The Bible--God's Message to Mankind ("Definite Convictions in a Do-Whatever World" Series)

Note: This sermon is the beginning of a new, occasional series on my church's Statement of Faith. I will be preaching from our Statement of Faith on the Sundays that we celebrate The Lord's Supper together.      

     

Section 1 of our Statement of Faith is entitled, “Verbal Inspiration,” and it states: “We believe that all Scripture of the Old and New Testament is God-Breathed, is inerrant in the original writings and is the supreme and final authority in all matters of life, faith, and practice (2 Tim. 3:16, Matt 4:4, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Rom 15:4).”

            This title, “Verbal Inspiration,” simply means that God’s involvement with the writing of Scripture extended all the way to the very words that the human authors chose to use to express their message. In other words, God didn’t just give the human authors of the Bible some grand and lofty ideas and then leave them on their own to put those ideas down in writing. That would’ve left the writing process vulnerable to all the imperfections of human beings.

            For example, we’ve all experienced the frustration of having an idea in our minds but not being able to find just the right words to express it. In the end, we sometimes have to settle with an imprecise or incomplete expression of what we truly had on our minds.

            So is that what we have with the Bible? Is it just the best attempt of the human authors to communicate all that God had placed in their minds? No – not at all! God’s involvement in the writing led the entire process from beginning to end, so that even the very words the authors chose to use were the words that God desired for them to use.

            The first statement of this section says, “We believe that all Scripture of the Old and New Testament is God-Breathed.” What does this term “God-Breathed” mean? Well, it comes from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 [READ 2 Tim 3:16-17]. This picture of God breathing out the Scriptures tells us that he is the ultimate source and origin of the Scriptures. Even though it was actually human beings who put pen to paper in order to write the Bible, its message ultimately came from God.

            Think of it like a musician playing a beautiful piece of music on an instrument. Yes, the musician uses the instrument to produce the sound, but the music is ultimately coming from the musician, not the instrument. So it is with the Bible – God used human authors to produce the documents, but the message is ultimately from him.

            The second statement declares that the Scripture “is inerrant in the original writings.” This declaration means that the documents produced by the original authors were free of any mistakes or errors. Therefore, the Bible tells us the truth and nothing but the truth.

            In this statement, though, why do we only focus on the original writings as being free of errors? The reason is that we know mistakes have been made in the copying process that has taken place from that time until now. For example, in 1631, a new edition of the King James Bible was printed in England that became known as "The Wicked Bible" because the printers accidently left out the word "not" in the commandment, "Thou shalt not commit adultery!” Thus, their Bible made it sound like God was commanding everyone to commit adultery!

            Now how do we know that this was an error? It’s because we have thousands upon thousands of other copies of the Bible that say, “thou shalt not commit adultery.” By comparing all of these copies together, we can spot locations in individual copies where mistakes have been made – such as in The Wicked Bible. By this process of comparison, then, we can eliminate those mistakes and know that we have an accurate copy of what the original authors wrote.

            The final statement of this section says that the Bible, “is the supreme and final authority in all matters of life, faith, and practice.” Notice how comprehensive that statement is – the Bible is the final authority for how I live, what I believe, and for how we do things in the church. This respect toward the Bible is simply the logical response to the fact that the Bible is ultimately a message from God. He is our Creator, our Lord, our Savior, and our Master, so whatever he has declared for us is the standard by which we must measure all things.

Monday Matters

            Now at this point you may be thinking, “This is wonderful information, Pastor Tim, and if I ever end up on Jeopardy it may help me to know what verbal inspiration means. But what difference does this make for my life?”

            That is a fair – and very important – question! When we wake up tomorrow morning, we will have to deal with Monday matters all over again. We’ll have to get the kids out the door and get them to school, and perhaps little Johnny is falling behind in a certain subject and will have to wrestle with some complicated decisions about what to do. And perhaps you’ll head off to another day at a job that you don’t really enjoy, and you’ll put in one more day just so you can pay those bills that are breathing down your neck.

            When you have to deal with those realities, what difference does it make that you know these truths about the Bible? In each sermon in this series, we’ll deal with this question, because it is very important to know how doctrine does connect with daily life.

            In today’s case, the great comfort and help we receive can be summarized like this:

In the Bible, we have a source of divine wisdom and food for the soul.

            In life, we have to deal with so many different decisions that can feel so complicated. Sometimes it’s hard just to form your own opinion, and then on top of that, you may have to sort through all kinds of advice from other people. It can all be so confusing, but in the midst of that confusion, we have a source of light, piercing through the fog, showing us the direction to take.

            The Bible gives us a framework for thinking that is not based on the limited understanding and perspective of men. It comes from above the fray, from a vantage point of unlimited knowledge and wisdom, untainted by sinfulness, and unfazed by the passage of time. The Bible helps us to align our priorities in the proper order so that we can accurately weigh the various options that may be available to us in any situation.

            So as we deal with the complexities of life, we don’t have to simply lean on our own understanding, which is so limited and filled with blind spots because of our own sinfulness. Instead, we can have the confidence that we are following a path that has been laid out by divine wisdom and infinite love. Our Statement of Faith references Romans 15:4, which says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Remember that hope is the biblical optimism that we have through the instruction and promises of God. It is a biblical optimism, which remembers – as the Apostle Paul stated – that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God, but hope is optimistic nonetheless because it is confident in God’s ability to fulfill his promises.

            So we can see how this divine wisdom is also food for our souls. The Bible nourishes us and sustains us spiritually when we grow so weary because of life in this world. Each one of us knows that even after we have fed our bodies, we can still be malnourished if we have not fed our souls. You can feast on the finest cuts of meat and the most delectable desserts and yet still be empty inside because your soul is fatigued and underfed.

            But the Bible provides the nourishment and sustenance for our souls to give us spiritual energy so that we don’t have to feel beat down and worn out as we go through life. As Jesus himself said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” We find these precious words in his holy book, the Bible, and drinking them in will quench the thirst of even the driest soul.           

           

Arm Yourself With the Attitude of Christ--1 Peter 4:1-6 (1 Peter Series)

            There’s an old cliché which says, “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight!” When you’re in a conflict – be it a sensitive conversation or battle against temptation – you want to make sure you’re well-equipped to win the victory.

            The Apostle Peter has been calling us to be willing to do good even if we will suffer for it. Today, in the first part of chapter 4, Peter will tell us what a powerful weapon Christ’s attitude is for us as we stare down our own sinful passions and face peer pressure from others to do what is sinful. We’ll look at his teaching today in 4:1-6, and then we’ll wrap up our time talking in slightly more general terms about the important role that thinking has to play in our spiritual growth. Make sure you grab hold of this thought:

When you face suffering for doing good, arm yourself with the attitude of Christ.

1. Christ’s attitude pushes us toward obedience rather than sin (vv. 1-2)

            Peter has just shown us how Jesus was willing to do good even if it led to suffering, and now he’s going to challenge us to embrace that same attitude by showing us what a powerful weapon it is against our sinful passions and temptations [READ 4:1-2].

            When you embrace this attitude of being willing to do good even if it means suffering or discomfort, spiritually speaking it’s like you’ve traveled over a railway switch that moves you off of one path and onto a very different path. It moves you from simply pursuing your own sinful desires – which is what we all do naturally – to pursuing the will of God no matter what.

