E3 2017 | GS 4 | "Expository Apologetics: Part III" | Voddie Baucham

open the first Peter chapter three Chapter three and of course the key text here in the first Peter chapter three is found in verse fifteen but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord is holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect there are some keys to understanding Peter's admonition here and I think we need to grasp those and I think this goes to the heart of that last objection we talked about on yesterday that that many people don't want to have anything to do with apologetics because we believe that there's an arrogance about the practice that that there's an you know I'm smarter than you chip on my shoulder kind of approach that is off that it's almost required if we're going to do apologetics and nothing could be further from the truth especially when you understand this text in context a couple of things we see here first this again is an admonition to every believer we'll see that as we leave the text supposedly it has nothing to do with creating an elite special forces brand of Christians it's rooted in the context of humility holiness and suffering let me say that again first Peter 3:15 is rooted in the context of humility holiness and suffering ultimately apologetics is about how we suffer which which sounds foreign to us right because we think well no you know apologetics that's how we go out and dominate that's how we not not according to this text and in it ought to be a natural part of our Christian walk in order to understand this I want us to do a couple of things one I want us to look at what I like to call the lost paragraph here and first Peter 3 its verses 8 through 12 it comes before the well-known apologetics paragraph which is 13 to 17 right we know that you say to somebody you know first Peter 3 13 to 17 and there yeah I know of that it comes after the well-known marriage passage first Peter 3 1 through 7 right we know that if I say it again we've got a bunch of passengers in here if I say first Peter 3 1 through 7 you're like oh yeah you know I say first Peter you know 3 13 to 17 even if you don't know the whole paragraph you know verse 15 to in the middle of that so you got an idea what that's about 8 to 12 and unless you've been preaching through first Peter recently you've got to kind of scratch your head and think and search and maybe even look but this is a pivotal paragraph the lost paragraph belongs to a broader section of Peters epistle which spans from 211 to 312 ants the paragraph is actually the conclusion of a section so it's pivotal it's the conclusion of a section we start a new section in the apologetics paragraph the overarching message of this section is winning the respect of outsiders by your conduct when you suffer that's the message of the section that ends at 3:12 which means that it's the context for 13 to 17 so let's look at that broader context a little bit section begins with the identification of the people of God as sojourners and exiles in 2 11 and 12 and that's really important we're sojourners and exiles we're outsiders and that's true wherever we are amen the Apostle then proceeds to address three means through which the conduct of believers wins the respect of outsiders and all three involve humble faithful submission to Authority we have a dual audience that we have to keep in mind number one our subjection to Authority is an act of obedience to God first and foremost anytime we're called to submit to Authority we're called to submit to God through said Authority amen and secondly it is a witness to a watching world our submission to Authority is a witness to a watching world the way we submit to Authority the way we honor Authority speaks volumes to a watching world especially in our anti-authoritarian age this is similar to Paul's admonition to fulfill the household codes in Titus 2:5 that the world that the word may not be revived reviled Titus 2:8 so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing evil to say about us Titus 2:10 so that in everything we may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior both audiences will be important to remember when we get to 315 apologetics is about both of these audiences let's look at being subject to human Authority first Peter urges believers be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution as chapter 2 and verse 13 here in words reminiscent of Paul's teaching in Romans 13 Peter has in mind the emperor s supreme or two governors as sit by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good this is the purpose this is the goal this is duty and the responsibility of every government everywhere whether they acknowledge it or not the Bible is clear this is the duty the role and the responsibility of every government everywhere they either acknowledge this responsibility and pursue it or they will face God's judgment for not doing so amen this of course is an admonition to all Christians on verse 18 he goes from the general to the specific and urges slaves to be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust and we know that in many instances in Asia Minor during this time there were there were cities there were societies where as many as two-thirds of the population would have been slaves or indentured servants of some kind Peter goes on to encourage believers who find themselves in this situation to suffer for righteousness and in verse 19 for this is a gracious thing when mindful of God one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly don't miss that while suffering unjustly there's no benefit when you suffer justly you know talk about that later in Chapter three this is a theme to which we'll return in the apologetic passage then wives are told to be subject to their husband this is the third one he urges wives in like manner to be subject to your own husband's so that even if some do not obey the word they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives the year Peters admonition calls for faith in