Encouraging What's Right 1 Peter 3: 8 - 12

o 8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
o “Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11 He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
o It started at the end of a Sunday morning service in an Ontario church. The choir began the recessional, singing as they marched in perfect unison of the centre aisle to the back of the church.
o The last young lady in the women's section was wearing a new pair of shoes with needle heels, heels that are so slender they slip through any grating. And in the aisle was grating that covered the hot air register.
o Without a thought for her fancy heels, the young woman sang and marched. And the heel of one shoe sank right through a hole in the register grate. Instantly she realized her dilemma. She knew she couldn't hold up the whole recessional while she back stepped to pull out her heel. She did the next best thing in the emergency. Without missing a step she slipped her foot out of her shoe and continued up the aisle. There wasn't a break in the recessional. Everything moved like clockwork.
o The first man following that young woman noted the situation and, without losing a beat, reached down and picked up her shoe. The entire grate came with it. Startled but still singing, the man continued up the aisle carrying in his hand one grate attached to one shoe.
o Never a break in the recessional. Everybody singing. Everything moving like clockwork. And then in tune and in time to the beat, the next man stepped into the open register.
o Choirs and other musical groups make great fuel for metaphors and parables. The story that we just heard makes for an excellent parable for not only how well things go in our Christian lives and relationships with one another in the church, but also of how poorly things can go.
o When things are going well and we’re living right with others and with God it’s like singing in unison and marching to the beat, keeping in time and not missing a note.
o But when things are not going so well and we’re not on track with God and others, then it’s like the woman and her shoe stuck in the grate, and the grate coming out of the floor and the man stepping into the whole in the floor where the grate should have been.
o In this brief passage, Peter gives his readers five positive commands to follow, which will help to ensure we stay in step and time and singing the right notes. Peter also gives one negative command to avoid, which he follows with a positive instruction. These will help us avoid serious blunders in our performance.
o The five positive commands which Peter gives to his readers are all in verse eight and have to do with how we treat one another as well as those outside the faith.
o Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
o The first command is: "Live in harmony with one another." The Greek of this phrase may be literally translated, "be completely like minded."
o Harmony in the body of Christ grows out of the knowledge and practice of our Christian faith. Does complete like mindedness mean we will never disagree? No, it means that we will work together to find common ground when we do disagree.
o It also means that we will remain true, having the same mind, regarding the essentials of the faith. Such as, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, that is the key essential of our faith which we must not compromise.
o So unity is about finding common ground, and it's about holding firmly to the essentials of our faith.
o The second command is: "Be sympathetic." The Greek word Peter used here is the word from which we get our word, sympathy. Its meaning is stronger than our English word. It literally means "to suffer with."
o Empathy would give us a closer approximation of what Peter is getting at. As Paul wrote in Romans 12, “mourn with those who mourn.” It is when we suffer with those who are suffering that we show true sympathy.
o We now come to the third command: "love as brothers." Since we have been adopted into God's family, as members of God's household, then we need to learn to treat one another as members of a loving family.
o Expressions of gratitude, encouragement, affection, among other things, should be expected among believers who love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
o The fourth command is: "be compassionate." Believers in Christ need to have tender hearts. Compassion has to do with our deepest feelings. True compassion moves us to act when we see others sorrowing, hurting, or suffering.
o The fifth command is: "be...humble." True humility means to consider yourself with sober judgment, to have an honest estimate of yourself before God.
o The humble person is not down on herself and he is not full of himself. Rather, a humble person is honest with herself about her gifts and character. A humble man can rejoice in the successes of others.
o The imperatives or commands of verse eight are guides for Christians to get along together. These characteristics are qualities which every Christian needs to possess.
o Verse nine is an instruction from Peter to his readers on how to deal with hostile people.
o Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
o What is our natural response when someone is hostile toward us? Why our natural response is to retaliate, to be vengeful.
o But we must learn to respond to aggression, antagonism, and hostility with grace.
o What does it mean to bless those who insult you and commit evil acts toward you? What does it mean to bless your enemies?
o Blessing your enemies means, “to speak well of them.” That is the pattern of Jesus for relating to people who live in a hostile, anti Christian culture.
o This instruction is not merely about being friendly or polite. It is an instruction to active prayer and intercession (that simply means we are prayerfully intervening before God on someone else's behalf).
o Speak well of those who hate you. Speak God’s blessings upon them. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If she is thirsty, give her a drink.
o Our greatest desire for our enemies must be that the Spirit of God would bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ
o The phrase "because to this you were called" refers to our Christian calling to be a gracious and blessing people.
o Wouldn't it be wonderful to be known as: "Those gracious people who bless each other and everyone else too"?
o Peter then backs up his teaching with a quote from Psalm 34.
o "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from the evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from the evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. For the Lord watches over those who do what's right and listens to their prayers. But he turns his anger against those who do what's wrong."
o If you want a better life, now and for eternity, then do what's right because God is watching you.
o What is goodness but unity, empathy, and love offered to believers and unbelievers alike?
o If we truly want peace in life, then we must seek out ways to live in harmony with others, be sympathetic, compassionate, humble, and especially extend the love of God to others as he has extended his love to us.
o Why does Peter tell his readers to be united and show sympathy and love for one another and bless their enemies?
o Because the Lord watches over those who do what's right and hears their prayers.
o What must our response be to Peter's message?
Encourage each other to unity, empathy, and love because they are what's right.