Instructions to the Oppressed

If you would, take your Bibles
and turn to 1 Peter 3. We are in no different context
than we’ve been in for the last seven or eight weeks. We’re still
in that great section that really began back in 2 Peter 13 where
Peter exhorted us to be subject, to be submitted
to every earthly institution. Every human institution, as we
began to look at, encompass not only the workplace, but the family
as well. And even beyond that, as we’ll
see today, First in Peter’s focus was the
workplace. And he dealt with that in chapter
two, verse 18 and following. And in that section, ultimately,
he uses Christ as the ultimate example. And he’ll do the same
in the passage before us. We won’t get there today, but
in the greater passage, he puts Christ again in focus as being
our example, our model for what submission and suffering is all
about in this life. Next in focus for Peter was the
family, notably the wife first in chapter three, verse one through
six, and then the husband in chapter three, verse seven. And
then Peter went back again to a more general exhortation to
all of us when he said in verse 8 to sum up things that he had
already intimated in many ways to the general church, but he
zeroes in on them once again, that we are to be harmonious
and sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, humble in spirit. And it’s in
that vein that Peter’s context in the passage before us falls. Because you would have this tendency
to say, if I’m going to be harmonious and sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted,
humble in spirit, and then add this, not returning evil for
evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead, I’m
going to get walked all over. Not only by the people in this
church, I’m going to get walked all over by the evils of this
world. Peter hadn’t lost his senses. Peter knows that he is writing
to the church that had faced the greatest degree of persecution
that the world has ever known. Peter hadn’t lost his mind. Peter
hadn’t lost his bearings on who it was he was talking to. And
it’s in that context urging us to those great Christian virtues
of humility and brotherliness, kind heartedness. It’s in that
context that he issues forth this exhortation to us this morning. And we pick up his thought. It’s
the passages there in part in your bulletin. But if you would
take for a change your Bibles and open those, because I’m going
to press on further to the greater context of this passage, as we’ll
do for the next several weeks. We pick up his thought beginning
in chapter three, rather, verse 13. Where he writes, and 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 and do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled,
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, 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 may 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. For Christ
also died for sins once for all. The just for the unjust. In order
that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the
flesh, But made alive in the spirit in which also he went
and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison. Who once
were disobedient when the patients of Noah, when the patients of
God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction
of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons were brought
safely through the water and corresponding to that baptism
now saves you. Not the removal of dirt from
the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and powers
had been subjected to him. Just a light little reading that
I figured I would add this morning. I actually wanted to read that
passage, not only in its context, but in its greater entirety,
so that you might better know how to pray for me in the weeks
to come. Some really light subject matter to treat you with in the
weeks to come. When Christ went and made proclamation
to the spirits in prison. And an equally easy subject,
that baptism now saves you. You will definitely want to come
back to hear the balance of that. The context, again, of the book,
the context of this subject, submitting ourselves even to
suffering, that greater subject is persecution in the church. That is the context to which
Peter is writing, isn’t it? And we spent some weeks looking
at that great context that Nero, who would soon ascend to the
throne, would bring the greatest fire of persecution the church
has ever known. But it was already stoked, was
this fire. It was already glowing and burning
and consuming. The hatred for Christ and for
Christianity was already in full swing. In fact, what you get
from the pages of Scripture is not kind of an enlightenment
on suffering, but an exhortation to be ready for it. It is to
be expected. And yet Christians time and time
again, when they meet up with persecution, they take it as
a surprise. In Second Timothy, Paul wrote
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted. It’s not a possibility. If you
are really desiring to live as Christ commands you to live,
you are going to rub up against and into the world’s standards,
the world’s priorities, and there will be conflict. It’s not a
possibility. Jesus said it first. When he
said, these things I have spoken to you that in me you might have
peace in the world. You have tribulation, but take
courage. I have overcome the world. We
are going to face difficulty. And regardless of your eschatological
perspective, you are going to face tribulation. How much of
it? I’ll let you figure out. You
are going to have trouble. That’s what that word means. Second Corinthians, Paul again,
acknowledges even of his own life and ministry when he said,
we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed, perplexed, but
not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but
not destroyed. Every servant of Christ knows
that passage true to his heart, that Christ doesn’t abandon you
even in the fireiest of trials. But there are trials. There are
difficulties. Back to Christ. Back to the Gospel
of John in chapter 15. If the world hates you, essentially
what Jesus is saying, don’t be too surprised. And you might
as well just consider that conditional verbiage there. Not if, but when. When the world hates you, you
know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of
the world, the world would love its own. But because you are
not of the world, but because I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you. Now, I hate to be the bearer
of bad news, but those neighbors that don’t know Christ, those
co-workers that don’t know Christ, the world standard as it exists,
which is influenced from the very pit, hates Christ. And if you are in Christ, The
world hates you. Matthew, chapter five, the Sermon
on the Mount, blessed are those who have been persecuted for
the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus speaks of this not as a possibility, but as a certainty. It’s a certainty. One popular pastor observed recently
that Christian bashing is increasingly popular. It has become a favorite
pastime among journalists and liberal media and among liberals
in education, the arts and politics. Bigotry is back in style and
the politically correct form of it is to assault Christians.
