WEBVTT 00:00:03.032 --> 00:00:11.233 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. 00:00:11.233 --> 00:00:21.600 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 00:00:27.565 --> 00:00:30.033 Well, good morning, Valley View. 00:00:30.033 --> 00:00:31.199 Great to be with you today. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.765 As we continue in our study of First Peter, we're going to be in chapter two. 00:00:35.765 --> 00:00:38.399 You can open your Bible, turn there to chapter two. 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:40.165 We're going to read a couple of verses to start. 00:00:40.165 --> 00:00:43.200 If you don't have a Bible, we have those out in the connection corner. 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:45.133 You can slip out at any time and grab one. 00:00:45.133 --> 00:00:46.600 Those are free for you. 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:52.432 And if you grab one of those Bibles in particular, the page numbers on the screen match up with that Bible. 00:00:52.432 --> 00:00:54.899 So we'll be in First Peter chapter two. 00:00:54.899 --> 00:01:05.099 And if you would turn to page nine, something I think it is in that church Bible, and I'm going to read verse 11 and 12 to start us first Peter chapter two, verse 11 and 12. 00:01:06.733 --> 00:01:20.299 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:39.632 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:51.000 Not too long ago, there was a gentleman walking through our neighborhood, and a friend of mine who was an FBI agent said, if someone looks crazy, there's a reason. 00:01:51.632 --> 00:01:53.700 And this guy look crazy. 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:57.132 He was very sketchy and it became obvious to me. 00:01:57.132 --> 00:02:01.266 And what was really interesting was how many neighbors picked up on this very quickly. 00:02:01.266 --> 00:02:03.900 You see him hovering around their front window. 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:07.665 You know, people who are normally never come out are on the front porch. 00:02:07.665 --> 00:02:09.633 People are down in their yard. 00:02:09.633 --> 00:02:12.699 Neighbor after neighbor is going, this guy doesn't belong here. 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:13.566 What is going on? 00:02:13.566 --> 00:02:15.300 Trying to ascertain what is he up to? 00:02:15.300 --> 00:02:16.233 Why is he here? 00:02:16.233 --> 00:02:19.900 One guy just ended up walking right out and saying, hey, hey, we know you don't live here. 00:02:19.900 --> 00:02:21.900 You need to go on somewhere else. 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:24.233 They just told him, get out of here. 00:02:24.233 --> 00:02:25.366 You don't belong. 00:02:27.400 --> 00:02:29.099 One thing about that that's interesting. 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:31.300 When you're in some place, you don't belong. 00:02:31.300 --> 00:02:35.366 When you're in some place you're not from, people take notice. 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:38.966 People are going to be watching you more carefully. 00:02:38.966 --> 00:02:40.800 People want to see what are you up to? 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.032 What are your actions about? 00:02:42.032 --> 00:02:44.633 What are your intentions? 00:02:44.633 --> 00:02:53.665 Peter talks about this today in terms of us as believers in a world where we don't really belong, in a world that's not our true home. 00:02:53.665 --> 00:02:55.832 People are going to watch you. 00:02:55.832 --> 00:02:57.932 People are wondering, what are you up to? 00:02:57.932 --> 00:03:00.932 People are wondering, what are you about? 00:03:01.332 --> 00:03:11.765 Now Peter has been all about and you saw on the screen, how do we find joy in the midst of suffering and the suffering in particular in the Peter a book, uh, in the book of Peter is persecution. 00:03:12.966 --> 00:03:17.032 They're persecuting Christians because they don't belong. 00:03:18.066 --> 00:03:21.366 What Peter's going to talk about today is how do you live in light of that? 00:03:21.366 --> 00:03:31.733 How do I still maintain a godly witness in the midst of the persecution while people are watching, while people are wondering, what are you up to? 00:03:31.733 --> 00:03:37.066 We're going to see two specific ways here that our witness is our works. 00:03:37.566 --> 00:03:41.932 Our main witness in the midst of that is our works two specific ways. 00:03:41.932 --> 00:03:46.665 One is that we are to abstain, but also we're to maintain. 00:03:46.665 --> 00:03:48.466 And first we're going to look at abstain. 00:03:48.466 --> 00:03:52.233 You saw that verse and saw that word in verse 11. 00:03:52.233 --> 00:03:53.765 Let's look back at that again. 00:03:53.765 --> 00:03:55.532 How do we maintain our witness? 00:03:55.532 --> 00:04:01.765 How do we have a witness in the midst of persecution, in the midst of living in a culture that is hostile towards your faith? 00:04:01.765 --> 00:04:03.099 The first is abstain. 