Live Ready to Testify

Transcript

GR1939
01/31/2016
Live Ready to Testify
I Peter 3:13-17
Gil Rugh

We are going to I Peter chapter 3. I noticed in a number of the songs this evening that emphasis on God’s sovereignty and that lies behind everything Peter is saying and it’s foundational to our lives as believers. Peter is encouraging these believers to live in light of that truth.

God has done a marvelous work in the salvation He has brought into our lives. He has done something that no one else could do. He has cleansed us from sin within and made us new so that our lives can be transformed in the way that we live. It could only be done and accomplished by the provision of His Son to be our Savior. We are privileged to walk with Him day by day. The Spirit of God dwells in us. He never leaves us. Moment by moment, day by day wherever we are, whatever we are doing we are privileged to be in fellowship with the living God. However, we live in a fallen world. We live in an unredeemed world. We live in a world populated by those who do not know the Savior who do not love and serve the God that we serve.

So in this world there are difficulties, trials, troubles, tribulations and we are called to live holy, godly lives in that context. That is God’s plan for us. Suffering, trials, difficulties are part of His plan. As we have studied Corinthians we saw Paul’s testimony that God worked through his weaknesses and often when he was weak that was when he was strong. And often the trials, the troubles, the difficulties, demonstrate our weaknesses and enable God to work as only He can in those contexts.

So it is important for us as believers to have settled in our mind that God is sovereign. No matter what comes into our lives He is in charge. He is working it for our good and His glory.

Just two passages, come back to Romans chapter 5. Leave a marker in Peter. Come back to Romans chapter 5. You know with all truth of Scripture we study them, we know them, but the opportunity to live them comes usually in special times. It is easy to talk about trials. We are glad to be an instrument God uses to encourage other believers when they are going through trials but the real pressure for me, for you, is when we ourselves are in the trials to appreciate that this is the hand of God working His purposes for what is best for me. So chapter 5 of Romans opens up with “Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand as the redeemed now living in the realm of God’s grace,” and that gracious provision. We exalt in hope of the glory of God. And that hope is what Peter is going to talk about as we look into our passage in a little bit in Peter but note this. “And not only this but we also exalt in our tribulations.” The glory and exalt in anticipation of what God has promised to those who love Him but you know we exalt all the time because what? We stand in His grace. He is at work in our lives so we can exalt in our tribulations. Why, “Knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. Perseverance proven character and proven character hope.” It is all part of developing us, fixing our attention on that hope. Living in light of that hope, preparing us for that hope. A hope that will not disappoint.

So understanding this is not an accident. This is not an unfortunate circumstance. This is not something that interrupts God’s plan and purpose for me. We exalt. Lord, I may not understand or see how this is a better plan but I accept it from Your hand. We end up living out the doctrine we came to believe that He is sovereign and even the most difficult tribulations are accepted because they come from the hand of a God whose grace is working in us, will sustain us in His molding and shaping us.

Come over to just before I Peter, if you have a marker there go back to I Peter and then just before I Peter is James. James chapter 1. James is writing to the same audience that Peter is, the 12 tribes of the diaspora, believing Jews scattered outside the land of Israel in the various parts of the Gentile world if you will.

How does he begin? Verse 2: “Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials.” Trials of all kinds, high faceted, multi colored trials. So he doesn’t limit them. There are different kinds of trials that come obviously in our lives but when they are called trials they are obviously difficulties. They are something that we would not choose if we were looking for something easy and pleasant, enjoyable. It wouldn’t be a trial if it were but we can count it all joy when we encounter various trials.

Again why, the sovereignty of God. This is not something that interrupts God’s purposes and plans for us or frustrates them. “We know that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.” This is God’s intention in molding and shaping us to further maturity, to strengthen us and prepare us for the ultimate glory He has. And if any of us lack wisdom as we face these trials we can find it from God. That doesn’t mean I have an answer. Sometimes when you come along side someone going through trials you have to say, “I don’t know why God has done what He has done.” We have all been in situations either personally or with those who we care about where we sometimes say, “I can’t see right now how this is better but it is God’s plan and we have that confidence.” That is walking by faith, right? I don’t always see the answer and we ought not to think that as believers we have to have an answer. And sometimes an encouragement and comfort we bring is we are there just to stand with the person in their trial but that doesn’t mean, oh yes, I can explain it to you, I can’t. It seems an interruption. It seems a disaster but God give me the wisdom not to know the answer to this but to handle it as You would have me handle it and we are assured He gives this wisdom generously. He doesn’t rebuke us for coming and asking for wisdom because since I have come into a trial it is not the normal flow of my life. Sometimes I am a little bewildered. Lord, what would you have me do next? Where do I go from here and that is sometimes where God uses fellow believers as well because since they are not experiencing this trial they might have a little more clarity to help me take the next step, to help me get through this but it is part of God’s plan.