            Notice how Peter said we should “arm ourselves” with this attitude. It truly is a powerful defensive tool against temptation, because the threat of suffering is one of Satan’s last resorts when we are about to take a step of obedience. In my mind this week, I pictured it as a little glass box inside of Satan’s bag of tricks, and on the box it says, “Break glass in case of emergency!” When Satan sees you about to take a step of obedience, he breaks that glass and he pulls out the threat of suffering. He throws a temptation at you that says, “You know, your friends might make fun of you if you don’t go along with this! They may not talk to you anymore after this!” Or it says, “You know, you’re going to keep feeling pretty tense if you don’t just let all of that anger out. You could really blow off all that steam if you just punch that guy or run your mouth with those things you’d like to say. Or it might say, “You’re going to lose your job if you don’t go along with what the boss wants you to do!”

            If you can stare suffering like that in the face and say, “I don’t care; I’m still going to do what God wants me to do,” then you have turned a major corner on the path toward spiritual maturity. You have clearly shifted from having sinful desires as the driving force of your life to having godliness as the driving force of your life. Clearly then, this attitude is a powerful weapon.

We must also remember that…

2. Any time spent in sinful living is too much time! (v. 3)

            [READ v. 3] Does this sound like any culture you know? It should, because you’re living in it! Peter’s list essentially revolves around two sins that are literally celebrated in our society: sexual sins and drunkenness. Since at least the 1960’s our country has declared that libido is lord. One by one, we have thrown off every restraint that might hinder us from expressing our romantic urges in any way that we might choose. Today, our government promotes policies that are based on the idea that your romantic desires are more fundamental than even biological facts about you. Sexuality is rapidly becoming the primary way in which people identify themselves in our culture.

            And if you want to know what kind of an impact the celebration of drunkenness has in our culture, just look at the defining cultural event in our country – the Super Bowl. Every year, the commercials that air during the Super Bowl set records for how expensive they are to purchase. They cost gobs of money, and yet almost every other commercial you see during the game is from a brewery. And of course, the commercials themselves are very telling. Good times are waiting for you, they say; just add booze, and everything will be great.

Since these sins are so celebrated in our culture, we face a lot of pressure to conform to our society’s way of thinking. We may be insulted if we don’t, as Peter points out next, but we must remember this observation…

3. Sinful living is silly foolishness and it will be judged by God

            [READ v. 4] Let’s make sure we don’t miss the humor in Peter’s metaphor of a “flood of debauchery,” or sinfulness. When actual floodwaters rise, no clear-thinking person runs toward the flood – everyone runs away from it! They see the raging, dangerous waters and they move to safety.

            But with respect to sin, these people see a flood rising and they say, “Let’s dive in!” And then they look at you and say, “Aren’t you coming, too?” When you have the audacity to say, “Wait a minute – do you really think this is a good idea? This is a raging, deadly flood!” they start to make fun of you!

            Peter wants to make sure we see the foolishness of all this so that the pain for many insults we receive will lose its edge. When we remember how foolish people are to rush carelessly into some of these sins, their opinion of us becomes a little less significant. If they don’t have better discernment than that, their evaluation of us becomes very insignificant.

            This is a lesson that I really want all of you teenagers to remember, because you are right at the beginning or even in the middle of a phase of life in which you may have lots of people make fun of you if you avoid sexual sins and drunkenness. Remember this – people who live for such things and pursue them are not thinking clearly, so if they make fun of you remember that their viewpoint is not correct. If they say you’re a loser, they’re wrong! Don’t let their insults pressure you into doing what you know is wrong.

            And don’t feel like you have to get even with them or treat them the same way, because they will have to answer to God for the way that they treat you. Look at verse five [READ v. 5]. Now lest we think this is cause for celebration, let’s remember that this is really cause for compassion. These people who make fun of us need the gospel, and as Peter told us in chapter 3, we need to be ready to share it with them. It is the only hope that any of us have for eternal life after we die. Peter reminds us of this in verse six. [READ v. 6]

            Don’t get the wrong idea from this statement. Peter is not saying that people will hear the gospel after death in some kind of a moment that would offer a second chance to receive it. Notice that he says the gospel was preached (past tense) even to those who are dead (present tense). He means that the gospel offers us the promise of eternal life even though we still have to go through physical death.

The Importance of Thinking for Spiritual Growth

            In the rest of our time, I’d like to take a bit of a step back and show you how this passage picks up on a very important New Testament theme. In these verses, Peter states that in order for us to stop pursuing sin and grow spiritually, our thinking must rule over our feelings and our passions. We must be led through life by careful thinking, not by the whims of our feelings or our passions.

            Several New Testament passages emphasize the importance of careful thinking for our spiritual growth, but probably none says it better than Romans 12:2—“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

            According to that verse, the process of transformation that takes us away from worldliness occurs as our minds are renewed – that is as we learn to think about everything from a biblical perspective. Notice that finding the will of God is also described here as a mental process, one that involves testing and discernment.

            In light of this verse and Peter’s declaration that we must arm ourselves with a certain way of thinking, it is vital that we realize that spiritually mature people must be thoughtful people – people who think clearly, frequently, and deeply about the issues of life, and learn to think about them from a biblical perspective.

            I’m concerned today, my friends, that many Christians seem to have flabby minds – minds that are rarely exercised on anything of great significance. I’m concerned that we may not be pushing back hard enough against two significant trends in our culture.

1. The trend to emphasize feelings over thinking

            Our culture tells us today to follow our hearts and listen to our hearts. We have enthroned our feelings as an infallible guide for our choices. I know this song is a little dated these days, but Sheryl Crow once sang, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” We have minimized and rationalized all kinds of sins because the people doing them seem to feel good about what they’re doing.

            We can also spot this trend in the way that we talk. When people share their opinions today, frequently you will hear them say, “I feel that…” rather than, “I think that…” This isn’t just an innocent or meaningless change in the way we speak. It reflects and then feeds into this trend to marginalize thinking in favor of feeling.

            I fear that we have baptized these ideas and brought them into the church. Many Christians will judge a worship service based on how they feel afterward, or how they felt during the music. If they get to their “happy place” emotionally, then they decide that they truly worshipped, but if they didn’t find that “happy place,” then the service wasn’t very good, or they didn’t worship.

            Also, when faced with a very important life decision, many Christians will spend very little time studying the Bible for guidance and large blocks of time trying to sort out what they think the Holy Spirit might be telling them through their feelings.

2. The trend toward excess in entertainment

            I have a serious concern, my friends, that we as a culture are amusing ourselves into stupidity. Let’s just talk about one form of entertainment – consuming media, like television or the radio. About two months ago, the Nielsen Company released a study on the viewing and listening habits of adults in the United States. They found that the average adult in the United States today spends five hours a day watching TV, nearly 2 hours listening to the radio, and about an hour and a half surfing the web or using other apps on our smart phones. When you add in a couple of other things like watching DVDs or playing video games, the average adult today spends 10 ½ hours consuming media every day. Now I can only hope that those devices were on in the background during some of that time and that we’re not actually giving our full attention to media for 10 ½ hours every day.

            Consider those statistics and ask yourself, “How different am I than the average American?” How much time do you spend trying to improve your mind? How much time do you spend trying to learn how to think about all of life from a biblical perspective? How much time do you spend reading the Bible?

            Or consider this: when is the last time that you read anything longer than a blog post that was meant to challenge your thinking and help you have a biblical perspective on life? I’m not trying to put down blog posts, but honestly, how much do we really think about them after we read them? Not very much I imagine. Now contrast that with reading a book that might take you seven or eight hours to read altogether spread out over the course of three weeks. That process gives your mind much more time to reflect on what you are reading and actually take it in and allow it to shape the way that you think.

            Or consider this question: when is the last time that you intentionally did something in silence, just to be alone with your thoughts? No TV on in the background, no radio playing – just total silence from all media? It’s great to listen to Christian radio or to listen to sermons or to read good blogs or good books, but time spent without any media input at all is necessary time to allow our minds to digest everything that we are feeding them. In the same way that your stomach needs time to digest what you put in it, your mind also needs time to digest what you put in it.