00:04:03.099 --> 00:04:05.165 Look at that again in verse 11. 00:04:07.466 --> 00:04:17.865 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles, to abstain from the passions of your flesh which wage war against your soul. 00:04:17.865 --> 00:04:23.065 Now notice here first how he addresses them, what he calls them. 00:04:23.065 --> 00:04:25.533 He calls them sojourners and exiles. 00:04:25.533 --> 00:04:27.233 He's used that word exile already. 00:04:27.233 --> 00:04:30.399 This is the third time in the book he's called them exiles. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:35.865 We've talked about what that meant and the heritage behind that and their Jewish roots behind that idea. 00:04:35.865 --> 00:04:42.065 Here he also adds the word sojourners, which is a direct representation of the same words used of Abraham. 00:04:42.065 --> 00:04:43.233 That's in Genesis 00:04:43.233 --> 00:04:47.665 4-- we're not going to turn there, but you can capture that and look that up later. 00:04:47.665 --> 00:04:52.233 It's the words used of Abraham, who was also a sojourner, an exile. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.065 It should be no surprise to us that we are called to be the same. 00:04:57.065 --> 00:05:01.800 That's a pattern that was started at the beginning of Scripture. 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:04.800 Abraham was called to go. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:08.000 The Lord said to him, go on a journey. 00:05:08.266 --> 00:05:14.399 Leave your homeland, leave the comfortable place in your life, and go. 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:18.432 Abraham's wondering, go where? 00:05:18.432 --> 00:05:19.333 You will find out. 00:05:19.333 --> 00:05:20.800 Just go. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:22.833 Lord, I'd really like a little more information here. 00:05:22.833 --> 00:05:28.000 If you could give me a little more insight, I'd feel a little more comfortable with this if I knew the destination. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:29.766 Who can relate to that? 00:05:29.766 --> 00:05:38.865 How many times have you felt the Lord directing you, and you didn't know exactly where this was going to end up, and you weren't really fully comfortable with that? That's why it's called faith. 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:42.165 Go. 00:05:42.165 --> 00:05:43.800 I'll show you. 00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:45.699 Trust me. 00:05:45.699 --> 00:05:47.632 Go. 00:05:47.632 --> 00:05:53.132 And Abraham, he sends out of his comfortable homeland into a place where he's a foreigner. 00:05:53.132 --> 00:05:55.233 He's in exile, where people are watching him. 00:05:55.233 --> 00:05:56.699 Wondered what are you doing here? 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:57.500 What are you up to? 00:05:57.500 --> 00:05:58.432 You don't belong here. 00:05:58.432 --> 00:06:00.966 This isn't your neighborhood. 00:06:00.966 --> 00:06:05.899 And it's no surprise that we're going to feel the same way. 00:06:06.165 --> 00:06:08.766 God took us out of our comfortable homeland. 00:06:08.766 --> 00:06:11.733 You know where you were comfortable-- you know where I was comfortable? 00:06:11.733 --> 00:06:14.199 Slavery to sin. 00:06:14.199 --> 00:06:17.199 Slavery to being completely self-focused. 00:06:17.733 --> 00:06:19.766 That that was very comfortable. 00:06:19.766 --> 00:06:25.233 Now, there are parts of that that I really didn't like, but it's very comfortable. 00:06:25.233 --> 00:06:31.333 He took you out of that and now he has put you, kept you in the place you thought was your homeland. 00:06:31.333 --> 00:06:32.432 But now you're a foreigner. 00:06:32.432 --> 00:06:33.100 You don't belong. 00:06:33.100 --> 00:06:35.699 This is no longer your homeland anymore. 00:06:35.699 --> 00:06:37.500 You belong somewhere else. 00:06:37.500 --> 00:06:39.033 You have a different destination. 00:06:40.665 --> 00:06:43.833 We're sojourners and exiles. 00:06:44.266 --> 00:06:49.632 And the directive he gives them here, the word he says to us who are sojourners and exiles as well. 00:06:49.632 --> 00:06:52.632 He says abstain. 00:06:53.932 --> 00:06:54.932 We could say it like this. 00:06:54.932 --> 00:06:57.932 Stop it. Don't do that. 00:06:58.432 --> 00:07:01.199 Go a different direction. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:19.932 And one thing I appreciate about Peter giving this directive here is that we've already been through nine sermons and 35 verses about first Peter that I've talked about all that Christ has done for us and his love for us, and how he's transformed us and changed us before we ever get to the don't, before we ever get to the stop doing that. 00:07:19.932 --> 00:07:22.233 You know, he didn't start out with that in the first verse. 00:07:22.233 --> 00:07:24.800 Hey, you bunch of idiots! Stop, I don't know. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.165 Look, let me tell you why. 00:07:27.333 --> 00:07:31.000 And now he has worked up to this. 00:07:31.833 --> 00:07:35.733 You know, there are times in life where you need to be told stop. 00:07:35.733 --> 00:07:38.966 There have been times where you need a good, solid rebuke. 