1 Peter Week Six:  Warrior, Secret Agent, or Ambassador

Pastor Rick Henderson
March 11-12, 2023

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POP QUIZ

SERIES THESIS:  Let your IDENTITY drive your ACTIVITY.

1 PETER 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Each week of this series, we are unpacking, bit by bit, what our identity is and how it impacts every facet of our lives. The story we tell ourselves frames so much about what we do. If you were here last week, I hope you remember this:

Jesus is the LENS through which we see ourselves. We are the LENS through which others see Jesus.

If I have, if you have, given allegiance to Jesus—the true story of us is found by looking to him. When people experience what we are like, they should experience what Jesus is like.  What is it that you want them to see? I don’t want to be a pushy person, and yet I’m intentionally going to push us to get messy-honest with ourselves about what it is we are wanting people to see.

There are at least three ways that American, evangelical Christians have been responding to the task of representing Jesus. There might be more than three, but there are at least three.

CHRISTIANS & CULTURE

• Warriors
• Devotion to Jesus is expressed through doing battle with people who threaten the rights of Christians or who threaten the common good.
• Secret Agents
• Devotion to Jesus is only expressed in safe company.
• Ambassadors
• Devotion to Jesus is expressed by loving God and loving all others, at all times, even when it’s risky.

Which one best describes you?  Which one of these do you want to describe you?

1 PETER 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

When we are all telling ourselves the same story about who we are, these are the attitudes and actions that flow out of us. Sympathy. Love for one another. Compassion. Humility. When we know who we are, we no longer need a reason to engage in these activities. All we need is opportunity. And we have an opportunity. Right here. Right now.

This is Ari. He is the grandson of Craig and Sharon Chambers. They are a part of our church family. They are included in the category of the one anothers that we should be loving on. Ari is battling Hyper IgM Syndrome. The short version of his story is that he urgently needs a bone marrow transplant or peripheral blood stem cell transplant. I’ve explored being a donor. Unfortunately, I can’t. Only people 18-40 can donate.

This is what we are doing as a church family. If you are between those ages, and you have the health to donate, would you stop at the booth in the lobby, and get a little information about exploring being a donor? If, for whatever reason, you’re like me and you can’t donate—let’s pray for this little guy and for Sharon and Craig Chambers.

1 PETER 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Here’s the deal. You know this. We can’t do all the good and loving things we want to do. But when we can—it’s a no-brainer. Of course, we are going to love one another. We don’t need a reason. We just need an opportunity.

1 PETER 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.

Can we pause and think about this word? How are we doing with humility? Does it feel like it’s at an all-time high? Or would you say that this probably deserves a little attention? It wouldn’t surprise me if some of you are wondering if I’m the right guy to teach about humility. The only reason that you wonder that is that you don’t know me well enough. If you took the time to get to know me you wouldn’t wonder if maybe I’m not the right guy to talk about. You’d be certain I’m not the right guy to talk about it.

I don’t think I’m a good example. I do think humility is good. When we pause long enough to think about how Jesus voluntarily gave up his rights and privileges, he voluntarily became a servant to us. He volunteered to suffer on the cross for us. Jesus is humility personified. How could I not say that it is good?

Let’s deliberately zoom in on the fact that “be humble” is a command. It’s something we must choose.  Humility is chosen intentionally. If you think, “I don’t know if I want to be humble.” I get it. Let me give you something to think about.

The only difference between HUMILITY and HUMILIATION is who chooses it.

These are two very different things, aren’t they? Humiliation is something done to us. Humility is something we choose for ourselves. We can’t cover all that it means to be humble, but we can give ourselves some handholds.

Humility refuses to ASSERT our value at someone else’s EXPENSE.

We could also say it like this:

Humility insists we ASSERT someone else’ value, even at our own EXPENSE.

Isn’t this what Jesus did for us? Not only could we tell personal stories of how it changed us. Jesus’ brand of humility changed world history. It flipped the value system of the known world on its head.