            Think once more about the message of Romans 12:2. If we are going to be transformed out of a worldly way of living, that process begins with our minds being renewed into a biblical way of thinking. That means we must be people who have our minds turned on. We must be thinking carefully, frequently, and deeply about the issues of life. Otherwise, we will find ourselves with worldly attitudes and opinions, and the worst part is that we won’t even realize it.

            And as Peter challenged us today, victory over our sinful passions and desires begins with embracing a certain way of thinking – in this case, it’s the mindset that doing what is good is always worth it, even if I have to suffer for it. Let us be people who buck the trend of our society toward flabby thinking. Let us allow God to change us through a renewal of our minds.

Look to Jesus for the Right Response to Suffering--1 Peter 3:18-22 (1 Peter Series)

            Our neighbors to the east over in Missouri live in what’s called “The Show-Me State.” The idea behind that nickname is that Missourians are not gullible people – if you want to make a point to them, you’ll have to prove it; you’ll have to “Show Me” that what you’re saying is true.

            We all have at least a little bit of that Missouri attitude in us, don’t we? When a claim sounds too good to be true or it’s different than what we expected, we say, “You’re going to have to show me. You’re going to have to prove it!”

            In the previous passage of 1 Peter, the apostle has just called us to continue to do good even to those who have done evil to us. He said that we should even view such times as opportunities to share the Gospel. Now, Peter may have sensed that even though his readers lived in what is now Turkey, they were really Missourians at heart. He knew that the call to do good even to those who do us evil is a tough pill for all of us to swallow. So in our passage for today, he’s going to point us once again to the example of Christ to show us that God truly does honor those who do good despite suffering for it.

1. Jesus was willing to suffer for doing good (v. 18)

            In verse 18, Peter reminds us that Jesus was willing to suffer for doing good. We should be very thankful that he was willing to do so, because his suffering has resulted in our salvation! [READ v. 18]

            Notice how Peter makes it a point to emphasize that when Jesus suffered for our sins, it was the righteous one suffering in behalf of all of us unrighteous people. Jesus had never done a single thing wrong! Remember that back in 2:22, Peter had written of Jesus, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”

            You’ll recall that after Jesus called Peter to become his disciple, Peter lived with Jesus night and day virtually every day for the next three years, and yet Peter says, “It’s true! He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” Now, my wife and kids live with me night and day, and I can tell you that they won’t have to wait three years to spot me doing something sinful! During that amount of time, my sinfulness will be obvious, yet Peter was able to say of Jesus, “He was a righteous man.” He did not deserve a sentence of death in the least, yet he was willing to accept it and endure it that he might bring us to God. He did it for our well-being! He did it for you and for me.

           

But let us focus again on how Jesus is our example. In the next part of this passage, Peter will reveal how Jesus set an example for proclaiming an offer of forgiveness even to those who were doing evil.

2. Jesus was willing to proclaim good news to those who were doing evil (vv. 19-21)

            As we come into the next part of this passage, we encounter some statements that have proven to be some of the most difficult statements to interpret in all of Scripture. Let me read verses 19 and 20, then I’ll explain a bit of the difficulty and describe for you the two most likely interpretations of these statements [READ vv. 19-20].

            The difficulty of interpreting these verses comes in attempting to answer some basic questions about them. Who are “the spirits in prison,” and what connection do they have to the days of Noah? What did Jesus proclaim to them, and when did he do it? Let me ever-so-briefly lay out for you the two most likely interpretations of this passage.

#1—Between his crucifixion and his resurrection, Jesus spoke to demons who are confined in Hell to announce their ultimate doom.

            Some of you have perhaps worshiped before in a church tradition that frequently recited some of the ancient creeds of the Christian faith. One of those creeds says of Jesus that he “descended into Hell.” If you’ve ever heard that before and you wondered where that statement came from, it comes from this interpretation of this passage, as well as a small handful of other verses.

            Some people believe that this is the best interpretation primarily for three reasons. First, the statement in verse 18 that Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” could seem to refer to a time when his flesh was still dead. Obviously, that was only true in the short time between his death and his resurrection, and so those who take this interpretation say that the proclamation must’ve happened during that time.

            Second, the word “spirits” is often used in the New Testament to refer to demons. Furthermore, when Peter is clearly referring to human beings in verse 20, he uses a different word – the word that is translated in the ESV as “persons.”

            Third, the word “prison” is used in the Book of Revelation to describe a place where demons are apparently being kept under arrest – so to speak – until the end times.

This is one possible interpretation. The second is…

#2—Jesus inspired Noah to proclaim an offer of forgiveness to the sinful people of his day while he was building the ark.

            What is the support for this interpretation? First, there’s a possible translation of v. 20 that would place the timing of the proclamation squarely within the days when Noah was building the ark. The word “because” at the beginning of v. 20 could also be translated “when,” which would make this passage read, “he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, when they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah.”

            Second, Jewish tradition outside of the Bible states that as Noah was building the ark, he called others to repent and join him inside of it. Now, in 2 Peter 2:5, Peter calls Noah a “herald of righteousness,” which indicates that Peter may have had those stories about Noah in mind as he writes about him.

            Third, the picture of Jesus inspiring Noah to proclaim hope and forgiveness fits much better with the previous passage, because that’s precisely what Peter called us to do in vv. 16-17.

            All in all, I think this second interpretation is best. This means, then, that Peter is calling us to reflect on Christ’s willingness to proclaim an offer of forgiveness even to wicked people. Even after God had announced to Noah that judgment was on the way—that it was going to wipe out mankind—even still he apparently moved Noah to call people to repentance and offer them room on the ark. God desires for us to proclaim the Gospel far and wide, even to people whom we think may not deserve it, because no one lies beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness—if they will only accept it.

            Recently, I read a biography of one of the Army chaplains who served in Nuremberg, Germany after World War II as captured Nazi war criminals were being tried for war crimes.¹ Many people don’t realize this, but the United States provided chaplains to minister not only to our own soldiers who were stationed there, but also to the Nazis who were on trial for war crimes. This book recounts how several of these Nazi officers repented of their sins and asked God for forgiveness. The man who wrote this biography had some of his theology a bit mixed up, but the story does remind us how all people can find forgiveness through Christ. If Jesus led Noah to preach forgiveness even to the people who mocked him for his faith, then the Lord would want us to do the same thing.

            Now notice that in verse 21, this mention of Noah and his family being brought safely through water brought the subject of baptism to Peter’s mind. I believe he may have thought of baptism because of the possibility that some people in his audience were shying away from being baptized in order to minimize the opposition they were facing. Remember that most of the people in the churches that first received this letter were apparently from a Jewish background. For their Jewish friends and family, baptism would have been the clear declaration that these believers were leaving behind Judaism to embrace Christianity.

            Some of these believers, then, may have been dragging their feet on baptism. But Peter has something important to say about this step of obedience [READ v. 21]. Let’s clarify what Peter is telling us when he says “baptism…saves you.” Is he saying that being baptized is what brings us forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven? Would Peter say, then, that we will not go to heaven unless we are baptized?

            In the context, Peter doesn’t seem to have the thought of going to heaven in mind at all. Recall that when we studied James 2, I told you that when we see words like “saves” or “saved” in the Bible, we have to ask ourselves the question, “Saved from what?” The word “saved” simply means “delivered from danger,” so we have to allow the immediate context of the passage to tell us what the danger is in that case.

            In this passage, the danger that Peter has in mind is losing out on the blessings that we will receive if we respond properly when evil is done to us. If we respond in a sinful way in those moments, we could lose the blessing of living at peace with the people around us, we will lose the reward in heaven that comes from suffering for righteousness sake, and we will lose out on the opportunity to have a bold witness for Christ. Now if those don’t sound like things that we really don’t want to miss out on, then we need to reassess what we cherish and value in our hearts.