00:07:38.966 --> 00:07:40.100 We all need that. 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:47.800 We need someone who loves us enough, who will come alongside us and risk the relationship enough to say, don't do that. 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:54.333 When I first started serving in ministry, mid-twenties, man, I was so hungry. 00:07:54.632 --> 00:07:55.565 Literally hungry. 00:07:55.565 --> 00:07:56.432 All the time. 00:07:56.432 --> 00:08:00.132 Like when you're in your mid-twenties, just starving all the time, always hungry. 00:08:00.132 --> 00:08:03.932 And we had this big meeting at the ministry where I was serving hundreds of people there. 00:08:03.932 --> 00:08:06.033 They had snacks out, which is always a dream. 00:08:06.033 --> 00:08:10.266 At a meeting, you know, mid 20s, and I'm eating all the snacks that I can. 00:08:10.266 --> 00:08:14.533 The meeting ends and I'm walking through the office doing normal office work. 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:21.699 All those leftover snacks had been gathered in one lady's office and I happened to walk by her office. 00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:26.033 I see the snacks and I think I'm still hungry. 00:08:26.033 --> 00:08:27.932 Let me have some more food. 00:08:27.932 --> 00:08:29.466 So I go in, start eating the snack. 00:08:29.466 --> 00:08:29.966 She's in there. 00:08:29.966 --> 00:08:30.533 We're chatting. 00:08:30.533 --> 00:08:32.000 I'm eating the snacks. No big deal. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.600 I leave. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:36.899 Later I get a call from HR from the head of HR. 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:37.899 That's never good. 00:08:37.899 --> 00:08:39.899 You never want that. 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:43.399 And he says, John, hey, listen, I got a call from this lady. 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:44.966 She said, you just barged in. 00:08:44.966 --> 00:08:47.865 Started eating the food off her desk. 00:08:47.865 --> 00:08:50.732 Look, all that food was free for everyone an hour before that. 00:08:50.732 --> 00:08:51.765 What's the deal? 00:08:51.765 --> 00:08:54.832 I don't understand. It's like, well did you even ask her? 00:08:54.832 --> 00:08:59.332 Well, no, but it was all there for everyone just an hour earlier. 00:08:59.332 --> 00:09:03.765 John, do you want to be known as the guy that just walks around taking stuff off people's desk for no reason? 00:09:04.966 --> 00:09:06.899 Well, no. 00:09:06.899 --> 00:09:11.566 And did you consider that she may have another plan for that that you never thought of? 00:09:11.566 --> 00:09:14.566 No, I didn't consider that. 00:09:15.899 --> 00:09:17.600 What are you going to do with it now, though? 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:18.033 Are you still. 00:09:18.033 --> 00:09:21.932 Do you know if she has any plans for those snacks? Still wondering. 00:09:21.932 --> 00:09:24.666 Now, look, that's a maybe a kind of a small example. 00:09:24.666 --> 00:09:28.666 You ate some snacks off someone's desk and you got a rebuke. 00:09:28.932 --> 00:09:30.466 But he helped me see the bigger picture. 00:09:30.466 --> 00:09:32.200 I needed a guy to step in and go. 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:39.332 You haven't thought through all your actions here, and we've all had that on much more serious issues as well. 00:09:39.332 --> 00:09:44.832 You could think of someone who stepped in and by the way, you may have reacted not so kindly in the moment. 00:09:44.832 --> 00:09:46.200 Leave me alone. 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:47.700 You don't know what you're talking about. 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:48.966 You've got this all wrong. 00:09:49.932 --> 00:09:53.832 Later you went and thought about it, chewed on it a little bit. 00:09:53.832 --> 00:09:55.765 Oh, you're right. 00:09:55.765 --> 00:10:00.033 Even in that small rebuke that guy gave me, I didn't want to receive it. 00:10:00.033 --> 00:10:04.365 I hung up the phone and I thought, you idiot, you don't know what you're talking about. 00:10:04.365 --> 00:10:07.232 But I chewed on it, prayed about it. 00:10:07.232 --> 00:10:15.566 Thank you, Lord, for bringing that guy into my life enough just to help me improve just a little bit. 00:10:16.033 --> 00:10:17.399 We all need that at times. 00:10:17.399 --> 00:10:21.500 We need someone who will step in and say, stop. 00:10:21.500 --> 00:10:22.832 Don't do that. 00:10:22.832 --> 00:10:25.500 You're heading the wrong direction. 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:28.666 Now, specifically, here's what he calls them to abstain from. 00:10:28.666 --> 00:10:31.533 Look back at the phrasing that he uses. 00:10:31.533 --> 00:10:32.600 Look back at verse 11. 