A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Think this over with us today on A Daily Walk. Here's the question to ask yourself as you come into a new year: Is Jesus the Lord of your life this morning? Are you seeking him for wisdom? Do you ask him for direction? Are you walking in obedience to his word? Or are you still trying to run your own life?

Are you allowed him to sanctify the Lord God in your heart? A decision is made in recognition of who Jesus is. I give him the rightful place to the throne of my life, and when the decision is made, the actions will follow.

So you're seated next to someone on a plane or someone knocks on your front door and all of a sudden you're in a conversation about spiritual beliefs. You're then asked why you believe what you believe. Would you be prepared for it? Let's get ready to give an answer today on A Daily Walk. Pastor John Randall visits First Peter chapter 3 today, we'll give attention to verses 8 through 17.

John Randall: Speaking generally, Peter was saying in light of the context, those that were under the governmental laws, you remember he told them, encouraged them to abide by them. Those who were in a situation in their marriage to be a good wife, to be a good husband. Talks about those that were employed, how they were to be with their employer.

If you just do what's right, generally speaking, you do the right thing, God blesses. You're not doing something contrary to what you've been asked to do. Now granted for some of them, they were doing the right thing and suffering persecution. And if that were the case, Peter says if that happens, just know this, when you do suffer for righteousness' sake, he says you're blessed.

Have you thought about that? You're blessed. It's amazing to think that Peter would say that to these people. They're being persecuted. They're being ostracized. They're being criticized. They're being shunned. And Peter says if it's for righteousness' sake, you just got to know this, you're blessed.

Jesus had said something similar to this when he said in Matthew chapter 5. Basically Peter is reiterating the Beatitudes of Jesus. Matthew chapter 5 in the Sermon on the Mount, this is what Jesus said to his disciples, and Peter is just saying it to these believers: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my name's sake. Notice this, rejoice. Rejoice!"

Hey, yes, all right. What are we so happy about? I am being persecuted. Praise God. This is the response. And then he says be exceedingly glad. For what purpose? Why would I be exceedingly glad about that? Because your reward in heaven is great. Great is your reward in heaven and they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You are in good company, friend. They persecuted your Savior. They persecuted the prophets for doing what was right. And so Peter is just saying rejoice in this. And this is not something that Peter just told people to do, this was something he did himself. Did you know that?

Because when you read through the book of Acts and you come to the fifth chapter and Peter is there and the rest of the apostles are standing a second time before the Sanhedrin, they're being tried, they're being questioned for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead and being warned saying, "You preach in that name any longer, that's it, you're done. We're done with you. That's the end of you."

And they said, "Well we can't help it. We're going to, whether it's right in the sight of man or, you be the judge, but we cannot help but declare that which we have seen." And so what do they do? You know what they did? They took them and they beat them. They beat them!

And guess what they did? The Bible told us, Acts chapter 5 verse 41, here's what it says: "So they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." Peter is telling these believers to do exactly what he himself had done. Listen, rejoice in it.

There's a blessing. I don't know how that works exactly and to what extent, but man there's a blessing when you identify with Jesus in his suffering. There is something there that is a blessing for you and you can rejoice in it because God is using it for good in your life.

Mindful of the fact that they were being persecuted, Peter says, "I want you to rejoice." Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a name that maybe you're familiar with, he was a British preacher. There was a time in his ministry where it was recorded that he was greatly and intensely criticized for his ministry. And it became so difficult for him that he was succumbed to some depression.

And so his wife being the wise and godly woman that she was, she wrote this beatitude that we just read, Matthew chapter 5, about being blessed and rejoicing when you're persecuted. And she wrote it on a very large sheet of paper and she placed it above their bed so that the first thing that Spurgeon saw in the morning and the last thing he read at night was his Savior's glorious promise, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted."

Just waking up and there it is. A reminder. And it got him through. He was able to endure. The Apostle Paul also had his share of intense suffering for the sake of the gospel and he writes about it extensively in Second Corinthians chapter 4. Actually the entire letter is probably the most personal where Paul talks about what he endured.

And there's a part here where he says this, he said we don't lose heart. Oh it's a temptation but we don't lose heart. Why? He said our outward man is decaying. But he said the inner man is being renewed day by day. Our momentary light affliction is producing within us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison.

And we look at the things which are seen but rather we look at the things that are not seen because the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal. Paul said, "Yeah we feel it. We feel it on the outside. It's a real thing, but inside there's something being renewed in us and there's a blessing that is coming forth."