Often it is those who preach tolerance, nonjudgmentalism and
intellectualism who are most intolerant of Christians and
Christianity. And isn’t that true? You watch
the TV screen when the reporter has to report that a pastor has
fallen or that some scandal has broken out in some church. They
do so with a smirk and a smile that really belies the utter
glee underneath. I would say Christian bashing,
if it’s becoming increasingly popular, The thing that we have
a difficult time with is the fact that it is so subtle. I said before, almost for shock
value, that I admire robbers. Let me put that in context. I
admire robbers more than thieves. Thieves that come in the night
and sneak and, you know, skulk around your house in the dark
and take what they want. You know, I don’t admire them
at all. I at least admire a robber a little bit more. He’s a little
higher up on the food chain because he at least has the courtesy
to come to you face to face and to take your money. That’s essentially
what you have going. That’s the kind of persecution
that we’re experiencing now is the kind of thievery persecution. They don’t even have the courage
to come and engage us in conversation. And so it’s more this subtle,
undercurrent of hatred of God and hatred of God’s ways and
hatred of Christians who they know little of. David Barrett, one Christian
historian, noted that 300,000 Christians a year are martyred. 300,000. Now, we don’t know that
in our cozy Christian, so-called Christian American climate. But 833 people a day throughout
the world and largely in Muslim countries are being put to the
sword, killed, martyred. If you are in a booming metropolis,
a Western city, your odds of being martyred are one in 200. Nowadays, given the advance of
terrorism, those odds are ever increasing. But your odds are
pretty good at one in 200. The odds if you’re a missionary,
especially in the 1040 window, the Muslim countries, your odds
are one in 50. One in 50. Peter writes in the
midst of this same kind of context, much more severe, much more severe. They were oppressed as citizens.
They were oppressed as workers. They were oppressed as wives.
As we’ve seen in weeks past, they were oppressed as members
of the society in general. They were essentially outcasts
of the society. Eight times in Peter’s epistle
here, this word suffering occurs more than any other epistle,
certainly any other epistle of Paul. It is a definite theme
of this book. And we have already met up with
suffering. At the outset of the book, he
even went so far as to refer to these saints, these Christians,
as aliens. As we looked at that and characterized
it, it is those who are just passing through. We don’t belong
here. We don’t fit in. That’s good and well. And we’ve
got somewhere else to go, thankfully. In the midst of this large section
and workers, we looked again at the suffering servant, the
suffering servant who is none other than Christ our Savior. And then three times in this
little passage, suffering comes again to the four. But be encouraged, people. Jesus’
words were not in vain in the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed
are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And that, too, is Peter’s
theme. Peter seeks to encourage those
who are already enduring and preparing to endure even greater
persecution with, if you will, counsel. or instruction on how to endure, how to glorify
God in the midst of such great persecution. If you would, let’s go back,
back in the book to chapter 3, verse 13. where Peter begins his instructions
to the oppressed. He had given them counsel before.
