Peter the Teacher — Willie Mullan

This is the first Peter, chapter 3 this evening. First Peter, chapter 3, and we're going through from verse 10 to the end of verse 17. I thought that we should just take in this small paragraph this evening, because commencing at verse 18 and going on to the end of the chapter, we have one of the most argumentative paragraphs of the entire Word of God.

This paragraph that talks about Christ going to preach to the spirits in prison. What does that mean now? The Roman Catholic Church makes a lot out of this for purgatory, and the Mormons and some others make a lot out of it for a second chance.

And there are so many arguments all around it. What does it mean about Christ going to preach to the spirits in prison? Well, I think my time, and I'll try to not for you next week, and you'll find it's not as difficult as it first looks.

But tonight we're from verse 10 right through to the verse 17. You will notice that Peter is talking about he that will love life and see good days. That's the whole theme that's in his heart tonight as he starts off in this great paragraph in his letter.

He's talking about those that will love life and see good days. You know, I think the most of folks in this world fear death. And yet there are a great many folks among the unsafe community who fear death, but they don't love life.

So I think the most miserable thing to them, they're in trouble, and they're worried, and at times, to be perfectly frank about it, they're terrified. And they don't love life, and they don't have many good days.

But you know it's different for the believer. Because if the believer is really dedicated to the Lord, then he's walking with the Lord day after day. What a wonderful thing it is to walk day after day with the Lord.

And he not only walks with the Lord, but he works for the Lord. Everything he touches, even if it's only just in the streets like our brother does with the barrel, then he can do that for Christ. And when a man walks with the Lord, and works for the Lord, and witnesses for the Lord, and worships the Lord, and waits on the Lord, and waits for the Lord, I can tell you he begins to love life.

And every day's a good day. Yes, this is what Peter's talking about tonight. For he that will love life and see good days. Now he gives a special prescription to the believers that this might be accomplished.

He says in verse 10, for he that will love life and see good days, let him. And you'll notice that in this verse and in the next verse, three times he uses this phrase, let him, let him, let him, let him refrain his tongue from evil.

And you'll notice that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensure it. You know, he's writing out the prescription for the believer that he may love life and see good days.

The Holy Spirit’s Power Over the Tongue

And this is the pathway. You know, these are great phrases, aren't they? This is a wonderful one. Let him refrain his tongue from evil. Now, let me point out again the difference between the teachings of the law, where we have the same commandments and many other commandments.

Let me point out the difference between the teachings of the law and the teachings of Christ. You know, if this were a way back in the Ten Commandments, let him refrain his tongue and his lips from evil.

You know, you could take that and apply it to your life, and you would never hear it. If the tongues are very armed, really nimble. In fact, the tongue can no man save. But when you read that phrase, this puts the emphasis where it should be.

The tongue can no man save. Ah, but the Holy Ghost can save us. You know, when a young man gives his life to the Lord and re-learns. And he has learned the great secret that he must be constantly being filled with the Holy Ghost.

Then he doesn't take this phrase to make it a law for his old man to keep. No, he's just relying on the power of the Holy Ghost. And I'll tell you what happens. There are times when the old man is going to open his mouth and the Holy Ghost makes him bite his lips.

That's the only way you'll ever refrain the tongue. You try it on your own and you'll find that no man can do it. But the Holy Ghost can make you bite your lips. And when something wants to be said, if it's even against somebody, then the Holy Ghost takes your lips and seals them.

You see, this makes you a sort of gentle person. You know, we've got a lady who comes to the meeting and she's here now. And I think she's one of the most gentle ladies I've ever met in my life. And sometimes I secretly admire her for her spirituality, of course.

Because I've never heard that lady speak one word in my 18 years here. I don't care about it. And I'm perfectly sure she doesn't know that I'm talking about her mouth. She has ideas about herself. But she's just a neat and gentle lady.

And let me tell you that real gentleness is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. You can't work it up or put it on. All the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-sufferings and the next one is gentleness.

And when we're being constantly controlled by the Spirit of God, then the Spirit of God makes us refrain our tongues. Did you ever be in the situation where you just felt you were about to say something and then you felt, no, I'll not say it?

Well, that's the Spirit working in your life. See, what this again? It says in verse 10, let him refrain his tongue from evil and he will only do it by the Spirit. On his lips, that they speak no guile and again it's by the Spirit.

Now let him eschew evil and do good. You see, not only is gentleness the fruit of the Spirit, but so is goodness. You see, as you think again, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness is the next one.

And you know, if we're going to go about following Christ, we must be going about doing good. This is the pathway, you see. It's this restraining your tongue and continuing in goods that may point to a vile.

