How to Experience Good Days (in the Midst of Bad Ones)

Wave yet survivals of the view to grab them and open the first Peter chapter 3 while you're turning there on Tuesday of this past week we had a really important members meeting where we basically took a look at three different things. One was just some stories of of some amazing things God is been doing in our church over the last of the last several months we talked about a couple of tension points in our church right now, specifically, is I just have a wrestling with what it means for the gospel to address race in and what that looks like going forward. And then the third thing we did is we explained that for the next six months working to begin the plan as if we are not. Gathering in person, but are meeting in essentially house churches sure if things change.

We can always call an audible and and announced plans for reopening our campuses.

But right now we just don't feel like we can keep you safe. Having 500,000 people in a room there's really nothing on the horizon that says is this going to be changing and what we need to do is to be able to make a long-term strategy. The analogy that I used was to we need to unpack our bags.

It's like where the hotel and were not quite sure what to do both Summit this is kind of the new normal. For now, and if God in your walk with God is important to you.

If your relationship to the church is important to you then this is going to have to be how you connect. We want you to be able to gather even in-house church kinds of settings and fellowships and outdoor baptisms and that kind of thing but gathering every week yet just we need to take that off the table for a while. I instead of the summit church be 12,000 people that meets in 12 locations. Think of it like where the summit church is about 16,000 people meeting in 2400 locations every weekend so if you miss that all of those are available@summitchurch.com/members. You can watch any of those reports. I hear the explanations and just want make sure you understand, were going in the season. The cop will in first Peter three were to be looking at verse 8 to 22 today have heard this passage described like a shade in the midst of a really hot day. I have to confess to you II don't enjoy this time of the year is so hot. My wife loves the summer but I'm more about a late fall kind of guy that he just withers my soul I saw this map on TV the other day that I thought described gonna go to where we are to know in the midst of the heat.

How good a moment of shade can feel her when you're pulled into some parking lot you you will park 300 yards from your destination.

That means you get a spot in the shade so that it's not 10,000° inside your car when you come back.

I came home to the day and Veronica had a friend over and that friend had parked waiting on the street way away from our house because there was one pathetic little tree that she could park underneath and keep her car. The shade shade is a welcome or spite in the midst of bewildering heat. See that's what this passage feels like it tells you how to experience shade from the harsh heat of the world and how to provide that kind of shape brothers remember peer writes this letter. First Peter to the suffering believers on persecution and political upheaval have scattered them out of their homes all over the Roman Empire by the way, I think the word that I've heard more than any other word this year is the word unprecedented COBIT lockdown racial tensions, political chaos, unprecedented unprecedented unprecedented know and I did it. These are unusual times and I have used the word about that word about this time, but same that might be a little bit naïve, even. Troubled, stressful world is not unprecedented. In fact, it's been the norm in history for some of us maybe for the first time our world feels a little bit just a little bit like the world of Peter's first audience. So all that to say is, is it makes this a really good book a good letter for us to study together. I was arrested this week by this phrase in the next section of chapter 3 in verse 10 says for the one who wants to love life and to see good days, love life and see good days. That sounds awesome done it to be the title of this message, how to experience good days in the midst of bad ones. Some you are like that's not possible right now Peter tells you that it is this passage has four basic instructions tells us, firstly, that to seek peace and he tells a second later expect suffering many tells us. Thirdly, to turn misery into ministry.

And then, fourthly, he tells us to stay on message number one seek peace. Look at verse 10 for the one who wants to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

Let them turn away from evil and do what is good, let him seek peace and pursue it because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to the prayer but the face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil. A quote from Psalm 34.

So how do we see good days in the midst of bad ones. Peter tells us we we keep our tongues from speaking evil.

We turn away from evil and do good to me. Seek peace with all people. This is a continuation by the way, it appears theme throughout this letter that in any situation. We can always respond like Jesus. What did Jesus do it in dark troubled days while we look at that for three weeks now. Number one. He was patient number two. He entrusted himself to God. And number three. He kept doing good. Peter says when you suffer. You can do the same basic things you don't need to try and control everything. You don't have to assert yourself or forget vengeance you trust God with all of that and that's because verse 12 the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.

