When Holiness Meets Hostility

Eventually, because you are the light of the world and you shine your light into a dark world. There's got to be some problems. Jesus put it this way men love their darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

And Paul made to Timothy, a very very important policies that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution eventually persecution is inevitable. Christians like to claim the promises of God that offer strength and protection but not many want to claim the promise that will suffer for serving Jesus today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip share some hopeful truths. You can cling to you experience persecution first Skip wants to share about another great way you can hear these uplifting teaching no real quick. I want to invite you to follow my podcasts so you can get even more inspiring teacher. Just search Skip I take that step HD IT CIG on spot. If I Apple podcasts or anywhere you listen to your podcast and don't forget to follow the podcasts so you know when a new teaching is available then skip. Now we're in first Peter chapter 3 as we dive into her study with Skip Heitzig so there is a pastor who was building something in his backyard is building a wooden trellis and as a trellis for flowering vine to crawl up as a result of this hammer and nails and you notice there's a neighbor boy watching in his yard is coming to watch him build his trellis and he did know I was there. He was uninvited but he figured it out. He would keep working on the little boy would go away eventually all the more he kept working. The boy just kept staring at him in and wouldn't go away. Finally, the preacher put his hammer down. Is it so you just trying to get some tips on gardening and the little boy said no I'm waiting to hear what a preacher says when he gets his thumb with a hammer or what does a preacher say when he hits his thumb with a hammer to the question that brings up a point that is the world is always watching us. Mike is always on the camera is always rolling.

People are trying to find out what were really all about. Sometimes I go to public places around here. I can feel the eyes on me, people would recognize. No, that's a preacher guy and the NII could see because I seem like in the note was producer so that the dealers is that again we can preach, but how does he practice at a restaurant in public. That's Peter's whole theme Peter saying you are being watched in your response to the government you're being watched in your response to your boss. You are being watched in your response to your husband and your wife so because you are being watched, be tenderhearted, loving, be compassionate, be non-retaliatory. All those attributes we talked about last week because usually normally that's acceptable. Those are traits and attributes, even the world will accept what about when they don't. What about when your Holiness meets their hostility. Your goodness meets their grievances. What happens when you do good in your sweet and kind, but they marginalize you, or even slander you what you do that what you do when God haters decide that just because you believe in God, you should experience some pain because of then what you do back in 1999. You may remember the story of a man by the name of Graham was his first name is last name was Staines Graham Staines and his two boys and 11-year-old and a six-year-old were killed in India by militant Hindus. They were burned to death story is that they were ministering at a camp in Graham Staines was teaching at this camp out in the jungle in the middle of the night around midnight. Actually, these militant Hindus came into the camp and disruptive things and set on fire. The cheaper Graham Staines was staying with his two children spending the night for the next morning they were burned to death when when the fire cooled the body the charred body of Graham Staines was shown with his arms clutching his two boys reason why that happened. One simple reason. They were Christians.

That's all they were there they were doing good. They were loving the people they were pouring their lives into them, but they were Christians and they suffer because of so in our text, our chapter. First Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 13, Peter offers two possibilities number one you do good and you're not hassled you, do good, and they leave you alone unharmed second possibility you do good and you are armed. This look at it.

Verse 13 and who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed, for it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil five versus four truths for things you can expect when Holiness meets hostility is the first normally goodness is profitable. Normally, usually, typically doing good is a good thing and it's profitable. It'll work out for you.

That's is flawed. In verse 13, but you know with every text as a contact so I just need you to see how thoughts connect the mind just look back at verse 10 he says for he who would love life and see good days, I would raise my hand on that one.

I want that he wants that to let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

Let him turn away from evil and do good. You want to see good do good and then verse 13 the question and who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good.

Know that is that is a rhetorical question, meaning the question is asked, there's an implied answer that everybody knows. So let me restate it. Here's Peter writing to his audience and saying if you live the way I just describe if you are loving and humble and you are nonretaliatory in your tenderhearted you all those things.

Who's gonna bother you who bother you if you live like that implied answer. Nobody you can get by unscathed. Normally you will never suffer if you're a person who does good to other people in your after benefiting others around you, even the greatest opponents of the gospel are knocking to hinder people helping other people to leave you alone. That's what the question means who will harm you if you become followers of what is good, now let me insert something here because it brings up something I think is a crucial point to be noted.

The history of Christianity is, in part at least, the history of societies around the world being benefited by the goodness done in them by Christian believers who live in them. Example, the whole concept of the value of life. The whole concept of human rights is a biblical concept. Those are values that emerge from those with a Christian worldview because we believe all men and women were created in the image of God, women's rights, where did it come from, not Gloria Steinem about the women's liberation movement are the different fronts or breakoff. It came from the Bible because when Paul and Peter and Jesus spoke 2000 years ago the culture around them did not respect women at all. In fact, in some cases I've seen letters from a Greek soldier written to his wife 2000 years ago said, if you have a little boy.