You got that bit, because this is what he's talking about. You know, if you can keep your mouth shut when it should be shut, and you can do good when you should do good. I'll tell you when you come to the end of the day, it's really a good day.

And if you open your mouth and refuse to do good, it's not such a good day after all. But if you will have life and have good days, then you must be controlled and energised and filled continually by the Spirit of God.

See, watch it again. It says, let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips, that they speak no good. Let him eschew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and endure it. And the word endure is just pursue.

It's the old English word go on asterisks. But again, let him seek peace, you know, peace. Why, that's one of the fruits of the Spirit too, isn't it? Love thy peace, long-suffering gentleness, goodness.

I tell you continually, be filled by the Holy Ghost, that we break our lips, that we keep away from saying evil things, that we continually do good, and we seek peace, and we pursue on asterisks. Oh, that makes your love life.

I'll tell you, you see, the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering gentleness, goodness, peace, meekness, temperance, is just a picture of Christ. And the throat of the Holy Ghost gets our lives, and we're continually being filled.

Then the old tongue can be kept in place only by the Spirit. No man can do it, we know that. But the Spirit of God can console your tongue, and the Spirit of God can make you do good, and the Spirit of God can bring peace.

Ah yes, this is how life becomes lovely, and every day a good day. But he goes a little bit further than that with his prescription. He says, for he that will love life and speak good faith, let him refrain and stand from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile, let them eff pure evil, keep away from it, and do good, let them seek peace, and go on pursuing it.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers, but the face of the Lord, you see the the eyes of the Lord, the ears of the Lord, the face of the Lord. You know, he tells me that we must believe, because if we're going to enjoy life, and be pleased with it, and love it, then is every day going to be a good day?

You have to believe that the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. Oh, I think he keeps his eye on me, as his eye is on the sky, and I know he watches me. Oh, I believe that with all my heart, but I don't only believe that the eye of the Lord is upon the righteous, I believe that the ears of the Lord are open to our prayers.

I'm quite sure of that, that's what makes life lovely, you know, just to know that his eye is upon you, and that his ear is bent down towards you. But here's a phrase, you know, would need to be pictured up all over Ulster, but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, and make no mistakes about that, because that's what this book says, that the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

That's something, you know, that we would need to grasp tonight, and really believe. You know, there are evil men of blood. It is definitely evil, you know, to shed innocent blood on the fleet, and mind you, that blood speaks to God.

God said that he and I, brothers, blood speaks to me from the earth, and I'll tell you, friends, the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. You know, this book is even more precise than that. Let me go over to Romans, just for a moment, and I'm at Romans chapter 12.

Peace, Vengeance, and God’s Judgment

Romans 12. Now, the Lord is speaking to believers here in verse 17, and it's something that we need to grasp in these days. He says, recompense to no man evil for evil. We would almost be tempted to do that at times, but the Lord says, recompense to no man evil for evil.

He says, provide things honest in the sight of all men. I wish our politicians would take that text and bury it in their hearts, because half the time I don't believe they're honest at all, and that goes for the whole bunch of them.

They play a bluff game at times. But God's talking to us. He says, is it possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men? Then, you know, the Lord is very wise when he writes this book. He says, if it's possible, because even if you were the Lord himself who was the Prince of Peace, there would be always somebody offended with you.

You see, if you stand up to be absolutely honest, and you preach truth, and you never care for right or left or censor, then you're going to be in trouble. Some folks, of course, don't like the truth.

Here's what he says to them. If they're very beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place on the Lord. Now, that's hard to do, and again you need the Spirit of God. And only the Spirit of God controlling you can make you bow down and shut your eyes and your ears to all other things.

Give place on the Lord. He says, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay. Mind you, I can tell you, not only is the faith of the Lord against evildoers, but the word of the Lord is against evildoers.

God makes me a solemn promise, I will, and I can tell you, God will repay. You may shoot a man in the back in the dark, and do it whatever dastardly way you will, but you will have to have it in your heart.

I'll tell you that the faith of God is against evildoers, and I'll tell you that the word of God is against evildoers, and God will work it out for you. You can leave it to God to work it out. Have a look at this, through into the bargain.

This is the Acts of the Apostles, and it's chapter 12. The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 12, and it was here that Herod the king stretched forth his hands to that person of the church, and it was here that he killed James, the brother of John, with a sword, and it was here that he determined to take Peter also, and kill him.