He's always good to hear our prayer.

When were doing things his way, but this is the warning verse 12 we take matters into our own hands. We seek vengeance, retake control well that his face is gonna turn against us. Also listed there is a sweetness, a piece in giving up the responsibility to control everything always get even to so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, but his smile quickly drives it away. Not a doubter of fear not a sigh or a tear can abide when we trust and obey that spirit of sweetness and rest ought to characterize the church.

Peter says in that sweet peaceful spirit should feel like like shade on a hot day. It's how he says we love life and we see good days, Peter still gives several words in these verses that describe this sweetness and action.

What words that he says ought to characterize that the Fellowship of the church little verse eight he says be like-minded be like-minded means pursue unity by the lake was one of the obvious here. The fact that Peter commands this of us means it doesn't always come naturally became naturally would need to command us and that's because in a New Testament church are supposed to have people of different cultures and backgrounds to find common cause in Christ when you have people of different cultures and backgrounds.

While they bring in different perspectives and cultural preferences and and that creates tension, Jesus and the apostles never envisioned the church is a place where everybody thought the same thing about everything.

Everybody liked everything equally a place where everybody thinks alike on every issue in all like the exact same things. That's called a colt, a church, a church is a group of diverse people who find the unity in Christ that out ways those differences, they discover believers discover a message that unites them is far beyond any secondary agenda that divides the that is the vision for this place of summer church. Someplace where everybody thinks exactly the same on all cultural and political issues. It's wonder where we are united by something that outweighs those differences who we are in Christ and in his message the importance of that message for the world.

Peter then gives us two words that are necessary for that kind of like mindedness. First of all, he says in verse eight. Be sympathetic with one another. Sympathy means feeling something alongside someone else trying to enter in with them into their pain during a time of conflict. If you are sympathetic with your brothers and sisters. That means that you'll ask do I do I really understand their perspective what what hurt is behind that perspective, even even you will say why do certain political messages resonate so deeply with them. Now I I'm not saying you have to agree with them. The sympathy means you at least try to see things through their eyes. Here's a question if you're on the opposite side of some other believer in our church with some issue. Could you state their opinion in a way that that they would say fairly represents their view, could you identify the concerns or the pain that underlies their perspective again. Hearing. I'm not saying that in seeking understanding that you got a concede there right about everything, but I am saying that their human, then they need Jesus. And you can give them Jesus of you don't even understand them. Peter add CE says love one another.

Love means you you you care deeply about somebody even more emphatic than you do have in your own opinion.

Always affirm back to you living with the gospel of all means caring more about each other and our unity in Christ, and we do uniformity and opinion on on on secondary matters. Are you okay being around people who differ from you in some cultural or political perspective because because your love for them is greater then the affirmation of your perspective, we see that spirit exemplified by the way, with Paul, and in Romans 14 we look at that earlier this year there were issues in the church that would deeply divisive between Jews and Gentiles, and by the way they were emotionally charged issues and Paul had his opinion about who was right and he backed up his perspective was Scripture even called those who didn't see things his way, he called them weak in their gospel understanding. Yet, Paul said that he would rather downplay his convictions on those issues in the church and he would see disagreement on them destroy the unity of the body. Summit family batch.

Love you care more about your brothers and sisters in our unity in Christ in you having everybody around you just echo your perspective back to you all the time unity from love not uniformity of perspective. Is this what you want to give you a warning.

This is hard hard. Peter's day is hard in our day.

It's hard when you're deeply passionate and deeply convinced about something that it's hard to be around people who think differently from you. But as the body of Christ to the message of the gospel worth that kind of tension, but notice what he says next.

He says and be compassionate. The root word for compassionate in Greek is the word's blog, which is a great record of told you about is one of my favorites its impact on amount. That's where the word sounds like what it is like in English the word splash my splashing sounds like what is the word's blog my means.

