07:20.000 So if this is the center, we're right of center moving towards Downton Abbey. 00:07:21.780 --> 00:07:22.920 That's helpful at the beginning. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.360 We have to understand what Peter is talking about when he's talking about servants here. 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:30.740 The word here is different than the word slave earlier that was used in a previous passage 00:07:30.740 --> 00:07:32.800 talking about us being slaves of God. 00:07:33.780 --> 00:07:36.460 And so these servants are people who would work in houses. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:40.060 In fact, this is a section about how people get along in a household. 00:07:40.900 --> 00:07:43.220 And so these are specifically house servants. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:49.280 And it's just challenging for us to understand because there is no one-to-one correlation in our culture 00:07:49.280 --> 00:07:50.980 for what he's talking about, these kinds of servants. 00:07:50.980 --> 00:07:58.600 One definition that someone gives is that this is a semi-permanent employee without legal or economic freedom. 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:02.920 A semi-permanent employee without legal or economic freedom. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:09.020 So not American slavery, not Downton Abbey, but somewhere close. 00:08:11.120 --> 00:08:15.640 Passages like this are difficult because it's hard to think through how do we make sense of the fact 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:21.039 that someone is writing to slaves and they don't openly condemn slavery. 00:08:22.139 --> 00:08:25.079 And they also don't encourage these people to revolt, right? 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:27.839 They're not saying you're under an unjust system, you need to overthrow it. 00:08:28.339 --> 00:08:32.039 And that creates a lot of problems for us as Americans because we think about our past 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:34.819 and the sin of slavery in American history. 00:08:35.019 --> 00:08:36.319 And it raises a question. 00:08:36.439 --> 00:08:37.879 It's a natural question, right? 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:40.659 Why doesn't Peter condemn this right away? 00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:44.240 And why doesn't he also give them different instructions? 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.100 Why does he ask them to operate within the system that they're in? 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:50.940 So I'm not going to say everything about slavery in the New Testament, 00:08:51.060 --> 00:08:53.220 but I'm going to try to say something as we come to this passage 00:08:53.220 --> 00:08:57.299 because it's important for us to understand what it is that we should take away from the Bible. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:00.680 First of all, Peter is not endorsing slavery. 00:09:02.379 --> 00:09:07.120 Instead, he is helping these Christians to understand how they should live within the social structure 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:09.039 that they already find themselves in. 00:09:10.259 --> 00:09:13.740 Clearly, Peter doesn't think that the Roman Empire is something to be imitated. 00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:17.100 In fact, he's called these people exiles, right? 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:18.759 Because they don't fit in with the Roman Empire. 00:09:19.480 --> 00:09:21.440 This is the empire that's persecuting them. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:25.600 Second, it's an empire, not a democracy. 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:31.200 So had they at this point decided, hey, we're going to revolt and take down slavery, 00:09:31.580 --> 00:09:33.960 if you know anything about the Roman army and the Roman government, 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:35.840 you know that would have been the end of the Christians. 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:43.160 And so this is not necessarily telling us how we as Christians think about certain social structures 00:09:43.160 --> 00:09:45.500 and our abilities to influence them in the United States 00:09:45.500 --> 00:09:47.700 because we're just in a completely different system. 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.980 So don't take this passage as discouragement, right, for appropriate political activism. 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:57.080 Don't take it as discouragement for fighting for what's right in our government. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:09:58.180 We're a democracy. 00:09:58.379 --> 00:09:59.700 We have the ability to do that. 00:09:59.700 --> 00:10:01.400 We don't live in the Roman Empire. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:07.800 Peter's strategy here is not overthrow, it's subversion. 00:10:09.020 --> 00:10:11.620 I had a seminary professor one time who said, 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:16.200 Christianity, it's radical, but it's not revolutionary. 00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:20.940 It's radical, but it's not revolutionary. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:24.879 We don't find New Testament writers pushing for the overthrows of government, 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:26.220 the overthrow of certain systems. 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:28.540 And part of that's because of the system that they're writing to, right? 00:10:28.580 --> 00:10:30.680 The New Testament's written during the Roman Empire, 00:10:30.800 --> 00:10:33.720 so that's not a plausible strategy under that governmental system. 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:37.480 And so it's a different strategy that Peter uses, 00:10:37.580 --> 00:10:38.639 and that's used in the New Testament. 00:10:38.820 --> 00:10:42.080 It's more of subverting structures rather than overthrowing them. 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:43.259 And so Peter does that. 00:10:43.820 --> 00:10:46.100 He subverts, in some ways, the topic of slavery. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:50.139 First of all, slaves would have been expected to worship the God of their master. 00:10:51.920 --> 00:10:53.220 Peter subverts that. 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:54.379 He doesn't ask them to do that. 00:10:54.379 --> 00:10:58.480 Second, in the similar kinds of writings in the first century, 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:01.080 slaves would not have been addressed directly as people. 00:11:02.019 --> 00:11:03.399 Servants wouldn't have been addressed directly, 00:11:03.500 --> 00:11:06.460 because they wouldn't have been considered worthy of the dignity or respect 00:11:06.460 --> 00:11:07.720 to receive a direct address. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:11.259 In other words, they would be talked about rather than talked to. 00:11:13.379 --> 00:11:17.019 And so Peter here affirms their human dignity by addressing them directly. 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:20.700 He doesn't say, oh, well, you're a servant, you're in this slave-like position, 00:11:20.700 --> 00:11:23.680 and so obviously you're also of lesser value in the church, 00:11:23.780 --> 00:11:26.900 so I'm going to address you in that way. 00:11:26.920 --> 00:11:28.720 I'm actually going to talk about you rather than to you. 00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:31.460 And so there's something here. 00:11:31.580 --> 00:11:33.660 It's radical, not revolutionary. 