            The act of baptism puts us in the right frame of mind to receive the blessings that come from responding properly to suffering. When you choose to be baptized, you are making a public declaration that you are a follower of Christ, come what may! You are declaring that your confidence is in him, and that you want to obey all that he commands his followers to do. And notice that just like with all of the spiritual benefits and blessings that we have, the benefits of baptism are based on what Jesus has accomplished, not on anything that we accomplish. Notice that Peter says that baptism saves us from these dangers “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” All of the glory goes to him, whether we’re talking about baptism or anything else. It is his power that accomplishes good in our lives, whether we’re talking about the good of becoming a child of God or growing in maturity as children of God. It all comes through his resurrection power.

Christ’s destiny after his resurrection also reminds us of the honor that we stand to receive for responding to suffering and evil in a godly way.

3. Jesus was honored for His willingness to suffer (v. 22)

            In verse 22, Peter writes of Jesus [READ v. 22]. The fact that Jesus is at the right hand of God means that he is in a position of great honor and authority. We may sometimes talk about a person being “my right hand man,” and this means that we highly value that person; we trust them and rely upon them greatly. So Jesus is in a position of great honor and glory ruling at the right hand of God.

            We can see this honor as well from the end of the verse. Angels, authorities, powers – these are all terms that refer to various ranks of angelic beings, and Peter says that Jesus has been placed in authority over them all. That has always been true of Jesus as God, but now it is also true of him as the God-man. Through his life and death and resurrection as a man, Jesus has now restored humanity to an honored and exalted position among all created things.

            Just as Jesus was honored for his willingness to do good despite suffering evil, we too will be honored if we choose to have the same response. The story of Jesus teaches us this important lesson, that choosing to do good in the face of injustice will bring us glory and honor down the road. Yes, we may experience injustice from other people right now. We can’t control how other people might treat us, but we can control how we choose to respond, and if we will choose to respond with continued obedience to God, we will inherit blessing and honor – perhaps even the blessing of peaceful living with others right now, but certainly the honor of eternal reward from our God when we get to heaven.

Notes:

1. The book is “Mission at Nuremberg,” by Tim Townsend.

Living a Blessed Life Through Every Situation--1 Peter 3:8-17 (1 Peter Series)

            What comes to your mind when you think about the idea of being blessed? What sort of events or circumstances might make you think, “Wow! I really feel blessed!” I wanted to get a bit of a sense of what our culture thinks about this idea, so I decided to go to the most accurate source of information about our culture – which is Facebook, of course. I did a search on posts that used the hashtag “blessed,” and by and large, the posts confirmed my suspicion that in our culture, we tend to think of ourselves as being blessed when we have nice stuff.

            On one post, I found a world-class athlete posting that he felt blessed as he was traveling in his private jet. I also found a celebrity who used that hashtag for a selfie as she was laying on a beautiful beach somewhere. But the post that really took the cake was a picture of a man literally lying in a pile of cash!

            But what does it mean to be blessed according to the Bible? How do we pursue a blessed life? In our study of 1 Peter today, the Apostle is going to turn our culture’s idea of being blessed on its head and show us that as Christians, we should measure the blessed life by very different standards, and we pursue it by pursuing godliness at all times and in all situations.

1. Cultivate a culture of blessedness in the Church through connected hearts

            In the first part of our passage for today, Peter once again addresses the entire congregation of the churches who received this letter. He had just given some individual instruction to servants, wives, and husbands, but now he addresses all believers once again in v. 8, where he gives us a summary of how to cultivate a family atmosphere within the Church—which is especially important in light of the opposition to our faith that we encounter from society at large [READ v. 8].

            Please note that when Peter calls us to have “unity of mind,” he’s not talking so much about our opinions – as in, we all have to have the same opinions about absolutely everything – but rather, he’s talking more so about our attitude toward one another. When another believer is involved, my default attitude should be one of pursuing unity. Our common faith in Christ places us on very significant common ground, and so I should seek to live in unity and harmony with my fellow believers.

            Notice also the emphasis that Peter places upon our internal faculties in this verse. We see words like “mind,” “heart,” and “mind” again, and of course sympathy and brotherly love involve our affections and emotions. We might say that Peter is calling for heartfelt connections with each other that form deep bonds.

            It’s not very difficult in a church setting to learn how to exchange small talk with each other or even pal around with each other and share a few laughs when we’re together. But Peter is clearly calling for our bonds to go much deeper. We should have an emotional connection with each other that unites us and leads us to feel each other’s joys and sorrows.

            One key for building these kinds of bonds is to remember that our love for each other really and truly is brotherly (or, we could say sisterly as well!). We really are spiritual siblings because of our shared adoption in the family of God. We are more than just neighbors, more than even just friends. We have a true family bond through Christ, and remembering that is one key for building relationships that touch our hearts.

2. Seek blessedness with others by acting in godly ways at all times

            In verse nine, Peter seems to turn his attention from the church toward society at large. What he’s about to say certainly applies to our relationships with other believers, but it seems that his focus is on our relationships with unbelievers. He gives us the basic command to bless them – even if they don’t do the same to us! [READ v. 9a, through “called”].

            a. “Bless others…” (v. 9a)

            In this verse, we see again the basic principle of Christian ethics that I am not supposed to allow your behavior toward me to dictate my behavior toward you. Peter states that even if someone does evil to us or insults us, we are not supposed to respond in kind. Rather, we are supposed to bless others, and Peter reminds us that God has called us to have this kind of response. It is not just Peter’s own opinion; rather, it is a calling from God.

            Now, what does it mean to bless someone else? In verse 11, will see that it certainly does involve our actions, but the term “bless” itself focuses on what we say. When someone does evil to you or insults you, you can easily cause that conflict to escalate by what you choose to say in response. Peter tells us not to respond with insults of our own, but with language that is still respectful and kind – language that reflects goodwill toward that person rather than hatred or evil.

            As Peter reminded us back in chapter 2, that is exactly how Jesus responded. Verses 22-23 say, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” Since we are called to imitate Jesus, we should choose to respond like he did when we are insulted or slandered.

            b. “…that you may obtain a blessing” (v. 9b-13)

            Notice that part of the purpose behind this kind of response is mentioned here in the last part of verse nine: “that you may obtain a blessing.” Apparently, this kind of response sets us up to receive a blessing. And what is that blessing? We get a sense of it in this quotation from Psalm 34 that Peter includes in the next few verses [READ vv. 10-13].

            What is the blessing according to these verses? It is a lovable (or pleasant or enjoyable) life that is characterized by a sense of approval from God and peaceful living with others. Peter sums up this blessing with his rhetorical question in verse 13: “who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?”             Generally speaking, people will respond well if you pursue peace with them through the way that you act. This principle seems to be especially true in your personal relationships, like your relationships with your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members. Again, generally speaking, you can enjoy the blessing of a living at peace with others if you will treat them in godly ways. Peter may have had a verse like Proverbs 16:7 in the back of his mind here: “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

            Obviously, if you treat people in evil ways, you are just asking for trouble – you are bringing it upon yourself. And that’s not just because other people will turn against you, but because the Lord himself will be against your behavior, as it says at the end of verse 12. It’s important for us to remember that just because we are children of God through our faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t get some kind of free pass on sin.

            As with your own children, their tantrums are not somehow less offensive to you just because they’re coming from your own children. In fact, they’re probably more upsetting and embarrassing to you because they are coming from your own children! In the same way that you would oppose that kind of behavior in your kids, God opposes evil behavior in us when we choose to go that route.

