WEBVTT 00:00:04.533 --> 00:00:12.766 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. 00:00:12.766 --> 00:00:23.065 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 00:00:28.865 --> 00:00:38.466 Well, it's great to be with you this morning while we are continuing our study of First Peter, we've been working through the book of First Peter with the theme of finding joy in suffering. 00:00:38.466 --> 00:00:41.799 And if you want to turn to First Peter chapter three, that's where we'll be today. 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:44.133 Wrapping up chapter three. 00:00:44.133 --> 00:00:48.265 If you have a church Bible, that page number will be on the screen telling you where to look that up. 00:00:48.265 --> 00:00:50.232 If you don't have a Bible, we have those out in the lobby. 00:00:50.232 --> 00:00:51.299 You can run out any time. 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:51.732 Grab one. 00:00:51.732 --> 00:00:53.299 Those are free for you to have. 00:00:53.299 --> 00:00:55.066 It'll be on page 955. 00:00:56.466 --> 00:01:04.433 There is a place in the South Pacific in the ocean that's considered the loneliest place on Earth. 00:01:04.433 --> 00:01:07.165 In fact, we'll put the image on the screen. 00:01:07.165 --> 00:01:08.433 It's called Point Nemo. 00:01:08.433 --> 00:01:10.799 It's not actually an island or anything. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:14.332 It's just a place in the ocean that they've identified. 00:01:14.332 --> 00:01:19.865 This is the furthest point from any other point of land anywhere in the world is right there, Point Nemo. 00:01:19.865 --> 00:01:28.066 You're thousands of miles from any other human in fact, if you're in Point Nemo, you're closer to someone passing overhead in a space station. 00:01:28.066 --> 00:01:30.632 You're closer to that human than anyone else. 00:01:30.632 --> 00:01:32.332 That's how isolated and lonely it is. 00:01:32.332 --> 00:01:39.132 That's where they try to direct all the space trash, any kind of satellite or space station that's fallen out of orbit. 00:01:39.132 --> 00:01:42.632 They try to make sure it lands there because it's least likely to hit anyone. 00:01:43.733 --> 00:01:56.299 And as we've been journeying through the book of First Peter, if you felt lonely at Point Nemo, there's a good likelihood that if you are suffering, you probably feel alone. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:04.733 A lot of times in life when you're struggling, when you're suffering, when you're going through something hard, you feel like, am I the only person dealing with this? 00:02:04.733 --> 00:02:07.965 Is there anybody else out there to help me? 00:02:07.965 --> 00:02:11.466 And by the way, where is God in the midst of this? 00:02:11.466 --> 00:02:17.032 In the midst of suffering, you can feel very alone. 00:02:17.032 --> 00:02:20.032 Here's what the passage today is about. 00:02:20.300 --> 00:02:22.400 You are not alone. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:30.665 Even in the midst of feeling alone, in the midst of suffering, in the midst of trying to find joy in the midst of suffering, you're not alone. 00:02:30.665 --> 00:02:32.866 We're going to see that in the passage today. 00:02:32.866 --> 00:02:35.500 First Peter three verses 18 through 22. 00:02:35.500 --> 00:02:40.300 You're going to see three reasons why you're not alone in the midst of the suffering. 00:02:41.265 --> 00:02:46.832 In fact, the reason why we can make that case for today's section follows on last week. 00:02:46.832 --> 00:02:49.832 We ended last week in verse 17. 00:02:50.233 --> 00:02:52.800 This sets up this section of verses we're going to look at. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:57.400 If you read back in verse 17, he makes the case to conclude last week's message. 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:05.300 For it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. 00:03:05.300 --> 00:03:07.566 Last week he makes the case. 00:03:07.566 --> 00:03:10.066 It can actually be good to suffer for doing good. 00:03:10.066 --> 00:03:12.932 It's better to do that than to suffer for doing evil. 00:03:12.932 --> 00:03:14.400 And it may even be God's will. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:15.966 How can he make that point? 00:03:15.966 --> 00:03:22.432 The whole point of that this week is to clarify that. You want to know why I can say it's better to suffer for doing good? 00:03:22.432 --> 00:03:26.566 I'm going to give you three reasons why you won't be alone in the midst of it. 00:03:26.566 --> 00:03:27.800 So let's look at these verses. 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:34.699 We're going to look at today where we see these three reasons why you're not alone in the midst of your suffering. 