This is a sermon that continues in our Devotional: Becoming a People of Overflow, SURPRISE! 1 Peter You can watch more here.
Perseverance
This morning, we are continuing through a new series called “Surprise!” We have been
looking at a variety of topics these last few weeks from government, marriage, submission,
and it all falls under this scope of drawing out what it looks like practically to be a follower
of Jesus in 2025?
Today the Republican party might say being a follower of Jesus means you respect the laws.
The Democratic party might say being a follower of Jesus is about living a compassionate
life toward others. Then, they both put each other down for Jesus! It’s confusing! (Anyone
else?)
Then, we have pastors on TV tell us Jesus wants us to be wealthy! Then, spiritual leaders
on Instagram tell us Jesus wants us to be happy! Fitness coaches tell us that Jesus wants us
to be disciplined! Rah-Rah! (Pause)
But there are always going to be people who say this or that, but what does God’s Word say
about what it means to be a follower of Jesus? Let’s start in verse 8:
1 Peter 3:8, “8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and
humble in spirit.”
First, the phrase “to sum up” is capturing the previous verses from the last couple of
Sundays. Last Sunday Jerry walked us through husbands and wives in marriage.
Didn’t Jerry do a great job! My wife and I get to hang out with Jerry and Faith, and I would
encourage anyone to share a meal with them and drill them with questions about marriage!
But, look at verse 8. God’s Word has been talking about marriage, work, government, and
all these areas are relational areas of life, because when you come to faith in Jesus, surprise,
you are entering into a lot of relationships.
The idea that we gather on a Sunday morning to watch a couple of people on a stage and
applaud their efforts isn’t the pattern we see in Scripture.
Instead the pattern we see in Scripture is people getting involved in the lives of other
people, and let’s be honest, 2025 is a difficult time to be involved in the lives of other
people!
In most churches in Austin, we typically see people who look alike, vote alike, think alike
with similar financial standing, but in our church in Austin we have been given the gift of
diversity.
We weren’t trying to be a church in Austin of diversity. We are trying to teach people about
Jesus, Jesus connects with all types of people, and there are lots of different people in our
city, so by God’s grace we see a variety of people coming from different backgrounds on a
Sunday morning, which is awesome and awful at the same time!
Diversity on paper sounds great, but in real life, people with different backgrounds have
opinions, and the last 5-years has given us lots of opinions. Most of the time I am like, “Oh, I
didn’t know people could have strong opinions about these topics, but turns out, we do!”
We don’t take a poll but I am guessing there are people in this room who have differing
opinions about climate change, immigration, Israel / Palestine, universal health care, caring
for the homeless, national debt, and that’s not even getting into best place for BBQ! It’s a lot
of opinions!
I was talking to someone and they said, “My family thinks all “those” people should be
killed.” I said, “Your parents said the words ‘Those people should be killed.’” They said,
“No, but they voted for “this” person, so they must want those people killed.” That’s where
we are today!
Therefore, God’s Word gives this monster challenge, “All of you in Christ, be harmonious,
sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit!”
These are all relational words, so apparently relational challenges weren’t something that
just started in 2025. Apparently, people struggling to get along with people is a pretty
common challenge.
The word “Harmonious” means we want to try to complement one another. It means we
don’t have to have 100% agreement on every single layer of every single topic to be in
relationship with one another. In fact, it makes our church in Austin stronger when we can
have differing opinions about cultural events, and still find harmony with one another.
The word “sympathy” means we are expressing concern toward others. It is because of
our faith in Jesus, we weep with those who weep. We sacrifice our comforts for others. We
bring food for the care bags. We pray for each other. We remember each other’s names.
We share meals with one another.
The word “brotherly” comes from the word “phileo” meaning it starts in the local church.
As a follower of Jesus, we are not going to be able to experience relational depth to all
people, but specifically in the local church God’s Word is casting a vision for us to have
strong relationships with one another, so that it overflows outside the non-denominational
church and into the city. Amen?
In my life, I don’t find 100% agreement with you in all areas of life, but you’ve walked with
me through the deep loss of family members. You helped me care for my mom through
Alzheimer’s. You walked with my wife through the loss of Holly’s father. Where else can
we find this with people from a variety of backgrounds? It’s the local church! Look at verse
9:
1 Peter 3:9, “9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for
you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”
Look at that phrase, “Not returning evil for evil!” That’s the whole purpose of social media!
