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Morning Message Text: 1 Peter 3: 13-22
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?
14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.”
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—
20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.
Morning Message:
I want to start this morning by correcting some of the misconceptions that are being circulated by the news media in our country. Let me preface this by saying that this is not political, so anyone who might be suffering from TDS need not get upset. Recently, our current president publicly read a passage from scripture. The news media immediately jump all over this and said, “Our political leaders should not be publicly reading from the Bible and standing for Christianity.” This is why, as Christians, we need to block out ninety five percent of what we here in the news today. Here are the facts. Every president until President Barack Obama publicly proclaimed the United States of America to be a Christian nation, even Bill Clinton, who obviously had his issues, proclaimed that this nation was built on biblical Christian values. In 1777, shortly after this nation was formed, there was a shortage of Bibles in this country. Congress ordered and paid for twenty thousand copies from Holland. This nation was built on God’s word and Christian principals and in recent decades we have allowed public opinion to gradually bring us to this point where people have the nerve to object to the reading of God’s word.
Now I want to start at the end of today’s scripture and talk to you about baptism. This comes right out of my study Bible, and I think that it is central to how we must live out our faith. “Baptism is a public sign that one has identified completely with Christ for salvation.” Some Christians in Peter’s day who feared persecution may have avoided baptism precisely because it was so public and therefore risky. But Peter encourages them to associate themselves with Christ in this way—not because baptism saves anyone, but because it is a pledge, a profession of the believer’s inward spiritual reality. Associate yourselves with Christ. This is exactly what the devil doesn’t want us to do. Go ahead and get saved if you want to, but don’t let anyone else know.
Listen, if you stand up for Jesus and live your faith publicly you will be persecuted. So how should we act? There are six things outlined in today’s text to guide us.
First consider yourself blessed when you are unfairly treated because of your faith. As Christians this is a time for us to shine the light of Jesus into this hurting world. There is nothing more powerful than realizing that you are blessed and that nothing in this world can take that from you. People, take notice when you remember whose you are and stand strong in the face of evil.
Second, do not be frightened. The threats of a mere human being can not harm the soul of a child of God. This one is not easy because, from a physical sense, there is much that can frighten us. God knows our limitations; Jesus felt the fear that this world can project on us. This is where your faith must be strong enough to cling to the spiritual truths of the gospel and say that wonderful saying that I learned a while ago, “This to shall pass,” but God will always be with me.
Third, worship Christ as Lord. These first three fit together. Pay attention to each word. Don’t simply worship, and don’t worship Christ just because I or anyone else told you that it’s a good idea. Worship Christ as Lord. Lord of your life, Lord of all things, Lord of heaven and earth. If you truly make Jesus Lord of your life, you know that you are blessed and fear does not affect you the same way.
Skipping to number five, we will go back to number four. Maintain a clear conscience. This just got real, didn’t it? Our reaction when we are falsely accused and persecuted is so important. Yes, when we are falsely accused, we should calmly but persistently deny it, but this is the hard part, we get angry when we are wronged. It is the most natural reaction to get upset and lash out at such untruthfulness. We must gather ourselves and act like God’s people, gently and respectfully object to what we know is unfair persecution.
Sixth, continue in good behavior. Don’t be baited into bad behavior and feel justified in it because of what was done to you. If God’s people live according to his Word, they will not suffer for doing evil but for doing good. I hear you loud and clear. This is not fair! No, it is not! But it is the only way that we can navigate through this world, this foreign land that is not our home, and be prepared for our true home in heaven. There is no good in this world apart from God. Stop expecting this sinful world to treat God’s people justly. But know that God will reward you for everything that you endure for his sake.
Back to number four. I saved it for last because I believe that it is the reason that Christians remain here on earth after we come to Jesus. When you are persecuted, always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. If you remember that you are blessed, face persecution without fear, continue to worship Christ, maintain a clear conscience, and continue in good behavior, people will wonder how you can act this way in the face of persecution, and that’s when you give them the reason for your hope. Listen! Christians cannot confidently be prepared to give an answer unless they have immersed themselves in God’s Word. They should know their faith, and practice it well enough to be able to point others to Jesus with their answers. Can you do that?
There is a natural starting point to living a faithful Christian life. You must associate yourselves with Christ. In this nation and in our lives, we can’t keep Jesus at arm’s length. To avoid him is to deny him, and we all know the results of that.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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