Manuscript Template
Title (written around problem being solved): What do we do when following Jesus gets hard?
Problem I’m Trying to Solve / Answer: How do we deal with
Focus Statement:
Function Statement:
Tweetable Phrase: How should we respond when culture conflicts with Christian values; as warrior, secret agents, or ambassadors?
Main Text: 1 Peter 3:8-22
Supporting Text:
Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus): Luke 6:27-36
Benediction: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
WELCOMEGood morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson, and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.
Welcome to those joining us online. We hope you're doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.
And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.
ME/INTRO - TensionHow many people are excited for next Wednesday...
...when all the political adds will stop?
It may just be me but it is hard to watch TV right now.
There is sooooo much mud slinging, it makes me not want to vote at all because everyone seems sooooo bad.
I hope most of it is not true because the things everyone is accusing everyone else of are truly terrible.
But even if it isn’t true, that means our politicians are willing to lie and slander to get into office, which isn’t good either.
Looking back, I think political adds have always been bad, but it seems like with each new election cycle it is getting progressively worse and worse.
Watching current political adds make me feel like the world we live in has changed in two pretty distinct ways
Society is getting more and more polarized
Christianity feels more and more like the minority opinion
Maybe you have experienced this as well
I did some research and...
We are becoming a more and more polarized society - politically and religiously. This plays out in multiple ways.
In the USA there is a documented erosion of institutional trust
Past: Disagreed on policy, but still get along as people
Now: It is common for many to view other people as immoral when they disagree with us
There is also a growing trend for people to Geographically and Socially Self-Sort
Past: We lived around and interacted with many people we didn’t agree with
Now: The tendency is for people to physically move or socially find ways to eliminate interactions with people who believe differently than they do. We are creating our own echo chambers to reinforce whatever beliefs we have.
There is also a growing trend in the US for people to Religiously Disaffiliate
Past: Christians felt welcomed on both sides of the political isle
Now: With conservatives claiming the “religious platform”, Moderate and Liberal Christians feel alienated from the church and are leaving it. Many Conservative Christians are seeing the gap between what the conservative and saying and doing with what the Bible teaches and are leaving the church as well. Non-Christians are seeing the hypocrisy among those who claim to be Christians and apply that to the entire church, and are writing church off without every giving it a chance.
I also found that Christian Persecution in the United States is increasing
Legally
Christian business owners are getting sued and facing legal penalties for standing by their religious beliefs when they conflict with culturally accepted behaviors
We’ve seen non-profit tax status be threatened if Christian organizations don’t comply with culturally accepted activities
We’ve also seen Church vandalism, arson, and threats increase
Culturally
Christians face social judgement, job friction, and direct criticism for standing by beliefs on marriage and morality that don’t align with what society has normalized
It goes without saying that many Christians around the world suffer significantly more sever persecution for their faith than we experience in the United States.
But the trend here in the United States is not going in a good direction.
WE - TensionAll these things add up and affect the way we live our lives
How often do you talk about your faith with someone unless you already know that the other person is a Christian?
How often do you share your faith with someone you know is not a Christian?
How do you respond when things are going on that are socially acceptable, but don’t align with the teachings of the bible?
There are three ways that people typically respond to persecution. They become a:
Warrior - fighting for their rights and trying to force others to believe the same as they do
Secret Agent - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as they do
Ambassador - Someone who lives true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree and at the same time engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
If you were with us 2 weeks ago, we looked at Peter’s answer to the question, “Should Christians engage with culture?”
His answer was a clear “YES”, but we should do so by
Focusing on removing sin for our lives, instead of trying to change others
Submit to human authorities because God put them there for a reason, even if we don’t understand
But in all things, we need to put God first, only disobeying human authorities if we’re doing so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty for doing so
If you missed the previous messages, please feel free go to our website, TheLightKC.org, to catch up.
Today Peter answers the next logical question, if we are to engage with culture, “What do we do when engaging within culture as a Christian gets hard?”
When engaging with culture leads to ridicule, and persecution.
When living true to the beliefs of the bible starts to cost us professionally, socially, and within our family.
When we feel like we are living with an unpopular minority opinion that nobody takes seriously anymore.
What do we do?
Do we act like the WARRIOR, the SECRET AGENT, or the AMBASSADOR?
To answer these questions, please turn with me to [1 Peter 3:8: Sanctuary Bible Page # 982]
We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.
AND... if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.
Let's dive in.
GOD - Text - HEADPeter is going to answer this question of “What do we do when engaging within culture as a Christian gets hard?” by answering a series of sub-questions.
What How should I act as a Christian in a non-Christian culture?The first question Peter answers is “How should I act as a Christian in a non-Christian culture?”
1 Peter 3:8 reads
“8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Peter’s primary aim is to encourage Christians to act, among fellow believers and especially within a non-Christian society, in ways that clearly testify to their hope in Jesus Christ.