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:40.000 Abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul. 00:10:41.732 --> 00:10:45.500 Man, that's a phrase I think we can all relate to. 00:10:45.500 --> 00:10:50.533 There seems to be, at times, this raging battle within your soul. 00:10:51.066 --> 00:10:54.365 We see that in a couple of other verses I'll throw in the screen. 00:10:54.365 --> 00:10:57.033 Romans seven often talks about that. 00:10:57.033 --> 00:11:02.265 Why is it that I do the thing I don't do the thing I want to do, and yet I do the very thing I hate. 00:11:02.265 --> 00:11:03.832 What's going on there? Why do I do that? 00:11:03.832 --> 00:11:09.666 James Ford talks about what are the, what is the source of the war between you? 00:11:09.666 --> 00:11:12.432 It's the passions of your flesh inside of you. 00:11:12.432 --> 00:11:15.533 What are the source of the quarrels and the strife and the fighting among you? 00:11:15.533 --> 00:11:19.865 It's because that's occurring inside of you. 00:11:19.865 --> 00:11:23.066 Oftentimes, the Christian life feels that way. 00:11:23.066 --> 00:11:25.666 Where you feel like I've got this one desire, I've got this other. 00:11:25.666 --> 00:11:28.500 And sometimes I'm not sure which is going to win out. 00:11:29.700 --> 00:11:32.265 I want to make a couple of short points about that. 00:11:32.265 --> 00:11:40.299 Just three quick points about that dynamic, that reality, because there's been some misunderstandings about that, especially if you're a new Christian. 00:11:40.299 --> 00:11:42.500 So first, one thing that's important to understand. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:45.232 Some will say, can I be a Christian if I struggle? 00:11:45.232 --> 00:11:48.365 The fact that I'm struggling, I don't have it all figured out. 00:11:48.365 --> 00:11:51.566 I can't seem to get past this one sin in particular. 00:11:51.566 --> 00:11:55.033 Does that mean I'm really a Christian or not? 00:11:55.033 --> 00:12:01.832 My first response to that would be the fact that you are struggling shows that Christ is at work in your life. 00:12:02.033 --> 00:12:08.899 If there were no struggle, if you were putting up no fight, if you didn't care at all, that would be a big concern. 00:12:10.232 --> 00:12:15.200 But the fact that you are struggling, that you realize I don't want to do that anymore. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:19.633 I might still slip back into that, but I don't want to stay there anymore. 00:12:19.633 --> 00:12:24.799 That's a powerful sign that Christ is at work in your life. 00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:29.299 Second, you can be sure of victory. 00:12:31.533 --> 00:12:34.732 Victory is assured. 00:12:35.832 --> 00:12:39.466 We talked about this some a little bit last week. 00:12:39.466 --> 00:12:41.533 The the battle is certain. 00:12:41.533 --> 00:12:48.865 The battle is maybe active, but the victory is certain where it's going to end up is certain. 00:12:48.865 --> 00:12:50.732 And here's what that means for you. 00:12:50.732 --> 00:12:57.432 In the midst of spiritual warfare, you no longer are a slave to sin. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:00.765 You no longer have no choice in the matter. 00:13:00.765 --> 00:13:03.765 You no longer have to sin. 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:06.600 You might still sin; not might. 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:10.466 You will still sin. 00:13:10.466 --> 00:13:14.332 But the victory, the ultimate victory, is assured. 00:13:14.432 --> 00:13:19.500 And so when you face temptation, you no longer just have to give in to it. 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:25.033 You no longer have to be led along by the passions of your flesh which wage war against you. 00:13:25.033 --> 00:13:28.299 You can pause in the midst of the temptation. 00:13:28.299 --> 00:13:35.500 You can stop and you can cry out, Jesus, Jesus, would you show up right now? 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:37.600 I don't want to go down this road again. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:13:39.832 This was how I naturally win every time. 00:13:39.832 --> 00:13:40.832 And all the rest of my life. 00:13:40.832 --> 00:13:42.700 I don't want to go down that anymore. 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:47.299 Would you show up right now and give me victory? 00:13:47.466 --> 00:13:50.166 And then you walk in gratitude. 00:13:50.166 --> 00:13:51.033 Thank you Lord. 00:13:51.033 --> 00:13:54.000 I know you will show up. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:06.200 Too many times we don't do that, and we just go on down that old path that was so comfortable on towards our homeland. 00:14:06.966 --> 00:14:08.365 We no longer have to do that. 00:14:08.365 --> 00:14:09.332 Victory is assured. 00:14:09.332 --> 00:14:16.200 And then number three, and this is a great verse to address this common misconception in our culture. 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:19.200 Lead your heart. 00:14:19.232 --> 00:14:28.000 If you look back at the verse, abstain from the passions of the flesh which wage war against your soul, the natural passion of the flesh will lead you. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:32.265 In fact, the phrase you hear these days follow your heart. 00:14:32.265 --> 00:14:36.265 I've talked about this so many times, I'm going to talk about it 100 more times in the coming years. 00:14:36.265 --> 00:14:37.765 Follow your heart. 00:14:37.765 --> 00:14:39.399 That's the common phrase you hear. 00:14:39.399 --> 00:14:41.765 It will lead you to the right place. 00:14:41.765 --> 00:14:48.566 The song that was always played on the radio growing up was If It Makes You Happy, it really can't be that bad. 00:14:52.666 --> 00:14:57.000 There's plenty of people who have done horrific things that make them very happy. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:00.000 The mass murderer felt great delight. 00:15:00.666 --> 00:15:05.033 If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. 00:15:05.133 --> 00:15:09.633 No, the world says follow your heart, follow your passions, follow whatever comes in. 00:15:09.633 --> 00:15:12.633 But Scripture says, lead your heart. 00:15:13.332 --> 00:15:17.365 Don't just automatically go along with whatever you're feeling. 00:15:17.365 --> 00:15:18.399 Lead your heart. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.399 Say, this is where the gospel calls me to go. 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:23.133 This is where I need to be pointed. 00:15:23.133 --> 00:15:24.232 According to Christ. 00:15:24.232 --> 00:15:27.232 This is where real life is found. 00:15:27.232 --> 00:15:31.600 That's how we lead our hearts. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:37.666 Abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war in your life, in your heart, in your flesh. 00:15:37.666 --> 00:15:47.932 That's the first way that we will be a witness of works to a watching world is by stopping some of the things we used to do. 00:15:47.932 --> 00:15:50.832 Now let's look at the other side of the coin. 00:15:50.832 --> 00:15:55.832 What's the other way now that will be a witness of works to a world that's hostile toward our faith? 00:15:55.832 --> 00:15:56.700 Look at the next verse. 00:15:56.700 --> 00:15:58.832 So the first was abstain. 00:15:58.832 --> 00:16:04.799 The next way is to maintain, keep, keep at it, keep moving forward. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:18.566 And here's what in particular, look at verse 12 again, keep your conduct among the Gentiles, which at that time just would have meant nonbelievers in the way that he's using it. 00:16:18.566 --> 00:16:36.832 People who don't know Christ keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 00:16:37.865 --> 00:16:39.232 First, abstain. 00:16:39.232 --> 00:16:42.299 The other side of the coin of that is maintain. 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:45.299 Keep your conduct honorable. 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.899 Don't just avoid bad things. 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:50.899 Move towards the positive things. 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:53.133 And I love that about Scripture. 00:16:53.133 --> 00:16:58.399 Yes, Peter waited all this time to rebuke, but also Scripture in general. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:02.466 Many people, when they think of faith, think of Christianity. 00:17:02.466 --> 00:17:06.799 Sometimes they just think of, look, they're just going to tell me all this stuff. I need to stop doing. 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:12.032 It's just a long list of don't, don't do this, don't do that, don't,... just avoid bad stuff. 00:17:13.532 --> 00:17:18.633 But even if you go back to the basic list of the Ten Commandments, there's plenty of don'ts. 00:17:18.633 --> 00:17:20.500 There's a lot of do's. 00:17:20.500 --> 00:17:24.465 Yeah, you see the don'ts don't commit adultery. 00:17:24.465 --> 00:17:25.665 Don't lie, don't steal. 00:17:25.665 --> 00:17:28.066 But there's love. 00:17:28.066 --> 00:17:30.165 Love the Lord your God with all your heart. 00:17:30.165 --> 00:17:33.133 Honor your father and mother. 00:17:33.133 --> 00:17:35.900 Keep the Sabbath. 00:17:35.900 --> 00:17:38.965 You get both sides of the coin. 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:43.099 And here he calls them to maintain. 00:17:43.133 --> 00:17:47.133 Keep your conduct honorable among the Gentiles. 00:17:47.133 --> 00:17:55.000 Make sure you live in a way that even people who hate Christianity will say, there's something about that guy that he lives above board. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:01.200 There's something about them that even though I hate him, I got to admire him. 00:18:02.099 --> 00:18:09.865 Now, the other thing I love about Scripture is it also deals with motive, because my question is going to be in that moment. 00:18:09.865 --> 00:18:13.400 If Peter's saying that to me, well, why should I do that? 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:14.766 Why should I be worried? 