the face of and verse six anything that is frightening this too is something to remember when we get to the apologetics paragraph then there's an appeal for general righteousness finally Peter ends the section by returning to the general principle he got specific and he talked about people in very specific situations and circumstances now he goes general again as we end where we began with an admonition to all Christians so now we get to the lost paragraph first Peter 3 8 through 12 finally all of you just in case you were wondering right he starts with this general set we're talking to all Christians here many get specific if you're a Christian who finds himself in this situation if you're a Christian who finds himself in this situation here is how you are subject to Authority and now we're going big again we're going general again and he says finally all of you have unity of mind sympathy brotherly love a tender heart and a humble mind do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling but on the contrary bless for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing for whoever desires some love life and see good days let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit let him turn away from evil and do good let him seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil this forgotten paragraph gives us an important lens through which to view Peters instruction in the better-known apologetic text that follows when we examine it closely we discover the identity attitude conduct and character that are assumed in the paragraph that follows and this is very important because the the setup here is here's who we are as Christians here's how we live as Christians and then the apologetic paragraph is actually an application of this section that we just came out of but this is the conclusion to that section in other words this paragraph gives more depth and texture to Peters words in first Peter 3:15 and it's essential that we understand this paragraph if we're going to understand that one the phrase finally all of you makes it clear that Peter is now addressing all Christians everywhere regardless of circumstance he's now summing up his teaching on the subject and having gone from general to specific he now returns to the general again so let's look first at the attitude of the apologist what what kind of added should the apologist that we read about in the next paragraph have is an attitude marked by unity of mind sympathy brotherly love a tender heart and a humble mind this of course is not to say that engaging in apologetics is always calm and peaceful Amen it's not always calm and peaceful and it doesn't have to always be calm and peaceful sometimes it gets fiery and that's okay but this is the attitude that were to have Jesus had several rather heated exchanges in his day for example mark 3 7 12 34 23 33 37 Luke 3 7 I mean Jesus came into the temple turning over tables huh and it's amazing his hood him in and one instance he comes in one day looks around sees the money changers and he comes turns over the tables the next day how about that had time to go calm down cool off and he did he was calm cool collected and mad and near an amount so you sometimes sometimes godliness can can get heated however he never sinned in his anger nor should we the word the words here always have to be appropriate for the occasion and sometimes words appropriate for the cage for the occasion our little heated but they need to be appropriate for the occasion okay what about the speech of the apologist there's a certain attitude that he has to have there's also a certain speech that a nice tab what does that look like do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling but on the contrary bless for to this you were called that you may obtain a blessing this gives us a glimpse into the context where in apologetics takes place we shouldn't expect the enemies of God to be friendly toward us we should expect some hostility do not repay evil for evil that means evils coming our way reviling for reviling that means revealing is coming our way but we don't do that okay the Greek word transfer translated revealing here means to speak in a highly insulting manner this of course would be the opposite of speaking blessing so when somebody insults us and and that can happen we don't return insult for insult we always lose when that happens and you know I call this the the Shaquille O'Neal rule right I remember big diesel he came through here a few times wrecking stuff it's the Shaquille O'Neal rule when you're a big 7-foot plus 300 pound plus man listen if you're aggressive you're a bully if you're not you're a punk you know I'm right you just you can't win right no matter what you can't win you just go about your business and you do your thing because you can't win and for Christians it's the exact same way we engage in in a conversation with someone we're engaging in apologetics and the unbeliever can cuss us up one side and down the other but the minute we say anything inappropriate all of a sudden it's like I thought you were Christian don't give me that's not fair what are you three [Music] we don't live in a world that's fair amen and by the way I'm grateful I don't want God to give me fair amens somebody right I don't want God to give me fair so the next time you go on that hole that's not fair kick just say hallelujah thank you Lord that the world is not fair I don't want what's fair I'm glad for grace amen but it is a reality and it's something that we need to know about it's something that we need to keep in the forefront of our minds that moment that we go over the edge is that moment that they point back and use it in evidence against us that's why we've got to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves they read so Peter is encouraging believers to offer blessing in the face of Insull further he puts it even finer point on the matter of proper speech when quoting Psalm 34 he urges whoever desires to love life and see good days