The virtues Peter lists — unity of mind, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility—aren’t merely suggestions for making life easier; they’re the spiritual infrastructure that sustains our Christian witness under pressure.
Remember, Peter wrote this letter to exiled Christians who faced persecution from the wider Roman society and lived with a constant uncertainty about their future.
Peter write that we cannot let difficult times bring out the worst in us, but rather let the hard times in life bring our the qualities of Jesus Christ within us.
So when we’re surrounded by people who believe and live differently that we do, we need to be...
Like Minded
We need to stay laser focused on aligning our thoughts with the teachings of Jesus and the bible
Sympathetic
Even though we don’t agree with everything that goes on within culture, we are called to show
care
compassion
and understanding
to everyone.
Love one Another
Jesus tells His disciples in John 13:34-35 that everyone will know that they are His disciples if they love one another
We are called to the same.
How we love one another should be the primary witness that we have to a non-believing world.
Compassionate
We are called to have deep sympathy, concern, and a strong desire to help everyone.
I will be the first to admit that this is a hard one.
If we are truly honest with ourselves do we have compassion for all people?
Do we have a deep sympathy, show genuine concern, and have a strong desire to help the people that choose to live lives opposite of how we believe God created us to live?
Humble
Humility is a choice
Humility refuses to ASSERT our value at someone else’s EXPENSE
And keep in mind, in today’s world humility is a value, it is widely believed to be a good thing to have
That was not true in Greco-Roman times this letter was written in.
J.H. Elliott - Biblical Scholar and Author
In the highly competitive and stratified world of Greco-Roman antiquity, only those of degraded social status were “humble,” and humility was regarded as a sign of weakness and shame, and inability to defend one’s honor. Thus the high value placed on humility by Israelites and Christians is remarkable.
That’s what made Jesus’ repeated call to humility so revolutionary.
The call to live a life of humility was a call to live a life completely opposite of the current culture.
If you ever find yourself struggling with humility, remember the bible compares Christians to sheep in many places
I have a short video here to remind us of how sheep behave in the wild
[Video: Sheep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Wc8vluyp0]
I’m sure most of us can relate.
We get ourselves stuck in a bad situation, Jesus rescues us, forgives us, and points us in a better direction.
Then, before we know it, we are right back in that bad situation.
Where in your life do you need to
Align your thought with the teachings of Jesus
Be more sympathetic toward those that believe differently that you do
Love better
Show more compassion
Exercise a little more humility?
How are we called to treat our enemies?The second question Peter answers is “How are we called to treat our enemies?”
1 Peter 3:9 “9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
To live this out, we have to break with the idea that we give people what they deserve
To live this out, we need unconditionally LOVE others, meaning that we give people what they need
Jesus says in Luke 6:27–28 “27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Do you live like this? Do you...
Love the people you consider to be your enemies
Do good to the people who hate you
Bless the people who want nothing but bad to happen to you
Pray that good happens to those people that have hurt you the worst
I have a Challenge for all of us this week.
Think of one person you would consider to be your enemy?
Pray for them every day. And don’t just pray for them, pray that God blesses them.
Try to find a way to genuinely wish good upon your enemies.
Because the truth is...
You can’t BATTLE and BLESS someone at the same time. You have to pick one.
And Jesus calls us to bless our enemies.
What do we do when we’re being treated unfairly?The third question Peter answers is “What do we do when we’re being treated unfairly?”
1 Peter 3:10–12 “10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””
I think we can agree, that (at least for most of us) when we are being treated unfairly we want to be WARRIORS
We want justice
The last thing that comes to mind (again probably for most of us) is, in the moment we’re being treated unfairly, to step into the role of AMBASSADOR for Christ
Yet, this sections is a direct quote from Psalm 34:12-16
Peter quoted it almost word for word. And the readers of this letter would have recognized that.
They would have also know that Psalm 34 was written by David, at a time before he was king, when he was on the run and surrounded by people who wanted to kill him.
At the time David wrote this Psalm 34, he was
Being hunted by King Saul who wanted to kill him
He had gone into Philistine (enemy) territory to hide
He was living among the Philistines under fear that the Achish (King of Gath) would recognize him
David had done nothing wrong, yet he was being hunted and people were trying to kill him. He was surrounded by enemies and living in constant fear that he was going to be found.
Have you ever felt like this, like no matter what you do the world is out to get you?
Remembering how that felt, in the midst of those trials, we’re called to follow David’s example and
Mind our tongue
Don’t lie
Do good to everyone
Seek peace with everyone
If you’re anything like me, when being treated unfairly, I want justice.
Yet, the bible tells us over and over to seek peace, and leave justice up to God.
2 Thessalonians 1:6–7 “6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.”
No matter how we are being treated, we are to show others the full love of Christ as His AMBASSADOR.
Who has God placed in your life right now that treats you poorly?
Who are you secretly, or not so secretly, wishing God would enact some justice upon?
