Good Morning Beloved,
Thank you all for joining us today.
Heavenly Father,
As we think about Peter, and Paul, who wrote in their epistles
all we needed to know and understand for Your instruction for us
Help us, Lord, to be like David, who had rights, yet was a fugitive,
mistreated, threatened, wandering, alone, who had every opportunity to enforce his rights, to destroy his enemy and take the throne which was rightfully his, though he would never do it,
Help us to realize that we are under some authority that You have ordained in the social structure Remind us, that there are some who follow and some who lead and that's the way it is in society
Some are kind and gentle while some are cruel and unreasonable. Help us to be submissive at all times, to maintain the purity of testimony, a higher standard of performance at work that is in the category of excellence. Your excellence. Help us to serve those in authority as if we were serving Christ our Lord, not only with duty that is proper but with attitude that is proper.
Use us, Lord, have Your way in each of us
in Christs' precious name
Amen
"Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favor if, mindful of God's will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God. For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps."
I Peter 2:18-21
Today's message: Christian Freedom - Part 5
Beloved, as we begin study in the Word of God, today, open with me, if you will, your Bibles to I Peter chapter 2. Today, we're looking at the section really that begins in verse 11 and continues through the end of the chapter. Chapter 2. We are looking specifically at verses 18 and those following which we began last time. So allow me to give you a quick introduction.
I think it's obvious to everybody who is a Christian, at least it should be, especially to those of us who know well the Word of God, that the world is a battleground. And that goes without saying. And I realize, there are more than a few ways to define the battle of the world but allow me look at it from a spiritual viewpoint and say the world is the arena of a spiritual battle. From Genesis chapter 3, verse 15 where there will be conflict between Satan the serpent and the seed of the woman, there has been an unending spiritual battle, an immense, pervasive conflict. And as you read through the prophet Daniel you find that the demons are engaged in a warfare in heaven against the angels of God. As you come all the way down to earth you find out from the apostle Paul that we do not wrestle flesh and blood but we wrestle fallen demons and fallen angels called principalities and powers. There is then a pervasive conflict between the people of God and the people of Satan; the children of God and the children of Satan, all in an ongoing battle.
And so now, this whole spiritual warfare came into bold relief and clear focus in the time of Jesus Christ. When God entered into the world, incarnate, in the person of Jesus Christ, for one purpose, what He did was specifically identify the two sides. He talked about the children of God and He talked about the children of the Satan in John chapter 8. Jesus said very clearly in chapter 15 of John that there would be a great battle, that it would be waged from the children of Satan against the children of God, those who belong to God through Christ. In John 15:18, it says, "Jesus said, If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world the world would love its own, but because you're not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you."
Beloved, that's the basic battle. The children of God are defending themselves against the children of Satan who hate them. It's not that we hate the world, that is the people in the world, it's that they hate us, simply because we are associated with God, with Jesus Christ. We are a threat to their entire system and that system is predicated on sin.
Then, in John chapter 16, as Jesus continues this same speech, He says, "An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think he is offering service to God." So, in other words, some people have killed the people of God in the name of God. In the name of their god, or their assessment of who God is, they have killed the true, children of God. And to put it even more simply, one of the greatest persecutors of the people of God has been false religion. Orchestrated by the adversary, the enemy, Satan. And Jesus says, they do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.
So now, you have a society, a people, the world they're called, who do not know the One True God or Jesus Christ. Because, they hold the belief in a false religion, and so, they hate the children of God. We are in a war with them, then all the time. It's nothing new, in fact, it's quite old. It has gone on, really, since God's people first begun. The people of Satan despise, resent, and resist against the people of God. And Satan energizes them, in a continuing effort to overthrow the plans of God and crush the people of God. So we are constantly in a battle, under, that attack.
Now I would like you, to just fix that in your mind. And Satan and his goons, attack us many ways, from many angles, in many, many different ways. These include everything from religious persecution that causes people to lose their lives to threats, to innuendo, to alienation, to ostracizing people from society and the culture, discrediting their witness and testimony, the fact remains, that the church and God's people, have been and are still being persecuted.
