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Speaker: 1988, there's an ad that showed
up on television screens across the

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country, and it opens with an overhead
shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, and there

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was fog rolling in in the background,
and then it zoomed in on the bridge

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to a man who was jogging, running.

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And as you can see, the picture on the
screen, this was not your, your typical

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man that you would expect to see in a
commercial, at least not for this company.

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Wasn't a cutting edge athlete.

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This was Walt Stack.

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Walt Stack at the time was 80 years old
when this ad ran for the first time, and

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he was running across the bridge in a
pair of eye catching red athletic shorts

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that were a little too short to show
on the screen for church this morning.

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But the camera zoomed in here on, on
Walt's face, and, and you saw the the age,

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but also the determination on his face.

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After that, it cut to a, a montage of
Walt swimming and running and biking, all

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while wearing a distinct athletic brand.

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The 62nd ad then concluded with
one more look into the camera

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from Walt before fading to black.

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And then for the first time ever, the
world was greeted with the slogan.

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Just do it.

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Nike.

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It, it's, it's ubiquitous Now.

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You know the brand.

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You know the slogan.

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You hear the slogan, you think Nike.

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Nike's goal was to motivate
a nation to think that they

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too could defy expectations.

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To think that, that they could also take
on the challenge, to do the unexpected,

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to break the age barriers, to press on,
to persevere, to endure, to bear up.

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Under the difficult circumstances
that maybe they found themselves

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in, just do it this morning.

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Our inspiration isn't Walt or any
other human being for that matter.

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Our human beings around us are not
our inspiration to press on or to

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defy expectations or to overcome
trials or to endure opposition.

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We don't keep going.

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We don't set ourselves as
Christians to just do it because

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of a human being or slogan.

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Instead, what we're gonna find in
our passage this morning, according

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to Peter, we should just do it.

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We should press on, we should persevere.

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We should bear up under difficult
situations, difficult relationships.

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Because we live our lives as servants of
a sovereign and good God, we press on.

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We endure.

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We bear up because we live our lives
as servants of a sovereign God.

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Our passage begins in one Peter
chapter two verses 18 through 20.

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It's on the screen there if you don't
have your Bibles, but it says this.

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It says, servants be
subject to your masters.

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With all respect, not only to the good
and the gentle, but also to the unjust

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for this is a gracious thing when
mindful of God, one endures sorrows while

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suffering unjustly for what credit is it?

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If when you sin and are beaten for
it, you endure, but if when you do

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good and suffer for it, you endure.

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This is a gracious thing
in the sight of God.

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Alright, point number one,
right outta the gates.

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Not used to it coming so soon,
but this morning you're gonna

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see why I hope in just a second.

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But first point this morning is this.

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Read the Bible in context.

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Read the Bible in context.

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As we get into our text, we're
gonna read Peter, address Servants,

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be Subject to Your Masters.

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The word for servants is the
word for a household servant,

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a household slave at the time.

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But, uh, this is an uncomfortable
subject and as we read it through our

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21st Century American eyes, uh, we are
prone to read this and begin to have

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some questions and we're prone to read
this and think probably most readily

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of Civil War era antebellum slavery.

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And so our minds go there, slave master,
and we begin to get uncomfortable

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and we begin to ask questions.

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And sometimes people will even grab
a, a passage like this and say, look,

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the Bible condones slavery, the Bible
is a white man's racist religion.

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So as we come to this passage,
we have to say, what do we do

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with a situation like this?

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Well, when we read the Bible, we have
to read the Bible in context, which

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means that we have to read the Bible
and ask ourselves some questions.

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When we read a, a phrase like this,
servants, be subject to your masters.

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We can't just read it and say,
well, what does this mean now?

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What does this mean to me?

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How do I feel about this?

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Right now?

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We have to do the legwork
to understand three things.

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The first thing is we have to
understand what did it mean then?

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In, in the context of the original writing
of this, as Peter wrote this in the

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original audience, what did it mean for
servants to be subject to the masters?

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What was a servant?

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Who was the master?

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What were the dynamics
of that relationship?

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We have to know that because
that's gonna help us understand

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what it means for us today.

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So we have to do the legwork.

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We have to dig in and, and things that
are gonna help you with, with finding

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that information out when you read
the Bible in context are things like a

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good study Bible, the ESV study Bible,
the MacArthur Study Bible, uh, the

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Bible Knowledge Commentary is another
good resource for you to, to kind

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of get into what did it mean then?

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But after we figure that out, after
we understand, okay, this is what

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it meant to the original context,
the original audience, then we

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need to do the next step, which to
figure out the bridge between the

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original audience and us today.

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And that's gonna be this always
component as we read the Bible, as

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we study the Bible, we have to look
for what's the unchanging truth.

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And usually that's an unchanging truth
about God because God is unchanging.

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So we have to figure out what's the
theological truth that's gonna span time?

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That's gonna transcend context and
cultural, cultural expectations

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in other elements of of history.

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What is that unchangeable truth?

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And then once we understand the
unchangeable truth, we're, we're

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two thirds of the way through.

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And then we can get to asking
ourselves the question, okay, so

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then what do I do with this today?

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What are the implications for me in
my context as I read this text today?

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See, we have to begin with the then
and then go to the always and then

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we can get to the, now we call this.

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Lovingly the tan method
of studying the Bible.

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Then always now, if you go through our
Partners Discipleship program, which

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I'd really encourage you to look into,
if you haven't been through that yet.

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Uh, we do talk about this.

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This is an important way, and, and
it helps equip us to know how do I

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study the Bible in a way that's gonna
be profitable so that you're not just

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sitting in your living room going, okay,
well, I, I need to do my Bible reading.

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I don't know what to do.

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Let me just start in Ezekiel 26 verse one.

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In the 11th year, on the first day of the
month, the word of the Lord came to me.

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Awesome.

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You know what?

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How do I apply that today?

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What does that mean to me today?

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Should I look for the word of
the Lord to come to me today?

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It helps us to know how to get as much
as we can out of the Bible, and so

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we have to read the Bible in context.

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The error that we are prone to make
most often when we just pick up

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the Bible and start to read it is
the error of asking ourselves and

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just starting with the question,
what does it mean to me right now?

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What does this mean to me?

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What do I think this means?

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And, and we ignore those other
two components, what it meant in

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the original context and what the
overarching transcendent theological

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truth is that's being communicated here.

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And we just start with the now.

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So for example, if we came to this
passage, servants be subject to your

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masters, we might be tempted to read
this through just the now eyes and

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think to ourselves, well this is about.

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Slavery like it was during the Antebellum
era, during Civil War era, and we would

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miss a lot of what Peter's driving at and
we would miss what's really going on in

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the context, which is gonna mean we're
gonna miss how we interpret it today.

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So what does this mean?

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What was Peter talking about here?

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Well, in this case, we have to
consider a context that we refer

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to as the historical context.

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There's different context
that we can read the Bible in.

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You can think of the context of taking
one verse and saying, okay, I gotta read

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one verse in light of the context of the
paragraph, and I gotta read the paragraph

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in light of the context of the chapter and
the chapter in the context of the book and

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the book in the context of the whole Bible
that we could call the canonical context.

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Meaning that the verse that we're reading
has to be interpreted ultimately in

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light of the, the entirety of scripture.

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That's one way that we
can look at context.

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The way that we're gonna look at
context this morning though, is we're

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gonna look at the historical context.

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What was going on?

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What did this look like?

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What was this about?

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At this time, as we come to a
passage like this that begins

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servants be subject to your masters.

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Well, slaves in the Roman Empire, as this
is the time that Peter was writing, they

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became slaves through three primary means.

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One was being captured in battle.

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A lot of them were prisoners of war.

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The second means was just through
kidnapping, and then the final means

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was by being born into slavery.

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By the time that Peter wrote,
most of the slaves were born

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into slavery at this time.

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In other words, slavery wasn't motivated
by racial superiority or by a caste

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system as much as it was a product of a
powerful expansion of the Roman Empire.

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If you found yourself opposing
Rome, chances were you were gonna

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become a servant to Rome, and
that's how these slaves came to be.

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Another difference that we find in slavery
during Peter's era was a lot of times

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these slaves were not only literate,
but they were often more educated than

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even some of their own masters were.

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These slaves at this time could
serve as doctors, as teachers,

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as musicians, as artists.

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And slavery was so common in the Roman
Empire that some numbers put the, the

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population of Rome, the city of Rome at
the time of being about a third slaves.

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So that would be about 400,000
people in Rome that were living

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as slaves during this time.

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Empire wide, the numbers vary, but
people estimate that across the Roman

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Empire there may have been as many as 60
million slaves in all of the different

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areas to which the Roman Empire spread.

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And so slavery was widespread during
this day and and that's why I think

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Peter's addressing it in this letter.

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Because you might think, well,
this seems a little bit niche.

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This seems a little bit zoomed in.

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This seems unique for him to all of
a sudden talk about this, but it's

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likely it, let's just take the one
third number, potentially one third

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of his audience could be living in
the Roman Empire as those whose social

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status was that of being a slave.