00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:37.879 There's something about the New Testament that's also realistic rather than idealistic. 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:43.140 It's realistic rather than idealistic about how these folks who were living in the Roman Empire 00:11:43.139 --> 00:11:45.559 operated in the social structures they found themselves in. 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:50.879 Another thing that's been pointed out about what Peter does here 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:55.439 is he acknowledges something that other people in the Roman Empire would have not acknowledged, 00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:57.980 which is that when these slaves suffer, it's what? 00:11:59.879 --> 00:12:00.279 Unjust. 00:12:01.220 --> 00:12:03.899 In fact, we hear that word twice in this passage. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:08.080 They're to submit, verse 18, to the unjust. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:13.240 Verse 19, it's a gracious thing when they endure sorrows while suffering unjustly. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:17.720 Now, I'd also be remiss if I didn't note at this point that this passage has been abused 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:18.980 in the history of America. 00:12:19.460 --> 00:12:23.340 So this passage has been abused to tell American slaves that they needed to submit. 00:12:24.780 --> 00:12:30.400 However, the logic of this whole passage is how do non-Christians interact with Christians? 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:35.460 If you're a Christian, how do you interact in a non-Christian setting? 00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:39.660 In other words, the assumption is that the people who have these servants are not Christians. 00:12:39.800 --> 00:12:40.780 They don't have faith in Christ. 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:47.340 And so it's an abuse of this passage for someone who is over slaves to tell it to slaves. 00:12:47.400 --> 00:12:49.259 Because what they're saying by using that passage, 00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:52.400 the logic only works if the person who's the slave owner is not a Christian. 00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:58.519 Because this passage is about how Christians get along with non-Christians. 00:12:58.620 --> 00:12:59.639 That's the whole point of this. 00:12:59.680 --> 00:13:03.700 In fact, we're going to talk next week, in the next two weeks, about husbands and wives. 00:13:03.700 --> 00:13:09.080 The assumption of the passages about husbands and wives is that this is a husband who's married to a woman who's not a Christian. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:11.320 And it's a woman who's married to a husband who's not a Christian. 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:15.259 So it's not generic advice about marriage, although it has principles for marriage in it. 00:13:15.300 --> 00:13:18.080 But it's specific advice to someone who's interacting with a non-Christian. 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:20.560 Same thing is true of this passage. 00:13:20.680 --> 00:13:22.860 It's not general advice, but specific advice. 00:13:23.280 --> 00:13:23.879 You're a servant. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:27.180 You're in a non-Christian government and world. 00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:31.120 There are certain realities to that world that you have to operate in. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.059 The people that are over you are not Christians. 00:13:34.599 --> 00:13:36.059 You're not going to be able to change it. 00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:38.239 How can you subvert it and function within it? 00:13:40.219 --> 00:13:41.099 Okay, deep breath. 00:13:43.939 --> 00:13:47.839 That's all background to talk about what Peter has to say about servants here. 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:53.080 The second difficulty is because there is no category like this for us. 00:13:53.139 --> 00:13:57.720 We don't have the kind of servanthood institution that was in the Roman Empire. 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:00.660 There's no one-to-one application for us. 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:02.180 And so we have to deal. 00:14:02.259 --> 00:14:06.120 What I hope happens when you listen to sermons, and I hope this is true of my preaching from time to time, 00:14:06.160 --> 00:14:09.660 you don't just learn things that are true, but you also learn how to read the Bible. 00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:14.879 Part of what we do when we read the Bible is we look at instructions to certain people in a certain time, 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:17.039 and we say, how does that apply? 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:20.580 What's the principle in that situation that we can apply to our situation? 00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:22.879 So, for example, when I preached the book of Nehemiah, 00:14:23.299 --> 00:14:25.980 there was no point at which I said, you know, the book of Nehemiah, 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:27.939 it's about God's people rebuilding God's wall. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.019 And so the point is this. 00:14:30.439 --> 00:14:32.179 We're going to build a wall around the church. 00:14:33.500 --> 00:14:34.879 It's clearly God's command, right? 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:38.379 God told the people in the Old Testament to build a wall. 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:39.539 We need to build a wall, too. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:41.220 No. 00:14:41.460 --> 00:14:44.820 We take the principle that applies to people in Nehemiah, we apply it to us today. 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:48.600 Same thing is true with these passages about slaves or servants. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:51.100 What's the principle that's being used? 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:53.220 How can that principle apply to us? 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:54.840 How can we apply it in our situations, 00:14:54.960 --> 00:15:00.179 which are nothing like first century Roman citizens in Asia Minor? 00:15:02.179 --> 00:15:06.519 That being said, there's a narrow application and a broad application. 00:15:07.379 --> 00:15:10.879 First, we, like people receiving this letter, 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:13.480 have to exist in structures in this world. 00:15:14.300 --> 00:15:15.600 Some of you are in the military. 00:15:17.080 --> 00:15:17.600 Guess what? 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.740 The military is not a Christian institution. 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:25.840 Sometimes you have masters or people who are over you who are just, 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:27.800 and sometimes they're unjust. 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:32.139 Some of you are students who go to schools. 00:15:33.099 --> 00:15:33.879 You have teachers. 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:36.219 Some of them are not Christians who are in authority over you. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:38.000 Some of them are just. 00:15:38.599 --> 00:15:39.639 Maybe I'd say some of them are fair. 00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:40.500 Some of them are unfair. 