00:03:34.699 --> 00:03:35.566 Verse 18. 00:03:35.566 --> 00:03:36.866 We're going to start with verse 18. 00:03:36.866 --> 00:03:37.900 For this first reason. 00:03:39.165 --> 00:03:52.400 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. 00:03:52.633 --> 00:03:57.165 So you want to know why you're not alone in the midst of your suffering? 00:03:57.165 --> 00:04:00.599 Here's the first reason-- he says right here the reason why. 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:01.599 Let me give you an example. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:03.765 Christ also suffered. 00:04:03.765 --> 00:04:09.765 Christ also suffered. 00:04:10.233 --> 00:04:14.366 Peter has often talked about Christ's sufferings in various places. 00:04:14.366 --> 00:04:19.432 In chapter two, he talked about how Christ suffered for us. As an example. 00:04:19.432 --> 00:04:22.033 And here he makes a couple other points about Christ's suffering. 00:04:22.033 --> 00:04:23.365 He uses a couple of key words. 00:04:23.365 --> 00:04:25.600 He says he he suffered once. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:33.932 If you look back in verse 18, suffered once for sins, meaning Christ’s death one time was enough for all your sins. 00:04:33.932 --> 00:04:37.100 Every time you sin, he doesn't have to go die again. 00:04:37.100 --> 00:04:38.100 Oh, they messed up. 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:39.800 I better show up again. Die again. 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:41.399 He saw he was that powerful. 00:04:41.399 --> 00:04:47.300 He died once, but also it was the righteous for the unrighteous. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.432 And in the original language is interesting. 00:04:49.432 --> 00:04:50.600 Righteous is singular. 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:51.766 Unrighteous is plural. 00:04:53.266 --> 00:05:04.033 A theme we see in Romans five. One man died for many. His singular death was enough to cover all our sins. 00:05:05.065 --> 00:05:12.333 Now, first Peter two talked about how his death was, his suffering was, an example, but here it goes beyond that. 00:05:12.333 --> 00:05:14.266 He didn’t die just to be an example. 00:05:14.266 --> 00:05:15.165 Look at what it says here. 00:05:15.165 --> 00:05:18.233 He died once for our sins, righteous for the unrighteous, 00:05:19.800 --> 00:05:22.800 that he might bring us to God. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:30.033 Jesus, when he died, he didn't just say, and you should die and suffer too. No, no, no. 00:05:30.033 --> 00:05:37.033 He said my death is going to bridge that huge gap between you and God that is caused by your sin. 00:05:37.033 --> 00:05:41.000 His death is what brings us closer to God. 00:05:42.233 --> 00:05:48.733 And so in his suffering, though, is the first reason why you're not alone in your suffering. 00:05:48.733 --> 00:05:51.266 Jesus has been there too. 00:05:51.266 --> 00:05:52.100 You're not the only one. 00:05:53.865 --> 00:05:55.865 Now there's someone else he brings up. 00:05:55.865 --> 00:05:57.632 It's interesting, though, about this passage. 00:05:57.632 --> 00:06:03.333 You know, the way this starts, it starts a little bit like a creed or a confession. 00:06:03.333 --> 00:06:12.865 There's different parts of Scripture that are like this that seem to be where the author is just declaring a bunch of truth statements about Christ to remind ourselves. 00:06:12.865 --> 00:06:15.766 This is kind of why we sing some of these songs. 00:06:15.766 --> 00:06:22.699 You hear the same statement over and over again, in a rhythmic way, to remind your own heart of the truth of who Christ is. 00:06:22.699 --> 00:06:27.533 A good example of this is over in first Timothy is just a few pages over from First Peter. 00:06:27.533 --> 00:06:29.333 The page number for that should be on the screen. 00:06:29.333 --> 00:06:32.333 16. 00:06:32.432 --> 00:06:37.899 You'll see an example of a of a bit of a creed or a confession about Christ. 00:06:37.899 --> 00:06:41.632 16 it says he was manifested in the flesh. 00:06:41.632 --> 00:06:50.432 Vindicated by the spirit seen by the angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up into glory. 00:06:50.432 --> 00:06:56.466 You get these quick statements about Christ in a compact way that summarizes up a lot of what he did. 00:06:57.932 --> 00:06:58.833 Back to first Peter. 00:06:58.833 --> 00:07:09.600 Many people believe Peter was starting into some kind of confession or creed with this verse, because he talks about his death on our behalf, and also how he was made alive in the spirit. 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:17.233 But what happens here is he's interrupted because verse 22, he's going to end up with his ascension into heaven. 