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So there were differences between what
we often think of slavery as and what

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Peter meant in the Roman Empire, but there
were still some unfortunate similarities.

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Though slavery wasn't the same as it was
during the 18th and 19th centuries here,

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it was still not a desirable position.

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There were still, as Peter's gonna
talk about harsh and cruel masters.

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The historian TAUs says this,
he says, you may take a slave in

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chains and at your pleasure, expose
him to every test of endurance.

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But two great violence in the striker has
often dislocated a joint or left a sin.

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You fastened in the very
teeth that is broken.

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Anger has left many a man crippled,
many disabled, even when it

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found its victims submissive.

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So they were harsh and there
were cruel masters even in this

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context in Peter's day of slavery.

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Beyond that, legally a
slave in Rome had no rights.

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I I, if a slave wanted to bring
charges against a person, he had

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to be represented by his master.

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So you can imagine that that got
really awkward if the slave wanted

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to bring charges against his master,
and his master became his lawyer.

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Beyond that.

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If a slave was to give testimony in
a court, he would often be beaten and

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flogged before giving testimony as a
warning to say, if you say something we

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don't like, worse is gonna happen to you.

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So as we read this, we have to come to
it with the appropriate understanding

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of the background, the historical
context of what Peter's writing about,

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because it helps us to understand why
he writes what he does, for example,

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to those that say, you know what?

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Why didn't the Bible condemn slavery?

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Why didn't the Bible
speak out against this?

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A lot of times people will jump
on social media and they'll throw

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the reel out there and be like,
look, it's, it's all about racism.

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That that's a, an abuse of the text
that's misunderstanding the passage.

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It's not understanding what
was happening at the time.

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When we understand the type of
slavery that Peter's addressing

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here, we understand that the first
century fledgling church was not in a

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position to take on a centuries old,
uh, standard and, and institution

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in the Roman Empire at this time.

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And beyond that, we also understand that
as we read the Bible, nowhere does the

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New Testament ever c commend slavery
and say that this is a good thing.

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In fact, the Apostle Paul is gonna write
in Ephesians chapter six, he's going to

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say of masters, Hey, masters, make sure
you treat your slaves well as believers.

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Rather what the New Testament writers
were doing as we understand things

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is the New Testament writers were
writing to a group of new believers.

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Remember, Christianity is is
new, it's fresh at this point.

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And the goal, the mission that God
had given through Jesus was not

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to go out and reform culture in
society, but to go out and spread the

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gospel, to go out and make disciples.

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And so Peter's writing to a group of
believers in the situation in which

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they found themselves in trying to
help them understand how they should

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live a life that honors Christ.

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So when we read the Bible, we
have to read the Bible in context.

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There's other verses that
we could practice this on.

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In fact, this week I was watching
a YouTube video about the

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world's fastest 18 holes of golf.

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'cause that's what I like to do.

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Nothing about God or Christianity.

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In this YouTube video, it was just
guys playing golf, having fun, right?

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00:13:00,045 --> 00:13:03,314
And then at the very end, the
guy, the, the host of the video

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signs off screen fades to black.

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And here comes Jeremiah 29 11.

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What in the world?

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00:13:10,905 --> 00:13:15,225
I just watched a guy play golf in
35 minutes, and then Jeremiah 29 11

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00:13:15,225 --> 00:13:17,175
pop pops up on the the end screen.

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Nothing to do with anything.

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00:13:18,795 --> 00:13:21,975
One of the most crazy out of
context, just applications of the

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00:13:21,975 --> 00:13:23,295
Bible that I've seen recently.

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00:13:24,450 --> 00:13:29,250
Jeremiah 29 11 doesn't have anything to
do with playing golf fast, but Jeremiah

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00:13:29,250 --> 00:13:32,340
29 11 is a lot of times a, a verse
that somebody will say is a Christian,

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well, that's my, that's my life verse.

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Or sometimes you'll see it hung up on a,
a wall in a, a picture frame that somebody

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bought a hot hobby lobby or somewhere
like that and it says, Jeremiah 29 11.

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00:13:43,485 --> 00:13:44,565
And it's a great verse.

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00:13:44,955 --> 00:13:47,625
It says, I, I know the plans I have
for you, declares the Lord, plans

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for your welfare and not for evil,
and to give you a future and a hope.

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I, i read that and I, I say,
man, I, I, I want that verse.

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I would love for that
verse to be my life verse.

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And then I ask myself the question,
well, does God have plans for

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me to give a future and a hope?

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00:14:00,645 --> 00:14:01,965
I'd say, yeah, absolutely.

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The problem is contextually, that's
not what this verse is about.

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This verse is written to Israel, right as
they're about to go into Babylonian exile.

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God is through the prophet Jeremiah
telling Israel, Hey, you know what?

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00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:16,230
You're gonna go to exile, but
I still have plans for you.

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00:14:16,980 --> 00:14:21,120
I still have a future for you know that
there's still hope for you, even while you

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00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,040
find yourselves in 70 years of captivity.

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00:14:23,940 --> 00:14:27,360
So Jeremiah 29 11 teaches things
that are true and he even teaches

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00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,300
things that are true about God, that
that are true for the Christian.

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00:14:30,930 --> 00:14:35,370
But the context tells us that this
verse is not about your life going well

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00:14:35,370 --> 00:14:36,510
because God has good plans for you.

284
00:14:36,750 --> 00:14:37,680
Does that make sense?

285
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:40,050
We read the Bible in context.

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00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:43,620
Another verse you might
point out is James two 17.

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00:14:43,620 --> 00:14:48,270
James two 17 says, this faith by itself
if it doesn't have works, is dead.

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00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,010
You could take that verse and pull it
outta context and do a lot of damage to

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00:14:53,010 --> 00:14:56,310
the idea that salvation is by grace alone
through faith alone in Christ alone.

290
00:14:57,210 --> 00:14:59,760
But when we read that verse in the
context of what James is saying,

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00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,690
we understand that James is simply
saying that saving faith does show up.

292
00:15:04,140 --> 00:15:05,189
Right works.

293
00:15:05,189 --> 00:15:05,790
Don't save.

294
00:15:05,790 --> 00:15:06,900
But saving faith works.

295
00:15:07,545 --> 00:15:10,605
Right, so James is, is not
commending a workspace salvation.

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00:15:10,635 --> 00:15:13,995
All this to say, when we read the Bible,
we have to read the Bible in context.

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00:15:13,995 --> 00:15:17,445
It's so important for us to
understand that context is key.

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00:15:17,835 --> 00:15:17,925
One.

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00:15:17,925 --> 00:15:21,375
Peter two, 18 through 20 reminds
us that we can't approach the Bible

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00:15:21,375 --> 00:15:22,815
only through our modern day lenses.

301
00:15:23,175 --> 00:15:25,425
We can't just come to the Bible
and say, what does this mean to me?

302
00:15:25,425 --> 00:15:25,965
Today?

303
00:15:26,325 --> 00:15:28,395
We first have to look
at the original context.

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00:15:28,815 --> 00:15:32,805
Then we have to uncover that always true
facet about what's true about this text.

305
00:15:32,805 --> 00:15:33,795
It's always gonna be true.

306
00:15:33,795 --> 00:15:35,145
Then now and in the future.

307
00:15:35,655 --> 00:15:38,415
And then we can ask ourselves, okay,
what are the implications for me today?

308
00:15:38,865 --> 00:15:39,645
What does this mean for me?

309
00:15:39,645 --> 00:15:42,015
What does this look like for
me to live this out today?

310
00:15:42,855 --> 00:15:47,025
So read the Bible in context, but
let's get into our passage servants.

311
00:15:47,025 --> 00:15:49,725
Be subject to your masters with all
respect, not only to the good and

312
00:15:49,725 --> 00:15:52,125
the gentle, but also to the unjust.

313
00:15:53,715 --> 00:15:54,585
Here's our word again.

314
00:15:54,645 --> 00:15:55,635
Be subject.

315
00:15:56,430 --> 00:16:00,120
This is week two of our, our series
submitted Living, talking about

316
00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,330
as Sojourner and Exiles that we
are called in Christ to live in

317
00:16:03,330 --> 00:16:05,100
submission to certain institutions.

318
00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:09,060
We talked about the government last week,
and this word to be subject means to

319
00:16:09,060 --> 00:16:13,560
submit yourself to an authority to bear
up under the authority of another person.

320
00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:17,940
And here Peter is saying we should
submit ourselves, or servants rather,

321
00:16:17,940 --> 00:16:20,940
should be subject to their masters.

322
00:16:22,410 --> 00:16:25,680
To tell a, a sub, a servant to be
subject to his master seems like

323
00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:27,570
that's an unnecessary comment.

324
00:16:28,290 --> 00:16:29,490
Seems like that's understood.

