06.13.2010 How to Remain Faithful

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Over the next 4 weeks, I’ll be on vacation and taking a bit of a sabbatical. In October, I will have been pasturing for 30 years. I’ve never done anything like this – and it was probably a big mistake :) - but God has really been preparing me for this time.
Please pray for me – I’d appreciate it – I know that the devil will probably want to attack me going into this time – but I anticipate a reawakening – not that I’ve been falling asleep, or anything.
Today – even though I said we were closing up 1 Peter last week – I lied – I didn’t know I lied –
Lord, thank You for our church – thank You for the blessings we receive as a church – thank You for the opportunities to continue to serve in this church. Speak to our hearts – may You speak – You know us and what we need and we desperately need You to work. The Holy Spirit is alive and in this room – and we ask that He would have His freedom in our lives. In Your name we pray – amen.

With Peter, we have been looking at how to remain faithful to the Lord during a time of suffering and temptation. For us – it focuses more on the issue of temptation – and other difficulties we might experience. For them – it was persecution. But that is not the case for most of us. We may go through temptations that cause us to drift – things that allow our faithfulness to God to wane. How can we be faithful, regardless of what is going on? And He is teaching them how to win their neighbors to Christ even in the midst of all this suffering. It doesn’t stop – yes, we remain faithful – but it is more than that – it is winning others to Christ as well. It is not enough to be a faighful churchgoer or even Bible reader – but the next step is to be a part of what God is doing in reaching others. We need to be that light, like we talked about last week.
You’ve probably heard the phrase – when in Rome, do as the Romans? I don’t know what Rome is like today – but Paul said something like that in Corinthians – to the Jew, I became a Jew…
Find ways to connect to those who are outside of the church. Peter is teaching them to separate from the culture that would draw them away from Christ, while at the same time engaging in that very culture in ways that we can win people to Christ. You can, and you must! That is a delicate balance. NAd the reality is – we tend to pendulum swing to one side or the other. We proablby go through cycles like this – to not be entrapped by culture, we fail to be engaged in the culture – and that is a problem. We are to be in the world, but not OF it. We must be engaged, but not like them – to be separate. But others are so into engaging the culture that they become no different. We need to be light in a dark world. There is no freedom to pull away. You MUST be the light to the dark world. Like we talked last week – we all have dark places we are to enter into – we MUST – in going to those dark places, take the light and be a light. Last week, we conclude d- and I wanted to do some clarification.
In the Roman Empire – Augustus Caesar – they set up the Roman Empre like a household – with Caesar as the father. In this household – in the Roman mind – Caesar was the head of the household, the head of the Empire. Everyone was to be subject to him. Slaves, as part of the households – not like you and I and how our kids live in our households – there were extended families and slaves all living in a household – and Peter gave instruction to the Christians – they couldn’t get out of those circumstances – they were stuck – there was not freedom to move on. Part of this was being subject to those who treated them improperly – Peter said to still be subject, because there was no other option. Things are different today – yes, we are to obey the government – but if you see an abuse in government – there are laws that outrank any governing official – so it is to be reported. We live in a different world. We don’t have slaves, which is a good thing – but let’s bring it into the workplace – your employer has no right to abuse you. Or with wives – husbands were allowed to abuse their wives – and that is not the case today – there is the opportunity to bring OTHER authorities in to help remedy a bad situation.
1 Peter 3:8 – He was talking about some rough circumstances they were going through – and now he gives some instructions on how to make it all work.
1 Peter 3: 8 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
This is how to make a community work – if everyone followed these instructions – that community would work. Think how this would work in your household – harmonious – sympathetic – kindhearted – humble in spirit. It may seem like – This is good, but it may be impossible! When we think of harmony – I asked Cindy – “Thinking the same” – agreeing on everything.
But that is not what he is saying – Philippians 2 –
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Attitude –
Paul and Peter are telling them – it is a focus on an attitude – an attitude of selfless love and sacrificial service. When Peter says Live in Harmony – it means – be sympathetic, humble – etc.
When it comes to personal preferences and personal conviction – we won’t all think the same – it is not the goal.
For a long time in our marriage – you think you will always agree – but that doesn’t happen! I hope it doesn’t happen – if it does, then one of you is useless! For us – there are some political issues we disagree on! Some financial issues! Some theological issues – we disagree on! Wow! There were some issues in raising our kids we disagreed on! This is the attitude of love, selflessness – you know that in raising your kids it is important to present a united front – so at times, one has to sacrifice some beliefs on certain issues – but for us – we have tried to maintain this attitude of thinking of the other as more important than oneself – and that is what makes a marriage work! We feel guilty when there is disagreement – but it is all about the attitude that both Peter and Paul are encouraging here. The same thing can work out in a church. Within a church, it is impossible to get everyone to agree on everything – but a church can be effective – if everyone is willing to do what they are advocating here – looking out for the interest of others – it is not about the perfect doctrine or vision – but about attitude. I am NOT calling for an ecumenicalism where you throw out truth and convictions for harmony – we have our Statement of Faith – which is not negotiable – but there are some things we practice with an open hand – there will be disagreement (all churches have to come up with ‘this is how we do it’ ) but there is freedom about HOW to incorporate truth.
With an open hand thing – we need to be generous, maintaining orthodoxy and that which we have always held. Now how do we actually do this?