Verse 12: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved,” part of the problem. It is a refining, it is a testing; it is a maturing process. “He will receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

So this is the framework we are in. God is preparing us for glory and understand this life and all that we go through is preparation for that and we don’t understand everything, we don’t know everything but our faith is in a God who is sovereign and does know everything and has a plan that He is working in His children’s lives.

Alright, come to Peter. The Scriptures are an encouragement for us in these. Sometimes the simplest thing we do is we ask God and pray for wisdom, His grace to handle this properly and we come to the Word of God and sit and maybe just read it. Sometimes you go and read the Scripture with someone else, favorite passages, pertinent passages. The Scripture was written for that purpose. Let me just read you Romans 15:4: “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction that through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we have hope.” It is a good thing. In our trials we turn to the Word of God and read it. We are reminded of God’s grace, God’s sovereignty. The encouragement comes from the Scripture so that is what Peter is doing here.

In this first letter he has been encouraging these Jewish believers scattered throughout the Gentile world. The trials are part of God’s purpose now. It is important that we handle them properly.

Back in chapter 1, verse 6. Verse 5: “These are those who are protected by the power of God” and they will reach the salvation that God has promised, that ultimate glory in His presence. “In this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials.” That is our situation. Don’t get discouraged. You are on track. This doesn’t frustrate God’s plan for you. It is part of God’s plan. You are protected. This is a refining process as we saw. Verse 7: “It is the proof of your faith.” It is an opportunity what – for me to trust God again in a deeper way, in a new way, at a more difficult time, an encouragement.

In chapter 2, verse 12: “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers;” so here, another trial; these Jewish believers living in a Gentile world. They are outside of the homeland of Israel, remember. And even though as God’s children they are trying to live a godly life they are being slandered by unbelievers, falsely accused of things and so on. “Keep your behavior excellent,” stay on track and perhaps God will use the consistency of your godly life to ultimately bring them to realize the truth of the message of Jesus Christ.

Down in verse 15: “For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.” And this in the context and we will be talking more about this but obeying governing authorities. The consistency there; we do right. You silence the ignorance of foolish men, those falsely accusing believer’s conduct and not being good citizens and so we stay the course. That is God’s purpose.

Down in verse 19: “For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?” If when you do what is right and suffer for it and you patiently endure it, this is pleasing to God. So this is not a guarantee. You do what is right and everything, you know soon everybody will appreciate it. Maybe they will and maybe they won’t. Maybe doing right will make your life more difficult but our life, we want to live it pleasing to God.

So, if because of your conscience knowing this is what God would have me do and you do suffer for it. Many have, many are today in different parts of the world and in some situations even in our country but they bear up. This pleases God. It is part of the refining, testing process.

Down in chapter 3, verse 9. You know our goal is in verse 8: “Conduct ourselves always among the brotherhood” and to all people. So we don’t return evil for evil or insult for insult but we give a blessing instead because we are going to inherit a blessing.

So we have an understanding. We don’t want to be bitter toward the unbeliever. We want to live a godly life. We want to be a blessing. They are mistreating but that is alright.

One of the martyrs I have shared with you, he is being burned at the stake at the instruction of the ruler. God blessed this ruler, final testimony, a desire that his life would be a testimony to him.

So Peter is continuing this theme. You come down and we are going to pick up in verse 13. He has given the instruction and has quoted from the Old Testament about the importance of consistency in our lives even when we are not being treated properly. Then he asks the question in verse 13: “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?” If you are zealous to do what is pleasing to God, consistent to His character, honoring Him the general pattern is you don’t get punished for that. Now that doesn’t mean that is a firm, fixed rule. Peter is writing this and you know who the Roman ruler is, the most infamous of all, Nero. Tradition says Peter along with Paul will die at the hands of Nero but the general principle is still true that we are usually punished for right. We get punished for wrong and we appreciate that opportunity to live under government that is providing opportunities.

