back to indexWed Bible Study (1 Peter) Lesson 6 - 02-15-17
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So, we want to start tonight's study by reading a bigger chunk of the scripture by way of 00:00:17.000 |
So it's going to take about four minutes or so, but I'm going to read all of chapter two. 00:00:21.280 |
I'm reading out of the NASB, but how many of you guys, just a quick question, how many 00:00:32.120 |
I'm just going to, for the sake of, then I'll read out of the ESV too, although the study 00:00:40.200 |
So, taking a look at 1 Peter chapter two, it says, "So put away all malice and all deceit 00:00:47.580 |
and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual 00:00:52.960 |
milk that by it you may grow up into salvation. 00:00:56.720 |
If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good, as you come to him a living stone rejected 00:01:01.640 |
by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones 00:01:06.480 |
are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices 00:01:15.800 |
For it stands in scripture, behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and 00:01:21.640 |
precious and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 00:01:25.700 |
So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe the stone that the 00:01:30.260 |
builders rejected has become the cornerstone and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. 00:01:36.780 |
They stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do. 00:01:40.960 |
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession 00:01:47.380 |
that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his 00:01:53.700 |
Once you are not a people, but now you are God's people. 00:01:56.940 |
Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 00:02:00.820 |
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, 00:02:08.220 |
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable so that when they speak against you as evil 00:02:12.340 |
doers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 00:02:17.700 |
Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be the emperor as 00:02:21.820 |
supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those 00:02:28.460 |
For this is the will of God, that by doing good, you should put to silence the ignorance 00:02:35.400 |
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living 00:02:42.020 |
Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor. 00:02:47.500 |
Servants be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, 00:02:53.140 |
For this is a gracious thing, when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering 00:02:59.520 |
For what credit is it if when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? 00:03:03.900 |
But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the 00:03:09.820 |
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, giving you an 00:03:14.100 |
example so that you might follow in his steps. 00:03:16.980 |
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 00:03:20.540 |
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:03:23.060 |
When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges 00:03:29.140 |
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that he might die to sin and live to 00:03:37.300 |
For you are straying like sheep, but now return to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. 00:03:46.300 |
As we looked at this section, I asked the question for homework, how does this flow 00:03:53.300 |
How does this flow in terms of the progression of the commands and exhortations that he's 00:03:59.600 |
For your ESV Bible, it almost appears as though I cut off right in the middle of the paragraph. 00:04:05.500 |
If you have the NIV or the NASB, they actually separate it in terms of paragraph between 00:04:14.540 |
So, by way of answering that question, how does the flow of thought work, I read to you 00:04:21.860 |
The whole thing actually goes together starting from, remember the end of chapter one. 00:04:26.700 |
I wanted to read all of it, but I don't want to take the whole time just reading straight, 00:04:33.660 |
So it's a good and regular pattern for us once we started through the Bible, once you 00:04:37.780 |
get towards the middle, to start reading from the beginning to where you're at, okay? 00:04:43.260 |
Well, the thought that we've been at is that God had challenged us through the scriptures 00:04:48.340 |
and the apostle Peter is challenging his readers that for the Lord's sake, you need to learn 00:04:57.940 |
That you're experiencing a vast array of various trials and all this kind of stuff. 00:05:02.460 |
