Can I put a plug in for working bees too?
In our last parish, the last parish I was in,
we did two a year and working bees were one of the really great fun days of the year
because we put the list up like we've got out here.
We'd offer people the opportunity to take responsibility for one job
so you didn't have to do everything and you didn't have somebody
leaning over your shoulder telling you how to do it.
You could just do it, which was really good.
And we'd have a barbecue or something together in the middle to celebrate,
but just good fun, lots of good conversations,
but really helpful to the overall what's going on around the place.
So I think I know that you'd take a great weight off Dave Lawrence's mind
if you're getting in touch with him and saying,
I can do this job, I'll do this job and split the day up like that,
but I'll have fun as well.
So just great.
I'm going to pray.
Heavenly Father, as we come to your word now
and a passage which in many ways is a difficult passage for us,
please speak to us by your spirit.
Speak to our hearts and minds that you would be transforming us in Christ
and growing us in his image to your glory.
Amen.
Darian Klintos took us into 1 Peter 2 last week
and the first seven verses of chapter 3 were part of the passage
that we were going to deal with and we plan to deal with
and anybody in a small group will know it was part of the same study.
And it's 1 Peter 2 is a passage which tells Christians
how to live submissively under all sorts of governments and employers,
both for good and for bad.
Governments and employers that are good for you,
governments and employers that maybe are quite difficult for you.
And so we were urged to live lives of faithful submission
grounded in the life which Jesus himself lived.
Called to patient endurance
and we are encouraged that it is actually commendable
before God to bear up in the face of unjust suffering.
Now, Darian did a really neat sidestep.
He just stepped right away from the one, the third area of submission,
family life, wives and husbands.
He didn't enter into that, he just left that hanging.
Although, to be fair to him, it was with permission.
And he's gone away for the weekend with Vanessa.
He and Vanessa were going to be here today
but somebody in their family gave them a weekend away up at Terrigal
and we think that's just a blessing for them
and glad for them to be able to enjoy it.
It begins, verse 1, chapter 3.
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands
so that if any of them do not believe the word
they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives
when they see the purity and the reverence of your lives.
We ventured into this passage in Bible study the other week
and one of our lovely women said in really quite a lovely way,
it's very hard to read this passage without it sounding like sit.
So this is not about men and women generally.
You might have a female boss at work.
In fact, your wife might have a higher power job than you
but this is when you come back into a family.
If you've got a female boss at work,
if you work for your wife at work and she's your boss at work,
you will submit to her leadership in the workplace
on the basis of what Peter says in chapter 2.
But chapter 3 is a journey into family life
and this is about submissive lives within the family,
husbands and wives.
Chapter 2 taught that God is a God of order.
He brings peace out of chaos.
He brings restoration to a broken world.
He brings order to society through government.
He brings order to the workplace
and now in chapter 3,
he teaches that God brings order to family life.
He gives us a framework in which to conduct our relationships.
Submission is a dirty word for many of us.
It sounds even worse when it comes from the mouth of a man.
And there are many unhappy overtones and all sorts of issues for us.
But listen to what the Bible says.
Wives,
Wives, be submissive, yield, give way to your husbands.
He has two types of husband and wife.
A husband who isn't a believer and one who is.
And his hope is that a wife with an unbelieving husband
will win him to Christ by her behaviour.
Not by her words,
by her behaviour.
It's a specific example of chapter 2, verse 12.
Living such good lives among the nations
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
I've seen this happen.
My best friend was won to Christ
because his wife regarded this first.
He has become a wonderful Christian leader in his family and church
because of his wife's witness to him.
It was a joy for her
when her husband came to Christ and grew in him
and she deliberately stepped back from spiritual leadership in her family
as she encouraged her husband to take up the reins
and to lead spiritually because of her...
She did that because of her relationship with Christ.
I've seen the opposite.
I have seen women in churches
disrespecting their husbands in such a way
that they completely undermine their witness.
They nag them.
They complain about them.
They belittle them.
And then they wonder and wring their hands
when their husbands won't go anywhere near the church.
Wives, in the same way,
be submissive to your husbands
so that if any of them do not believe the word,
they may be won over without words
by the behaviour of their wives
when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
Now, I reckon by about now,
there should be a growing underbelly of what if.
You know, what about my friend who's in this situation
and what about where I've been?
And I just want to say before we go there,
let's read the next bit, verse 3.
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,
such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewellery and fine clothes.
Instead, it should be that of your inner self,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is of great worth in God's sight.
For this is the way the holy women of the past
who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.
