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Everybody. But we're the body of Christ. Amen? And we're together. So we give praise to God for that. We've been in Peter, and we're going to continue in Peter. We're going to be in 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 18 to 21. And we thank God for the Word of God. Amen? We believe that the Word of God was God breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit. So every time we open up the Word of God, the Word of God speaks to not just our mind, but our Spirit, because the Holy Spirit has authored it. And the Holy Spirit speaks to us in consecrating us and sanctifying us to his will and his way by the revelation of truth in God's Word. We live our lives as believers on by principles, don't we? The principles of God's Word. Principles are those foundational beliefs that cause us to act and behave the way we do. And really we we act and we behave. The words that come out of our mouth, the attitudes that we have, are based on what we believe, truly. And so when we say that we are a Christian and we have certain beliefs, but act contrary to the word of God and the beliefs that we state with our words, the world looks at us and says, dissonance, disconnect, right? And so we as believers, and Peter is uh expressing this in his gospel, giving principles, but laying out practical ways of living out the principles of God's word in a wonderful, wonderful way. And a lot of the things you read are contrary to the world's opinions and speculations on how we should live. No duh about that. Amen. We're not of the world. We're of another world, we're another kingdom, and we live our lives by the kingdom and the principles of God's word, not the principles of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and they are contrary to the word of God. So when we read principles in God's word, we need to take them into our mind, of course, but allow them to stir us in our spirit and our emotions so that we begin to live out these principles of God's word. And this is going to be a tough one today because you uh you might have experienced over your life a manager or a boss that you literally wanted to call Tony and Vinny from Brooklyn up to have a little talk. You just didn't get along. There was uh there was some um stuff going on between you that were tough. Maybe you were dealt with unjustly. And immediately when we are offended or when we are dealt with injustice or inequity, we desire to fight for our rights, don't we? I have a right to be understood. I have a right not to be treated this way, I have a right, I have a right, I have a right. But listen to this, friends, when you gave your life to Christ, guess what? You don't have any rights anymore. Amen. You gave all your rights to Christ. He's now your master, and now he is your Lord. And this is the message that we need to teach to the church today because there is elements in our Christendom that say and believe one thing but don't live it out in a holy life consecrated to God. We as Steel City Church, family members, the body of Christ, we want to live our lives to the full. Amen. Based on the principles of God's word. Every principle turned into practice so that we receive the prize of practicing the principles of God's word. And what is the prize? Jesus. Amen? And knowing God, a greater revelation of who he is. Paul said, Listen, I want to know him. Yeah, and the power of his resurrection. We want all, we all we all want that, don't we? What about the fellowship of his suffering? Do you know that in times of suffering, you move you learn more about the grace and the wonder of God than being up on the mountaintop with a tambourine shouting glory, glory, glory. Amen? Suffering brings you into this greater revelation of who Jesus is and how he suffered for you, so that we now can have this wonderful experience of the grace and the confidence of God to see us through any suffering. And friends, the world is not a just place. The world is not a fair place. We know that sin has entered the world. And we look at things, and sometimes we wonder, God, what in the world are you doing? Why did you allow this thing to happen? There's the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. And in the garden, the free will of Adam and Eve said, We want our own way. We want to justify our own steps, we want to live out our own devices and intentions without you, God. And so here we go. And immediately there was hostility and enmity and a separation and an alienation from God that man has experienced ever since. But thank God for Jesus Christ. Amen. Came down off the throne, became man, fully God, fully man, sinless life, abused, humiliated, died on a cross for us. His blood was shed. Faith in his precious blood that was shed on the cross and his work on the cross now leads us to this wonderful new life in Christ. The Bible says that our we were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were dead. We weren't floating around on top of the water yelling, help me, help me. We were dead on the bottom of the ocean's floor of sin, shame, guilt, and death. And Jesus had a rescue mission. Amen? Came down and bought us, like George was saying, redeemed us, set us free. And this is the wonder of the beauty of now being able to live this Christian life out. Not based on our religious experience. It's not based on what church you go to. It's not based on your religious training when you were a kid. It's based on you falling on your knees and saying, Jesus, I need you. I love you. You are the only savior that this world needs. And Jesus said it, isn't it true? I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father. No one comes into this love fest of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but through me. And all of our attention now is geared towards this wonderful revelation of who Jesus Christ is, because in Jesus is all of our resources, all of the blessing, all of the favor of God as we give ourselves in the hands of the Lord today. And so we're going to dive into this passage