There is an eternal weight of glory that cannot be compared with that which is temporal and momentary and light he calls it. Have you ever read what Paul endured? What he calls light affliction? I can't even believe what he describes. "I was in shipwrecks, I was beaten and then I spent a night and a day in the deep and then I was beaten after that and then I was also beaten over here and then I went to this prison and then I went to that thing and I'm also concerned about all the churches."

And he says, "I call that light." What are you going through? It's so heavy. Have you spent a night and a day in the deep lately? I haven't. I have no desire to. Paul said, "I've suffered and yet God's working."

What were the believers to do in light of the persecution that they were facing? Paul had gone through it, Peter had gone through it. Peter exhorts the believers, listen to this. Here's what he wanted them to do. First of all he tells them, "I don't want you to be afraid." If you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you're blessed and do not be afraid of their threats.

That's the first thing. Don't be afraid. Are you coming into a new year with a little trepidation because you don't know what's going to happen? Hey listen, you made it, you're here. You made it through last year. Do you think the Lord's like, "That was a good run we had. This is a new year so you're on your own. Take care."? As if he's done, like he just dropped you off. That's as far as I could take you. See you in heaven, possibly.

No. He's been faithful, he will remain faithful. But there is this tendency to sometimes assume the worst. What's going to happen to me this year? He says don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. You say, "Well why should I not be afraid, John?"

Because the Bible says that God hasn't given you a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. That perfect love casts out all fear. Fear involves torment, the Bible says. Peter said, "I don't want you to be afraid, but at the same time," he said, "I do want you to be prepared." All right. Don't be afraid, but be prepared.

Notice what it says in verse 15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and with fear," or the word is reverence. Peter gives to us the best way to be prepared. What's the best way to be prepared? Write this down, make a note of it. Here it is, I'm going to lay it on you. Sanctify the Lord God in your heart.

What does that mean? What it means is to allow the Lord to have the first place in your life. Sanctify him. It means to set apart. Do it now is the tense that it is used in. Do it now effectively. When Peter uses this word in the context, it's an exhortation for believers to give God the first place in their life.

Not the second, not when it's convenient, not whenever I feel like it, but the very first priority in my life is to be him. That's it. That's the key. You sanctify the Lord. You give him the first place. Listen, some people are happy with Jesus being Savior, they don't want him to be Lord.

Listen, "I'm really glad you saved me, but I'm going to run my own life. Are you good with that?" Actually no. He's not good with that because that's not what it says in the Word. Is he the Lord of your life? Is he calling the shots? If you're going to go into something, I want the Lord to guide me. I want the Lord to lead me.

I want you to have the first place in my life. I want you to sit up on the throne of this heart and show me what I'm supposed to do. Call me into what I'm to be called into. Take me out of what I'm to be taken out of. But I've got to have you at the head of my home, at the head of my heart. The first place. Sanctify him in your hearts. That's how you're prepared.

And having Jesus as Lord of our lives, guys listen, that's foundational. That's foundational Christianity. That we build from there. It controls the choices that I make. If Jesus is Lord of my life, that affects how do I live my life.

Here's the question to ask yourself as you come into a new year: Is Jesus the Lord of your life this morning? Are you seeking him for wisdom? Do you ask him for direction? Are you walking in obedience to his word? Or are you still trying to run your own life?

Are you allowed him to sanctify the Lord God in your heart? A decision is made in recognition of who Jesus is. I give him the rightful place to the throne of my life, and when the decision is made, the actions will follow.

It was Dr. J. H. Jowett that said this, he said, "When a person has sanctified the Lord Jesus in their heart, one of the results is that they will want to be with Jesus and spend time with Jesus." That is the evidence of someone who has sanctified the Lord in their hearts. He is the first position, first place.

Some people, they only visit with Jesus. Other people abide in Jesus, dwell with him. There is a preparation that begins with setting Jesus at the first position in my life, sanctifying him in my heart. That's the greatest preparation that you can make. But the second thing is a readiness to answer, a response to the questions.

People would be asking these believers, "Hey, how are you able to rejoice in the midst of suffering? How is it that you don't revile when you are reviled? How is it that you respond with grace when you could respond some other way?" They can have an answer.

Peter said you need to have an answer. That is verse 16. Don't miss this. He says always be ready to give a defense. The Greek word is *apologia*. It's where we get our English word apologetics. A defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

The hope that's in you! How do you have hope in the midst of a hopeless world? How is it that you are enduring what you're going through? Let me tell you about the hope that's in me. The hope that's in me is Jesus. That's the hope. This is the hope. It's Christ in me, the hope of glory.