00:18:14.766 --> 00:18:15.900 These people hate me. 00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:19.400 Why should I try to make sure that I still am in good standing with them? 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:21.965 Why even mess with that? 00:18:21.965 --> 00:18:23.066 He's going to talk about that. 00:18:23.066 --> 00:18:25.400 He's going to directly address that. 00:18:25.400 --> 00:18:29.732 In fact, you just look at the words so that he's given the purpose. 00:18:29.732 --> 00:18:32.799 Here's the reason why you want to keep your conduct honorable. Why? 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:37.833 So that and we're going to pause on that word when. 00:18:38.732 --> 00:18:49.732 So that when not if when they speak against you as evil doers. 00:18:50.932 --> 00:18:56.066 Meaning you can be assured that there will be people. 00:18:56.066 --> 00:18:57.365 There is no doubt. 00:18:57.365 --> 00:19:00.333 We're not trying to hide the difficulties of following Christ from anyone. 00:19:00.333 --> 00:19:04.532 You can be assured there will be those who hate you because of that. 00:19:06.099 --> 00:19:09.165 There will be those who look at your life and you do. 00:19:09.165 --> 00:19:13.732 You're doing your best to be kind to everyone, to live your best life, to honor Christ in all you do. 00:19:13.732 --> 00:19:16.032 And they will hate you for that. 00:19:16.032 --> 00:19:21.500 Not only will they hate you, they'll call you evil. 00:19:21.766 --> 00:19:24.766 You have become the evil one. 00:19:25.232 --> 00:19:30.000 Not if, when. You can be assured it'll happen. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:36.500 Maybe sometimes very overt, sometimes more hidden, subtle, behind the scenes. 00:19:38.133 --> 00:19:41.133 What do we do with that? 00:19:41.232 --> 00:19:42.732 What do you do with that? 00:19:42.732 --> 00:19:44.232 You're doing all you can, Lord. 00:19:44.232 --> 00:19:46.532 I'm trying to honor you and all that I'm doing. 00:19:46.532 --> 00:19:47.900 And yet I get this. 00:19:47.900 --> 00:19:49.465 Thanks a bunch. 00:19:49.465 --> 00:19:50.766 I got people hate me. 00:19:50.766 --> 00:19:53.865 I've got people who are trying to make it harder for me at work. 00:19:54.833 --> 00:19:58.232 You have people who are trying to hold you back. 00:19:58.232 --> 00:20:02.266 They're putting obstacles in your way because of your faith. 00:20:02.266 --> 00:20:07.865 You have people at school bullying you because of your faith. 00:20:08.833 --> 00:20:18.400 You have neighbors that would love nothing more than for you to move out of their neighborhood, because they know where you stand. 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:21.400 Now he holds out hope there. 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:26.732 If you look back at the verse that even in the midst of that, you're putting up with that and yes, it will come. It's guaranteed. 00:20:26.732 --> 00:20:27.766 What do you do with that? 00:20:27.766 --> 00:20:30.633 Look at how he holds out hope, though. 00:20:30.633 --> 00:20:31.932 What will happen? 00:20:31.932 --> 00:20:34.833 They speak against you as evildoers. 00:20:34.833 --> 00:20:36.200 But here's why we do it. 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:44.532 There's a chance they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:57.032 There's a chance they will see your good deeds and give glory to God on the day of visitation. 00:20:57.032 --> 00:21:01.099 Now, let me talk about that phrase, the day of visitation. 00:21:01.099 --> 00:21:02.665 What does that phrase mean? 00:21:02.665 --> 00:21:04.833 It could mean a couple of different things. 00:21:04.833 --> 00:21:07.465 If you look at other uses of that word. 00:21:07.465 --> 00:21:16.833 44 where Jesus says to Jerusalem, you're going to be destroyed because you were not aware of the day of visitation. 00:21:16.833 --> 00:21:21.766 That's a future forward reference to a day of judgment as a warning. 00:21:21.766 --> 00:21:24.700 Watch out. Be ready. 00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:27.833 68. 00:21:27.833 --> 00:21:30.700 That's where Zechariah was given a prophecy. 00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:34.333 And he said, we're blessed because God has shown up. 00:21:34.333 --> 00:21:35.900 He has visited us. 00:21:35.900 --> 00:21:38.200 He has blessed us. 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:38.965 So which is it? 00:21:38.965 --> 00:21:41.333 Is it a good thing for him to show up or is a bad thing? 00:21:42.465 --> 00:21:45.000 It depends. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:51.200 In high school, when the principal came to our classroom, I slumped down in my chair. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:56.133 I got as small and as quiet as possible because I knew this isn't a good thing. 00:21:56.133 --> 00:21:59.133 I don't want him noticing me. 00:21:59.333 --> 00:22:02.700 When he showed up in Julie's classroom, she stood up. 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:05.700 What award do you have for me today? 