of scripture that speaks about how you're going to treat your manager or your boss at work in the workplace, the one that treats you unjustly and treats you with inequity. And it is tough. So let's read it. First Peter chapter 2, and we're going to read verse 18. Servants be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it? If when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure, but if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. Your wonderful word that transforms us. And the entrance of your word brings light, Lord, and it's the light of the gospel. And we pray today as we speak your word, that we'll have a new sense of what submission is to you in all areas of our life, what it means to subject ourselves to an authority, an employee, an employer, a manager that is treating us possibly unjustly. So, Lord, we we thank you for the fact that we have you as not only an example, but the very Spirit of Christ that dwells in us now to do what you do, to speak the words that you speak, to live our lives in holiness and sanctification, honoring you in everything that we do, humbly, respectfully. And we thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. So we're learning how to live honorably in a hostile world. We live our lives honorably. And what does honorably mean? We want to live our lives in a Christ-honoring way. Everything that we do and we say can point to Jesus. Amen. Can point to the character and nature of God, that we're different, that we're changed, that we're holy, and we are not of this world. So Peter is practical in his epistles. And when you look at Peter, now the dude was not the most principled guy when he walked the earth with Jesus, was he? You know, he he told the Lord that there's no way you're gonna die, man. No way. And Jesus had to say, Satan, get behind me. Okay? In other words, you're blocking me, man. Like George was saying, I got a path. I gotta put my face as a flint to the cross, and you're blocking me with your your wrong attitude, wrong principles. Get behind me, I've got to die. And then, of course, we know that Peter denied Jesus three times after saying, I will not deny you, Lord, and he failed Jesus, and then he cursed out a cursed out a little girl. Um so he was not the most principled individual. But isn't it fantastic, friends, that when Christ gets a hold of your life, the old things are past, and the new things, praise God, is here. Amen? We're not what we used to be. And thank God, God is working on us to be more like Christ every single day. We are changed, we are transformed by the power of God, the Holy Spirit today, and we thank God for that. So Peter is uh practical in his uh his epistle. He lays out the truth of God's word. In the early days of faith, Christians had a rough, difficult, and dangerous time. They were they were scattered throughout throughout the Roman Empire. They were few in number, they were greatly despised. All manner of crimes were falsely alleged against them, they were accused of things uh that were vile. The apostle, in writing to these Christians, begs them to behave that they should commend the gospel of Christ or live out the gospel of Christ, live out the good news of Jesus Christ. And he's saying in this passage of Scripture, hey, here are your duties, here are your marching orders. Amen. Um a sense of injustice stings a man, doesn't it? It stings a woman. Because deep down in our heart we have this cry for justice and equity. A man doesn't like to lose his rights or to be condemned and punished when he does no wrong. And the Spirit of Christ teaches us to endure sorrow and suffering, endure it with perseverance, unjustly. And uh this is incredible. Yeah, he Peter doesn't sugarcoat life, life is not fair, not all authority is kind, not all people are reasonable, not all situations feel just. But the instruction here is respect and be submissive even when treated. Anybody, including uh an unbeliever, can uh take retribution and punishment. They can take it patiently when they do wrong. How many of us have ever done wrong and you said to yourself, Dagnab it, Dagnab it, I was wrong, and now we gotta suffer the consequences, right? Your first ticket or anything that um you knew were you you were wrong. You know, I look back at my life and all the beatings I got, probably 99.9% of them I needed. You know what I'm saying? As I look older, but you uh you have this sense that okay, I'll go through it, I'll go through the consequences. I was wrong. But when you suffer, when you did not do anything wrong, here's the thing the Bible says that we can take it. Amen? Because we know that our life and times are in the hands of God, and everything that He uses, He uses everything to mold us and to shape us and to push us, man, drive us to be more like Him, to give Him glory in all things, so that we can see the good in everything. And this is the wonder of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We need Christians and believers, Christ's followers today, to see the good in everything that's happening because there's a lot out there that is terrifying and hurtful, isn't it? We like to fight back. The natural response of the unsaved person is not how we want to respond. We want to respond as someone that's sanctified and saved. Listen to this, what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, 43 to 48. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. It's funny how we as religious people we sort of change the word of God to fit our little schemes and whims, isn't it true? In the Old Testament, it's love your neighbor. Love. But here it is, love your neighbor love your neighbor and hate your enemy. And we all say, hey, we could do that real easy, like. But I say to you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons and daughters of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good, sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same. And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles or those that do not know Christ. You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Anybody can fight back. It takes a spirit-filled Christian to submit and let God fight his battles. Amen. You know that you are not your defender, God is your defender. Isn't that true? We try to defend ourselves in all situations, but we need to just rest back into the arms of God and say, God, you are my defense. You are my protector, you are my provider, you are the one that clears the path for me to be sought out right and righteous in your in your heart and in your eyes. So, have you ever done work at your workplace? Put in the blood, sweat, and tears, and then all of a sudden it comes around that somebody else did it and they get all the credit, right? Oh, and your blood starts to curl curdle. You're like, I'm gonna get that guy. That's a test from the Lord to see if you're submitting to the Lord and your life and times are in his hand. The Bible says when we do our alms, we're supposed to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing, right? Why is that? Because the human heart is so prideful. Amen. We take credit for a lot of things. We take credit for things we haven't even done. But here, these these opportunities at work, when that happens, it reveals the motivation of our heart. Are we are we God pleasers or are we men pleasers? Amen? We don't have to fight for our right. We give it into the hands of God and we submit and we allow Him to have His way in our hearts and in our lives. God sees what others don't. And when we pray, we don't do like the Pharisees, with lofty words and oratorical, rhythmic prayers that are fanciful and wonderful, and people go, Wow, that individual can pray. No, you know what the Bible says? We get into our closet alone with God, alone with God, and in secret, God rewards us. Secret. This is the wonder of being a Christian, guys. That you have a place, a secret place, with the God of creation and the God of redemption. Amen? A secret place where you can meet with him, and he meets with you as you open your heart to the Lord. The Bible says that he knocks on the door of your heart, and when you open, he will come in and fellowship with you, and you will fellowship. Friends, let's get into that secret place. Amen? Where God speaks to us, builds us up, strengthens us. God sees all things. And when we get to the secret place, we know that we're covered. We know that everything's okay. We know that we'll be alright. God sees what others don't. God notices quiet faithfulness. And every time that you maybe you work for the Lord, have you ever done work for the Lord? And uh you don't get any credit? You clean the toilet for Pete's sakes on a Saturday serve. Nobody says nothing. Nobody comes up and says, Man, the way that you sloshed that thing around in the toilet was fantastic, man. And the way that you applied the bleach with the water was awesome. No, no, we do we do work for the Lord and we don't get thanks. We don't get accolades, we don't get praise. But here's a verse for you. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints. As you still do. We desire each one of you to show the same earnestness, to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God. You know what? When you do a service for the Lord, here's the transaction, friends. It's between you and God. Amen? Between you and God. And you're so privileged, you're so honored to reveal the love of God that God has for you that you minister to other people. Ministry really is the overflow of the love of God in your heart for others. Amen. And that's why we need to get into the secret place all the time. Because ministry happens in the overflow of our love for one another. Why do we clean the toilet? Because Jesus died. Why do we serve coffee? Because Jesus died. Why do we go visit someone in the hospital? Because Jesus died. Amen. This is how we serve the Lord, because we know that everything we do is to honor the one that gave his life for us and will one day see us through. Don't you know that God is spending all this time preparing a place for you, a habitation, a dwelling place, a mansion for you. Two thousand years he's been building this thing, and he's a good builder. So when we get to heaven, friends, we'll be in the presence of the Lord. We'll have a dwelling place with our Heavenly Father, and it is awesome. There is no glory in deserved suffering. If you were an idiot and you did a bad choice, that's your fault. And my advice to you is don't be an idiot any longer. Amen? And don't do stupid things that cause consequences upon your life and upon your family life and upon your friends. Live your life for the glory of the Lord. What credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. A gracious thing. How many know that we live our lives based on the grace of God, the unmerited favor of God, the ability and the power, the enabling power of the living God that dwells in us is what this grace is. And when we endure suffering to honor Him, what happens? A dump truck full of grace comes down on us and flows into us and allows us the ability and the power to do what we ought to do. See, everything that God has called you to, he's going to equip you with grace. Amen. So when you humble yourself, guess what you get? Grace. When you exalt yourself, guess what you get? Problems. Okay? Problems. So humble yourself. Amen. You exalt yourself. What does the Bible say? Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. The biggest thing that God wants to yank out of your life is pride, because pride was the fault and the sin and the terror and the horror of Satan himself. Who was in heaven leading worship? And all of a sudden, he's leading worship and says, Well, I feel all this praise going to God. I want a little action myself. Right? And that's why it's so important to worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve. Amen. Make sure there's no pride in your heart. And do things to fight pride. Like clean a toilet. Like come Saturday morning and serve Him with all of your heart and say, God, I'm doing this because I'm a prideful person and I'm humbling myself right now. There was a time when I was going through some things and uh somebody, there was a need to clean the church, and I knew there was pride in my heart, and I said, Lord, I need that. I need that. Because there's pride in my heart. I come every Saturday and I clean that church. And every time I dip the little thing into the toilet, I said, God, humble me. Amen. Keep me, humble me, humble me so I could receive more of you. Because it's in submission that we receive from the Lord all the many blessings that he has. Pride is a killer for your walk with the Lord. And as you endure for him in these situations in the workplace, you'll understand that, man, there's a new sense of grace that's happened. It's a gracious thing. And here's the thing: when you're filled up with grace, guess what you have to give to other people? Grace. Amen? Amen. And what does the world need? A good slap upside the head is really what it needs. But it needs grace. Amen. It needs grace. There's so much hostility and vitriol out there. When you're talking to somebody and they they give an argument that's maybe against your perception of what reality is, and you respond with grace and kindness to have a dialogue and a conversation. They look at you like, wait a minute. I thought we were going to have some confrontation and contention here. No, grace. God's riches at Christ's expense, his power and ability in our heart and in our lives. Amen. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. First Peter 4 says, Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief, but if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. Let's turn over to Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. We're going to read from verse 11. And here we go again with this wonderful concept of God's grace. Titus chapter 2 and verse 11. For the grace of God has appeared. Boom. Bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce the ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age. And how do we do that? By the grace of God. Amen. Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us. There's that word again, bought us back off the slave block of sin, shame, and death. Redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Amen. Good works. Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Remind them, chapter 3, verse 1, to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, to show perfect courtesy towards all people. Come on, man. What's God expect from us? This is the word of God, isn't it? Let me read that again, because I need to hear it. Speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Even that manager or that boss at TJ Maxx that gets you down, that just oh gets under your skin. We got two managers right here, people, okay? Yeah. Oh man. So you're probably saying all the employees should be here to learn this. So they'd have grace when they yes, okay. All right, let's get back to the word of God here. To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. Here's the big butt of God, amen. God has big butts here. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he what? Saved us, amen. Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace that is declared righteous in his sight, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are things are excellent and profitable for people. The grace of God. The grace of God. Why do we submit to injustice and inequity and put our hands in the hands of God? Because the tragedy of all time was that the sinless Lamb of God stepped off his throne, came down to a lost and dying world that didn't even recognize him, misrepresented him, humiliated him, crushed him, pierced him, and killed him, so that we could be free, as Daryl said, to do and be what we ought to be. Amen? And that's the power of the gospel, friends. To respond to people with the grace of God. He loves us today. He wants to change us and transform us by his grace. And this is the part we often don't like in that verse. For to this we have been called. Amen. Go back to 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 21. For to this you have been called. It is the calling of God. Why? Because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. Man. We can't live out this Christ's life without having Christ live in us. Amen. All your righteousness is filthy rags before God. All your attempts to measure up to the righteousness of God, you fall short of the glory of God. But once you accept Jesus Christ to become regenerated, your spirit that was dead becomes alive to the things of God. All of a sudden, boom, the spirit of the Lord dwells within you and gives you this wonderful power to live out this Christian life and to do what you thought you'd never do, and that is to do something that you didn't want to do. Amen. Like love somebody, like forgive somebody, like humble yourself before people, and allow other people to get the credit for the things that you do because you know that you're not a man pleaser, you're a God pleaser. And the greatest thing in your life today is that God is pleased with you. He's pleased with you and that he loves you. Amen? Amen. Let's bow for a word of prayer. Lord, we love you today. We thank you for your grace and your mercy. We thank you, Lord, that it's all about you. We stand before you not because of what we've done or anything that we've achieved or anything that we've attempted. It's all because of the grace of God. For by grace we have been saved, not by works of righteousness, but by your mercy, Lord. And we cry out for your mercy today and your grace to live this life of power and ability and take principles of your word, put them into practice. And God, when we go to work this week, we'll have a greater understanding that our life and times are in your hands. And that one day, Lord, you will bring justice to victory. You'll bring equity to victory because you are a good and perfect God. And that day will be a fantastic day when you are King of Kings and Lord of Lords for all eternity. And will be with you forever. And we give you praise in Jesus' name. Amen.