He’s given them encouragement. But here he formalizes it. And
in the midst of this great stream of submission that we have begun
back in chapter 2, verse 13, he turns his attention to the
Christians as a class and as a people who are, by nature,
going to be oppressed. key, if you will, to a right
response to persecution is to be reasonable. Be reasonable. What I mean by that is remember
who you are. Remember who you are and remember
who you serve. Thanks, brother. Remember who you serve. Verse
13, who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what
is good? And it is a question that Peter
doesn’t answer. But it’s not a hypothetical question
per se. He doesn’t just leave it as one
of these questions not to be answered. What he means to do
is to prompt us to think it through. To think through the logic of
what he brings up there. These citizens, whether they
were workers or wives, these Christians, these saints. He
says, first of all, check yourself. The obvious point is to check
yourself and to ask, am I zealous for what is good? Because a lot
of times, let’s be honest, people, The trouble that we’ve enjoyed
or suffered in this life, the relationships that have been
broken, the quote-unquote persecution that we faced from the world
isn’t always due to our Christianity, is it? Sometimes it’s just plain
due to our obnoxious personalities, isn’t it? When you first came
to Christ, you know, you were going to go change the world,
weren’t you? You were going to go condemn
everybody and call everybody to repentance. And everybody
was either going to follow in your footsteps into the kingdom
or they were going to be damned forever. OK, so maybe it was
just me, but that’s exactly how I went about it. And I alienated,
beginning with my family and friends, then, you know, the
circle was ever widening. And we’ll talk more about how
to go about that in a moment. But so often what we call persecution
really isn’t persecution per se. Persecution is a noble undertaking. Persecution is that by nature
which comes to Christians by virtue of the righteousness of
Christ, first and foremost. And then because of those godly
standards to which you hold, not because of your caustic personality. He says, not only do we hold
to what is good, but we are zealous for it. Are you zealous for it?
I’m sure everybody in this room could say they’re just they’re
a follower of Christ. Are you a zealous follower of
Christ? Everybody loves the Bible. beginning
with the little children that were taught to love the Bible.
Everybody loves the Bible. Are you zealous for what the
Bible teaches? Everybody, especially in this
church, would say that they love the truth. We love good, sound
doctrine. And that’s all fine and good.
That’s as it should be. But are you zealous for the truth? Do you long to see the truth
advanced? The word there means it’s enthusiastic,
fanatical, extremist. It’s a funny thing what has happened
now. Islam is good, but there are
these extremists, which makes Christian extremists
just as bad. We’re just as bad and just as
guilty of all the trouble in the world as the Muslim extremists. Extremism is bad. Not according
to Peter. Peter just says it depends on
what you’re zealous for, what do you long for? The zealousness
means an intensity, as I said, or enthusiasm. Essentially, it
describes a person with a great passion for a specific cause.
And I know that many of you would claim to be Christians and many
of you would, you know, even express your desires and in strong
terms. But could you honestly say, as
you check your heart, that based on the way that we live our lives,
that we’re passionate for the cause of Christ, for the advance
of the gospel? You see, as one person said,
a passionate lover of goodness is what this says. And goodness
to many is a burden, isn’t it? It’s a bore. It cramps our style. It puts us in an odd crowd. Goodness, said one, is something
which he vaguely and sentimentally desires, the price of which he
is not willing to pay in sweat and effort. And what Peter is
saying here is that we are to love goodness with that passionate
intensity with which the most fanatical patriot loves his country. Now. Do you love God’s word? Do you love the Gospel? Do you
love the cause of Christ? Do you love passionately and
zealously the Savior? If you do, be careful, because
as one Puritan said, no heart is pure that is not passionate,
and no virtue is safe that is not enthusiastic. If you don’t
passionately hold to these things, you stand to let go. I’m not
suggesting that you lose your salvation. But what about your
usability for Christ and for the cause of Christ? Paul wrote
similar words to Titus shepherding there on the island of Crete.
