Bible Study (4) - The Endurance of Hope - 1 Peter 3:8-17 - June 28, 2020

Bible Study (4) – The Endurance of Hope – June 28, 2020

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Living with Hope in a Broken World.”

Our focus scripture is 1 Peter 3:8-17.

We can endure suffering because of our hope in CHRIST.

The endurance of hope is the key word e.g. keeping on when there is nothing to keep a Christian pressing on when all that is detectible cannot be seen with the human eye or understanding. How and why? It is because a Christian’s faith and hope are in JESUS and nothing this world has to offer. It is pressing forward when there is nothing physically visible. From a human point of view, it is impossible but from a faith point of view all things are possible. How? It is because GOD does it. Let your actions of faith match or exceed your revealed faith! This is a tall order from a human perspective but from a faith perspective, it results in a much different outcome. Let’s explore!

Let’s read 1 Peter 3:8-12:

Do No Evil

⁸ Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble,^[b] 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

In essence, the Apostle Peter, was telling his Christian readers and brothers and sisters in CHRIST that it was vital that they live by what they were being taught and believe. They were to consider others and look at the issues they face in life through their eyes and circumstances.

Christians are to be empathetic or like-minded with their fellow earth dwellers but more importantly to respond to the needs of others as JESUS. Thus, have the same mindset as JESUS e.g. respond as led by the urging of the Holy Spirit. One might say, “well, there are so many needs?” Yes, and it is GOD WHO meets those needs. Consider various scripture regarding how GOD multiplies human limitations:

Psalm 35:13:

But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own ^[e]heart.

As we minister to others, we in turn are ministered to.

Acts 10:38:

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The same power that JESUS had upon earth, Spiritually born Christians also have that same power upon earth.

2 Corinthians 1:21:

²¹ Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,

Spiritually born Christians are anointed by GOD. GOD multiplies what HE leads HIS Spiritually born children to do. JESUS taught HIS disciples as we read in Luke 9:1-6:

9 Summoning the Twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ² Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

³ “Take nothing for the road,” he told them, “no staff, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. ⁵ If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

Then later in ministry the disciples encountered another huge issue as we read in Luke 9:10-14:

Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹⁰ When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a^[a] town called Bethsaida. ¹¹ When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

¹² Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³ “You give them something to eat,” he told them.

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ (For about five thousand men were there.)

Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down^[b] in groups of about fifty each.” ¹⁵ They did what he said, and had them all sit down. ¹⁶ Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.

Were these miracles just for JESUS’ disciples then or for all HIS Disciples until HE returns? Were the disciples of JESUS more Spiritually born than HIS disciples in the present age? I contend NO!

Spiritually born Christians in the present, somehow believe that they do not have the power that JESUS had when HE walked upon earth. What a shame for the people of earth. FATHER, forgive us and show us that YOUR power is just as available to YOUR Spiritually born Children today as it was when YOU walked upon earth. It is just as powerful and it is wonder working power!

So, what are we tempted to do? Do we test GOD by saying, “FATHER, do this or do that?” That is exactly what Satan wants us to do. When GOD reveals the need, then respond to the need as HE prompts you to respond. In feeding the five thousand, JESUS wanted HIS disciples to see what they had available e.g. five loaves and two fish. In the hands of GOD that was more than enough. Okay, there were enough material provisions, what was next? JESUS told the disciples to have the people to sit in groups of fifty, so they could be fed. JESUS blessed the food and asked the disciples to distribute it. All were filled and there were twelve baskets full left-over. Yes, miracles still happen everyday upon earth. When Christians pray in faith for the needs of the world, GOD responds. 

Satan stands ready to make you think, “nothing took place.” Don’t accept a lie. Rejoice when that happens. Why? When Satan opposes, you know you are headed in the right direction.

The scriptures copied below are some examples of how GOD used various ways to accomplish meeting the needs of people:

Acts 5:15:

¹⁵ so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

Acts 19:11-20:

¹¹ Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ^[a]“We ^[b]exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” ¹⁴ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

¹⁶ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, ^[c]overpowered them, and prevailed against ^[d]them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸ And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. ¹⁹ Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

The power of GOD is not for sale, it is freely given to those Spiritually born from GOD and to be used as HE directs. Is this power available today? ABSOLUTELY!!! Divine healing is a Spiritual gift today but self-ordained divine healers are not from GOD. Bottomline, GOD can use whatever HE deems necessary to minister to others. Has that time arrived? Are we who know the truth, willing to say, FATHER, here we are, as YOUR Children, use us to minister to a world that is hurting?

How do we begin -----

¹⁰ For the one who wants to love life
and to see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit,
¹¹ and let him turn away from evil
and do what is good.
Let him seek peace and pursue it,
¹² because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.

GOD is with us, are we with HIM and ready for action?

Undeserved Suffering

Let’s read 1 Peter 3:13-14:

¹³ Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear them^[c] or be intimidated,^[d] 

When Spiritually born people step up to the plate, may we do so with the absolute assurance that we have nothing to fear. Yes, we may run into issues but we are to press on because GOD will bless us as we move forward. GOD’S Word reveals in 2 Timothy 2:7:

⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

In first John 4:1-6:

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world. Therefore, what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

WHO has conquered the evil spirits? “Because the ONE (JESUS) Who is in you (JESUS) is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan). The victory has already been won by JESUS.

Let’s read 1 Peter 3:15-17:

¹⁵ but in your hearts regard^[e] Christ^[f] the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. ¹⁶ Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused,^[g] those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Spiritually born Christians are to utterly rely upon the indwelling Holy Spirit to come to their aid 24/7.

Suffering can run at least two-ways – suffering for doing good or suffering for doing bad, either way GOD is with Christians.

GOD always has our back side. Roman 8:28:

²⁸ We know that all things work together^[k] for the good^[l] of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 

GOD is in all things bringing about the best that come from the issues we face in life, as HIS Children or children to become.

Blessings!!!