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And saying that, with trouble all about us, we're going to see persecution come to our doorsteps. Don't let that frighten you. We're not to be troubled over that. Even though trouble surrounds us, the God's Word encourages us as God's people, especially as believers in Jesus Christ.
We've been looking at Peter's exhortation on suffering, trouble, trials. Actually, Peter's exhortation for suffering for right and wrong. This is part two. I'm going to finish this message today from last week, Lord willing.
So, the Apostle Paul is giving evangelistic exhortations to the suffering Christians that are scattered abroad in Asia Minor. This is a very practical book, isn't it? It's evangelistic. I think this is very timely for us to go through right at the heart of this epistle.
And the Apostle Peter is basically given instructions, simple instructions from the Word of God. And he even quotes into the Isaiah. He quotes the prophets. It's the Holy Spirit breathing upon him. And he's actually given instructions and exhortations on how to handle it when our good is returned with evil.
You see this. So, the text we're looking in is found in the epistle of 1 Peter. So, I invite you this morning to please turn with me to this wonderful, encouraging book, 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning with verse 13, reading to verse 17.
1 Peter 3, beginning with verse 13, reading to verse 17. Isn't this been a wonderful study? It's encouraged me. It's encouraged me in the faith. And I pray it's done the same for you. Hear the Word of the Living God.
Hear the Word of the Living God. He first begins with a question. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
You are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation. And do not be troubled. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.
Yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right, rather than for doing what is wrong.
May God richly bless the reading of His Holy Word from our hearts, from our ears to our hearts this morning.
Amen.
And let's pray and seek our Lord and the Holy Spirit's help within this hour as we continue to worship Him as we hear His Word. Our Father and our God, we come to You in Jesus' name. There is no other way we can even come to You but only through the precious sacrifice, the precious blood of the Lamb of God.
Lord, there is no other way. Lord, we come into Your courts, we tread with fear, but we rejoice as well that we are even able to come by grace. It's only by grace, Lord. Not of our good works, nothing of our merits, but only by Your grace.
And only by Jesus and Jesus and Him crucified, and that precious sacrifice that we do even come. Lord, You even help us to come by Your Spirit, through Your Holy Spirit. And our hearts cry, Abba, Father, hallowed be Thy name.
What a privilege, what a privilege.
Lord, we pray that Your blessed Holy Spirit this morning would be our true teacher. As You have said, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of holiness, teach us the things of Christ. Show us the things of Christ.
How He walked, how He talked, how He lived, so we could be followers of Him, imitators of You. Oh, blessed Lord, thank You for the things of Christ. Thank You for revealing Jesus to us. Because we could not reveal Himself to ourselves because it takes Your Holy Spirit.
Lord, we just do not desire information this morning. We desire transformation. Transform us from glory to glory, from faith to faith. That's our desire this morning. And Lord, I pray that our desire be more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord.
It's a prayer that we pray, but that is our desire. That is our goal, is to be more like Christ. So help us, I pray, Lord, that by Your Spirit, Your blessed Holy Spirit, that we would apply these great truths to our lives this morning.
And we'll be careful to give You the glory. And I pray this in Jesus' name, amen and amen. Well, if we are to be faithful and prevailing in the face of persecution, when persecution does come, if it's not in our front steps yet, it will come.
And it will come for the sake, if it comes for the sake of Jesus in the face of opposition. We've been looking at four attitudes that the Scriptures really teach through the verses of Scriptures. The attitudes that we must believe, that we must follow in our everyday ordinary course of living as believers.
That's what it is in the mundane. If you're like I am, I need it everyday. Working, as I get up, as I breathe, as I go about my duties, as you go about your duties, as you go about doing everything that God has called you to and why you're here.
But we must not get caught up in ourselves. Our eyes must not be on ourselves. Our eyes must be on Jesus. So, our course of living as believers is in Jesus Christ. He is everything. He is our Savior. He is our Lord.
So, the first attitude we looked at when persecution does come and we prepare for persecution, we must take up by God's grace and God's help is the attitude of determination. Determination, we looked at that last Lord's Day.
Determination, look at verse 13 and 14. Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? If you prove zealous for what is good. Great question, isn't it? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, He says you're blessed.
It's such a privilege, it's such a blessing if you do suffer for Jesus' sake. And then He gives a wonderful encouraging word from Isaiah. And do not fear their intimidation. And do not be troubled. That is an exhortation.