Push God into thee. Then down at the end of the chapter it talks about this evil and wicked man, says in verse 20, and Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord to him, and having made blastous the king's chamber in their friend, desired peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country, and upon a step there Herod arrayed and royal apparel sat upon his throne, and made an ovation unto them, and the people gave a shout, saying, it is the voice of a god, and not of a man, and immediately, like a flash of lightning, the angels of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms, no dreadful Middle East disease took hold upon him.

You know, there's a disease in the Middle East today, where the whole body just goes into worms and maggots, just like a flash, because it was the angel of the Lord that smote him. A doctor would say he got a germ or something.

I can tell you that while evil men go about and do these dastardly acts, maybe you'll not see the hand of God, but I'll tell you it'll be there. I'm telling you that the face of God, and the word of God, and the angel of God is against them that do evil, and smile, and God will fix them, and not be so big when God has gone with them.

Christ’s Warning About Religious Violence

Faith unto God. And you know, there are so many folks so brainwashed that they even think this. Let me show you what Christ said. This is John's Gospel, chapter 16, and the Lord is just coming out of the upper room, and he's talking to his disciples about the things he said to them.

John's Gospel, chapter 16. These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. They, the time cometh. He's looking away towards their heads.

The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. Oh, Jesus said that, you know. And you can't get more what than that, you know. You know, way back in the law, death in the law, thou shalt not kill.

Well, you know, that is God's mind, and that is God's law, and that is brought over and over again in the teachings of grace. No murderer hath eternal life, and here are folks, you know, so what by brainwashing, that they think they're doing God's service, and they kill them.

Can you get more what? Can you break God's law? Can you smash God's commandments? Can you scream God? That's the day we're living in, when people are so whopping. Let me tell you, the whopping won't save them.

God will deal with that sort of thing. It comes from hell. That's diabolical. That's what that is. I'll tell you the faith of God. What a faith that is. Faith of God is against them that do evil. The word of God is against them.

I will repay, and the wrath of God is against them, and God will smite them. Assure you're on my feet. Don't you ever think that you can do evil, and escape the wrath of God from your heart. You know, this is how you go through life.

You believe that the eye of God is upon you. You believe that the ears of God are open unto your class. You believe that the faith of God is against them that do evil. And if you let the Holy Ghost take your life to shut your mouth against evil things, and if you let the Holy Ghost take your life to do good, if you let the Holy Ghost take your mind to bring peace, and if you believe that the eyes of God, the ears of God, the faith of God, if you believe that, then you'll love life, and you'll do good.

My dear friend, every day will be a good day. This is a prescription that Peter is giving. Now, that's not the depth of that. Let's go back to Peter now. I want you to get the depth of this. You see, he's saying in verse 10, for he that will love life and peace good days, let him refrain to stand from evil in his lips that they speak no guile.

Let them that's true evil and so on. Mind you, I want to tell you that he's just quoting the Old Testament. You know, he was a master after all. You know, it really thrills me when I remember that he was a fisherman, that he didn't go to any kind of school, and yet, you know, he's quoting from Psalm 34, and I don't believe there is one of us here tonight could quote it just the way he quoted it.

It's written right in this book, you know, The Tall Fisherman, and this is a prescription so that you can love life and every day will be a good one. Ah, well, he says there's a wee portion in Psalm 34.

Peter the Teacher: Quotation from Scripture

You go back to Psalm 34, see. Psalm 34, I want you to watch the verse that comes before the quotation he gave. It's verse 11. It says, come ye children, fasten on to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Now, I want you to get the phrase, I will teach you, because I think in the paragraph we have that he's been, we have Peter the teacher, and I think this is teaching at its best, and I'm sure it will be good for us.

You see, he teaches, first of all, by quotation. And here's the quotation. What man, verse 12, what man is he that desires life and loveth many days that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursuance. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and the ears are open unto their cry. The faith of the Lord is against them that do evil, so cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

It was a great quotation. You know, while Peter was a simple, gullible fisherman, you'll find out if you study all the messages of Peter, that he was really steeped in Bible truth. I think this man knew the scriptures from end to end.

And I can tell any of you young fellows, or young girls, that the best education you can get is to be steeped with a word of truth. You will not get anything better than that, you know. And if you can bring it to mind, and put it correctly, and apply it justly, then you'll be a man that the devil will have to reckon with.

Because the devil can't get a word of God. Wasn't it a great quotation? He's writing a letter. Oh, he hasn't got a concordance or the Bible or anything, you know. Oh, not at all. He's just coaching from something he'd learned properly.

You see, I believe that Peter had learned these great things after his fall, and now he's standing on the word of God. You know, it's a wonderful thing to watch Peter coaching the word of God. The one can we take a moment that we're doing that.

