The Mysterious Witness of Submission and Suffering, Part 2

Life Jeannie Greer talks about how we respond to criticism. Yes, there is a time to answer, but what Peter is saying is all the local community that your aunt is not a persuasive argument that in the greatest witness is how your obedience. That is how you put the site with the I'm only been a bench. Fortunately in America today?

Facing torture or death for speaking the truth that there are parts of the world where that is still reality. The Bible makes it clear that if you're really following Jesus in the world is going to oppose you in one way or another. So what we do when were mocked or excluded because of our fate with four shunned by her family or fired from her job because we held to our convictions.

Pastor Katie answers that question with a message titled, the mysterious witness submission and suffering. I realize that this particular talking about what rubbing the wrong way is not set well with you and the reasons for that, you should realize what is your sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. The original rub in their genes are and you there blood is in you and so that's just what you are by nature your rub always is. That way, but second of all you are Americans in our nation was born in rebellion. We were rebellious people. If you don't believe that just as the British live so we realize sometimes and I'm grateful for the freedom of speech we hear, but this was a foster sometimes in us a sense of rebellion, another reason is that you are a post-1960s generation were rebellion was enshrined as a civic Valley course are a lot of things that came out of that rebellious civil rights that's good news. Not so good things that came out of the you know what rebellion drop acid mobility gives deodorant.

That's not so good okay but you are that makes rebellion part of her cultural ethos for the air we breathe. I'm talking to a group of American post-1960s sons and daughters of Adam and Eve rebels you are the most rebellious people on the planet to realize that yes what Peter is about talking about should be very offensive to you and if it's not that I'm not explaining a writer, you're not listening, civil disobedience, I'm just suggesting you that most of you did not a straight face. Put yourself in the same level of Martin Luther King and chord symbols will be serious most of our check for a minute.

For many of you.

Your problem was submission to earthly authorities is a problem with authority in general like anybody telling you what to do including God and God is never to be known that way.

God is not only down the path of absolute surrender and submission you want to know God, you come to church to sit on you, take notes, but you're not willing to do what God says God is the Almighty God is not a life coach is not a spiritual advisor which means you'll come to him and negotiate about what you want to do what you don't want to do. God is not only to submission and surrender. If you don't come that way you know a little Peter says be subject to human institution submit to them using two reasons why you should verse 14, because governors and authorities are sent by him to punish those who do evil and appraise those who do good taking arthritis down one.

These are institutions ordained by God, drag us down to his fellow our humble submission to authority in our civic goodness are God's ordained way of putting the silence the ignorance of foolish people on our humble submission to authority our civic goodness of God ordained way of putting the silence, the aggressive voice people. Peter fleshes out an extra versus always keep moving your for 60 is as live as people who are free not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God continues verse 17 you should honor everyone not who is the world on the world honors people that can honor them and return we don't honor people any longer because of what they can do for us.

We honor people because of what Jesus has already done for us and so we extend that honor to them.

We honor everyone that's totally different now. Dear I'm not saying not saying you didn't disagree criticized. I might say you can't only talk radio. I'm just saying that you do so when you speak about that but you do with a sense of honor. I think I probably learned this was going to my parents. My parents had strong convictions talk about this convictions with passion and sometimes with anger but at the end of the day they would say.

But you know what that's our president. That's our center.org government you speak about them with respect. When you live this way. Peter sets when you are submitted for Jesus sake and not just for personal gain. When you honor people irrespective of whether or not they can pay you back when you are devoted to surveying and blessing and doing good to others. Verse 15, Peter says you can put the silence, at least a little bit the ignorance of foolish people. Have you ever experienced the ignorance of Polish people because you are a Christian, have you ever experienced that the Roman said that that the first Christians were seditious. They were antigovernment that they were haters of mankind that they were atheistic because Christians would worship idols and that they were immoral. How does Peter tell you to put back to silence by overwhelming them with goodness. The authors of this one blog which I believe nameless is not even my transcripts. You can look it up there either. They came to a sermon a while back where I explained that before God will sheet the sermon, and she British and that means that we ought to trust the wisdom of God. Our Shepherd, who guides us in knots always lean on our own wisdom and understanding what this person writes on the block.