When believers were questioned, they were to have a defense. It's interesting the word *apologia* there is actually a word where we as I said get our word apologetics, and it means literally to talk oneself off from.

*Apologia* was actually a technical word used in the Greek courts of law and it was used as an attorney would talk their client off from a charge preferred against them. In short, it refers to a speech given in defense.

Christian apologetics is defined in this way: It is the science and art of communicating a reasoned defense for one's faith and claims for the Creator who communicated the redemptive plan in Jesus of history and the teaching of Scripture. Christian apologetics.

In our world today, there is a great need to be equipped biblically in order to have a sound apologetic to defend the faith. Did you know that that is why we spend so much time here in the word of God? Because this is how we are equipped to have an answer, to have a response.

That's why we say bring your Bible. That's why we say open your Bible. That's why we say look at what the Scripture says. Why we go line upon line so that you would know how to give a sound defense, a response to those that are asking you, "Hey, where does that hope come from?" And I'd be able to say, "Right here. Let me show you."

Why is there a need? In Jude chapter 1 verse 3, Jude said it this: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly, fight earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

Why is it important for us to throw our hat into the ring to contend for the faith that was once delivered? Because it's under attack. In what way? First of all, the multiplicity of worldviews. There are many: atheism, naturalism, pantheism, spiritism, polytheism, post-modern theism, and theism.

And it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, everyone has a worldview. Everybody here today has a worldview. You do. You have a set of lenses which taint your vision or alter the way that you perceive the world around you, in other words.

And within these worldviews, there are contradictory truth claims. Do we simply fall under this thinking that all roads lead to God and that your worldview is dependent simply upon your presupposition of where you grew up and what environment you were in?

And if you grew up in the West, well that means you're a Christian. If you grew up in the East, well that's different. Incidentally, if you didn't know this, Christianity started in the Middle East. I just want to say that. Oh, that's the Western. You know where it started, right? In the Middle East. Hello! Some people don't get that. That's a Western thing. Didn't start there. Just a side note for you apologists.

So we need to study the truth, we need to know the truth, and we need to explain the truth because of the multiplicity of worldviews. And the second thing is there is a wide array of cultic groups that surround us. You say like who? Like Mormonism. That's a cult if you didn't know.

Jehovah's Witnesses, Twelve Tribes, Scientology, Christian Science, Unification Church, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam. I mean the list goes on and on. Folks, they can't all be right and they don't all believe the same thing. So we need to know what we believe and why we believe it.

Furthermore, there are many skeptics to the Christian faith who aren't necessarily opposed to the gospel, but they desire an answer. And they have questions like their origin, "How did I come to exist?"; their purpose, "What is the purpose of my life?"; morality, "How do I define what is right and wrong?"; eternity, "What happens after I die?".

These are all very important questions that the Bible gives answers to. And so I want to know it so that I can respond and lead people to Christ. Not only that, but there's a lot of false doctrine even circulating today in the church. People who take the Scriptures and listen to me carefully, wrongly divide them. Wrongly divide them!

And develop pet doctrines, false doctrines that aren't biblical, more of a private interpretation. Paul tells us this in writing to Timothy, he said in Second Timothy, listen to this, he tells him, "Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching, for the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and they will be turned aside to fables."

There is sound doctrine that even in some churches people are turning away from because it's not being rightly divided. And so in light of all of that, I want to have a proper understanding of Scripture. I am prepared, I'm not afraid. And I'm also prepared to give an answer.

How do I give an answer? How do I prepare? I've sanctified the Lord in my heart. He's got the first position. But I think Paul said it best in writing to Timothy, Second Timothy 2:15, he said this: "Study to show yourself approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

It's studying the word of God. It's meditating in the Scriptures, it's learning the word of God. This will enable me to be able to rightly divide. I think it's important when you present the apologetic, obviously that you're not afraid, that you are prepared. But I also believe that it's important for us to know our audience.

When you're speaking to whoever you're speaking to, I think it's good to enter into conversation. You're not trying to win an argument. You have to be careful of that. You're just trying to win a soul to Christ. And so it's important to have dialogue.

And I would encourage you if you ever get into conversation or you're back, I've got to give a defense. Did you know that every question that someone asks you, they also need to be able to give you an answer for?

Listen, ever notice how Jesus when he was confronted with questions that were difficult, he'd say, "I'll answer your question if you answer me this question." And he would just ask them a question. In other words, if they're asking you something, well why do you believe that? And why don't you believe that?

Well where do you think you're going to, where do you really think you're going to go to hell? I do. Well where do you think you're going to go? And why do you think that? It's entering into a conversation, it's knowing your audience. And you build a bridge in order to bring the gospel over.