Apostle Paul, I'm sorry, the Apostle Peter, we'll look at Paul later, explains, instructs, exhorts in righteousness that as believers in Jesus, we will certainly have to face all kinds of trials in our lives, injustices.
God chooses different paths for each and one of us. And even some will be persecuted. The Apostle Paul said this, all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. They shall suffer persecution.
There's no way around that. As you well know, this world is hostile against the truth, against God and who He is. Matthew Henry said people love their sin because they hate Christ. And that is true. That's where we are, folks.
That's the world in which we live and it's hostile. I was telling my brother Keith this morning, we cannot take this on a personal level because it's not us. They may hate us because we're in the way and we proclaim the truth because we're the messenger, right?
But really, down deep in their heart, there's a hatred toward God. It's a rebellion against God the Holy One. As I read in Psalm 2, they plot a vain thing against the Lord and His anointed, who is Jesus Christ.
And if you're God's child, you're in the way. You will be persecuted for righteousness' sake, no doubt about that. Have you noticed that this is a world that is hostile against the truth? You can say it graciously.
You can say it lovingly. They're going to be hostile against it. And the apostle here says, that which is good. What is that is good? God's good. And God is the God of the gospel. For the gospel's sake, for Jesus' sake, the gospel's good.
I don't think there's anything better right now in the face of this earth than the gospel. And it's the only hope for mankind, and it's the thing people hate the most. They hate it and they turn against it because it interferes with their sinful living, their pleasures and their self-life.
And if you start talking to them, if you're going to follow Jesus and this wonderful Nazarene that came from heaven and became flesh and to follow Him and to be a true Christian and to be a disciple of His and Jesus says, you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Me, He said.
People don't want to hear that. Oh, they want the ticket to heaven. They want their best life now. But you can't have both. Jesus is the way to heaven. He's the door to heaven.
By the way, He is heaven.
Jonathan Edwards says, if you can't live with God here, how do you expect to live with Him in eternity? And He's a holy God. Jesus is a holy Savior. Heaven is a holy place and it's going to have thousands and thousands of holy people worshiping, worshiping, praising God throughout all eternity.
So if we cannot worship Him here, now how can they expect to worship Him forever and ever?
After all, it's impossible with men.
But with God, all things are possible. It's impossible to do that even here because it begins here. And it goes on through eternity. And that's why there is the miracle of regeneration, that God must transform a hard-hearted, hostile heart against God.
And He transforms that heart, gives a new heart of flesh. He writes His laws on that heart. He regenerates and He gives new desires, heavenly desires, to love God. How can any of us love God this morning unless it was by the power of the Holy Spirit and through regeneration, right?
We couldn't. We've been there, right? At one time, we all just cared for ourselves and for our sin. It's opposite now. We care for God and we care for others. It's a battle. And let us not forget, this is a spiritual battle.
This is not a fleshly battle. Nothing is better to zealously strive after, and we have a blessed assurance that the indwelling Spirit of God is far greater than He that is in the world. Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.
And so, in this first epistle from Peter, we are offered some very practical principles for a peaceful, fruitful life and righteousness in Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of great trials, even in the midst of hurts, even in the midst of tribulation, we should not even fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrows that fly by day, as the psalmist Moses said in Psalm 91.
For no real harm can come to those who are in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We are called to trust in the Lord, our God. I told someone this morning, yeah, persecution comes. They asked me, what are you going to do?
I said, well, that's where I put my trust in God, and God has enough grace to sustain me. Now, I'm not going to say I can stand by myself because I will fall. If I take heed that I think I stand, I'm going to fall.
But in Jesus Christ, I'm hidden in the hallow of His hand. He holds me fast, and I fall on Him, and I trust in Him, and I come as an infant, as a nobody, and I throw myself and trust in Him. And that person says, yeah, but how are you going to pay the bills?
I said, that's the least of my concern. God, Jesus said, don't even worry about those things. We are called to trust the Lord, right? To trust in God. That sounds simple, but it's everything, isn't it?
Jesus won the victory. He has won the victory over sin. He's won the victory over death. He's won the victory over the devil. Is that good news?
That's great news.
That's outside of us. We can't do that. But in Christ, you can. Well, Scripture says that we have been promised that nothing, nothing, no thing, no thing, can ever pluck us out of Christ's hand. And then Jesus even said this in John 10, not only can anyone pluck you out of His hand, no one can even pluck you out, snatch you out of the Father's hand.
There's two hands that hold you. Although we may face physical suffering, it may come. People don't like to hear that, but it may come. We need grace for it. I don't know what awaits us, but hard times are coming.
