1 Peter: How to Love Life (1 Peter 3:1-17, Jeff Kliewer)

Heavenly Father, it is our desire to love life and see good days. Teach us that you are life, and you are good.

God, we pray that you would be with us today through the preaching of your word, through the hearing of your word.

I pray that each one of us today would have open hearts to receive from you. And so now,

Lord, we pray that you would just empty us of all of our distractions and all of our preoccupations,

Lord. Let us set our attention completely upon the word of God.

Let us hear from you and receive from you, in Jesus' name, amen, amen.

American culture tells us how to love life and see good days.

You guys know the story, right? You work hard, you have a good job, you get married, you have kids, you buy a house, you get a picket fence, you get a dog, and then you cook out.

Well, you don't cook the dog, but you cook out hot dogs and you just enjoy life in your backyard. That's how you love life and see good days.

And then in American culture, we also have, I think, what's kind of considered like the religious wingnut of our family, of American culture, which is the prosperity teachers.

You turn on the TV to listen to what Christians have to say, and Christians are on TV, on TBN and other channels.

And they're teaching that God wants you to have your best life now.

All sunshine and roses. In fact, you can be wealthy, and here's how you do it. You send some money, like a seed, to that preacher, and you will be so blessed by having given that you will become rich.

You will receive ten times what you gave to that preacher. That's how you love life.

That's how you see good days. This is American culture, and this is the prosperity gospel that's taught on TV.

In the pursuit of your best life now, there are instructions for men and women. So women, here's what you are told to do.

Be aggressive. Recognize that you can do anything and everything that a man can do.

And if there's a glass ceiling, you smash through it. Women, you are told to be aggressive, but not only that, you're told to be beautiful.

Be beautiful on the outside. And here are $55 billion worth of cosmetics for you to use annually.

$55 billion of cosmetics sold annually in the United States of America. And if that's not working, there are 15 million procedures to be done cosmetically, surgeries in America, to be beautiful.

That's the message that American culture has for women. And men, you have a message too.

Work hard and play hard. Go to work and make a lot of money. And then come back home and have a lot of fun.

Live life to the fullest. And if you're not experiencing joy, you're not experiencing happiness, you can retreat into a world of fantasy.

It may be football, where you can play fantasy football and live vicariously through the athletes and the coaches.

Sports can become a vicarious way to pretend and to fantasize about being in a world that's not your own.

And so men, falling into the world of sports, find their fulfillment almost entirely in sports.

And if not, there's always the fantasy land of video games. You can play a lot of video games and you can be a tank operator in World War II.

And you can save the land. Or you could be fighting some weird magician, where the only way to beat him is if you beat this next level, you'll get some kind of like super power pack force that can destroy the magician.

The world of video games becomes a fantasy land into which you can escape and find life and find joy and find meaning.

And if not there, there's always the world of pornography. Where 25 % of all search engine inquiries in America have something to do with pornography.

That's the culture in which we live. A message for men, a message for women.

Don't you wish the Bible had something to say about how to love life and to see good days?

Let's turn to 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 10. We'll be studying chapter 3 verses 1 to 17 today.

But I wanna begin here in verse 10. Begins this way, for whoever desires to love life and see good days.

And from that point, we'll be given some instructions. We'll back up to that though. This is the end result of the kind of life that God offers.

And guess what guys? It looks a lot different than what the culture says to do. It also has instructions for men and instructions for women.

But they don't sound a lot like what America is preaching to us. So we'll discover that in 1

Peter 3. And we'll begin, well, with the main idea today. What is the answer?

If you desire to love life and see good days, live according to God's design.

That's the secret. God has designed complementary roles for men and women, complementary.

So obey his will in your masculinity or in your femininity. If you do that and obey his revealed will for all of your relationships, then even if you have to endure suffering, contrary to what the prosperity gospel would teach you, where suffering is only because of sin or never

God's will. Even if you have to endure suffering, you will love life and see good days.

If I asked you all to raise your hands, who here wants to love life and see good days? Every hand would go up, right?

That's a universal desire. We all want to love life and see good days. But the key to enjoying that and to experiencing that is to live according to God's design.

Let's discover it in 1 Peter 3. We'll read the first six verses to get a grand view of this, where wives are instructed.

The big idea here, contra -American culture, is submission to a husband.

So speaking specifically to wives, in the larger context, we're talking about exile life.

The life of the Christian in a world to which we do not belong. But now we're getting specific in the instruction.