325
00:16:30,670 --> 00:16:34,785
Uh, but then when we begin to, to
think about the, the early church and

326
00:16:34,785 --> 00:16:37,815
some of the truths that were, they
were hearing that this was probably

327
00:16:37,815 --> 00:16:40,545
clarifying for a lot of the, the
Christians who found themselves as

328
00:16:40,545 --> 00:16:44,205
slaves in this time period and, and
in those that Peter was addressing.

329
00:16:45,300 --> 00:16:49,590
Because Paul had written things like in
one Corinthians 12, 13, for in one spirit

330
00:16:50,069 --> 00:16:52,830
we were all baptized into one body.

331
00:16:53,220 --> 00:16:57,960
Jews or Greeks, slaves are free and
all were made to drink of one spirit.

332
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,619
And so therein, you might think, and,
and if you're a a servant, at that time

333
00:17:01,619 --> 00:17:03,119
you might think, man, this is great.

334
00:17:03,329 --> 00:17:05,368
All of a sudden now I don't have
to worry about being a servant

335
00:17:05,368 --> 00:17:06,628
anymore because we're all one.

336
00:17:06,628 --> 00:17:08,128
We're all in one body together.

337
00:17:08,128 --> 00:17:09,480
We're all equal together.

338
00:17:10,470 --> 00:17:13,230
And while in the context of the
church that was true, Peter's

339
00:17:13,230 --> 00:17:16,109
saying, in society there were still
gonna be relationships where you

340
00:17:16,109 --> 00:17:18,660
still had to honor the subjection.

341
00:17:18,660 --> 00:17:21,300
You had to honor the authority
structure that was in place there.

342
00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:23,099
So I think that's one of the
reasons why Peter starts and

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00:17:23,099 --> 00:17:25,050
says, be subject to the Lord.

344
00:17:25,050 --> 00:17:28,200
But then he says, be subject to the
Lord with all or to the the masters.

345
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With all respect.

346
00:17:30,180 --> 00:17:31,140
With all respect.

347
00:17:31,410 --> 00:17:35,220
This is the exception clause,
the word respect there in the

348
00:17:35,220 --> 00:17:36,330
Greek means with all fear.

349
00:17:37,050 --> 00:17:38,010
With all reverence.

350
00:17:38,370 --> 00:17:41,370
And the only one that Peter
tells us to fear in this letter

351
00:17:41,370 --> 00:17:43,110
in other passages is God.

352
00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:46,710
And so here when he says, with all
respect, the respect is not for the

353
00:17:46,710 --> 00:17:49,140
master per se as much as it is for God.

354
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:52,950
So this is, again, like we talked
about last week, we can subject

355
00:17:52,950 --> 00:17:55,980
ourselves to whatever the authority
is telling us to do, so long as the

356
00:17:55,980 --> 00:17:58,170
authority is not telling us to sin.

357
00:17:59,010 --> 00:18:03,000
If I'm confronted again with a decision
of whether I'm not, I'm gonna obey God

358
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,420
or obey man, in the end of the day,
the decision's not very hard for me.

359
00:18:06,420 --> 00:18:08,040
I have to obey God.

360
00:18:08,940 --> 00:18:10,649
Outside of that, I'm free to subject.

361
00:18:10,649 --> 00:18:13,470
In fact, I, I need to subject,
it's a command from Peter.

362
00:18:13,980 --> 00:18:17,129
Be subject to your masters with
all respect, so long as you're not

363
00:18:17,129 --> 00:18:19,770
being asked to sin against God.

364
00:18:21,060 --> 00:18:23,790
It's not a reason for disobedience.

365
00:18:24,180 --> 00:18:26,940
The character or treatment that you
receive from the one in position

366
00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:29,670
of authority is not a an excuse
for you to say, well, because I

367
00:18:29,670 --> 00:18:32,130
have a harsh master, because I
have somebody who's unreasonable.

368
00:18:32,550 --> 00:18:34,350
I don't need to be subject to them.

369
00:18:35,100 --> 00:18:37,470
In fact, Peter clarifies that when
he says, not only to the good and the

370
00:18:37,470 --> 00:18:41,940
gentle, but also to the unjust, Peter
says that the good and the gentle, the

371
00:18:41,940 --> 00:18:45,570
ones who are who do good to you, the
ones that are kind to you, those are

372
00:18:45,570 --> 00:18:47,220
the ones that are easy to be subject to.

373
00:18:48,585 --> 00:18:52,155
Instead, we shouldn't just subject
ourselves to them, but also he

374
00:18:52,155 --> 00:18:55,935
says to those that are unjust,
the word unjust is the word that

375
00:18:55,935 --> 00:18:58,365
is meaning crooked or curved.

376
00:18:58,995 --> 00:19:02,415
The word in the Greek is scoliosis, which
is where we get our English scoliosis.

377
00:19:02,775 --> 00:19:05,175
If you ever did those tests back
in PE when they were looking

378
00:19:05,175 --> 00:19:06,435
for the curvature of your spine.

379
00:19:06,915 --> 00:19:08,145
That's what this word means.

380
00:19:08,415 --> 00:19:12,075
It's a crookedness, it's a curved,
it's a, it's a perversion of something.

381
00:19:12,735 --> 00:19:15,645
And so the, what Peter's saying is
the harshness of a slave's master

382
00:19:15,645 --> 00:19:19,215
was not grounds for the slave to
disobey or shirk their responsibility.

383
00:19:20,235 --> 00:19:23,445
The, the, the master being a, an
evil or mean or wicked person was

384
00:19:23,445 --> 00:19:26,985
not the, the, the excuse that the
slave could have to say, well then I

385
00:19:26,985 --> 00:19:29,340
don't have to obey you when you tell
me to do what I'm supposed to do.

386
00:19:31,995 --> 00:19:34,665
Again, Peter's goal was not the
reformation of Roman culture, but the

387
00:19:34,665 --> 00:19:39,345
reformation of the Romans themselves,
and as Peter's writing to this group,

388
00:19:39,345 --> 00:19:42,795
this large group of people that found
themselves in this unique relationship.

389
00:19:43,620 --> 00:19:46,530
He's telling them it's gonna have a
greater impact for the kingdom for you

390
00:19:46,530 --> 00:19:50,610
to remain subject to your masters, even
the harsh ones than it is for you to

391
00:19:50,610 --> 00:19:54,960
openly rebel the testimony of the slaves,
subjecting himself to the harsh master,

392
00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,560
would do more good for the kingdom of God
than it would to rise up, revolt, rebel,

393
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,020
and completely abdicate their position.

394
00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,379
Again, Peter's right into Christians
wanting to encourage them to

395
00:20:04,379 --> 00:20:08,159
understand how they should live
in the context in which they live.

396
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,130
And for the servants, they could do this.

397
00:20:11,130 --> 00:20:13,560
And the reason they could do this,
and the reason that this wouldn't be

398
00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,650
totally crushing is because of that
one phrase that I mentioned with all

399
00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,530
respect, because that governs it.

400
00:20:20,625 --> 00:20:24,795
Such that as we submit to those that are
harsh, as we submit to those that are in

401
00:20:24,795 --> 00:20:28,935
authority, in our lives, that are cruel or
that we struggle to respect from a human

402
00:20:28,935 --> 00:20:31,215
perspective as we submit to them, we do.

403
00:20:31,215 --> 00:20:33,405
So ultimately, first and
foremost, submitting to God

404
00:20:33,405 --> 00:20:34,365
before we submit to them.

405
00:20:35,085 --> 00:20:38,625
Point number two this morning is this,
submit to God as you submit to men,

406
00:20:39,675 --> 00:20:41,895
submit to God as you submit to men.

407
00:20:44,175 --> 00:20:47,085
As a culture, we seem to
struggle with authority.

408
00:20:48,794 --> 00:20:53,085
We talked about that mistrust regarding
government last week, but I think

409
00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:57,375
it, it carries over into a mistrust
of authority anywhere it's found.

410
00:20:58,635 --> 00:21:01,335
The American spirit is
an independent spirit.

411
00:21:01,965 --> 00:21:04,485
We don't like to be told
what we can and can't do.

412
00:21:05,655 --> 00:21:07,274
We don't like to be given deadlines.

413
00:21:07,845 --> 00:21:10,245
We don't wanna have to live
up to somebody's expectations.

414
00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:15,300
As William Earnest Hensley put it in
his poem, Invictus, we want to be the

415
00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:20,189
masters of our fate and the captains
of our souls, so it's hardwired in us.

416
00:21:20,700 --> 00:21:24,804
We are an independent people,
and so we don't like authority.

417
00:21:26,340 --> 00:21:29,400
In fact, the other day I was driving
down Frontier as I was bringing my

418
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:30,540
son back from his basketball game.

419
00:21:30,540 --> 00:21:33,330
And I came up to Frontier in COT
and there were police and there were

420
00:21:33,330 --> 00:21:37,530
fire trucks out there, and the lights
were flashing and they had the, the

421
00:21:37,530 --> 00:21:40,740
intersection shut down there such that
you had to turn on cot and you couldn't

422
00:21:40,740 --> 00:21:41,940
keep going straight on Frontier.