In the highly competitive and stratified world of Greco-Roman antiquity, only those of degraded social status were ‘humble,’ and humility was regarded as a sign of weakness and shame, an inability to defend one’s honor. Thus the high value placed on humility by Israelites and Christians is remarkable.  –J. H. Elliot

How many of you hate it when a public figure, who everyone knows was wrong, apologizes like this. “If I offended anyone, I’m sorry.” Why is that lack of humility universally mocked? How many of us admire when people use wealth, status, or whatever advantage they have to benefit someone else, getting nothing in return? Why is that brand of humility almost universally celebrated? Biological evolution can’t explain that. Social evolution can’t explain the esteem of humility. It is a fact of history that humility didn’t become normal until the gospel became common.

Who is Jesus and who are you in this video? He is a loving, kind, and shockingly humble shepherd. We are sheep. We are sheep who are 100% dependent on the good shepherd.

1 PETER 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

This is what flows next after saying, “be humble.” The only way to take this seriously is to break up with the idea that we should give people what they deserve. Love means giving people what they need, not what they deserve. Humility remembers that Jesus took what we deserve so that we can have what he deserves. That gave us a new identity and that new identity leads to the radical activity of humility.

Just for perspective, let’s go to the one who Peter learned this from.

LUKE 6:27-28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Knowing full well that an enemy is someone who can make us feel insignificant, who can make us feel insecure. Knowing full well that an enemy is someone brings dissastisfaction to life—Jesus said to love them. Do good to them. Bless them. Pray for them.

I know of a man who decided to take Jesus seriously. He started to pray for a guy at work he considered an enemy. Every day he asked God to financially bless his enemy. Wouldn’t you know it. That guy he prayed for got an unexpected cash windfall. Now he was mad at God for answering his prayer!

I’ve got a challenge for us. Think about that person who makes you mad. It doesn’t have the be the worst person in your life. Just think of a person who makes your temp go up. When you think about them, there is no controlling your face. This is the person that you secretly want something a little bad to happen to them.

How are you going to pray for their blessing? Don’t do the safe prayer. Pray dangerously. I’m challenging you to specifically identify how it is you want God to bless them. Will you do that?

If you’re thinking, “Uh, no.  I don’t want to do that.” You’re not going to get any judgment from me. I’m not the one who came up with it. It’s Jesus’ idea, not mine. But would you be willing to pray this?

Jesus, I don’t want to. I don’t even want to want to. I choose to trust you with my significance and security. I choose to trust that you want my satisfaction and fulfillment. If you’re saying this is the way forward, I’ll take a step.

As you’re mulling over that prayer. I want you to write this down.

You can’t BATTLE and BLESS someone at the same time. You can only pick one.

What do you think Jesus wants us to be? A warrior? A secret agent? An ambassador? We can’t battle somebody and bless them at the same time. We can only pick one.

1 PETER 3:10-12 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

What we just read was Peter quoting from the Old Testament. Psalm 34. That chapter contains one of my most deeply cherished sentences in all the Bible. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Our goal is often to be comfortable. His goal is to comfort us. If you are willing to trust him, I promise that you will discover that his comfort is far better than being comfortable.

1 PETER 3:13-18 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

Everywhere we turn, there are messages intended to make us afraid. They are online. They are on cable news. There are far, far too many Christian-talking-heads who are trafficking in fear. Fear is anti-Jesus.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

What do you think? Does this sound like we should be warriors or ambassadors?

…keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

There is a key distinction that we just must learn.  This is Peter’s second time making a big deal out of this. We need to know the difference between suffering for Jesus and suffering for being obnoxious.

The PRESENCE of suffering doesn’t indicate anything about us. But the REASON for it may.

Matthew Matai is a pastor in Southern India. I greatly admire this man.

Please ignore the hat. I was going through a phase.

He told me about visiting preacher, who decided to share the gospel in a local village. This man waited until the village was in the middle of a holiday celebration that was sacred to them. That’s when he began preaching a very confrontational sermon through a bullhorn.

What do you think happened? They beat him up. Did that Christian preacher suffer for doing good or did he suffer for being rude? Matthew Mattai, a man who gave up a lucrative career in the US, to give his life to people in Southern India, a man who has led thousands of men and women to faith in Christ said, “That wasn’t persecution.”

Jebaraj Fenn is another pastor friend from India.

He is from an upper-class family. He walked away from a medical career to be a pastor in a very poor urban, neighborhood. One day, a mob was incited to religious violence and vandalized his church’s building. Ironically, it was the same church building where Jebaraj and his wife fed the mob’s children every day, while the parents worked in fields outside of town.