let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit the Bible has much to say about the way we speak nor is he talking about flattery here this is not about flattery this is not about that you know and you and we know those kind of people don't we know everybody everybody can see straight through that you know somebody comes in and you know bloodshot eyes walking all slow back bend over how you doing old blessed and highly favored brother I'm just come on now so no this is not about flattery this is not about false platitudes that's not what we do when we're engaging in apologetics first of all people will see right through that secondly it's not honest it's not honest there have been occasions I've had to say you know what here's the deal you don't have to talk to me like that and if you want to continue the conversation you won't continue to talk to me like that now that's not me that's not disrespectful that's not right sometimes I've had to go a little more forceful than that right cuz there are some people who will try you and there have been you know maybe maybe theoretically there might have been a couple of situations where I had to say you know what you better back up off me because I'm saved but I remember some stuff not saying that it happened or it didn't but theoretically could have but you get my point yeah you know this is this is not about you know walking around like something that no we're real people in real engagements with real people who sometimes want to push our buttons and cause us to cross the line but our speech needs to always be profitable Jesus made this clear when he warned if the world hates you know that it hated me before it hated you by the way this Jesus who called people whitewashed tombs hmm in the fire every now and then Peter later confirms the veracity of the Lord's words both in his own experience and the conclusion drawn from it second Peter 2nd Timothy 3:12 or Paul rather I said Peter Paul indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted it's that's our lot amen you always hear people claiming verses in the way every wants to claim that most of the stuff we claim is not even ours I promised God made that you know whatever you can't claim that this one you can claim but when I claim my persecution in Jesus by the way where the you claim would are not discovered right yet Paul's admonition like Peters is that we bless those who persecute you bless and do not curse them romans 12 14 again this speech comes out of our attitude and it's a picture of our character so let's look at the character of the apologist of course the identity and attitude and speech the apologist is rooted in Christian character for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil believers are urged to keep their conduct among the Gentiles honorable in chapter 2 and verse 12 to be mindful of the fact that governors are sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good chapter 2 and verse 14 even slaves are to bear in mind that it is to no avail quote if when you sin and are beaten for it you endure chapter 2 and verse 20 but it is of great benefit to do good and suffer if if it is not what you have coming this is a gracious thing in the sight of God according to chapter 2 and verse 20 all of these reminders culminate in the final reminder that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer this is the character of the apologist and when we understand that this is all about humility and enduring suffering this makes all the more sense even in the paragraph you know have you ever wondered why in the apologetics paragraph we have or is there - who's there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good this is about how we endure suffering this - harkens back to Peters warning to husbands who are urged to conduct themselves properly toward their wives so that their prayers might not be hindered in first Peter 3:7 so with this Peter concludes the section but he doesn't leave it altogether on the Concord on the contrary his instruction on apologetics grows out of his words to the believing community in this section in fact it is impossible to understand the next paragraph and by extension Peters teaching on apologetics without connecting it to this lost section therefore if we turn our attention to this familiar text it's important that we don't lose sight of what came just before it so let's look at that paragraph thirteen to seventeen now who is that a harm you if you prove zealous for what is good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled now now comes the familiar verse but notice what comes right before the familiar verse there's this idea here that there are people who were trying to do is harm that there is suffering coming our way but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you yet do it with gentleness and respect having a good conscience so that when you are slandered not if when you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame for it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will than for doing evil so before the apologetics verse and after the apologetics verse there is a reference to suffering suffering so I said earlier apologetics is about how we suffer how ironic is that that we think it's about being arrogant and having a chip on your shoulder when the context leaves absolutely no room for that this is about our righteousness and how it's manifested in the face of opposition first of all it's our righteousness that makes us strangers and aliens we already noted that he referred to us in 211 as sojourners and exiles but look at 2:9 and 10 but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light once you were not the people but now you are God's people once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy that this is why we are considered strangers exiles sojourners we're part of another people were part of another Kingdom amen eventually our Christian citizenship manifests itself in ways that are irreconcilable with our non-christian neighbors if that's