423
00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:43,860
And I did not like that.

424
00:21:45,100 --> 00:21:46,330
I had no idea what was going on.

425
00:21:46,690 --> 00:21:49,240
It could have been that they were trying
to save somebody's life, and I was

426
00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,840
just selfishly frustrated at the time
'cause it was blocking my easy way home.

427
00:21:53,470 --> 00:21:56,230
So I didn't like that there was
a cop in the intersection telling

428
00:21:56,230 --> 00:21:57,130
me I couldn't go straight on.

429
00:21:57,130 --> 00:21:57,520
Frontier.

430
00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,050
Turns out there was a natural gas leak.

431
00:21:59,320 --> 00:21:59,980
I would've risked it.

432
00:21:59,980 --> 00:22:02,110
I would've driven through the
natural gas leak to get home faster.

433
00:22:03,465 --> 00:22:05,685
But that just shows the
sinfulness of my heart, right?

434
00:22:05,685 --> 00:22:08,625
I, I don't even like the authority when
the authority's trying to keep me safe.

435
00:22:09,435 --> 00:22:11,504
Like, but, but this is
inconvenient for me.

436
00:22:13,035 --> 00:22:17,625
Or have you flown recently going
through TSA, uh, you have to take off

437
00:22:17,625 --> 00:22:19,155
your shoes and pull your laptop out.

438
00:22:19,185 --> 00:22:19,785
I'm like, really?

439
00:22:19,785 --> 00:22:22,725
We're putting, I like, we're gonna put
people back on the moon potentially

440
00:22:22,725 --> 00:22:25,545
again, and we're still pulling
our laptops out of our suitcases.

441
00:22:26,625 --> 00:22:29,295
You still need to see my, my belt is off.

442
00:22:30,615 --> 00:22:31,845
We, we don't like authority.

443
00:22:33,765 --> 00:22:37,365
But generally speaking, I don't think
authority is something for us to despise.

444
00:22:37,425 --> 00:22:41,055
I think it's something for us to
recognize that it points us back to

445
00:22:41,055 --> 00:22:42,435
the ultimate authority, which is God.

446
00:22:43,635 --> 00:22:44,775
God creates authority.

447
00:22:45,195 --> 00:22:47,505
In fact, the authorities that
are in your life are in your life

448
00:22:47,505 --> 00:22:48,975
because God has put them there.

449
00:22:50,055 --> 00:22:55,245
The good in the gentle, yes, and also
the unjust, whoever they may be, and

450
00:22:55,245 --> 00:22:58,605
the call that we have is to live within
those authority structures, submissive

451
00:22:58,605 --> 00:23:00,495
to them as an act of submission to God.

452
00:23:02,639 --> 00:23:05,100
God's created these various
authority structures that we know

453
00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:06,180
from the very time that we're born.

454
00:23:06,180 --> 00:23:11,010
You've got parent, child, teacher,
student, husband, and wife, employer,

455
00:23:11,010 --> 00:23:13,200
employee, citizen, and government.

456
00:23:14,100 --> 00:23:17,400
And now I understand the caveat being
that there's no direct parallel for

457
00:23:17,460 --> 00:23:20,790
those of us in this room to the master
servant relationship that Peter's directly

458
00:23:20,790 --> 00:23:24,000
addressing here, but there's still some
of the principles that we can pull for the

459
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,750
relationships that we find ourselves in to
think, man, if I'm in a relationship where

460
00:23:27,750 --> 00:23:32,010
I am going to be in this relationship and
I have an authority over me, then what

461
00:23:32,010 --> 00:23:35,025
Peter's calling me to do is submit to
that authority as I submit to the Lord.

462
00:23:36,810 --> 00:23:38,010
That ultimately it's about him.

463
00:23:38,010 --> 00:23:39,090
It's not about that person.

464
00:23:39,990 --> 00:23:42,960
And so that frees us up that when
we have the, the temptation for the

465
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,520
exception clauses, the, the, yeah,
but, but, but what if it's hard and

466
00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:53,130
I'm not happy in the situation, Peter
would say, submit, or what if the

467
00:23:53,130 --> 00:23:55,140
expectations on me are unreasonable?

468
00:23:56,130 --> 00:23:57,240
Peter would say, submit.

469
00:23:58,170 --> 00:23:59,940
What if I'm not being treated fairly?

470
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:01,920
Peter would say, submit.

471
00:24:03,330 --> 00:24:05,370
But what if I feel like
I could do a better job?

472
00:24:06,180 --> 00:24:12,090
Peter would say, submit and we
submit because again, we are

473
00:24:12,150 --> 00:24:14,130
servants of a sovereign and good God.

474
00:24:15,495 --> 00:24:18,345
And he's put us here, he's
put us in these situations.

475
00:24:18,885 --> 00:24:22,065
And so if this is not a, a, a situation
that you can get yourself out of

476
00:24:22,065 --> 00:24:24,615
and, and like we talked about last
week, there might be opportunities

477
00:24:24,615 --> 00:24:27,855
for you to have a conversation with
an unreasonable boss or supervisor.

478
00:24:27,855 --> 00:24:30,075
You, you, you can pursue those
means so long as you're not

479
00:24:30,075 --> 00:24:31,274
doing so in a sinful manner.

480
00:24:31,575 --> 00:24:33,855
But mean if you're gonna stay in
that relationship and you've got

481
00:24:33,855 --> 00:24:37,695
that authority structure over
you, then the call is submit.

482
00:24:38,955 --> 00:24:42,945
Even if they're unreasonable, even if
they're rude, even if they're harsh.

483
00:24:43,845 --> 00:24:46,185
'cause we are servants of
a sovereign and good God.

484
00:24:46,305 --> 00:24:48,615
And he's brought us into those situations.

485
00:24:50,595 --> 00:24:53,505
Paul, in Ephesians chapter six, verses
five through seven, I think is helpful.

486
00:24:53,565 --> 00:24:56,595
So the passages up here on
the screen, but he says this.

487
00:24:57,975 --> 00:24:59,955
Speaking of bond servants,
again, similar context.

488
00:24:59,955 --> 00:25:04,095
He says, bond servants obey your earthly
masters with fear and trembling with

489
00:25:04,095 --> 00:25:07,395
a sincere heart as you would Christ.

490
00:25:07,814 --> 00:25:11,235
Not by way of I service as people
pleasers, but as bond servants of

491
00:25:11,235 --> 00:25:15,705
Christ doing the will of God from
the heart, rendering service with a

492
00:25:15,735 --> 00:25:18,915
goodwill as to the Lord and not to man.

493
00:25:19,860 --> 00:25:22,590
And so again, I think what Paul is
saying is what Peter said, so long as

494
00:25:22,590 --> 00:25:26,250
you are not sinning, by obeying, your
obedience is offered first to Christ,

495
00:25:26,250 --> 00:25:30,270
and only then is it offered to your
boss or your teacher, or your parents

496
00:25:30,270 --> 00:25:31,705
or your husband or whoever it may be.

497
00:25:33,315 --> 00:25:36,915
We submit to God before we submit
to anyone else in this passage.

498
00:25:36,915 --> 00:25:39,195
It's offered as we notice
here in fear of the Lord.

499
00:25:40,095 --> 00:25:42,615
Our obedience, again, like we've
talked about with all respect,

500
00:25:42,615 --> 00:25:44,265
it's offered in fear of the Lord.

501
00:25:44,265 --> 00:25:47,085
It's gonna be offered in reverence
of him as an act of worship to him.

502
00:25:47,445 --> 00:25:51,435
It's offered with a sincere
heart, and this is one of the ones

503
00:25:51,435 --> 00:25:53,145
that's, I think, so hard for us.

504
00:25:53,865 --> 00:25:57,135
Maybe the act of obeying or submitting
is not the hard part, but are you

505
00:25:57,135 --> 00:25:59,055
submitting with a sincere heart?

506
00:26:00,210 --> 00:26:03,270
Are you submitting internally as
much as you are submitting externally

507
00:26:03,270 --> 00:26:05,010
that matters in the eyes of God.

508
00:26:06,780 --> 00:26:09,240
It's not only from the heart, but
it's also noticed not for the praise

509
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:13,590
of man, you, you, you're not gonna
do this just to keep your boss happy.

510
00:26:14,250 --> 00:26:16,680
You're not gonna do this so that your
boss will think better of you and

511
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,350
maybe he'll promote you and you can
get a better job, a different job.

512
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,500
That's not the reason
why you're doing this.

513
00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:25,770
Instead, you're doing this as
bond servants of Christ or as

514
00:26:25,770 --> 00:26:27,480
servants or slaves of Christ.

515
00:26:28,335 --> 00:26:31,155
You're obeying the earthly master,
the earthly authority, because you've

516
00:26:31,155 --> 00:26:34,095
got a greater authority that is the
one that has put you in that place.

517
00:26:34,095 --> 00:26:35,025
In that position.

518
00:26:36,585 --> 00:26:40,365
It's offered as part of the
will of God, doing his will.