            So once again, in general, when we treat other people in godly ways, they will likely respond well to that. At the very least, our behavior is laying the foundation on which peaceful relationships can be built, and those relationships obviously lead to a more lovable or enjoyable life and days that are characterized by good rather than evil coming at us from every side.

Now Peter is also a realist, so he recognizes that there may be times when people do evil to you despite the fact that you are living in a godly way. So he goes on now to deal with that reality and remind us that even in that situation, we can and will find blessing.

            c. “even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed” (vv. 14-17)

            In the first part of verse 14, Peter writes [READ v. 14a]. As Peter wrote this, I imagine that he had the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount ringing in his ears: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).”

            Notice in this scenario of suffering for righteousness’ sake that the fullness of the blessing only comes in the future. Jesus said, “your reward is great in heaven.” The persecution itself might be very unpleasant and difficult, and even though you could find satisfaction in your soul from knowing that God was pleased with you, the fullness of the blessing in store for you would come later.

            Peter himself had already experienced persecution for his faith, and in Acts chapters 4-5, he gives us an example of the kind of response he now calls for here – not to be afraid in those moments, but to view them as an opportunity to share your faith in Christ.

            [READ v. 14b-15a] What Peter means here is that in our hearts and minds, we have to continue to keep Jesus in a class by himself. In our thinking, we have to keep Jesus exalted above those who are persecuting us so that we won’t allow fear of our persecutors to lead us to be unfaithful to Christ. So, for example, we have to remember that disappointing Jesus is far worse than disappointing other people. If they want us to walk away from our faith in Christ, we have to remember that such betrayal would be far worse than letting them down.

            Also, we have to remember that Jesus is still truly the one in charge of our lives even if our persecutors may seem to be in control of the situation. So we can’t let any fear of other people force our opinion of them to grow out of proportion. Christ is still the Lord over all, and we must honor him as such with our obedience.

            When we keep Jesus in a class by himself, then we are prepared to respond as Peter calls us to in the rest of verse 15 [READ v. 15b]. We should look at these moments as opportunities to share our faith! When people treat you poorly and cause you to suffer, it can be shocking to them when you don’t respond the same way. When you respond to them with kindness and love and confidence in your faith, it can lead them to say, “Why are you doing this?”

            Notice that Peter calls us to explain our hope in Christ “with gentleness and respect.” Apparently we’re not supposed to say, “I’m doing this because one of these days, God is going to crush you under his feet, you filthy pagan!” No – rather we should speak with kindness, even with compassion for this person who obviously needs to hear and understand the gospel.

            Even the next part of Peter’s instructions is not motivated by a sense of personal triumph, but the notion that guilt and shame might bring our persecutors to repentance and faith in God [READ v. 16]. Like the Philippian jailer or the thief on the cross, godly behavior in the midst of suffering can be a powerful tool that God can use to bring people under the conviction of the Holy Spirit to lead them to repent of their sins. That should be our desire even for those who cause us to suffer for our godly behavior! If God was merciful and gracious enough to forgive us, how can we not forgive those who do us wrong and show them compassion by sharing the Gospel with them so they can find the same hope in Christ that we have?

            Peter sums up his teaching in verse 17 by saying [READ v. 17]. If we are going to suffer because of our own personal conduct, it’s far better than our conduct was good rather than evil. If we suffer because of evil that we had done, we’ve brought that suffering on ourselves. There won’t be a blessing that comes from it, and it certainly won’t create an opportunity for us to have a powerful testimony to other people. But if we suffer for doing good, we will be blessed by God, and what’s more, we could be used by God in a mighty way to bring other people to faith in him.

            So no matter our situation, we can obtain a blessing through godly behavior. Most of the time, that blessing will be the peace that we enjoy with other people in the pleasant enjoyment that comes from a life that’s characterized by peace rather than turmoil. And even if it should come about that our godly behavior leads to persecution, we can gain the blessing of a reward from God in Heaven, and the opportunity to shine as a bright light for Christ in the midst of darkness.

The Habits of an Honorable Husband--1 Peter 3:7 (1 Peter Series)

            We have several clichés and proverbs in our language that remind us not to make superficial judgments about things simply on the basis of appearance. For example, we have the very straightforward statement, “Appearances can be deceiving.” We also have some metaphors like, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” or “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

            It would be wise for us not to judge by appearances as we come to 1 Peter 3:7. From a quick glance at 1 Peter 3, you can see that Peter devotes 6 verses to instructing wives, but only 1 verse to instructing husbands. It would be incorrect to look at that disparity and conclude that wives need more instruction or that husbands apparently do a better job in their role. In fact, if you compare this chapter to Ephesians 5—which also gives instruction to husbands and wives—you’ll see that the balance is exactly the opposite; husbands receive much more instruction in that chapter than wives do.

            So, let’s move past mere appearances with this verse and dig in to what Peter has to say to husbands. Here we will find 3 habits of an honorable husband.

1. An honorable husband knows his task and his wife

            Peter begins this verse by saying, “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way.” The Greek behind this translation literally says to live “according to knowledge.” In order to be an honorable husband, there are at least two areas of knowledge in which a husband must be well-versed.

            First, he must thoroughly understand the task that God has given to him as a husband. He is called to be a leader for his wife – to set the direction or set the tone in the home. Now husbands must remember that in most ways, the direction for the home has already been set for him by the Lord. So the husband’s real task is simply to bear the greater share of responsibility for implementing God’s plans for a Christian family.

            Men, when we hear that we are supposed to be the leaders in the home, our sinful pride tells us that that makes us like a commander-in-chief. We might picture ourselves as having unquestioned authority in the home, with the power to bark out orders and expect our wives to get in line.

            In reality, we are much more like a platoon sergeant. Sure – we do have a position of leadership, but it’s much lower on the ladder than our sinful nature would have us think. Again, in our role, our task is simply to take the commands we have received from above and implement them among those who are under our care.

            Second, a husband must also thoroughly understand his wife. Once we have a good grasp on our task from God, we then have to look for the best way to carry out that task in the context of our specific marriages to our specific wives. In any setting, if a leader is going to lead effectively, he must have a thorough knowledge of those who are under his care.

            I don’t have to tell you that every woman is unique. Each woman has her own upbringing, her own genetics, her own personality, her own innate gifts and abilities, her own spiritual gifts. When God gives you one of these wonderful creatures as a wife, you have to get to know her to figure out how she works! What are her opinions? What are her fears? What are her hopes, her dreams? What are her limitations and her weaknesses?

            You have to get to know your wife, and you have to keep getting to know her. You’re going to laugh at me for this one, but I remember distinctly about a month ago being reminded of something that I had forgotten about my wife. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it was because I forgot it again! That happens, doesn’t it? We learn, and we forget; or we learn and come to find out that we had misunderstood.

            So we have to keep learning about our wives so that we will know the most effective way to lead them as we work together to implement God’s plans for our home.

2. An honorable husband honors his wife

A. Due to the vulnerabilities of her position

            In the next part of verse seven, Peter tells husbands to “[show] honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.” Please note that Peter does not call women weak – he calls them weaker. He does not use an absolute term; so in other words, he’s not saying, “Look husbands, you’ve got to understand that your wives are just plain weak. No matter how you slice it, they’re just weak.” That is NOT what Peter says!

            Rather, he uses a comparative term; he’s saying that in some way as compared to their husbands, women are weaker by that standard of comparison. Now, what standard of comparison is Peter thinking of? It seems that there are basically two options.

            First, Peter could be thinking in terms of physical strength. It is generally true that husbands are stronger than their wives in terms of sheer, brute strength. I don’t know about the rest of you husbands though, but I’m not going to tell the woman who bore my children that she’s weaker than I am!

