back to indexWed Bible Study (1 Peter) Lesson 9 - 03-15-17
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It says, "Therefore, in Christ have suffered in the flesh. 00:00:19.440 |
because he who has suffered in the flesh has peed from sin. 00:00:23.420 |
So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh 00:00:25.900 |
no longer for the love of men, but for the will of God. 00:00:29.420 |
For the time already past is sufficient for you 00:00:32.300 |
to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, 00:00:34.500 |
having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, 00:00:39.100 |
carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatry. 00:00:43.060 |
In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them 00:00:45.740 |
into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you. 00:00:51.360 |
who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 00:00:59.260 |
as though they are judged in the flesh, as men, 00:01:01.980 |
they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. 00:01:07.300 |
Therefore, be sound of judgment and sober of spirit 00:01:12.460 |
Above all, be fervent in your love for one another, 00:01:18.900 |
Be hospitable to one another without complaint, 00:01:24.460 |
employed in serving one another as good stewards 00:01:35.900 |
who is serving by the strength which God supplies, 00:01:42.100 |
through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory 00:02:02.460 |
as we are sick, more and more it would inspire 00:02:17.340 |
And so I ask God that we would give special attention 00:02:23.900 |
And Lord, I ask that you would also, by your Spirit, 00:02:27.660 |
soften our hearts so that if there's any resistance, 00:02:34.660 |
Lord, we thank you, thank you, I thank you, thank you. 00:02:54.420 |
continues to mount in terms of how we're supposed 00:02:59.660 |
And some sections of the passage, or the book, 00:03:15.260 |
And I began by exhorting us that we should be thankful. 00:03:35.500 |
because of the blessings, even just physically, 00:03:39.220 |
We also mentioned that we should be prepared. 00:03:43.380 |
These are just a blink for you in the introduction. 00:03:48.900 |
I said that Christ has given us the expectation. 00:03:56.860 |
It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. 00:04:00.380 |
That suffering will come, heartache will come 00:04:40.180 |
don't have to go through it, namely our parents. 00:04:44.580 |
We think about parents who really just toiled, 00:04:52.340 |
People who, if you're from an immigrant family, 00:04:57.260 |
let go of everything they're comfortable with 00:05:03.980 |
in hope of a better life for their next generation. 00:05:07.340 |
Because assuredly, it wasn't their own generation 00:05:27.860 |
He suffered with a purpose and intention in his heart 00:05:41.340 |
because of our sin, he was in his good pleasure 00:05:59.100 |
and responsibility of someone else's hardship 00:06:02.580 |
or whatever it may be so that they would do well. 00:06:12.980 |
that we hope to make our lives as intentional 00:06:19.900 |
As Christ, his time on earth was incredibly focused. 00:06:25.740 |
His time on earth had a goal so crystal clear. 00:06:29.820 |
There was a decree of God, there was a command of God, 00:06:40.100 |
And then on a narrow scale, Christ's suffering 00:06:44.580 |
So it was not haphazard, it wasn't on the spur 00:06:50.020 |
of the moment, we learned that it was well-planned, 00:07:06.940 |
Verse one, he says, if you notice kind of the way 00:07:19.940 |
with the same purpose since Christ has suffered 00:07:23.580 |
in the flesh because he who has suffered in the flesh 00:07:38.900 |
therefore do that, you can just follow that flow. 00:07:42.340 |
But if there's a list of other causes or purposes 00:07:45.860 |
or whatever it may be, sometimes I kind of move it 00:07:53.740 |
with therefore, arm yourself also with the same purpose. 00:08:10.100 |
What is this purpose that he's talking about? 00:08:23.380 |
But the whole idea behind it is contention, right? 00:08:28.660 |
The reason why I say that is because this same word 00:08:32.900 |
Remember, that's the passage about the word of God 00:08:37.500 |
It's able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 00:08:47.580 |
So the idea here is arm yourself with the same intention, 00:08:50.620 |
and that's why I made this general introductory 00:08:53.580 |
kind of purpose statement for the whole lesson is 00:09:00.100 |
And going back to the question, what is that purpose? 00:09:04.260 |