00:07:17.233 --> 00:07:23.233 Kind of the same rhythm you would see with a confession, because I think-- can't be for sure. 00:07:23.233 --> 00:07:26.266 I'm not in Peter's head-- but I think he's also remembered of another example. 00:07:26.266 --> 00:07:33.432 Christ is a great example of someone who's been through suffering that you can relate to and not feel alone because of, but he gives another example. 00:07:33.432 --> 00:07:36.432 Look at verse 19, verse 19 and 20. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:55.600 He was made alive in the spirit in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey when God's patience waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons were brought safely through water. 00:07:56.600 --> 00:08:02.065 The second reason why you can know you're not alone in suffering is the second example he gives here. 00:08:02.065 --> 00:08:04.833 And that's because Noah suffered. 00:08:04.833 --> 00:08:06.100 And we're going to talk some about that. 00:08:06.100 --> 00:08:10.565 But first let me point out something that's pretty obvious about this passage. 00:08:10.565 --> 00:08:13.466 This is kind of confusing stuff. 00:08:13.466 --> 00:08:19.033 As I read through this and skimmed across it, you were probably going, what in the world is going on here? 00:08:19.033 --> 00:08:22.033 Spirits in prison formerly did not obey. 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.233 Jesus proclaimed something to them while the ark was being prepared. 00:08:26.233 --> 00:08:27.600 What all is going on? 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:30.000 If you feel confused by this, you're in good company. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:35.799 Let me just say, because every commentator I read said this is one of the hardest passages in the New Testament to understand. 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:39.166 In fact, Martin Luther, let me read you exactly the words he used. 00:08:39.166 --> 00:08:44.765 This is a guy of extreme brilliance who spent a lot of time studying scripture. His words here were. 00:08:44.765 --> 00:08:54.133 This is a wonderful text, and more obscure perhaps, than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for certain just what he means. 00:08:54.133 --> 00:08:57.466 So if you feel confused by this, you're in good company. 00:08:57.466 --> 00:09:00.466 A lot of confusion about what this means. 00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:04.700 Let me first set the stage for what this might mean. 00:09:04.700 --> 00:09:11.232 First, let's just talk about why would he even bring up Noah to begin with. Christ's a great example of someone who suffered. 00:09:11.232 --> 00:09:14.133 Why Noah in this setting, in this context? 00:09:14.133 --> 00:09:17.432 Why would Peter be writing about Noah to bring up an example? 00:09:17.432 --> 00:09:20.666 I mean, we know he loves to quote the Old Testament we've talked about this week after week. 00:09:20.666 --> 00:09:23.000 Peter loves to quote the Old Testament. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:25.265 Certainly, that's part of the reason. 00:09:25.265 --> 00:09:34.600 One interesting thing is that Noah would have likely have been known as kind of a local regional hero at this time, even among pagan Roman society. 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:36.466 We know this because of some of the coins. 00:09:36.466 --> 00:09:44.600 If you put up that first image of the four different coins, there's been a number of different coins, Roman coins found from this era that have on them. 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:45.633 On one side you'll have. 00:09:45.633 --> 00:09:46.832 These are hard to see from there. 00:09:46.832 --> 00:09:48.232 Why don't you show the next one? 00:09:48.232 --> 00:09:50.000 You'll get a close up of one of them. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.133 The are of two of them on one sides. 00:09:52.133 --> 00:09:56.299 The Emperor on the other side is image of Noah and his wife. 00:09:57.265 --> 00:09:58.432 We do this with coins. 00:09:58.432 --> 00:10:10.432 By the way, if you have gotten a quarter over the last 20 years on one side is George Washington on the other side is one of the 50 states or one of the national parks, one of the local things that connect with that culture. 00:10:10.432 --> 00:10:16.966 The Romans often did this because they said, yes, we're in charge, but also we're honoring your culture as well. 00:10:16.966 --> 00:10:20.600 And so the interesting thing in this picture is if you zoom in, you get Noah. 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.265 And that's supposed to the other thing there next to him, supposed to be the Ark. 00:10:24.265 --> 00:10:26.600 If you go to the next image, you'll see we're getting a little closer. 