Good morning, today is Thursday, May 14, 2020. My name is Keith and I am one of the pastors at Green Acres Baptist Church in Athens, GA.

We are continuing on in 1 Peter. The section we will read today and 4:11 that we will read later actually make up one big thought that Peter is trying to explain to the churches he is writing to. Like we noticed in the first couple chapters, Peter is using all of this Old Testament language to help the predominately gentile churches understand that they claim the same promises God originally gave Israel. These gentile followers of Jesus, and us today as well, actually need to understand Israel’s story with God as our story with God. We, this new multi-ethnic family of believers, are a royal priesthood.

Now, in chapters 3 and 4, Peter is more directly addressing the suffering and persecution they are facing. I’m going to back up and re-read a couple verses and then continue, 1 Peter 3:10-22. Notice Peter’s encouragement to the churches and to us today that suffering has meaning because it is one way in which we are united with the Jesus we follow. His suffering gives us meaning and hope even in our own suffering. Further, our baptism as a sign of the hope we now have in Jesus works as a reminder that we have passed through the chaotic waters, just like Israel, and into the new life that Jesus is calling us into.

I know that’s a lot to try and comprehend in one sitting! I say it simply to encourage you to, as you listen to Peter’s words, see how Peter is mapping on our experiences to those of Jesus. Because of Jesus’ resurrection after his suffering, and his offer to rise to new life with him, we are being vindicated of our suffering. In this way, our salvation is a process of being saved from our suffering through our union with Jesus. Our baptism is a sign, a sacred symbol, showing us that we are joined to Jesus and reminding us of the new life of victory over sin, death, and the devil that we have.

1 Peter 3:10-22

For
“Whoever desires to 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 prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now who is there to harm you if you are 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, 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, 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.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.