And he says, you know what though, you're this chosen race. 00:05:05.740 |
God has a very incredibly long waited and incredibly significant purpose for you. 00:05:12.220 |
And all the suffering and all the things that you're experiencing fall just in line with 00:05:17.460 |
And so for the Lord's sake, okay, and let's start filling in your blanks by way of review. 00:05:23.860 |
Verse 13, he said, be subject for the Lord's sake. 00:05:29.300 |
In terms of the rationale and reasons for your submission to even authorities and your 00:05:33.900 |
general attitude of submission, there was the Lord's sake. 00:05:38.140 |
Verse 14, number two, this is designed by God. 00:05:43.220 |
Verse 14 read that for governors, emperor is supreme or to governors as sent by him. 00:05:50.900 |
To think and believe now by faith that even yes, those who would what, not only persecute 00:05:57.060 |
the Jews, but even from generations before those who would come to judge, overthrow and 00:06:11.340 |
That's what it says in verse 15 verbatim for this is the will of God. 00:06:16.140 |
That's another reason and rationale as to why we should submit. 00:06:20.140 |
In your ESV it reads that this is gracious, it's a gracious thing. 00:06:24.420 |
In other words, this is God's been so ingrace on you. 00:06:27.460 |
The NIV and the NASB talk about as this is what God favors. 00:06:38.060 |
By doing so you silence those who are foolish, who continue to revile and say all kinds of 00:06:46.020 |
And then number five, he says for the sake of your conscience, right? 00:06:53.220 |
In verse 19 he talks about how when you are mindful of God, this is your conscience before 00:07:02.260 |
So by way of kind of seeing the progression with this, what we're saying is this goes 00:07:10.540 |
in line with the thought of asking the question, why should we surrender? 00:07:14.740 |
Why should we submit and subject ourselves to these circumstances and situation where 00:07:23.980 |
For a lot of us, we're a lot like students who want to get out of quizzes and exams. 00:07:28.260 |
If we can, we can just weasel our way through classes or whatever it may be. 00:07:32.020 |
These difficult circumstances are not things we sit and say, ah joy, right? 00:07:37.560 |
But he wants us to have a greater perspective. 00:07:39.860 |
They're not always things you have to revolt. 00:07:42.100 |
They're not always things you have to retaliate and say, I can't stand this anymore. 00:07:49.180 |
There are moments he says like this that are necessary for us to submit and subject 00:07:55.840 |
And then he says in this last portion, some of the greatest reasons why you need to submit. 00:08:06.140 |
Now in verse 21, which we begin our section in our study, he connects the previous thoughts 00:08:12.820 |
and he says, for to this you have been called. 00:08:21.660 |
And I ask you the question, what is this referring to? 00:08:29.720 |
What is this referring to when he says for this you have been called, right? 00:08:36.700 |
Now it's kind of ante up like, man, not only am I just supposed to be like, oh well, whatever 00:08:45.740 |
You know, that's like the kind of idiom that we like to say. 00:08:51.100 |
No, I think saying even more so, you were called for this. 00:09:23.620 |
This was one of the easier ones, so you guys got to volunteer to do it. 00:09:28.500 |
I thought it was referring to verse 19 where it says that you endure sorrow, and sorrow 00:09:39.780 |
So when you think about that, he's saying, you know, just in the previous section, he 00:09:44.620 |
was like, why should you suffer for doing silly stuff, right? 00:09:49.700 |
You should suffer for doing right and what is good. 00:09:52.980 |
So I have for you in your lesson plan, underneath it, it says the simple answer really, okay, 00:10:00.300 |
the simple answer really is suffering, right? 00:10:03.460 |
That you're called to this experience of suffering. 00:10:06.540 |
However, you are also called to suffer for what is right. 00:10:13.420 |
You weren't just called to suffer pointlessly, you were called to suffer for what is good, 00:10:18.420 |
what is precious in the eyes of God, what is favorable in the eyes of God, right? 00:10:25.540 |
But what's more, if we can elaborate on that a little more, so we get the simple answer 00:10:29.980 |
of you were called for this from just the previous section, but then once we take a 00:10:34.940 |
look at the passage, our passage for today, verse 21 through 25, we get this greater thought 00:10:41.260 |
of what we're called to do, which is not only suffer for the right thing, but to suffer 00:10:50.060 |