And the instruction is going to deal with wives and with husbands and with our personal relationships.

So chapter three, verse one through six. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.

When they see your respectful and pure conduct, do not let your adorning be external.

The braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear. But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands.

As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children if you do good.

And do not fear anything that is frightening. Notice in the main idea of what we're talking about,

I use the word complimentary. That's with an E, not with an I. A compliment that you give to someone is commenting on something good about them.

You're encouraging them with a word. But complimentary means that there's two roles, a male and a female role, that work together to result in something better than individual.

There's two roles coming together to produce something that's better. So combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other.

Complimentary, in this sense, is enhancing or emphasizing the qualities of two persons.

That is how the Bible pictures maleness and femaleness. In our culture, it's becoming more and more androgynous, isn't it?

The distinction between maleness and femaleness is being erased. But the scriptures, in contrast to the culture, presents complimentary roles.

The first word in Hebrews 3 verse 1 is instructive. Notice that word, what is it?

Likewise. The word likewise here points us back to what we've already been talking about.

So try to follow the flow of the text when studying through the scriptures. And before we get into wives, notice there's a likewise.

We've already been talking about submission. Citizens are to submit to government and honor the emperor, even if it doesn't appear that the emperor is praiseworthy or worthy of honor.

And slaves are even to submit to their masters. We saw this is chapter two, verse 18.

Servants, which speaks to us in employment relationships and obeying our bosses, submitting to our bosses, even when things are not just.

But notice the rationale for it. Chapter two, verse 21, for to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you.

Leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. So like Christ, we are to follow the example of being willing to submit, even if it means suffering.

And Peter is following Christ's example. Think of Peter early on in his days.

He was a fireball, wasn't he? He was very impetuous, and he would react in the flesh, right?

When they came to arrest Jesus, what did he do? He drew a sword and he chopped off Maltus' ear.

And yet here near the end of his life, he's writing these words in 63 AD. The very next year, they're gonna take him.

Like Jesus said in John 21, you'd be led where you don't wanna go. And he goes silently like a lamb.

And when they say, we're gonna crucify you for preaching Christ in the city of Rome, he says, crucify me, but just don't do it the right side up.

Turn me upside down, cuz I'm not even worthy to die like my Lord. Willing to die, willing to suffer, what's changed in Peter?

Why is the Peter of 30 years earlier so different from this

Peter who's writing these words? The answer, I think, there's a clue at the end of chapter 2, verses 24 and 25.

He's following the example of Christ, but he's learned this, and he's learned maturity through the years, through suffering, but especially through the word.

Don't miss this, Peter was a fisherman, not well educated.

But notice what he's doing in this letter. This letter is rich with knowledge of the

Old Testament, verse 24. Chapter 2, verse 24, speaking of Jesus, he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.

Speaking poetically of Jesus on the cross, that we might die to sin and live in righteousness, by his wounds you have been healed.

That is a direct quote from Isaiah 53. He's thinking of Jesus, who's willing to submit and be led like a lamb to the slaughter and not open his mouth.

And now Peter is quoting the 53rd Psalm, where it says that we all like sheep have gone astray.

We've been led by in our own iniquity, but the Lord has laid our punishment on him.

And like a lamb that goes before the shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Look at verse 25, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseers of your souls.

Before we go any farther, I just wanna highlight this, because this is what first Peter is able to teach us.

Remember chapter 1, verses 10 to 12, how prophets of old prophesied about the grace that would be ours.

When they spoke about Jesus, even though he hadn't come yet, Peter says that there were prophets who spoke long ago about the coming

Christ. Peter then has been studying the prophets, he's been reading them.

Look at chapter 2, verse 6, he's quoting from Isaiah 28.

Look at chapter 2, verse 7, he's quoting from Psalm 118. Look at chapter 2, verse 8, he's quoting from Isaiah chapter 8.

Look at that verse in chapter 2, verse 9, he's quoting and referencing seven or eight different Old Testament passages and stringing them together.

Are you getting what I'm saying? Peter has become acquainted with the teachings, and he integrates the word into his teaching.

Look at that, the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people for his own possession, that's all

Old Testament language. Look at verse 10, once you were not a people, but now you are

God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. What's in Peter's mind when he writes that?

Answer, Hosea chapter 1. When Hosea is told to name his kids

Jezreel and Loahmi and Loaruhama. Loahmi and Loaruhama, not my people, no mercy.

Because there's coming a day when he would make a people for himself, upon whom he would have mercy.