That is usually true in our jobs. There may be those who know something of our testimony as believers and they are looking to be mean toward us but generally being the best employee you can and so on, that has benefits and generally you are not being punished or harmed because you are doing good, general principle. “Zealous for what is good” and God saved us to redeem us.

Back in Titus chapter 2 he refers to the fact, “The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation (Titus 2:11) for all men instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires to live sensibly, righteously, godly in the present age looking for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” We are not saved by doing good deeds but as a result of the grace of the salvation we have received, we are zealous to do those things consistent with His character. Those are the good deeds.

So who is going to punish you for being zealous for what is good, what is honorable, right is right, for being trustworthy, for being gracious and working hard because you are doing your work as to the Lord; those kinds of things. Generally you don’t get punished for that. One person put it this way: “We are far more likely to suffer if we are zealous for other people to do right than if the zeal is applied to our own lives.” We want to be careful. We are talking about living our lives godly not trying to get others to live theirs. The unbeliever is going to live an ungodly life. Our purpose for being there is not to constantly point out their failures. I will share the Gospel but we are not getting them to conform to the standard that we live by as God’s people.

So our desire is to live holy, godly lives. We work with unbelievers who are ungodly and they have a different goal, purpose, but generally we can do well.

Come back to Romans chapter 13. This principle is enumerated several times. In Romans chapter 13 we were here because back in chapter 2 we talked about being submissive to governing authorities. And chapter 13 opens up: “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. There is no authority except from God and those who are established by God.” That principle we talked about. God has established the order. “So therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God and those who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” God has established human government so that there is order in society. Now that doesn’t mean every case. Nero is going to go off the rails even as an unbeliever. Christians are going to suffer terrible things even to the point that the unbelieving Romans couldn’t stomach him any longer. He is driven to suicide but the principle still holds that rulers are established. This is God’s order. We can say that. We look at elections coming up but we look at our country. No matter who has been president and who has been in the congress, we may like some better than others and think some did a better job than the others but basically we are privileged. Here we are this evening. Gathered and we are thankful for law and order in our society and we see incidences of terror in our country and in other parts of the world. We are thankful for the order that is brought about by ruling authorities. In parts of the world where those governing authorities that structure is broken down life becomes very unlivable in a normal sense.

Verse 3: “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior but for evil. Do you want to have no fear for authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same. For it is a minister of God to you for good but if you do what is evil, be afraid.”

So the principle is Christians live their godly lives within the framework of the law. We want to obey the law. We want to pay our taxes. We want to obey the instructions. We do what we are told. We have restrictions on where you can build and what you can build. Well if we live within those, fine. Now if they say you can no longer share the Gospel of Jesus Christ you can no longer teach the truth of the Word of God, we have to say what? We cannot obey that and we may suffer unjustly for that but in the general flow of things that is not the situation in which we live and we appreciate being zealous for good.

One more passage, stop at Titus chapter 3. In Titus chapter 3 the same kind of instruction. Verse 1: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.” Again, we ought to be characterized as believers by doing good. I don’t have any problem with that. “To malign no one” and he is talking about here about unbelievers. The point is not to constantly point out how wicked they are, how unbiblical they are. We have to address sin and so on but the point is not to get them to change. It is to get them to hear the truth and believe it if possible, “to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” And we know he is talking about unbelievers because his next statement is “we were also once foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures; living our life in malice, envy, hateful, hating one another but when the kindness of our God appeared” and we have His love, His mercy, His grace in these subsequent verses. So he comes down to the end of verse 8. “So those who have believed in God be careful to engage in good deeds.”

Now we want to be careful. If you get the order wrong as we often say, you are not saved by good deeds but believers are to have lives that are characterized what? By conformity to the character of God. That would be good. We are the best of the citizens. We are gracious. We don’t make personal malicious attacks on them as the rulers.

You know I get concerned. We have voting going on now and caucuses and every time you turn on the news they talk about the evangelical block in Iowa now and how will evangelicals vote and some pastors I was reading of one is taking a position, not from the pulpit because that could get into problems but out of the pulpit he is carefully steering his people to the candidate he thinks of. That is not how we should be identified.