So the answer to that question of what is this purpose we've been called to, if we want 00:10:54.100 |
to just make it simple, yes, we were called to suffer. 00:10:56.760 |
If we want to elaborate on that, we want to say we want to suffer for what is right and 00:11:00.260 |
we want to suffer for what is, we want to suffer in the right way. 00:11:05.260 |
And I want to review with you just the previous section, a couple of the things that he said. 00:11:10.580 |
If you look at verse 16, which I apologize, I completely skipped last week, he says, "Live 00:11:16.860 |
as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover for evil, but living as servants 00:11:23.940 |
And just like Aaron said at verse 19, he says, "For this is a gracious thing, when mindful 00:11:27.980 |
of God, one endures sorrow while suffering unjustly." 00:11:32.260 |
I'm going to lump those two things together and kind of explain what does God expect here? 00:11:42.420 |
What is this purpose that you've been called to? 00:11:45.420 |
And I want to summarize again, it is suffering for the right thing and it's suffering in 00:11:51.260 |
Now, when you look at verse 16, he says, "Live as people who are free." 00:11:59.820 |
How can he say, "Live as people who are free," when in reality they're oppressed? 00:12:04.460 |
And what's more, in the very next half of the sentence, he says, "And be good bond servants." 00:12:10.580 |
Well, I want to use an example to explain that a little bit. 00:12:18.100 |
I want to ask you guys to think of a hypothetical scenario. 00:12:21.820 |
Specifically for those of you who are married, for you ladies, think of this hypothetical 00:12:26.060 |
scenario that, let's say, Valentine's coming up, you're expecting your significant other 00:12:34.140 |
to do something good for you, to have prepared and planned, maybe made reservations in advance, 00:12:40.100 |
I don't know, take you somewhere nice, all that kind of stuff. 00:12:43.940 |
But on Valentine's Day, instead of your husband, some other guy at church, or maybe some other 00:12:48.980 |
guy at your work, let's just call him Billy Bob, you know? 00:12:52.180 |
Billy Bob comes up to you and is like, "I planned something amazing for us." 00:13:00.940 |
He's like, "I hope you cleared the whole night, because this is going to be the whole day." 00:13:05.260 |
And you're just like, "What in the world is going on?" 00:13:10.500 |
Obviously, that just strikes you as completely wrong. 00:13:13.820 |
Because you and that individual has no relationship for that man to be planning anything for you. 00:13:19.940 |
Well, the fact of the matter is, in the context of a covenant relationship, you are what? 00:13:27.580 |
When you have a covenant relationship, you are now free to kiss your bride. 00:13:31.660 |
You're now free to do all that you covenanted to do. 00:13:34.520 |
You're now free to do all that you vowed to do. 00:13:36.780 |
You're free to engage in that kind of relationship, because you're free. 00:13:46.260 |
When He says, "So live as free," rather than an excuse to do all sorts of other stuff, 00:13:56.380 |
You're free to operate and function the way God is expecting you in your relationship 00:14:02.220 |
And what's more, when we think about this, it all kind of joins together. 00:14:07.340 |
To think that for our conscience sake before God, this is a precious thing, this is a favorable 00:14:16.540 |
And on the flip side, for you guys, I want to make another point. 00:14:20.780 |
If I asked one of you who are dating or who are married, and I said, "Hey, Valentine's 00:14:30.660 |
And obviously I'd be like, "Oh, shoot, last minute planning." 00:14:35.520 |
But then you tell me, "I'm not going to do anything." 00:14:39.940 |
And you say to me, "Ah, she probably won't care." 00:14:44.740 |
You know, like, "That's what you think, man." 00:14:48.700 |
They always say, "It's okay, we don't have to go out and stuff." 00:14:51.660 |
But you know, you know that there's going to be some level of disappointment. 00:15:02.060 |
But you know, I mean, you'd be lying if you said, "It's going to be fine. 00:15:10.020 |
I'm just not going to do anything because she's going to be okay with it." 00:15:18.020 |
The reason why I bring this up is because he makes this challenge. 00:15:34.060 |
Because the way he's talking here is, it's not just a suffer. 00:15:42.020 |
He's challenging us to be free, to have a conscience and awareness of God, and to suffer 00:15:48.620 |
not just for anything, but for the right thing, and the right way, for the favor of God. 00:15:55.140 |
Your conscience tells you when your wife or your significant other is not going to be 00:16:01.060 |