00:15:41.439 --> 00:15:43.399 Now, that doesn't mean you can't have your parent intervene. 00:15:43.620 --> 00:15:43.759 Right? 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:44.519 That would be appropriate. 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:47.439 I'm not advocating for people to be passive, 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:50.759 but the reality is that we live in situations where people who are not Christians 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.199 who are in authority over us, 00:15:53.819 --> 00:15:55.659 just like these people in this passage. 00:15:55.659 --> 00:16:00.379 And so, just like the people who are receiving this passage have people in authority over them 00:16:00.379 --> 00:16:01.100 that are not Christians, 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:04.360 and their goal is to respect them and honor them as much as possible 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:06.899 for the name of Jesus Christ, 00:16:06.899 --> 00:16:13.000 our goal is to honor and respect the people who are in authority over us as much as possible. 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:18.980 That means if we have a commander over us who we think is a terrible commander, 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:23.179 and God's placed him in that position of authority, 00:16:23.379 --> 00:16:25.000 we honor him as much as possible. 00:16:26.319 --> 00:16:27.939 If God has given us a boss, 00:16:28.539 --> 00:16:31.019 and we think that that boss is a terrible boss, 00:16:31.980 --> 00:16:33.879 and by terrible, I mean bad at their job, right? 00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:37.480 We honor that person as much as possible. 00:16:38.919 --> 00:16:41.139 And we honor them for the sake of Jesus. 00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:45.679 We're not disorderly employees, right? 00:16:46.059 --> 00:16:49.620 Probably the closest application I could make would be to people working at a job. 00:16:51.299 --> 00:16:52.379 Servants, be good servants. 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:54.000 Employees, be good employees. 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:58.039 How are you going to share the gospel with your co-worker 00:16:58.039 --> 00:17:02.379 if they know that you are a terrible employee? 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:06.680 Hey, I want to tell you about Jesus and everything that he's done in my life. 00:17:06.779 --> 00:17:09.480 And they're thinking, I really wish Jesus would do a lot more in your life. 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:18.559 All of this is under the category of how we represent God to the world as priests 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:19.880 and how we honor all people. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:26.160 And so the application for us is that we honor our employers as much as we can. 00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:30.220 We support our bosses based on their position as much as we can. 00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:32.880 And we do what we can to be respectful and speak well of them. 00:17:34.420 --> 00:17:37.400 This goes back to the principle we talked about last week when it comes to government. 00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:42.140 We speak well of those who have positions in government, 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:44.279 whether we approve of their policies or not. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:46.200 It doesn't mean we can't work against their policies. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:48.620 It just means we treat them with respect. 00:17:48.619 --> 00:17:54.459 There's a subversive principle here for all Christians. 00:17:54.659 --> 00:17:59.639 Part of our witness, part of how we share the gospel and the good news about Jesus 00:17:59.639 --> 00:18:06.039 is by showing the people we interact with in the world the most respect we can 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:10.879 and submitting to the authorities that are over us as much as we can, 00:18:10.959 --> 00:18:12.579 like we talked about last week with the caveat, 00:18:12.879 --> 00:18:14.299 as much as we can without sinning. 00:18:14.299 --> 00:18:19.039 And that is subversive. 00:18:21.379 --> 00:18:23.039 Do you really want to do something radical? 00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:28.059 Some Christians who talk about trying to live a radical life for Jesus Christ. 00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:32.000 1 Peter shows us how to live a radical life for Jesus Christ. 00:18:32.639 --> 00:18:34.180 You want to be a radical Christian? 00:18:34.579 --> 00:18:35.599 Be a great employee. 00:18:36.659 --> 00:18:38.059 You want to be a radical Christian? 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.099 Honor your teachers. 00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:41.779 Honor those people in authority over you. 00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:46.379 Finally, there's a persecution element to this. 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:49.960 There's an assumption that these slaves are going to be treated improperly 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:50.799 because they're Christians. 00:18:51.899 --> 00:18:54.879 And in fact, that's sort of some of the assumption of this whole section. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:56.879 And in fact, the whole book. 00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:00.639 You're Christians, therefore you're going to receive mistreatment. 00:19:01.779 --> 00:19:04.220 And so, there's a broader application, 00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:05.639 not just in our workplaces, 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:07.559 in the places where we have people in authority over us, 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.700 but when we face suffering for the name of Jesus Christ, 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:15.980 we respect and honor the people who are persecuting us as much as possible. 00:19:19.259 --> 00:19:23.339 And in fact, that's the example that Peter's going to tell us 00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:25.960 that Jesus has given us. 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:30.140 So we function as much as we can in society with a good conscience, 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:30.880 without sinning, 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:33.160 honoring the people who have authority over us. 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:36.120 And by the way, 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:40.660 we have it a lot better off than the people this letter was written to. 00:19:40.660 --> 00:19:47.480 If those who received this letter could honor the people in authority over them, 00:19:47.560 --> 00:19:49.420 and Peter commanded them to do it, 00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:54.500 how much more can we honor the people who are in authority over us? 00:19:57.360 --> 00:19:58.279 How much more? 00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:07.200 Of course, some of the logic of God's word is that he never commands us to do something 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.720 he doesn't empower or enable, 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:10.559 and so we don't just see instructions here. 