519
00:26:40,365 --> 00:26:45,375
God's will is that you would subject
yourself in those situations, and

520
00:26:45,375 --> 00:26:48,765
ultimately, again, it's offered
as to the Lord and not to men.

521
00:26:50,385 --> 00:26:54,075
I think when we understand this, it, it
helps to take the smug look, the, the

522
00:26:54,075 --> 00:26:58,905
edge off, the smug look from the boss that
you have or the spouse or the, the other

523
00:26:58,905 --> 00:27:04,635
person in your life, or it helps to, to
ease the, the pain of the belittling or

524
00:27:04,635 --> 00:27:07,425
the feelings of worthlessness that maybe
you have when you're having to subject

525
00:27:07,425 --> 00:27:12,135
yourself to somebody who's cruel or harsh
over you, or the lack of appreciation that

526
00:27:12,135 --> 00:27:15,645
maybe you feel or the outright hostility
that that person might have towards you.

527
00:27:16,514 --> 00:27:21,135
This helps us endure and persevere
because we know that ultimately we pursue

528
00:27:21,524 --> 00:27:24,524
and serve him before we serve them.

529
00:27:27,075 --> 00:27:30,735
Whatever that relationship looks
like for you young people, maybe it's

530
00:27:30,735 --> 00:27:34,695
your obedience to your parents at
this stage of your life, or teachers

531
00:27:36,165 --> 00:27:37,514
maybe for the rest in the room.

532
00:27:37,514 --> 00:27:40,754
It's, it's submitting to a boss
again, a spouse, or maybe it's just

533
00:27:40,754 --> 00:27:41,985
submitting to the head of your HOA.

534
00:27:46,635 --> 00:27:48,075
That struck a nerve apparently.

535
00:27:51,435 --> 00:27:57,075
Listen, that obedience, whether
you want to or not, is made easier.

536
00:27:57,075 --> 00:28:00,045
When we realize and remember that
we are first and foremost submitting

537
00:28:00,045 --> 00:28:04,185
to the Lord who's brought them
into our life and given them the

538
00:28:04,185 --> 00:28:05,260
positions of authority that we have.

539
00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,580
Lemme talk employer, employee
relationship for a second, you'll find

540
00:28:11,580 --> 00:28:15,780
some that make the direct correlation
to, from, from Peter's words here

541
00:28:15,780 --> 00:28:17,460
to the, the work environment.

542
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,840
And, and the parallels are there, as
I've mentioned a few of them already.

543
00:28:21,990 --> 00:28:27,000
The difference being that most of our
jobs are at will employment situations.

544
00:28:27,570 --> 00:28:30,390
I know not all of them are, but a lot
of them are meaning that if you wanted

545
00:28:30,390 --> 00:28:33,540
to leave that job and go get a new
one, you have the freedom to do that.

546
00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:38,280
Peter's audience didn't have the freedom
to leave off being a servant, to leave off

547
00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:39,720
being a slave and go find a different job.

548
00:28:40,905 --> 00:28:44,415
But I do wanna say if you are in a
situation where maybe you can't, you

549
00:28:44,415 --> 00:28:46,995
don't have the freedom, and, and,
and sometimes that's just because I

550
00:28:46,995 --> 00:28:50,115
don't have the financial flexibility
to leave the current job I am and

551
00:28:50,325 --> 00:28:51,555
take some time to find a new job.

552
00:28:52,845 --> 00:28:55,155
Uh, if, if you're gonna be
there, let me just encourage

553
00:28:55,155 --> 00:28:56,595
you to, to think about this.

554
00:28:56,985 --> 00:28:59,745
I know sometimes your, your boss
might be crude or, or crass.

555
00:29:00,255 --> 00:29:05,145
Or maybe there are show little concern
about your work environment, the situation

556
00:29:05,145 --> 00:29:07,485
in which you find yourself unreasonable.

557
00:29:07,485 --> 00:29:10,485
Expectations, deadlines are put
on you that you feel like this is

558
00:29:10,485 --> 00:29:12,075
impossible to meet these things.

559
00:29:12,765 --> 00:29:14,055
Maybe your boss is corrupt.

560
00:29:14,115 --> 00:29:16,605
You know that they're corrupt behind
the scenes, they're doing things

561
00:29:16,605 --> 00:29:19,785
themselves that are illegal or wrong.

562
00:29:20,595 --> 00:29:23,205
Maybe your boss doesn't praise you,
doesn't recognize you, doesn't give you

563
00:29:23,205 --> 00:29:24,645
any thanks for the things that you do.

564
00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,300
Maybe you haven't gotten a
promotion, your pay hasn't

565
00:29:27,300 --> 00:29:28,680
increased over the last five years.

566
00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:33,180
Not even with cost of living
adjustments in cases like that.

567
00:29:34,350 --> 00:29:37,410
If you're gonna stay there, God would
say, be subject to their authority.

568
00:29:38,820 --> 00:29:41,160
Be subject to their
authority as to the Lord.

569
00:29:42,090 --> 00:29:45,780
And if that's your situation, you can
be satisfied knowing that you really are

570
00:29:45,780 --> 00:29:47,190
serving the Lord and not serving them.

571
00:29:47,190 --> 00:29:51,330
First and foremost, you can be satisfied
that you're winning with God when it

572
00:29:51,330 --> 00:29:52,740
feels like you're losing at the office.

573
00:29:54,180 --> 00:29:58,710
Because that worship of of submission
is offered not to the man, but to God.

574
00:30:00,060 --> 00:30:02,700
And again, remember though, our
standard is that we submit only

575
00:30:02,700 --> 00:30:04,980
so far as a biblically informed
conscience will allow us.

576
00:30:05,730 --> 00:30:08,520
If you're ever in that situation where
they ask you to do something that's

577
00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:13,290
sinful, then that is where you say,
sorry, I, I cannot and I will not do that.

578
00:30:14,550 --> 00:30:17,580
But until that point,
we subject ourselves.

579
00:30:19,995 --> 00:30:23,415
Lemme just say as well here, Peter's not
commending the harsh and cruel masters.

580
00:30:24,615 --> 00:30:26,535
Rather, he's acknowledging
their existence.

581
00:30:27,465 --> 00:30:29,985
And it's not that God is not
concerned with their sinful ways.

582
00:30:31,125 --> 00:30:34,635
Rather, what Peter's saying is your
job is not to address their character.

583
00:30:34,635 --> 00:30:35,805
It's not to reform them.

584
00:30:36,555 --> 00:30:39,615
Your job is to honor the Lord in the
context in which you find yourself.

585
00:30:41,895 --> 00:30:45,705
We press on a servants of
a sovereign and good God.

586
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,139
In a moment though, we're gonna
get to the why that I know is

587
00:30:49,139 --> 00:30:50,399
probably bubbling up within you.

588
00:30:53,490 --> 00:30:57,360
We need to see though, first that
one Peter two 18 shows us that God's

589
00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,240
desires for us to submit to the
authority of Christ as we submit

590
00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:01,290
to the authorities in our lives.

591
00:31:03,210 --> 00:31:03,840
Verse 19.

592
00:31:05,025 --> 00:31:09,015
Peter says, for this is a gracious
thing when mindful of God, one

593
00:31:09,015 --> 00:31:13,275
endures sorrows while suffering
unjustly for this is a gracious thing.

594
00:31:14,265 --> 00:31:18,195
Uh, this shows up here in verse 19,
and then also in the end of verse 20.

595
00:31:18,675 --> 00:31:19,545
It's a, a bookend.

596
00:31:19,545 --> 00:31:20,985
It's an inclu is what it's called.

597
00:31:21,195 --> 00:31:23,535
And so this is a, a gracious thing.

598
00:31:23,895 --> 00:31:26,775
The word gracious is the word that
means something that is commendable.

599
00:31:27,885 --> 00:31:31,005
Something that is noticeable as, as
something that's being praiseworthy.

600
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,770
And so Peter is saying, this is a gracious
thing, and then later he's gonna say,

601
00:31:34,770 --> 00:31:37,020
it's a gracious thing in the sight of God.

602
00:31:38,130 --> 00:31:42,000
And so this is the why we can submit
this is the why it's worth it for us.

603
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:42,900
This is the motivation.

604
00:31:42,900 --> 00:31:45,210
This is the carrot on the other end
of the stick, if I can put it that

605
00:31:45,210 --> 00:31:48,420
way, or the Christmas tree cake
on the end of the stick, which is

606
00:31:48,420 --> 00:31:49,680
way more appealing than a carrot.

607
00:31:52,455 --> 00:31:56,505
It's just to me,
apparently this is the why.

608
00:31:56,775 --> 00:31:58,245
This is why it's so, so valuable.

609
00:31:58,245 --> 00:32:02,175
Why it's so worth it is because when we
do this, it's, it's a gracious thing.

610
00:32:02,175 --> 00:32:05,415
It's commendable when we
do this in God's sight.

611
00:32:06,165 --> 00:32:07,335
But the how is important.