Clearly this is how this works. Congregation members at the summit have a legitimate question and concern, but when they come to their Shepherd quote the shepherd who appears only to be a man of average intelligence and educated in average Christian institutions is so elevated to a higher level that he is the King fan and cannot be questioned by the dumb sheep, not to mention that in that same sermon I said that I was a and that that made me forgot as well so I depend on the list of the leadership of God, not on my part right so this is what this very significant factor to consider is that 70 to 75% of the congregation members are college women.

It certainly appears that the pastor at the summit has been elevated to mega pastor status because of the loyalty of a congregation that is comprised primarily of young college women turns out that their pastor is most likely just another ho-hum authoritarian dictator disguised as a cold blue pastor personal. That's not true. This is not true. My family 75% female.

That is, but this, Karen was more unattractive guys gathers a lot and there are a lot of college girls in college. I little doubt that they can get a date of our church is like going to the complainant. You can get wet. I simply serious series. I responded that I was a vital couple years ago to speak at our city's annual Martin Luther King route. This because the city Council of Durham told me that our church they believe represented the spirit of brotherly love that brought peace to our city okay so this blogger on a fairly well-known site in the area said said this that we were hateful people at the summit and that people who hate our community should not be allowed to speak to it. They said and I quote this guy talking about me is an expletive leave that part out a progressive forward thinking city like Durham should not be allowing these people any part of honoring our heroes. Now how do you put that to rest. You preach angry sermons and start a blog talking about how dumb they are, no, no, you do this by helping them with kindness to shut everybody up, but at least in some ways omit what they say seem a little silly bundling the city Council responded to this blogger saying that it was because of how much our church was doing to serve the poor in this community, that they were inviting me to speak on your behalf city Council said in a summarized you cannot argue with the fact that everywhere, the city has a need. There seems to be somebody in the summit church there meeting that need.

This person responds on the blog quote just because the church spends countless hours helping the community doesn't mean we should let them speak to us.

Maybe if you spend more time serving the poor and less time blogging in your mom's basement.

You would be invited to speak, which is probably not in the spirit of what first Peter is talking about but you okay that's how I will put this silent Thursday. Some of you students just get rained any other time to answer. There's a time you explain things not to do that. I'm saying at the end of the day.

The way that God has ordained that you will most show the beauty of Christ is in responding like Christ did. Because you show forgiveness of the show with joy. You show a beauty, but let us not work for us as a church work for you personally when I am my first youth pastor Donna Florida. There was a kid was a sophomore high school who came to faith in Christ very shortly thereafter his dad was a very militant atheist forbid him from coming to church, you prevent him from doing stuff with our student ministry is to consummate his broken heart is to what I did sneak out, you know, after my dad was asleep and sneak out of conduct student activities and I said no we got to bring your Bible because that's life. Yes, you got obey God when you're in his house.