Hosea chapter 1 refers to these names of the prophet's children, but it points to us as a people.

So when Peter writes this, look at that verse, this is chapter 2 verse 10. Once you were not a people, but now you are

God's people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Peter is not just writing things out of thin air, he's speaking biblical language.

It's become a part of him. This fisherman has now become a scholar.

This ordinary man is now quoting scriptures and tying them together and seeing how they all correlate.

He's coming to theology, systematic theology, by being sharpened in the word of God.

You know, we went to a basketball game on Friday night. And we were watching the Sixers play the

Pacers. And the guy right in front of us, if there was a time out or even a whistle, he would pull out his

Bible and just start reading. And then the game comes back on and he's watching the game.

We're like, wow, this guy's awesome. We really like this guy. So we're sitting in the row behind him and we end up striking up a conversation with him.

And I see that he keeps reading Hosea and I'm thinking, well, I'm gonna show him something neat about Hosea. Look how 1

Peter correlates with Hosea chapter 1, lo ruhim, lo ami.

And so he looks at that and he's like, yeah, thank you for that. And then he quotes 1 Peter chapter 2 to me.

I'm sitting here thinking, I know something. I only know that because I've been studying it to preach this sermon. This guy quotes the chapter and verse.

He knows what it's saying because he's been sharpened in the word. That's a picture of a mature man.

That was encouraging to see. African American gentleman, about 70 years old, just sitting there enjoying the game, reading the word.

I love it, I love it. It was an encouragement to me and it sharpened me, it challenged me.

I thought I knew something, I don't know anything compared to that guy. That's Peter.

30 years later, that's the difference between impetuous Peter with a sword and the mature

Peter, solid as a rock. That's what this book brings us to, and that's why he can endure suffering.

He doesn't fall apart. That's the big idea of the book of 1 Peter. It's how we come to maturity, and again and again, it's the pure milk of the word.

You gotta get in the word, grow up in the word. It's all about growing and becoming mature.

So now it's time, women, brace yourselves. Men, you can take a little nap. I know some of you are already doing that. Women, this part is directed towards you.

And you know, the guys like to listen in to this part, let's be honest. And then the women like the other way around when

I'm preaching to the men. But 1 Peter chapter 3, it says, wives, be subject to your own husbands.

So that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.

When they see your respectful and pure conduct, do not let your, well, let's stop there at verse two. I'll tell you what.

This elevates responsiveness to a husband above aggressiveness.

What does the world tell you, women? Be aggressive. Now, it's not bad to be aggressive in and of itself, but there's a higher value here.

It's responsiveness and submitting to your husband. Sounds like a hard teaching, doesn't it?

And it is. I don't know how my wife responded to me.

On our first date, here comes this guy with long arms, dangly, skinny arms, overly tall, coming into this house where her two roommates, or two roommates that she was friends with, had invited us over.

And before going to this triple date, I had two friends who were trying to date these other two girls.

And so I thought we were going to hang out and just have just a regular party.

I didn't know there was a dating thing going on, but I heard that Jen was gonna be there. Now, these guys saw it differently.

They thought it was a triple date. So they had flowers and candy on the way out the door. And I said, what are you guys doing?

And they said, well, what did you get her? And I said, what do you mean? They said, well, it's a date, what are you bringing?

And I said, no, come on. And so I was just laughing a little with them, and I said, I'll give her this.

And I grabbed the lamp that was in my bedroom, a little green lamp that was like this big.

And I was like, I'll give her this, it's a good gift. I was just totally messing around, they're like, you wouldn't do it, you're not brave enough.

I was like, yeah, I am, don't challenge a man to do something. So I did it. The first date, that was my gift.

And so I have a question, how on earth did you respond to me? I'll tell you, we went to a fair, walked around Dallas County Fair.

And my wingman there on the date, my buddy, made a comment that really helped me out.

There was an evangelism booth where some guys were preaching the gospel. And my friend was like, don't let

Jeff see that, he'll spend the rest of the night over there evangelizing. And my now wife heard that and said, you know what, that's what

I want. A man who wants to talk about Jesus, someone who loves the Lord and would be excited to go evangelize at a fair.

So my friend, who began by messing me up and selling me out, with this whole not telling me it was a date thing, actually came through for me with a simple comment.

And here's the point. Women, respond to men, especially in spiritual things.

If they want to lead spiritually, if they want to pray with you, if they want to read the Bible, respond to that.