How can you DO GOOD for them, SEEK PEACE with them, and serve as Christ’s AMBASSADOR to them?
How are we called to suffer for our faith?The final question Peter answers is “How are we called to suffer for our faith?”
1 Peter 3:13–18 “13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
Peter gives us two things we should do while suffering for our faith.
1. Do not be afraid
2. Be prepared to share our faith
I don’t know about you, but Peter’s first challenge is really hard for me.
I am pretty scared to speak up when I know I am about to say something people don’t want to hear.
I don’t like conflict, and maybe you feel the same way.
But, we are called to be fear-less in situations surrounding our faith.
And that is because we are called to obey everything that Christ commands, because He is not just our SAVIOR, but the LORD OF OUR LIFE
There is a difference between surrendering to Christ as the one who SAVED us from our sins and enthroning Him as the LORD OF OUR LIFE.
Surrendering to Christ as our SAVIOR is a one time choice that we make, acknowledging that we are sinners, that our relationship with God is broken, and it can only be restored by accepting the gift that Christ offers through His sacrifice on the cross
Living our life with Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIFE is totally different. That requires that we submit to Christ’s will in every aspect of our lives. Putting Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIFE means that we need to FULLY TRUST that God’s way is the best way, FULLY OBEY every command that God gives us, and FULLY ALIGN every action we take with the will of God.
If we put Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIVES, we can’t fear, because we know that whatever God asks us to do, it will not only be the best thing we can do, but that God will be right there with us, helping us, guiding us, and strengthening us as we obey.
If we get the first part of Peter’s challenge correct, making Jesus the LORD OF OUR LIVES and drive out fear, the second challenge is much less intimidating.
Peter challenges us to ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER for the faith we have
We are called to be AMBASSADORS of Christ in a hostile world
Peter then adds the caveat that we are to give that witness with Gentleness and Respect
We are not supposed to live our lives as WARRIORS, forcing our beliefs on others who have never agreed to follow Jesus
We’ve talked about it before, but sharing our faith is as simple as
Telling someone what our life was like BEFORE knowing Jesus
Explaining what happened in our life that led to our CHOICE to accept JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR
Tell people how our lives are DIFFERENT now that we follow Jesus
You don’t need to have the whole Bible memorized
You don’t need to be able to answer every questions they might ask
You just need to be able to share your story, the story of what God has done for you
And INVITE others to COME AND SEE for themselves
Who in your life is making you suffer right now?
In what ways are you giving into fear?
Who does God want you to share your faith story with, despite how you feel?
Tough QuestionsPaul ends this section with a few of the hardest verses in scripture
When asked about them, Martin Luther, the priest that stood up to the corruption in the Catholic Church and started the Protestant Reformation said this
Martin Luther, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still don’t know for sure what the apostle meant”
With that context on these next few verses, let’s read them and see what God has for us, because I think they do pose some important questions that some of us may have.
1 Peter 3:19–22 “19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
When attempting to understand confusing scripture there is a process that they teach in Seminary called Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics 101
The author determines the meaning, the reader discovers it
Bombard the text with questions
Context is supreme
Use clear passages to interpret unclear ones
So let’s use these rules to try to answer the two questions that Paul poses in these verses.
Did Jesus go to Hell?There are three leading interpretations of this text
Literal - Yes, Jesus went to Hell and preached the gospel to the sinners in Noah’s time
Figurative - No, Jesus preached through past prophets, such as Noah
Figurative - No, Jesus’ resurrection was the victory proclaimed throughout history
The truth is there is no clear answer in the Bible, but
We don’t always have to know the MEANING of the passage to know the POINT
Peter told us in 1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
Christ suffered on the cross, taking the penalty we owed for our sins upon himself
And because that wasn’t the end, because of the resurrection Jesus wins, and because Jesus wins, we win when we put our faith in Him
We don’t know if Jesus went to Hell and preached to past sinners, but we know the resurrection happened and because of that, we have HOPE that we can live forever in heaven with God if we put our faith in Jesus.
Does Baptism save us?Let’s look to clear scripture to try to figure this out.
Romans 6:4–7 “4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
Romans 6 is very clear that baptism is symbolic.
when we go under the water of baptism we are symbolically joining Jesus in His death, dying to the sin that controlled our old lives
when we come up from the water of baptism we are symbolically joining Jesus in His resurrection, starting a new life, no longer slaves to sin
Going a little farther in Romans to Romans 10:9 we read
Romans 10:9 “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Paul is clear, we are not saved through baptism, we are saved by declaring that Jesus is our LORD and SAVIOR with our mouths and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead in our hearts.
Baptism does not save us
Baptism is a public declaration of the salvation that has already taken placed
Baptism is where we stand up in front of the Church, our family, and our friends and publicly state that we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our LORD and SAVIOR
Baptism is where we ask the church to support us as we start our journey as a disciple of Jesus - with Baptism being that first step of discipleship
Peter is clear - through baptism Christians are not supposed to be SECRET AGENTS in society. Our faith should be public.