Sympathetic – when I think of sympathetic – I think of this – feeling sorry for someone. That is okay – but that is not how it really is – it means “one who has the same” – that doesn’t read very well – but it means one who is affected like another by the same suffering, impressions, and emotions. They were dealing with people who were going through significant struggle – probably like we have never experienced – and probably never will. Empathy – to find a common experience of difficulty and emotion with an individual. You may not have gone through what they have gone through – but to the best of your ability to put yourself in their shoes. We are the fixer or correcter – but first – sympathetic – understand, relate, empathize – and when you have done that …
We hear about people’s problems, and we think – well, they got themselves into that! But that is not our job – our job is to understand where they are – we have all done things that have gotten us into messes. We all know there are things to be corrected – but what we really need is to have someone to go through it with us. To have an incarnational attitude:
Heb. 2: 14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Mercy comes through understanding and partaking of the experience. That doesn’t mean that when someone stubs his toe, that you do too- but to move into someone’s difficulty that we might walk with them, in them.
We have a Thursday night men’s time – it has been going for about 12 years! New guys add – we have been studying Samuel together – but it is really about sharing each others’ lives – and that is sympathy.
Henri Nouwen wrote a book – it was okay – but the title was phenomenal – “The Wounded Healer” – I think that says it! That is what we are to be – wounded healers. Jesus became a wounded healer – by His stripes you are healed.
Brotherly – Philadelphia – remember the thing about the household at the beginning – The Church is the new household. Yes, you have to live in these Roman structures of government and slavery – but the church is a new household. Jesus even said this – “Who are my mother and brothers? Those who do the will of God!” He wasn’t dissing His mom – because she was with Him His whole life. But He was saying there is a new household – a new family – that has a higher priority – and that is hard to swallow! He uses the next word:
Kindhearted – Compassionate. Compassion in action. We support Pierre through Compassion International – helping those who can’t help themselves. “To be moved by another’s plight – so deeply that we can’t help but act on their behalf.” That is how we need to be with one another – when your brother or sister in this church is going through something – you need to be moved – as if you just watched a TV show that pulled your heart out.
Humble in Spirit
9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
Like the Sermon on the mount –
Luke 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 "Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
We don’t have enemies like they had – but we do have people who don’t have our best interests in mind – and Jesus says to love them and do good to them. (Buy them lunch…whatever doing the good is!). Don’t gossip - -find something good to say – pray for them.
This happens within the church. It is a reality – there are just those who bother you – and Peter and Jesus expect a good response.
Phil. 2: 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
I have read these verses a lot – he continues – what does Jesus do? He was not concerned about His own interest
Choose another’s good over our desires
Help others get what they want and need
Choose sacrificial service over control and manipulation
Choose to affirm and appreciate others over self promotion and recognition.
Choose to yield your own preferences (forbearance) for others.