In our society we get to vote for who we want. If somebody asks me I will be fully supportive of whoever is elected to serve because I believe that ultimately it is in the hands of God. We want to be careful that we are not maligning this person and that person. What is going to happen to our country if this person gets in? The will of God is going to be accomplished.

Sidetrack but come back to Daniel. I can’t leave this out. God’s sovereignty pervades everything and I am concerned for our testimony. I don’t think the future of the United States is in the hands of who it elects as President. Remember these verses? You should have them underlined as we come here often. In Daniel chapter 4 I am just going to pick up the part of the verse, the last part of verse 17: “In order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind.” You know what the next says, “And bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.” Again at the end of verse 25: “Until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” The end of verse 26: “It is heaven that rules.” Down to the end of verse 32: “Until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.”

So you know, in our country we vote who will be our President. Here we are talking about Nebuchadnezzar. He came to power by the might of his army but not ultimately. God put him in that position and gave him the victory. Earlier he said he would whistle for the Assyrians and they would come and carry the Northern captivity ultimately captive. I mean He is sovereign so we want to be careful as believers. That doesn’t mean we can’t vote for the one you think would be the best for our country and for us as believers. I want to be careful that I don’t get entangled and identified in the political process because I am going to be fully supportive to the one that God appoints and he might be the least favorite or she might be the least favorite. God is working His purposes and we want to be careful.

I think it a cloud on the Gospel that evangelicals get identified as another political block, just like other political positions. I believe in the sovereignty of God and I believe that the person of His appointment for the accomplishing of His purposes. So we have to be careful however it goes that we malign no one.

Come back to I Peter 3. In our conversation it is easy for us to get drawn in quickly to discussions that maybe we ought to be looking for opportunities to talk about you know, we are going to vote and that is a privilege we have but the Bible says that God is sovereign in this process and He ultimately will determine the outcome for His purposes. Rather than getting involved in arguing the pros and cons of this or that I am not saying you can’t have a conversation but we need to be careful that we don’t go overboard.

So we come back to I Peter chapter 3. We want to be zealous for good. We recognize the position God has given these. So verse 14: “Even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness” and normally, in the normal flow we as believers don’t suffer for doing good but “even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness you are blessed.” This carries it back to what we were talking about. It is part of the purpose and plan of God that we suffer because of our identification with Him and His truth; again conducting ourselves properly here. Then he quotes from Isaiah 8: “Do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled.” This word, ‘suffer’ is a favorite word of Peter. It appears 12 times in this first epistle of Peter. He is talking about suffering. You are suffering for the sake of righteousness. Now not all suffering would fit this but here he is talking particularly you have tried to do the right thing, done what you believe you should do, what is consistent with the Word and people may be persecuting you, the persecution that would come for a testimony and living righteously and some of that is going to intensify. People may think you know that you are homophobic. We ought to be careful you know that we are not caught up in the debate of their particular sinful conduct because their particular sinful conduct is not the issue because if they stop that particular sinful conduct they still won’t be saved. So I don’t want to get drawn into that. Yes, I believe certain conduct is sinful but you know individual acts of sin are just a reflection of what God says in our problem. We in our very heart are sinful, depraved and under His condemnation. That is true for the very religious people who seen in the world sights to be quote “morally good” but they are lost. Like Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day, “You are white washed tombs. On the outside you look good. On the inside you are full of dead men’s bones. You are completely defiled.” So we want to be careful. But if you suffer for righteousness and being identified with Christ and with His truth, God’s Word, don’t fear their intimidation and don’t be troubled. You are blessed, you are privileged.

Come back to Matthew chapter 5. Some blessings we are more ready to forego than others and often it is in this kind of context but it is a blessing. Verse 10 of Matthew 5, Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those that have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kind of evil against you because of Me.” The particular focus here is our testimony for Christ and our identification. It may be your godly life that irritates people, living according to the Scripture. So “persecuted for the sake of righteousness, (the end of verse 11) because of Me they are saying the same thing, rejoice and be glad. Your reward in heaven is great. They persecuted the prophets in the same way.”