That's in them to do. And young ladies who aren't married, here's a point for you.

You will win the kind of man with what you win them with. Meaning, if you want to win a man with your body and how you dress, that's the kind of man that you're gonna win, but he won't be a godly man.

He won't be faithful to you. If you want a godly man, win a godly man by being godly.

That's what I saw in my wife. The first time I saw her was at chapel at Dallas Seminary. She was a couple rows up from me and she was lifting her hand.

She didn't know I was looking at her like some guy behind her. But I saw her and her hands were raised in worship, and I said to myself,

I wanna meet her. My friend had already said, you should meet her, and I did.

I saw the spiritual side of her before I ever saw her face. I saw her hands raised in worship.

Women, adorn yourself with the beauty of walking with Christ.

Let's read this, verses three and following. Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear.

But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

Let your adorning be the gentle and quiet spirit, the person of the heart. You know, there are some women who are beautiful on the outside and beautiful on the inside.

And some of you women might be thinking, yeah, I hate them. And if that's you, you need to work on the hidden person of the heart.

You need to recognize that the inner beauty is what pleases

God. And I know the culture screams the opposite message day in and day out, doesn't it?

Every television commercial you see, our culture objectifies women and encourages women to objectify themselves.

The Bible doesn't. The Bible commends a gentle and quiet spirit. And in the context here, speaking of submission to husbands.

Verses six, five and six. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands.

As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, and you are her children if you do good, and do not fear what is frightening.

Those are some very countercultural words, aren't they? I almost feel the need to apologize for them or explain them away.

But they're inspired. They're to drive home a point. About complimentary relationships, the woman is to be submitting to her husband.

Notice this comment at the end of verse six about fear. Very often, the reason that women cannot submit to their husbands is because of fear.

And I think it's true that in the difference between maleness and femaleness, women often are more prone to fear.

Women are in general more emotional than men. And fear in a particular way leads to the sense that you need to control something.

If you're afraid of an outcome or you're afraid of a situation, you need to control that thing. Fear motivates a controlling spirit.

But we're told, women are told, do not fear anything that is frightening. Notice that Sarah is commended, not because she has fear, but because she overcomes it.

Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, and you are her children if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

Recognize that you will have that emotion called fear. You must master that rather than letting it master you.

Your need for control, your desire to control a situation, makes it hard to submit to your husband.

But you are Abraham's, you are Sarah's children if you do not fear. The opposite of fear is what?

Faith. It's trusting God, recognizing that you have a good and loving father who has you.

As you trust him, you overcome your fear. This is the message that the text gives us for women.

Now, men, your turn. Women, you can take a snooze now, although I know you're gonna perk up.

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Behind every Peter, or every Hudson Taylor, or Charles Spurgeon, is a good and godly wife.

Now, Paul was different. Paul never married. But Paul, in talking about his rights as an apostle, said, don't we also have the right to take a believing spouse with us?

As do Peter and the rest of the apostles. We're reading the book of Peter. Did you ever think his wife was there with him?

He was a married man. Isn't that interesting? Behind Peter was a good and godly wife that was propelling him forward.

And he honors her, and look what he tells us men. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.

There's a professor from Moody Bible Institute, who I think honors his wife in what he writes.

Now, recognize, he's writing a commentary on 1 Peter, and he's faithfully exegeting this text.

So he understands the roles, the complementary roles between men and women. But listen to how he speaks of his wife.

He says, to my beloved wife, Jeanette Irene Wiest. He wrote this commentary, so his name is

Kenneth Wiest. He says of his wife, brave soldier of the cross, full of faith and good works, my companion in life, my diligent and self -sacrificing co -worker in the ministry of the word, the one who spurs me on to the highest endeavors, my wise counselor, my comforter in hours of stress and strain, my

God -given help me, whose consistent and sweet Christian life is ever a blessing and help to me.

I really like that he dedicated his commentary to his wife. I really like the way he starts that, because he begins by calling her a brave soldier.

Not language that we think of when we hear weaker vessel, but notice.

Chapter 3, verse 7, honor to the woman as the weaker vessel.

I'll tell you, there is a physical difference between men and women. Here's how you can know it. The most elite athletes in the world would run the

New York City Marathon, right? And about a week ago, they ran the New York City Marathon, and the fastest man ran it in two hours and four minutes.

The fastest woman ran it in two hours and 24 minutes. What was the difference?

There's something about testosterone versus estrogen, something about maleness and femaleness that the fastest men can outrun the fastest women.