I keep feeling a pity that works out from within. You can if you can hear when you say it right what is right there in your home just say it right… Lisa feel like you're about the you know yet something out it was supposed to mimic this guttural sounds burned out and that's because it was a it was an emotion of of love of sympathy that compassionate came up from within means you don't just think nicely. Like we like we do here in the South, bless his heart.

He is such an idiot right I it means you really feel somebody's pain. Let your love for others. He says let it be more than just service-level platitudes really invest yourself emotionally in the pain of your brothers and sisters shared Barrett by the way people to tell the difference when you're when you're being polite and when you actually care.

They won't care what you have, say until the convinced you really care for them.

I always heard that as people care what you know until they know that you care. Peter goes on he says and be humble, be humble. I think one of the chief causes of this unity in the church as much of people strut around all the time, assuming the right about everything. Are you least open to being wrong to having your perspective changed. Here's a problem with me, I'll just just put it out there for you.

I always think that I'm right about whatever. I'm thinking at the moment. My wife says the motto of my life if I die, she's up with this on my tombstone often wrong. Never in doubt right but I'm always convinced of whatever I think of the moment it now here I am a look back five years 10 years and I see perspectives I had back then and now I think will.

That was way wrong then, but at the time I was totally convinced that I was I was right.

See maybe that ought to evoke some humility in me. Now that I'm not right about every perspective I have now right right you think be willing to listen. He says you might still disagree but but maybe they'll help you see something you haven't seen again. Here's a really prodigal tip when you're in the midst of a disagreement before you offer your opinion, make sure that you can repeat back the point. The other person is making in a way where they'll say that's exactly right. That's exactly how I feel. Don't just listen to them so you can refute their arguments as will be debited. Listen, so that you can understand limit is as you consider how you think people see you, you think they see you as someone primarily concerned to get your opinion out or somebody that is that is really eager to listen. Humility means that your to be seen as somebody who is eager to listen quick to hear, as James says, but slow to speak.

He continues on her size is not paying back evil for evil, or insult for insult y'all. This is Peter's go to thing be like Jesus never returned evil for evil.

When Jesus was reviled even revile in return when he was cursed he blessed and returned when somebody says something hurtful or harsh or condescending. Don't return in kind.

He says I will talk right now. Are you seeking in your Harlequin heart.

Are you seeking to bless your enemies you desire the good of your enemies. Are you praying for their good. Are you looking for ways to be good to them. Friends and family. This is the way of Christ. What happens when you live this way, Peter says, verse nine you'll love life and see good days like the days right now is not possible go been raised in his election in November's gonna be a dumpster fire yes probably okay. Not great days in themselves.

What Peter says there is a way to love life and see good days, even in the midst of bad ones, its promise right there in the DACs trust, like Jesus respond like Jesus live like Jesus, you will have the joy and the peace that Jesus live with. They want me to stop right here for a minute. I want you to look over that list. I want you to choose at least one that that that probably struggle with most want.

I just voice a prayer to God asking him for for helping me courage to pray out loud just take turns and was just a confession time there in your homes and ask God to help you in developing one of these Christlike characteristics number two. Expect suffering first time in talking about experiencing hardship and suffering injustice.

Peter says again you were called for this I been over this.

Every single week but suffering is an expected part of the Christian life you were called to this. That's how Peter says if you call do. It was God's calling on your life.

There is a reason prosperity gospel preachers don't spend much time preaching from verse Peter Peter says suffering is the norm of the Christian life. Jim Wilkin is one of my wife and I's favorite Bible teacher says that you can summarize first Peter this way we should be willing to suffer unjustly because Christ was willing to suffer unjustly to bring us to God. Now what Peter does in these verses as he points to the different kinds of suffering. First he says there is suffering because you did evil, and he says there's no real joy in that you should avoid that.

Think Jonah and the Bible. Joe suffered in the belly of the fish because he ran from God. I avoid that kind of suffering.