If you don't have a sense of that, yeah, you're like dense, right? 00:16:14.380 |
If you don't have a sense of that, like, "My wife is not going to be pleased by this." 00:16:18.940 |
But instead, we should have that sense with God, and when we suffer, those things should 00:16:22.680 |
actually be active and working, even when we go through hard stuff, right? 00:16:29.380 |
I'm doing this as a free offering, almost, as a sacrifice to go through this kind of 00:16:36.940 |
So, to just simply say, "Hey, you've been called to this purpose." 00:16:40.300 |
Don't take that as like, "The Bible says suck it up, man. 00:16:45.420 |
We need to be courageous and manly about, or like, you know, strong and bold about suffering. 00:16:51.460 |
Again, right for the right reason, with the right attitude. 00:16:55.740 |
And this is what we're going to talk about mainly today, is the attitude behind the suffering. 00:17:01.700 |
Is the heart behind suffering that makes it such a challenge to us? 00:17:06.140 |
Now, as an, like, that was like a kind of introductory way of getting into our study. 00:17:13.220 |
Turn your Bibles to, sorry, Isaiah 53, verse 4 through 12. 00:17:19.740 |
You're going to notice that as we read our passage, you're going to see so many corollary 00:17:24.500 |
between Isaiah 53 and the passage that we're looking at tonight. 00:17:30.260 |
So, and you guys are probably familiar with the chapter. 00:17:38.020 |
It's the chapter on the suffering servant of God. 00:17:42.800 |
I'm going to read from verse 3, actually, and go down to verse 12. 00:17:46.580 |
It's a little bit longer, but let's read that. 00:17:48.940 |
He says here, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with 00:17:53.540 |
grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him 00:18:00.820 |
Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, 00:18:11.180 |
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. 00:18:15.020 |
Upon him was a chastisement that bought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 00:18:21.220 |
All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way. 00:18:24.580 |
The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 00:18:26.900 |
He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. 00:18:30.740 |
Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shears is 00:18:37.580 |
By oppression and judgment he was taken away, and as for his generation, who considered 00:18:41.940 |
that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of 00:18:47.240 |
And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich man is in his death. 00:18:51.720 |
Although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth, yet it was the 00:19:00.000 |
He has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt. 00:19:03.640 |
He shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days. 00:19:06.840 |
The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 00:19:10.040 |
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied. 00:19:13.840 |
By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, 00:19:21.640 |
Therefore, I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoiled 00:19:26.200 |
with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors. 00:19:31.280 |
Yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. 00:19:38.600 |
That passage is one that's quite amazing, and if we would then quickly jump back to 00:19:42.960 |
our passage in 1 Peter, we're gonna read that section and see the corollary between them. 00:19:56.840 |
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you 00:20:02.880 |
an example so that you might follow in his steps. 00:20:07.120 |
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth, yet he was reviled, he did not 00:20:14.360 |
When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges 00:20:20.760 |
He himself bore our sins in his body on that tree, that we might die to sin and live for 00:20:27.160 |
By his wound you have been healed, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned 00:20:40.400 |
1 Peter is well versed in scripture, and in terms of the reason and rationale why you 00:20:46.080 |
should subject yourself, why you should suffer for the right thing, and in the right way, 00:20:50.640 |
he points to the Messiah, the suffering servant, and says, "Look how he suffered for you." 00:20:58.600 |
This is his ultimate reason why we should learn to submit, why we should learn to surrender. 00:21:05.720 |
Now, we talked about this a bit already, this purpose that we have, but I want to talk about 00:21:11.240 |
this reason and rationale for our surrender and submission, when he says, "Christ suffered 00:21:17.320 |