We better be prepared. Financial hardships, yeah, that could come. Material deprivation, other deep losses, crosses, even death itself. But death itself even ushers us right into the presence of God. That's really a glorious thing because the Bible says we enter right there through death.
That's how we get into the portals of glory. And there we are forever seeing and beholding the face of Jesus Christ. Delight after delight, eternal bliss. You know what our problem is? We're too earthly minded.
We have God's absolute assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, including tribulation. Paul says in Romans 8, we looked at it last week, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, poison, disorder.
No matter what it is, all these things he says, even the perils of the 21st century, yes. In Jesus Christ our Lord, what did Paul say? We are more than conquerors. Now it's enough to be a conqueror. Think about what Paul says.
More than conquerors. More than emphasizes, in other words, we overwhelmingly are victorious in Jesus Christ. Isn't it great to know that you and I are overwhelmingly victorious, not something we've done, because of what Christ has done through Jesus Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us.
So ultimately no one can harm us. That's the question. No one can harm us. Who can harm you? No one, really. If we are safe and secure in Jesus Christ. Now, here's the deal. If you're not in Jesus, you're in trouble.
We'll be giving the Bible story to Felicity and Claire. Last night's story was great. It was about the ark, the great flood, the ark. Very simple story. God brought judgment on the whole world. He washed and cleansed the whole world and destroyed all of mankind, right?
Why? Because of sin. Every thought, every imagination, a man's heart, his intent was evil continually. And we told, in a simple way, children, the safest place and the only safe place in that time and in today is in the ark.
A small family, Noah and his wife and his sons and his sons' wives, was saved. God established the Noahic Covenant, preserved the sea, and then later on came Jesus Christ. And you know the story. But isn't that such a simple, but it's profound.
We must be in the ark. And we told them, Jesus Christ is that ark. Jesus Christ is that ark. You're safe in Jesus. Safe in Jesus. Simple story, but we need to hear it. It's the gospel. But even when we're...
You think of this. Beloved, there may be times when we fail to abide in Christ and be sanctified as we should. And that's no excuse for us to sin, by the way. We should repent of it. We should be repenting daily of it.
And even if we wander from the far, from the fold of the Lord, and even when we're faithless and we fail, and that happens, doesn't it? But isn't it wonderful to know that our God remains faithful? He cannot deny Himself, Scripture says.
And He promises to us that He is true and He is faithful. So ultimately, there's nothing that touches our life that can harm us if we prove zealous for what is good. Now, beloved, that's determination.
That's what we're looking at. That's point one, determination. The second point is when persecution and opposition comes to us, there must be also the attitude of dedication, dedication. This is devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Are we devoted to Christ? Are we devoted to Christ? Are you devoted to Christ? Do we love Christ? Do we love God more than anything else in this world? Do we love God? And the Scripture says if the love of God is not in us, then we remain in darkness.
And actually, it goes on to say, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man or if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So you can't have both. Scripture has a lot to say about love and hate.
And actually, it's the biblical context, and it's the right definition of love and hate. Our definition is wrong every time. Even the great psychologists, yes. You want to find the right definition of love and hate?
Go to the Scriptures. So what does Peter say here? Verse 15a, but sanctify. That word sanctify is important. Set apart Christ as Lord in your heart. Do you set aside Christ as Lord in your hearts? This is living a life in submission, communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, loving Him and obeying Him.
The Word of God says we are called to holiness.
Holiness.
You know, I mentioned that word today, and it's very offensive to people, isn't it? Mention the word holiness. But Scripture says from Leviticus, and Peter repeats Leviticus, and be holy, for I am holy, says the Lord.
You notice it never says be as holy? That's impossible, right? Because only God is the Holy One. And actually, we're partakers with this holiness, because within ourselves, we cannot be holy. We are only holy in Jesus.
To be as holy with God is ludicrous, impossible. Only God is the Holy One of Israel. None is as holy as the Lord. He is holiness. And we worship the beauty of His holiness. But He does call His very own, His people, that are purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ to live apart from the wicked world, to live differently, to be holy as He is holy, in the world but not of the world, right?
What a great miracle that is. He takes us out of the world, He cleanses us, washes us, puts us back in the world, and keeps us holy in a filthy world. My hardest part is guarding my own heart. The devil within me, the demons within me that pound and fight, and I'm thinking they must be crucified.
I must hack them to pieces before the Lord. Where we're in the world and not of the world, right? There's a plea for purity. Oh, how we need to hear this today. We need to hear about the purity of the church.