            It could be that Peter is talking about physical strength, and by “honor” then, he would apparently mean something like protecting your wife and keeping her safe. Your wife’s need for physical safety is certainly a need for which a husband wants to provide, so we should be looking after that.

            But Peter might have a second standard of measurement in the forefront of his mind, and that would be the standard of how men and women are viewed in society. At that time in particular, women were in a much weaker position in society in terms of their legal rights and in terms of the respect that was given to them.

            There are always exceptions to the rule, but the common wife at that time was totally at the mercy of her husband in numerous ways. Let me just give you one quote to illustrate this. These words come from the Roman statesman Cato, who lived around 300 years before 1 Peter was written, but nevertheless, his words capture the status of women that prevailed throughout the history of the Roman Empire. He stated, “If you were to catch your wife in an act of infidelity, you can kill her with impunity without a trial; but, if she were to catch you, she would not venture to touch you with her finger, and, indeed, she has no right.”¹

            So what was a Christian husband to do in a setting like that – a setting in which his wife was tremendously vulnerable? According to Peter, he was to show honor to his wife. By doing so, a Christian husband could calm any fears that his wife may have had about him abusing his position of authority. He could help her to feel extremely secure in his love and protection and thus send a clear message that she had nothing to fear.

            Wives today have a much different standing in society, but nevertheless, they still have a certain vulnerability in some ways. If a divorce occurs, for example, a wife typically takes on greater responsibility for any children, and she might be economically vulnerable if she didn’t work outside the home. Regardless, a wife still faces the reality that she is called to follow her husband’s lead in the home. Husbands, in light of this, we must show honor to our wives to reassure them that we have no intention of abusing our leadership role, but rather, we intend to cherish our wives and show them how much we love them.

B. Due to her spiritual equality in the eyes of God

            Regardless of how a society or culture may view wives, God sees them as being spiritual equals with their husbands – so husbands need to see them the same way! Peter writes that a second reason we should show honor to our wives is, “since they are heirs with you of the grace of life.”

            When it comes to receiving spiritual blessings from God, husbands and wives are on an equal footing. Neither a husband nor a wife is better off in terms of the ability to receive salvation or to relate to God. This is very important for a husband to remember, lest he think that his leadership position means that God loves him more or that his wife just simply isn’t capable of the spiritual insight that he is capable of. This simply isn’t true!

3. An honorable husband remembers that his own fellowship with God will be hindered by mistreating his wife

            The final statement of this verse reveals just how seriously God takes this issue of the proper treatment of wives. It tells us as husbands why it is personally very important for us to know our wives and honor them. Peter says we must do so “so that your prayers may not be hindered.” The Book of Revelation occasionally portrays our prayers as sweet-smelling incense in the heavenly throne room of God. Perhaps, then, we should think of mistreatment of our wives as a foul-smelling stench that overpowers any pleasing aroma that our prayers might have.

            Think of it sort of like this, men. If you are not treating your wife very well, do you think you’re going to have a great relationship with your father-in-law? Do you think he’s going to be all buddy-buddy with you, or do you think the atmosphere at family gatherings might be just a bit icy?

            Well, remember this—God is your wife’s spiritual father. Why would we think that his response would be any different than your wife’s earthly father? The fact is that it is not – failing to know your wife and honor your wife will have a chilling effect on your own intimacy with God as your father. God will be so put off by the stench of your sin that the sweet-smelling fragrance of your prayers will not have its usual potency.

            So what will it be, husbands? Will our prayers need deodorant, or will they be a sweet-smelling aroma before the Lord? At least part of the difference will be made by the way that we treat our wives!

           

Notes:

1. As quoted by William Barclay in “The Letters of James and Peter,” The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 257.

The Ways of a Wonderful Wife--1 Peter 3:1-6 (1 Peter Series)

            For many years, I’ve had some extended family on my Erickson side living in the area around Tuttle Creek Reservoir. They’re such distant relatives that my dad doesn’t even know them, so I’ve never met any of them, but while I was growing up, my dad was aware of an old, abandoned farmhouse where my grandfather used to visit some cousins during the summer when he was a child. Every so often, when we were headed somewhere else, we would go by that old farmhouse and stop in to take a look around.

            By the time I was in high school, it had probably been abandoned for decades, but we could still find some household things in there if we took the time to brush away some dust. On one trip, I remember my sister finding a book that was still in relatively good condition. Ironically, it was a book that my sister needed for her next semester in college, so she took it home and used it.

            Out of all of the books that we could’ve found in that abandoned farmhouse, the book that we stumbled across was The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Published in 1963, that book is credited with launching a second wave of feminism in the United States. Since that time, the role of women in society and in the home has been hotly debated, and the heat hasn’t died down since.

            For that reason, a passage of Scripture like 1 Peter 3:1-6 is very controversial in our society at large. I think it is probably quite a bit less controversial here in our own church, but nevertheless it does raise some very important questions. So we’ll deal with these questions today as we take a look at what I’ve called, “The Ways of a Wonderful Wife.”

1. A wonderful wife follows her husband's lead in the home (3:1a)

            That is the essence of what Peter means when he says, “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands.” The husband’s role in the home is to lead by being the “chief servant,” we might say. He is supposed to assess the needs of his family, prioritize them, and see to it either personally or through others that those needs are met. A wife’s role is to support and assist her husband in that task. It truly is a partnership and a team effort, but the husband is called to shoulder the greatest portion of that responsibility.

            This idea of a wife being subject to her husband does not mean that a husband is supposed to get extra perks or extra benefits that are not available to the wife. Rather, it simply means that a wife should allow her husband to set the direction or set the tone in the home. That does involve deferring to his judgment in the case of a disagreement over a certain decision (but of course, by that point, a wise husband will have thoroughly considered his wife’s point of view).

            Now, Peter is going to go on to talk about a situation in which a Christian wife is married to an unbelieving man, so that could raise the question, “Is this command to be subject only intended for wives with unbelieving husbands, or does it apply to all wives?” Other authors of Scripture, particularly the Apostle Paul, have echoed what Peter says here in different contexts, so by comparison we can see that this is God’s desire for all wives—that they follow their husband’s lead in the home.

And this does include a woman who is married to an unbeliever, as Peter points out in the next part of the passage.

2. A wonderful wife respects and honors even an unbelieving husband (3:1b-2)

            [READ 3:1-2] Respectful behavior and following her husband’s lead can have a significant evangelist impact on an unbelieving husband. Peter points out that such conduct is even more powerful than words—probably because an unbelieving husband might feel like he’s being nagged if his wife talks about her faith all the time.

            Now when Peter writes the phrase “without a word,” please notice that he’s not talking about marital communication in general. He’s not saying something like, “Women should be seen, not heard.” He is not at all saying that a wife should never share her opinion or that she should never ask questions about a decision her husband made. With that phrase, Peter is talking about the very specific situation of a believing wife making sure she doesn’t get too preachy with her unbelieving husband.

3. A wonderful wife's most attractive quality is her character (3:3-4)

            In the next two verses, Peter writes [READ vv. 3-4]. Let’s spend a bit of time discussing this carefully, because it probably raises a lot of questions for you.

            I think the first question that comes to mind is this—is Peter saying that a wife should never braid her hair or wear gold jewelry or wear nice clothes? Let me make a few observations to answer that question.

            First, for Peter to lay out a full-blown dress code with detailed regulations would be very much out of the spirit of New Testament theology. We have been set free from the Law of Moses with all of its detailed regulations, and we are not supposed to set up something like it again. Speaking to this very idea, Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

            Second, it doesn’t seem that Peter’s intention is to lay out an absolute dress code for women because his list isn’t quite comprehensive enough. Notice that he doesn’t mention anything about make-up. If Peter’s intention was to issue a full-blown dress code, it seems that he would surely mention make-up as part of that code.