for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps." 00:21:22.960 |
And I ask you to think about that a little bit. 00:21:31.400 |
Theologically, can Christ's substitutionary atonement sacrifice be mimicked? 00:21:41.400 |
Can his salvation suffering, as you could say, his sacrifice and his work of substitution 00:21:52.320 |
What are we actually supposed to be copying here? 00:21:58.480 |
When he says, "Christ suffered for you," and he says, "leaving you an example to follow," 00:22:06.400 |
And then as we think about it a little bit more, I wonder if some people are thinking, 00:22:12.480 |
I didn't expect this, because the idea of substitution is Christ takes care of it for 00:22:21.720 |
You know, if you guys have ever been in a dire situation, at a lost moment, where you're 00:22:27.360 |
like, "Man, I can't do this," and you just need somebody to step in for you, and if someone 00:22:33.720 |
So you're thankful for that, but you knew you couldn't do it. 00:22:41.440 |
None of my works of righteousness, none of my suffering pays for sin. 00:22:47.000 |
And yet, we still suffer and go through the consequences of sin. 00:22:53.120 |
Christ died for sin in the sense that he's put an end to the bondage of sin, and yet 00:23:04.680 |
Christ overcomes pain and sickness, yet we're still weak as men and women. 00:23:10.240 |
What's more, the passage says, "He suffered on my behalf," but then he says, "But you 00:23:20.360 |
And what I'd like you guys to do is take some time to discuss that. 00:23:26.320 |
One is, what's the example that Christ set for us to follow? 00:23:31.440 |
The second follow-up question is, why are we expected to follow that example when Christ, 00:23:37.200 |
in substitution, was supposed to take care of it all? 00:23:50.320 |
Okay, so we asked the question, two-part question. 00:23:58.120 |
And why are we still expected to follow that example? 00:24:01.800 |
Do you guys, from your tables, anybody want to share some of the things you discussed? 00:24:11.320 |
And you said, "The reasons are evangelism, obedience to God, Christ-prompted sanctification." 00:24:35.680 |
Yeah, God wants us to suffer as Christ because, in verse 20, he says, "God finds favor with 00:24:37.680 |
So if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:39.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:41.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:43.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:45.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:53.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:55.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:57.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:24:59.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:25:01.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:25:03.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:25:05.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:25:50.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:25:58.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:00.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:02.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:04.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:06.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:08.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:10.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:26:55.680 |
So, if we suffer as Christ under the same kind of situation, suffering is justly, we're 00:27:50.680 |
as one outside the law, not being outside the law of God, 00:27:56.580 |
To the weak I became weak that I might win the weak. 00:28:07.420 |
that I may share with them in its blessing, right. 00:28:29.980 |
is a calling into his kingdom as his servants. 00:28:35.060 |
you're a royal priesthood, you're kingdom priests, 00:28:39.300 |
the excellencies of him who called you, right. 00:29:02.220 |
What's really vivid about that is the Greek says, 00:29:12.460 |
God expects us to trace our savior's footsteps, 00:29:26.840 |
And if in terms of attitude that we're suffering, 00:29:46.700 |
this is the kind of purpose that you're to have, 00:29:53.700 |
that moment of suffering and difficulty in your life. 00:29:56.940 |
So I want to highlight that more by the next question. 00:30:20.900 |
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:30:30.780 |
Well I want to highlight two things from that. 00:30:38.660 |
So for letter A, please just write complete injustice, okay? 00:30:56.140 |
Make clear, like, there's this kind of feeling of like, 00:31:16.540 |
he was blasphemed and slandered as a criminal. 00:31:19.860 |