We know that to be true, don't we? But here's what I need to admit. I ran a marathon about 12 years ago.

She beat me by two hours. I was about four hours and 24 minutes.

So weaker vessel here, it could refer to the physical difference between maleness and femaleness.

It could refer to the different emotional makeup. But women are capable of being strong, and oftentimes stronger than men.

I don't wanna go to childbirth. So here, what are we being instructed, men?

Not to look down on our wives as a weaker vessel, but to honor our wives as a weaker vessel.

What does that look like? What does that mean? It means that when the going gets tough and you're enduring suffering, you're the first sacrificer.

When you've had an argument, men, here's how you lead and how you honor. You be the first to forgive, and you be the first to speak, and to reconcile.

Honor means stepping up. Honor means being strong. According to God's design, humility is better than pride.

Yes, there's a difference between maleness and femaleness. But notice that next phrase, co -heirs of life.

There is no difference between male and female in the Lord in terms of value. See this?

It says, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life. When Jesus died on that cross, he didn't think, hey, this is for the men.

This is for my boys. He thought, this is for my children, male and female alike.

The value of men and women is entirely equal. I liken it to the Trinity. I like to think of, you have

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And clearly, in the economy of the Trinity, the son submits to the will of his father.

So you see a hierarchy in terms of the roles of father and son. And yet, each are

God. So ontologically speaking, in terms of the essence of who they are, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally

God. In the same way, in marriage, husbands have a leadership role.

In the economy of marriage, the man is to step up and have that role in the forefront.

And the woman is to support him in that. But recognize that we are co -heirs of life.

Men and women are equal before God. That's what the text teaches. This is not subjugating women, that men should lord over their wives.

This is elevating women in a culture that didn't see women that way. In first century

Roman culture, women were of less value than men. Testimony of having less value in a court of law.

But now, in the scriptural world, according to the scriptures, we are equal.

So notice that it says, showing honor to the woman as a weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life.

And finally, to men, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Make a note of Psalm 66, verse 18.

If I had cherished sin in my heart, he would not have listened to me, says David. There are things that hinder our prayer life.

And I think often, men, often the manifestation of this is that your prayer life is drying up.

You just don't pray. Why? You're not honoring your wife.

You're not being strong for your wife. You're not leading your wife. It says here, honor her that your prayers may not be hindered.

When the father, who is the father of your wife, spiritually speaking, sees that son -in -law mistreating her, there's a wall between you and God.

Husbands, if you want your prayer life to be vibrant, be a vibrant husband.

Be strong. Women are looking for us to lead and to be strong. That means when the going gets tough, the finances are struggling, the bills are piling up, are you gonna mope around the house and have a bad attitude, or are you gonna be strong enough to smile and laugh and still have your sense of humor in that hard time?

When your kid gets diagnosed with leukemia, will you be strong enough to sit there day after day in the hospital and not run away and not run out of the room?

I've seen men who just can't deal with, my kid is sick, I can't deal with that, will you be strong enough to stay in there and be strong?

Even if it's weeks and months, even if it's death. Men, are you willing to be the strength of your family?

Are you willing to open up the scriptures as a family and teach the kids and pray together? Are you willing to take up that mantle?

In a culture like ours where good is called evil and evil is called good. And constantly the world is saying bow down at these idols of pornography and sports and video games.

Are you willing to be strong enough to say, no, I don't bow to the same idols as everyone else,

I'm a man of God. Are you willing to say, as for me and my house, we will serve the

Lord. That's what this verse calls us to do, to step up as men and be strong and lead.

It's not about subjugating women, it's about honoring women. This is how you will love life and see good days.

The whole expression, happy wife, happy life, right? There's some truth to that. When things are good in the home, life is good, isn't it?

And life is good, life is good. I know what it's like to see good days and to love life.

Look at this, we're gonna read it now. Eight and following, final section here. It's not only for marriage, this is for all of our relationships.

The same kind of spirit of submissiveness and love. Verse eight, finally all of you have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

This is how we relate to one another. Guys, if you wanna love life, have great relationships.

You wanna have great relationships? Be a humble person that's quick to forgive. We're all gonna rub each other the wrong way sometimes.

The question is, if we rub edges and we hurt each other, are you gonna be the kind of person that just forgives?

Love covers a multitude of sins. It says, have unity of mind, sympathy, means you care, brotherly love.

That's what this conference was about this weekend. A tender heart and a humble mind.

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing.