There's only one way that the church can be pure, and that is through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit by the Word of God. The Word of God. Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17. Sanctify them through the Word.
That Word is truth. It is the Word of God. If you want to be sanctified daily, we must stay in the Word of God. Not ritualistically, but eat this Word, devour this Word, be dedicated to this Word, to be devoted to this Word.
Saturate yourself with the Word of God, because you're going to need it. We're going to need it. I'm going to need it. But don't we need to hear about holiness? What is Hebrews saying?
The writer of Hebrews,.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no one will see the Lord. That's a strong word. No one will see the Lord unless they are holy in Him. And the only way we can be holy is through the precious blood of Jesus Christ who's washed us and cleansed us.
It's not by our works. There must be holy living, beloved. J .C. Ryle put it this way, where there's no holy living, there's no Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 4 .3, Paul the Apostle says this, for this is the will of God, your sanctification, your holiness.
That is that you abstain from sexual immorality. Abstain from it. Flee from it. Run from it. Because it's a little leaven, it can leaven the whole lump, and it can defile you. It's idolatry actually. We must tear those idols to pieces.
Then he says in verse 7 of 1 Thessalonians 4, for God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in holiness. That's what we call, that's your calling, in holiness. You know what Spurgeon said?
And I love this, and this is one of my favorite verses as a pastor, but as a Christian, and as all Christians. Whatever call, Spurgeon says, call a man may pretend to have, if he has not been called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to the ministry.
He must be a man of God, that fears God,.
But that's his calling,.
Is to holiness. To holiness.
Most important, this calling is, and yet is the least, and it's sad to say, it is the least heard of within the church today. That's a horrific tragedy, isn't it? That the church does not want to speak about God's holiness?
And that's his beauty?
That's the beauty of God?
But yet you mention holiness and automatically, stay away from this guy, he's a Pharisee,.
He's legalistic.
No, we're talking about Bible holiness. We're not talking about just externalism. We're talking about internal holiness. Internal heart holiness. Loving people, loving God, but yet set apart, and not compromising to the world.
Don't you see compromise everywhere? Don't you see people going apostate? Does it break your heart like it breaks mine? Have you ever thought about how God must be broken about it?
And Peter says, sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart. Apostle Paul goes on to say, verse 8, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, so he who rejects, and just to make sure that they get it, and that it's not his own authority, he says, so he who rejects this, speaking of holiness, is not rejecting man, but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
In other words, that is a command from God. How dare we reject it? And the blessed Holy Spirit is a free gift to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Go with me to Romans 8. I want to read just a few verses of Scripture.
Have your Bible ready. We're going to be running through Scripture. What does the Bible say? How can you be holy? It's only by the Holy Spirit within you, right? We cannot be holy apart from the Holy Spirit.
That's a big deal. How many people out there you know that does not have the Holy Spirit within them? There's a lot of people. I like what Ravenhill says. He says, I stopped asking people if they're Christians.
He says, I go up to them,.
And he's with the Lord now, of course, but when he was living here, he says, I go up to people. I don't ask them if you're a Christian. He says, I ask them, does Christ live in you?
That's a good question.
Does Christ live in you?
Wow.
That gets to the heart of it, doesn't it? Does Christ live in you? Well, listen to what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8. 8 through 11. Let me read these. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
That's pretty blunt. If you're in the flesh, if I'm in the flesh, there's no way of pleasing God.
Period.
Then he says, however, you're not in the flesh. He's encouraging them, okay? You're born of the Spirit of God. But in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, I want you to see how many times he says this.
If the Spirit of God dwells in you, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. That sounds simple, but it's profound. The Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, must dwell within us.
He takes up habitation within our hearts. If Christ, if Christ is in you, through the body, though the body is dead, I'm sorry, because of sin, yet the Spirit, now that's our spirit, is alive. Our spirit is reborn, in other words, is quickened, because of righteousness.
His righteousness. The righteousness of Jesus. But if the Spirit of Him, who raised Jesus from the dead, here He goes again, dwells in you, dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who dwells in you.
Did you notice how many times? If the Spirit of God dwells in you, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, if who the Spirit dwells in you, dwells in you, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now saying that, that leads me to my next point in 1 Peter.
Because this is important to understand, the Spirit of God dwelling in us, because it is Christ in you, the hope of glory. That is the only hope to this lost and dying world, folks. Peter's being evangelistic.
And he's saying, this is how you defend the faith. You to live this life in holy behavior, being Christ-like, and then they notice the hope in you,.