Let's go to the Acts of the Apostles, and we're at Acts chapter 1. The Lord Jesus has just ascended from the Mount of Olives. He's gone up into the glory, and the rest of them came back into the upper rooms.

It says in verse 13,. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Notive, and Judas the brother of James.

That is not Judas Iscariot, of course. There were two with the name of Judas. These all continued with one accord in prayer, in supplication, was the woman, and Mary the mother of Jesus. Very wonderful that this is the last mention of her as Mary the mother of Jesus.

She was at the prayer meeting, mind you. But they were not praying to her. They were praying with her. These all continued with his brethren in prayer. And in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, there's a little parenthetical bit there, just giving you the number of them, but said, men and brethren, this scripture must need to be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of David, spake before concerning Judas.

You see, Peter was persuaded, even men, about the inspiration of the word of God. He believed that the Holy Ghost took the mouth of David. And he believed that the Holy Ghost took the mouth of David to speak about Judas Iscariot all 600 years before Judas was born.

And he says, for he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased the field with a reward of iniquity, and falling headlong, he bursts of thunder in the midst, and all his bowels burst out.

Some people think there's a contradiction there, because another place says he went out and hanged himself. Well, there is no contradiction. I went down to the place where Judas fell, and his bowels burst to thunder, and it seems that there was a little thing overhanging the cliff.

And he put the rope around his neck, and jumped, and hanged himself. But the rope broke, and he went down and burst to thunder. And both bits were right. And that child went to hell, and he's in hell tonight.

But that's not what we're after. We don't need to ponder that too much. Jesus says in verse 20, for it is written in the book of Psalms, how did he know that now so quickly? Let his habitation be defiled, and let no man's wealth, and his bishopric, or his office that he has, let another take.

Do you know this is Peter quoting from the 69th Psalm? How did he quote two Psalms together here? Because there's only a part of that quotation in Psalm 69, and the other is in Psalm 109. And he quickly takes the bit out of there, and the bit out of here, and puts them together, and he's quoting.

Peter was somebody who could really quote. He's up to prove the act of the apostles. He's preaching on the day of Pentecost, and this is a part of his sermon, verse 25. For different specious concerning thing, concerning Christ.

In the 60th Psalm, it says, I put Solomon always before my face, for he is on my right hand, and I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

You know, he's quoting from the 60th Psalm. You know, you're bound to come to the conclusion that this man was steeped in the Psalms. He knows Psalm 34. He knows Psalm 69. He knows Psalm 109, and there were not numbers on them then.

He just knew the portion in the Psalm where the thing was said. And here he's quoting from the 16th Psalm. Look at Acts chapter 3 for a moment, and he's preaching again. And he says in verse 22, For Moses truly said unto the fathers, Our prophets found the Lord your God raised up unto you of your brethren like unto me.

And do you know what he's quoting that from? He's quoting that from Deuteronomy chapter 18. I can teach you through ever so many books, you know. You can go to chapter 4, and I think we shouldn't leave without doing that one.

He's standing before the Sanhedrin, and he's being examined for the miracle done to the impotent man. They examined him. He says in verse 9, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you can provide, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you all.

Then he quickly goes to the 118th Psalm. This is the stone which will set at naught of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other. You know, he's quoting right through.

And I can tell you tonight, I don't know if we can take the time to do it, that in every chapter in this first letter, he quotes, he's always quoting scripture, you know. Look at chapter 1. See what he said there in verse 16?

Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. Supposing I stopped and asked the clock, point blank, where is it written? I'll share it with you. You don't know, that's the fact. When it's written in Leviticus chapter 11, that's what it is.

I'll tell you all people knew, you know. Knew the family, knew Deuteronomy, knew Leviticus. It's just another one to see what it was. See chapter 2 here in 1 Peter. Wherefore also, verse 6, wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone in that precious quick, where is it?

It's in Isaiah 28. And when we come to chapter 3, he's quoting from Psalm 34. When you come to chapter 4, this is the most interesting one that I found. Where in verse 18 he says, on is the righteousness to be saved.

Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? And he's quoting from the book of Proverbs chapter 11. Look, go down into chapter 5 and we'll do all the chapters when we're there. See verse 5, likewise ye younger submit yourselves unto the elder, yea all of you be subject one to another, be clothed with humility.

Now here's the phrase, for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. He's quoting scripture, you know. And he's quoting from Proverbs chapter 3. I can tell you this, that Peter was steeped in the word of God.

Learning Scripture in Solitude

No wonder he was such a mighty man of God. He didn't go to school, it's quite true. But he must have taken time in the evenings of the early morning, or when the boat was rocking, fishing, to get the word of God into his heart.

