Anchored #6 - "Grounded in Good Works (2)" - 1 Peter 2:18-25 (audio only)

Well, grace and peace to you from God our Father in Jesus who is his Christ. I'm Kofi Edward. I'm pastor of the Redeemer Bible Fellowship in Medford, Oregon. The message you're about to hear is not the message that was preached July 10th at Redeemer Bible Fellowship and our ongoing summer series.

The Recording Is Recreated After Technical Difficulties

Anchored.

Unfortunately due to some technical issues I wasn't able to stream that message properly which meant in turn that The recording was corrupted which meant okay either we don't have the message up on the website, which I know for many of you who listen you listen regularly or I re-record it in the comfort in the comfort I can't talk today in the comfort and safety of my office, which is where this recording is coming to you from.

Though the.

Content remains the same some of the Illustrations that I use on the fly and of course some of the dynamic of speaking to a live audience versus my microphone. We'll make this message sound different, but I trust the content will be the same and really that's the main thing.

Thankfully using the technology that I have I can also put the slides up that I had so that helps some as well so hopefully you'll be able to follow along as we Make our way through this message. With that I'm gonna pray ask for the Spirit's help and then we will get into God's Word even in this rather Unconventional medium, let's pray together.

Our gracious God and Father we thank you so much. Thank you for your goodness and your mercy to us. Thank you for every opportunity that you give us Conventional or unconventional to get into your word.

I pray that as we get into this passage and the truth that it has to teach us I pray that your word would grant us understanding. That light would shine from heaven upon our lives so that we would glorify and honor you in every area of life.

We ask you things in Jesus name and for his sake.

Amen.

Review of First Peter and the Theme of Submission

Well, this is part two of what ended up turning into a three-part sermon series. My plan was to go through first Peter 2 11 through to 3 7 in two messages. Well as I studied the passage and I looked at it I realized that probably the best thing to do was rather than try and rush through That section break it up a little more and make it a bit more manageable at the same time allow us to take our time.

Looking at each of these little sections within the larger group. Since the last message happened two weeks ago, and I had been out of the pulpit I want to give a little bit of a review of where we are in our study of first Peter.

Now remember that Peter is helping us to understand how it is that we live as God's people in a hostile world. That's his big concern in this section here. In fact as one commentator puts it quote since Christians are in this very special way God's people their true home is with him.

So in passing through this world, they must show by their conduct and in their relationships that they are citizens of a better country. That's like I said Peter's thrust in this section and so to kind of help us march through that you'll recall that for those of you who've been watching or listening to the series that in First Peter first Peter really works like what you can see up on screen and if you're listening to this There will be a link in the notes to these actual slides so you can follow along.

First Peter breaks up with an introduction in verses one and two three main sections to its body and then a conclusion. We're in the second part of the body here in second Peter. With first Peter, excuse me first Peter chapter two and that runs from chapter two verse eleven right through chapter four verse six.

And really if you want to sum up this section in one word, it's the word submission. Submission because what we see here is submission. That is outward facing and then submission that is inward facing as we look at the people of God and how we submit to one another and.

So that's where we've got to in our study of Peter the last message. For those of you who heard it or if you haven't heard you can go to our YouTube channel. Listen to it in the last message. We began to think about this idea of the people of God as Pilgrim people the people of God as pilgrim people and we saw really just two facets of that from Peter's writings first of all we looked at the posture of pilgrim people the posture of pilgrim people who are pilgrim people in themselves and.

We noted that the posture of pilgrim people is that they are holy people according to first Peter 2 11 and that they are honorable people. Chapter 2 verse 12 that there is an internal holiness that we pursue through the power of the Holy Spirit and the work of Christ and.

That we are honorable people as we interact with the world outside us. That kind of segued us into thinking about the practice of pilgrim people, which is where this little miniseries Is situated in chapter 2 verse 13 through to 3 7 in the last message.

We looked at the first of the three little vignettes the three little scenes that Peter places us in as we looked at the relationship between citizens and government well Christian citizens and government especially and we saw that one of the marks of pilgrim people is that they properly honor Human authorities they properly honor human authorities.