He wrote to him in chapter 2, verse 14, of Christ who gave
Himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless
deed, purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous
for good deeds. I mean, ladies especially find
it almost easy to do a good deed for someone in our midst. But
ladies, and especially men, Could we honestly be spoken of as those
in this community that are zealous for good deeds, eagerly looking
about seeing some way that we can serve and minister in this
community? Peter leaves it a little more
vague here in this context when he says that we are to prove
ourselves zealous for what is good. He had just given us virtues
in chapter three, verses eight and nine. Remember when he told
us to be harmonious and sympathetic and brotherly and kind hearted,
humble in spirit? Those are all virtues, good virtues,
good, if you will, embodied. But the good here goes even beyond
that to the totality of what is good and right and noble in
God’s eyes, God’s eyes only. It refers to a life characterized
by generosity and unselfishness and kindness. And what Peter says, I mean, get this for a flak jacket. What Peter says, if you prove
zealous for what is good, who is there to harm you? And you
say to yourself, then, if that’s the case, merely becoming zealous
for what is good and right and noble and what God’s Word tells
us, merely becoming zealous for that protects me from persecution. No, it doesn’t. Well, you just said it did. No,
I didn’t. What Peter says, who is there
to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? He didn’t say
that you’re going to be suddenly protected from any and all persecution,
from any difficulty. We just told you trouble, trouble
is going to come. You will have trouble in the
world. Well, then how can he say who is there to harm you
if you prove zealous for what is good? The harm there is relative, who
can really harm you? As the old hymn goes, the body
they may kill. His truth abideth still. They may harm the body, but they
can’t really harm what’s important. They can’t harm your soul. They
can’t lay hold of your soul. They can’t do you any real damage,
he says. Who is there to harm you if you
prove zealous for what is good? If you are found to be truly
and really in Christ, really a lover of truth and the lover
of Christ, then who can harm you? Nobody. Nobody. Paul said it, too. Romans chapter 8, what then should
we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against
us? And we already know there’s plenty
of people against us. Paul wasn’t saying if you’re
for God, then everybody’s going to be on your side. Not at all.
He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for
us all, how will he not also give him freely all things? Who
will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies
Who’s going to be there to wag a finger about you? Nobody. God has already dealt with your
sin. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus. He who died, yes,
rather, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who
also intercedes for us. Are we to be so absurd as to
think that the very one that intercedes with the Father on
our behalf is to somehow in that end day going to condemn you? Who will separate us from the
love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written, for your sake we are being put to death
all day long. We are considered as sheep to
be slaughtered. People, there is going to be
persecution. There is going to be trouble.
But the harm is minimal and can’t even really be called that, Peter
says. You might as well come up with
a different word for it, this burning at the stake, because
it won’t harm me. But in all things, Paul says,
we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. What a glorious
truth. No wonder the psalmist said,
in God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid. What can
mere man do to me? The worst they can do is kill
me. They can’t touch my soul. They can’t touch my soul, which
is already spending its earliest moments in heaven with eternity. People, we have to be reasonable.
When we come up against people that don’t like our Christianity,
don’t like the way we live, don’t like our standards, and we suffer
some kind of social inconvenience because of it, we have to be
reasonable. What is the worst that can happen? Can you be fired?
Probably. Could you lose some kind of social
benefit, some social interaction? Probably. They can’t touch your soul. If you’re in Christ and you’re
following hard after the things of God, zealous for what is good,
there’s no one to harm you. Point two, not only be reasonable,
be assured. Be assured. The smile of God
awaits. Verse 14, where Peter says, but
even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you
are blessed. Oh, now, Peter, now you’ve gone
absurd. To say that this persecution,
this difficulty that we face, this social ostracism that we
face, these consequences that we have to pay for our biblical
standards, now you’re going to tell me that that’s a blessing?
It’s exactly what he says. If a Christian suffers unjustly,
whether it’s because of the true profession of the gospel or the
exercise of their righteousness or being followers generally
of what is good, walking in the practice of spiritual duties,
all of those things are going to equip you for a confrontation
with evil. All of those things. It was a characterization of
the saints in the book of Acts. They didn’t go about as the Christians
because they had the goods on them, because they were evil
people and criminals. They went after them because
they were good. Good, godly, noble people. Acts verse 5 is where it all
began. They took his advice after calling the apostles in. They
flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus.