They were submissive to their own husbands,
like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master.
I'm hoping that's not contentious,
maybe the last bit, but the bulk of it,
because it's all about inner beauty being much more important than outer show.
And that's totally consistent with the Gospels,
where God always says that what's on the inside matters more than externals.
And to put it crudely, the world's always trying to make,
dress up mutton as lamb.
You go to the top level of the chase and you buy the branded clothes.
Maybe you don't.
Maybe you do.
Or you shop a lower level, something like that, a level lower.
Designer jeans, accessories, having the right look, having the right label.
In some communities, it's all about having the right set of tattoos
and the right set of piercings.
In terms of how we present ourselves to one another.
But Peter says it's what's on the inside that matters, not the outside.
A friend of mine told me about his university ministry.
And this goes back 30 years.
And he was discipling a young man and he was preparing him for leadership
within the university fellowship.
And the young bloke wanted the old bloke's wisdom
about a girl that he was thinking of asking out,
who looked pretty good.
She was the hot one.
And the old bloke said that he thought another woman that they both knew
would make a wonderful partner.
And the young bloke said, but she looks pretty ugly.
Now, I know that woman.
I know the ugly one.
Not my wife.
We both know her.
And I've got to tell you that she is full of inner beauty.
And her inner beauty makes her outer beauty quite lovely as well.
She radiates Christ.
And in that conversation, the young bloke went down a lot of notches
in the eyes of his mentor.
Because all he could see was outer beauty.
He couldn't see the precious beauty and the shine and the witness of the woman
that he called ugly.
Peter says, inner beauty over outward adornment.
And then he says, you are her daughters, speaking about Sarah,
if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
And I think that little line gives away something.
I think it gives away the fact that he understands that there is pain
in what he is teaching here.
Peter understands that a woman might have a whole lot of fears
about submitting to her husband.
And he says, do not give way to fear.
And I'm confident when I talk to this congregation,
just like when I spoke to 8.30 this morning and my wife was sitting there,
that there are women here who know how painful it can be
submitting to a man who thought that it was all about him.
We've had to sort that out in our marriage sometimes.
And I think we'll probably have to do it again.
It's not a problem solved forever and ever.
I sat with a Christian counsellor a while back
and I talked to her about this passage.
I actually said, do I've got to get up and preach this on Sunday?
What am I going to say?
What are a wife's fears in submitting to her husband?
And she said things like having wounded hearts,
wives who've been injured mentally,
wives who've been abused emotionally,
wives who have been mistreated sexually,
wives who have lost a sense of self
as their marriage becomes all about her husband, the husband.
And she said there will be people sitting in your congregation
who will be angered and distressed by the word submission
because they have been hurt.
And she said men and women wrongly interpret submission
as being...
I was going hell for leather making notes while she was talking.
But she said men and women...
..said men and women wrongly interpret submission
as being a doormat,
doing whatever he asks.
And it's not about that.
We need to be ourselves within our relationship.
We need to be able to say when we're tired
and when we're hurt and when we're lonely.
We need to feel safe with our spouse
to be able to reveal deep needs
and feelings and longings.
And if your spouse opens up
and says things that reflect badly on you,
are you able to hear them
and still affirm your love for them?
Or do you shut them down
because you cannot bear to hear
how you impact on them?
And she said husbands and wives' hearts are sinful.
There's often a struggle over roles and place in a marriage.
She said if people would listen to God's word
and understand that he is a God of order,
marriage can be a delightfully safe place
where a husband and a wife
can know wonderful security
with one another and with God.
A husband who leads and loves,
who brings harmony and peace and safety
as he submits to Christ
and serves his family.
It's really interesting
but Peter speaks a specific word to husbands.
He doesn't say anything to our governments.
He doesn't say anything to employers.
But he does speak to husbands.
Verse 7,
Husbands, in the same way be considerate
as you live with your wives
and treat them with respect
as the weaker partner
and as heirs with you
of the gracious gift of life
so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Husbands, it's not all about you.
Be considerate to your other.
Treat them with respect.
He states the obvious
to call wives the weaker partner.
It's men who overpower women in violent crime.
Men and women do not compete equally in most sports
because of physical difference.
Women have a body clock
which is attuned to conceiving and bearing children.
Be considerate.
Recognise your wife for who she is.
Love her.
Find out and understand her needs
and her desires
and ask her what her fears are.
Regard her.
Be considerate.
And realise
that in spiritual matters
we are co-heirs
of the gracious gift of life.
We are full equals
in terms of God's salvation
and place in his kingdom.