You want to obey you want to honor him. He wrote me a letter of three years later three years I get this letter from him and this is what happened. He said, so I took your advice and served I obeyed my dad. He said my dad take me about three months ago he said and my dad when he came to me said he said son you know when you first became a Christian should read your Bible about crazy about you lost your mind about this was just a fad is about watched you for three years and actually this is not a fat. This is something that not only I've seen transform your religious life. I watched you become this rebellious punk kid to being a man of character Amanda I now aspire to be like you said you explain to me how it is you come to believe and how this can apply to me softly back down to Florida. We let his dad to Christ and I baptize. That is how this is supposed to work. Yes, there is a time to answer, but what Peter is saying is all the way for a cynical first cynical community that urea is not your persuasive arguments that end up being the greatest witness is how your obedience. That is how you put the silence the foolish people goes on is even worse for sinking servants be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the Goodman channel but also the unjust. Now thinking submission will never level talk about submitting to somebody who's unjust. This is a gracious thing when mindful of God would endure sorrow while suffering unjustly, what credit is it if when you say are being for you and your but if when you do good and suffer for you and your this is a gracious thing. This is so full of God's grace. It just wraps God's grace in the sight of God. Verse 21 for to this you have been called college students… Right out of the cold God in your life, down I've been called to suffer unjustly for Jesus name that make it into people's repertoire. Usually took this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps he committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth when he was reviled not revile in return when he suffered, did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly when Jesus was unjustly treated, Peter said he actually did something different did not revile in return. He responded with graciousness and no one Hero violated BusinessWeek because I want to think that I'd like to possess. Yesterday morning as after the sermon, so I chose Montréal my last thing I did not Montrose late Friday night. Get back to the hotel at 11 o'clock I got a fly out to get back so I can come here to be your church to preach to you people because I love you so much.

I really like oh dark 30 on Saturday morning to fly.

So I get him to get up like just a crack at 430 with time to get up so I'm not going through our sleep better at midnight and so my little hole where else in the hotel, the two or three of the rooms old hotel and whoever standards across me were like party and party all night long and they were music to 3 o'clock in the morning and they're running up and down the hallways there yelling I'm sure they're drunk every half hour and we can all so I wake up. Finally, you know to get up at 4 o'clock and get dressed.

It's totally quiet. I get all my stuff out.

I did premeditate is a promise I will out of the hole and is him to do. I feel heavy this glorious it wasn't premeditated sin in that moment I had a flash of inspiration for the public what you start going to be my first thought was that is exactly what first Peter is telling me not to do my second thought was, but that awesome to do that. My third book like so suddenly what this is what Christ did when he was reviled not revile in return.

There are two things a Christ habit Peter tells you that you need in order to respond the same way. Look at this is not just let go do this in Texas and be different. Here's why someone Christ had faith in God's ultimate judgment is easy to phrase the entrusting himself to him who judges justly. Christ kept his eyes, but back ultimately God writes all wrongs. So Peter doesn't need to know when the apostle Paul talked about this is uses phrase elements that leave room for the wrath of God when you're wrong you feel like injustice has been done which it has ended little tuning for the God put inside you called a sense of justice and you feel like when you're writing the wrong you feel nigh unto deity. Do you not we were paying back the wall because you feel like you are setting the balance back properly.

The universe buses leave room for the wrath of God. But every sin that is committed will be paid for fully want two places one is held the others on the cross of Christ. Every sin, every injustice that is ever been committed against you will be paid for either in-house or by Jesus on the cross and if you believe that you will always feel the need to pay somebody back because you know that justice will be done. If you don't believe that you will be consumed with an insane desire to get people back. That's why some of you are consumer that you don't believe in the ultimate justice of God which is what Christ entrusted himself to you, will be consumed with hatred and vengeance until you believe that ultimately God writes all wrongs which is what Christ entrusted himself to Christ if they do have the last word in the cross he did and you're right before he died he looked up his head and say you know God even do that is by using a God ultimately God ultimately gets justice see that your second link I sent to the next verse he himself bore our sins in his body on three that we might die to sin and live to righteousness yet love for us, so we was willing to bear our sin, so that through his bearing of our sins. He might save us. Peter says, you know, in reality, we were the rebels who had resisted authority.

We were the servants who have rebelled against our rightful master God. We were the ones who rejected the rightful rule of God.

But Jesus was the Lord who submitted to death. He was the master who became a servant. He was the rightful ruler who suffered our injustice and by submitting to our injustice.

