INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR STUDY IS 1 PETER 3:8-22. LETS REVIEW A BIT. THE LAST THREE WEEKS WE HAVE LEARNED HOW WE SHOULD SUBMIT, BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S EXAMPLE, AS CITIZENS, SERVANTS, WIVES AND HUSBANDS. PETER FINISHES UP THAT THEME THIS WEEK AND MOVES ON TO A RELATED THEME AND THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF THE REST OF HIS LETTER: CHRISTIAN SUFFERING.
I. SUBMISSION TO FELLOW CHRISTIANS A. READ 1 PET 3:8. 1. FIRST PETER TELLS US TO LIVE IN HARMONY (ONE MIND) HAVING SYMPATHY (GR. "SOOM-PATH-ACE'")(KJV "COMPASSION")? a. HOW DO WE DO HAVE SYMPATHY? ANY IDEAS? b. DO THESE OTHER CHARACTERISTICS THAT PETER DESCRIBES HELP US TO HAVE SYMPATHY? (1) LOVE AS BROTHERS (2) BE COMPASSIONATE (3) BE HUMBLE c. THE LAST TIME SOMEONE WAS SYMPATHETIC TOWARDS YOU, WHAT DID THEY DO? (THE SECRET LIES IN RELATING SO CLOSELY TO OTHERS THAT WE FEEL WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM IS HAPPENING TO US.) B. READ 3:9. PETER SEEMED TO START OUT SPEAKING TO CHRISTIANS IN v.8.-- HAS HE NOW MOVED ON TO THE WORLD AT LARGE? OR IS THIS HOW WE SHOULD ACT WITH FELLOW CHRISTIANS? 1. WOULD A FELLOW CHRISTIAN CAUSE US EVIL OR INSULT? (I THINK THAT HE HAS GONE INTO A WIDER CIRCLE THAN JUST THOSE IN THE CHURCH. IF READ ON IT WILL BE CLEARER.) C. READ v.10-12 THIS IS A QUOTE FROM PS 34. AND IT IS CLEARLY SPEAKING ABOUT HOW TO CONDUCT OURSELVES IN THE WORLD. LETS BREAK THIS DOWN. 1. WHAT IS THE REWARD THAT IS PROMISED HERE? (LOVE LIFE-SEE GOOD DAYS v.10; LORD KEEP AN EYE ON US AND LISTENS TO OUR PRAYERS v.12.) 2. HOW MANY OF YOU WANT THAT? 3. SO, HOW DO WE ATTAIN THIS? a. KEEP TONGUE FROM EVIL; b. KEEP LIPS FROM DECEITFUL SPEECH; c. TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; and, d. SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. 4. (GO THROUGH EACH AND ASK WHAT THINK MEANS) D. SUUMARIZE IN YOUR OWN WORDS WHAT PETER IS SAYING? (PETER PUTS A VERY HIGH VALUE ON WHAT WE SAY.) E. NOTICE THE POSITIVE PART OF THIS. PETER HAS BEEN TELLING US TO SUBMIT, AND BE NICE, SO THAT WE WILL WIN OTHERS TO CHRIST. THAT IS GOOD FOR THE OTHER PERSON, RIGHT? BUT DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR US EXCEPT TO KNOW THAT WE HELPED SOMEONE TO COME TO CHRIST.--BUT HERE PETER SAYS YOU TOO ARE GOING TO GET SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF IT-AND NOW! II. SUFFERING A. READ 13-14. DOES PETER SAY THAT IT IS LIKELY THAT WE WILL SUFFER? (NO). 1. WHY? (HE HAS JUST TOLD US TO RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL. YOU NORMALLY ARE NOT HARMED IF YOU FOLLOW THAT RULE, RIGHT? GOV'TS NORMALLY DO NOT PUNISH THOSE WHO DO RIGHT, MASTERS DO NOT NORMALLY PUNISH SLAVES THAT OBEY, SPOUSES NORMALLY APPRECIATE SOMEONE WHO HAS THEIR BEST INTRESTS AT HEART.) B. BUT, DOES PETER PROMISE SUFFERING WON'T HAPPEN EITHER? (NO) C. DO YOU THINK THAT PETER IS JUST SAYING THAT IF YOU FOLLOW THIS PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE, ODDS ARE THAT YOUR LIFE WILL BE BETTER? 