So prosperity theology airs because it makes it all about money and you're giving to get.

And it even makes the gospel about how much you get in this life versus the inheritance we have in heaven.

Yes, but there's some truth in what the prosperity teachers have picked up on. When you do things according to God's design, blessing comes into your life.

Sometimes it's financial. I've seen many people that God has seen that they tied faithfully to their church, my parents, and God blesses them financially on account of their being faithful to that call.

Because God knows that they're gonna take that and use that for missions. They're gonna give, when they receive, it's for the kingdom.

It's not so that they can spend it all on themselves. You guys have known people like that.

It's not always financial, but here's the point. When you do things God's way, according to his design, it says here that there's a blessing.

You obtain a blessing, and here's the whole point of the sermon, verse 10. For whoever desires to love life and see good days, you do it

God's way. You live under the lordship of Jesus Christ, husband fulfilling the husband's role, wife the wife, wife's role, believers loving each other and that kind of relationship, you're gonna love life.

You're gonna see good days. Now we're gonna get to this last section here, let's finish.

Keep your tongue from evil, your lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the

Lord is against those who do evil. Now here's a corrective that we gotta be careful with. Verses 13 to 17, this doesn't mean that it's always gonna be smooth sailing.

Picture these believers that are scattered. Remember, they're in exile in Asia. They're scattered.

A lot of them are suffering difficulty. And in the coming years, many of them will die. It doesn't mean everything will be sunshine and roses.

You will have trials in this life, but you can take heart in those trials. You can laugh in the middle of adversity.

You can have joy, that's the sixth verse of this book, where it kicks off. In various trials, in this you rejoice, though now for a little while.

If necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

The joy of the Lord can sustain us through the trial. So verses 13 to 17, now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?

You're doing this God's way according to his design. Things are gonna work out, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, sometimes you will.

You will be blessed. This is blessing in the midst of trial. Not blessing by the absence of any trials, but in the midst of it.

Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy.

Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Yet do it with gentleness and respect. Now, time out. I'm gonna preach sermons on this in the future, because this word, give a defense, that word is apologia, apologetics.

It's being ready to answer when people, see, when we're Christians in this world, we live differently. They notice, and there's a divide in the world between sheep and goats.

And the goats are often angry at the sheep for being sheep. And we are instructed here that we need to be ready to answer, gently and respectfully, but knowledgeably.

And aware of what they're saying, understanding what they're saying. And with an answer that comes from God.

So there's a sermon to be preached on verse 15, we're not gonna do it now. Right now, we're seeing the larger context, because it's part of this sermon.

How do you wanna love life and see good days? You do things according to God's design, and it will include suffering.

So you see that? There's gonna be people who are against you for righteousness' sake.

Verse 16, having a good conscience so that when you are slandered, you will be slandered in this life.

People will speak evil against you that you don't deserve. Those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil, amen.

And so in conclusion, how do you love life and see good days? You live according to God's design.

Men, you be men, God's way. Women, be women, God's way.

Don't listen to the messages of the culture. Reject those, come out from among them and be separate. Live according to God's design.

You will love life. You will see good days. And yes, you will be slandered at times. And you will be attacked at times.

But knowing who you are in Christ, you can have joy even in the midst of those trials. So let's be like Peter, let's be maturing in the word.

Go back to these texts again. Women, you might have to read this day after day until you say, yeah, I see that happening in my life.

Men, I know I need to keep reading this day in and day out. To be strengthened and sharpened by the word.

So let's call the worship team on up. I'm gonna say a prayer and just ask this blessing upon us, that each one of us would love life and see good days.

And as I pray, I just want you to just think about the message today. And men, if there's an area where you don't think you've been fulfilling your role as spiritual leader, in the home, in leading prayer, in leading

Bible study, in shunning the things of the world that are a distraction to you, talk to God about that right now.

Just start praying in your heart. And women, same thing, what the text says to you, if you've been struggling and fighting against that, submit that to the

Lord in prayer. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word.

We're living this exile life, God. We are not of this world. And yet, this is such a good message to us today because we can have joy here.

And it is a good life here. It's a blessed life here as we live according to your design.

I pray for the joy of the Lord to overflow me. And I ask that of all of my brothers and sisters here,

Lord, that you give them the joy of the Lord as they live according to your design. Thank you for your word this morning.

Let us be sharpened by it, God. Not just for this morning, but all week long, let us think about our roles as men and women, as husbands and wives, as brothers and sisters in Christ.