not true you might not be a Christian Amen somebody if a person can walk through this fallen sinful selfish depraved world as a Christian representing Christ and never have an instance where you rub the wrong way against this fallen depraved world you need to check yourself you really do and I'm not talking about being offensive for offense sake that's not my point here when that happens we face opposition and sometimes persecution and suffering all of which relate directly to our righteousness in Christ and this is a point that he makes here right better to suffer for doing what you're doing good we're not talking about the suffering that comes because we're stupid because that can happen amen we're talking about the suffering that comes because of our righteousness because we're set apart that's what's being addressed here waiting for example if you you know you think about the Westboro Baptist people you know going outside soldiers funerals you know the God hates signs and all this kind of stuff right if you're doing stupid stuff like that you don't get to then turn around and say look how I'm being persecuted for righteousness no no people are persecuting you because you're stupid and I'm with them amen that's not what we're talking about here what we're talking about when we are living righteous lives and a lost world responds to that and not only does our righteousness make us strangers and aliens but our righteousness brings opposition and suffering chapter 3 verse 13 and 14 now who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed with these ominous words Peter introduces what is undoubtedly the best-known apologetics text in the Bible this is the text from which we get the word for apologetics it's therefore important to note the tone that His Word sent as well right before we get to the being apologists do apologetics text it's who's that our harmony if you prove zealots for what it's good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you're blessed before and after it's the context of suffering chapter 2 verse 21 to 24 for to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps what example is that glad you asked he committed no sin neither was deceit found in his mouth so he wasn't suffering for being stupid when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness it's important to note that Peter is talking about more than people thinking ill of us and calling us names the analogy he draws here is the suffering of Christ in his death at the hands of sinful men nor would Jesus followers spared this fate Philip was scourge and thrown into prison and afterward crucified matthew was slain with a halberd in the city of Ann Inaba Andrew was crucified on a cross the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground the mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria Peter we know was famously crucified upside down so understand that the though we read this and for us the the only way that we can relate to this is you know people thinking ill of us or people calling us names of people contextually that's not what Peter's talking about and throughout the history of Christianity this has been the experience of Christians and it's important to keep that in mind that when he's talking about apologetics here is I want you to keep in mind people are asking you the reason for the hope that is in you either as they persecute you or when they see how you've responded to it that's the context here keep that in mind keep in mind the words of the early apologist Justin Martyr who in in in one of his response that said if you want to know that what we believe is true watch the way we die watch the way our young men face the lions and our young men face the fire young women face the flames that's what we're talking about here not name-calling not family members you know deciding that they don't necessarily want to invite us to the event because you know we might start talking about that religion stuffing it that's not what he's talking about that's not the context our righteousness is born of our devotion to Christ and words reminiscent of Isaiah Peter urges but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as Holy Peter is here adapting the prophets words in Isaiah 8:13 but the Lord of Hosts him you shall honor as holy let him be your fear and let him be your dread the context in Isaiah is informative ass-kiss tomako observes in his day Isaiah told the people not to fear the invading Assyrian in Syrian army's but revere God in his epistle Peter has the same encouraging message in light of the context is clear that Peter is not calling for a mere spiritual devotion to Christ though that is certainly in view but a choice to honor Christ in the face of a culture that opposes and even punishes that devotion that's apologetics this is not a chip on the shoulder moreover the reason for this it's clear because Jesus is the Lord Almighty a man again kiss democra notes Peter changes Isaiah's wording by honoring Christ as the Lord Almighty so that he is the Lord Christ thus the Christian does not merely choose Christ as one among many options instead Christ is set apart honored sanctified over and above those who would threaten us because he's Lord because he's Lord most Christians don't engage in apologetics because of fear plain and simple however now we see the true nature of this fear ultimately it's fear of man and we're not even in a setting where people are killing us Haven so Peter is literally talking to people whose lives are on the line he's literally talking to people who would be beaten or imprisoned or worse yet killed and yet we refrain from engaging in apologetics because we want to protect our reputation or god forbid we should you know be passed over for a promotion somewhere this is the result of holding men and their approval or fear of the consequences of their disapproval in higher regard than we do the Lord therefore unless I remind myself constantly of my need to honor Christ the Lord is holy I will end up honoring my