And what makes it worse is that he was the purest, 00:31:23.700 |
most sinless, most innocent person ever, right? 00:31:32.220 |
oh, but sometimes I do that, you know what I mean? 00:31:36.060 |
yeah, am I really gonna go out and defend myself? 00:31:43.020 |
he experienced the greatest injustice of all time. 00:31:53.220 |
about when he was reviled and he did not revile in return, 00:31:58.420 |
but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly, 00:32:03.540 |
he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree 00:32:07.300 |
that we might die to sins and live to righteousness. 00:32:35.260 |
But then there is a suffering where it's all volitional. 00:32:59.620 |
you saw how many times it used the word bore. 00:33:07.100 |
In this passage the same, he is repeating this idea 00:33:10.420 |
that Christ took upon, there is that theme of substitution. 00:33:14.780 |
He himself bore the sins on his body on that cross. 00:33:19.780 |
He bore the penalty, he bore the consequences, 00:33:27.260 |
to the people who are suffering in that time, 00:33:29.700 |
they have to recognize if they didn't have Christ, 00:33:38.220 |
by the wrath of God for the punishment of sin. 00:33:46.340 |
there was an incredible amount of pain to come 00:33:50.980 |
by the safety that's afforded to them in Christ. 00:33:54.140 |
This is the kind of love, this is the kind of servanthood 00:33:57.620 |
that Christ desires us to follow in his steps, 00:34:03.180 |
It's not just a matter of being able to face injustice 00:34:05.980 |
with a straight face and say, that's okay, no. 00:34:28.060 |
one of the greater scenes of self-sacrifice that I've seen? 00:34:32.500 |
I watched that movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, 00:34:35.140 |
kind of late, so I watched it not too long ago. 00:34:37.780 |
I'm not sure if you guys have seen that movie. 00:34:50.740 |
There's a crazy villain that seems so powerful 00:34:56.500 |
And he comes down in this weird, twisty hunk of metal 00:34:59.900 |
on a ship that looks like a ginormous cinnamon twist. 00:35:03.140 |
And he has these, you guys know what I'm talking about. 00:35:06.700 |
He's got these drones that are coming down, you know? 00:35:10.020 |
And out of desperation, they're all fighting him, 00:35:23.980 |
And at some point, everybody's hurt and wounded. 00:35:36.940 |
He's the one who all he says is, "Groot," right? 00:36:04.900 |
and then as they fall, it's just like this blaze of light, 00:36:19.980 |
this example or not, because although that was really moving 00:36:24.020 |
and touching, the tear that the raccoon was shedding 00:36:32.420 |
They end up having to fight the bad guy after anyway. 00:36:39.140 |
Because in terms of what Christ has done for us, 00:36:47.700 |
he completely not only allows us to escape the wrath, 00:36:55.220 |
I don't know what earthly comparison there is 00:37:00.540 |
Christ says in Scripture, "There is no kind of love 00:37:03.220 |
"like a friend who has laid down his life for a brother." 00:37:07.900 |
Christ is the epitome of that sacrifice, right? 00:37:26.180 |
We will never understand the depth of his sacrifice. 00:37:28.460 |
We will never understand how far he had to come down. 00:37:33.540 |
from which he has brought us up through the sacrifice. 00:37:38.340 |
of the pain he had to experience for our salvation, right? 00:37:46.860 |
And so, I say again, for the people who are around us, 00:37:51.540 |
when we think about what we're doing right now 00:37:56.020 |
we have to make sure we're trying to get into this mode 00:38:08.540 |
Let these moments be suffering for the glory of God. 00:38:11.740 |
Let these moments be suffering for the redemption 00:38:17.260 |
If you are experiencing hardship at work, school, 00:38:22.500 |
let these moments to be to the glory of our Savior, amen? 00:38:31.700 |
because this is the part that's going to really continue 00:38:40.260 |
we understand that he suffered in such a different way. 00:38:52.100 |
how perhaps the fellow believers, when they suffered, 00:38:57.340 |
to whether it be retaliate, to avoid the suffering, 00:39:01.460 |
Apostle Peter went through the full gamut experience. 00:39:05.500 |
And what he does is he points to the Savior that he saw. 00:39:17.020 |
Letter A, Christ, when he suffered, he did not sin. 00:39:44.180 |
typically the first way we sin is through our mouth. 00:39:47.020 |
Whether it's we curse them, whether it's we go off, 00:39:54.940 |
What restraint, what strength our Savior exhibited, 00:40:01.180 |
he did not slander in return, nor was there any deceit. 00:40:05.380 |