Well, since this is connected to the previous passage, 00:09:11.820 |
If you look over in chapter three, verse 17 through 18, 00:09:14.620 |
it began by him saying, "For it is better if God 00:09:20.780 |
"could will it so that you suffer for doing what is right 00:09:28.340 |
If you're gonna suffer, don't suffer for injustice, 00:09:34.500 |
But then he adds, "For Christ also died for sin 00:09:52.340 |
you know, the Savior who died for the unjust, 00:10:03.860 |
that Christ would put the death in the flesh. 00:10:09.780 |
the original audience that they need to also suffer 00:10:17.860 |
"Hey, just like Jesus did, let's go get 'em." 00:10:20.820 |
It's actually what I'm saying is inclusive of the idea. 00:10:26.340 |
There is a purpose where he is willing to die. 00:10:30.180 |
On a cursory reading, I don't know if we've passed that, 00:10:35.700 |
but there is a willingness to lay down his life 00:10:56.420 |
"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, 00:10:59.900 |
"who for the joy set before him endured the cross, 00:11:03.180 |
"despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand 00:11:13.700 |
The purpose of God was to lay down his entire life. 00:11:33.740 |
Do you remember when Christ was at the Garden of Gethsemane 00:11:38.060 |
Do you remember when he would predict to his disciples, 00:12:02.100 |
So when this passage teaches us to arm yourself, 00:12:59.460 |
to be saying, "Be that which is intent and purpose 00:13:21.540 |
was coming here and listening to me speak right now, 00:14:25.340 |
suffered to death or suffered to death there. 00:14:49.340 |
on top of sin, Christ has suffered in the flesh, 00:14:52.700 |
he says, "Because you who have suffered in the flesh 00:15:04.540 |
How does suffering and seeping from sin connect? 00:15:27.820 |
The worst that can happen to a Christian in persecution 00:15:43.340 |
is they could put you to death because of your faith. 00:15:57.100 |
it took me a little long actually to graduate, 00:16:17.340 |
because he has the most greatest personality ever. 00:16:27.620 |
and he really couldn't make out words very well. 00:16:30.060 |
You could tell the man had just a lot of disabilities, 00:16:33.260 |
even above and beyond what you just imagined. 00:16:38.300 |
I met him because he had stacks of MacArthur tapes, 00:16:51.500 |
and he was giving away all his old cassettes. 00:17:16.900 |
he'd say, "And one day we'll be free to sin no more 00:17:23.700 |
And every seminary student who ever complained about, 00:17:43.380 |
a faith perspective that we all need to have. 00:18:05.260 |
but the death that everybody's threatening you with, 00:18:11.540 |
See what a great difference that is in faith. 00:18:18.020 |
But for me to live with Christ as the guy is, 00:18:29.820 |
"Are you armed and prepared with a sense of purpose, 00:18:35.580 |
and in this battle I could very easily well-being, 00:18:42.580 |
but rather this death is going to be our freedom. 00:18:48.100 |
And so although this may be hard to understand for us, 00:18:52.380 |
we, as Christians, need to exercise this faith 00:18:59.620 |
to go from fear and anxiety to attitudes of hope, longing. 00:19:04.620 |
Because for us, what we're looking forward to 00:19:23.460 |
And their story, essentially, you guys know the story, 00:19:30.140 |
has this monumental statue built for himself, 00:19:33.100 |
and he demands everybody needs to bow and worship. 00:19:51.900 |
Crazy thing is, these young men essentially say, 00:19:59.020 |
"I don't even need to speak to you all the time." 00:20:12.900 |
God still delivers us from your hell and your sin. 00:20:35.660 |
And yes, this world is so afraid of pain, suffering, 00:20:40.580 |
And once you get their fear, they can control you. 00:20:43.700 |
But me, I have this curse, a never-ending curse, 00:20:49.300 |
nothing will separate me from the love of God. 00:20:51.660 |
As a matter of fact, my death would actually mean 00:20:56.220 |
And so, on that level, it just kind of goes to show again, 00:21:28.580 |
but the question is, are you willing to suffer 00:21:35.340 |
For the sake of those who would hear the message 00:21:39.380 |
Because remember, Apostle Paul wasn't just one, 00:21:42.020 |
Apostle Peter included, is not one who would say, 00:21:47.900 |
No, he was willingly, voluntarily pouring out his life. 00:21:52.540 |
Here's a passage to 2 Corinthians 4, verse 8-12. 00:21:56.020 |
He says, "We are afflicted every day, but not thus. 00:22:05.620 |
"Always caring about in the body, the dying of Jesus, 00:22:09.260 |