reputation or worse yet the opinions of men as most prized and precious in my heart the result is compromised that dishonours Christ and deprives my hearers of the greatest news they will ever know our righteousness requires an explanation in this context our we have to we have to they beat you and you honor Jesus and you didn't that person was just fed to the Lions and he didn't he didn't reek and that woman was just burned to death and she died in the fire rather than renounce Christ that somebody has to explain this to me that's the context so now here this always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you when you think about it in its context this is powerful well why are you people enduring this why this is not you know the whole eight you'll break up with the lifestyle evangelism you know I live my life in such a way that hopefully my neighbor will come one day and say I'm watching the way you mow the lawn what must I do to be saved right no that's not that's not what's being talked about here we're exiles were sojourners we're living in righteousness people hate us even though we're the finest people around and they were persecuted and were reviled and and we're not revealing in return some of us have lost houses and land and jobs and Families freedom even our lives and yet we still maintain this firm foundation that's when people like what what what what's happening man that's when we have our opportunity that's what we have our opportunity that's when they come in our midst and they here to say and though this world with Devils filled should threaten to undo us we will not fear for God as will its word to try them through us huh tell them I let good and kindred go this mortal life also this body they may kill God's true the body still does this kingdom is forever why don't why did we sing songs like that why do we write songs like that that's the context of apologetics not some arrogant snot-nosed kid who just loves picking fights with people this is the context of apologetics all right let me let me let me hurry this is about knowing what you believe and why you believe it and being able to communicate that to others in a winsome and effective way we've talked about that before lastly our righteousness shapes our explanation yet do it with gentleness and respect gentleness is not a lack of strength but its strength under control gentleness is is-is-is me wrestling with my four-year-old right that's gentleness I could crush him but I wouldn't dare write that that's gentleness gentleness is not weakness it's its strength being restrained okay respect on the other hand is a word that can be translated fear however it's not seeking the approval of men instead it's it's the fear and respect for God in other words our defense should be given as though we're keenly aware that God is watching also we have to remember a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh words there's stirs up anger and our righteousness vindicates our explanation having a good conscience so that when you are slandered those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame for it is better to suffer for doing good if that should be God's will then for doing evil so we in where we begin remember me to open the paragraph with the words now who was there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you'll be blessed so now we've come full-circle apologetics is about righteousness humility and suffering and how that righteousness and humility and suffering puts us in a position where we have an opportunity to explain our righteousness humility and suffering and the explanation is not I'm just more righteous than humble the explanation is Christ is Lord Christ is Lord the explanation is you know what I am NOT a year to fight for better treatment from you because truth be told whatever you do to me I deserve worse huh whatever you do to me I deserve worse this is about Christ aren't you afraid to die of course I am of course I am I'm afraid to die but I'm not afraid of death huh I mean all of us would like to just close our eyes one day and wake up on the other side right nobody wants to die everybody wants to be in heaven nobody wants to get there right so yeah yeah I fear death just like any man or dying rather but not but but not dead not dead because last time I checked the death rate was 1 per person nobody gets out of here alive amen nobody gets out of here like what are you gonna do kill me I'm going home anyway you just get to be my ride but here's the question are you are you prepared for death see when you put it in this context it changes everything now all of a sudden who are not talking about how the elite of the elite you know Green Beret Marine Force Recon Navy SEAL Delta Force Christian can armed himself with you know information to you know just verbally destroy everyone in his path that is absolutely not what Peter's talking about and there is no way you can read this text in its context and come away with that absolutely no way this is about how we suffer and it's about how we explain our suffering because it demands an explanation because it's not normal it's not natural it's supernatural amen that's apologetics and I honestly believe that if we understand this better will be better apologists I really do cuz now it's no longer about winning an argument it's no longer about vindicating myself it's about Christ is about his righteousness this is about an opportunity a privilege that we have first to suffer for the cause of Christ and secondly should he be so kind to have an opportunity to explain why let's pray father make us humble father give us faith the father gave us opportunities to exercise our humble faith and the face of those who would hate us so that we might sanctify Christ the Lord is holy and always be ready to give a defense

Channel: Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary

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Length: 52min 4sec (3124 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 07 2017