            Third, comparison with other passages of Scripture indicates that it apparently can be acceptable to wear nice clothing. For example, there is a well-known passage in Proverbs 31 which describes the virtuous wife. Part of that description states, “her clothing is fine linen and purple (Prov 31:22). Purple clothing was particularly expensive in Israel because of the cost of purchasing the dye that was required to make it. So this woman is described as wearing some nice clothing.

            So it seems clear that Peter is not saying that a wife should never, ever braid her hair or wear jewelry or nice clothing. Notice that verse 3 is simply the first part of a contrast that’s completed in verse 4—a contrast between external adornment and internal adornment, and Peter says that internal adornment or “inner beauty” is far more important.

            Now, this contrast should make us ask ourselves, “How do I know if I’m living out the spirit of this contrast?” Another way to say this might be, “How do I know if I’m going too far with a focus on my external appearance? How should I make choices about what I wear and how I present myself?” I’d like to briefly give you three principles to consider. We’ll think of these principles as forming a triangle, with the inside of the triangle representing the area of relative freedom that we have for these choices.

Principle #1—Correct Comparison

            As we make our decisions in this area, we have to look to the example of Christ, not the example of people around us. We absolutely cannot simply follow the fashions of our culture without critically assessing them. Are the latest trends modest? Are they too expensive? Would they be offensive or questionable for the people whom God has placed in my life?

            Nor can we simply look at our culture’s typical excess in this area and think we’ve done fine if we merely dial our own behavior back a little bit by comparison. So for example, if you know that your neighbor spends $300 on new clothing every season, you can’t just set your own limit at $275 and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

            Rather, we have to look to the example of Christ. He was willing to forgo many material comforts during his ministry in this world. Not only that, but when he came into this world, he veiled his heavenly glory beneath his human flesh. Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of that glory during the Transfiguration, and it dazzled them, but apart from that moment, Jesus was willing to lay that aside and be content with a plain appearance. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 gives us some reason to believe that Jesus was just a very plain-looking man – and perhaps even a bit homely. So we, too, should be willing to deemphasize our outward appearance and not get all wrapped up in it.

Principle #2—Correct Priorities

            This is the heart of what Peter was getting at in verses three and four. Our priority should be to sculpt a beautiful character, not a beautiful body. Now, how do you assess what your real priorities are? One fairly accurate way is to look at how you spend your time and how you spend your money. Your time and your money are valuable commodities that we all feel a bit short on, don’t we? None of us feel like we have enough time or enough money, so the ways that we spend our time and our money say an awful lot about our priorities.

            So how much money do you spend on your appearance? When money feels particularly tight around your house, what are the first things to get cut out of your budget? Are you always able to find the money for that new pair of shoes or that new pair of jeans, but when a special offering comes around at church, you just don’t seem to have the money to spare?

            How much time do you spend on your appearance? Do you feel okay leaving the house in the morning without praying, but you wouldn’t be caught dead without your hair curled and your makeup on? Time and money aren’t the only ways to assess your priorities, but they’re pretty accurate for a quick check-up.

Principle #3—Correct Motivations

            This principle is all about why you do what you do. Why do you make the choices that you make with respect to your appearance? Some of you ladies might be doing certain things to please your husbands. Some of those requests might be fine, but men, whatever you do, please don’t put unrealistic expectations on your wife. Don’t look at that woman who’s given you two children and expect her to look like she’s 21 again! Our wives get enough pressure from the unreasonable expectations of our culture; whatever you do, men – don’t add to them!

            Now notice that if we picture these principles as the sides of a triangle, there is still some room inside that triangle for some freedom as we make our choices about our appearance. Some of you may not think about fashion for 15 minutes out of your whole year; others of you may enjoy fashion, so you may pay more attention to it. We don’t all have to make precisely the same choices when it comes to our appearance, but what we all must do is make sure that we are giving far more attention to our character.

4. A wonderful wife draws wisdom and inspiration from those who hope in God (3:5-6)

            [READ vv. 5-6a] Sarah calling Abraham “lord” was a culturally appropriate way of showing respect through the way that she spoke to her husband. Notice that it is an illustration, not a command. It simply highlights one way to show respect to your husband – through the way that you speak to him.

            Sarah would’ve been a powerful and meaningful example for the Jewish believers who first received this letter from Peter because she was the matriarch of the Jewish people. Their feelings toward Sarah could be compared to the way that we think about the Founding Fathers of our nation. We admire them and we would like to think that we are carrying on their values and ideals.

            So Peter’s choice of example yields this inspiring thought in the last part of verse six [READ v. 6b]. What does Peter mean by that last statement? Well, he’s not talking about a fear of spiders or a fear of snakes. Remember the context – he’s talking about the fears that a wife might face in the context of relating to her husband.

            It can be a very intimidating and worrisome thing to follow someone else’s lead. You’re liable to face times when you feel like your husband is not doing a good job, or you feel like he’s misunderstood something. It can be a frightening thing to say, “I don’t know how this is going to turn out, but I’m still going to follow his lead.”

            With that statement, Peter might again be thinking specifically of women who are married to an unbelieving husband. That setting introduces even more fears and worries as a wife contemplates the possibility that there might be moments when she has to choose to obey God rather than submit to what her husband has asked her to do.

            Notice that the key thought in all of this, ladies, comes back in verse five with the thought of hoping in God. Above all else, that is the key that will allow you to be a wonderful wife regardless of how your husband acts or whether your marriage is fulfilling or falling apart. Your sense of optimism and joy in life, your expectation of good things to come cannot be wrapped up in the thought that your marriage is always going to be happily ever after. Your greatest hope must be in God alone and the promises that he has made to you as his daughter through Christ.

            Keeping your hope in God will allow you to rise above the circumstances of your marriage – whether they are very good or very difficult. With your soul anchored in the Lord, you will be empowered to continue to do good and obey the commands of Christ no matter what. It will allow you to value the things that God values – such as character over physical beauty, or quiet trust in him and his plan rather than grasping for control and dominance. Hope in God, and adorn yourself with the beauty of holiness.

The Best Gift You Can Give on Father's Day--Ephesians 6:1-3

            Today, on this Father’s Day, I’m going to preach on every father’s favorite verse, Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” I say that half-jokingly of course, because we have some other good candidates for a father’s favorite verse, like Proverbs 18:22 – “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.” Or how about Romans 14:2 – “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.”

            Ephesians 6:1 is a very unique verse because it contains perhaps the only command in the Bible that we actually grow out of. When we become adults, the relationship of authority that we’ve had with our parents changes so that we no longer have to obey what they tell us to do, although we are still called to honor them and support them as needs arise.

            So as we actually take a look at Ephesians 6:1-3, there is something for all of us to learn. Certainly, however, I’d like for all of you children and teenagers to give me your very best attention today because we’re going to talk about a message from God that is specifically for you. I’m sure there are times when you sit here and think that I’m not really talking to you, but trust me—today I am!

So let’s see what God has to say in these verses.

“In the Lord…”

            Verse 1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” We see a very clear command to obey your parents, but this phrase “in the Lord” reminds us of a couple of very important thoughts. First, it reminds us that you should obey your parents not because they always deserve it, but because it’s what God asks you to do. So your decision to obey or not obey is mostly a question of whether you will obey God – even more so than whether you will obey your parents.

            So, for example, if your parents ask you to clean your room, you should obey because it’s what God wants you to do. And so, you should obey even if your parents don’t ask very politely, or even if they promised to play with you the night before but never got around to it, or even if they’ve not set a very good example and they never even clean their own room! You should obey because it’s what God wants you to do.