"so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested 00:22:13.100 |
"For we who live are constantly being delivered up 00:22:18.460 |
"so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested 00:22:32.340 |
I know life's gonna be tough, let's go through it. 00:22:35.580 |
It's another thing to say, not just for my sake, 00:22:43.580 |
We are experiencing death, shame, that's what it is. 00:22:50.940 |
That our expectations and being depressed with the past 00:22:55.100 |
is challenging us to go far above and beyond, 00:23:00.580 |
So, as Scripture says, "Arm yourself with this attitude, 00:23:09.300 |
"even as many things in the past have as those of the modern 00:23:21.020 |
I took the whole passage again in your lesson package, 00:23:27.180 |
'cause again, I can't go through every single phrase 00:23:31.180 |
and every, I wish that I actually broke this down 00:23:34.340 |
but we're gonna look at the flow of thought, okay? 00:23:40.700 |
"So therefore, arm yourself also with the same purpose, 00:23:47.180 |
"He who has suffered in the flesh has spewed some sin. 00:23:50.180 |
"So, as to live for the rest of time in the flesh, 00:23:53.700 |
"no longer for the lust of men, but for the will of God." 00:24:00.620 |
okay, I'm gonna ask you to focus your eyes right now 00:24:05.460 |
It gives an explanation for the time already past 00:24:11.180 |
namely, having pursued this course of sensuality, 00:24:14.220 |
lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking, parties, 00:24:18.300 |
In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them 00:24:21.260 |
into the same deceptive anticipation, as they malign you, 00:24:27.100 |
who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 00:24:30.140 |
For the gospel has for this purpose been preached 00:24:33.740 |
even to those who are dead, and here's a great purpose, 00:24:36.860 |
that though they are judged in the flesh as men, 00:24:38.500 |
they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. 00:24:47.100 |
Above all, be fervent in your love for one another, 00:24:52.580 |
Be hospitable to one another, but without complaint, 00:24:59.500 |
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 00:25:02.020 |
And then verse 11 acts almost as a commentary, 00:25:14.660 |
who is serving by the strength which God supplies. 00:25:22.460 |
through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory 00:25:33.260 |
'cause I asked you guys to focus on the purpose of this, 00:25:41.780 |
and a reference to how that timing is moving. 00:25:46.180 |
There's a goal and trajectory to what Jesus talks about. 00:25:55.740 |
That women were to no longer live for the lust, 00:26:07.940 |
they may live in the spirit according to the what? 00:26:11.980 |
And whoever is doing anything in terms of service, 00:26:14.900 |
that is, whoever is speaking or whoever is serving 00:26:21.420 |
In all things, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, 00:26:25.140 |
to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever, 00:26:34.580 |
the command was to arm yourself with equipment. 00:26:39.740 |
But this section is perfect in terms of the goal, 00:26:52.740 |
you know, application for us, truthfully, to speak to you. 00:27:03.020 |
As a matter of fact, there are times in your Christian life 00:27:06.300 |
when you're not even willing to be inconvenienced. 00:27:14.420 |
we're not willing to sacrifice time or money, 00:27:17.380 |
we're not willing to do whatever is uncomfortable. 00:27:26.140 |
that kind of heart condition that we're not willing to have 00:27:30.300 |
is because we lost clarity of the purpose of life. 00:27:33.740 |
Because there are times when you are more than willing 00:27:41.780 |
to sacrifice your own well-being, to sacrifice your looks. 00:27:45.540 |
There are times when you're more than willing 00:27:47.820 |
to experience pain, suffer, and give everything you've got. 00:28:00.900 |
and you can answer, "Why are you doing that?" 00:28:08.460 |
the goal for every Christian should be the glory of God. 00:28:15.140 |
whether it's you're serving, whether it's you're worshiping, 00:28:17.380 |
whether it's you're loving, whatever you are doing, 00:28:19.860 |
the goal of every Christian is to glorify and honor God. 00:28:31.620 |
representing, and being a light to the glory of God. 00:28:36.260 |
and that glory of God is now impressed upon you. 00:28:49.860 |
You, even if you're not a pastor, missionary, 00:28:59.100 |
you should have as your deepest rooted passion, 00:29:07.820 |
I will do everything that seems right to glorify my God. 00:29:21.860 |