One of the big fears
of this passage for a wife
is what her husband might do
with this teaching.
So you go home from the sermon this morning
and you march into your house
and you take control
and you rule the roost
and demand what you want
and when you want it
and there are too many stories
of husbands reminding the wife
of what she should be giving him.
My stomach still churns
about the man who said to me,
a Christian man
or the man at church
who said to me
he wasn't getting
what he was entitled to
in his marriage
and he was a Christian man
and he was talking about sex
and he was aggrieved
because he saw it as his right.
You can't take something like that.
It has to be given
and it's not going to be given
in the way that God intended
if it is demanded.
Marriage actually happens
I don't know if you thought of this
but marriage happens
when a wife chooses
to yield to a man
and to accept marriage.
That's one of the reasons
why it's very, very important
that you be careful
about who you say yes to
and do not undersell yourself.
See, I've got a little bet with myself.
I bet 95% of the women
in our church family
who are married
or who have been married
you waited for a goose like me
to summon up the courage
and take the initiative
to ask you.
Is that true?
Anybody ask their husband?
I'm not going to slam you for doing it.
There's nothing wrong with that
but did you do it?
Who took the initiative?
And who responded
to the initiator?
You waited for a man to initiate
you wanted him to lead
if you are still married
I'm sure you would love him to lead
with deep consideration
of who you are
and that may not be so.
And it may be that you live with deep pain
because your husband is failing
to be considerate to you.
And it may also be
that you are a man
who is struggling to lead
in a godly way in your family
because you have a wife
who doesn't think
she should ever give way to you.
My counselling friend said
you have to remember
that both men and women
have sinful hearts
when it comes to responding
to the word of God
and the will of God.
It is a spiritual problem.
Submission doesn't come easily
to any of us
but it can be
an incredible witness
to Christ
and I think you see that
throughout the rest
of chapter 3.
So verse 8
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 actually saying
lives of submission
bring an overall
harmony to relationships.
Remember he's summing up
submission to government
submission in the workplace
submission in the family
and so we are called
to relationships
which are driven
by love
where compassion
and humility
drive our dealings
with each other.
We've been talking
a lot about these things
when speaking about
the core values
of our church.
we've been talking
about things
like humble authenticity
treasuring Jesus
together
servant leadership.
The contrast
is really ugly
revenge
evil for evil
insult for insult
it's all about me
with no love
or care for you.
If we know Christ
our faith
should lead
to a transforming
of our relationships.
And 1 Peter 3
goes on to say
that there is
an even better
foundation
by loving
and submissive
relationships.
It makes us winsome.
It makes us people
that other people
are drawn to
and they want to know
why we are
like we are.
What is it
that's different
about you people?
Verse 14
Even if you suffer
for what is right
you are blessed.
Do not fear
what they fear
do not be frightened
but in your hearts
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
keeping a clear
conscience
so that those
who speak maliciously
against your good
behaviour in Christ
may be ashamed
of their slander.
Don't fear
what other people
fear
don't be frightened
when a government
official
or an employer
or a spouse
treats you unjustly
in a relationship
do not fear them.
Live with Christ
set apart
as Lord
in your heart.
Whenever we're
oppressed
or experiencing
injustice
he's saying
there's a bigger
reality
Jesus Christ
is Lord
and our experiences
are not outside
of his rule
and they're not
outside of his authority
and Peter reassures
us a number of times
that it is commendable
to God
when we bear up
under injustice
in fact
we walk
in the footsteps
of Christ himself.