He redeemed us he was the only one who ever voluntarily died. I don't know what people voluntarily died under lots of stories of martyrs. No, they might have chosen the circumstances or the time of their death but they didn't use the back of their death. We might speed up or change the location of it but nobody chooses to die. That's something that's upon Jesus was the only one who never had to die, but voluntarily died in your place as he was taking the punishment for your injustice and see because he suffered under your injustice that very moon that went into his body. That was the thing that ultimately became your salvation is verse by his wounds you have been healed by the wounds that your injustice put on him. Why did Jesus at once to put the ones on you did but it was by your salvation came that you were spreading like sheep but now you have returned to separate an overseer of your souls, what he saying is because Jesus redeemed you that way that's good to be how you redeem others. Your salvation was purchased because Christ did not pay you back for your injustice against him. His wounds begin the means your salvation. So now what's way that other people can become the no redemption is through the way that you suffer through the wounds that you bear when you respond like Jesus did you see this region on the first Peter 315 or Peter picks up his thought and then concluded, but in your hearts on Christ the Lord is holy, holy means and Peter member separate is a mean there is Christ the Lord is separate from the world, which means that you trust that ultimately he is in charge of situations they're not in charge of him to Jesus is not subject to be able Jesus is not subject to disease Jesus is not subjugating verse 22.

See what it says that all parties all angels, all power over the subject is all so it is holy means you trust that ultimately he is in control of every situation and nobody else dishonor him is holy means that he separated from the world and that he has so much more value than anything else. The world happens to separate Christ in your heart is holy means that you believe that he's in control and he's more valuable than anything else. The world gives. And if you do that verse 15 you will always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you a reason for the Tracy puppet said you amazed about how you suffer to the point that they ask you about. How could you possibly have joy in that circumstances. That is how you can show the beauty of Christ. We always want the world to know the power of God, by the way that he prospers us. By the way that he heals us and he that sometimes will ever make you healthy and wealthy.

That would not be that impressive, cynical world yonder. This is it whenever God is a miracle in your life you try to explain to somebody doesn't really believe we cannot figure out a way to come aboard, hold off well since it is not true you're making it out probably didn't really happen then on what a miracle you put in front of them.

They come up with some way to marginalize it. But what really gets their attention is when in the midst of cancer in the midst of being fired unjustly from a job, you have a joy that they know nothing about. Is it something that disease and death cannot touch it is a hope that is imperishable.

It is a hope that goes beyond this world is a joy that fills your heart a peace that passes all understanding, and a love that speaks to them of something they've never experienced on earth because it's a love that your suffering and that lets them see the beauty of Christ's in a way that even miracles can't show some of you are in the midst of suffering under that much, I minimize that I'm to say to what God is doing. He's putting his real beauty on display in you. Yes, God is glorified with sick people get healed and get well.

But God is also horrified with sick people suffer well because in suffering. They can show the beauty and the spirit of Christ in a way that they can't when you are always walking see that the beauty the real glory of Christ is shown in the cross and when you mirror the crosses like Jesus did. And you suffer unless you speak a message. You don't say this is injustice, but you do so with joy and hope and forgiveness that blows world's will he respond are most effective tool for evangelism is found in our suffering is an important shift in perspective today from Pastor Jenny Greer on Summit life. Pastor Jenny titled today's message the mysterious witness submission and suffering. It's a part of our study in first Peter, I am an alien. If you missed any of the previous messages you can find all free of charge@jennygreer.com, today's the last day for our Summit my family to get Pastor Jenny's new 10 day devotional called short reflecting on your security in God's family. This book included instruction about the assurance of salvation reflection questions and prayer guides so this is your last chance. Don't miss out on this new resource if you never wrestled with doubt about your status with God. Need to work through this devotional when you Jenny today to support this ministry at the suggested level of $25 or more will send you the devotional book titled the short arm Lansing. Thanks for your support and generosity keep Summit life on the radio and ran reaching people every day of the gospel still give right now. And remember to ask your company the short call 866-335-5228 6335 winning copy when you donate online.

Jenny Greer.com sure to sign up for our email you receive ministry at information about teacher resources all delivered straight to great way to stay connected with Senate life Jenny Greer.hi Molly, thank you so much for joining us today and right in the first have a great weekend everybody and join us Monday night mere minutes