And that brings us right up to the section that we're in today. Which is going to be chapter 2 verses 18 through to 25. And I hope that you have a Bible in front of you already and if not, you've got time this is a recording so pause go grab a Bible or pull up your Bible on your device if needs be and Let's walk through this text together.

Pilgrim People Endure Unjust Suffering

Now a couple of things before we dig into our passage. First of all, I think we need to take a step back for a minute and appreciate what Peter is doing here. You see I don't think Peter is just addressing random groups in society as he writes as though he kind of cobbles through.

Okay. Let's talk about government. Let's talk about the workplace and then let's talk about marriage and family as we'll talk about in the next message. No, I think what Peter is doing here is he's using each of these groups.

To teach the people of God in general. Specific principles about our witness in the midst of a world that truly hates us. We learned last time looking at 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 13 through 17 that as pilgrim people we honor human authority and.

That though we may not live in an empire or even a monarchy if you live in the United States for that matter we do live in a world in which there will always be structures of authority and submission.

And. The beautiful thing we learned from Peter is that we are not called as God's people to overthrow nor disrespect those structures. But to submit to them within the safe confines and boundaries of God's Word now secondly through these verses, I think there's a Two-fold emphasis that connects them together.

There's a thread that runs through this section from 2 11 through to 3 7 in all three of.

These.

Examples, there's an emphasis on suffering and or unjust treatment. There's an emphasis on the fact that we are going to interact with people who are not always going to treat us as we Feel or we ought to be treated.

But in the midst of that also, there's an emphasis that runs alongside that reality on doing good. In Fact if you look at the text of 1st Peter with me for a moment if you've got your Bible. Which again, I hope you do at this point turn over to 1st Peter chapter 2.

Let me show you something in this passage real quick. 1st Peter in chapter 2. Give me a minute to turn there in my own Bible. 1st Peter in chapter 2 and Note with me how many times this language of doing good comes up.

So 1st Peter chapter 2 in verse 13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord whether to the Emperor as a supreme authority. Or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise Those who do what is good.

For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. So again, there's an emphasis on doing good that as the people of God. We are characterized in the eyes of government as those not who do evil, but do what is good.

Well, even in our text today. Can I draw your attention to? Verse 18 It says household slaves submit to your own masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. For it brings favor with God if because of a consciousness of God.

Someone endures grief from suffering unjustly for what credit is there if when you do wrong in our beating you endure it but when you do what is good and suffer if you endure it this brings favor with God in Our next section that we'll look at next week in first Peter chapter 3.

Lord willing verse 6 Peter says just as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation. So throughout this section there was this emphasis on the Christian doing good in the midst of unjust suffering and in the midst of.

Mistreatment and.

So as we look at these three examples that are given to us by Peter in this third example today What we're going to see is that's doing good. Doesn't always mean that we're going to receive good in.

Fact.

If I can remind you of those of you who've been following the series what the big idea of this section is in first Peter. Really in the in its essence the big idea of this section is that The if I can get my screen to work here, here we go.

The people of God honor Jesus by living differently. Remembering that this world is not their home. That's really the thrust of this passage. It's the idea of what my pastor back in London used to call the ministry from the margins that we as God's people.

Though we live in the world we live differently from it and in living differently from it. We are remembering that this world is not our home that we are as I've put it in my sermon points pilgrim people.

Well for the remainder of our time this afternoon. I want to consider one more element of the practice of pilgrim people which enables them to serve and honor Jesus and I'm gonna add something to this.

I didn't have on my original sermon in the face of unjust suffering so one more element of the practice of pilgrim people which enables them to serve and honor Jesus in the face of unjust suffering so we we've seen the practice of pilgrim people is that they properly on a human authority verses 13 through 17 and now we see That pilgrim people endure unjust suffering verses 18 through to 25 pilgrim people endure unjust Suffering to help us kind of get our arms around that I've broken that down a little further.

From always consider with me. First of all, what endurance looks like. What endurance looks like? Versus 18 through to 20. Now the sphere that Peter chooses to focus on to teach us this Involves the ever thorny issue of the relationship between slaves and their masters.