Insult for insult! In verse 8 God’s Word is giving this monster challenge to seek harmony
within the local small church in Austin, and verse 9 says, “Be a blessing to those who are
evil!” What!
In fact, verse 9 says the follower of Jesus has been called for this purpose. The Apostle
Peter wrote those same words in chapter 2 when he described the follower of Jesus living
under an unjust government. “You’ve been called for this purpose!”
In the context of the passage these are men and women who are living under the
oppression of the Roman Emperor Nero. This is a time in history where followers of Jesus
are being accused of destroying Rome, and as a result follower of Jesus are being beheaded,
attacked, accused, and God’s Word says, “Don’t return evil for evil, but instead give a
blessing!” Are you kidding me?
At this point in our passage we really need to be asking, “How is this possible?” Today,
people get upset if someone doesn’t recycle the way we think they should recycle. People
are cutting off family members for posts on social media, and yet God’s Word is casting this
vision for the follower of Jesus to be utterly unique, so that when we read verses 8-9 we
need to be asking, “How’s that possible?”
In the rest of our passage we are going to see two explanations; verses 10-16 and 18-22, so
let’s start off with verses 10-12. Look at verses 10-12:
1 Peter 3:10-12, “10 For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS,
MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. 11"HE MUST
TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. 12 "FOR
THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR
PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL."
In verses 10-12 we see emphatic language like, “Must keep his tongue, must turn away,
must seek peace” and Scripture is going to teach us the only way we are able to have these
types of relationships with one another is through the fear of the Lord.
It’s hard to see in these verses, but these verses come from Psalm 34 in the Old Testament
and Psalm 34 is about the fear of the Lord, so that the only way we can live out verses 8-9 is
if we care more about the opinions of the Lord than we do about the opinions of people.
It’s a fear swap! Write that in your notes.
Fear of the Lord might sound weird to hear, because most people describe God is good,
gracious, loving, and He is those things, but the God of Scripture is also holy, just, and
righteous, and powerful, so that when anyone comes close to His glory it says they fall
down in fear.
In Isaiah in the Old Testament, Isaiah is confronted with the glory and awe of God and it
says, “Isaiah cries out, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined.’” In the book of Revelation when the
Apostle John is confronted with the glory and awe of God it says, “He falls on his face like a
dead man.” It’s because we are talking about the glory and awe of God.
The fear of God is actually a theme throughout 1 Peter. Chapter 1 calls us to conduct
ourselves in fear. Chapter 2 calls us to fear God! Chapter 3 calls us to turn from the fear of
this world, so that God’s Word is teaching us as followers of Jesus to make a fear swap.
Think about people at work, people in church, people in our family, and God’s Word is
calling us to care for those people, serve those people, bless those people…the only way
that happens is if we make a fear swap and care more about the opinion of the Lord than
we do the opinions of those people. Amen? It’s a fear swap! Look at verses 13-14:
1 Peter 3:13-14, “13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But
even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed AND DO NOT FEAR
THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED.”
Keep in mind, the Apostle Peter is writing to a people who are being confronted with losing
their life, and still in verse 14 the Apostle Peter quotes Isaiah in the Old Testament that is
again pointing us to a fear swap. We are swapping our fears of this world to the fear of the
Lord!
Who is there to harm you that is greater than the Lord? Who is there to intimidate you that
is greater than the Lord?
Whose opinion is more important than the One who created you and holds all things
together, therefore, turn to Him and trust Him and obey Him!
Listen, I’ve not mastered this, but there was a conversation last year where someone in our
church in Austin said something that was hurtful. It was one of those moments where you
feel blind-sided, and the impulse in me was to cut them off, pull away, give up, and guard
myself.
But through the council of others, through prayer, through the Spirit, the Lord speaking to
my soul, “Who’s opinion is greater? Whose voice is weightier?” Is it the words of others, or
the Word of the Lord? It’s a fear swap!
It’s not the glory of God erased the pain of others, but the glory of God re-ordered the pain.
Does that make sense?
It’s not like Peter had this all figured out. Peter knew what it was like to deny Jesus, and
Peter knew what it was like to stand before crowds and boldly claim the name of Jesus, so
that the Apostle Peter writes, “Do not fear their intimidation.” It’s a fear swap! Amen?
That’s why we are here on a Sunday morning. That’s why we gather in groups throughout
the week. That’s why we read God’s Word on our own.
We aren’t doing religious exercises to be moral people. It’s because we need our eyes our
hearts and our minds to be constantly reminded of the glory and awe of God. Look at verse
15:
1 Peter 3:15, “15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a
defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with
gentleness and reverence.”