I only noticed
it just now
as we read
the first Bible
reading
from Psalm 34
Psalm 34
is quoted
heaps
throughout this passage
but in Psalm 34
he's speaking
to people
who are
bearing injustice
and he's saying
trust God
hang in there
and Peter's doing
exactly the same
here
verse 15
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
people will notice
our hope
they will see
that we're different
when we endure
injustice
and they will want
to know why
why aren't we afraid
when living
in oppressive
circumstances
enduring difficulty
opens up opportunity
to confess
our faith in Christ
how we handle
difficulty
is a powerful
part of our
witness
in Acts chapter
16
Paul and Silas
are unjustly
thrown in prison
because their
preaching's been
bad for business
the silversmiths
aren't able to
sell their little
trinkets
of the temple
of Diana
and so they're
chained to God
and they're singing
praises to God
and singing praises
to God
in the middle
of the night
and an earthquake
brings the jail
down
and the jailer's
about to do
himself in
because he thinks
they've all shot
through
and Paul says
don't do that
we're all here
we haven't gone
he could have
escaped
he could have
justified himself
by thinking
well the earthquake
's from God's hand
God's tool
to release me
and I'm out of here
but instead
he lived such a good
life before an
unbeliever
that the jailer
was brought to
Christ
he came to
Christ through
Paul and Silas
is suffering
I read a wonderful
little book
recently
Philip Yancey's
you know
what good is God
that's a fairly new
one
it's a kurong
you'll find all
over the place
but the first
chapter is worth
the price of the
book
he says that
Jesus is able
to redeem
evil
so Christ
is not thwarted
by the circumstances
of our lives
he's able to
redeem evil
in your heart
set apart
Christ as Lord
I know a family
living a new
life in Christ
in Queensland
I think they've
been there for
about 12 years
so they've got a
track record
a good track record
and the husband
lived up to his
mother-in-law's
hateful expectations
and I tell you
she was a buzzard
and he was
unfaithful to his
wife
can I say that
yeah she was a
buzzard
she was
he lived up
to the unfaithful
expectations
of his
mother-in-law
he was
unfaithful
to his
wife
he humiliated
his wife
in his
community
by his
behaviour
and she
would have
been
entirely
justified
in leaving
him
but instead
she sought
to honour
Christ
in the
oppressive
circumstances
of her
marriage
and that
man was
brought to
Christ
and he
has grown
in Christ
because of
a wife
who loved
him
despite his
offences
against her
by the
grace
and kindness
of God
she has
modelled
love
and mercy
and forgiveness
in such a way
that he
recommitted
his life
to Christ
and to her
and she
has brought
much hope
to other
women
in circumstances
similar to
her own
but her
hope
was not
in her
cheating
wreck of a
husband
her hope
was in
Christ
who
redeemed
the
evil
in her
life
and in
the
process
redeemed
her
husband
as well
all glory
to the
Lord
Jesus
and that's
how this
whole passage
finishes
it finishes
in the work
of Christ
and with a
powerful reminder
that the whole
created order
will finish
his existence
in submission
to him
verse 18
Christ
died for
sins
once for
all
the
righteous
for the
unrighteous
to bring
you to
God
he was 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
God
waited
patiently
in the
days of
Noah
while the
ark was
being built
and in
it only a
few people
ate in
all
were saved
through
water
and this
water
symbolises
baptism
that now
saves you
also
not the
removal of
dirt from
the body
but the
pledge of
a good
conscience
towards
God
it saves
you by
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
Christ
who
has
gone
into
heaven
and
is
at
God's
right
hand
with
angels
authorities
and
powers
in
submission
to
him
passages
are
full of
Old
Testament
understandings
particularly
Psalm
53
54
and
61
and
one
line
in
particular
is
perhaps
or
arguably
the
most
difficult
passage
in
the
New
Testament
verse
19
at
face
value
it
sounds
like
Jesus
went
and
preached
to
the
dead
between
his
death
on
the
cross
and
resurrection
it's
a
verse
that
Roman
Catholics
used
to
justify
their
teaching
on
purgatory
a
place
where
people
go
before
the
final
judgment
of
God
a
place
that
they
can
still
be
redeemed
from
if
they
get
a
change
of
heart
and
it
also
seems
to
fit
with
the
apostles
creed
which
we
often
recite
he
descended
into
hell
and
on
the
third
day
rose
from
the
dead
probably
a
better
translation
is
he
descended
to
the
place
of
the
dead
she
all
and
I
think
I
just
want
to
say
quickly
that
I
think
all
those
interpretations
including
the