612
00:32:08,085 --> 00:32:10,060
He says it's commendable
when mindful of God.

613
00:32:11,070 --> 00:32:11,940
That word mindful.

614
00:32:11,940 --> 00:32:13,290
It means conscious of him.

615
00:32:14,070 --> 00:32:17,220
When we are aware, as we live our
lives, as we subject ourselves in

616
00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:20,700
these relationships, and when we are
aware that we are doing that as part

617
00:32:20,700 --> 00:32:24,420
of an extension of our relationship
with God, this is a commendable thing.

618
00:32:24,900 --> 00:32:27,420
This is so essential for
us in understanding what

619
00:32:27,420 --> 00:32:28,560
Peter is driving out here.

620
00:32:29,550 --> 00:32:33,945
We're not enduring the harsh treatment,
we're not enduring all of these things

621
00:32:34,470 --> 00:32:37,770
as, as those that are passionless
kind of grin and bear it just to

622
00:32:37,770 --> 00:32:39,025
get through it, kind of stoics.

623
00:32:40,605 --> 00:32:44,655
That's not what Peter's after your
endurance, your submission is not

624
00:32:44,655 --> 00:32:48,465
meant to be the, the stoic freedom
that is out there of, well, I've

625
00:32:48,465 --> 00:32:51,585
got freedom and mastery over my
emotions and so that's true freedom.

626
00:32:51,585 --> 00:32:55,005
And so I'm not gonna allow this
person to make me feel a certain

627
00:32:55,005 --> 00:32:56,535
way that that's a philosophy.

628
00:32:56,535 --> 00:32:58,215
That's not what God's calling us to you.

629
00:33:00,195 --> 00:33:04,995
Epictetus was, uh, a slave and an
ancient Greek philosopher, a stoic

630
00:33:05,175 --> 00:33:08,265
living during the same time or around
the same time that, that Peter wrote.

631
00:33:09,389 --> 00:33:14,310
And as a slave, he had cruel masters who
at one point yanked and twisted his leg

632
00:33:14,310 --> 00:33:20,190
so hard that it broke and history records
that Epictetus endured the pain that

633
00:33:20,190 --> 00:33:23,760
he was suffering, merely noting to his
master that he was going to break his leg.

634
00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,190
And when it broke, simply saying
to his master, I told you so.

635
00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:32,760
His stoic philosophy is that which taught
that true freedom is found again in,

636
00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,510
in mastering our emotions, in, in our
responses to oppression and cruelty.

637
00:33:37,500 --> 00:33:43,290
So simply going through passionless,
stoic, like robots just grinning and

638
00:33:43,290 --> 00:33:46,710
just enduring, just getting through it so
that at the end of the day we can go home

639
00:33:46,710 --> 00:33:49,560
and be away from that work environment
and at least we didn't get fired.

640
00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,429
That's not the type of submission
that Peter has in mind here.

641
00:33:53,429 --> 00:33:55,649
That's not the type of submission
that catches God's eye.

642
00:33:56,189 --> 00:33:58,290
That's not the type of submission
that's a gracious thing.

643
00:33:59,175 --> 00:34:02,355
Rather it's the type of submission,
it's the subjection that is conscious

644
00:34:02,355 --> 00:34:06,405
of, of him aware that as we submit,
we are ultimately submitting to God.

645
00:34:06,855 --> 00:34:09,735
It's aware that our submission to
this earthly boss, this earthly

646
00:34:09,735 --> 00:34:13,215
master, this earthly P person in
a position of authority, is really

647
00:34:13,215 --> 00:34:14,625
about my relationship with the Lord.

648
00:34:15,495 --> 00:34:19,905
And so it's a gracious thing when
mindful of God, one endures sorrows,

649
00:34:19,905 --> 00:34:23,685
that word sorrow there, it implies a
pain that is more than just a physical

650
00:34:23,685 --> 00:34:25,605
pain, but also a mental anguish.

651
00:34:26,130 --> 00:34:29,219
That can so often accompany those
times that we feel like we're just

652
00:34:29,219 --> 00:34:32,010
in impossible situations with an
authority figure in our lives.

653
00:34:33,150 --> 00:34:37,080
The consternation, the frustration,
the anxiety that we feel Pierce

654
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:41,219
says it's a, a gracious thing when
conscious of the Lord, mindful of God.

655
00:34:41,219 --> 00:34:44,639
We endure sorrows like that
while suffering unjustly.

656
00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:49,530
When you suffer unjustly, but
endurance it because of your faith.

657
00:34:49,530 --> 00:34:50,610
It's a commendable thing.

658
00:34:50,610 --> 00:34:52,469
It's a praiseworthy thing
in the sight of God.

659
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,770
But Peter goes on to, to give a, a
caveat here, he says, for what credit

660
00:34:58,770 --> 00:35:00,870
is it that word credit means to?

661
00:35:00,870 --> 00:35:02,040
What glory do you get?

662
00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:03,810
What fame do you get?

663
00:35:03,810 --> 00:35:06,870
It's a word that means
glory, fame, credit here.

664
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:09,120
What do you get out of this?

665
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,490
If when you sin and are
beaten for it, you endure?

666
00:35:12,570 --> 00:35:16,560
In other words, if, if you've got a
harsh master, Peter Singh and your, your,

667
00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:18,810
your master is just a, a, a lousy guy.

668
00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:24,900
And, and you rebel because you just
think, man, this guy's just, he's so mean.

669
00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:25,350
He's so cruel.

670
00:35:25,350 --> 00:35:25,860
He's so harsh.

671
00:35:25,860 --> 00:35:26,520
He's so wicked.

672
00:35:27,180 --> 00:35:29,820
And you say what he's asking
you to do, which is not to sin.

673
00:35:29,820 --> 00:35:31,260
It's just part of what
you're supposed to do.

674
00:35:31,260 --> 00:35:33,480
You say, no, I'm not gonna do
that because of who you are.

675
00:35:33,540 --> 00:35:35,100
And then that guy punishes you.

676
00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,400
Peter's saying, don't sit there
and pat yourself on the back like

677
00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:39,420
you're suffering for the Lord.

678
00:35:39,420 --> 00:35:40,260
He's saying you're not.

679
00:35:41,430 --> 00:35:44,370
If you sin by not doing
what you're supposed to.

680
00:35:44,370 --> 00:35:46,740
If you sin by disobeying what
Peter's calling you to do,

681
00:35:46,740 --> 00:35:48,120
which is to be subject to them.

682
00:35:49,214 --> 00:35:50,924
And you suffer because you sin.

683
00:35:51,075 --> 00:35:52,154
You lose your job.

684
00:35:52,875 --> 00:35:54,555
You have other things that happen to you.

685
00:35:55,065 --> 00:35:56,984
Peter's saying that's not
commendable in God's eyes.

686
00:35:56,984 --> 00:35:58,185
You're not suffering for Jesus.

687
00:35:58,185 --> 00:36:02,174
When you do that, you're bearing
consequences for your sinful behavior.

688
00:36:03,375 --> 00:36:07,165
But rather Peter says, if you
do good and suffer for it.

689
00:36:08,820 --> 00:36:09,810
And you endure.

690
00:36:10,230 --> 00:36:12,570
This is a gracious thing
in the sight of God.

691
00:36:13,170 --> 00:36:14,280
That's when it's commendable.

692
00:36:14,580 --> 00:36:16,650
You bear up under the opposition.

693
00:36:16,650 --> 00:36:18,060
You bear up under the sorrow.

694
00:36:18,060 --> 00:36:20,040
You bear up under the suffering.

695
00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,850
The perseverance of the Christian through
submission to difficult authorities is

696
00:36:23,850 --> 00:36:27,480
gonna be part of the well done good and
faithful servant that you receive in the.

697
00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,580
It is part of that which is commendable,
and none of it goes unnoticed.

698
00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:33,990
None of it is meaningless.

699
00:36:33,990 --> 00:36:36,060
None of it is ultimately
for the Plaza men.

700
00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:39,090
All of it is ultimately for
the praise of the father.

701
00:36:39,690 --> 00:36:43,890
Our final point this morning, along
those lines, is gonna be this point.

702
00:36:43,890 --> 00:36:47,640
Number three, catch God's
eye by staying the course.

703
00:36:49,110 --> 00:36:51,990
Catch God's eye by staying the course.

704
00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:58,620
And you bearing up under a, a difficult
situation, be it at work, at home,

705
00:36:58,620 --> 00:37:01,140
and somewhere else, it may create
more questions from people than you

706
00:37:01,140 --> 00:37:04,950
have answers to your family, your
coworkers, the world around you.

707
00:37:04,950 --> 00:37:06,360
Why, why would you stay in that?

708
00:37:06,390 --> 00:37:07,260
Why would you stay there?

709
00:37:07,260 --> 00:37:08,790
Why would you keep doing this?

710
00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,220
And you know the answers because it's a
commendable thing in the inside of God.