If we are going to share God’s Word, if we are going to live godly lives there will be irritation. We are lights in the darkness and that will often bring consequences but we need to be careful. If I am not doing a good job at work I may get punished for it but I can’t say, “Well, it’s probably because I am a Christian.” Well, are you doing the best that you could in every way? Well I am as good as the others. That is not the question. So it is a blessing to suffer for Christ. Live a godly life and accept the consequences, it is God’s blessing.

Back in Peter. We are not going to go back to the Old Testament, that quote and you will see it at the end of verse 14: “Do not fear their intimidation, do not troubled.” Comes from Isaiah 8, verse 12 and 13 and there the Jews they are having trouble with Syria, the capital of which is Damascus in the news sometimes today and other enemies and Judah. They also have the northern ten tribes still in existence and conflict with them and maybe you turn to Assyria due to things and they would be a help and all this pressure and so on. Don’t be intimidated, don’t be troubled and it is applicable to God’s people in all their situations. Don’t fear their intimidation. Don’t be troubled. That word ‘troubled,’ agitated, put in emotional turmoil. You know we can have inner stability and tranquility. God is sovereign. There in Isaiah 8 it had to do with nations that could unsettle God’s people. Don’t fear their intimidation, don’t be troubled and don’t be agitated; pictures of agitation, confusion, that inner turmoil, unsettled. We don’t live with that. We are at peace, why? God is in control. I am trusting Him. He has brought me into this. This is not a result of anything I have done contrary to His will so now I count it a privilege to be identified with Him.

Oh, you are a Christian. Oh, you are part of that group. These Jewish believers would have had to deal with that. Not only as Jews but as of Christian Jews. If it’s because of their testimony, their identification with Christ, their godly life, don’t fear, don’t be troubled.

“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you yet with gentleness and reverence.” A verse that is sometimes used I think beyond the bounds of what Peter is talking about here. “You sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” He is set apart. The word ‘sanctify,’ holy, saint, all come from the same basic word, a word that means to be set apart. God is holy because He is set apart from sin. We are saints. Those who are holy, set apart from sin, sanctified, set apart.

So Christ is set apart in our hearts as Lord and we are always ready to make a defense. We get the word apologetics from this word and I realize words get theological meanings that are broader than their use in Scripture but the use of apologetics in a Biblical sense isn’t that people with greater intellects are able to argue on a level that the average person isn’t to prove the validity of Scripture or to prove the existence of God or other kinds of what we call apologetic arguments. This is very simply making a defense, a thoughtful reasoned explanation “to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” Very simple. We are ready. People want to ask you about your faith in Jesus Christ you are ready to give a reasoned, thoughtful, careful explanation of that faith. It can be used in a more formal setting.

Come back to Acts chapter 22 and see how in some of these settings that take place with Paul, Acts chapter 22 and Paul there has been some trouble stirred up. He has been seized by the Jews because he is what – presenting Jesus Christ as the Messiah and He is the Savior. God has provided for Israel and for Gentiles and so it causes a riot. There is an example. Paul is not doing anything out of line. He is presenting to the Jews in the truth of their Scriptures but it causes an uproar. So the Roman commander brings him in and since Paul can speak the language here he is going to address the Jews when the commander gives him opportunity.

In chapter 22, verse 1: “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense.” That is our word that we have in Peter, my apology in the sense of apologetics, my reasoned, careful explanation. Not apology as we sometimes think, “I am sorry.” But here that word is used as giving a defense, a reasoned explanation. When they understand he is addressing them in their own language and the Roman commander thinks well maybe he can settle things, maybe it is a misunderstanding. You see what he does? He gives his testimony. This is not bringing his wisdom here to give arguments. He is simply sharing the truth of how the Gospel impacted and transformed him from a persecutor of the faith to a proclaimer of the faith.

So verse 3: “I am a Jew, I was born in Tarsus, educated under Gamaliel,” a strict Pharisee. And I was zealous for God just as you are today. As he tells the Romans, the Jews are zealous for God but they are zealous without knowledge. They are zealous in ignorance like many religious people today. They have a zeal, some will die for their religion but it’s a religion of ignorance. That is what Paul is saying here. He was zealous just like these Jews and persecuted Christians but then was confronted with the resurrected Christ and was instructed by Him to go and tell others.

So down in verse 14: “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One, to hear an utterance from His mouth” telling how God ordained Him to go and preach so he goes on.