Look at that phrase “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” The word “sanctify” means to
set apart and “Christ as Lord in your hearts” means that practically / daily we are invited
into a “fear swap” of placing Jesus as the most important part of our lives. Does that make
sense?
The fears of the world are constantly creeping into our soul. What about money? What will
those people say? What’s going to happen? What if I say this or do that? Will they like me?
Will they leave me? Will they think I am stupid? These are thoughts coming at us every
day! (Anyone?)
Therefore, God’s Word is inviting us to make a “fear swap” every day, throughout the day,
where we say to ourselves, “No, Jesus is greater!”
It is Jesus who stepped out of the heavens and entered human history. It is Jesus who
calmed storms, casts out demons, conquered death. It is Jesus who ascended to the right
hand of the Father. It is Jesus who going to reign down justice. It is Jesus who is going to
make all things new. It is Jesus who calls us His by grace through faith, so that we are
taking our heart and mind through a daily fear swap!
I remember when I started to try stand-up comedy and someone in our church family said,
“You should talk about being a pastor.” I thought, “That’s the worst idea ever.” The idea of
standing on a stage in a club where people are making the foulest jokes and then me talking
about being a pastor. No thank you!
But I can’t explain it, but somewhere through the process a fear swap started to take place.
I’ve not mastered this. Sometimes I still have this voice in my head like, “Why are you
doing this?”
But the more I turned my heart and mind to the glory of God, the less I cared about the
applause of others. The more I cared about what the Lord thought, and being obedient to
Him, the less I cared about what people thought.
In the context of verse 15 the assumption is, when followers of Jesus live out our lives, not
in the fear of others, but in the fear of the Lord, people are going to ask questions. It’s why
verse 15 says, “Be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks!”
It means people are going to ask, “How were you able to be bold? How were you able to be
kind? How did you not slap that person? How can you be friends with someone who votes
for that person?” and those who are in Christ would be able to have a balanced
conversation with gentleness and humility because our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus.
Amen? Look at verses 16-17:
1 Peter 3:16-17, “16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are
slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is
better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing
what is wrong."
In verses 16 and 17 we see it isn’t always going to be pretty. There are going to be times
people are going to say things about us. There are going to be times when people make fun
of us as followers of Jesus. Sometimes it is going to happen with people within the local
church in Austin!
Therefore, the reference to “good conscience” is like our inner compass, so that every time
those accusations are made we are driving our heart and mind back to our core focus of
Jesus.
Is Jesus happy with what I said? Is Jesus Word clear about how I responded? Are there
places I can repent and seek forgiveness, because my ultimate allegiance is to Him with a
clear conscience it Him.
Let’s look at our second explanation. Remember we saw this huge challenge to live in
harmony with people when we are surrounded and there are two explanations.
In verses 10-16 we it begins with the fear of the Lord. In verse 18 we see God’s Word
pointing us to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Look at verse 18:
1 Peter 3:18, “18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He
might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”
Some will reduce Jesus’ life to being a good example of love, but look at verse 18, it is, “Jesus
died for sins once for all.”
Jesus didn’t just wink at evil, sin and darkness. Jesus didn’t just shrug His shoulders. Jesus
didn’t see us in all these chaotic relationships and say, “Good luck!” No, Jesus died for sins
once for all!
This is important because Jesus isn’t dying for His sin. It is our sin, which is why verse 18
says, “the just for the unjust.” Take that in for a second.
Jesus doesn’t let evil, sin, and darkness go on forever, but He is just! He is a righteous judge,
but Jesus is not only just, He is also the justifier!
Jesus is the One who stands in our place. Jesus is the One who takes the judgment we
deserved at the cross. Jesus is just and justifier! So good!
Every time we are frustrated with people. Every hurt. Every offense. Jesus sees it! Takes
account of it! And pays for it at the cross! Why would Jesus do that? Verse 18 says, “So
that He might bring us to God.”
Do you understand that isn’t just inspirational language? It’s a reorganizing of my heart.
When I see all that Jesus has done for me it disarms the self-protection in me.
When I see all that Jesus has done for me I don’t have to win every relational battle,
because Jesus has already secured the victory that matters most. Amen?
When I see the gospel getting deeper in my soul I don’t have to gain the agreement and
acceptance of everyone else, because I have the agreement and acceptance in Jesus.