There was no hint of trying to dodge the situation by lying. 00:40:14.300 |
I didn't really say I was like the son, son of God. 00:40:17.500 |
He did not have any kind of dodging the truth and reality. 00:40:27.660 |
While being reviled, he did not revile in return. 00:40:35.540 |
You think about that kind of, that's the kind of scene, 00:40:38.220 |
again, the kind of strength that Christ had to exhibit 00:40:41.180 |
to hold and maintain his composure and character 00:40:46.260 |
You know, it's one thing to kind of go through 00:40:48.460 |
those injustices, it's another thing to be the object 00:40:58.700 |
And you know they were trying to set him a trap. 00:41:04.440 |
They were trying to push him to the point of breaking. 00:41:07.140 |
Where maybe Christ would have been like, forget it! 00:41:11.340 |
Just bring the cross over here, I'm gonna kill you all, 00:41:13.580 |
I'm just gonna go to the crossing, night over with, you know? 00:41:16.980 |
And that idea of, you know, like, maybe, just maybe, 00:41:29.140 |
Made everybody's knees break and all their legs be broken 00:41:32.540 |
and everybody just bowed down on their faces or something. 00:41:41.620 |
There are times when you sometimes get into, like, 00:41:48.300 |
where you think strength means to overpower them. 00:41:57.420 |
Now, there are moments when we need to hold our ground, 00:42:09.460 |
and that through his suffering we would be healed, 00:42:14.180 |
where although he had the power to quiet storms, 00:42:17.140 |
he did not exert that power to quiet these foes. 00:42:21.180 |
Why did our Savior, who had so much power, right, 00:42:34.020 |
Remember that rather than just annihilating them, 00:42:39.840 |
Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do. 00:42:47.620 |
On the flesh side, we understand power and might 00:42:50.060 |
and the power of our hands and fists and our intellect. 00:42:58.860 |
with grace, control, and absolute certainty in God. 00:43:04.620 |
And so letter D, he goes through his suffering 00:43:14.600 |
in verse 23 that he continued in trusting himself 00:43:29.880 |
and ultimately drew his strength from knowing 00:43:31.680 |
that the Father would judge according to his character. 00:43:36.260 |
And what's really crazy about this idea of entrusting 00:43:42.640 |
When you commit something to somebody and say, 00:43:52.680 |
That when Jesus entrusted himself over everything 00:43:56.020 |
about the situation, the outcome, whatever it may be, 00:43:59.260 |
he entrusted over to the Father to the degree, 00:44:08.960 |
he said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. 00:44:15.340 |
Guys, this is different from let go and let God. 00:44:41.060 |
You see, this whole modern concept of let go and let God 00:44:44.260 |
to me just sounds like he'll still give you what you want. 00:44:51.620 |
but if I just get out of the way, God will do it for me. 00:44:58.900 |
you're relinquishing your will, your tight-fistedness, 00:45:12.200 |
and every result that you expect to be in the hands of God. 00:45:28.300 |
And so no matter what sad situation you find yourself in, 00:45:33.300 |
So what an encouragement to those who are suffering. 00:45:38.860 |
that Apostle Peter is talking to those who are suffering 00:45:42.740 |
in situations and circumstances that really, again, 00:45:46.380 |
are dire moments that maybe we can't relate to as much, 00:45:50.300 |
but still, nonetheless, we have this challenge for us 00:45:57.880 |
to adopt the kind of experiences that our Savior had, 00:46:02.880 |
and what's more, to go through these experiences 00:46:06.860 |
with the same perspective that our Savior exhibited. 00:46:16.900 |
why God has allowed us to have these opportunities 00:46:36.000 |
maybe if you're suffering now and just wondering, 00:46:45.040 |
The way you have come to this point in your salvation 00:46:54.400 |
and perhaps many sacrifices for you to hear the truth. 00:46:59.400 |
Likewise, this is the truth we're supposed to carry. 00:47:05.220 |
This is the truth we're supposed to be willing 00:47:25.360 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the challenge tonight. 00:47:50.040 |
to provide for all that we need for our salvation. 00:47:57.080 |
for the privilege to be called to labor in your kingdom. 00:48:10.040 |
that you have called us to be soldiers in your kingdom, 00:48:15.480 |
to serve the needs of those who you have called. 00:48:20.920 |
would lead all of us, every single one of us, 00:48:26.040 |
Father, we wanna thank you again for your truth 00:48:30.880 |
I pray, Father God, that you continue to grant us faith 00:48:37.660 |
We thank you, Lord, it's in Christ's name, amen.