And then they released them. You mean I could be beaten just
for talking about Christ? You can not only be beaten. Do
you know what? I better be careful. Do you know
what one company that sells garden tractors in this town considers
sharing your faith in the workplace? They put it on a par with sexual
harassment. And you can be prosecuted for
that. That was fine. That was just
fine for Peter and his crowd. They went on their way from the
presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered
worthy to suffer shame for his name. Just for sharing the gospel,
you can be persecuted And he says, if you do so, the
smile of God awaits. Literally, you are blessed. You
will gain a blessing. Literally, it means to be happy
or joyful. Go about your day rejoicing just
as those early Christians did. Rejoicing in the privilege that
you have to bear your own cross and to suffer for the shame of
bearing the name of Christ. One Puritan said that you will
be happy both in the spiritual benefit you gain by sufferings
and your edification in faith, patience, humility, the glory
which goes to God and the reward you expect afterward. All of
those things can be in full view, in full focus for the Christian. You can trust God. You can take
him at his word that if you bear this persecution, You will be blessed. Count it
all joy. As James said, right? Consider
it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. God doesn’t just willy nilly
and arbitrarily send difficulty across your path. God knows your
difficult neighbor. God knows your difficult boss.
God knows your circumstance. God knows those unchristian friends
that belittle you. God knows. And you need to be assured. You
need to be assured to stand firm and to stand for the sake of
righteousness. And when you suffer for the sake
of righteousness, you can have your hand out ready. to receive
the blessing, the smile of God. Because just as sure as persecution
is coming your way, so if you bear it joyfully and you stand on principle, you
will enjoy the blessing of God. Thirdly, not only be reasonable
and be assured, thirdly, be composed. Be composed, be fearless in the
face of opposition. Verse 14, but even if you should
suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed and do not fear
their intimidation and do not be troubled. He says, do not fear their intimidation,
there is quite often in the Christian walk a meeting up with intimidation,
isn’t there? Sometimes it just comes as what
we’ve tried to begin to educate our own kids on peer pressure,
right? Sometimes it just comes in the form of peer pressure.
You go to church or you read the Bible. Bible study, you know,
that’s how it begins. That’s subtle. That’s that’s
beginners level persecution. And that really is about the
extent of what we face, isn’t it? At least publicly or verbally. That’s about the extent of what
they have the courage to express to us. But there is often in
the Christian walk, a meeting up with intimidation. There’s
either this intimidation to compromise or to get us to overrule our
convictions. Oh, come on. Come on. One time. or to get us to lower our standards,
or to get us to ignore or set aside our knowledge of proper
behavior. There is that kind of intimidation.
And most of you know it. One Puritan admonished, do not
be afraid of those formidable things which they threaten you.
Go back to point one, be reasonable. You’re in God’s service. He’s
going to protect you. And even if they kill you, point
two, even if they kill you, the smile of God awaits. The first
century Christians knew it. They knew this kind of intimidation
and what Peter calls them to in doing so, when he says, do
not fear their intimidation, he calls them to composure. Confidence. We speak of it a
lot of times in sports where you can see it so plainly. The
change in momentum. The confidence that players get
as they make a basket or hit the ball or make a decent run. The confidence that builds in
the whole team. And what he’s saying is that
Christians, as a team, gain composure. Get a hold of yourselves. Be
composed. Remember who you’re serving. It’s interesting. One of the
first lessons that you learn about dogs is that they can sense
fear, isn’t it? They sense fear. And so can spiritual
opponents. One of my regular prayers in
difficult circumstances is just composure. Because I don’t want
to add fuel to the fire. I don’t want to blow it. I don’t
want to misspeak. I don’t want to give them more ammunition
to use against me. Just help me to be composed,
Lord. Help me to be confident in you and trustful.” That isn’t
something that originated with me. The wisest man that ever
lived gave it to me. His name was Solomon. And in
Ecclesiastes 10.4, Solomon told me one day, right there for everybody
to read, Ecclesiastes 10.4, composure allays great offenses. Because
it may be just puny little you up against the Goliaths of the
world, but composure, just that settled confidence in mind, that
settled confidence that God is in control, that God’s Word is
complete. It’s going to bring behind you,
when he says alleys, it calls them behind you, great offenses. There are going to be thousands
behind you ready to undergird and uphold and advance the cause
of Christ. You’re not alone. You never are.