Keep it up.

It's a girl throw away. A girl was owned by her father until she was passed off to a husband.

Then she became the property of her husband in that culture came the Bible that said, there is neither male nor female. We are all one in Christ. That's a Christian worldview compassion for the sick compassion for the poor become from Christians. The first hospitals were directed by Christians. The Red Cross was originally a Christian organization, the Salvation Army, a Christian organization. Cultures were missionaries infiltrate. It is been shown over and over again that literacy goes up there more educated there more advanced or more compassionate the force behind eradicating slavery in England years ago was by a Christian statesman, child labor laws were enacted by Christian men and women, and then even in our own country in the early 1800s when a French statesman by the name of Alexis de Tocqueville came to America. One thing that startled him, is how many volunteers were helping people around them, and these were volunteers from organizations, associations that have been founded and were currently being run by Christians he saw the impact in culture by Christianity so as to bother you if you live that way. Normally, typically, usually nobody I think it's pretty safe to predict that probably most of you, if not all of you will never be killed in this country in your lifetime because you believe in Jesus. Probably not going to happen.

You're probably knocking to get beat up because you just simply say I love Jesus probably knocking to happen.

And if you're a good person and you follow these things that Peter outlined. We described last week is a good way to live is to keep you out of jail is to bring peace with your neighbors not to get hassled because you are seeking good you are doing good. So who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good is the first expectation normally. Goodness is profitable.

There's a second follows quickly on the heels of that is eventually persecution is inevitable, eventually persecution is inevitable. Verse 14, but in the old King James is brought and even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and then quoting Isaiah chapter 8 and do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts set. Here's a goodness is good righteousness is right, but being good and righteous will not make you immune from trouble. Eventually, because you are the light of the world and you shine your light into a dark world there's going to be some problems. Jesus put it this way men love their darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. And Paul made to Timothy, a very very important policies that all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall or will they suffer persecution.

All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution eventually persecution is inevitable.

The world will tolerate you but not for long. Eventually, at some point. At some level the world will persecute you. Why is that light uses illustration on number of times but it it's like if people are in a dark room and their pupils were dilated their accustomed to the darkness in you open the blinds and let the sunlight in her you turn on a bright overhead.

They're not happy to see you. They just want you gone from their presence.

Turn off that light it hurts them. And so it is with the gospel. So it is with those who do good. Did you know the Bible says Jesus went about doing good. Just think about that statement. Jesus Christ went about doing good. He healed sick people. That's good.

You raised dead people that good. Their families were really happy was a good thing but eventually the hostile world around him with digital killed him. They wanted to extinguish the light. So here's the principle persecution is the result of obedience or put it in the more memorable way. Great persecution is the result of the great commission you preach the gospel, not everybody's going to like it because everybody doesn't like it. There's going to be persecution at some level because you see somewhere down the line you to be telling the world why your so sweet and why your so compassionate why you're so loving and why you volunteer for things and help the sick and the big ask you why. When I say what will you do that you stand and go to know to say I do that because I love Jesus Christ, who is my Savior and died to set you free. When they hear that message the fireworks begin when they hear that message. The sparks will fly and the anger will be developed. Jesus said these words in John 15.

If the world hate you know that it hated me before it hated you and they hated me without a cause.

Servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. So even when Christians are kind and wonderful and helpful and magnanimous. They still represent the gospel that is narrow and exclusive because our gospel says that only those who trust in Jesus Christ will enjoy heaven forever, and those who reject Jesus Christ will be forever lost.

You think that the popular message no way I got an email from someone smiling I say that who claim to be a Christian and said these words to me. I don't understand why every religion thinks they have's God's special attention. It appears to me that Christians are no better than Muslims.

I pondered over the little email and I thought what you know I got say I agree with them. Christians aren't any better than anyone else, but we are better off then everyone else and we have a better message than anyone else because our messages no matter who you are, no matter what you've done, no matter where you live, you can be set free from your sin and you can spend forever in heaven with God guaranteed there's no better message than that solicit there's a deal and I say to sincerely if there were 485 different ways to get to God. I would end up here and preach all 185 ways with the book that I read you read you say you believe in scissors.

One way Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the father except through me.

When you say that and that is so narrow and so exclusive this is going to happen but notice you notices that there is a qualifying phrase notice of insight even if you should suffer and say that it's as if you should suffer for what righteousness sake. It's a whole different category now you suffer for righteousness sake, or as it says in verse 17 suffer for doing good.