creed
are
wrong
I
don't
understand
everything
here
and
so
I'll
tell you
what
I
think
I
do
understand
and
leave
some
of
the
rest
unsolved
but
I
can
give
you
afterwards
an
article
which
helped
me
in my
thinking
for this
sermon
and
maybe
it's
helpful
for
you
but
I
think
imprisoned
spirits
are
us
before
we
belong
to
Christ
before
Christ
was
revealed
in
Ephesians
chapter
2
Paul
says
you
me
and
everyone
else
that's
everybody
were
dead
in
their
trespasses
and
sins
we
were
imprisoned
by
death
we
were
captive
to
the
grave
and
in
a
sense
all
the
people
of
the
Old
Testament
went
to
the
place
of
the
dead
Sheol
without
seeing
the
great
work
of
Christ
which
was
still
future
for
them
and
so
imprisonment
is a
way
of
referring
to
the
status
of
believers
in
the
Old
Testament
who
died
without
seeing
the
wonderful
work
of
salvation
which
God
did
in
the
death
and
resurrection
and
ascension
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
1
Peter
1
said
concerning
this
salvation
the
prophets
who
spoke
of
the
grace
that
was
to
come
to
you
searched
intently
and
with
the
greatest
care
trying
to
find
out
the
time
and
the
circumstances
to
which
the
spirit
of
Christ
in
them
was
pointing
when
he
predicted
the
sufferings
of
Christ
and
the
glories
that
would
follow
they
were
earnestly
looking
forward
for
what
God
was
going
to
do
without
actually
seeing
it
Jesus
arrives
on the
scene
in
Luke
chapter
4
he
quotes
Isaiah
61
he
announces
his
ministry
and
he
says
the
spirit
of
the
Lord
is
on
me
because
he
has
anointed
me
to
preach
good
news
to
the
poor
he
sent
me
to
proclaim
freedom
for
the
prisoners
and
recovery
of
sight
for
the
blind
to
release
the
oppressed
to
proclaim
the
year
of
the
Lord's
favour
and
then
in
Luke
chapter
7
Jesus
confirms
his
ministry
to
John
the
Baptist
John's
getting
the
wobblies
is
Jesus
the
one
who
was
to
come
he's
sitting
in
his
jail
cell
he's
thinking
are
you
the
one
or
should
we
be
expecting
another
and
Jesus
sends
a
message
back
to
him
go
back
and
report
to
John
what
you
have
seen
and
what
you
have
heard
the
blind
receive
sight
the
lame
walk
those
who
have
leprosy
are
cured
the
deaf
hear
the
dead
are
raised
and
good
news
is
preached
to
the
poor
and
in
both
places
Jesus
quotes
or
alludes
to
Isaiah
61
so
the
New
Testament
is
telling
us
in
a
number
of
places
including
here
in
1
Peter
that
the
Spirit
of
Christ
proclaimed
Jesus
in
the
Old
Testament
Isaiah
61
is
now
fulfilled
in
the
ministry
of
Jesus
the
hope
of
the
Old
Testament
believers
has
now
become
reality
through
Jesus
the
Spirit
of
Christ
empowered
Jesus
ministry
during
his
time
on
earth
the
Spirit
of
Christ
raised
him
from
the
dead
after
Calvary
Christ
has
gone
into
heaven
and
everything
is
in
submission
to
him
and
so
Noah
pops
up
and
Noah
is
an
example
it
depends
where you
put
the
full
stop
here
but
Noah
is
an
example
of
patient
waiting
judgment
that
ark
the
whole
community
is
hearing
the
gospel
God's
judgment
is
coming
save
yourself
from
the
wrath
to
come
they
all
hear
the
gospel
and
it's
as
they
will
this
is
stupid
is
God's
word
going
to
be
fulfilled
but
the
day
comes
and
eight
people
are
saved
God's
word
is
faithful
and
those
who
trust
in
him
were
absolutely
safe
chapter
three
is
an
incredibly
difficult
passage
you know
submission
to
wives
by
wives
to
husband
followed
by
Jesus
preaching
to
imprisoned
spirits
it's
a
doozy
and
I've
rushed
across
the
last
bit
but
I
want
you
to
see
the
big
picture
again
submission
is
not
a
dirty
word
the
believers
are
urged
to
live
wisely
and
harmoniously
in a
world
in which
they do
not
belong
strangers
and
aliens
we
belong
to
the
Lord
Jesus
and
our
journey
here
strangers
and
aliens
as
we
are
may
experience
a
peaceable
government
we
may
experience
a
peaceable
workplace
we
may
experience
a
peaceable
marriage
or we
may
not
we
may
experience
injustice
from
government
injustice
in
the
workplace
injustice
in
marriage
and
if
we
do
how
we
handle
it
is
a
powerful
part
of
our
witness
to
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
he
is
the
one
who
powerfully
releases
us
from
the
captivity
of
sin
and
death
by
his
resurrection
he
is
the
one
who
now
reigns
supreme
over
all
creation
including
our
oppressors
strong
overtones
of
philippians
chapter
two
at
the
name
of
Jesus
every
knee
will
bow
in
heaven
and
on
earth
and
under
the
earth
and
every
tongue
confess
that
Jesus
Christ
is
Lord
to
the
glory
of
God
the
father
I
think
Peter
is
saying
that
God
knows
every
difficulty
that
we
live
with
now
he
promises
that
we
will
be
safe
with
him
then
and
there
is
every
reason
for
hope
and
patient
endurance
even
in the
most
difficult
of
circumstances
now
Amen