And when we are abused and mistreated and maligned, may we commit the resolution of those things to Him and never take them into our own hands and stoop to a level of rebellion, which has no part in the life of a Christian. With those who would oppress, may we show them the love of Christ, the great faith we have in God, who will make all things right, and our detachment from the world around us. May the world know that we are most concerned to live a Christ-like life in humility and love that we might reach even those who treat us unkindly.
One of Satan's greatest, and favorite weapons, to devastate the work of God, to wound the kingdom, to debilitate the church, to cripple our message, is to find the faults and failures of the people who say they belong to God, identity those failures, and then parade them before the world, in a public display. Do you understand that? One of Satan's favorite weapons is to dig up dirt on the people who say they know God and who are doing God's will, then parade around in a scandal before the watching world. Inevitably that discredits us in a major way. Scandals over sex, scandals over money, scandals over misuse of power and abuses in authority, all of those kinds of things and many more are the tools of Satan by which he discredits the church. So, then, allow me to take that a step further. Satan also plants people in the church, those who are like Judas. He plants his people in the environment of Christianity, has them take the label "Christian," and then live such totally non-Christian lives that they can be used to destroy the credibility and the integrity of Christianity to the world.
So the point I'm attempting to make here, is that he not only uses the real life failures of real Christians, but he uses the failure of his plants, the hypocrites who are planted within the churches as tares among the wheat, and for no other purpose than to scandalize the church and discredit its testimony. And so the church, because it is under attack by Satan, because it is under attack by the world systems, the church is under the constant scrutiny and attack of Satan, who wants nothing more than to expose our failures. And, I'm sure I don't need to remind you, I'm fairly certain that you already know, that the world loves to see the church and those associated with it, exposed as sinful, wicked, money hungry, power hungry, sexually deviated people? And every time a scandal comes up it is front-page, headline worthy news, so people can justify their unbelief by saying they're all corrupt, the church is a sham, all those so- called Christians are phonies. So it is essential to Christian testimony, that we live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, spotless, godly lives. Beloved, that is the heart and soul of the church's integrity. That is the heart and soul of the church's credibility. That is the heart and soul of our testimony. And much more importantly than what we say, is how we live. Both in public view and in secret. Much more importantly, than what we affirm in our theology, is how we conduct ourselves, because we can scandalize the church by living an unholy life. To put it into very bold terms for you and me it means that how you live every day is absolutely essential to the testimony of Christianity, as a whole and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to the believability of the gospel and the transforming power of the gospel, and the effect it has in one's life.
So, as you can see, how we live, how we conduct our lives, how we interact, is imperative to the church, and to Jesus Christs' effectiveness in the world today. And I realize, that's a heavy burden to be placed upon our shoulders, and it's one that's at best, difficult at times to adhere to, but nonetheless, it's one, we must carry, each and every day, not only as individuals and as a church, a community of Christ's followers. We do not represent only ourselves, but Jesus Christ and His church in the world, in which we live. A world that would like nothing more, than to tear away, our witness to a world, that desperately needs to hear it.
And this is the very issue, and please just stick with me, for a moment, while I expand on this thought, unlocks the whole epistle of I Peter. Spiritual conflict, one of the great weapons; designed to discredit the church by the failure of its own members. Therefore the high calling of the church, "live godly lives," so that there is nothing that discredits us or Jesus Christ, that would like nothing more, than to see us exposed as frauds and phonies. And that thought, is deeply set into Peter's heart, as he writes this epistle. He is calling the church to virtue.
And, if you'll recall, in chapter 1, allow me give you a quick run down, so you can see all of this more clearly, then, we'll start in chapter 1 verse 7. He talks about the proof of your faith being more precious than gold. Man, what a statement! Isn't it? When you live a godly life, when you verify the reality of your faith, Peter is telling us, that is more precious than gold. That it is priceless because it's also the credibility of Christianity. Then, chapter 1 verse 14, "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct."
And again it's the same idea here. Be obedient children. Don't behave like you used to when you walked in sin, in lust and ignorance. Because your testimony is at stake. Then, chapter 2, verse 1: "So rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation, since you have tasted that the Lord is good." It is essential that you live a godly life, hunger for the Word, and allow only the Word shape you. Not the world. Then, in verse 9, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." You are to live a specific kind of life, a holy life, a life that desires the Word and grows by the Word. Why? Because you are to show forth the excellencies of the One who saved you. Jesus Christ. That's not complicated, that's just basic.