In you.
Peter says in verse 15b, notice back to 1 Peter, always being ready, always being ready to make a defense, a defense. That's the next point. First you have determination, then you have dedication, which is devotion.
Now you have a defense, a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. Now this is evangelistic, folks. And notice what he says, yet how do we do it? With the attitude of gentleness and fear, reverence.
Gentleness, meekness, and reverence. Not with brow-beating, not with beating people with a stick, and saying, you take this truth and you accept it.
No.
You can't beat people into the kingdom of God. It is the Spirit of God that brings them into the kingdom. And the Spirit is gentle. Jesus is gentle. Jesus said, Come unto me all you labor and heavy laden, for I am meek and lowly in heart.
Gentle of heart. See, Jesus is gentle. The Holy Spirit is gentle. Everything about God is gentle. God the Father is gentle. Now people say, well, hold on.
What about His holiness?
Yeah, He's got a wrath. But it's a holy wrath. It's a just wrath. But there's a holy love. Everything about God is holy. But there's a holy grace. Everything about God is holy, holy, holy, right? But there's grace.
And there's mercy. But there's also justice. And there's wrath. We can't escape that. But we must tell people the whole truth. We cannot choose and pick what we're going to defend or tell people. And actually, the Apostle Peter says here, we believers must have an attitude of defense.
This is our defense. What is it? The English word here is apologetics.
Apologetics.
And it comes from the Greek word here translated defense. Apologetics basically means defense. We see that Peter is not just preaching or writing something that he has not already lived out, right? Matter of fact, Peter is like a fisherman.
He's not like your theologian like Paul, as we said. He is very practical, giving simple instructions and power under the spirit of God. And he's a very evangelistic. I don't know about you, but going through this book is very timely because we need to be evangelistic, don't we?
We do not need to be ashamed of the gospel. We need to tell people the gospel. But we need to live the gospel. And Peter has lived it out. He's been there. He lived it out in shoe leather faith and demonstrated it in the flesh and blood.
Now, there's so much we could say about this one text and this one verse here. But I'm just going to give you some scriptures of what the Bible says about how Peter made a defense. And he does it in an informal sense.
And this is what he's speaking of in an informal sense. And it's insisting that the believer in Jesus Christ must understand that he believes in why one is a Christian, why he is a believer, and he gives a defense for the hope that's in him.
And then he's able to answer one's beliefs in a humble, meek, gentle, but yet in a fearful, respectful way. That's what he's talking about. So Peter had to do this in situations. Go with me to the book of Acts.
Let's just look at a few of them. The book of Acts is actually the continual Acts of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. You have the Bible that basically says the Acts of the Apostles. Well, yes, in one sense that's right.
But it's really the Acts of God, the continual Acts of God through the Holy Spirit, right? It's the Spirit of God that's doing the work through the Apostles. And it's continued. The works of Jesus is continued by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And he uses the Apostles.
Let's look at a few.
Now we're talking about Peter here. Now Peter can write this about giving a defense for the faith because he's been there, right? Look at Acts chapter 2.
Very quickly.
Acts chapter 2. Look at 14 through 39. I'm just going to read these very quickly. 14 through 29, chapter 2. Peter's preaching. But Peter taking his stand. He took a stand with the eleven. Raised his voice.
He's proclaiming the gospel. He declared to them, men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, this be known to you. And give heed to my words, for these men are not drunk. Talking about when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost here.
As you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel. Notice how many times he goes through the word of God. He goes to Joel. And he quotes Joel.
And it shall be in the last days, God says, and I will pour forth my spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, even though my bond slays both men and women.
This is a fulfillment of that now. And I will in those days pour forth of my spirit, and they shall prophesy. They will prophesy in other languages. That's what was taking place. And they thought they were drunk because they were unlearned fishermen, unlearned educated people.
And God came in a powerful way, as you well know, like tongues of fire upon their head. And God set them on fire. The Spirit of God came. And they were prophesying, preaching the word. And then he quotes Joel again.
In verse 19, I will grant wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor and smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
We're still waiting for that. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Isn't that a great promise? Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus of Nazareth. Notice he preaches Christ.
He's not preaching some stories. He's preaching Jesus Christ. And notice he just preached and he went into the book of the Prophet Joel. And then he says, Christ Jesus. He's what it's all about. A man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs, which God performed through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know, this man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men, put him to death, but God raised him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for him to be held in its power.
And then he says this from the Psalms. For David says of him, I saw the Lord always in my presence, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart was glad and my tongue was exulted.