So, if you are living the SECRET AGENT life, keeping your faith to yourself, or only talking about it with people that you already know are believers, I challenge you to pray about being baptized.
I believe that this is the time that God is calling you to take your faith public, stop living a SECRET AGENT life and step into your God given role as CHRIST’ AMBASSADOR
YOU - Takeaway - HEARTWhen the people you interact with every day look at you, what do we want them to see?
A Warrior, a Secret Agents, or an Ambassador for Christ
In this final section, Peter used Noah as an example
Noah was the most well known biblical figure of the time, among Christians, Jews, and Pagans
In Asia minor Noah was known by everyone as a Preacher of Righteousness
Peter recognized something that was valuable within society and known within that culture and used it to help point people to Jesus
It is in this passage that Peter calls all of us to do the same
Peter is very clear, we are all called to be AMBASSADORS for JESUS
WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action - HANDS CLOSINGSo, I put it back on you...
How are you living your life?
Are you a warrior - fighting for your rights and trying to force everyone else to believe the same as you do
Are you a Secret Agent - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as you do
Or are you an Ambassador - living your life true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree and at the same time engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
The bible is clear. We are all called to be Ambassadors - pointing a lost world toward a hope that can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ.
As we close, join me in imagining what the your family would be like, what this church would be like, what this community would be like if we all chose from this point forward to live the life that Peter calls us to live when facing the worst that culture has to throw at us.
What kind of witness would we have if we were all laser focused on aligning our thoughts and beliefs with the Bible, if we loved one another unconditionally, and if we were compassionate and humble in all situations?
What could God do through us if we truly loved our enemies, sought to do good for them, and prayed for God to bless them?
What impact could we have on the people and communities we live within if we stopped trying to convince people to agree with us, but sought to bring peace everywhere we went?
And whose lives could we change if we laid down our fear and boldly shared our story of how following God has changed our lives?
The Christian life is not a pain free life.
God does not guarantee us a life free from suffering.
But, when we do suffer, when we are persecuted for our faith in God, He does promise to bless us, and wants to bless other through us.
Who does God want to bless through you this week?
PRAYER Will you join me in prayer...
SONG As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who feels God calling them to respond to today’s message.
Maybe as you think about ...the ways that you have suffered for your faith, you need to come up and pray that God helps you use that suffering as a witness to non-believers watching how you live your life.
Maybe as you think about ...the people in your life that you consider an enemy, you need to come up and pray that God softens you heart, helps you learn to love them, pray fro them, and genuinely desire good for them.
Maybe as you think about … how you have responded to culture, you need to come up and repent of all the ways that you have acted like a WARRIOR and seek God’s help in becoming an AMBASSADOR for Christ.
Or maybe, you heard this message and you haven’t yet put your faith in Jesus as your LORD and SAVIOR. Maybe you need to pray to God
Admitting that you are a sinner and need forgiveness
Verbalizing your Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died on the cross paying the penalty for your sins, and rose from the dead on the third day giving your hope of an eternal life with God in Heaven.
Confessing that Jesus is your LORD and SAVIOR
If today is the day that you put your faith in Jesus, please come see me afterword. I’d love to walk with you as you start your new life in Christ.
You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.
BENEDICTION 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 “18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
This week...
Let’s stop living among culture as Christian WARRIORS - fighting for our rights and trying to force others to believe the same as we do
Let’s stop living among culture as SECRET AGENTS - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as we do
Instead, let’s not grow weary of doing good even though it feels like society is becoming more polarized and Christian values are becoming more and more a minority position to hold.
Let’s rise to our calling to be AMBASSADORS for Christ
Living lives true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree
And engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
Let’s learn to love those we consider our enemies, pray for them, and genuinely wish good happen to them
Let’s seek to bring peace everywhere we go.
Let’s live lives free from fear and boldly share our story of how following God has changed our lives.
Quick reminder...
Chief’s Game at my house - 3:30 PM
Discipleship Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30 PM - Programming for all ages
Apache Run Club - Thursday at 4:45 PM - SMW HS
If you’re new, please fill out the card in the seat back and stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.
If you’d like to get more information about taking your next step of faith, fill out the card in the seat back and give it to me or turn it in to the info desk.
I hope you have a great week.
Go in peace.
You are dismissed.
DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)How can we embody the virtues of unity of mind, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility in our daily interactions?
In what ways can we show kindness and compassion to those who hold different beliefs from us?
What specific challenges do you face in maintaining your Christian principles in a culture that often opposes them?
How do you approach friendships with those who may disagree with your faith or values?
Title (written around problem being solved): What do we do when following Jesus gets hard?
