Do The Right Thing
1 Pet 3:8-22, 4:12-19
One of the toughest things that Christianity demands of us
is to love those that hurt us. That’s
not how we think. We want to lash
back. We want to demand justice. Loving someone who is making us suffer is almost
impossible without God working in us.
But, that’s just it. God is
working in us and we can practice that kind of love if we remember to look
beyond ourselves to Christ and his example.
In New Orleans in 1960 a federal judge ruled that the city
schools must be integrated. A
6-year-old girl, Ruby Bridges, was the only black child to attend the William
T. Frantz School. Every day for weeks
as she entered and left the building, a mob would be standing outside to scream
at her and threaten her. They shook
their fists, shouted obscenities, and threatened to kill her. One day her teacher saw her lips moving as
she walked through the crowd, flanked by burly federal marshals. The teacher asked Ruby if she was talking to
the people. "I wasn't talking to them,"
she replied. "I was just saying a
prayer for them. The teacher asked her,
"Why do you do that?"
"Because they need praying for," came her reply.
Ruby understood Peter’s words to do the right thing even
when others are insulting you.
PRAYER
I. Love
the Church
A.
Why start here?
1.
It’s interesting to note that just before he goes into this
discourse about loving the world despite how they treat you, Peter reminds
Christians that they have an obligation to each other.
2.
READ vs 8
3.
Why would he see a need to do that?
4.
Because this is what the church is all about.
5.
As individuals we need to let our lights shine in the world
and as a church we must do the same.
B.
Live in harmony
1.
If you do much at all with music, you understand the need for
harmony.
2.
When I was a youth minister in Indy, we had 3 girls in
orchestra. 6th grade
orchestra to be exact. Let me tell you,
in 6th grade, it is almost impossible to find harmony. It’s a very painful experience to sit
through when it isn’t your child up there playing.
3.
Harmony is just as important to a church.
4.
In an Orchestra, each instrument has it’s own role in the
music, each one has it’s own individual sound, but when everything is played as
it’s supposed to, all these individuals make a beautiful harmonious song.
5.
Each of us in the church has a role. We are individuals, but when working together
as God intends, we can do great things and have a harmony among the members.
C.
Sympathy, love and compassion
1.
The next three things Peter mentions are really all tied
together.
2.
When we do these things, we create the harmony that is so
important to the church.
3.
I think we see that in our small groups. When the Cramer’s daughter died, their small
group rallied around them.
a)
They showed sympathy, compassion and love.
b)
Those actions drew them closer together.
c)
They will draw the whole church closer together as well.
II. Love
the World
A.
Do not repay
1.
READ vs 9
2.
It’s easy to love those who love you, but what about those who
treat you badly?
3.
That’s where all men have the problem.
4.
You hit me, I hit you a little harder.
5.
You insult me, I insult you a little worse.
6.
Peter says Christians are to do things differently.
7.
Instead of insults, we are to repay those who do wrong to us with
blessings.
8.
This is how God demands we act towards those who treat us
badly.
B.
Do good for God’s sake
1.
When we do the right thing, even though others aren’t doing
right to you, your witness for Christ gets even stronger.
2.
In August 1983, Russell Stendal was taken hostage into the jungle of
Colombia, South America, by a band of guerrilla soldiers. For nearly 5 months he learned what it
really means to love one's enemies. He
wrote a letter home, saying, "I am in danger only of losing my life; they
are in danger in losing their souls."
Through kindness, Russell befriended his guards. One day the commander
told him, "We can't kill you face to face; we like you. So we will have to
kill you in your sleep." God enabled Russell to forgive, but for the next
10 days and nights he couldn't sleep. A
submachine gun was repeatedly thrust in his face under his mosquito net, but
the guards couldn't bring themselves to pull the trigger. On January 3, 1984, Russell was
released. When he said goodbye, tears
filled the eyes of some of his captors.
3.
There is a story told about a Christian man who went into a restaurant to
buy an inexpensive meal. A waitress
approached him and in a rather brusque voice demanded, "Can I help
you?" "Yes, ma'am." "You want our special for the
day?" "Yes, ma'am." "Coffee with your order?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied absent-mindedly, for his thoughts were
occupied with some things that were going on at his church. Suddenly the uncongenial waitress flared up,
exclaiming sarcastically, "Is that all you can say?" Before he could catch himself, he once again
replied, "Yes, ma'am!" With a curse she stamped away in disgust and
anger. When the food was ready, she almost threw it on the table and showed
contempt with every action. Although he did not have much money, he
sacrificially laid a five-dollar bill on the table as he left. As he was paying the cashier, the
discourteous waitress called, "Sir, you left this money on the
table!" "Isn't that the usual
place to leave a tip?" he replied, smiling at her warmly. The girl blushed and then began to make
apologies for her hateful actions. The
man said cordially, "I figured you must have some heavy burdens on your
heart or you wouldn't have been so easily upset. I thought a good tip might encourage you." By this time the girl was brokenhearted, and
she told him of the many problems facing her. Before he left the restaurant, he
was able to set up a time to study the Bible with her and soon baptized her.
4.
It would have been easy to respond in kind to this woman, but because he
responded kindly, a new sister came into the kingdom of God.
5.
Remember how you need to respond when treated badly.
III. What Love Is All
About
A.
A reason for your hope
1.
READ vs 15-16
2.
Peter is talking to Christians here, and so is talking to us
as well.
3.
He tells us to be prepared to give the reason for the hope we
have.
4.
I don’t think we are doing very well at that.
5.
I need to point out something that you aren’t going to like to
hear, but if we are going to grow, you need to hear it.
a)
First, Obviously God gets the glory for every new soul added
to the kingdom. We are simply his
tools. But we have to be willing to be
used by God.
b)
In the last 5 years we have had at least 28 baptisms that I
have recorded.
c)
Of those 28, 11 were
children of our members. Parents, you
deserve credit for these kids, but let’s look outside our congregation to the
community
d)
11 of them came from me or my family
e)
6 were from the rest of the church.
f)
of those 6, Shelby Bohac brought 3 to Christ
g)
Wilsons brought 2
h)
Paul Simmons brought 1
i)
4 families out of 60 have brought people to Christ that weren’t
already part of this congregation.
B.
The Hope
1.
Peter reminds us what that hope is.
2.
READ vs 18-22
3.
Jesus Christ died for OUR sins
4.
The righteous died for OUR unrighteousness
C.
Our response
1.
By the act of baptism, we submit to God’s will
2.
We bring our sins to him to be washed away
3.
We pledge a clear conscience towards God.
4.
We are saved
D.
What Baptism does
1.
So many people argue that baptism is a work. It’s no more a work than unwrapping a
Christmas present someone has given you.
2.
You no more earned that present that you can earn God’s grace
and salvation through baptism.
3.
God’s grace made our response possible.
4.
Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection made our response
powerful.
5.
Our participation in baptism, made our response personal.