711
00:37:14,654 --> 00:37:17,355
The slave was to continue to submit
even under harsh treatment because

712
00:37:17,355 --> 00:37:18,734
that was the expected structure.

713
00:37:18,734 --> 00:37:22,875
Yes, but even more so because he was
pleasing God by enduring, while trusting

714
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:24,944
himself to the father's care and concern

715
00:37:27,314 --> 00:37:29,865
in the sports world, referees
missed calls all the time.

716
00:37:31,245 --> 00:37:33,375
All the time, and it can
be immensely frustrating.

717
00:37:34,410 --> 00:37:36,960
You see a guy that's out on the, the
soccer field that's getting away with

718
00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,509
murder, and you sit there and you go,
why is none of this getting called?

719
00:37:39,509 --> 00:37:42,150
And then the game ends and you go
home and you've really got no recourse

720
00:37:42,150 --> 00:37:44,759
after that other than to go, okay,
time to move on to the next one.

721
00:37:48,150 --> 00:37:49,650
Referees, miss calls.

722
00:37:49,650 --> 00:37:50,970
God doesn't miss any calls.

723
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,490
So as you find yourself in a situation
that's difficult, you've got a harsh boss,

724
00:37:56,490 --> 00:38:00,630
you've got a harsh master, you've got a
harsh, whatever it may be, whatever that

725
00:38:00,630 --> 00:38:02,730
authority relationship that you're in is.

726
00:38:04,065 --> 00:38:07,905
You can rest in the knowledge if you're
gonna stay in that, in that situation.

727
00:38:07,905 --> 00:38:11,505
If you have to stay in that situation,
perhaps you can have the the comfort

728
00:38:11,505 --> 00:38:14,505
to know that God sees God notices
and God doesn't miss any calls.

729
00:38:15,915 --> 00:38:19,125
So then in the end, you're gonna
be rewarded for your faithfulness

730
00:38:19,575 --> 00:38:24,015
and those that were so hostile to
you, those that were against you, if

731
00:38:24,015 --> 00:38:28,125
they never come to faith in Christ,
those infractions against you will

732
00:38:28,125 --> 00:38:29,805
ultimately be dealt with by God as well.

733
00:38:29,805 --> 00:38:30,510
Justice will come.

734
00:38:32,115 --> 00:38:35,895
And that can allow you to bear up under
the current harsh treatment that you have.

735
00:38:35,985 --> 00:38:39,885
Ephesians six, eight puts it this way,
knowing that whatever good anyone does

736
00:38:40,035 --> 00:38:42,195
this, he will receive back from the Lord.

737
00:38:42,195 --> 00:38:44,625
Whether he is a bond servant or free.

738
00:38:46,965 --> 00:38:49,995
I had a pastor who would often
challenge us to think about what's

739
00:38:49,995 --> 00:38:53,715
gonna matter a hundred years from
now, and I think that's helpful when

740
00:38:53,715 --> 00:38:57,045
we find ourselves in these difficult
situations, these difficult relationships.

741
00:38:58,980 --> 00:39:02,190
Your reputation with your coworkers
won't matter a hundred years from now.

742
00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,150
Uh, the assumption is we're gonna
all be dead a hundred years from now.

743
00:39:06,180 --> 00:39:06,390
Okay?

744
00:39:06,810 --> 00:39:08,069
Let's just get that one outta the way.

745
00:39:08,430 --> 00:39:11,190
'cause if you're going, I'm
gonna be 140 at that point.

746
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:16,080
Your reputation with your coworkers is
isn't gonna matter anymore at that point.

747
00:39:17,069 --> 00:39:20,250
How comfortable you are right now
in this moment isn't gonna matter

748
00:39:20,250 --> 00:39:21,359
a hundred years from now to you.

749
00:39:22,950 --> 00:39:25,410
How much money you make isn't gonna
matter a hundred years from now.

750
00:39:27,029 --> 00:39:29,609
Whether or not you were right and
they were wrong isn't gonna matter

751
00:39:29,609 --> 00:39:30,660
to you a hundred years from now.

752
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:37,049
Whether you were treated fairly or whether
you got passed over for that promotion

753
00:39:37,049 --> 00:39:38,819
won't matter a hundred years from now.

754
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:45,660
The pain that you go through right
now as far as the, your perspective

755
00:39:45,660 --> 00:39:49,200
of it won't matter a hundred years
from now, you won't be thinking

756
00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:50,230
about any of that at that point.

757
00:39:51,900 --> 00:39:54,120
What will matter a hundred years
from now is how you conduct

758
00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:55,590
yourself as a follower of Jesus.

759
00:39:56,700 --> 00:40:00,240
And Peter's saying that involves this
submitted living, subjecting ourselves

760
00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:02,490
not only to the governing authorities,
but also to the human authorities

761
00:40:02,490 --> 00:40:03,540
that God has put in our lives.

762
00:40:06,030 --> 00:40:10,260
Are there times to seek change to
get out of a situation like that?

763
00:40:11,370 --> 00:40:12,150
Yeah, absolutely.

764
00:40:12,150 --> 00:40:12,600
There are.

765
00:40:13,950 --> 00:40:17,610
And I think as we think through the,
the situations we've already talked

766
00:40:17,610 --> 00:40:18,540
about a couple of those things.

767
00:40:18,540 --> 00:40:19,650
When you're asked to sin.

768
00:40:20,174 --> 00:40:22,904
That's the time you say,
no, I'm not gonna do that.

769
00:40:23,475 --> 00:40:26,985
Even if that leads to termination
or whatever it may be the severing

770
00:40:26,985 --> 00:40:28,005
of the relationship, whatever.

771
00:40:28,005 --> 00:40:30,735
If you're asked a sin, that's where
you say, no, I'm not gonna do that.

772
00:40:33,375 --> 00:40:36,285
Another time might be if, if you or your
loved ones are in danger, man, that, that,

773
00:40:36,285 --> 00:40:40,245
that might be a time to look for another
way out of that situation that you're in

774
00:40:42,345 --> 00:40:44,625
when you've weighed the pros and
cons, let's say this is work related.

775
00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:48,150
When you've weighed the pros and
cons and decided to change the right

776
00:40:48,150 --> 00:40:51,330
move for you, you and your family,
again, you're in an at will employment

777
00:40:51,330 --> 00:40:54,480
relationship, then yeah, it, it's
not wrong for you to get a new job.

778
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:58,170
You don't have to stay under the cruel
master or the cruel authority structure.

779
00:40:58,380 --> 00:41:01,560
If there's a a, an appropriate and
a biblical way to get out from that,

780
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:06,630
or when you've sought counsel and
input from godly believers in your

781
00:41:06,630 --> 00:41:09,690
life, that might be a time to say,
okay, maybe a change is in order.

782
00:41:10,890 --> 00:41:14,100
So this is not just about, Hey, cry your
river, build your bridge and get over it.

783
00:41:15,435 --> 00:41:18,435
There are plenty of times where we can
say, okay, I think a change is good and

784
00:41:18,435 --> 00:41:23,625
right and necessary, but if we're going
to be in a relationship with an authority

785
00:41:23,625 --> 00:41:26,730
structure in our lives, and if we're gonna
stay in that relationship, if we're gonna

786
00:41:26,735 --> 00:41:31,035
be there, then what Peter's calling us
to do is to subject ourselves to those

787
00:41:31,035 --> 00:41:33,045
authorities regardless of their character.

788
00:41:33,075 --> 00:41:34,845
As long as they're not asking you to sin.

789
00:41:36,795 --> 00:41:40,335
God does not want his children to
suffer injustice meaninglessly, and

790
00:41:40,335 --> 00:41:41,415
that's not what he's saying here.

791
00:41:42,825 --> 00:41:45,884
Because suffering while trusting his
plan and modeling a Christ honoring

792
00:41:45,884 --> 00:41:47,895
submission is not meaningless.

793
00:41:49,125 --> 00:41:49,995
It's not meaningless.

794
00:41:50,924 --> 00:41:54,404
No tear that's been shed, no harsh
words that have been received, no deceit

795
00:41:54,404 --> 00:41:55,605
that's been carried out against you.

796
00:41:55,605 --> 00:41:59,384
No betrayal is gonna go unanswered again.

797
00:41:59,384 --> 00:42:00,435
God doesn't miss any calls.

798
00:42:00,435 --> 00:42:01,185
He sees it all.

799
00:42:01,185 --> 00:42:01,960
He's gonna bring justice.

800
00:42:02,294 --> 00:42:04,035
It just may not be in our timeframe.

801
00:42:05,325 --> 00:42:06,794
And in the waiting he sees you.

802
00:42:07,515 --> 00:42:08,835
He sees you bearing up.

803
00:42:09,615 --> 00:42:12,165
Remaining faithful to what he's
called you to do and that he says

804
00:42:12,165 --> 00:42:13,935
is a gracious thing in his sight.