He says the second says you can also suffer for doing right here you should think Joseph in the Bible, Joseph was sold into slavery and put into prison for doing the right thing right but God used that suffering to bring salvation to others. This is a suffering you want to emulate.

Joseph said at the end of his life to the brothers that had enslaved him is like a human endeavor evil against me.

God actually meant it for good to bring it about, so that that many people would be kept alive as they are today.

This is Christlike, suffering, and it still happens today is still the norm for the Christian life third sometimes God has a suffer for no perceivable reason. Think Job in the Bible you might change you in it he will change when it but you never really quite know what he's doing in the world through it. It's more of a mystery. Three kinds of suffering depicted in the three Joe's of the Old Testament.

Joe not suffering for doing what is wrong Joe self suffered for doing what is right and in Job who is suffering for no perceptible reason Peter says in all of these you can be confident that God is at work and know that just because your suffering is in your doing something wrong.

Verse 17 says, for it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil. Sometimes it's just God's will for you to suffer. You can do everything right and still suffer. Listen, y'all, we gotta get rid of this idea of what what I call the smooth sailing God who we please. It makes everything smooth sailing and peachy keen for you that's not what Jesus's life was like and he did everything right. He please God and he still suffer. You were called to this, Peter says we need to teach our kids to expect suffering of life otherwise would've set them up for a crisis of faith. If we teach them that they do their part everything to be smooth sailing audit at some point something was wrong in their lives they could deny the job they get taken advantage to get golf their marriage falls apart. Death comes they feel like God. I did everything right. God, what's wrong with you.

Are you even there they need to understand in that moment I was called to this and I can have the presence of Jesus in this moment and the promise that he's gonna work it all out for good.

And that's even better than a life about suffering right which leads me to number three, number three, Peter tells us verses 15 and 16 that we should turn misery into ministry. Verse 15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord is holy ready at any time to give a defense to anybody who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

Peter says your suffering just might be the best moment you have, to point others to Jesus. Anybody. Anybody can be happy when things are going awesome right but can you have a joy when they are going awesome that's what's unusual. I was watching television evangelist was with when my kids are living room and the sky was trying to convince people to give his ministry he was like a some of you have just a little bit of room left on your credit card you have a climax that out. I can assure you that if you'll give whatever to remain on the credit card you'll donate this ministry that within several months, goblet turn that around and you be driving up a new BMW and your neighbors will be amazed when they see you going down the street with a smile on your face and the joy of the Lord in your hard drive in the new BMW y'all I don't normally get mad watching the TV, but I was none of those black men got on the floor with his guys did punch him in the throat. In Jesus name first if your max out your credit card because I tell you to class for the credit card and give it to some charlatan, but probably even even more wrong is no people are not to be amazed when you're driving a brand-new BMW and you have a smile on your face. Anybody can smile that situation when there to be amazed is when you go through suffering with hope and unshakable joy then people dilute you and then I can understand because they going to know that if if they were that situation they be miserable to be despond in that moment you will be ready. Peter says that actually give a defense to offer a reason for what you believe might be ready to give a defense, Dr. Brian here says that there's a difference in giving a defense of our faith versus being defensive about our faith right. Most Christians are really good being defensive about their faith to be ready to give a defense means first living a life that is so different that it evokes questions from others and then be prepared to answer those questions well so me as you consider both sides that okay first. When is the last time somebody asked you the reason for your excessive joy or your hope in pain when is the last time somebody asked you why you are so generous, so forgiving, so patient be honest right out on a scale 1 to 10 how different/amazing is your life. In this regard. Once again I that's reserved for Jesus both a oneness reserve. The devil just don't want to not attend reserve.

Jesus would you rate yourself. How different is your life from those around you can be.

We go to school with people you work with living in a neighborhood maybe in your own family the way this was the secret of the early church the success they lived in ways that just blew people's minds Rodney Stark the church historian says there were several things about the early church a set them apart.

First, he said it was the one place in the Roman Empire where you found multiple ethnicities coming together as equals in harmony that wasn't done anywhere else in the Roman Empire. The cities that would've piling different ethnicities on top of each other and racial strife was rampant in the church. They regarded each other is as equals, as brothers and sisters right it was it was confusing to them.