Then, chapter 2 verse 12, "Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation" What does he mean by that last phrase? He means that they too will get saved. And when the Day of Judgment comes they'll glorify God with the rest of the redeemed. You want to lead someone to Christ? It's a matter of how you live. It's not a matter of what you say, or how you say it, it's a matter of how you live. You are to lead others to Christ, by example of your life. Therefore, keep your behavior excellent because this is how you lead people to the knowledge of Christ. And then, I'm sure you remember, in verse 15, "For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good." The way you live your life will silence the critics and even bring those who would criticize you to salvation. And that's a beautiful thing.
Now, turn with me to chapter 3, verse 1. Here you have a Christian wife with an unsaved husband. What's she supposed to do, reach the gospel to him all the time? It says, you wives, you want to win your husband, be submissive to your own husbands. That's how, be what a wife ought to be so that even if any of them are disobedient to the Word, that is they are unsaved, they may be one without a word by the behavior of their wives as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. How does a saved wife win an unsaved husband to Christ? By her conduct, by letting her adornment, verse 3, not be merely external, braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, putting on dresses, but the hidden person of the heart, "In the same way, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message, they may be won over without a message by the way their wives live when they observe your pure, reverent lives. Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments or fine clothes. Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes. For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming." In other words, a wife wins her husband by her conduct, not her words, but without a word, by demonstrating godly, virtuous conduct. That's how you win them over to Christ.
Now, verse 13, "And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good?"
The world may attack you all the time but if you're zealous for what is good, how are they going to be justified in harming you? "But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame." You can shame your critics because they come after you with a vicious attack and they scrutinize your life and when they can't find anything to discredit you. That, beloved is a strong, powerful testimony. That's a powerful testimony indeed.
Do you see it? Peter, repeatedly talking about this same theme. You are in a persecuted environment. They were scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia and they were in a hostile world. And Peter says if you want to win that world, it isn't by what you say it's by your holy, virtuous life. It's by being obedient to the Word of God that you silence the critics. It's by being obedient and living an excellent life that you bring them to the knowledge of Christ and salvation.
And then, in the chapter 4 verse 2 he says, "in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires, but for God’s will. For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the pagans choose to do:carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry." Because, that's past. That is past, he says. We now must live a different life, a life in Christ, and that's a totally different kind of life in the present.
Now look at chapter 4, verse 12, "Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory. If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. But if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name.." So, you see it? You're going to suffer, but don't be suffering for sin. Be suffering for righteousness. Be suffering for Christ, Who suffered for you and I.
Now, turn to Chapter 5 verse 8 , and he tells us even more about this. "Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. The dominion belongs to Him forever." No matter how tough it gets, no matter how bad it gets, no matter how vicious the roaring lion is, resist him, stay firm in your faith, and at all costs, stay true to Christ.
Well, there you have it beloved, in Chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, all have the same theme. We are constantly exposed to a hostile hating world, that is energized by Satan and his demons and all of their effort is to discredit the church, destroy its believability, destroy its credibility, destroy its integrity. And the way they do that is by finding Christians in the church whose lives are not consistent with the Word of God and parading them before the unbelievers to show what a sham the church is and, believe me, that is a very effective tool. The only way that we can silence the critics, the only way we can stand against the enemy is by the power of a holy life. That is why what we have seen in the church in the last couple of years, the church in America with all of the terrible sex and money scandals, abuses in authority and corruption of power, because it is the worst conceivable thing that can happen to the church. Why? Because it discredits us at the very foundation of our existence and that is the gospel that says Jesus transforms people into holy people. And the world is saying, "Ha, yeah sure it does! What a joke that is." And so, the church is discredited. So we must be on guard at all times, living godly lives.