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:29.500 That looks more like a car door to me personally. I don't know about you. 00:10:30.466 --> 00:10:32.299 I don't know why they'd be carrying a car door. 00:10:32.299 --> 00:10:34.932 Maybe roll down the window if they get hot. 00:10:34.932 --> 00:10:40.399 I've heard people do that, but for whatever reason, that's considered the Ark on a coin. 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:44.232 Point being, Noah would have been known in that culture at that time. 00:10:44.232 --> 00:10:45.799 They would have known who he was. 00:10:45.799 --> 00:10:49.100 Even the pagans would have been aware of who Noah was. 00:10:49.100 --> 00:11:10.100 So he's referencing them just because, look, this is common knowledge that I can reference upon, but biblically also, when you try to think of people in Scripture, in the history of the world who have suffered because of their faith and being very alone, who can have experienced that more than Noah? 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:14.232 You know, Noah, just try this today. 00:11:14.232 --> 00:11:24.332 Just go out in your front yard and start building a boat and declaring to the world that a global flood is coming and going to destroy everyone, and you should repent. 00:11:24.432 --> 00:11:28.865 You might have to buy up a few other houses around you to make that boat big enough. 00:11:28.865 --> 00:11:31.232 Everyone will think you are utterly insane. 00:11:31.232 --> 00:11:32.600 We probably will too. 00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:34.765 Even though we know what happens. 00:11:34.765 --> 00:11:37.033 We know the story. 00:11:37.033 --> 00:11:40.399 You're going to be very isolated socially. 00:11:40.865 --> 00:11:41.932 But not only that. 00:11:41.932 --> 00:11:57.966 I mean, if you go back to the book of Genesis, chapter six, verse five, Noah wasn't only isolated socially, the very beginning of the Bible, the part of the reason God, main reason God brought the flood is because of the whole climate. 00:11:59.365 --> 00:12:03.566 He wasn't just isolated socially, he was isolated spiritually, the whole spiritual climate. 00:12:03.566 --> 00:12:28.133 Verse five says this the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually he looked out across the world and saw just rampant evil everywhere among everyone except Noah and his family. 00:12:28.432 --> 00:12:35.966 And look, if you've ever felt alone at work, am I the only one here who wants to do the right thing? 00:12:35.966 --> 00:12:38.365 If you ever felt alone at school, more than likely. 00:12:38.365 --> 00:12:44.066 There's been times where you've wondered, does anybody else care anything at all about Christ? 00:12:44.832 --> 00:12:46.100 Maybe even your own family? 00:12:46.100 --> 00:12:48.332 You may have felt this at times. 00:12:48.332 --> 00:12:51.500 I feel like I'm standing alone to do the right thing. 00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:54.500 I feel like everybody's against me. 00:12:55.765 --> 00:12:57.232 Imagine how Noah felt. 00:12:57.232 --> 00:12:58.666 Everyone everywhere. 00:12:58.666 --> 00:13:00.600 Only evil continually. 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:02.100 He was isolated socially. 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:04.200 He was isolated spiritually. 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:07.566 But at the end of the day, he was isolated physically. 00:13:07.566 --> 00:13:12.100 Once the flood came, there was no other place on earth to go. 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:19.166 Everywhere was Point Nemo the most isolated family in the history. 00:13:19.399 --> 00:13:22.000 All of history. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:31.432 If you want to know what it feels like to be alone, if you want to know if anybody understands, if anybody can relate, it's going to be Noah. 00:13:31.432 --> 00:13:34.700 That's probably part of the reason why he brings up Noah to begin with. 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:45.732 But what about all this other stuff here in terms of him saying things like Jesus in the spirit went proclaimed to the spirits in prison, who are the spirits in prison? 00:13:45.732 --> 00:13:47.133 What was Jesus doing there? 00:13:47.133 --> 00:13:49.033 What was he saying in the days of Noah? 00:13:49.033 --> 00:13:50.666 While the ark was being prepared? 00:13:50.666 --> 00:13:53.299 A lot of very confusing statements. 00:13:53.299 --> 00:14:06.000 Someone calculated what are all the different interpretations of this we could come up with if we took every phrase and all the different meanings that could be taken from each phrase, and they ended up with something like 180 different understandings of this verse. 