Now before we look at this Allow me to speak plainly for a moment. I've taught the Bible in enough Places and taught enough passages like this one to know that this What we're about to read about slaves and masters makes 21st century people a little bit nervous sometimes especially living in the US given our nation's complex and horrific history of antebellum slavery.

I think at times there is a danger that stains our understanding of this topic as it appears in the scripture. Such that we hear slavery and we immediately think oh My word, how can there possibly be slavery in a book like the Bible and Paul isn't condemning it?

Well not Paul in this instance Peter this time around but oh, I think you can hear my friend let me turn that down some.

There we go.

Allow me for a moment then to address what I think is the elephant in the room When we talk about this subject of slavery. Because if we get caught up or should I say hung up on that I think we're going to miss the vital teaching in this passage of for a moment.

Allow me to do a little bit of background work and dig into the world of the first century. This may sound like stating the bleeding obvious. But the reality is slavery in the world of the Bible was very different to slavery as was practiced here in the Americas.

It was different for one thing in the fact that it was so pervasive. Slavery was a very common part.

Excuse me a.

Very common part of life in the world of the New Testament in fact some estimates tell us that up to one in three of The population of the ancient world were slaves of some sort. One in three people that you could pick someone off the street at random and chances were a Third of the people you picked up were slaves.

That's huge. That's very different. Also slavery was quite a diverse affair in the ancient world. This was not the mistreatment of one group of people over another. As one Bible commentator puts it quote in ancient slavery an educated slave was prized in cities throughout the ancient Mediterranean world.

Slaves were trained as Trained and served excuse me as physicians architects craftspeople shopkeepers cooks barbers artists thespians actors Magicians prophets teachers professional poets and philosophers.

Some slaves could accumulate considerable wealth from their occupation. Another Bible background commentary puts it like this quote. Because of the poverty of many free laborers the economic living conditions of slaves were Far or often excuse me far better.

This led many free laborers to sell themselves into slavery as a means of Economic advancement. This commentary goes on and says this is not to say that slavery was essentially an ungodly structure that deprived a person of dignity and freedom.

It is simply to affirm that Roman era slavery did not share all of the same features of new world slavery that would ignite a rebellion. So slavery was quite a complex affair and.

I.

Mentioned all this because I think one of the worst things that we can do whenever I teach people to say the Bible I make a note of this one of the worst things we can do and unfortunately, it's very easy for us to fall into this trap is to impose 20th and 21st century understandings history and events onto the world of the first century and then to try and sit in judgment of the world the first set of this the world of the first century, excuse me as Though we are better than them.

I'm a history buff and one of the things that my history teacher when I was doing my GCSEs back in the UK used to Was that you don't judge History by your standards, which is a very intuitive thing to say.

Because if you do that, I think it makes a bad history and more importantly when you're studying the Bible I think it can make for very bad theology. One last thing on this theme and then we'll actually get to our passage.

While the New Testament doesn't come out and advocate for the total abolition of slavery I think a very good case can be made that the teaching of the New Testament lays the stage for that abolition. So when you look at the New Testament and his teaching about man made in the image of God the humane treatment of all men Equality in Christ you put all of that together that you keep preaching that and pounding that Slavery was never really going to last long under that.

Now we do know that there were also Christian slave owners if that that is difficult for you. There's a whole book in your New Testament, you might want to tear out. It's called the book of Philemon. Philemon who is the title character of that book is The one that Paul writes to and says listen, I've got your slave Onesimus here.

I'm sending him back to you. Receive him as a brother in the Lord.

Oh.

And if he if he stole anything from me, which seems to be the implication if he took anything from you. Don't worry about it. I'll pay for it. So here you have Paul an apostle who is respecting the social order as it were.

Allowing that to continue. If I even in our text you see it there in verse 18 Peter talks about the fact that there are some masters who were Good and gentle. That they treated their slaves wonderfully.

There were some masters who did that but then you had. Your cruel guys. And Peter's focus here really isn't on the good guys. If I look at the text again verse 18 Household slaves submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle walls the gentle ones Excuse me, but also to the cruel.

Peter isn't really focused on the good guys as you read this. He's focused on the cruel ones. You see it's easy to submit to the good guy. I mean when someone treats you right it's easy to submit to that.