Moreover, my flesh also will live in hope because you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life and you will make me full of gladness with your presence.
Now, that sermon continues and he closes it and this is what the conclusion is. Actually, somebody cried out when they heard this in verse 37, they were pierced to the heart. That's the power of the Word of God.
That's what the Word of God can do. It cuts, it pierces. And then said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? What shall we do? Same questions they were asking John the Baptist.
They give a simple answer. What was his answer? He says, Peter said to them, Repent, each of you, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and your children. He gives a glorious promise but he tells them to repent, commands them to repent. And for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.
As many as the Lord our God will call to Himself. God does the calling. And with many other words, He solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them. Notice, He gives a defense for the faith, folks. And then He says this, Be saved from this perverse generation.
Don't we need to say that to people today? Be saved from this perverse generation?
Be saved from it!
So then, those who have received His words were baptized and that day were added about 3 ,000 souls. And you know the rest of it. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, and to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
That's wonderful.
He gave a defense for the faith. Now go with me to chapter 3. Look at verse 11. Preaching on Solomon's portico, as known as porch, while he was clinging to Peter and John, two apostles here and all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon.
Full of amazement, when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, men of Israel, again, He gives a defense for the faith, men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Listen to the way He preaches. Or why do you even gaze at us?
As if our own power or piety, we had made Him walk. There was a miracle that took place.
A lame man.
Power of the Holy Spirit made this man, gave him strength and healed him immediately. And then Peter says this, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified His servant, Jesus.
Notice, He always goes to Jesus. The one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate when He had decided to release Him, but you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.
But, put to death the Prince of Life. The one whom God raised from the dead. He never leaves that out. He always says, even though you are the ones that murdered Christ, God raised Him from the dead. A fact to which we are witnesses.
And on the basis of faith in His name. That's what we're talking about. Peter's talking about defense of the faith. It is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know. And the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
He is given a defense for the faith, folks. He goes on, and now brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance.
Look at there.
People act in ignorance, don't they? Just as your rulers did also, but the things which God announced before Him by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer. And He has thus fulfilled.
Therefore, repent and return. Repent, return. That's the message. Repent, repent. Be safe in this perverse generation. And He goes to Christ and He points Him to His death and then the resurrection and His coming again so that your sins may be wiped out.
You want your sins wiped out? Go to Jesus. In order that in the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.
Isn't that great?
And that you may send Jesus, that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive into the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times.
God's doing this.
God is doing the work and Peter is given a defense for the faith. Now go with me very quickly to Acts 4. Notice this example. Look at Acts 4, verse 8 through 12. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, he's filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, it goes back to that sick man because the religious crowd got really upset about this, folks.
Because it was pulling attention away from them. They wanted the attention. It was all going to Jesus and God did a miracle here. And notice here, as to how this man had been made well. Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, notice how many times, you crucified him.
You religious people, you crucified him. Whom God raised from the dead. Every time he says that. You crucified him, but God raised him from the dead. By this name, this man stands here before you in good health.
And then he gives the scripture. And Peter quotes this again in 1 Peter, notice. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone. And listen to what he says.
And there is salvation in no one else.
No one else.
For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. Now go with me to Acts 5. Notice how Peter zealously gives a defense for the faith. And it cost him imprisonment.
It cost him to be beat. It cost him persecution. He's been there, right? Acts 5. Luke says in verse 27. When they brought them, they stood them before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, we gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name.
They're basically intimidating. That's why Peter says, don't fear their intimidation. Notice what he says. We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.
Praise God.
Think of that.
Filled all of Jerusalem with the teaching of the gospel. The gospel. And intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter,.
Don't you love that,.
And the apostles answered, we must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you had put to death again. They point to them. You are accountable to putting Jesus to death by hanging Him on a cross.
He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a prince and a savior to grant repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so that is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.
See how many times he gives a defense for the gospel there? In that record. So Peter, when he says this, in his epistle to 1 Peter, he's been there. He's done that. He can actually write this. By the power and the breathing of the Holy Spirit upon Him, you give a defense for the faith, for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.
Well, let me go to the last point. Give a defense for the hope which is in you. The last point is found, verse 16 and 17. And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, to those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame for it is better if God should will it so that if you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
Well, first we saw determination. Second, there's dedication. Third, there's defense. The fourth is duty. Here we have a duty. So the meaning here of having a good conscience, let me talk about that a little bit because this is so important.