Then Peter lays it out for us, beginning in verse 11. He starts out by saying we are aliens in the world, we're strangers, we are to live on a different level, we live on a supernatural plane, a spiritual level. We transcend this world by the divine life that is within us. That's assured in verses 11 and 12. Then in verse 13 we are not only aliens, we are citizens. We are citizens. And we went through that down to verse 17, we are citizens. And as long as we're in the world even though there's a sense in which we live at another level, we live in the heavenlies and we must live submissive to every human institution. Verse 13, "We must submit for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether the king as one in authority or emperors." We have a responsibility within the social order to bow to those in authority over us. So a Christian is an alien. We live on another level but we are to be model citizens, at all times. Why? So they don't discredit us. Then, as I pointed out to you the fact that all of the Christian protests and demonstrations, all of the marches and the sit-ins and the laying down in the street kind of things, all the way through to Operation Rescue, all of that civil disobedience by Christians discredits Christianity. Beloved, allow to just say this, the end does not justify the means. As I have told you before, we are using carnal weapons to fight a spiritual battle. And that is not God's design. We are to be model citizens, so that we are not discredited for our lawlessness. And we do not have the world accusing us of not only being not transformed on a spiritual level but not even transformed on a carnal level because we cannot even abide by the rules and laws of man.
And then he adds another dimension in verse 18; aliens in verse 11, citizens in verse 13, and now slaves in verse 18. He then goes to describe the role of the Christian as a worker, as an employee. That is a very important part of society. And let me read you, starting in verse 18, "Household slaves, submit with all fear to your masters, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favor if, mindful of God’s will, someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God." Next, Peter moves from governmental authority, national authority, federal authority, state authority, police, to the social order in which we work, the labor environment. And he is saying it is very important how you conduct yourself there as well if you're going to silence the critics and lead people to Christ and if you're going to avoid discrediting Christianity.
Then in verse 1, he gives the mandate for submission, the mandate. The mandate for submission is simply this, be submissive to your masters. If you are working for someone, submit to him. And do it with all respect. Literally, with all fear and the fear is the fear of God because God ordained this social order. God has designed that some people are the employer and some the employee. That's why I Corinthians 7, says if you are a slave and you become saved, stay a slave. That doesn't change that role at all. We as Christians, are to submit to the authorities that are over us in terms of our work. The slaves, you'll remember, some of them would come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and say, "Hey, now that I'm a Christian I don't need to be a slave anymore." Peter is saying not so. Paul said, in I Corinthians 7, not so. Christianity does not free slaves. Christianity does not give equal social rights. Christianity does not guarantee to you that you no longer have to submit to any earthly employer or leader. That's just not so. Christianity does not upset the social order. Jesus did not propound equal rights and He did not upset the social order, neither did Peter, neither did Paul, neither did John, neither did any New Testament writer. Rather, they all affirmed that with great fear of God and great respect you are to be submissive to your masters, whether they're good and gentle or whether they are unreasonable. You are to submit. You are to be submissive. The Christian's conduct is the same in either case. And by your submission, you will set a testimony.
It is more important to God that you maintain a faithful, Christian testimony than that you get what you think you have coming to you in this life. Do you understand that? Are you getting this at all? Because it is more important that you provide a platform for the integrity of Christianity than that you have equal rights. It is more important for you to uphold the credibility of the church than it is for you to get a raise. It is more important for you to show that you submit to God in everything and you give your life to His control than that you protest against your employer by a sit-in, a walk-out, or a strike. Your Christian conduct is what matters to God because the only reason you're in this world is in order that God might use you to bring someone else to Christ. It is insignificant that you get what you think you're due in the human realm. God doesn't care about.
Jesus, Paul and Peter and John could have led the greatest, the greatest insurrection the world ever knew in terms of employee strikes. All they would have had to say was, "Now that you're a Christian you're equal with everybody else, in fact you're superior to everybody else because now, you're a child of God, so stand up and take your rights." And there would have been a huge rebellion across the Christian community that would have been unbelievable, and it also would have been devastating to the Christian's testimony.
Beloved, it is of no real consequence to us what happens in this world. It is of little consequence whether you are a manager or a vice-president. It is of little consequence whether you get another fifty cents raise or not, especially if it means that in the process of protesting your condition you destroy your testimony. Then it becomes of major consequence. Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't do everything that is provided within the employee proper channels to gain whatever would be fair. What I am saying is you never violate the standards, you never go outside of those things, you never disobey your employer, you submit. And it says it, be submissive to your masters with all fear and the fear is to God who put you there and you should fear ever to discredit Him. It doesn't matter whether your master is good and gentle, or whether he is utterly unreasonable.