00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:11.533 And I'm going to go through all of them, right, right now. No. 00:14:11.533 --> 00:14:13.865 They all kind of fall into three main buckets. 00:14:13.865 --> 00:14:39.066 I'm going to cover the first two very quickly just to tell you what some have seen here and have thought maybe this means one understanding that's often thought of here is that some have thought that Jesus actually himself went to hell at some point in time and preached to people who had been alive at the time of Noah, but rejected God and died to give him a second chance. 00:14:39.066 --> 00:14:46.133 I don't think that follows with the rest of Scripture, so I don't I don't hold to that view, but that's one view that's held. 00:14:46.133 --> 00:14:56.932 Another sees these spirits in prison as angels who have fallen, also spent time on earth, may have done other nefarious things while they were here and then. 00:14:56.932 --> 00:15:10.232 So when Jesus ascended to heaven, which he talks about in verse 22, he declared victory over them, just declaring to them, I am the one who is victorious here. 00:15:10.232 --> 00:15:12.533 That's another view to get there. 00:15:12.533 --> 00:15:20.000 I think there's a lot of jumps that have to be made looking at outside books of the Bible, like First Enoch, and it's hard to follow. 00:15:20.232 --> 00:15:25.966 Where I land follows along with what I think is some of the context of First Peter. 00:15:25.966 --> 00:15:28.332 You know how we determine the meaning of any passages. 00:15:28.332 --> 00:15:33.033 We look at what's around it, every word you understand by context. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.832 You understand the meaning of any word, by the words around it. 00:15:35.832 --> 00:15:39.666 The way you understand any passage of the Bible is what's going on around it. 00:15:39.666 --> 00:15:47.566 And we've already seen in first Peter this view that Jesus was working through people in the Old Testament. 00:15:47.566 --> 00:15:51.399 If you turn back to chapter one, I just remind you of verses ten and 11. 00:15:54.732 --> 00:16:02.899 Peter, open the book of First Peter talking about salvation, some of the glories of glories, of salvation, what Christ has done in our life. 00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:03.700 And look at what he says 00:16:03.700 --> 00:16:16.000 concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied-- prophets in the Old Testament, prophets long ago -- the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:17.066 Here's what they did. 00:16:17.066 --> 00:16:23.365 They searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time. 00:16:23.365 --> 00:16:30.500 And here's the phrase, I want you to take note of the Spirit of Christ In them was indicating. 00:16:32.899 --> 00:16:37.200 When he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:44.799 So Peter has already made the case that Christ was talking through and to the prophets of the Old Testament. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.232 He was working through them to speak to the people they were around at the time. 00:16:49.432 --> 00:17:06.700 And so when we flip back to our passage here where he talks about Christ in the spirit, proclaiming to spirits in prison during the days of Noah, I think the point of this, and I'm talking at a really high level here, because we could spend the whole day getting deep in the weeds and all of this. 00:17:06.700 --> 00:17:21.333 But I think at a really high level, his main point is that in the same way Christ spoke through the prophets back in the days of old, he was speaking through Noah to the people in Noah's day and age. 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:23.965 Just like by the way, Christ speaks through us today. 00:17:23.965 --> 00:17:29.732 If you're witnessing to someone else about Christ, Christ is speaking through you to them. 00:17:30.432 --> 00:17:40.865 And if you go back to the time of Noah, the whole time he's building that ark, we don't know exactly how long it took, but I'm guessing especially if he works at my pace on home projects. 00:17:40.865 --> 00:17:43.732 It took a really long time. 00:17:43.732 --> 00:18:00.465 There wouldn't be enough time in my lifetime to accomplish that, and I think the whole time he's doing that to everyone who's watching, to everyone who's ridiculing, repent, repent. 00:18:00.465 --> 00:18:02.566 Time is short. 00:18:02.566 --> 00:18:03.700 Repent. 00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:05.232 Don't wait any longer. 00:18:05.232 --> 00:18:06.700 Judgment is coming. 00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:09.700 Repent. 