805
00:42:16,065 --> 00:42:18,585
The reason it's such a gracious thing in
the sight of God is gonna be developed

806
00:42:18,585 --> 00:42:22,455
more in the passage that we'll look at
together next week, but basically it

807
00:42:22,455 --> 00:42:26,505
amounts to this when we bear up and endure
and trust God through our suffering, we

808
00:42:26,505 --> 00:42:28,755
are following in our savior's footsteps.

809
00:42:30,495 --> 00:42:33,555
And anytime we're striving to become more
like Jesus, that's gonna be a gracious

810
00:42:33,555 --> 00:42:34,995
thing indeed, in the eyes of the Father.

811
00:42:37,380 --> 00:42:41,250
The suffering of Jesus on the
cross did indeed provide an example

812
00:42:41,250 --> 00:42:43,890
for us to think about and how we
respond to suffering in our lives.

813
00:42:44,430 --> 00:42:46,440
Peter's gonna say that
explicitly for us next week.

814
00:42:46,890 --> 00:42:49,290
He left you an example that you
might follow in his footsteps,

815
00:42:51,870 --> 00:42:54,720
but the most significant thing
that Jesus did on the cross was not

816
00:42:54,720 --> 00:42:57,480
to suffer for us, as an example,
but to suffer for as a payment.

817
00:42:59,940 --> 00:43:04,170
And that's what we refer to as
penal substitutionary atonement.

818
00:43:05,715 --> 00:43:11,415
Your sins in, in my sins, required a
payment to be made on our behalf, and

819
00:43:11,415 --> 00:43:14,025
that's a payment that we couldn't,
we couldn't offer, we couldn't pay.

820
00:43:14,115 --> 00:43:15,945
Good works are insufficient.

821
00:43:17,205 --> 00:43:23,190
Being a nice person is insufficient, being
a good person, insufficient, we need a,

822
00:43:23,190 --> 00:43:25,005
a, a payment of, of absolute perfection.

823
00:43:25,005 --> 00:43:27,405
And that's something that we had
already all forfeited long ago.

824
00:43:29,009 --> 00:43:31,589
And so that's why Jesus
was sent by the Father.

825
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:37,319
It's why he lived a full life before he
went to the cross, perfectly obedient

826
00:43:37,319 --> 00:43:43,770
to the father, sinless, righteous
in full, so that he could go to the

827
00:43:43,770 --> 00:43:48,899
cross, not guilty, and yet take our
sins and die as though he were guilty

828
00:43:48,899 --> 00:43:50,069
for the sins that we committed.

829
00:43:51,299 --> 00:43:54,060
And so, God the Father took the
son and put him on the cross for

830
00:43:54,060 --> 00:43:56,910
you, and he died for your sins.

831
00:43:58,980 --> 00:44:02,760
Isaiah says it was the will of the
father to put him to grief, to crush

832
00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,760
him for our sins and our iniquities,

833
00:44:07,950 --> 00:44:11,460
and that's the most significant
thing about the cross payment.

834
00:44:11,460 --> 00:44:17,640
Made the wrath of God poured out the words
of Jesus before he yielded up his spirit.

835
00:44:17,670 --> 00:44:23,040
It is finished such that you and
I have nothing left to fear when

836
00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:24,120
it comes to the wrath of God.

837
00:44:25,125 --> 00:44:28,125
If you are in Christ, the payment
has been made, the payment has been

838
00:44:28,125 --> 00:44:31,935
applied, and that's the greatest
reality of the cross for us.

839
00:44:34,275 --> 00:44:37,155
And so right now, as we're about to
the, the men are gonna come down,

840
00:44:37,155 --> 00:44:38,415
they're gonna pass out the elements.

841
00:44:39,045 --> 00:44:41,775
Please take the juice plate, take.

842
00:44:42,165 --> 00:44:46,215
Bread and hold onto it and we'll
observe it together and just remember

843
00:44:46,425 --> 00:44:48,285
the three Cs that I often talk about.

844
00:44:48,285 --> 00:44:51,105
We need to be aware of a lack of
conversion because this is something

845
00:44:51,105 --> 00:44:52,995
that is for believers and believers only.

846
00:44:53,715 --> 00:44:56,384
If you're not a Christian, please let
these elements pass right on by you.

847
00:44:57,555 --> 00:45:01,905
The lack of concentration, meaning
let's not let our minds think about

848
00:45:02,235 --> 00:45:04,725
the nap that's in front of us or what
we're having for lunch or anything.

849
00:45:04,725 --> 00:45:08,655
Let's focus on remembering
what these elements represent

850
00:45:08,655 --> 00:45:09,200
and what they stand for.

851
00:45:10,305 --> 00:45:12,075
And then the final is
a lack of confession.

852
00:45:12,225 --> 00:45:15,404
As these elements are passed, and as
the minutes pass by, use this time

853
00:45:16,004 --> 00:45:19,424
to examine your heart and to confess
your sins, and to have the confidence

854
00:45:19,424 --> 00:45:21,944
to know that they're forgiven because
of what these elements represent.

855
00:45:22,725 --> 00:45:24,134
And so the elements will be passed again.

856
00:45:24,134 --> 00:45:26,325
I'll come back up and we'll take
them together in just a moment.

857
00:45:28,904 --> 00:45:34,004
Jesus knew what was in front of his
disciples, told them what was coming.

858
00:45:35,174 --> 00:45:37,274
The world was gonna hate
you because they hated me.

859
00:45:37,860 --> 00:45:40,920
I'm sending you out as wolves in the
midst of sheep, rather in the midst of

860
00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:44,250
wolves, they're gonna deliver you over.

861
00:45:44,250 --> 00:45:45,630
You're gonna be beaten, and
you're gonna be flogged.

862
00:45:45,630 --> 00:45:49,140
You're gonna be brought before
tribunals, all for my name.

863
00:45:52,110 --> 00:45:54,960
He knew that life was gonna be difficult
for those that claim to be a follower

864
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,480
of Jesus claim to be his disciples.

865
00:45:58,890 --> 00:46:01,319
The Bible teaches that anyone
who desires to live a godly life

866
00:46:01,319 --> 00:46:02,640
in Christ will be persecuted.

867
00:46:04,350 --> 00:46:05,205
So what makes it worth it?

868
00:46:06,810 --> 00:46:07,980
Is what we remember right now.

869
00:46:09,540 --> 00:46:13,529
What makes it worth it is that we have a
future secured by the death of Christ on

870
00:46:13,529 --> 00:46:18,870
our behalf, through the cross, through the
broken body, through the blood poured out.

871
00:46:19,860 --> 00:46:24,120
Such yet no harsh treatment you
experience here can ever separate

872
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:28,110
you from the love of God in Christ
Jesus, which comes back to the cross.

873
00:46:29,775 --> 00:46:32,475
The Apostle Paul said, for I received
from the Lord what I also delivered to

874
00:46:32,475 --> 00:46:36,075
you, that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed, took bread and

875
00:46:36,075 --> 00:46:39,315
when he had given thanks, he broke it and
said, this is my body, which is for you.

876
00:46:39,915 --> 00:46:41,295
Do this in remembrance of me.

877
00:46:45,590 --> 00:46:45,710
I.

878
00:46:52,694 --> 00:46:53,234
In the same way.

879
00:46:53,234 --> 00:46:57,525
Also, he took the cup after supper saying,
this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

880
00:46:57,975 --> 00:47:00,670
Do this as often as you drink
it in remembrance of me.

881
00:47:10,305 --> 00:47:13,545
For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim

882
00:47:13,545 --> 00:47:15,345
the Lord's death until he returns.

883
00:47:15,839 --> 00:47:16,290
Let's pray.

884
00:47:18,299 --> 00:47:22,319
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for
the death of Jesus for us, and not just

885
00:47:22,319 --> 00:47:26,400
for His death, Lord, but for the glorious
reality of his resurrection, which is

886
00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,250
why we're here on a Sunday morning, as
the church has done for thousands of

887
00:47:29,250 --> 00:47:32,970
years to celebrate and remember that
it was on a Sunday morning that Jesus

888
00:47:32,970 --> 00:47:34,560
walked outta the grave never to enter.

889
00:47:35,445 --> 00:47:38,355
And that secured for us a future
and a hope that we too will one

890
00:47:38,355 --> 00:47:42,015
day leave the grave never to
enter again, to go to be with you.

891
00:47:42,674 --> 00:47:43,785
We thank you for the cross.

892
00:47:43,785 --> 00:47:45,225
We thank you for salvation, Lord.

893
00:47:45,225 --> 00:47:48,134
We thank you, Lord that we
can bear up and endure here.

894
00:47:48,134 --> 00:47:52,365
Not meaninglessly, not hopelessly,
not stoically, but knowing that

895
00:47:52,365 --> 00:47:54,645
we have a future waiting for
us with you where we will hear.

896
00:47:54,645 --> 00:47:56,085
Well done, good and faithful servant.

897
00:47:56,775 --> 00:47:58,335
We pray that we would live such lives.

898
00:47:58,515 --> 00:48:00,015
In Jesus' name, amen.

899
00:48:00,255 --> 00:48:00,555
Amen.