That’s persecution. These two decided to pawn her wedding ring, to repair the damage and keep the ministry going. We can battle or we can bless, but we can only pick one. They chose to bless. How do we explain that? They understood what we are trying to understand.

Jesus is the LENS through which we see ourselves. We are the LENS through which others see Jesus.

So far, Peter’s material has been practical. Maybe even a little convicting. Now we are going to turn the corner into theology, and it may feel weird.

1 PETER 3:19-22 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

TOUGH QUESTION 1:

• Did Jesus go to Hell?

1 PETER 3:19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.

Do you want to know what this means? Get your pens out. I’m going to go slow because this is complex.  Write this down. I—DON’T—KNOW. I don’t know. I have no idea what this means. This is what the famed theologian, Martin Luther had to say about it.

This is a strange text and certainly a more obscure passage than any other passage in the New Testament. I still don’t know for sure what the apostle meant.”  –Martin Luther

If you are using the 1 Peter Study Guide, we’ve included commentary on some interpretations that people have offered. I don’t mind sharing a few more with you.

COMMON INTERPRETATIONS

1. This is literal: Jesus went to Hell and preached the gospel.
2. This is figurative: Jesus preached through past prophets, e.g., Noah.
3. This is figurative: Jesus’ resurrection was a victory proclamation.

I lean towards 3, but I don’t know. Let me tell you why that doesn’t bother me.

We don’t always have to know the MEANING of a passage to the know the POINT.

I don’t know the meaning. But I know the point. Peter made that crystal clear in verse 18.

1 PETER 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Jesus won. We have no need to fear. Whatever happens, even if the worst we can imagine happens—we win because we are in Jesus. Whatever Peter may or may not have meant, we know his point.  Whatever hurts we may have, they are only temporary. Look to Jesus. Even if we suffer to the point of death, death is not the end. Be encouraged.

If there is tough question number 1, what is tough question number 2?

TOUGH QUESTION 2:

• Does baptism save us?

Let’s look again. What did he say, exactly?

1 PETER 3:19-22 …this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

It certainly looks at first glance like baptism saves us. Let’s make some observations. He connected baptism with symbolism. Is it only that the flood waters symbolized baptism, or does baptism also serve as a symbol? Read Romans 6. Going under the water symbolizes being buried with Jesus. Coming up out of the water symbolizes being resurrected with Jesus. Baptism is a symbol.

He describes baptism as a pledge and specifically connects salvation to the resurrection. This is one of the most difficult, awkwardly worded sentences in the New Testament. So, let’s remember Hermeneutics 101.

HERMENEUTICS 101

• The author determines the meaning, and the reader discovers it.
• Bombard the text with questions.
• Context is supreme.
• Use clear passages to interpret unclear ones.

We can do that right now with a very clear passage.

ROMANS 10:9-11 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Baptism does not save us. It’s a public declaration that we have given our allegiance to Jesus. Jesus saves us by the cross and resurrection. Baptism is a public display that we have personally trusted in that!

Let’s bring this home by ending where we started. At the beginning of this message I asked you to think about which one of these describes you. Which one do you want to describe how you express devotion to Jesus?

CHRISTIANS & CULTURE

• Warriors
• Devotion to Jesus is expressed through doing battle with people who threaten the rights of Christians or who threaten the common good.
• Secret Agents
• Devotion to Jesus is only expressed in safe company.
• Ambassadors
• Devotion to Jesus is expressed by loving God and loving all others, at all times, even when it’s risky.

I know the way that Peter ended this letter with a very difficult-to-understand section might throw us off a little bit. There might be more clarity than we realize. Emphasizing something so public, like baptism, shows that being a secret agent isn’t the way to go.

If it’s not obvious already, his reference to Noah gives us clarity on the choice between being a warrior for Jesus or an ambassador of Jesus. The churches that Peter wrote to were in Asia Minor. Believe it not, Noah was a well-known figure to them, even to people who had no Jewish background or affiliation with Christianity. That culture regarded him as a preacher of righteousness.

Instead of combatting the culture, Peter understood the culture and used their cultural beliefs to point to Jesus. Warriors are never going to do that. Ambassadors can.