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 00:29:32.460 |
giving thanks through Him to God the Father." 00:29:35.180 |
And then, Christ's own words, when He is predicting, 00:29:41.500 |
on His way to the cross, He's predicting His suffering. 00:29:49.020 |
At what shall I say, 'Father, save me from this hour? 00:30:01.940 |
I mean, just read some of John Piper's stuff. 00:30:04.860 |
He has this book where, from beginning to end, 00:31:03.220 |
and everything about the essentials of the gospel 00:31:13.300 |
if some reason, as they live their Christian lives, 00:31:16.140 |
that the will of God now all of a sudden includes 00:31:24.380 |
That roadblock doesn't come because of the truth. 00:31:35.260 |
And when we do that, nothing we do will ever make sense. 00:31:46.420 |
Yeah, those songs were not theologically rich, 00:31:57.060 |
That I surrender my life to the glory of God. 00:32:02.700 |
and it is my honest exhortation to every single one of us. 00:32:09.260 |
you prayed, "God, whatever you want for your glory, 00:32:16.700 |
"here and now, before you have to take it from me, 00:32:22.180 |
"I give you everything, including my very life, 00:32:36.620 |
"before you have to demand it and say, give it to me, 00:32:44.220 |
"and I'm before you, God, to make you a glory." 00:32:52.780 |
a lot of times, the moments of great sacrifice come, 00:33:06.180 |
and because of uncontrollable things beyond my power, 00:33:24.700 |
for us to be prepared and armed with this ambition, 00:33:34.740 |
I'm willing to go where other saints have gone, 00:33:51.860 |
This passage, it challenges you to be Christian. 00:34:14.540 |
"Don't suffer just to take revenge on the government. 00:34:29.060 |
"You don't need to suffer just for that kind of cause." 00:34:40.740 |
He says, "You know, there are two different types of people. 00:34:47.780 |
in verse two he said, "You should live no longer for lust, 00:34:54.620 |
There are those who are living for their lust, 00:34:56.340 |
and there are those who are living for the will of God. 00:35:09.540 |
and carousing, drinking parties, and barbaric idolatry, 00:35:13.540 |
the picture that I get is what this world glorifies. 00:35:30.500 |
The people are just hidden to sexual pleasure. 00:35:38.500 |
Now the worldly perspective, to tell you honestly, 00:35:56.340 |
Like, "Oh, you know, all we have is to look forward 00:36:00.380 |
then what they're gonna say is what they've been saying. 00:36:10.100 |
go live it up, go have fun, give into your pleasures, 00:36:13.300 |
and then you can be thinking in the right way. 00:36:24.980 |
and this is where I've asked you the question, 00:36:57.860 |
for all that you've done, all that you've said, 00:36:59.940 |
whether Christian or not, you are going to be judged, okay? 00:37:06.020 |
That's the reality that Christian understand. 00:37:12.580 |
is that the world is thinking in their perspective 00:37:17.860 |
how they see the reality and what their end is. 00:37:24.780 |
Turn your Bible to Luke chapter 12, verse 35 to 48. 00:37:59.220 |
"Be like men who are waiting for their master 00:38:03.140 |
"so that they may immediately open the door to him 00:38:07.980 |
"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find 00:38:12.580 |
"Surely I say to you that he will gird himself to serve 00:38:24.980 |
"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house 00:38:27.700 |
"has known at what hour the feast was coming, 00:38:30.100 |
"he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 00:38:36.700 |
"is coming at an hour that you do not expect." 00:38:43.020 |
"Lord, are you addressing this terrible to us 00:38:57.380 |
"Who in his master will put a charge on the children 00:39:00.020 |
"to give them their rations at the proper time? 00:39:06.620 |
"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge 00:39:15.660 |
"And he begins to teach the slaves, both men and women, 00:39:27.460 |
"and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 00:39:32.220 |
"and did not get ready or act accord with his will 00:39:52.060 |
For that challenge, and an apostle Peter said, 00:39:59.900 |
"I am returning, and you need to be ready as a good slave, 00:40:06.660 |
And that's why apostle Peter actually speaks much 00:40:22.820 |
"But the day of the Lord will come like a peace 00:40:25.220 |
"in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, 00:40:27.620 |
"and the elements will be destroyed with a tent, 00:40:30.660 |
"and the earth and its work will be burnt up. 00:40:33.220 |