00:22:06.732 --> 00:22:09.633 What great thing have I done that you can acknowledge? 00:22:09.633 --> 00:22:12.633 Again, it depends. 00:22:12.732 --> 00:22:18.333 It depends on how you've lived, on what that day of visitation will look like. 00:22:19.732 --> 00:22:23.900 The point being, there will be a day of visitation. 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:27.200 There will be a day when he shows up. 00:22:27.833 --> 00:22:33.432 And for those who know him, they will glorify him. 00:22:33.432 --> 00:22:36.432 They will praise that day. 00:22:36.732 --> 00:22:41.465 We all look forward to that day when he arrives with great joy and delight. 00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:46.665 And those who don't know him. 00:22:46.665 --> 00:22:49.633 Look, this is the whole point of the book of revelation. 00:22:49.633 --> 00:23:01.432 If you read revelation and you're like, that is brutal punishment after punishment after punishment, one after another, the reason why is God's trying to get their attention. 00:23:01.432 --> 00:23:04.333 Please repent, repent, repent. 00:23:04.333 --> 00:23:06.133 And we won't. 00:23:06.133 --> 00:23:07.665 We won't repent. 00:23:07.665 --> 00:23:09.000 Our hearts are hardened. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:10.500 We don't want anything to do with you. 00:23:10.500 --> 00:23:12.200 No matter what you throw at us. 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:17.133 Repent, turn back. 00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:24.232 The hope here is that because of your actions, here's the beautiful part. 00:23:24.232 --> 00:23:29.133 Because here's the promise that you can hang on to because of the way you're living. 00:23:29.133 --> 00:23:32.133 Even the people who outwardly hate you. 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:37.465 God is going to bring some of them to him. 00:23:37.465 --> 00:23:44.232 In fact, I would say there's a good chance the person most likely to turn to Christ is the one who is hating you most outwardly. 00:23:46.333 --> 00:23:52.766 There's a reason why there's so outwardly hatred showing so much hatred. 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.299 God's probably at work. 00:23:55.299 --> 00:23:56.766 Don't give up on that person. 00:23:56.766 --> 00:24:04.732 In fact, I want to give you three practical ways to wrap all this up where you can have a witness of your works. 00:24:04.732 --> 00:24:06.266 Three practical ways. 00:24:06.266 --> 00:24:09.266 The first is to pray. 00:24:09.333 --> 00:24:16.432 Be in prayer, especially for that person who is the most outwardly hateful towards you. 00:24:16.932 --> 00:24:18.932 Don't give up on them. 00:24:18.932 --> 00:24:23.133 Don't just write them off. Okay, be cautious. Be wise. 00:24:23.133 --> 00:24:24.099 Set boundaries. 00:24:24.099 --> 00:24:27.099 Do what you need to do. 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:29.833 There's a lot of wisdom to that. 00:24:29.833 --> 00:24:34.799 Don't just let them run all over you, but don't give up on them. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:35.566 That person. 00:24:35.566 --> 00:24:37.932 Maybe it's a family member, maybe it's a coworker. 00:24:37.932 --> 00:24:39.599 Maybe it's somebody at school. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:41.232 But I've seen it in my life. 00:24:41.232 --> 00:24:52.566 That person who is the most outspoken against you because your faith is probably really wrestling with some serious spiritual questions. 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:54.266 So pray. 00:24:54.266 --> 00:24:56.500 Keep praying. 00:24:56.500 --> 00:24:59.932 Second, just remember your example matters. 00:24:59.932 --> 00:25:02.000 It really does. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:03.865 People are watching you. 00:25:03.865 --> 00:25:06.133 They they really are watching you. 00:25:06.133 --> 00:25:08.000 When we lived overseas, it was funny, right? 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:12.965 As we got set to move back to the US, we'd been there serving as missionaries six months. 00:25:12.965 --> 00:25:15.965 Julie, my wife Julie ran into a lady who lived at the end of our street. 00:25:15.965 --> 00:25:16.965 It was a dead end street. 00:25:16.965 --> 00:25:18.333 We were down at the dead end point. 00:25:18.333 --> 00:25:35.266 She was kind of up at the entrance, and they met, was kind of one of the first times they'd had a long conversation and she said, you know, I remember she started to count off and list the names of every single person that had come down our street to visit us over those six months, every person after person. 00:25:35.266 --> 00:25:35.865 Yeah, I knew them. 00:25:35.865 --> 00:25:37.000 I went to high school with them. 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:38.432 I know them from my old neighborhood. 00:25:38.432 --> 00:25:39.633 I know them from this village. 00:25:39.633 --> 00:25:42.532 And she was paying attention. 00:25:42.532 --> 00:25:45.532 She was watching everything we did. 