You know not long after I got saved, a very famous surgeon, one that was decorated twice by our queen, came round and said, do you like to come and work with me? I said, I have to ask the Lord first. Oh well, he said, I know about that too, you know.

You ask the Lord, the job's all right then, if the Lord says it. So I asked the Lord for a day or two, and then I went up and knocked his door one night. I said, I'm coming to work for you. He gave me the keys, and he said, I've got a big yacht down at Strangford, and I'm going to teach you to drive it, and we'll go out from the days I'm off, and you look after the yacht, and look after me, and I'll do the fishing.

And I can tell you, we had some wonderful days, you know. He was a former surgeon, and I used to make his dinner for him. God help him. He usually got stews, I knew how to make stews. But he was a humble character, and I can see him sipping with his plate of stew between his legs, and me sitting opposite, talking away.

Then he would get up to go and fish from the front of the boat for hours, and I would lie on the deck reading my Bible. You know, this is the school the Lord sends me to. Many times he'd get tired, you know, and he'd come back by me and say, well hey, are you still at the book yet?

I said, I can tell you this, I'm getting more out of the book than you're getting out of the thing, that's for sure. But I think that people, most of the times like me, and I think that every young man that's going to be of any use to God, needs to get alone.

It's scarce for me. I ain't meant sure alone. I think you need to give the Lord hours until this word was in you, and you can cope from the victory of the Deuteronomy, or Proverbs, or the Psalms, and every word goes home like a nail in a shoe place, and teachers that's going to be teachers, need to know the word of God.

They call them Bible students now, and they have no Bible in them. God helps them. He'll do a lot for you, I can tell you. You learn the Bible, that's what you need to do, and this is what this class has been fed on for years, and bless you for coming.

Teaching Through Questions and Supposition

Let's get back to this. Let it take Peter chapter three in, and you can see that Peter's teaching by quotation, and then you can see that he teaches like a good teacher would, by interrogation. He says in verse 13, who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good?

You know, he's asking them a question, and one of the great ways, you know, to teach at any time is to put questions in. You'll notice that sometimes I ask you questions. You know, when the teacher has a young class, and he turns to the map of Europe and said, where's France?

It isn't that he doesn't know where France is. Oh, she knows where France is, but she's wanting to see if the kids know. So sometimes in the sermon, the teacher asks questions. This is one of the ways of teaching.

You Sunday school teachers, get it into your mind, you teach by quotation. You teach by interrogation. Oh, you'll have no bother filling out the message if you get the points from that, I assure you. It's one of the ways of doing it.

In fact, it's the masterly way of doing it. Now, this is the question, what success means. Who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good? Now, not many will harm a good man. Not many.

But that doesn't say that not any. Oh, the Lord Jesus was good, and of course they splashed him to the cross. But you see, he's only making them teach, and he turns quickly from interrogation to supposition.

What's he supposing now? But and if? That's supposition. But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake. Because you may have to suffer for righteousness' sake. In fact, I'm sure that if you live straight up and down and out and out, all that live godly will suffer some sort of persecution.

It will come. And so you see, he's teaching by persuasion, he's teaching by interrogation, he's teaching by supposition. But he puts a great bit in here. He says, but and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye.

Now, how did he make that out now, indeed? Well, you know, the Lord Jesus said that you to love them which despitefully you shall. For great is your reward in heaven. You know, if you have to suffer, you know, I used to go between with Joshua, for his blessed and hallowed memories.

He was one of the greatest characters God ever had on this earth. And Jock Crook, you know, told revivals. The way up the east coast of Scotland, there were times when the whole little villages of fishermen were out all night listening to this big man of God.

For he was dead, he was the heavyweight champion of the British Navy, and he was just afraid of nothing. A raw customer, you would say. And I can remember, lying up in a little flop in Scotland, I was having meetings in the tent hall, and Jock Crook, who I only knew by name, was having meetings in Finlay's Tabernacle, which was the famous place.

Now, on this occasion, I was getting about 1200 people every night. The great and famous Jock was only getting about to die. And one day my bedroom door burst open, and there's a big man there, you should see the beds from.

My bedroom door burst open, and there's a big man there, you should see the beds from. He says, are you Willie Maugham? I said, I am, who are you? Jock Crook. What's the matter with you, sir? Next question, what's the matter?

I couldn't get this, and I thought this fellow was here to borrow from me, but he had come to the wrong place. I said, but all the money I have is on the bed table there, it was about two pounds something.

He says, well that's ten quid. I said, you know, I don't need your money, Jock. He says, the Lord sent me round to give you the ten quid. You could see this character in a different light from anybody else had ever seen him.