00:18:09.932 --> 00:18:14.200 Now the beautiful part of him bringing up Noah as well. 00:18:15.066 --> 00:18:21.900 One other thing he emphasizes here is the grace, the mercy, the patience of God. 00:18:22.432 --> 00:18:25.465 How is that not better displayed in the life of Moses? 00:18:25.465 --> 00:18:27.000 Moses. 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.532 Noah. 00:18:29.532 --> 00:18:32.599 Common mistake. Noah. Turn to second Peter three nine. 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:33.965 Just go over a page or two. 00:18:33.965 --> 00:18:36.965 Second Peter three nine. 00:18:37.833 --> 00:18:40.165 Because here's how this relates to us. 00:18:40.165 --> 00:18:44.833 If you're in the midst of suffering, if you're feeling alone, often times you wonder why. 00:18:44.833 --> 00:18:46.266 What could God be doing through this? 00:18:46.266 --> 00:18:49.133 How could he be working in anyone else's life through this? 00:18:49.133 --> 00:18:51.500 Why me? What are you doing? 00:18:53.032 --> 00:18:56.599 Look at second Peter three nine. 00:18:58.566 --> 00:19:04.532 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness in the midst of suffering. 00:19:04.532 --> 00:19:07.099 It feels really slow to me. 00:19:07.099 --> 00:19:10.099 He's not slow, not as we count slowness. 00:19:10.133 --> 00:19:12.599 But he is patient towards you. 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.500 Why is he patient? 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:21.365 Not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 00:19:21.432 --> 00:19:24.299 Why does he let suffering continue in your life? 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:25.700 I don't know fully. 00:19:25.700 --> 00:19:35.900 I can't know all the reasons, but one reason may be he may be using your suffering to reach someone else. 00:19:37.032 --> 00:19:41.066 And by the way, I got to say, I'm really glad he has been very patient with me. 00:19:41.066 --> 00:19:44.799 Anyone else glad that God was patient with you? 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:51.133 Anyone else glad that he didn't just strike you down at any of the thousands of times he could have? 00:19:53.900 --> 00:20:01.032 Maybe he is using your suffering to show his patience to point someone else toward him. 00:20:01.032 --> 00:20:05.965 I remember I had a friend in college, had a group, different group of people I studied with. 00:20:05.965 --> 00:20:07.732 And this this one person. 00:20:07.732 --> 00:20:09.833 This girl had a friend. 00:20:09.833 --> 00:20:14.066 She had a family member, in fact, who his whole life had lived. 00:20:14.066 --> 00:20:25.865 What I think we all would consider a very rebellious, sinful life had done many wrong things, been evil towards so many people. 00:20:26.333 --> 00:20:33.500 But at the end of his life, God moved and he repented radically changed his life. 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:36.500 Right at the very end. 00:20:36.732 --> 00:20:39.732 And she was so mad about that. 00:20:40.133 --> 00:20:43.133 She didn't like that at all. 00:20:43.133 --> 00:20:46.400 What kind of God would let a guy live that way his whole life? 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:49.266 And all of a sudden at the end, have a get out of jail free card? 00:20:49.266 --> 00:20:50.365 What kind of God is that? 00:20:50.365 --> 00:20:54.333 she said. She was, she's like, look, I've done the right thing. 00:20:54.333 --> 00:20:55.732 I've tried to live my life right. 00:20:55.732 --> 00:20:57.633 And yet, yet he gets off. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.599 What kind of God would do that? 00:21:02.766 --> 00:21:07.365 I said, a patient, a loving, a merciful God. 00:21:07.365 --> 00:21:10.700 By the way, he had to show you that same patience and love and kindness. 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:14.732 You didn't save yourself because you acted so much better than him. 00:21:14.732 --> 00:21:20.266 And by the way, I'm sure he would much rather have not done all that in hindsight and lived a very different life. 00:21:20.266 --> 00:21:23.099 We serve a patient God. 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:25.700 One, it's not about what we've done. 00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:33.833 And of course, our hope is to not dishonor him, to not live in a way of rebellion against him. 00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:44.066 When we're in the midst of suffering and feeling alone, one of the ways we find joy is to know God is at work through this in someone's life. Somehow. 00:21:44.066 --> 00:21:45.465 I don't know how yet. 00:21:45.465 --> 00:21:50.799 I don't know what he's doing, but I guarantee somebody is watching. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.799 Somebody is seeing what he's doing. 00:21:55.500 --> 00:21:57.665 And so that's where he leads to the third part on this. 00:21:57.665 --> 00:21:59.232 The first was that Christ suffered. 00:21:59.232 --> 00:22:00.333 That's how you know you're not alone. 00:22:00.333 --> 00:22:04.400 The second Noah suffered and was very alone. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:07.400 More isolated than anyone ever. 00:22:07.665 --> 00:22:10.032 You're not alone. 00:22:10.032 --> 00:22:12.532 It may feel like you're alone. 00:22:12.532 --> 00:22:17.099 In fact, there's this whole pattern in Scripture of people feeling very alone. 00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:26.500 I mean, you probably remember the story of Elijah, where he had stood up to the prophets of Baal, but then he gets persecution and he flees and he's like, God, just take me. 00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:27.599 I know I'm the only one left. 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:30.599 And what does God say to him? 00:22:30.633 --> 00:22:35.599 I got 7000 other prophets who haven't kneeled to Baal. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:37.566 You think you're alone? You're not. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:44.532 I really think that's part of the reason we come here together. 00:22:44.566 --> 00:22:47.566 You can't get this experience online. 00:22:47.900 --> 00:22:57.032 Or you walk in a room and there's not 7000 people here, but there's a few hundred others, and you go, I thought I was the only one. 00:22:57.032 --> 00:22:59.766 I'm not alone. 00:22:59.766 --> 00:23:06.566 Others are coming and saying, Christ matters in my life and I need him today. 00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:08.665 You're not alone. 00:23:08.665 --> 00:23:10.700 Jesus felt alone and forsaken. 00:23:10.700 --> 00:23:13.965 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 00:23:15.032 --> 00:23:18.365 And yet, how does the passage in, look at verse 22. 00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:20.333 He's gone into heaven. 00:23:20.333 --> 00:23:22.465 He's at the right hand of God with the angels. 00:23:22.465 --> 00:23:26.500 And authorities and powers having been subjected to him. 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:27.465 He wasn't alone. 00:23:27.465 --> 00:23:31.000 He felt alone, but he ended up at the right hand of God. 00:23:32.032 --> 00:23:33.200 Not alone. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:35.200 Not alone at all. 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:38.032 Christ suffered, Noah suffered. 00:23:38.032 --> 00:23:41.165 And then, number three, here's the third reason why you know you're not alone. 00:23:41.165 --> 00:23:44.066 God rescues. 00:23:44.066 --> 00:23:50.532 At the end of the day, he is the one who rescues those, even those who are very few and feel very alone. 00:23:50.532 --> 00:24:04.932 Look back at verse 21, look at 20 and 21 because it says, in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is just eight persons were brought safely through water, he rescues even a very few. 00:24:05.900 --> 00:24:08.299 But then Peter does something interesting here. 00:24:08.299 --> 00:24:16.965 He he he relates that whole episode of knowing the Ark to baptism, which is great today because we're going to do baptisms here in a few minutes. 00:24:16.965 --> 00:24:19.965 Perfect timing on the passage to cover. 00:24:20.066 --> 00:24:21.633 He relates this all to baptism. 00:24:21.633 --> 00:24:23.465 Look at what he says. Verse 21. 00:24:23.465 --> 00:24:26.133 Baptism corresponds to this. 00:24:26.133 --> 00:24:37.532 It now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.000 Baptism, Noah's Ark. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:43.000 Obviously, both involve water. 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:46.799 That's one obvious connection between the two. 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:52.432 Noah's Ark though in that story the water was the judgment. 00:24:52.432 --> 00:24:59.200 Water is what destroyed the earth, and it was the ark that rescued them from the water. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:03.932 But here's the key distinction it wasn't the ark. 00:25:04.333 --> 00:25:06.665 It was God. 00:25:06.665 --> 00:25:10.400 And when you're baptized, it's not the water that saves you. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:15.099 It's not me or some other pastor because we're more holy or more special. 00:25:15.099 --> 00:25:17.932 Dunking you that saves you. 00:25:17.932 --> 00:25:23.932 It's not this church in particular that saves you. 00:25:24.032 --> 00:25:25.865 No, Christ saves you. 00:25:25.865 --> 00:25:27.032 That's what he says here. 00:25:27.032 --> 00:25:28.700 It's an appeal to Christ. 