Be composed. Jesus had the same thoughts in
mind as he counseled his beloved apostles when he told them in
Matthew 10, a disciple is not above his teacher nor a slave
his master. It is enough for the disciple
that he become like his teacher and the slave like his master.
If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much
more will they malign the members of the household? Therefore,
do not fear them. For there is nothing concealed
that will not be revealed or nothing hidden that will not
be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light.
What you hear, whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill
the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul
and body in hell. Essentially, Jesus has. Who are
you going to fear more? Are you going to fear this bunch
of hooligans that may beat you and even kill you? Or are you
going to obey God Himself? This issue was a regular feature
in Israel’s struggles and Judah. Isaiah records a passage where
he rebukes them for their fear. Let me give you the setting. Assyria was preparing to invade
a little country named Judah, the apple of God’s eye. Ahaz,
the king of Judah, was facing a bit of a crisis, wasn’t he?
The kings of Israel and Syria basically were making an alliance
with him against the Assyrian forces. But Ahaz refused. Ahaz would not make an alliance
with the heathen people, even with their sister Israel. And so Israel and Syria threatened
to invade Judah. Meanwhile, Ahaz had allied Judah
with Assyria, but the prophet Isaiah warned him against such
an ungodly alliance and told him not to be afraid. Here he
is making now an alliance with this ungodly people. In chapter 8 of Isaiah, Isaiah
gave this counsel to Judah. You are not to say it is a conspiracy
in regard to all this people call a conspiracy. And you are
not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts who you
should regard as holy and He shall be your fear and He shall
be your dread. How many of us walk around living
our lives In accordance with the fear that we feel from others
or from the world or from this world system and not from God. Not only should we not fear,
we should not be troubled. We know that we’re going to face
trouble, but it cannot be allowed to permeate and percolate down
into our souls. This trouble that he speaks of
is inordinately fearful. Such a fear as is contrary to
people of faith. That which hinders you from doing
your duty. Just as Daniel refused to heed
Nebuchadnezzar’s orders not to pray, this world would have you
to disobey God’s every command. If they can’t get you to disobey
the whole lot, just one will do. Just go against God on this
one point. Just soften your convictions
in this one area. People, we are to be courageous.
We’re to be composed and strong and stalwart in our convictions. The key is composure, not reacting
out of anger, not getting frustrated, not letting them see you sweat
and being just like David, being just like Martin Luther, who
said, Here I stand, I can do no other. Just like Latimer and
Ridley, who stood even in the fires of persecution and would
not renounce Christ. Jesus gave the same exhortation
to His beloved apostles when He said, do not let your heart
be troubled. He had already told them they’re
going to face trouble, but don’t let it percolate into your hearts.
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also
in Me. John 14, later in that same chapter,
peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as
the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be
troubled. Do not let it be fearful. People,
we lack composure. We lack a settled confidence
in God Almighty. We lack a real, genuine belief
that what we hold to is true and right and good. We can’t
be wishy-washy on this, people. This is where we stand or fall.
The convictions that you hold to, you must hold to passionately
and zealously, or you risk losing them all. Let’s pray and we’ll pick up
there next time. Lord God, You know that we have become
weakened in this world somebody merely looking down their nose
at us because of something we say, some testimony we give,
a smirk on their face or a laugh behind our back, we count as the height of persecution. And
in our society, it is. But, Lord, dreading more drastic
measures, we’ve softened our grip. We’ve compromised our convictions.
We don’t want to be seen as odd or like those odd people at church. And so we often don’t even proclaim
that we even know Christ, much like Peter. Lord, we’re not asking that you
make us to the greatest evangelist the world has ever known, but
give us conviction. Give us clarity of mind. Give
us enough confidence in Christ and who You are that we would
again stand like we did early in our faith, to stand boldly
to proclaim Christ as our Savior, as the Savior of all who would
have Him. Lord, we thank You for this passage. We thank You
for Your words to us. They are weighty. We have found
that we are often unreasonable. We are often unfaithful and fearful. Grant us the grace. Change our
hearts. For your glory in Christ’s name, Amen. you.