That's a whole sermon. When we talk about a good conscience, it's not faculty of the conscience itself because our own faculty, our own conscience is naturally evil, right? It's defiled with sin. You remember Disney's Pinocchio, right?
Who all knows about Pinocchio here? You know where I'm going with that? Do you remember in that little story as innocent and beautiful as all Pinocchio is? Jimmy the Cricket says, let your conscience be your guide.
Let your conscience be your guide. You know, that's some of the worst and most damnable advice a child can hear because if your conscience is your guide, it will naturally, inherently, as simple as it is, lead you straight into the path of destruction.
It is only made good. Your conscience, my conscience is only made good by what? The sanctification of the Spirit of God by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus by which the heart is sprinkled from it and that itself is purged from dead works to serve the living God, right?
That's what Hebrews 10, 22 says, let us draw near with a sincere heart, a true heart, a full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
So a genuine commitment to Jesus Christ with pure motives, but we must be ready to meet the enemies of God in the Gospel with meekness and fear. Beloved, this is why it's so important. We sanctify Christ as Lord in our heart and let me say this, pride and conceit, God, every time, if we're prideful and conceited within our witness,.
I'm going to tell you this,.
That's the arm of flesh and it will weaken our faith. God will not be able to flow His power through that because He will not work through someone that is prideful. He takes humble people, broken people, and He uses brokenness and broken people because they're leaning not on themselves or their intelligence to articulate the Gospel, but they're leaning on the power of the Spirit of God.
Not by might, nor by power, my human power, but by my spirit, says the Lord, says Zacharias. But it's the power of the Holy Spirit, beloved. Remember at Jesus' baptism, the Spirit of God descended upon Christ.
And what did the Spirit of God come in the form of?
In the form of a dove.
Why a dove? Why a dove?
It's symbolic of gentleness,.
And meekness,.
And tenderness. You know, I'm learning this more and more as I'm a Christian walking in the faith, but I'm learning to stand like a lion and bold with the Gospel and not compromise and be unmoved and steadfast.
But when I give a defense for the Gospel, for the hope that's in me, I am to do it with meekness and fear and tremble.
Isn't that what Jesus said?
Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves? It's always with an attitude of love. Never in bitterness or in hate. We are to be wise, and even though they are attacking you and being hostile to you, we still respond in lovingness and gentleness and self-control.
That's when the Holy Spirit is at work. Wise as serpents, harmless as doves. Having a good conscience that we're in when spoken against, they may be put to shame, who revile you, who revile your good behavior in Jesus Christ.
So, if persecution is allowed to come, if God so will it, it's better that it shall have no grounds or justification in unkind words, right? We should always answer with meekness and gentleness. Why? Because this causes the false accusers to be put to shame.
See? And their own consciousness. 1 Peter 2. Look at 1 Peter 2, 12 -15. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Isn't that what it's about? They observe your good deeds.
Jesus said,.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works. We're not saved by good works, but this is a sanctified life. We're called to holiness, right? And it shows and shines forth the glory of God.
And this is the way it is. Verse 15. For such is the will of God, that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. They are foolish, aren't they? A lot of times they're ignorant.
They don't know what they're doing.
We wrestle against principalities and evil powers. It's their... In a sense... And I like what Washer says about here. The people that you meet on the street,.
That you witness to,.
Is a potential brother and sister in Christ. Because we don't know if God's elected them. But we are to give a defense for the faith and the hope that's in us, right? So a clear conscience allows believers to be free from any burden of guilt as we face hostility against criticism from the world.
I don't think there's anything more precious than having a clear conscience. Listen about Job. Job 27 .6. Job 27 .6. I hold fast my righteousness. And actually that means integrity. And will not let it go.
I will not let it go, he says. My heart does not reproach any of my days.
In other words,.
What Job is affirming is a true steadfast devotion, righteous living with a clear conscience. No matter what the cost. He absolutely refused to live with a guilty conscience. Even God, the most time...
Now could you imagine God giving a report to you? Or I should say to someone else. Actually, it was Satan that was accusing to God. He's the accuser of the brethren, right? And he says... Listen to what the Lord said about Job.
Job 1 .8. The Lord said to Satan, the question is this.
This is God.
Have you considered my servant Job? Have you considered this man, my servant Job?
That's God.
How would you like God to say that about you? Have you considered my servant Keith? Have you considered my servant Lillian? Have you considered my servant Davy? Or Sarah? Or Teresa? Or Fee? Hannah? Ben?
Elizabeth? Each and every one of us? Have you considered my servant? For there's no one like him on the face of the earth and blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil. He fears me and he turns away from evil.