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:47.566 People are watching your life. 00:25:47.566 --> 00:25:48.932 They really are. 00:25:48.932 --> 00:25:51.032 And it's the very things, you know, we do. 00:25:51.032 --> 00:25:53.965 We all do plenty of things that we want people to see. 00:25:53.965 --> 00:25:56.965 I really hope everyone sees me do this. 00:25:57.333 --> 00:26:07.599 And I tell you what they notice is the thing you never even considered they might notice. People are watching, keep vigilant in your example. 00:26:07.732 --> 00:26:14.865 Let me comment on that though, because some would say, and you've probably heard this quote, it goes something like this. 00:26:14.865 --> 00:26:20.500 It's been attributed to a bunch of different people, preach the gospel always. 00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:22.865 If necessary, use words. 00:26:22.865 --> 00:26:24.432 Have you heard that quote? 00:26:24.432 --> 00:26:26.032 It's I actually like the quote. 00:26:26.032 --> 00:26:32.133 It's a great quote, and it fits well with the message and a lot of layers. 00:26:32.133 --> 00:26:40.599 I would say this I don't know that it's completely biblical because Peter is addressing a specific audience. 00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:42.633 He's giving them direction. 00:26:42.633 --> 00:26:44.133 Watch your actions. 00:26:44.133 --> 00:26:49.700 But he's not saying in this couple of verses, okay, never preach the gospel. 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:55.932 15, he's going to say to them, be ready to give a defense for what God has done in your life. 00:26:55.932 --> 00:26:59.333 Be ready for whenever anyone asks, have your words ready. 00:26:59.333 --> 00:27:00.165 Here's where this leads. 00:27:00.165 --> 00:27:04.833 Number three three ways to have a witness that works. 00:27:04.833 --> 00:27:07.599 Actions open the door to words. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:16.066 Yes, your example matters tremendously, and the hope is that because of the way you live, people will want to hear about Jesus. 00:27:16.865 --> 00:27:25.133 There will come a time where your actions, the way you've lived, will open a door to talk about the gospel. 00:27:25.133 --> 00:27:27.266 Be ready for that moment. 00:27:27.266 --> 00:27:29.566 Keep preparing for that moment. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:41.032 In fact, one of the ways today we are going to have a physical reminder of the gospel at work in our lives as we're going to take communion together today. 00:27:41.032 --> 00:27:47.266 So if you're involved in distributing that, if you would go ahead and go out and get that ready. 00:27:48.032 --> 00:27:55.500 But we live our lives in a way that honors Christ, to open the door, to hope, to talk about the gospel someday. 00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:58.500 People are watching. 00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:02.833 A friend of mine, he said, you need to hear this story from my daughter. 00:28:02.833 --> 00:28:10.032 It's a guy lived on our street when we lived in Arkansas, and one day she came and shared this story with me, she said. 00:28:10.032 --> 00:28:16.066 All through high school, I was tortured by this one group of girls because of my faith. 00:28:17.133 --> 00:28:26.532 Tortured, constantly persecuted, constantly told what an idiot I was too good of a girl, constantly tortured. 00:28:28.465 --> 00:28:29.700 She said I got it. 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:33.665 I got one close friend, and we kind of hung on to each other to make it through it, but it was awful. 00:28:33.665 --> 00:28:35.665 It was terrible. 00:28:35.665 --> 00:28:39.032 But we made it through high school and I constantly wondered. 00:28:39.032 --> 00:28:41.799 I constantly asked myself, God, what were you doing? 00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:43.766 Why did you let that happen to me? 00:28:43.766 --> 00:28:44.732 What were you about? 00:28:44.732 --> 00:28:46.066 What were you doing behind the scenes? 00:28:46.066 --> 00:28:48.932 Because she said, I didn't see any fruit from that. 00:28:48.932 --> 00:28:55.232 And it was 20 years later that one of those girls came to her and said, I'm sorry. 00:28:55.500 --> 00:29:02.299 I look back on how I acted towards you and I don't know why I acted that way, but I watched your life. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:05.165 And you know what I saw? 00:29:05.165 --> 00:29:07.633 I saw someone who had a higher purpose. 00:29:07.633 --> 00:29:11.200 I saw someone who had a faith, and I wanted that. 00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:17.133 And I didn't know what else to do but to persecute you, because I wanted that. 00:29:17.133 --> 00:29:19.599 Thank you for your example. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:24.165 It's because of you that I have hope now. 00:29:24.165 --> 00:29:30.232 People are watching and you never know, especially the person who's the most vicious towards you. 00:29:30.232 --> 00:29:32.333 You never know what God's doing in their life.