And when presenting it, Peter tells us here, I think this is such a good word and it's important to remember this. When you present this apologetic, you do so, did you see the two words he uses? Meekness and fear, reverence. Meekness and reverence.

The word meekness again is humility. It's responding with humility and love. If you're being confronted, for example, by a skeptic or you're answering an atheist or somebody who is a transgender or a homosexual or a lesbian or a heterosexual who's living in sexual sin or somebody who's backslidden, how do you respond?

With humility, with love, with genuine concern for their soul. Not any judgmental fiery indignation. "You're going to burn in hell, you know." Well hey! It's this gracious interaction that is humble and we realize this, this is what I realize.

When I'm talking to people that don't know the Lord or are in some sin or whatever, listen, if not for the grace of God, I would be right there. So who am I? Therefore I come with this sense of understanding and grace, realizing if this person were saved, it'd be totally different.

If they were born again, they would be so different. So there's this understanding, there's this meekness, there's a humble response. A quality of not being overimpressed with oneself. I have all the knowledge. Listen, knowledge puffs up but love edifies.

So there's this coming to them with an understanding and a meekness and a desire to see them saved. Paul the Bible tells us in Colossians chapter 4, I love it. It says, "Let your speech always be seasoned with grace and seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each one." I love that.

That's it. There is grace and there is truth. There is a saltiness about what we say that makes people thirsty for what we have. That you might know how you ought to answer. That's the hope.

And Peter ends here and we'll prepare our hearts in a moment for communion. But listen to verse 16. He said, "Having a good conscience." Listen as you're giving a sound apologetic with this meekness and fear and you are not reviling and you are, even though you might be suffering, you're being blessed because you're honoring the Lord.

Here's what he says: "Have a good conscience that when they defame you," and they will, "as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ, they'll be ashamed. For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

Listen, you are living in such a way that your conduct reflects the gospel. And so even if they say certain things and you respond in all that Peter has laid out for us in these verses, they should be ashamed of themselves for talking to somebody like that.

How could you respond to somebody who's loving you while you're spitting on them? How could you say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do," when they just pulled out your beard and nailed you to a cross?

Here's what I found. As I read this description today of all of this advice and all of these characteristics that are to be seen in the life of a believer, do you know what I found? You know what I discovered? All of these are found in Jesus.

This is him. This is how he lived his life. Everything that Peter described for us in these verses is exactly the way that Jesus lived. And what Peter is saying to these believers is we're to be like him. We're to respond the way he does. We're to love the way he does.

Everything that he described is seen in the person of Jesus. And you know what I realized further is how much work there's still to be done in me. These are not always my natural responses. I need the Spirit of God to work in my life.

I need to give Jesus the first place in my life so that when it comes down to this and when that happens, I'll have a proper response. The words of my mouth won't be angry or deceptive or bitter or reviling, but they'll be loving and humble and courteous and gracious.

Having a heart for their soul and just committing my life to Jesus and trusting that he's going to work it out even if I'm not sure how he's going to work it out. And that he sees and that he hears me and he's going to respond on my behalf and I just let him do it.

What have you resolved? You made a list? Are you a list person? "Well I made a list. There's several things I'd like to lose and also some things I'd like to gain, but mostly lose." This is how people go into a new year.

Listen, if you're looking for something, why not make it a priority to be more like Jesus this year than last year? You can't go wrong there, that's a good one. And as we yield to the work of the Spirit, that is what will happen. Being transformed day by day, becoming more like him.

Guest (Male): We're going through the New Testament here on A Daily Walk with our pastor and teacher John Randall. If you missed any part of the journey or would just like to hear a message again, visit adailywalk.org or look for A Daily Walk wherever you get your podcasts and at oneplace.com. One more option is our church app. Check out the Calvary South OC church app in your favorite app store.

Pastor John has just come out with a new book titled *The Other Side of Sunday*. In it he offers an honest look at the joys, pressures, prayers, and personal costs of pastoral ministry that often go unseen from the other side of the pulpit.

Through heartfelt stories, humor, biblical wisdom, and years of shepherding experience, Pastor John invites the reader into the moments that shape a pastor long after the service ends. We're making it available to our A Daily Walk listeners for the cost of just $15. May be requested extra copy to give to your pastor.

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Again make a donation online safely and securely at adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. In these difficult days, it is so important that we be praying for one another. So please send in your prayer requests today. We'd love to hear from you. Our email address is adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Well that's all the time we have for today, but we'll continue through the Bible with John Randall next time. This has been A Daily Walk where you'll never have to walk alone.