That's integrity.
A clear conscience. Beloved, that's true integrity. Listen to what Paul the Apostle says. Romans 14 .22. The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
Beloved, adversity is reality and suffering for Christ's sake is there. It's a spiritual privilege for believers. If we both remember Romans 8 .28 and 29 in this, we would remember a great truth. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and to those that are called according to His purpose.
His purpose. And what is God's purpose in suffering? What's God's purpose in suffering? You ever think about that? Is it meaningless? No. There's a lot of purposes in suffering, but the greatest purpose is verse 29.
For those whom He foreknew, this truth speaks of a predetermined choice that God made in eternity past, a gracious choice that God made. He chose us to love Him, to serve Him. He picked us out. He washed us.
He cleansed us. You are His special possession God made and He set His love upon you, established an intimate relationship with you. He elected you from the foundation of the world.
Listen to what I just said.
God did that before the world came into being. He had you picked out.
Chose you. Elected you.
Marked you out. To become what? Conformed to the image of His Son. To be like His Son. So that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. God's goal for our lives as Christians is to be like His Son, Jesus.
And God will go through any lengths to make you holy. I can guarantee you that because He loves us that much. He will even put us through pain to purge us, to sanctify us, to cleanse us. But all that hurt and all that pain and all that is to make us go to Jesus Christ and be more like Him.
That's the goal.
A .W. Tozer said it like this. If we understand that everything happening to us is to make us more Christ-like it will solve a great deal of our anxiety in our lives. So suffering for Jesus' sake makes us more like Christ.
And understanding suffering is part of God's plan to equip us with securities against a violent and hostile world. Let me close this here now. John, Jesus said it best. John chapter 16, 33. Jesus said to the apostles, these things I've spoken to you so that in me you may have peace.
In me, in Jesus we have peace. And in the world, He says, you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer.
Take courage.
I've overcome the world. Folks, we need to remember that. That's how we're overcomers in Jesus. Let me conclude with this and a few verses of Scripture from Psalm 119. Puritan Thomas Watson, All Things for Good, as a book he wrote from Romans chapter 8, verse 28 and 29.
Watson says this,. Afflictions work for good as they make way for glory. Not that they merit glory, but they prepare for it. As plowing prepares the earth for a crop, so afflictions prepare and make us ready for glory.
The painter lays his gold upon the dark colors, so God first lays the dark colors of affliction, and then He lays the golden color of glory. The vessel is first seasoned before wine is poured into it.
The vessels of mercy are first seasoned with affliction, and then the wine of glory is poured in. Thus we see afflictions are not prejudicial, but beneficial to the saints. Isn't that beautiful? What about what David says in Psalm 119?
Seven times, seven times in Psalm 119, he mentions afflictions. Listen to these words. He makes reference in Psalm 119, 50,. This is my comfort in my affliction that Your Word has revived me, preserved me.
Psalm 119, Psalm 119 verse 67,. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your Word. Is affliction beneficial? Oh yes. Psalm 119, 71,. It was good for me that I was afflicted. It was good for me.
Why? That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119, 75,. I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, and in faithfulness You have afflicted me. God afflicts. Psalm 119, 92,. If Your law had not been my delight, we better make sure God's law is our delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.
I would have perished in my affliction. Psalm 119, 107,. I am exceedingly afflicted. I am exceedingly afflicted. Revive me, O Lord, according to Your Word. Notice how he is throwing himself on God. Psalm 119, 153, the last one, Look upon my affliction.
Look upon my affliction and rescue me. Notice that prayer. For I do not forget Your law. For I do not forget Your law.
Amen. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank You for this time of worship as we look unto Your Word about how that we should be determined, we should be dedicated, devoted. Lord, we should be in defense of the hope of the light lies within us, and we should do our duty as a Christian with integrity, with a clear conscience.
Father, we thank You and we ask You now, Lord, I would ask, Lord, that You would take this truth that we have spoken of today and just pull it out of our heads and put it right into our hearts by Your blessed Holy Spirit.
Give us godly character.
May we live out these behaviors in our everyday living at home, at the job, before our friends, before our enemies. That we might live to Your glory alone. For You have given us all things through Jesus Christ who has loved us with an everlasting love.
And underneath is the everlasting arms. And Lord, we give Him the glory. We give You the glory. We give Christ all praise. You honor Christ. We honor You. And Lord, that we may die to sin and live unto righteousness.
That's our prayer this morning. We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen. And amen.