Apologetics – be ready to give an answer. Stop and think. Would I be ready to give a response if somebody asks about my life? Why do you live the way you do? Why don’t you do this? Why don’t you do that? Why do you go to that church? Why don’t you do some of those things? Or whatever. We don’t want to get involved in that debate. Well, I don’t think it is healthy. Well you know I am uncomfortable with people. No, be ready. You know, there was a time when my life was different and I was living differently. You know, depending what your testimony is and you share with them what happened that changed your life from the inside out. It is a real miracle. People are always interested in miracles. You might want to start with that. You know, I had a miracle occur in my life, a genuine, real miracle and that is why my life is lived now the way it is. And we are ready just to give a reason. We are not going to give a list of arguments why miracles can occur in the world. We are just telling them the miracle that occurred in our life. You know you give your testimony and be careful it is clear.

It is a testimony of what Jesus Christ did for you. You understood your need for One who could forgive you your sins, who could cleanse you. You share. We are ready in an instant to share the Gospel. You may have a short time. You may come on an automobile accident and here is a person dying, ready. I can share with them. Let me share with you the most important thing you have to know and believe if you going out into eternity. That is what we are talking about, this kind of thing.

You’re in Acts, come to chapter 25, verse 16. Paul is giving his testimony and he is with Festus here and then with Agrippa. He has been sharing the truth of the Gospel and you know he doesn’t get in. Verse 10 he will admit, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal.” He is willing to appeal to Caesar so in this context he is willing to use the law that he has, the rights he has as a Roman but you know he is not on a binge of how unjust the law is and they ought to change the law and the Roman Empire will collapse on itself. So when opportunity comes he will come and make his defense at the end of verse 16 of chapter 25. He has an opportunity to make his defense so he is going to do that. He comes down. He is before Agrippa. He is, come into chapter 12, very respectful. He speaks honoring God. God has put Felix into this position. God has put Herod Agrippa in this position. Herod Agrippa is not necessarily a person of respect as we would think from a Christian perspective but Paul speaks honorably. He shares the Gospel with them to the point down in verse 27 he gives the invitation. “King Agrippa do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Agrippa replied, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” Paul says, “I wish I could. I would like you to have the privilege of being just like me. I am not wishing you would be imprisoned but to know the Savior I know.”

So the apologetics, the defense you give, all of us ought to be ready. I keep telling you, I remind you to practice. Go in a room sometime during the day by yourself and talk out loud. I think it is important to do it out loud. Sometimes you do it in your mind but I sometimes sit at my desk this week, several times doing it, carrying on a conversation. Maybe it is my age. There was nobody in there but me. But I do it out loud. So you know, get use to saying the words, putting them together. I want to make a clear defense. Sometimes I think of a person who has raised an issue and I want to turn the conversation to Christ so I talk to him about that. There is nobody in the chair but he is there in my mind and I am voicing this. I hear my voice saying, “You know there is something much more important than what you want to talk about right now. Let’s talk about what is most important and then we can come back to what you want to talk about.” Somehow how am I going to pick them up? Ready to tell them about Jesus Christ and often the simple way is tell them what God has done in your life. Don’t make it generally. Then I came to realize that God wanted me to live differently. That is not a real reasoned explanation. I have to be more detailed because any religious person can talk like that.

Paul has to bring this down so they understand there is a difference. He is calling Agrippa to become a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ to have his sins forgiven so he can be made new like Paul has been.

A number of other passages, we won’t take time. Come back to Peter. You know this is the beautiful thing of the truth concerning Christ. The Gospel is the same for everyone. It is not a different Gospel for the very intelligent versus the relatively uneducated. Not a different Gospel for the rich or the poor. That is why Paul said when he came to Corinth, “I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” the Gospel. Now you can put that in the context of sharing what God has done in your life, the miracle that was brought about that could only be accomplished by the power of God for the Gospel is the power of God. That’s now why they could experience the same miracle and there is no rational, logical, human explanation for this but this is the message that will change you forever and make you a new person. It is a miracle.

It is the greatest miracle going on in the world today. We are ready to tell people and you will note in Peter he says “to make a defense to everyone who asks you.” Give an account of the hope that is in you. Tell me why this is your hope? Why are you a Christian? Why do you go to that church? You don’t want to argue why our church is better, whatever, compare churches. I have a hope. I am living for something more than this life. Why aren’t you more concerned about this or that or involved? I have something greater.