00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:30.032 It's not the removal of dirt. 00:25:30.032 --> 00:25:33.032 It's not the ceremony that saves you. 00:25:33.500 --> 00:25:35.532 It wasn't the ark that saves them. 00:25:35.532 --> 00:25:37.232 It was Noah's trust in God. 00:25:38.900 --> 00:25:49.566 And so when someone comes to be baptized, as we'll see here in just a minute, the first question you'll hear Colby, he'll be up in the baptismal today is the first question. 00:25:49.566 --> 00:25:50.900 You'll hear him ask them. 00:25:50.900 --> 00:25:53.000 And we always ask them a question. 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:55.032 We ask them a couple of different questions. 00:25:55.032 --> 00:25:58.032 The first one is always this. 00:25:58.266 --> 00:26:03.032 Are you coming trusting in Christ alone for your salvation today? 00:26:03.133 --> 00:26:04.165 Are you trusting him alone? 00:26:04.165 --> 00:26:05.200 Nothing else. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:08.200 Not the ceremony, not your works? 00:26:08.865 --> 00:26:12.299 Are you trusting in him alone for your salvation today? 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:15.365 Not the removal of dirt, not the ceremony? 00:26:15.365 --> 00:26:17.000 Trusting in him alone. 00:26:17.000 --> 00:26:18.333 It's the appeal to him. 00:26:18.333 --> 00:26:20.000 It's the pledge to him. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.299 And when they stand up there, here's what they're saying. 00:26:22.299 --> 00:26:23.532 They're saying two different things. 00:26:24.532 --> 00:26:26.932 God, I don't want to live the way I've lived anymore. 00:26:26.932 --> 00:26:30.232 And I need you to move in my life to make that happen. 00:26:30.232 --> 00:26:31.432 I can't do it on my own. 00:26:31.432 --> 00:26:34.432 Would you move in my life? 00:26:35.833 --> 00:26:39.633 I remember sitting in a church when we attended church in Little Rock, Arkansas. 00:26:39.633 --> 00:26:43.266 This would have been 5 or 6 years ago now. 00:26:43.732 --> 00:26:46.032 And I remember one Sunday morning, the pastor saying this. 00:26:46.032 --> 00:26:52.599 He had been talking about suffering in that message and the challenges we face. 00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:55.066 And he said, I want I want you to hear something very clear. 00:26:55.066 --> 00:27:00.333 And I was going through a pretty rough season at that moment. 00:27:00.500 --> 00:27:07.299 I don't know if it would be suffering for my faith, but man, I felt weighed down and overwhelmed. 00:27:09.900 --> 00:27:15.833 And he said, sometimes the temptation is to feel like because you are suffering, God is against you. 00:27:15.833 --> 00:27:17.000 God, why do you hate me? 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:18.932 Why are you allowing this to happen? 00:27:18.932 --> 00:27:20.965 How much more can I take? 00:27:20.965 --> 00:27:22.365 I feel like Job here. 00:27:22.365 --> 00:27:25.365 What are you trying to do to me? 00:27:25.532 --> 00:27:28.099 But then the pastor said this. 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:35.599 He said, I want you to hear that your suffering may be the very sign of God's pleasure in your life. 00:27:35.633 --> 00:27:37.266 Really? 00:27:37.266 --> 00:27:38.965 God's pleasure. 00:27:38.965 --> 00:27:42.400 It may be the sign of how much he trusts you. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:52.333 It may be the sign of how much he knows that you will bear up and be a testimony of him to the world. 00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:54.833 Part of me. 00:27:54.833 --> 00:27:55.865 I didn't really like hearing that. 00:27:55.865 --> 00:27:58.032 Honestly. 00:27:58.032 --> 00:27:59.266 Really. 00:27:59.266 --> 00:28:01.700 God, I don't, I don't, I'm good without the suffering. 00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:03.066 Honestly, if you want to take it away. 00:28:06.099 --> 00:28:09.766 And yet another part of it was a great comfort. 00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:18.365 It may be the very sign of his love for you and trust in you, and I don't know where that is for you. 00:28:18.365 --> 00:28:34.400 But as we watch these baptisms, I guarantee you the people who are standing up here, some of them watched suffering, and it may have been in some of your lives, and they saw Christ at work, and he will use that in someone's life as he used it today in their lives. 00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:44.665 In fact, we're going to turn now to the baptismal pit if Colby, if you would come down and introduce yourself and begin into the baptisms here in just a second.