            Second, that little phrase reminds us that God is really in charge of your life – even more so than your parents – so you should continue to obey him even if your parents ask you to do something that’s wrong. Perhaps your parents are divorced and one parent wants you to be mean to the other parent. That’s something you shouldn’t do, because that would be sinful, wouldn’t it? Or perhaps your parents ask you to lie about something for them. This can be very tricky, but you need to think about how you can continue to obey God in those situations rather than do something that’s sinful. If that happens to you a lot, you might talk to your Sunday School teacher about that or your AWANA leader, and see what they can do to help.

            Now, I know many of you have heard this command for years—“obey your parents, obey your parents!” You know it’s a command for you from God, but maybe you don’t know how seriously God takes this matter. After all, some of your friends might not be very obedient to their parents. Is it really that big of a deal?

            Let me tell you about a few verses from 2 Timothy 3. In these verses, the Apostle Paul talks about how our world is going to have some big problems before Jesus returns. You may not understand all of these words—and that’s okay—but I bet one thing will jump out at you as I read [READ 2 Tim. 3:1-5]. Did you hear “disobedient to their parents” in that list? That was a list of some bad attitudes and actions, and God told Paul to put “disobedient to their parents” right in the middle of it.

            Paul also said that we need to avoid people who act in those ways. So as you’re deciding who your friends are going to be, you may have to decide that you can’t be best friends with someone who disobeys their parents a lot. You probably shouldn’t make that person the kind of friend you share secrets with, or the kind of friend that you ask for advice. That doesn’t mean you can’t play basketball with them or swim at the pool with them, but you will have to be careful how much influence you let them have over your heart.

            And for you teenagers, when you get older and start to think about dating, if you’re trying to decide whether a person is good dating material, ask yourself how they treat their parents. If that guy is disrespectful toward his parents or that girl is always mouthing off to her parents, you better run like you did when you still thought the opposite sex had cooties! The way that person treats his or her parents is exactly the way that he or she will eventually treat you. I know they don’t treat you that way in the beginning because you’re “in love,” but you just wait—its only a matter of time! So you find a person who treats his or her parents well.

“The first commandment with a promise…”

            [READ vv. 2-3] Here, Paul was quoting from the Ten Commandments back in the Old Testament. He points out something interesting about this command to honor your father and mother—even though it was the fifth commandment in that list of 10, it was the first commandment on the list that had a promise attached to it. Paul recorded the promise right there in verse 3—“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” In other words, the promise to those Jewish children was that life would be better for them if they honored their parents, and they would get to stay on the property that God was giving their people—the Promised Land.

            Now, the first part of that promise definitely still applies to you—that’s why Paul included it here. Generally speaking, life will go better for you if you honor your parents. Not only will your home life be more peaceful, but you will keep yourself out of a lot of trouble if you will honor and obey your parents.

            Now, obeying and honoring are two slightly different things. Obedience talks more about your actions, and honoring talks more about your attitude—although your attitude certainly spills over into the way you act. But let’s ask ourselves here…

What does it mean, in practical terms, to honor your father and mother?

1. Treat them like very significant and important people

            To help you understand what I’m getting at here, think about an adult other than your parents whom you greatly admire – someone that you might consider a mentor, or at the very least, someone that you want to be like. This person might be your teacher, your youth group leader, or maybe your coach.

            Think about how you treat that person. You wouldn’t dream of talking back to them because you admire them and respect them too much for that. If they give you advice, you would really take it to heart because you value their opinion. You might even go out of your way to be helpful to them because you’re thankful for them and grateful to have them in your life.

            The way that you treat that person should be the very same way that you choose to treat your parents. That’s easier said than done, of course, but at least having that comparison in mind will give you a handy way to remember what it looks like to treat someone with honor and respect.

2. Let their approval carry significant weight in your decisions

            When I was a teenager, my parents gave me almost no rules that I had to follow. I had no curfew, so I was often out at times when nothing good was going on. I had no rules about dating, which was a really bad situation. From the time I was able to drive, I was able to go out on dates with girls all alone. Quite often, my parents didn’t even know who these girls were because I wasn’t required to introduce them to my parents first or get my parents input or anything. Let’s be honest – that was not a good situation!

            Despite this lack of rules, the one thing that kept me at least close to the straight and narrow – other than the Holy Spirit of course – was that I didn’t want to disappoint my parents. They raised me with such affection that I never wanted to let them down. Besides that, I am the youngest child in my family, so I got to see firsthand how my parents’ hearts would break when my older siblings did something that they didn’t approve of.

            That desire to make them proud of my choices kept me out of trouble many times. I remember a time around Halloween when some of my buddies thought it would be fun to go steal some pumpkins from the local Walmart and smash them in the driveways of people around town. Now, I knew that if I got caught doing that, my parents would die! So I stayed behind with just one or two friends at the house where we were hanging out that night.

            Well, after a while, our buddies didn’t come back and they didn’t come back, and we eventually figured that they were just out doing their thing, so we all went home. I found out the next day that my friends hadn’t even made it 20 yards out of the Walmart parking lot before they got pulled over! When they cruised by to steal those pumpkins, there was a cop sitting in the shadows across the parking lot, and they never even saw him! They were sitting ducks!

            The manager of the store chose not to press charges, but the officer took all of my friends to the police station and made their parents come pick them up before they could leave. As you can imagine, those guys weren’t able to hang out for a while after that.

            So to all of you kids and teenagers, let your parents’ approval carry significant weight as you’re making your choices. Decide for yourself that the last thing you would want to do is disappoint these dear people who have loved you and sacrificed so much to raise you and give you everything you need.

3. Let their advice carry significant weight in your thinking

            In the lead up to Father’s Day this week, I saw a short video about kids asking their fathers for advice. It quoted a statistic – and you all know that you have to take statistics on the Internet with a grain of salt – which said that 94% of teenagers would search Google for advice about something before they would ask their own father. I can’t say how they came up with that number, but the basic claim has a ring of truth to it in my opinion.

            Look – I know it’s so tempting to think that your parents are out of touch with reality because they may not know much about pop culture or technology. I know your parents might think the X-Men are the people who make X-Boxes, but trust me – your parents know a whole lot more about life than you will ever realize until you’re older. They can certainly give you far better advice than Google!

            So choose to talk to your parents and get their advice about the questions you have and the things that confuse you. Once you hear what they have to say, don’t take it lightly, and don’t just brush it off as if they have no idea what they’re talking about. That would be a terrible mistake for you to make. Consider long and hard what they have to say, and allow their advice to shape the way that you think about the world.

            For 16 years now, my father has been battling Parkinson’s disease. That disease really affects a person’s mobility among other things. I hate to see such a routine task as walking become so difficult for my dad, and I hate it for him that he won’t be able to play with my children the way that I know he would love to.

            But what really gets to me more than anything is the fact that I can’t talk things over with my dad anymore. The medications that he takes allow him to have a greater mobility, but they keep him from thinking very clearly, so much so that it’s hard for him to follow a conversation or put more than a couple of coherent sentences together at the same time.

            If I had known earlier in my life that my dad would suffer like this from Parkinson’s disease, I don’t think I would’ve told you that the thing I’d miss the most would be his advice. But that is what I would tell you today, and so I want to tell you kids and teenagers, don’t waste your opportunity to get advice from your parents. And when they offer it or when you ask for it, don’t fall into the foolish trap of thinking that you know better than they do. One of their God-given tasks is to teach you about life and how to make wise decisions, and I know that every parent I see in this room today takes that job seriously. So be thankful for them, and let their advice sink down deep into your souls, so that you might come to know how to make wise decisions.