"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, 00:41:12.340 |
Talked about, "Therefore, be in sound of judgment, 00:41:18.060 |
"Above all, be fervent in your love for one another, 00:41:24.380 |
"Be hospitable to one another without complaint." 00:41:33.260 |
So there were various commands that were listed 00:41:38.180 |
I'm not gonna go in long detail over these things, 00:41:42.860 |
And from one of the commentaries I was reading, 00:42:10.340 |
We talked about being sound in judgment before 00:42:30.900 |
That we need to be sober and clear in our thinking 00:42:34.460 |
so that we can pray for what realm of relationships 00:42:38.100 |
it is, it's the relationship with our God, right? 00:42:41.180 |
That we need to make sure that we are in right standing 00:42:43.340 |
and our conscience is clear so that we can pray. 00:42:49.660 |
I'm sure you have, you know, you maybe wrestle 00:42:58.060 |
And truthfully, there's a lot of contributing 00:42:59.820 |
factors to that, but one of the main things is 00:43:02.100 |
when my mind is not sure, when my mind is not clear, 00:43:05.220 |
when I'm not thinking straight and I'm not sober, 00:43:12.940 |
when you go to retreat, when you isolate yourself, 00:43:18.340 |
I'm trying to get sober here so I'm gonna get away 00:43:24.860 |
quite easily, it's hard to focus easily, yeah. 00:43:32.540 |
there's a realm of all relationships with God 00:43:40.500 |
And we need to make sure that that is maintained. 00:43:58.820 |
So here, I just wanna give some encouragement and talent. 00:44:03.820 |
We've talked about being loving in a previous passage too, 00:44:54.940 |
I took my kids to one of these kids and parents 00:45:04.300 |
So you can imagine like 40 kids running around, 00:45:06.740 |
playing with each other, and it's really, really weird. 00:45:11.220 |
So sure enough, one of the boys is laughing and pointing, 00:45:18.980 |
You know, so they run over and, "What's going on?" 00:45:20.780 |
And the kid's like, "That guy's flying down!" 00:45:29.340 |
You know, "No one's taking a look here, nothing to see!" 00:45:35.020 |
But there's a very clear difference between one 00:45:37.940 |
who is 11% designed to cover the sins of mindfulness 00:45:50.660 |
There's a clear difference when your intention 00:46:11.980 |
To love saints, people who are outside of your comfort zone, 00:46:15.580 |
people who are outside of who you're already familiar with, 00:46:20.260 |
because you don't know how to deal with them. 00:46:28.620 |
it talks about how each one has received a special gift. 00:46:33.300 |
"as good stewards of the manifold goodness of God." 00:46:42.260 |
has given us various things for the common good, 00:46:47.460 |
There's one Spirit that He has distributed to us. 00:46:58.580 |
"So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, 00:47:01.660 |
"seek to abound for the edification of the Church." 00:47:07.300 |
Now, a way of kind of wrapping that all up... 00:47:32.940 |
love, hunger for the Word, et cetera, et cetera. 00:47:36.220 |
And here and now, even, there's this list of commands, 00:47:55.700 |
And I want to kind of wrap up by saying this now. 00:48:06.940 |
And truthfully speaking, when you've experienced 00:48:09.380 |
not just, like, a general hardship through life, 00:48:17.060 |
and these individuals were attacked from every side, 00:48:20.700 |
the kind of persecution they're going through, 00:48:31.420 |
what that's going to feel like is a punch to the face. 00:48:38.100 |
What that feels like is you've kind of lost your bearings, 00:48:43.980 |
you're just trying to strap on to whatever you think 00:48:46.620 |
is going to be firm enough to help you get out. 00:48:51.220 |
For a lot of us, yeah, when you experience hardship, 00:48:54.860 |
you might have that same kind of reason and reaction. 00:49:19.740 |
The challenge today was that even in the midst of this suffering, 00:49:29.740 |
and especially I'm not going to allow my suffering 00:49:48.780 |
So that's the kind of example R.J. has set for us, 00:50:09.860 |
and ultimately as many are brought to the father, 00:50:16.020 |
and let's conclude with a couple of thoughts. 00:50:29.940 |
I ask Lord that we continue to do a work from you. 00:50:34.540 |
So that more and more we'll be free from self-deception, 00:50:45.780 |
We'll be free from the kind of worldly tricks 00:50:54.900 |
And Father God, I pray that you'll continue to do that. 00:50:58.340 |
I pray, Father God, that rather we concentrate 00:51:08.420 |
So that now we're anticipating being with you,