Problem I’m Trying to Solve / Answer: How do we deal with
Focus Statement:
Function Statement:
Tweetable Phrase: How should we respond when culture conflicts with Christian values; as warrior, secret agents, or ambassadors?
Main Text: 1 Peter 3:8-22
Supporting Text:
Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus): Luke 6:27-36
Benediction: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
WELCOMEGood morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson, and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.
Welcome to those joining us online. We hope you're doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.
And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.
ME/INTRO - TensionHow many people are excited for next Wednesday...
...when all the political adds will stop?
It may just be me but it is hard to watch TV right now.
There is sooooo much mud slinging, it makes me not want to vote at all because everyone seems sooooo bad.
I hope most of it is not true because the things everyone is accusing everyone else of are truly terrible.
But even if it isn’t true, that means our politicians are willing to lie and slander to get into office, which isn’t good either.
Looking back, I think political adds have always been bad, but it seems like with each new election cycle it is getting progressively worse and worse.
Watching current political adds make me feel like the world we live in has changed in two pretty distinct ways
Society is getting more and more polarized
Christianity feels more and more like the minority opinion
Maybe you have experienced this as well
I did some research and...
We are becoming a more and more polarized society - politically and religiously. This plays out in multiple ways.
In the USA there is a documented erosion of institutional trust
Past: Disagreed on policy, but still get along as people
Now: It is common for many to view other people as immoral when they disagree with us
There is also a growing trend for people to Geographically and Socially Self-Sort
Past: We lived around and interacted with many people we didn’t agree with
Now: The tendency is for people to physically move or socially find ways to eliminate interactions with people who believe differently than they do. We are creating our own echo chambers to reinforce whatever beliefs we have.
There is also a growing trend in the US for people to Religiously Disaffiliate
Past: Christians felt welcomed on both sides of the political isle
Now: With conservatives claiming the “religious platform”, Moderate and Liberal Christians feel alienated from the church and are leaving it. Many Conservative Christians are seeing the gap between what the conservative and saying and doing with what the Bible teaches and are leaving the church as well. Non-Christians are seeing the hypocrisy among those who claim to be Christians and apply that to the entire church, and are writing church off without every giving it a chance.
I also found that Christian Persecution in the United States is increasing
Legally
Christian business owners are getting sued and facing legal penalties for standing by their religious beliefs when they conflict with culturally accepted behaviors
We’ve seen non-profit tax status be threatened if Christian organizations don’t comply with culturally accepted activities
We’ve also seen Church vandalism, arson, and threats increase
Culturally
Christians face social judgement, job friction, and direct criticism for standing by beliefs on marriage and morality that don’t align with what society has normalized
It goes without saying that many Christians around the world suffer significantly more sever persecution for their faith than we experience in the United States.
But the trend here in the United States is not going in a good direction.
WE - TensionAll these things add up and affect the way we live our lives
How often do you talk about your faith with someone unless you already know that the other person is a Christian?
How often do you share your faith with someone you know is not a Christian?
How do you respond when things are going on that are socially acceptable, but don’t align with the teachings of the bible?
There are three ways that people typically respond to persecution. They become a:
Warrior - fighting for their rights and trying to force others to believe the same as they do
Secret Agent - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as they do
Ambassador - Someone who lives true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree and at the same time engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
If you were with us 2 weeks ago, we looked at Peter’s answer to the question, “Should Christians engage with culture?”
His answer was a clear “YES”, but we should do so by
Focusing on removing sin for our lives, instead of trying to change others
Submit to human authorities because God put them there for a reason, even if we don’t understand
But in all things, we need to put God first, only disobeying human authorities if we’re doing so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty for doing so
If you missed the previous messages, please feel free go to our website, TheLightKC.org, to catch up.
Today Peter answers the next logical question, if we are to engage with culture, “What do we do when engaging within culture as a Christian gets hard?”
When engaging with culture leads to ridicule, and persecution.
When living true to the beliefs of the bible starts to cost us professionally, socially, and within our family.
When we feel like we are living with an unpopular minority opinion that nobody takes seriously anymore.
What do we do?
Do we act like the WARRIOR, the SECRET AGENT, or the AMBASSADOR?
To answer these questions, please turn with me to [1 Peter 3:8: Sanctuary Bible Page # 982]
We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.
AND... if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.
Let's dive in.
GOD - Text - HEADPeter is going to answer this question of “What do we do when engaging within culture as a Christian gets hard?” by answering a series of sub-questions.
What How should I act as a Christian in a non-Christian culture?The first question Peter answers is “How should I act as a Christian in a non-Christian culture?”
1 Peter 3:8 reads
“8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”
Peter’s primary aim is to encourage Christians to act, among fellow believers and especially within a non-Christian society, in ways that clearly testify to their hope in Jesus Christ.
The virtues Peter lists — unity of mind, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility—aren’t merely suggestions for making life easier; they’re the spiritual infrastructure that sustains our Christian witness under pressure.
Remember, Peter wrote this letter to exiled Christians who faced persecution from the wider Roman society and lived with a constant uncertainty about their future.
Peter write that we cannot let difficult times bring out the worst in us, but rather let the hard times in life bring our the qualities of Jesus Christ within us.
So when we’re surrounded by people who believe and live differently that we do, we need to be...
Like Minded
We need to stay laser focused on aligning our thoughts with the teachings of Jesus and the bible
Sympathetic
Even though we don’t agree with everything that goes on within culture, we are called to show
care
compassion
and understanding
to everyone.
Love one Another
Jesus tells His disciples in John 13:34-35 that everyone will know that they are His disciples if they love one another
We are called to the same.
How we love one another should be the primary witness that we have to a non-believing world.
Compassionate
We are called to have deep sympathy, concern, and a strong desire to help everyone.
I will be the first to admit that this is a hard one.
If we are truly honest with ourselves do we have compassion for all people?
Do we have a deep sympathy, show genuine concern, and have a strong desire to help the people that choose to live lives opposite of how we believe God created us to live?
Humble
Humility is a choice
Humility refuses to ASSERT our value at someone else’s EXPENSE
And keep in mind, in today’s world humility is a value, it is widely believed to be a good thing to have
That was not true in Greco-Roman times this letter was written in.
J.H. Elliott - Biblical Scholar and Author
In the highly competitive and stratified world of Greco-Roman antiquity, only those of degraded social status were “humble,” and humility was regarded as a sign of weakness and shame, and inability to defend one’s honor. Thus the high value placed on humility by Israelites and Christians is remarkable.
That’s what made Jesus’ repeated call to humility so revolutionary.
The call to live a life of humility was a call to live a life completely opposite of the current culture.
If you ever find yourself struggling with humility, remember the bible compares Christians to sheep in many places
I have a short video here to remind us of how sheep behave in the wild
[Video: Sheep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Wc8vluyp0]
I’m sure most of us can relate.
We get ourselves stuck in a bad situation, Jesus rescues us, forgives us, and points us in a better direction.
Then, before we know it, we are right back in that bad situation.
Where in your life do you need to
Align your thought with the teachings of Jesus
Be more sympathetic toward those that believe differently that you do
Love better
Show more compassion
Exercise a little more humility?
How are we called to treat our enemies?The second question Peter answers is “How are we called to treat our enemies?”
1 Peter 3:9 “9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
To live this out, we have to break with the idea that we give people what they deserve
To live this out, we need unconditionally LOVE others, meaning that we give people what they need
Jesus says in Luke 6:27–28 “27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Do you live like this? Do you...
Love the people you consider to be your enemies
Do good to the people who hate you
Bless the people who want nothing but bad to happen to you
Pray that good happens to those people that have hurt you the worst
I have a Challenge for all of us this week.
Think of one person you would consider to be your enemy?
Pray for them every day. And don’t just pray for them, pray that God blesses them.
Try to find a way to genuinely wish good upon your enemies.
Because the truth is...
You can’t BATTLE and BLESS someone at the same time. You have to pick one.
And Jesus calls us to bless our enemies.
What do we do when we’re being treated unfairly?The third question Peter answers is “What do we do when we’re being treated unfairly?”
1 Peter 3:10–12 “10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.””
I think we can agree, that (at least for most of us) when we are being treated unfairly we want to be WARRIORS
We want justice
The last thing that comes to mind (again probably for most of us) is, in the moment we’re being treated unfairly, to step into the role of AMBASSADOR for Christ
Yet, this sections is a direct quote from Psalm 34:12-16
Peter quoted it almost word for word. And the readers of this letter would have recognized that.
They would have also know that Psalm 34 was written by David, at a time before he was king, when he was on the run and surrounded by people who wanted to kill him.
At the time David wrote this Psalm 34, he was
Being hunted by King Saul who wanted to kill him
He had gone into Philistine (enemy) territory to hide
He was living among the Philistines under fear that the Achish (King of Gath) would recognize him
David had done nothing wrong, yet he was being hunted and people were trying to kill him. He was surrounded by enemies and living in constant fear that he was going to be found.
Have you ever felt like this, like no matter what you do the world is out to get you?
Remembering how that felt, in the midst of those trials, we’re called to follow David’s example and
Mind our tongue
Don’t lie
Do good to everyone
Seek peace with everyone
If you’re anything like me, when being treated unfairly, I want justice.
Yet, the bible tells us over and over to seek peace, and leave justice up to God.
2 Thessalonians 1:6–7 “6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.”
No matter how we are being treated, we are to show others the full love of Christ as His AMBASSADOR.
Who has God placed in your life right now that treats you poorly?
Who are you secretly, or not so secretly, wishing God would enact some justice upon?
How can you DO GOOD for them, SEEK PEACE with them, and serve as Christ’s AMBASSADOR to them?
How are we called to suffer for our faith?The final question Peter answers is “How are we called to suffer for our faith?”
1 Peter 3:13–18 “13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
Peter gives us two things we should do while suffering for our faith.
1. Do not be afraid
2. Be prepared to share our faith
I don’t know about you, but Peter’s first challenge is really hard for me.
I am pretty scared to speak up when I know I am about to say something people don’t want to hear.
I don’t like conflict, and maybe you feel the same way.
But, we are called to be fear-less in situations surrounding our faith.
And that is because we are called to obey everything that Christ commands, because He is not just our SAVIOR, but the LORD OF OUR LIFE
There is a difference between surrendering to Christ as the one who SAVED us from our sins and enthroning Him as the LORD OF OUR LIFE.
Surrendering to Christ as our SAVIOR is a one time choice that we make, acknowledging that we are sinners, that our relationship with God is broken, and it can only be restored by accepting the gift that Christ offers through His sacrifice on the cross
Living our life with Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIFE is totally different. That requires that we submit to Christ’s will in every aspect of our lives. Putting Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIFE means that we need to FULLY TRUST that God’s way is the best way, FULLY OBEY every command that God gives us, and FULLY ALIGN every action we take with the will of God.
If we put Christ as the LORD OF OUR LIVES, we can’t fear, because we know that whatever God asks us to do, it will not only be the best thing we can do, but that God will be right there with us, helping us, guiding us, and strengthening us as we obey.
If we get the first part of Peter’s challenge correct, making Jesus the LORD OF OUR LIVES and drive out fear, the second challenge is much less intimidating.
Peter challenges us to ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER for the faith we have
We are called to be AMBASSADORS of Christ in a hostile world
Peter then adds the caveat that we are to give that witness with Gentleness and Respect
We are not supposed to live our lives as WARRIORS, forcing our beliefs on others who have never agreed to follow Jesus
We’ve talked about it before, but sharing our faith is as simple as
Telling someone what our life was like BEFORE knowing Jesus
Explaining what happened in our life that led to our CHOICE to accept JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR
Tell people how our lives are DIFFERENT now that we follow Jesus
You don’t need to have the whole Bible memorized
You don’t need to be able to answer every questions they might ask
You just need to be able to share your story, the story of what God has done for you
And INVITE others to COME AND SEE for themselves
Who in your life is making you suffer right now?
In what ways are you giving into fear?
Who does God want you to share your faith story with, despite how you feel?
Tough QuestionsPaul ends this section with a few of the hardest verses in scripture
When asked about them, Martin Luther, the priest that stood up to the corruption in the Catholic Church and started the Protestant Reformation said this
Martin Luther, “This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still don’t know for sure what the apostle meant”
With that context on these next few verses, let’s read them and see what God has for us, because I think they do pose some important questions that some of us may have.
1 Peter 3:19–22 “19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”
When attempting to understand confusing scripture there is a process that they teach in Seminary called Hermeneutics
Hermeneutics 101
The author determines the meaning, the reader discovers it
Bombard the text with questions
Context is supreme
Use clear passages to interpret unclear ones
So let’s use these rules to try to answer the two questions that Paul poses in these verses.
Did Jesus go to Hell?There are three leading interpretations of this text
Literal - Yes, Jesus went to Hell and preached the gospel to the sinners in Noah’s time
Figurative - No, Jesus preached through past prophets, such as Noah
Figurative - No, Jesus’ resurrection was the victory proclaimed throughout history
The truth is there is no clear answer in the Bible, but
We don’t always have to know the MEANING of the passage to know the POINT
Peter told us in 1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
Christ suffered on the cross, taking the penalty we owed for our sins upon himself
And because that wasn’t the end, because of the resurrection Jesus wins, and because Jesus wins, we win when we put our faith in Him
We don’t know if Jesus went to Hell and preached to past sinners, but we know the resurrection happened and because of that, we have HOPE that we can live forever in heaven with God if we put our faith in Jesus.
Does Baptism save us?Let’s look to clear scripture to try to figure this out.
Romans 6:4–7 “4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
Romans 6 is very clear that baptism is symbolic.
when we go under the water of baptism we are symbolically joining Jesus in His death, dying to the sin that controlled our old lives
when we come up from the water of baptism we are symbolically joining Jesus in His resurrection, starting a new life, no longer slaves to sin
Going a little farther in Romans to Romans 10:9 we read
Romans 10:9 “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Paul is clear, we are not saved through baptism, we are saved by declaring that Jesus is our LORD and SAVIOR with our mouths and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead in our hearts.
Baptism does not save us
Baptism is a public declaration of the salvation that has already taken placed
Baptism is where we stand up in front of the Church, our family, and our friends and publicly state that we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our LORD and SAVIOR
Baptism is where we ask the church to support us as we start our journey as a disciple of Jesus - with Baptism being that first step of discipleship
Peter is clear - through baptism Christians are not supposed to be SECRET AGENTS in society. Our faith should be public.
So, if you are living the SECRET AGENT life, keeping your faith to yourself, or only talking about it with people that you already know are believers, I challenge you to pray about being baptized.
I believe that this is the time that God is calling you to take your faith public, stop living a SECRET AGENT life and step into your God given role as CHRIST’ AMBASSADOR
YOU - Takeaway - HEARTWhen the people you interact with every day look at you, what do we want them to see?
A Warrior, a Secret Agents, or an Ambassador for Christ
In this final section, Peter used Noah as an example
Noah was the most well known biblical figure of the time, among Christians, Jews, and Pagans
In Asia minor Noah was known by everyone as a Preacher of Righteousness
Peter recognized something that was valuable within society and known within that culture and used it to help point people to Jesus
It is in this passage that Peter calls all of us to do the same
Peter is very clear, we are all called to be AMBASSADORS for JESUS
WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action - HANDS CLOSINGSo, I put it back on you...
How are you living your life?
Are you a warrior - fighting for your rights and trying to force everyone else to believe the same as you do
Are you a Secret Agent - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as you do
Or are you an Ambassador - living your life true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree and at the same time engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
The bible is clear. We are all called to be Ambassadors - pointing a lost world toward a hope that can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ.
As we close, join me in imagining what the your family would be like, what this church would be like, what this community would be like if we all chose from this point forward to live the life that Peter calls us to live when facing the worst that culture has to throw at us.
What kind of witness would we have if we were all laser focused on aligning our thoughts and beliefs with the Bible, if we loved one another unconditionally, and if we were compassionate and humble in all situations?
What could God do through us if we truly loved our enemies, sought to do good for them, and prayed for God to bless them?
What impact could we have on the people and communities we live within if we stopped trying to convince people to agree with us, but sought to bring peace everywhere we went?
And whose lives could we change if we laid down our fear and boldly shared our story of how following God has changed our lives?
The Christian life is not a pain free life.
God does not guarantee us a life free from suffering.
But, when we do suffer, when we are persecuted for our faith in God, He does promise to bless us, and wants to bless other through us.
Who does God want to bless through you this week?
PRAYER Will you join me in prayer...
SONG As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who feels God calling them to respond to today’s message.
Maybe as you think about ...the ways that you have suffered for your faith, you need to come up and pray that God helps you use that suffering as a witness to non-believers watching how you live your life.
Maybe as you think about ...the people in your life that you consider an enemy, you need to come up and pray that God softens you heart, helps you learn to love them, pray fro them, and genuinely desire good for them.
Maybe as you think about … how you have responded to culture, you need to come up and repent of all the ways that you have acted like a WARRIOR and seek God’s help in becoming an AMBASSADOR for Christ.
Or maybe, you heard this message and you haven’t yet put your faith in Jesus as your LORD and SAVIOR. Maybe you need to pray to God
Admitting that you are a sinner and need forgiveness
Verbalizing your Belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died on the cross paying the penalty for your sins, and rose from the dead on the third day giving your hope of an eternal life with God in Heaven.
Confessing that Jesus is your LORD and SAVIOR
If today is the day that you put your faith in Jesus, please come see me afterword. I’d love to walk with you as you start your new life in Christ.
You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.
BENEDICTION 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 “18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
This week...
Let’s stop living among culture as Christian WARRIORS - fighting for our rights and trying to force others to believe the same as we do
Let’s stop living among culture as SECRET AGENTS - avoiding any situation where conflict may arise, and choosing to only be around others that believe and act as we do
Instead, let’s not grow weary of doing good even though it feels like society is becoming more polarized and Christian values are becoming more and more a minority position to hold.
Let’s rise to our calling to be AMBASSADORS for Christ
Living lives true to the beliefs and values of the bible even when culture does not agree
And engaging with culture to help others see that following Christ is truly the best way to live
Let’s learn to love those we consider our enemies, pray for them, and genuinely wish good happen to them
Let’s seek to bring peace everywhere we go.
Let’s live lives free from fear and boldly share our story of how following God has changed our lives.
Quick reminder...
Chief’s Game at my house - 3:30 PM
Discipleship Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30 PM - Programming for all ages
Apache Run Club - Thursday at 4:45 PM - SMW HS
If you’re new, please fill out the card in the seat back and stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.
If you’d like to get more information about taking your next step of faith, fill out the card in the seat back and give it to me or turn it in to the info desk.
I hope you have a great week.
Go in peace.
You are dismissed.
DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)How can we embody the virtues of unity of mind, sympathy, love, compassion, and humility in our daily interactions?
In what ways can we show kindness and compassion to those who hold different beliefs from us?
What specific challenges do you face in maintaining your Christian principles in a culture that often opposes them?
How do you approach friendships with those who may disagree with your faith or values?
How can we prepare ourselves to share our faith in a respectful manner, especially when facing ridicule or persecution?