But what do you do when someone doesn't treat you right even though you deserve to be treated, right? That's why I think Peter is dealing with here. Unless you think that this has no application to us in an age where slavery is outlawed.

I'm gonna suggest that the principle here the point behind the point if you will the point here is universal that a slave doing his job and being mistreated is the height of injustice and. That all of us will encounter some form of injustice.

Maybe not quite as egregious as that, but we might. You see God's people are always in danger of mishandling the opportunity the unjust treatment provides. Sounds weird when you say that don't you that there's an opportunity that is afforded to us as God's people in the face of unjust treatment.

Well, regardless of their station in life all God's people need to learn this lesson. I mean, I know my own life for me. Mishandling unjust treatment often manifests itself when I'm being misunderstood or misrepresented.

Most things I'm willing to let go but something about that in my own heart that I'm keenly aware of where. When somebody misrepresents me, I want to say no. No, no, no. No, you don't get to do that.

And.

Sometimes I will come out swinging when someone says I said something that I know I didn't say and A text like this convicts even me because I'm reminded of the fact that. Okay, sometimes for the gospel's sake you've got to be willing to let that go.

And so the principle here I think is gonna be valid for everybody regardless of what social situation you find yourself in. It's interesting that Peter says here in our text that we are to submit With all reverence and the question becomes is it reverence towards our masters or reverence towards God?

Well, I.

Think if you take the teaching of the New Testament as a whole. It seems to suggest that it's reverence towards God that is in view here. So Ephesians chapter 6 verse 5 slaves obey your human masters with fear and trembling in the sincerity of your heart as You would Christ.

In.

The sort of parallel passage to that Colossians chapter 3 verse 22 slaves obey your human masters and everything. Don't work only while being watched literally with eye service as people pleases but work wholeheartedly fearing the Lord.

In fact, even in first Peter that we've been studying for those of you who've been following along even in first Peter. Reverence is always in the direction of God in this letter. It's never towards men.

We respect men. We honor men, but ultimately we do so because of our reverence before the Lord. You see it's out of reverence that for God that slaves were to submit to their masters be they good and upright or bad.

And Bent. I use the word bent because this word that's translated cruel is where we get our word scoliosis from. If you know scoliosis, it's an extreme curvature of the spine has to be operated on to be repaired.

Well. That's where this word means it's the idea of being bent or perverse that you're giving somebody something that is polar opposite of what they deserve and Peter says that is out of reverence for God that we endure that and that's true in the workplace and it's true Just about everywhere else in life.

You see in a society where the concept of our rights is so ingrained in us the truly counter cultural and God glorifying Truth that this passage puts before us that we are to place ourselves under authority and Submit to them even when they don't deserve it.

That can be a tough sell from a human perspective. But here's the thing as Christians we don't view things from a human perspective, do we? In fact Peter helps us with this. He gives us a motivation in verse 19.

So if you got your Bible in front of you that's 19. He says for it brings favor if because of a consciousness of God. Someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. Now to be honest, this verse is a little tough to translate into English, but the Christian Standard Bible Which is the translation I preach and teach from.

I think it gets to the meat of the matter well enough. That as we live with a full consciousness of God enduring suffering that is unjust. God's grace is being poured out. Think about this isn't this kind of completely upside down to the way that we think.

Don't we often think that God's grace isn't keeping us in the midst of suffering is that he takes us out and away from suffering. It might be different to the way we think but I think this is the kind of thinking that's a lot of things.

This is the way in which the Bible encourages us to think. So in Acts chapter 14 Paul is going back to all the churches that he Had ministered to and had planted and in Acts chapter 14 verse 22. He says that he was going from place to place strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and By telling them so remember this is an encouragement from Paul.

It is necessary To go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

Wow.

That Paul says this is an encouraging thing for you. You know how we make it to the kingdom of God on a bed of suffering. Philippians chapter 1 verse 29 Paul again says for it has been granted to you to suffer on Christ's behalf.

Not oh, excuse me. Let me just read that and then read it again. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him But also to suffer for him. That's a part of the Christians life that we are called to suffering.