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:14.079 We also see Jesus very quickly. 00:20:15.319 --> 00:20:15.900 Verse 21, 00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:17.819 For to this you have been called, 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:20.019 because Christ also suffered for you, 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:21.420 leaving you an example, 00:20:21.579 --> 00:20:23.240 so that you might follow in his steps. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:26.720 Now, we sometimes can be in dangerous territory, 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:28.640 where we talk about Jesus as our example. 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:31.319 In the evangelical church, 00:20:31.360 --> 00:20:33.360 we focus heavily on Jesus as our Savior, 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:34.200 and that's appropriate. 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:35.240 He is our Redeemer. 00:20:35.779 --> 00:20:36.980 In fact, some people become suspicious 00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:38.900 when we start talking about Jesus as our example, 00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:42.819 because that's often what's used to negate the fact that Jesus is our Redeemer. 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:44.120 So people will say things like, 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:46.500 Jesus was a good example. 00:20:46.819 --> 00:20:47.480 He's a good teacher. 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:51.160 He didn't necessarily die or rise from the dead, 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:52.099 but he's a great example. 00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:53.920 And so because of that, 00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:55.039 sort of as a pendulum swing, 00:20:55.120 --> 00:20:56.559 some people have pushed so far against it 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:56.960 that they say, 00:20:57.019 --> 00:20:58.240 Jesus is not our example. 00:20:58.319 --> 00:20:58.819 He's our Savior. 00:20:58.819 --> 00:21:04.139 One of the other objections that's raised is that, 00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:06.559 well, Jesus is our example. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:08.879 That gets us into all sorts of problems, right? 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:09.879 Jesus is our example. 00:21:10.019 --> 00:21:11.119 So Jesus was a carpenter. 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:14.139 I guess that means we all need blue-collar jobs, right? 00:21:15.379 --> 00:21:16.399 Jesus was single. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:18.759 Wow, that works out really well for me. 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:24.599 We have to be careful when we talk about Jesus as our example. 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:26.740 We don't get just to throw it around, right? 00:21:26.779 --> 00:21:29.019 There was a movement back in the 90s 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:30.240 where people would wear these bracelets, 00:21:30.379 --> 00:21:31.839 the WWJD bracelets. 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:32.759 What would Jesus do? 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.319 Sort of this hypothetical. 00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:38.779 I was reading one person talking about this passage, 00:21:38.900 --> 00:21:39.240 and they said, 00:21:39.299 --> 00:21:41.319 the real question is not what would Jesus do, 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:42.420 what did Jesus do? 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:46.160 And in the context of this passage, 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:48.740 Jesus is an example in a specific way. 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:50.259 It's not generally an example. 00:21:50.380 --> 00:21:52.779 We don't just get to pull anything from Jesus' life 00:21:52.779 --> 00:21:53.519 and grab it and say, 00:21:53.600 --> 00:21:54.980 Jesus is my example for this. 00:21:56.740 --> 00:21:58.759 Jesus helped Peter catch a lot of fish. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:00.240 My goal is to catch a lot of fish. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.700 But we follow Jesus as an example 00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:07.000 in the way that Peter tells us to follow him as an example. 00:22:09.019 --> 00:22:11.300 Christ left us an example, verse 21, 00:22:11.800 --> 00:22:13.420 so that you might follow in his steps. 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:15.300 What was the example, verse 22? 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:17.340 He committed no sin, 00:22:17.560 --> 00:22:19.560 neither was deceit found in his mouth. 00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:21.720 When he was reviled, 00:22:21.840 --> 00:22:23.160 he did not revile in return. 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:24.680 When he suffered, 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:25.840 he did not threaten, 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:28.060 but continued entrusting himself 00:22:28.060 --> 00:22:30.180 to him who judges justly. 00:22:32.560 --> 00:22:33.820 You feel out of place 00:22:33.820 --> 00:22:34.660 because you're a Christian? 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:36.700 Guess what? 00:22:37.180 --> 00:22:38.720 Jesus felt out of place too. 00:22:40.560 --> 00:22:41.860 You face opposition 00:22:41.860 --> 00:22:43.100 because you follow Jesus? 00:22:44.180 --> 00:22:44.779 Guess what? 00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:46.879 Jesus faced opposition too. 00:22:48.539 --> 00:22:49.899 How did Jesus respond? 00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:51.139 What was his example 00:22:51.139 --> 00:22:53.539 for us when he faced that opposition? 00:22:55.980 --> 00:22:56.839 His example 00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:00.299 was that he didn't sin 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:01.859 and he didn't lie. 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:04.960 And when people threatened him 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:06.200 and spoke poorly about him, 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.899 he didn't respond in kind or in turn. 00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:11.920 And so when we're submitting to authority 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:13.160 and people are speaking poorly 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:13.900 about Christians, 00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.560 we don't get to go back 00:23:15.560 --> 00:23:17.140 and speak poorly about them as well. 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:20.540 But we bear up under suffering 00:23:20.540 --> 00:23:21.920 in the same way that Jesus did 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:23.100 for his sake 00:23:23.100 --> 00:23:26.180 because he is our example. 00:23:27.140 --> 00:23:28.180 He's gone before us. 00:23:30.840 --> 00:23:32.100 The story's told about 00:23:32.100 --> 00:23:33.600 a man named Avram 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:35.059 and Avram was the CEO 00:23:35.059 --> 00:23:37.019 of a chemical company 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:37.779 in Israel. 