1. OR IS HE SAYING MORE THAN THAT? 2. WHAT ABOUT v. 12 WHERE HE SAYS THAT THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND HIS FACE IS AGAINST THE WICKED? DON'T WE HAVE SOMETHING BETTER GOING FOR US THAN THE ODDS? (PAUL SAID IN ROM 8:31: "IF GOD IS WITH US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?" IN JOHN 17:15 JESUS SAID, "MY PRAYER IS NOT THAT YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT THAT YOU PROTECT THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE.") D. IN LIGHT OF THE SUFFERING OF THE DISCIPLES, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? E. IS SUFFERING THE OPPOSITE OF BLESSING? (COMPARE MT.5:11) 1. HOW DOES THE STATEMENT IN v. 14 FIT IN THAT SAYS, "IF YOU SUFFER YOU ARE BLESSED?" AND, "DO NOT FEAR WHAT THEY FEAR?" (IN JOHN 16:33 JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES, "IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLE, BUT TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD." JESUS HAS OVERCOME THIS WORLD AND WILL ULTIMATELY MAKE EVERYTHING RIGHT IN THE NEXT WORLD TO COME!!) 2. BY THE WAY, WHAT IS IT THAT THE WORLD FEARS THAT WE ARE NOT TO FEAR? (MAN. WE NEED NOT FEAR MAN BECAUSE GOD IS IN CHARGE.) 3. WHAT PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF WE FEAR GOD INSTEAD OF MAN? (WE WOULD NEVER BE EMBARASSED ABOUT BEING CHRISTIANS. WE WOULD ALWAYS OBEY GOD INSTEAD OF MAN. THE DIFFERENCE IN PETER IS SEEN WHEN HE FEARED MAN AND DENIED CHRIST THREE TIMES, AND THEN SHORTLY LATER WHEN HE FEARED GOD AND TOLD THE SANHEDRIN THAT HE MUST FEAR GOD INSTEAD OF MAN (ACTS 5:29) F. LETS READ ON: READ v.15. IN THE MIDST OF PERSECUTION, PETER SAYS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL OUR PERSECUTORS WHY WE BELIEVE WHAT WE DO. WHAT IS THE KEY TO BEING ABLE TO DO THAT? (STUDY NOW.) 1. AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, WOULD YOU GO THROUGH PERSECUTION IF YOU WERE NOT TOO CERTAIN WHY YOU WERE DOING IT? G. NOTICE HOW PETER SAYS THAT WE SHOULD SPEAK TO THOSE WHO ARE CHALLENGING OUR FAITH? HOW SHOULD WE SPEAK? AND WHY? (PART OF THIS SAME LIFESTYLE OF RETURNING GOOD FOR EVIL. EVEN IF THE PERSON PERSECUTING YOU IS A LOWLIFE, YOU TREAT THEM WITH GENTLENESS AND RESPECT!)(NOTE PHOBOS-AND DISPUTE OVER TRANSLATION. PROBABLY REFERS BACK TO FEAR OF GOD.) H. LETS FIND THE REASON IN v. 16. READ. (ONCE AGAIN. THE SAME REASON FOR SUBMITTING TO UNJUST AUTHORITIES AND UNBELIEVING HUSBANDS--THEY MAY SEE THE TRUTH.) I. READ v.16-17. PETER NOW MOVES FROM WHAT WE SAY TO WHAT WE DO. WHY DOES HE CALL ON US TO HAVE A "CLEAR CONSCIENCE?" AND WHY DOES HE SAY THAT IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER FOR DOING GOOD INSTEAD OF EVIL? (HIS POINT IS SIMPLE. HOW CAN YOU STAND IN FRONT OF THE AUTHORITIES GIVING THE REASON FOR YOUR HOPE WHEN YOU LIFE SHOWS THAT YOU DO NOT ACT THAT WAY? THAT YOU VIOLATE THE LAWS? YOU MUST HAVE A CONSISTENT LIFE.) J. READ v. 18-22. PETER TELLS US THIS FOR TWO REASONS: 1. IF YOU ARE SO AWARE OF YOUR EVERY SIN THAT HIS DISCUSSION OF A CLEAR CONSCIENCE HAS YOU TROUBLED, HE SAYS THAT THE KEY TO A CLEAR CONSCIENCE IS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. 2. IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING AND DIFFICULTY, WE MUST TOO MUST TURN TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS TO REMEMBER AGAIN HOW CHRIST SUFFERED, BUT ALSO HOW HE AROSE AND OVERCAME AND WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY!! PRAISE GOD!! III. NEXT WEEK: 1 PETER 4:1-11.