In verse 20 Peter's gonna shed some more light even on that verse 20. For what credit is there when if you do Wrong and are beaten you endure. For what credit is there if when you do wrong and are beaten you endure it.

But when you do what is good and suffer if you endure it this brings favor with God. For the note-takers in the room or listening in this case Luke chapter 6 verses 27 to 36 Jesus makes a very similar point.

I won't read it because of our time, but Suffice to say Peter seems to be channeling Jesus teaching almost word-for-word. In terms of how we are to handle suffering even when we do what is good. You see when we suffer the results of quote-unquote suffer the results of our bad behavior.

Can we really call that suffering? If you decide to drive drunk and you crash the car, you're not suffering. You're receiving natural consequences if you decide to Leave your hand on a hot stove Unsafely and you get burned.

Yeah, it hurts, but can we really call it suffering because you're receiving the natural consequences of your actions. But doing good shouldn't naturally lead to suffering should it? But of course we live in a fallen world and when it does and.

It will.

When it does our response ought to be one of humility and Submission. Why. Because this leads to favor with God. Now, I don't know about you. This doesn't sound like a tall order. I mean it is a tall order.

It sounds almost otherworldly. And if it does sound like it's out of this world, it's supposed to and In fact, I'm gonna go a step further and say not only is it supposed to I'm gonna say that's good news.

We've spent some time thinking about what endurance looks like but Peter isn't going to leave us on our own to figure out what endurance. Looks like oh, no, he's still got some teaching to do for us today.

Christ as the Supreme Model of Enduring Unjust Suffering

Consider with me secondly why we can endure. Why we can endure verses 21 through to 25. If I says 21 to 25 Peter as it were ups the ante in a very good way. Because what he does is he points to Christ as the supreme model of enduring unjust suffering.

He points to Christ as the supreme model of enduring unjust suffering. Now we ought to be honest and say that in our day and age. This is a concept this idea of Christ as our model in suffering. This is a concept that's fallen on some hard times.

For some you talk about Jesus as an example and they see that as a very dangerous distraction from Jesus as Savior. Either he's a Savior or he's an example, but he can't be both. Well, I applaud the desire to maintain the uniqueness of Jesus's saving work and we should all be passionate about Jesus's work as Savior.

But I don't think that's a biblical distinction. I Don't think you can say that there is either Jesus as Savior or Jesus as example. I don't think that's an distinction we can make and I don't think Peter does even our text if you have got a Bible in front of you verse 21.

He says for you were called to this in other words enduring suffering. Because Christ also suffered for you. Leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. We'll talk more particularly about the nature of Christ's suffering in just a moment.

But before Peter even gets into that he reminds us and tells us something about the nature of Christ's sufferings. You see as Jesus Suffered he wasn't just bearing our sins and it sounds blasphemous to even say just because there was a weighty and powerful thing that was in and of itself.

But he wasn't doing just that. The Bible makes us to understand that he was also leaving us an example. The word for example is an interesting one it's the word that was used for a pattern that was placed over paper so that a Child could learn to write letters.

I'm old enough just about to remember having to use tracing paper at school. So you could copy a pattern and then reproduce the pattern somewhere else. Well, that's the picture here. See Peter wants us to understand that Jesus doesn't just give us some vague principles for life as it were but he actually gives us a pattern a blueprint by which to live and in particular Peter is going to focus on the elements of Christ's example that relates to suffering.

So what exactly does Jesus' blueprint for suffering look like? What can I draw your attention to verses 22 and 23? Text says he, referring to Jesus, did not commit sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.

When he was insulted he did not insult in return when he suffered he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. Think for a moment with me. Was there ever unjust unwarranted and undeserved suffering like Jesus' suffering?

Think about the most innocent person, you know, who's gone through something. As innocent as they are. They're not Jesus. Jesus was spotless and sinless. Jesus was perfectly honest in thought and in word and indeed he was truly truth incarnate.

And yet during his life Jesus took abuse from all kinds of people. All through his life he takes abuse one of the ones that. Every time I think about it after it was explained to me. It sticks with me.

Jesus is preaching and his preaching is clearly making an impact and His enemies the Pharisees turn around and say why should we listen to you? I'm paraphrasing somewhat. We know who our father is the implication being that Jesus was illegitimate and And he's receiving that abuse not in private publicly.