You do it though, at the end of verse 15 “With gentleness and reverence.” We are not there to proclaim our greatness. Not there to malign them to make them realize how much worse they are than I am. No, we are just like them. That’s why you want to be careful about making individual sins the biggies. So evangelicals get known for those who are against this sin and we recognize that as sin. I am not on a crusade about that sin because what has to be dealt with is the fact that you and your very being are defiled by sin, that’s what other religions tell you. Do good works, clean up your life, confess this sin or that sin. People say, “Do you think God would be more pleased with me if I didn’t do this?” Christians give that idea, the issue of marriage and different views now on sexual activity. Yes, the Bible is clear, the Bible views these things as sin but you know the dividing line between those going to heaven and hell is not between those who have this view of marriage or this view of this sinful activity or that sin because it doesn’t matter which side of the line you are on there. I tell you how God changed my life; what God says in His Word will change a life. It is not giving up a sin, taking a stand against this sin or that sin. It is much bigger, much more serious than that. You know it is like a person who says, “You know, see I have cancer here. I am going to get that spot taking off.” But then they are told it permeates your whole body. Taking one spot off won’t solve the problem. That’s with sin. It is what we are. We are sinful beings, corrupted.

So we do this with gentleness and reverence. We don’t malign people. That doesn’t mean we don’t tell them they are sinners but they are not bigger sinners, they are not worse sinners or they are not more hopeless sinners because they do this or the other thing; this problem again with evangelicals quote “getting involved in these movements.” We will join together with religious groups that are corrupted in their view of the doctrine of salvation but we agree on these things as though these things are so important. We can join together even though the foundational issue of salvation may be confused. We do it will gentleness, reverence, why? We read Titus chapter 3. We won’t go back there. We were just like them. Oh, I never did that. No but I was just as corrupted. So with reverence, respect for God; honoring Him, a desire to please Him.

“And we keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.” I mean I want to live pleasing to Him so my life supports the testimony. Now sadly I don’t live perfectly and sometimes an unbeliever may point out, “Well I don’t think you manifested what you say in that situation.” I did fail to live accordingly but it doesn’t change the truth. We are not perfect but we do want to live with a good conscience.

We don’t have time to go through the different passages. You can see some of them in parallel references in your margin on a good conscience. Paul said he maintained it’s his goal to live with a good conscience, a clear conscience and that means not only sin which others know which might slander me but I know because sin undermines my confidence. You know if I am in sin and nobody else knows about it but me and the Lord it still shakes my confidence. I don’t have the same boldness. So we want to be careful we keep a good conscience. And so the evil things said about us aren’t true. That is the point. They may slander you but they won’t be true and over time they will be put to shame because it becomes clear and it is a lie. And “it is better if God should will it that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” So whatever, we are committed to do what is right.

Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Do right, do right.” That is something for us as believers, do right. Do what is righteous. For what is right in the eyes of God as those who have placed their faith in Him then we are ready wherever we are whatever we are doing whatever people are say, whatever they do to us, however we are treated we are on track and as much as lies within us we want to be at peace with all men. We want to treat them in respect. We were lost once ourselves. We are not on a crusade declaring and trying to expose them. We are trying to expose them to the Gospel. We share with them their lost-ness, their sinfulness but in the context the grace of God that was brought into my life can come into your life. It comes as a free gift if you will believe the truth that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture. He was buried. He was raised from the dead.” He is alive and this is the power of God for your salvation.

Let’s pray. Thank You Lord for the riches of Your Word. Thank You for the privilege of living for You in a fallen world. Lord as we have been blessed to have enjoyed Your salvation over longer periods of time it is easy for us to settle into an attitude of self-righteousness and begin to look at those in the world who are lost and without hope with a certain arrogance or disdain. We forget that at one time we were just like them and apart from Your grace we would still be just like them. So may we take the truth of Your Word. May we have a desire to live consistently with Your character and be ready to testify to Your grace, the power of Your salvation that so changed our lives that can change their lives not because they are worse than us but because they are just like we were, lost and without hope in the world. We bring a message of hope, we bring a message of salvation, we bring a message of grace, a free gift of life in Christ and we pray in Christ’s name amen.