I mean, verse 18 doesn’t stop with death, but points us to life! It’s because through faith in
Jesus the old flesh has passed away and new things have come, so that our passage isn’t
teaching us to be nicer people but reminding us who we are in Christ and what’s been done
in us through Christ, so that you can say, “Be harmonious, because Jesus has brought me
into harmony. Be sympathetic, because Jesus showed us compassion. Be humble, because
you are seated with Jesus. Don’t return evil for evil, because Jesus has already paid the
price.”
It’s because Jesus has brought us to the Father that we don’t have to scramble, defend,
guard and protect, but we can rest in Him. Isn’t that awesome? I hope you like it, because
19-22 is bonkers, so lean in with me. Look at verses 19-20:
1 Peter 3:19-20, “19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in
prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of
Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought
safely through the water.
Some of us are like, “I didn’t know Jesus had a prison ministry?” Much of the Bible is clear,
but verses 19-20 are possibly the most cryptic verses in Scripture. Most pastors skip over
these verses, but we value reading through Scripture verse by verse, so let’s talk about it!
This language of “proclamation to the spirits now in prison” is really confusing. Much of
these verses 19-22 is metaphorical in language, so the best we can understand is that Jesus’
death on the cross was so powerful it’s like it echoed into the depths of hell and heights of
heaven, so that Peter is going to take the story of Noah and baptism to illustrate the truths
of our passage.
First, the story of Noah is from Genesis 6 where Noah had to do a fear swap. Noah is
building a boat in the middle of a desert because he cared more about the fear of the Lord
than the fear of the world. Amen? Probably got heckled for building a boat in a desert.
Remember, the Apostle Peter is writing to a people whose lives have been turned upside
down and Peter is reminding them that the love of God is faithful to those who follow Him!
Amen?
So, Peter is reminding them, God always rescues His people when they look outnumbered
and outmatched. The early church didn’t feel strong. I am sure there are parts of us this
morning that don’t feel strong, but the Lord shows up!
Just as Noah put his trust in a wooden ark to rescue him from a judgment that was to come,
so we who are in Christ are putting our trust in a wooden cross to rescue us. Amen?
Just was Noah was trusting in the ark to rescue Him, we are trusting in Jesus to rescue us.
Look at verse 21:
1 Peter 3:21, “21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you–not the removal of dirt from
the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience–through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.”
Again, verse 21 is a little cryptic, but baptism is used as a metaphor. It isn’t the removal of
water that saves us. If you’ve never been baptized, it’s not the ceremony that brings you
closer to God. How could baptism remove the dirt of sin from our soul? It’s only faith in
Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, so that baptism is an outward expression of what has
already taken place internally.
It is in baptism that we identify with Jesus death by going under the water, just as Jesus
died on the cross in our place. We should have taken the punishment, but Jesus has taken
the punishment we deserve.
And when we come out of the water we identify with Jesus’ resurrection. Just as Jesus
overcame sin and death, through faith, we too have and will overcome sin and death.
Amen? Look at how verse 22 closes with victory:
1 Peter 3:22, “22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and
authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”
Verse 22 is like book ends to these verses on submission in government, work, church and
marriage isn’t about oppression it is about bringing order, and through faith in Jesus there
is order on earth and in heaven. It’s because Jesus has authority over all of creation; seen
and unseen.
So often we think of Jesus with children at His feet, talking to the women at the well, riding
a pony or even suffering and dying on the cross, but verse 22 reminds us of Jesus glory and
awe.
Jesus defeated death. He conquered sin. Jesus is victorious, and when we are in Christ then
we are victorious. That’s our fear swap!
There’s nothing greater than Jesus. There’s no approval greater than Jesus. There’s no
security greater than Jesus. There’s no love greater than Jesus. There’s no justice greater than Jesus.
Let’s Pray!
North Village Church
This sermon is brought to you by North Village Church, a non-denominational church in Austin. established in 2009 and built around Jesus and Bible teaching.
Are you looking for a church in Austin? At North Village Church we put Jesus at the center of our church family. We worship together every Sunday at 10:30am, encourage Christ centered fellowship through groups, and host special events such as Bible studies and Theological Training, to ensure that we are rooted in in God’s Word. We also serve our local community in association with several Austin based organizations.
North Village Church is made up of professionals, married couples, singles, and families who are wanting to experience the life-transforming power of Jesus. If you are a family with children or teens, we can support you with either or both our Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry.
You are welcome to contact us if you would like more information.
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