I think to the cross. Even on the cross even as he's dying. There is no let's up in the abuse. He receives from people. People are on the ground saying you said you were the Son of God. Bring yourself down.

Even the person next to him who was crucified who actually was a criminal is Mocking and abusing him and it's interesting you look at all of these scenes in the life of Jesus where he's enduring Unjust suffering on the part of others.

And what does Jesus do? He doesn't act in his own defense. Oh, no, he do you catch what Peter says? He didn't threaten but he entrusted himself and the idea is it's an ongoing entrusting. He kept on entrusting himself.

He kept on turning over the case as it were. To the only one who could judge it rightly and I need to pause and ask for a moment as you're listening to this. Is that how you is that how I is that how we?

Endure unjust suffering. Is our natural response to as it were stomp our feet demand our rights and seek solace and our supposed ability and worth. Is that how we respond to unjust suffering. And by the way, I'm not talking about crimes here.

We have civil authorities who deal with crimes. I'm not saying that if someone is acting in a criminal manner towards you just grin and bear. That's not my point at all. No, I'm talking about the suffering that comes as the result of our distinctly Christian witness.

If I can speak plainly for a moment I think our generation of Western Christians who have been unfortunately Discipled in the ways and means of our culture and not the ways and means of the kingdom of God.

I believe our generation of Christians has lost. Has lost sight of the fact that we are not promised an easy road as we live in this world. I think it's easy for us, especially living in America who has enjoyed something of a privileged social Class as it were as a result of being Christians we're now starting to discover that actually whereas there used to be some sort of cultural advantage to being a Christian there isn't anymore.

And in fact, there's more cultural Capital in being anti-christian and it's interesting because we'll at times act like we won't see this. Well, not all of us anyway, but we'll at times Talk like believers who are persecuted or have less than us.

Well, they chose that life. But what we know they might have chosen that but we have the right to live on easy street. You know the relevant the relative excuse me comfort of the church in the Western world in my opinion has often made us spiritually weak especially when times of difficulty come.

And I think that as we see the example of Jesus We're going to have to rediscover not just a theology of suffering. But a theology of unjust suffering. Let me say that again We're gonna need to learn to develop a theology not just of suffering not just okay.

How do I do with the stresses and strains of life and the things I think are unders? Okay, not just those the things that we can't really control. What do we do when? Unjust suffering is being foisted on us.

I think as the days get darker and more difficult. We might want to think about that. But we're turning to our text how far was Jesus willing to go and enduring suffering that was unmerited. Well, can I draw your attention to first Peter 2 24 Great gospel text.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree so that having died to sins We might live for righteousness by his wounds. You have been healed. How far was Jesus willing to go? He was willing to take on the very curse of God by dying on the cross.

Think about this Jesus Who had never sinned who had in fact lived a life of perfect conformity to God's Word and will and thought word indeed Jesus carried our sins not his sins. But your sin and my sin.

What's the old hymn? It says that he took my sins and my sorrows and he made them his very own. Well, that's what Jesus did. He carried our sins literally the text here when it says bore our sins. This is the idea of he took up our sins that he picked them up and said I will go and deal with these Carried our sins onto the cross and as a result he received the righteous punishment of God that we should have received.

But here's a beautiful thing through that death. We received the gift of righteousness when we had earned the wages of our own sin that the righteousness of Christ is Credited to us and that our sin is credited to him and when we receive that righteousness, that's what the Bible calls Justification.

That's what the Bible calls being made right with God. The New Hampshire Confession of Faith describes justification like this cause it the great gospel blessing which Christ of his fullness bestows on such as believe in him that justification consists of the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life on Principles of righteousness that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness, which we have done but solely Through his own redemption and righteousness by virtue of which faith his perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God.

That's what happened because Jesus was willing to endure unjust suffering and it's a wonderful thing the same Christ who through his life and death grants us pardon Turns around and through the power of his Holy Spirit.

He gives us power to live in a way that pleases God. He's right here in the text verse 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree so that having died to sins we might live for righteousness. Jesus death is our death through our union with him and so he died to sin we died to sin.