The apostle Paul said that the believer is to be obedient to his master. He is to be obedient to him with the right kind of behavior. That is doing exactly what he says. He says that you are to do it with fear and trembling because you hold God in awe, who will chastise your disobedience. He says you are to do it with singleness of heart. What does that mean? Loyalty. It means loyalty. You are to be a loyal employee, conscientious. He says in Ephesians 6 you are to do it as unto Christ. You are to do it with the right motive. He says you are to do it not with eye service as men pleasers. But pleasers of God. In other words, not doing it just when the manager is looking and seeing you work but doing it all the time knowing God always sees you. And then he says in Ephesians 6 you're to do it with a ready mind. What does that mean? Anxious, willing, eager, you are to be there early you're so anxious to get to work. Now, let me give it to you bottom line. Not one person in this place has a secular job. You understand that? You do not have a secular job. All you have is a mission field. That's all you have. You don't have a secular job. You have a spiritual calling on your life and your calling is to reach the people wherever God has placed you, so you are never do anything to demonstrate anger, hostility, dissatisfaction, discontent, pride, ego, selfishness. We all offer every day spiritual sacrifices to God in our work, we are called to evangelize and so we must submit and show that we are dutiful, faithful, loyal, obedient, conscientious, anxious, eager and willing and that we serve our employer as if we were serving Jesus Christ Himself.
As a result, your testimony overwhelms them. You silence the critics. They have no way to discredit Christianity and you'll bring some of the critics to Christ. That's the point of it.
So what pleases God? When you protest? When you strike? When you picket? When you walk out? No, what pleases God, what finds favor with Him is when you bear up under the sorrows that come when you suffer unjustly. That pleases God. And He will avenge this who treat you unjustly.
Your action is prompted by a conscious sense of God's presence. Because you know He's there. And you know He's watching over you. And so you endure. The word “sorrow” implies pain. You are suffering unjustly but you never falter in your witness, you humbly accept it, you accept it in humility, and in patience, trusting God, confident of His total control, you accept it. That pleases God. God wants to see that. He is pleased to see that. And you will be rewarded for it. But not on this earth, in heaven.
Now painful, unjust beatings were being endured, no doubt, by some of the people who were reading this epistle or hearing it read. And they were being beaten as slaves by those who were taking advantage of them. And this is very practical and it was far worse than anything you have ever known. They owned these slaves. There was no such thing as freedom. They couldn't change jobs. They had no labor union. There was no recourse. There were no employee mediators. There was no one to go to. There was no Better Business Bureau. There were no civil lawsuits open to them against employers. And so they had to take it, and so they did. Peter says you did right if you did because you kept the testimony of the power of salvation to give a man an unquenchable peace and faith in God no matter what happens. You see, what they have to see is that you're immovable, unshakable, that your faith is strong and your courage is great and no matter what happens in that environment, you stand in the peace of God, totally trusting Him in a quiet spirit with a patient heart, loyal, dutiful, faithful, diligent, willing, anxious to be the best employee you can be.
Peter says, in verse 20, "For what credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated you endure it with patience?" Well there's no credit, I mean that's the implied answer. What credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated you endure it with patience? You deserve it. So you had ought to endure it with patience. There's no particular virtue in that. If you sinned and you're being punished because of something you did, then there's no virtue in taking it submissively, patiently. Now on the other hand, "If when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, here's the statement again, "this is a grace to God." This finds favor with God. God isn't particularly pleased when you're patient and you deserve the pain, God is very pleased when you're patient and you do not deserve it.
In Closing...
Beloved, this isn't a new concept, its not new at all. Just where did Peter learn this? Well, how about from Jesus, its right there in Matthew 5:11, "You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Your reward is, what's the word? Great, great! Can you have a heavenly view or do you have to have it all now?
I know some of you are saying, but pastor, I really want that promotion, I need that higher wage. Do you know what God hears? "I want what I want, I want my rights."
So let me leave you with this final thought: Do you want it now, a temporal reward or you want it forever? For all of eternity? Jesus laid it out as beautifully and simply as He could. "Great will your reward be in heaven."
If you do not forget God, God does not forget,
He does not forget...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries