Again, we shall read from First Peter, chapter one, beginning at verse one. Peter, excuse me, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the strangers, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bethany, elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace unto you in peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fatheth not away reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed. And the last time, let's just look to the Lord in prayer. Our Father, we thank you tonight that we can bow in thy presence. We thank you for the truth of the body of Christ. Teach us, our Father, what this means. Teach us, O God, what it means to love our neighbor as ourselves. That takes in the outside world, but teach us, too, what it means to love the family of God as we love ourselves. So that we think of others as much as we think about ourselves. We thank you for your ways, our Father. My ways are past finding out. And we pray that tonight... As we gather together, thou wilt calm our hearts. Keep us from anything that would interrupt our thinking. That we may think aright about thee and about others. And that we will be ready to obey your word. May we be not only hearers of thy word, but doers of it. Help us our Father to formulate plans in our own lives that we may learn how to put thy word into action so that we are not only hearers but doers. Deliver us our Father from acting like the world. Forgive us our Father for being selfish and thinking only of our own convenience. Help us, our Father, to obey you, to truly wait in thy holy presence, and to truly hear thy voice. Oh, that we may know what it is to have an anointed ear and anointed heart and anointed lips. So, therefore, our Father, we ask for thy special help tonight. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I want to continue where I left off last Sunday night. Last Sunday night I began a series of messages on the subject of the motives and the message of First Peter. By motives we mean the major themes of First Peter. And of course we know what we mean by the message. The motives determined the message. And as we examined these various motives, we found last week that motive number one was the believer's behavior. The behavior of the child of God. And we looked at that, especially through the introduction that is given in verse one. The people to whom Peter wrote, who were scattered abroad in these various areas, that make up what we know of today as modern Turkey. These areas, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, were areas that are now embodied in what we know of as Turkey or Asia Minor. These people were being treated unfairly. They were scattered abroad. They were in a strange culture. and they were believers. They were a colony of heaven among men. This is exactly what we are today. And how are we to behave in the midst of those who would treat us unfairly and those who do not understand the truths of the Word of God? These people were not only scattered abroad, they were the elect of God. so we read in verse two by the elect of God that means while they were not wanted by the world they were wanted by God and they were brought to him by divine grace it is only that divine grace that we sang about in that first hymn that can ever bring anyone to God for man naturally does not seek after God there is none that seeketh after him so we read in Romans chapter three and verses nine through eleven. How are we to live? How are they to live? And that's the theme of First Peter. And while motive number one was the believer's behavior, we notice tonight we begin with motive number two, the believer's unfair circumstances. This is something that is brought to us and a theme that runs right through the epistle. And if we fail to get the theme. We're going to miss the message. By unfair, we mean that the believer's suffering and circumstances or troubles form the background of just about every paragraph in First Peter. In the broad sense, the trial, tribulation, and hardship to suffer and endure, they're found in the various portions notice chapter two verses nineteen through twenty one we're going to do quite a bit of reading in first peter tonight as we see how these various motives work their way out through the epistle in verses nineteen through twenty one of chapter two we read for this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward god endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory is it When ye be buffeted, for your faults ye take it patiently. But if, when ye do well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. For even hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. Notice chapter three and verse fourteen, where we read, But, and if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror neither be troubled notice verse seventeen for it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for doing well than for evil doing chapter four verse one for as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh arm yourselves likewise with the same mind For he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Notice verse fifteen. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busybody in other men's matters. Notice verse nineteen. Wherefore let them must suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him. in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. Verse ten of chapter five, but the God of all grace who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. So we find in the midst of these trials and troubles the unfair treatment that the believers were facing constantly. The presence of suffering is expressed in chapter four and verse twelve in a special way. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is the triune, as though some strange thing happened to you. In other words, suffering is not what the church is looking for. in spite of the verses that teach us not only in first peter but when paul wrote to timothy he says but all who live godly in christ jesus shall suffer persecution the fiery trial is going to try us but to be subjected friends to an inferior class of citizenry without rank or privilege is hard on the flesh. And the one thing that God is seeking to subdue in each of us is the flesh. That nature that we receive from Adam, that nature which will raise us ugly head at every opportunity. And God is seeking in his own people to subdue that and to bring it into subjection to himself. Remember, he trained his people down through the Old Testament period to adversity. He trained Joseph through adversity so that Joseph was able to deal with his brothers in love when his brothers who had mistreated him and that he could say to them, you didn't send me here. God did. For unless we see the hand of God in our own lives, in the details of life, and that we live in a family where the divine providence of God is continually looking over us. Often these believers were slandered. Peter uses this word in chapter two in verse twelve. And I'm thinking now of the Greek word. and he says in chapter two verse twelve having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that were as they speak against you as evil doers as they surrender you as being evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation you and I never know when that day of visitation is for God visits his people in various times in great and in manifold blessings. There were times when God visited America in revival. Special times. There are special times when God visits his people. And you and I don't know when those days of visitation are. And when God will move and he'll save people that we never thought were savable. Who would have ever thought that John Bunyan, the tinker of Belfast, would be saved? Who would have ever thought that John Newton, a man who was involved in the slave traffic between Africa and England and America, would ever be saved? Who would have thought that he, who once was a prisoner of an African wench, would come to know Christ? and God would visit his salvation upon him, save him, and make him such a minister throughout England that when he's lying on a bed dying, that they made a decree in the House of Parliament that they put straw in the streets in order that in front of his home, the wagons would not make that much noise and disturbing. This man... had an impact upon Great Britain. It was a day of visitation. It was a day when God was visiting his people. And Simeon, when our Lord came in the flesh, when he was born, and he took that baby in his arms, he said, God has visited and redeemed his people. A day of visitation from God is something that you and I should be expecting and surrender. to be something that we take along with it. We can't expect the world to be a friend of grace. The Word of God says just the opposite. So are we to live? We're not to live like the world as we're going to see in the next motive. But rather, we're to expect God to move in the day of visitation. Why should we? Why should we expect him to move? Number one, because he it is who has commissioned us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It's an amazing thing when you read the first verse of First Peter. He's writing to strangers that are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bethenia. What makes that verse so important? Who did the evangelizing there? A man by the name of Paul. You remember when Paul was at Troas? He wanted to go where? He wanted to go into Asia and the Spirit said no. He wanted to go into Athenia and the Spirit suffered him not. But what did Paul do? He waited on God. And what did Paul say when he met with the Ephesian elders? He said something most remarkable. He said, all that be in Asia have heard the word of the gospel. And who is Peter writing to? He's writing to people who have heard the word of the gospel through the Apostle Paul. In God's time, God said, no, Paul. You're not going into Asia now. I'm going to take you to Europe. And he took him to Europe. The time came when God visited Asia. There is a day of visitation, beloved. Oh, may God open our eyes to realize that the God who told us to go into all the world with the gospel. Before he told us that, he said, all authority, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go. there is a day of his visitation. And our desire, our discernment, is to realize when it is. Notice chapter four, verse fourteen. In four in verse fourteen we read, if ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, here we have the word slandered again. If ye be slandered for the name of Christ, count it happy. happy are ye why for the spirit of glory and grace resteth upon you on your part he is evil spoken of but on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified this abuse friends is undeserved and the fact is it's found the very meaning of being undeserved in the very words themselves that appear in these verses. This New Testament theme of innocent suffering on the part of the people of God is in other places in the New Testament. Peter develops the theme throughout this first epistle. But his message is more than innocent suffering, it is also suffering. while doing good. So motive number two is a believer's unfair circumstances, but motive number three that appears throughout this first epistle is a believer's courtesy or respect that he is to show to others. You see, unfair treatment at the hands of unreasonable, often unbelieving people never justifies an offensive spirit or an attempt at retribution. See, Peter calls the elect to whom he's writing to a different spirit altogether. It's a spirit of courtesy. It is a spirit of respect. Now this doesn't mean acquiescence. It doesn't mean agreement. It doesn't mean passivity. It simply rules out retaliation. And retaliation is a manifestation of the flesh and not of the grace of God. What does it manifest? It refers, it does refer to a proper attitude. that is characterized by respect. See, Peter urges Christians in this way, in all the relationships. Chapter two and verse seventeen, where he says, honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. Then in chapter three and verse one, he says, wives, have that same kind of respect for your husbands. And then in verse seven, he says, Husbands have that same kind of respect for your wife as the weaker vessel in order that your prayers are not hindered. It's possible for a believer's prayers to be hindered because of the way they act. toward others. See, Peter urges believers to obey. Notice verse six of chapter three. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not afraid with any amazement. In other words, believers are called upon to obey. We're different. We don't live like the world. We are called to honor and respect. You have that in verse seventeen of chapter two that we just read. More than that, we're called to subordinate ourselves. Chapter two in verse thirteen, where it says, And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good? Notice verse eighteen. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins. the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. More than that, in chapter three, verse one, in chapter three, verse five, but turn over to five, verse five, where we read, Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another. and be clothed with humility, for God resistseth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. In other words, they were to show hospitality without complaining. Notice chapter four, verse nine. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. In other words, they were to submit. not by coercion, but by intention. They wanted to do it. It should be a want to to the child of God. In other words, they were not to return evil for evil, nor insult for insult, but they were to give a blessing instead. Notice chapter three and verse nine. Not rendering evil for evil. That's the fleshly thing to do. And that's the easiest thing for the flesh to do. Not rendering evil for evil. Railing for railing. But contrary wise blessing. Knowing that ye are there unto called. That ye should inherit a blessing. That is what we have been called to as a people of God. Even the church leaders were to minister not out of compulsion. Not because they had to. They were to do it voluntarily. Notice chapter five, verse two. He says, feed the flock of God which is among you. taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. In other words, they were not to lord it over those under their care. Notice verse three, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples or ensembles to the flock. the believer, the motive is courtesy and respect, both toward those who are without, not by acquiescence, and also toward those that are within the family of God. The fourth motive that we have in First Peter is the believer's motivation. How do we get people motivated? You see, this is the basis of a lot of seminars today. People motivation. How do we get people motivated? First Peter tells us how. The believer's motivation by the example of Christ. No one was ever as ill-treated as our Lord. He went about doing good. Can you tell me one person that he cursed? He was a blessing to everyone he met. He blessed, but he cursed not. And yet he was ill-treated continuously. and he is our example our example in suffering is the Lord himself his behavior as our example becomes a strong motivation for those of us who are his followers the example of Christ made the sufferings of believers plausible predictable and even tolerable. They could tolerate it. Because we knew what he suffered for us. Notice chapter one and verse fifteen. Where it says, But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life. In all manner of behavior. In all manner of conversations. We are to be holy. Motivation is to follow his example and is found in chapter two, verses four and five, where we read to whom coming, as unto a living stone, disavowed indeed a man, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Here's the motivation. We are joined to Christ as living stones in the temple of God. And when you read further in that second chapter, we find the result of our union with Christ but notice verse twenty one in particular where it says for even here unto where ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps notice chapter three verses seventeen and eighteen where we read for it is better If the will of God be so that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing, for Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. Notice chapter four in verse thirteen. But rejoice. inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Remember Romans eight, verse eighteen. It's a great verse. It says, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. the glory revealed in us. For the more look at chapter five and verse three again. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, as being examples to the flock, and when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fatheth not away. Peter's exposition of the example of Christ is the greatest that you find in Scripture as our example. Look back at chapter two again and we begin at verse twenty one. We already read verse twenty one but we're going to read it again and we're going to read to the end of the chapter and then we're going to connect chapter three with chapter two. For even Herunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us You know what we mean by that word called? Where unto ye were called? That word called has reference to the salvation of the believer. When God calls us by his grace into the fellowship of his dear son. In the program of God, as God moves through history, we read whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate. Whom He predestinated. Then He also called. And whom He called He justified. And whom He justified. Then He also glorified. So we see in that passage the redemptive history. And therefore He tells us in First Peter two, verse twenty one. For even here unto were ye called. This is why God saved us. He didn't save us simply to keep us out of the lake of fire. But praise God, that's a good part of it. But He saved us in order that now, we who have been called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps, who did no sin. Neither was Gile found in His mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again? When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bear our sins and his own body on the tree. Why did he do that? That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were a sheep going astray. but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. Likewise, ye wives, submit. Likewise, ye husbands, submit. Why? We are now united to Christ as living stones in the temple, in the family of God. Peter's reference to believers suffering unjustly agrees with other New Testament passages. I want you to turn to the passage we studied in John fifteen in Sunday school this morning in the class in this room. Turn to John chapter fifteen and we'll begin reading at verse seventeen. John fifteen and verse seventeen. Where we read, These things I command you that you love one another. If the world hate you, Ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own. But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hateeth you. What do you do when the world hates you? Because of your testimony for Christ. Well, you remember verse twenty. For verse twenty says, Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. What did I read in first Peter two? Even here unto were ye called. And by being called by God. We're the servant and we're not greater than our Lord. If he was hated, that's what he said in John fifteen. If the world hated me, the world is going to hate you. And we must remember what James said in James chapter four. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. To try to get the world to love us is wrong. It's sin. We should manifest a love for the world as Christ loved the world. and we should expect God to move in the day of visitation and bring our message to bear fruit in the lives of others. But why were they called to suffer? Because this suffering was part of the life of Christ that we are called to imitate. He is our example. Our example is not Hollywood. Our example is not a big-name preacher. Our example is the person of Christ. It's not easy to turn the other cheek. The flesh is opposed to it. And we can grit our teeth and say, I'm not going to do it. And all it is, is a fleshly statement. It's one that will not conform to the words of Holy Scripture. The Scripture says, who, when he was reviled, in that text, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not. He had... He had all heaven and earth at his disposal. He not only could have threatened, he could have carried it out. And that instantly, he said, think not, I could call ten thousand angels. You know, we sing that. He could have called ten thousand angels. But he didn't. He didn't. It was the will of God for him to suffer. And it's the will of God for us to stand with him in a world that knows not God. That brings us to the fifth motive in First Peter. And of them all, this is the one I like the best. Motive number five is the believer's anticipation of future glory. This is a theme that runs through First Peter in a most remarkable way. You see, the motivational fact in the believer's quest for holy living, when being treated unfairly, is the truth of the coming of the Lord and the truth of future glory with him. And I want you to notice how Peter weaves the truth of the coming of the Lord throughout his epistle. He says, don't think it's strange concerning the fiery trials. which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. We read that. But remember, in the midst of all the trial, there is a glorious hope. It is called in Scripture a blessed hope by the Apostle Paul when he wrote to Titus, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God. That day, that day of Christ's appearing will be one of triumph in the salvation that will be revealed in that day. And that's why we read those opening verses in First Peter chapter one. First Peter, after giving his introduction in verses one and two, he turns to doxology and praise as he says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us again unto a dead hope, No, that's not what it says. He's begotten us unto our living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And it says, To an inheritance that's incorruptible and undefiled, that fades not away. It's going to be a day of glory. It's a day when he's going to reward the faithful, and he's going to purge the sinful. Notice verse five of chapter four. Chapter four, verse five, where we read concerning everyone in that day, who shall give account to him who is ready to judge the living, the quick, and the dead. This is a day of judgment. That judgment for the child of God is going to be a time of rewarding. For the believers are going to appear at the judgment seat of Christ. But for those outside of Christ, it's going to be the most terrible thing that they can ever face. Think it through for a moment. The apostle says in Second Corinthians four, I think it's verse seventeen, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us. a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. When I was young, it took an awful long time to get to be twenty-one. But since I've been twenty-one, it sure didn't take a long time to get where I am today. It's been very short. Time flies very rapidly. The older you get, the faster the years move. And think of it, this life is the best the sinner will ever have. When he stands before God, he's lost and he's lost forever. And the only thing that will save the sinner is the gospel. And you and I have that message. We cannot dilute it. We cannot say, oh, they're all good boys, and boys will be boys. We can't say that, for men are lost. Our children are lost. And unless God saves them, they'll perish. And we must believe that. And how is God going to save them? He's not going to save them any different than he did you. He's going to save them through the telling of the gospel. On the other hand, this life for the child of God is the worst we're ever going to have. And after this life is over, it's glory, beloved. All the suffering we're ever going to endure, we're going to endure on planet Earth. And I'll tell you, it isn't bad. Why not live for Christ? You see, The glory of the coming of the Lord should ever be before the saints of God. Why? Well, number one, we can anticipate with assurance and inheritance, for we have been begotten, according to our text, unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance. We have an inheritance awaiting us. How do I know? The word of God says we are heirs and joint heirs with him. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. So I read in Romans eight. The inheritance and suffering go together. For why? Why do they go together? Well, we've been called to it. She being saved and being called are synonymous terms. For even here unto were ye called. Not to go through life on roller skates. But to go through life in fellowship with Christ. For even here unto were ye called. Not only do we have the assurance of an inheritance there in first Peter one. This inheritance is reserved for us. It's reserved for us in a castle on earth. Oh, no.