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:39.859 And there was a time 00:23:39.859 --> 00:23:40.839 during the history 00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:41.799 of this chemical company 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:42.899 that there was an explosion 00:23:42.899 --> 00:23:43.959 on the line. 00:23:44.959 --> 00:23:46.339 And because of this explosion, 00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:47.879 there were two different employees 00:23:47.879 --> 00:23:48.439 who died. 00:23:48.440 --> 00:23:50.700 And Avram, 00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:52.100 as the CEO, 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:52.740 decided, 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:52.940 well, 00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:53.920 we're going to need to figure out 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:54.700 what this problem is 00:23:54.700 --> 00:23:55.500 and we have to fix it. 00:23:55.860 --> 00:23:57.460 So he did the research necessary, 00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:59.559 figured out what was wrong, 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:01.680 made sure the problem was fixed, 00:24:01.799 --> 00:24:03.720 and then let everyone know, 00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:04.640 guess what? 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:06.080 The problem is fixed. 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:08.360 The lines are now safe. 00:24:10.820 --> 00:24:11.980 Did people rush 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:13.160 to get back to the lines? 00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:17.140 No. 00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:18.460 So workers started quitting. 00:24:19.780 --> 00:24:21.220 And the workers who stayed 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:21.820 were hesitant 00:24:21.820 --> 00:24:23.020 to get near those parts 00:24:23.020 --> 00:24:23.520 of the lines, 00:24:23.560 --> 00:24:24.720 even though Avram guaranteed 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:25.259 all of them 00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:26.000 that it was safe, 00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:27.120 it was the right place to be. 00:24:28.080 --> 00:24:29.220 Nothing was going to hurt them. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:30.560 And slowly, 00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:31.480 the company started 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:32.700 to go into a downfall. 00:24:34.780 --> 00:24:34.960 Now, 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:35.980 Avram was a smart man 00:24:35.980 --> 00:24:36.759 and he realized 00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:37.940 there was only one solution. 00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:41.140 And so he quit his job 00:24:41.140 --> 00:24:41.860 as CEO. 00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:44.800 He took a new job 00:24:44.800 --> 00:24:46.200 in the company 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:48.860 working at the part 00:24:48.860 --> 00:24:49.620 near the line 00:24:49.620 --> 00:24:50.340 where the explosion 00:24:50.340 --> 00:24:50.840 had happened. 00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:54.140 So he was the one 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:55.319 on the line closest 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:56.759 to where those two people 00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:57.120 had died. 00:24:57.180 --> 00:24:57.860 He came down 00:24:57.860 --> 00:24:59.059 from his privileged position 00:24:59.059 --> 00:24:59.740 as CEO 00:24:59.740 --> 00:25:01.920 and he took a new job 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.559 right by the side 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.180 of the explosion. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:06.640 Ten years later, 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:09.019 the chemical company 00:25:09.019 --> 00:25:09.660 was one of the most 00:25:09.660 --> 00:25:10.680 successful companies 00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:11.299 in Israel. 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:14.919 brothers and sisters, 00:25:15.659 --> 00:25:16.960 Jesus has shown us 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.960 by his example 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:19.059 that the way of suffering 00:25:19.059 --> 00:25:19.779 is safe. 00:25:21.319 --> 00:25:22.460 He is not 00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:23.139 a distant 00:25:23.139 --> 00:25:24.519 and divine CEO 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:25.839 who sends us 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:26.379 an email 00:25:26.379 --> 00:25:27.680 to let us know 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:28.460 that it's okay 00:25:28.460 --> 00:25:29.579 to suffer now. 00:25:31.159 --> 00:25:32.220 But instead, 00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:33.759 he left 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:35.240 his privileged position 00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:35.960 in heaven. 00:25:35.960 --> 00:25:38.220 He walked 00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:38.640 the way 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:39.360 of suffering 00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:40.600 before us 00:25:40.600 --> 00:25:42.220 so that we 00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:43.120 can follow him. 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:46.340 And he made 00:25:46.340 --> 00:25:47.039 it safe 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:48.279 for us. 00:25:51.480 --> 00:25:52.440 By the way, 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:53.400 unlike Avram 00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:54.460 who only solved 00:25:54.460 --> 00:25:55.180 the problem 00:25:55.180 --> 00:25:56.220 of the explosion, 00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:59.000 Jesus made 00:25:59.000 --> 00:25:59.740 it safe 00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:01.440 by taking 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:02.120 the full 00:26:02.120 --> 00:26:02.740 explosion 00:26:02.740 --> 00:26:03.840 of the penalty 00:26:03.840 --> 00:26:04.500 of sin 00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:05.859 on himself. 00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.700 Jesus is not 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:12.079 just our example. 00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:14.720 Peter goes on 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:15.160 to tell us 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:15.859 that he's also 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:16.920 our redeemer. 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:21.480 Jesus has made 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:22.660 suffering safe 00:26:22.660 --> 00:26:23.799 for his people. 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:26.500 And so we can do 00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:27.859 what Peter commands 00:26:27.859 --> 00:26:28.740 us to do here. 