Rodney Stark says that the early Christians had a reputation of being radically insanely generous. It took incredible care of the poor told you that famous letter from Emperor Julian complaining these godless Galileans. He said they care not only for for for their poor.

They also care for the poor of other religions as well. Or how about this only in the church was there regard, he says, for all of life, especially those lives considered sheet by the Roman Empire.

Rome had its own abortion scheme. Back in those days of Roman family had a baby.

They didn't want usually little girl they would just leave it out of the trash overnight. Let it die in the trash collector come along.

Take it to the dump. The next day we have we have we have on record ancient letters from Roman into their wives as their away on business or as a soldier telling them if it's a boy.

Keep it if it's a girl discarded by the way that some familiar with.

We may have found more sanitized way of doing this, but the abortion industry in our country is essentially the same. You can discard kids that you don't want.

So the early church practice things called baby runs members would walk the streets at night listening for the cries of these discarded babies soon.

Rodney Stark says these these new churches were filled with new babies, particularly baby girls just been discarded on the streets will see all these things and many others just made early Christians died met provoked questions. When was the last time somebody asked you about your generosity oddness because they haven't asked you that in a while. Maybe that's because your not that much different.

You see that kind of living is the most effective evangelism. There is couple years ago I read a book about the final days of very famous atheist Christopher Hitchens during the last years of his life. He toured around university campuses, debating a Christian scholar named Larry Taunton. Larry wrote the book that I was reading and he described a very few of his intellectual rebuttals on the platform of the University's many made any deep impression on Christopher, but during his last months.

He said Christopher really began to question things and was mainly taught and said because of Taunton's family's decision to adopt a special needs girl from Russia who had a lot of a lot of health problems. Larry said in the book. He said EEE said. Christopher kept asking me Larry why why would you bring that into your life that and he he heard the hope in Larry's voice when he talked about life after death. Now there's no proof that Christopher Hitchens became a believer before he died that kindness and that hope did something in his heart that intellectual arguments could not friends, family. This is effective evangelism, effective evangelism but gone from mastering an evangelistic presentation is important, but is not with power comes from the bridge.

The four spiritual laws, the avenger cube right.

Effective evangelism comes from living away the provokes the question, which is the other side of this. Are you ready to share that when you're asked. Listen if you want to grow a nest on encourage you to go today to some@church.com/1 right in there you can find some great tools for how to share the gospel also have some great training coming out for you this fall that will equip you to be able to share with people that God puts in your life, especially when that when they ask you one more observation about this before we we leave this point Peter says even in this first 16, you should do this with gentleness and respect it matter how good your answer is Reaven how compelling your life is if you answer without gentleness and respect you a forfeiture witness screaming at somebody.

In Jesus name does not change them. Amen. Right. Nobody ever gets converted to do through the use in mean cutting things on Facebook are picketing a gay pride parade, gentleness, respect, that is supposed to describe our witness or defense gentle gentle respect that you do everything right you be a great defender of theology or even adopt a child you be a model Christian. But the minute you speak hatefully toward somebody else you're going to undo all of that makes the rest of your life feel like a sham.

Hey listen before we go under a last point.

What if we just stop right there and I want you to think about where your suffering, where something is difficult. Whether God might want to use that as a testimony to others about your hope in Christ working you show right now, not the generosity of Christ. What if we we just took a moment to pray about that together right succumb to the end CPAs that was first thing expect suffering from misery in the ministry.

Lastly, number four tells us to stay on message with verse 18 Christ also suffered for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God, he was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the spirit in which he also went and made proclamation of the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared and that are a few that is eight people to be exact, were saved through water for 21 baptism which corresponds to this now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body of the pledge of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ was gone into heaven, and was at the right hand of God with Angels, authorities and powers. Now subject to him. Oh my, some bingo questions in those verses are right but away the verses in first Peter are regarded by many to be one of the most if not the most confusing passages in the New Testament. So one of very quickly answer the two hardest questions their gate number one.

What in the heck does Peter mean when he says of Jesus when Prince of the spirits in prison. Number two.

What does he mean by baptism now saves you write verse 19 says that Christ by his spirit also went made proclamation to the spirits in prison for 20 past disobedient to God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared to be want to fix right could mean that after Jesus's death. He went proclaimed his victory to a group of disobedient demons, principalities and powers would been at work in the days of Noah were now bound up awaiting judgment in Christ when proclaimed them. His ultimate victory is like a foretaste of what would happen at the final judgment. The other option and the one that I prefer visit. Peter is saying that Christ through his spirit was preaching through Noah jury know is disobedient, generation, just as he is preaching out the last hours.

Noah preached for hundred 20 years of regeneration and was nobody listen Peter saying don't be discouraged if sometimes you get the same reaction. Noah God because God eventually kept his word to Noah and God brought salvation. We can be confident that he's gonna keep his word to us.

Also right. If you are reading it.

That way you would read verse 19 like this in his spirit, Christ in the past proclaim the gospel through Noah to the spirits, that is, the souls of people who are now in prison that is there in hell because he didn't believe Noah's message but don't get discouraged.eventually brought salvation in Noah's day will bring salvation and hours to okay is your first, second, confusing phrase in verse 21 baptism which corresponds to this now saves you and you like what baptism saves you. I thought Scripture says believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be safe if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believing our God raised him from the dead right then you'll be safe with the heart man believes in righteousness and with the mouth confession is made and salvation is nothing about baptism in their no Peter is not contradicting that you not say that getting baptized is actually what saves you is just that baptism was closely associated with conversion with salvation. We often say her to some church that is like that.

The ring ceremony, a marriage, you could easily conflate the two. If I say that 20 years ago by the way. 20 years ago this week, July 28 that Veronica and I exchange rings and were married. I don't mean that the exchange of rings alone made is married under speaking in shorthand, and taken the ceremony and I'm I'm talking about. That is, the mode of marriage. That's what Peter is doing here. He makes clear in fact that he is not say in the water of baptism going over you is what saves you, he says, is the response of faith expressed through baptism.

Zero 21 he says I'm not talking about the removal of dirt from the body, the pledge of a good conscience that is the request for forgiveness of sins toward God that you are declaring a Baptist that your answers right. You cannot explain what the most confusing passages of Scripture. Now, congratulations, you are all certified Bible nurse, but in the technicalities don't lose Peter's main point. Okay, in the section here is Christ wins just like you.

One of the days of Noah when everybody thought Noah was a fool right Christ one so he will today. He winced so Peter says don't get off message. One winter to this whole thing. Christ keep preaching him even when it feels like nobody's listening even when it feels of the world is coming unraveled and fallen apart. Keep preaching because just like you brought salvation through Noah, so he is going to bring it through. You also summit church. The gospel is first here at the summa church and always will be. It is the one message. The one mission, but one agenda that I know is guaranteed to succeed. I don't know where everything is going in our world. I don't know where society is going, but I know were Jesus is going.

So sure was talk about politics but here's our main talking point.

But Democrats and Republicans need Jesus and the ultimate salvation that were looking for didn't come riding in on the wings of Air Force One.

It can cradle in a Manger whether you belong to the donkey or the elephant is not nearly as important to me is whether you belong to the land yet.

Let's talk about the economy, but our main message is that both the rich and the poor need Jesus. And yeah, let's talk about race or main message is gonna be the people of every race need Jesus and the Jesus came to make one equal family of brothers and sisters.

Out of all of us and that changes how we think about each other. Yeah let's talk about Kobe, but let's make clear the weather. We we get a vaccine are not relevant to die one day we all need Jesus. Yet the subject matter but Jesus matters most of all sort of stay on message.

By God's grace. This is the shade in the hot sun of a chaotic world. This is how you love life and see good days pay summa church wishes close this by by declaring that victory through song with joy in your hearts and let's sing Jesus at the center of it all