See Jesus never said blessed are the persecuted. He said blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake is no great blessing to get beat up so great blessing for people yelling you walk home after being hassled what grade they everybody yelled at me. I got beat up know if you think that way it's like a cannibal who was staring at the missionary. I made the missionary really queasy and uneasy and he said to the cannibal.

Why are you looking so intently at me and the cannibal grin and said I am the food inspector is a blessing and being eaten. It all depends what you're being eaten for is it for righteousness sake because you see you can invite persecution on yourself by being an obnoxious person. I was going out to Popejoy Hall when I does the performing arts center here and as I was going out after play in the whole crowd was going out there was some guy standing on a wallet to get a Bible in his hands raised up in he was yelling at us, yelling angrily is furrowed brow. He was telling us the good news. Y'all going to hell I'm thinking. So what's the bad news and I was watching people as they were watching him. I was look at the looks on their faces. Nobody had the look on her face like this is interesting and compelling. Tell me more like get away from the bad man quickly quickly quickly was a complete turnoff to them. Jesus said be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Under why some Christians think they need to be as wise as Dobbs and harmless as a snake. I believe the Lord is looking for sharpshooters not grenade launchers. Somebody is to be very careful and aim very specifically when they speak to unbelievers truth better than just throwing it out there and seeing what happens. But even if you do you do good and you share truth and you might suffer for righteousness sake. Notice it says you are blessed means honored God is honoring you to be in position we are experiencing what Jesus experience your honor to blast and he quotes Isaiah 8 which says and do not be afraid of their threats will be troubled only just give you a quick little background on that in Isaiah chapter 8, King Ahaz of Judah felt threatened because the king of the North in Israel had a coalition with the king of Syria and they both threatened to calm down and pounce on him is getting all bent out of shape and nervous and so Isaiah the prophet comes him and says don't worry about don't be alarmed. Don't be frightened the Lord's going to take care of this. Don't be troubled by their threats.

So Peter's lifting that up and applying that here you are blast if that happens it might not happen. It probably won't happen if it does happen. You're blessed with a guy on staff several years ago. It was a part timer and he was walking home after work here to his home which is nearby and over his ears get a set of headphones when it covered his ears not the headphones were plugged into a listening device. He didn't have one. He was just using get this the headphones to keep his ears warm. I really found Roper headphones Adam on his walking home with three guys. CM thickened is listening to some listening device like an iPod and they go up, and they demand that he turn over to them is listening device because I don't have one is not plugged in. Anything just to keep my ears warm, but he saw this as a divine opportunity.

He said you guys know Jesus Christ elected him like he was living on the moon and the ringleader said don't tell us about that stuff and he said I have a gun.

Always get whatever he kept talking about the Lord and the guy said I'm not afraid to use this gone in our staff member said okay. I just want you to know I'm not afraid to die for Jesus Christ becomes an and by the way, why are you so afraid whenever I mention the name Jesus Christ. Those three guys beat him up and broke his jaw and it had to be surgically wired for it to function again, but he got up from being beat up and he went home singing and everything. Listen to right just singing, rejoicing that he is blessed honored that he was persecuted for weirdness like never obnoxious and sake, but for righteousness.

He felt honored God Skip the message from the series walks. Now we want to share about a special resource that will spark a deep passion in you to live for Jesus, you know. Proverbs 3102 passage that describes the ideal Christian woman in life. To be honest ideal can be as intimidating as it is inspiring. Here's get high with more can I just tell you it's exhausting to just read that, let alone how on earth women, could you ever do that. Let me say first of all, you can't do that in a day is not giving the 24 hour description of the virtuous wife. This is a woman over time. Get to know some of the most incredible women in the Bible and in history to inspiring resources, six message CD collection from pastors and prominent women in Scripture seven women by best-selling author Erica Texas. This bundle is our thanks when you get $35 or more to help expand the Bible teaching outreach of skintight charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Call now to request these captivating resources. Thanks for your generous gift 800-922-1888. Get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer you see people come into a relationship with the living God. When you get to know him is by knowing his word that made these life-changing Bible teachings available all around the world.

You can help take this broadcaster, thereby getting today how to share the gospel with more listeners like you just visit connectwithskip.com/donate.connectwithskip.com/donate or you can call 800 9218 8892 today and tomorrow is Skip encourages you with an eye-opening message on the purpose and power of software to suggest that God's truth is make you immune from problems and pain, but I am to suggest to you that God's truth can prevent the bullets of doubt as to the purpose and the reason there's any doubt in your mind can be anything good. Behind this at all. You would say God's truth. So Skip presentation of connection to