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:31.440 We can bear up 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:32.299 under suffering 00:26:32.299 --> 00:26:33.480 without striking back. 00:26:33.480 --> 00:26:34.599 We can hear 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:35.240 people speak 00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:36.279 poorly about us 00:26:36.279 --> 00:26:36.839 without speaking 00:26:36.839 --> 00:26:37.740 poorly about them 00:26:37.740 --> 00:26:38.420 because that's 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:39.299 what Jesus did. 00:26:41.460 --> 00:26:42.400 Peter is talking 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:43.360 about his journey 00:26:43.360 --> 00:26:44.599 to the cross. 00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:48.660 That's when 00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:49.319 he was reviled, 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:50.079 verse 23, 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:50.860 and didn't revile 00:26:50.860 --> 00:26:51.299 in turn. 00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:52.980 That's when he 00:26:52.980 --> 00:26:53.700 suffered and didn't 00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:53.980 threaten, 00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:54.700 but did what? 00:26:54.740 --> 00:26:55.240 He continued 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:56.099 entrusting himself 00:26:56.099 --> 00:26:57.019 to him who judges 00:26:57.019 --> 00:26:57.579 justly. 00:26:58.860 --> 00:26:59.720 Because Jesus 00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:00.259 is not just 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:00.920 our example, 00:27:01.319 --> 00:27:02.220 but also our 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:02.640 redeemer. 00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:03.900 We can trust 00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:04.160 him. 00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:06.140 We can follow 00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:06.420 him, 00:27:06.539 --> 00:27:07.120 and we can 00:27:07.120 --> 00:27:07.620 trust him. 00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:08.700 God never 00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:09.480 commands us 00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:10.140 to do something 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:10.680 that he doesn't 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:11.140 give us the 00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:12.360 power to do. 00:27:12.759 --> 00:27:13.420 And so just as 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:14.079 Jesus suffered 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:14.680 unjustly, 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:16.019 if we follow 00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:16.519 him in this 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:16.779 world, 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:17.519 we will suffer 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:18.480 unjustly as well. 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:19.920 As the 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:20.259 master, 00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:20.759 so his 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:21.079 servants. 00:27:22.360 --> 00:27:22.940 As the 00:27:22.940 --> 00:27:23.279 teacher, 00:27:23.700 --> 00:27:24.059 so his 00:27:24.059 --> 00:27:24.440 students. 00:27:27.120 --> 00:27:27.920 As Jesus, 00:27:28.539 --> 00:27:29.339 so us. 00:27:29.339 --> 00:27:34.059 verse 22, 00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:34.459 he spoke 00:27:34.459 --> 00:27:34.839 words that 00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:35.240 were true. 00:27:37.019 --> 00:27:37.879 Verse 23, 00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:38.339 when people 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:38.879 speak poorly 00:27:38.879 --> 00:27:39.319 about us 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:39.720 because we're 00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:40.119 Christians, 00:27:40.639 --> 00:27:41.139 we don't 00:27:41.139 --> 00:27:41.879 retaliate or 00:27:41.879 --> 00:27:42.419 threaten because 00:27:42.419 --> 00:27:42.779 that's not 00:27:42.779 --> 00:27:43.139 what Jesus 00:27:43.139 --> 00:27:43.480 did. 00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:46.059 Instead, 00:27:46.179 --> 00:27:46.779 verse 23, 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:48.039 we trusted 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:48.419 God. 00:27:50.899 --> 00:27:51.419 As I 00:27:51.419 --> 00:27:51.639 mentioned 00:27:51.639 --> 00:27:51.980 before, 00:27:52.079 --> 00:27:52.519 Jesus took 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:53.179 the explosion 00:27:53.179 --> 00:27:53.980 of sin. 00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:54.259 We're not 00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:54.779 just safe 00:27:54.779 --> 00:27:55.679 from suffering 00:27:55.679 --> 00:27:56.240 because of 00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:56.519 Jesus, 00:27:57.019 --> 00:27:57.679 but we're 00:27:57.679 --> 00:27:58.159 safe from 00:27:58.159 --> 00:27:58.619 the penalty 00:27:58.619 --> 00:27:59.119 of sin. 00:27:59.179 --> 00:27:59.439 And that's 00:27:59.439 --> 00:27:59.839 how Peter 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:01.379 ends these 00:28:01.379 --> 00:28:01.899 instructions. 00:28:03.719 --> 00:28:04.379 Verse 24, 00:28:04.539 --> 00:28:05.439 he himself bore 00:28:05.439 --> 00:28:06.479 our sins in 00:28:06.479 --> 00:28:07.199 his body on 00:28:07.199 --> 00:28:08.500 the tree that 00:28:08.500 --> 00:28:09.119 we might die 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:09.899 to sin and 00:28:09.899 --> 00:28:10.439 live to 00:28:10.439 --> 00:28:10.899 righteousness. 00:28:11.879 --> 00:28:12.679 By his 00:28:12.679 --> 00:28:13.379 wounds you 00:28:13.379 --> 00:28:13.719 have been 00:28:13.719 --> 00:28:14.099 healed. 00:28:16.199 --> 00:28:16.779 In other 00:28:16.779 --> 00:28:17.319 words, as I've 00:28:17.319 --> 00:28:17.759 said before, 00:28:17.859 --> 00:28:18.379 Jesus is not 00:28:18.379 --> 00:28:18.699 just our 00:28:18.699 --> 00:28:19.239 example, but 00:28:19.239 --> 00:28:19.559 he's our 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:19.879 redeemer. 00:28:19.979 --> 00:28:20.199 He didn't 00:28:20.199 --> 00:28:20.919 just live a 00:28:20.919 --> 00:28:22.019 life as a 00:28:22.019 --> 00:28:22.539 good example 00:28:22.539 --> 00:28:23.219 for us, but 00:28:23.219 --> 00:28:24.139 he also died 00:28:24.139 --> 00:28:24.659 a death. 00:28:25.879 --> 00:28:26.399 And when 00:28:26.399 --> 00:28:27.599 Jesus died a 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:27.979 death, 00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:29.420 that death 00:28:29.420 --> 00:28:30.259 took on 00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:30.900 to him 00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:31.599 the penalty 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:32.500 for the 00:28:32.500 --> 00:28:32.980 sins of 00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:33.460 people who 00:28:33.460 --> 00:28:34.019 have faith 00:28:34.019 --> 00:28:34.559 in Jesus 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:35.019 Christ. 00:28:36.680 --> 00:28:37.259 That's what 00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:37.700 it means when 00:28:37.700 --> 00:28:38.120 it says he 00:28:38.120 --> 00:28:38.700 bore our 00:28:38.700 --> 00:28:39.440 sins on 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:39.819 the tree. 00:28:41.539 --> 00:28:41.860 And that 00:28:41.860 --> 00:28:42.640 death doesn't 00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:43.259 just remove 00:28:43.259 --> 00:28:43.799 the penalty, 00:28:44.019 --> 00:28:44.640 but it's also 00:28:44.640 --> 00:28:45.579 what empowers 00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:46.380 us and 00:28:46.380 --> 00:28:47.079 enables us 00:28:47.079 --> 00:28:47.779 to obey 00:28:47.779 --> 00:28:48.700 God and 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:49.500 live righteously 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:50.059 even in the 00:28:50.059 --> 00:28:51.240 face of 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:51.700 opposition. 00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:52.559 And that's 00:28:52.559 --> 00:28:52.779 what it 00:28:52.779 --> 00:28:53.099 means when 00:28:53.099 --> 00:28:53.539 it says by 00:28:53.539 --> 00:28:54.140 his wounds 00:28:54.140 --> 00:28:54.640 you have 00:28:54.640 --> 00:28:55.120 been healed. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:58.739 God hasn't 00:28:58.739 --> 00:28:59.519 just solved 00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:00.000 the problem 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:00.279 of the 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:00.839 penalty of 00:29:00.839 --> 00:29:01.099 sin, 00:29:01.339 --> 00:29:02.500 he's also 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:03.019 taken away 00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:03.399 the problem 00:29:03.399 --> 00:29:03.639 of the 00:29:03.639 --> 00:29:04.179 power of 00:29:04.179 --> 00:29:04.419 sin. 00:29:07.239 --> 00:29:07.839 These are 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:08.639 hard words 00:29:08.639 --> 00:29:09.179 from Peter 00:29:09.179 --> 00:29:10.019 for us. 00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:10.579 It is not 00:29:10.579 --> 00:29:11.759 easy to 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:12.219 submit to 00:29:12.219 --> 00:29:12.419 bad 00:29:12.419 --> 00:29:12.819 authorities. 00:29:14.699 --> 00:29:15.339 And it's 00:29:15.339 --> 00:29:16.000 not easy 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:18.699 to suffer 00:29:18.699 --> 00:29:19.559 and put up 00:29:19.559 --> 00:29:19.919 with it when 00:29:19.919 --> 00:29:20.279 we suffer 00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:20.799 unjustly, 00:29:20.859 --> 00:29:21.319 but we do 00:29:21.319 --> 00:29:22.879 it because 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.440 Jesus did 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:25.000 it and 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:25.480 we're able 00:29:25.480 --> 00:29:25.880 to do 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:26.880 it because 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:27.500 Jesus now 00:29:27.500 --> 00:29:27.880 gives us 00:29:27.880 --> 00:29:28.360 the power 00:29:28.360 --> 00:29:28.860 that comes 00:29:28.860 --> 00:29:29.300 from his 00:29:29.300 --> 00:29:29.780 resurrection. 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:32.320 And so 00:29:32.320 --> 00:29:32.660 one of the 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:34.260 fears that 00:29:34.260 --> 00:29:34.960 happens when 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:35.520 we talk about 00:29:35.520 --> 00:29:36.080 Jesus as our 00:29:36.080 --> 00:29:37.560 example is 00:29:37.560 --> 00:29:38.020 the fear of 00:29:38.020 --> 00:29:38.280 crushing 00:29:38.280 --> 00:29:38.900 moralism. 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:39.300 People think 00:29:39.300 --> 00:29:39.900 if we put 00:29:39.900 --> 00:29:40.660 Jesus as our 00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:40.960 example, 00:29:41.040 --> 00:29:41.260 we're just 00:29:41.260 --> 00:29:41.540 going to be 00:29:41.540 --> 00:29:41.900 crushed. 00:29:44.020 --> 00:29:44.580 And if 00:29:44.580 --> 00:29:45.280 Jesus was 00:29:45.280 --> 00:29:45.780 just our 00:29:45.780 --> 00:29:46.120 example, 00:29:46.280 --> 00:29:46.720 we would 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:47.380 be crushed. 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:50.220 But Jesus 00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:51.200 is not just 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:51.940 our example. 00:29:51.940 --> 00:29:52.600 He's also 00:29:52.600 --> 00:29:53.279 our Savior 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:54.120 and as we're 00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:54.580 told here, 00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:55.200 our healer. 00:29:55.460 --> 00:29:55.740 It's by 00:29:55.740 --> 00:29:56.200 his wounds 00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:56.500 that we're 00:29:56.500 --> 00:29:56.759 healed. 00:29:59.140 --> 00:29:59.680 And so 00:29:59.680 --> 00:29:59.940 we don't 00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:00.600 follow Jesus' 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:02.340 example afraid 00:30:02.340 --> 00:30:02.740 that we're 00:30:02.740 --> 00:30:03.140 going to fall 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:03.600 short and 00:30:03.600 --> 00:30:04.160 face God's 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:04.480 judgment. 00:30:06.019 --> 00:30:06.759 But instead 00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:07.460 God gives us 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:08.240 the power to 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:09.279 follow Jesus' 00:30:09.480 --> 00:30:10.120 example because 00:30:10.120 --> 00:30:10.920 of what Jesus 00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:11.660 has done for 00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:12.580 us in his 00:30:12.580 --> 00:30:13.580 death and 00:30:13.580 --> 00:30:14.160 his resurrection. 00:30:15.860 --> 00:30:16.400 And then 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:16.680 we're told 00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.259 finally in 00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:18.059 verse 25, 00:30:19.019 --> 00:30:19.480 not only have 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:20.059 we been healed, 00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:20.779 verse 24, 00:30:20.980 --> 00:30:21.200 but, 00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:22.220 we were 00:30:22.220 --> 00:30:22.860 straying like 00:30:22.860 --> 00:30:23.440 sheep but 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:23.820 have now 00:30:23.820 --> 00:30:24.600 returned to 00:30:24.600 --> 00:30:25.160 the shepherd 00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:26.580 and overseer 00:30:26.580 --> 00:30:27.620 of our souls. 00:30:28.600 --> 00:30:29.420 So we're not 00:30:29.420 --> 00:30:30.160 just walking 00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:31.019 the example 00:30:31.019 --> 00:30:31.539 of Jesus, 00:30:32.320 --> 00:30:32.920 but we're 00:30:32.920 --> 00:30:33.720 also returning 00:30:33.720 --> 00:30:34.840 to Jesus. 00:30:36.460 --> 00:30:37.340 And that is 00:30:37.340 --> 00:30:37.779 something that 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:38.519 also empowers 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:39.440 us and makes 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:40.480 us able to 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:41.019 follow Jesus' 00:30:41.220 --> 00:30:41.480 example. 00:30:41.600 --> 00:30:42.000 Think about it 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:42.380 this way. 00:30:43.420 --> 00:30:44.120 We have 00:30:44.120 --> 00:30:44.640 Shine Meadows 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:45.500 Park that I've 00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:46.500 mentioned a few 00:30:46.500 --> 00:30:46.960 times. 00:30:47.539 --> 00:30:48.180 It's just a 00:30:48.180 --> 00:30:48.660 stone's throw 00:30:48.660 --> 00:30:49.259 from here right 00:30:49.259 --> 00:30:49.920 next to Otero 00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:50.279 Elementary. 00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:51.579 That's one 00:30:51.579 --> 00:30:51.960 place you 00:30:51.960 --> 00:30:52.379 could take a 00:30:52.379 --> 00:30:53.139 walk in 00:30:53.139 --> 00:30:53.879 Colorado Springs. 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:55.680 You could also 00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:56.279 go to Manitou 00:30:56.279 --> 00:30:56.899 Springs and walk 00:30:56.899 --> 00:30:57.420 the incline, 00:30:58.559 --> 00:31:00.039 which is 00:31:00.039 --> 00:31:01.420 straight up 00:31:01.420 --> 00:31:01.879 for one 00:31:01.879 --> 00:31:02.160 mile. 00:31:03.139 --> 00:31:03.379 Now, 00:31:03.440 --> 00:31:03.980 which walk 00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:04.279 would you 00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:04.819 rather take 00:31:04.819 --> 00:31:05.079 if you had 00:31:05.079 --> 00:31:05.460 to choose 00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:05.960 right now? 00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:06.899 There's a 00:31:06.899 --> 00:31:07.559 group from 00:31:07.559 --> 00:31:07.920 the church 00:31:07.920 --> 00:31:08.180 we're going 00:31:08.180 --> 00:31:08.460 to break 00:31:08.460 --> 00:31:08.920 into halves, 00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:09.220 we'll just 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:09.619 break right 00:31:09.619 --> 00:31:09.940 here in the 00:31:09.940 --> 00:31:10.079 middle. 00:31:10.180 --> 00:31:10.519 Some of us 00:31:10.519 --> 00:31:10.720 are going 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:11.039 to go into 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:11.519 Shine Meadows, 00:31:11.619 --> 00:31:11.980 some of us 00:31:11.980 --> 00:31:12.160 are going 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:12.519 to go hike 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:12.920 the incline, 00:31:12.980 --> 00:31:13.180 we're not 00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:13.400 changing 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:13.779 clothes. 00:31:18.460 --> 00:31:19.139 Clear answer, 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:19.359 right? 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:20.339 Some of you 00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:20.480 are going 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:20.779 to shift 00:31:20.779 --> 00:31:21.019 to the 00:31:21.019 --> 00:31:21.519 Shine Meadows 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:21.859 team. 00:31:25.379 --> 00:31:25.879 But what 00:31:25.879 --> 00:31:26.440 if I told 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:27.139 you that 00:31:27.139 --> 00:31:27.639 Jesus was 00:31:27.639 --> 00:31:27.859 at the 00:31:27.859 --> 00:31:28.220 top of 00:31:28.220 --> 00:31:28.339 the 00:31:28.339 --> 00:31:28.779 incline? 00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:34.019 When we 00:31:34.019 --> 00:31:34.559 walk the 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:34.960 path of 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:35.319 suffering 00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:35.879 following 00:31:35.879 --> 00:31:36.480 after Jesus' 00:31:36.700 --> 00:31:37.079 example, 00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:38.279 we are 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:38.759 also 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:39.559 straying 00:31:39.559 --> 00:31:40.039 sheep who 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:40.339 are now 00:31:40.339 --> 00:31:40.900 returning to 00:31:40.900 --> 00:31:41.319 the shepherd 00:31:41.319 --> 00:31:42.119 and overseer 00:31:42.119 --> 00:31:42.439 of our 00:31:42.439 --> 00:31:42.779 souls. 00:31:43.939 --> 00:31:44.700 We're able 00:31:44.700 --> 00:31:45.259 to walk 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:45.759 the path 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:46.179 that Jesus 00:31:46.179 --> 00:31:47.259 walked because 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:47.700 it's the 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:48.519 path that 00:31:48.519 --> 00:31:49.099 leads to 00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:49.480 Jesus. 00:31:52.200 --> 00:31:52.899 And the 00:31:52.899 --> 00:31:53.740 path matters 00:31:53.740 --> 00:31:54.980 far less 00:31:54.980 --> 00:31:56.740 when we know 00:31:56.740 --> 00:31:57.200 it's at the 00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:57.659 end of the 00:31:57.659 --> 00:31:58.200 destination. 00:32:02.619 --> 00:32:03.419 And so we 00:32:03.419 --> 00:32:04.179 follow Jesus 00:32:04.179 --> 00:32:04.939 in his 00:32:04.939 --> 00:32:05.279 suffering. 00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:07.419 We do it 00:32:07.419 --> 00:32:08.259 because Jesus 00:32:08.259 --> 00:32:08.679 suffered. 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:10.839 We're able 00:32:10.839 --> 00:32:11.379 to do it 00:32:11.379 --> 00:32:11.959 because his 00:32:11.959 --> 00:32:12.679 suffering was 00:32:12.679 --> 00:32:13.559 for us. 00:32:15.419 --> 00:32:16.220 And so 00:32:16.220 --> 00:32:17.679 we suffer 00:32:17.679 --> 00:32:18.679 for him. 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:20.959 We suffer 00:32:20.959 --> 00:32:21.419 for the 00:32:21.419 --> 00:32:22.240 Savior who 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:23.220 suffered for 00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:23.579 us. 00:32:24.899 --> 00:32:25.519 And so it's 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:25.819 with that 00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:26.399 hope that we 00:32:26.399 --> 00:32:26.879 come to 00:32:26.879 --> 00:32:27.240 worship him. 00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:27.439 With that 00:32:27.439 --> 00:32:27.740 hope we're 00:32:27.740 --> 00:32:27.980 going to head 00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:28.299 into our 00:32:28.299 --> 00:32:29.419 closing hymns. 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:29.859 But I ask 00:32:29.859 --> 00:32:30.299 you before we 00:32:30.299 --> 00:32:30.779 do that to 00:32:30.779 --> 00:32:31.500 join me in 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:31.699 prayer. 00:32:32.200 --> 00:32:32.539 and so 00:32:32.539 --> 00:32:33.039 for them. 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:33.700 I'm 00:32:34.039 --> 00:32:34.640 going to 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:36.580 love you. 00:32:36.620 --> 00:32:37.279 And so 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:38.539 I'm going to 00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:38.960 wait. 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:41.200 And so 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:41.640 this 00:32:41.640 --> 00:32:41.840 is 00:32:41.840 --> 00:32:42.279 wearing 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:42.340 the 00:32:42.340 --> 00:32:43.319 severity 00:32:43.319 --> 00:32:44.120 watergy 00:32:44.120 --> 00:32:44.319 Thornton.