Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / April 29 - 1 Peter 3

Transcript

April 29 - 1 Peter 3 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's Sean here. It's Tuesday the 29th of April.
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  Which would you believe is International Dance Day?
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  That's right. Today is the day that all around
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  the world people celebrate the arts.
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  The mystery of dancing. If you mean it's more of a
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  mystery than an art. We were at a wedding not long
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  ago and I was watching people on the dance floor and most of them
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  were absolutely terrible dancers.
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  However, they were just shaking their stuff, having a great time
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  and I thought, yeah, I've been doing it all wrong.
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  It's not about how impressive you are.
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  It's about losing yourself in the music, in the rhythm and
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  having a great time. All these health benefits
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  involved in dancing, You can read about it, boy, there's
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  lots. But dancing, who knew that was
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  the thing today? So maybe you could even learn a
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  new dance hop on YouTube, find a new dance, learn it with your
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  family, however you want to do it.
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  Happy International Dance day. And as we continue reading the
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  book of first Peter, we have now entered a section where Peter is
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  urging people to continue following the social customs of
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  the day. And so now we're getting into an
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  area where he will address wives and husbands and all Christians
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  and how they are to obey each other and friends.
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  The emphasis in Peter writing the section is to ensure that as
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  people live out their new Christian lives of freedom that
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  they continue to fit into the social structure that is the
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  world around them in a way that doesn't upset and get the nose
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  out of joint of all the people who live around them.
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  So that they can still relate and still share this incredible
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  good news. So as we read this, if it jaxes
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  with our modern ears and it sounds all completely wrong and
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  archaic. Now you understand the
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  motivation behind why Peter writes us and why it's included
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  in this letter. So let us read together friends
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  first, Peter chapter 3. In the same way you wives must
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  accept the authority of your husband's.
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  Then, even if some refuse to obey the good news, your godly
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  lives will speak to them without any words.
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  They will be won over by observing your pure and reverend
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  lives. Don't be concerned with the
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  outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewellery
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  or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves
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  instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading
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  beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is so precious to
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  God. This is how the holy women of
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  old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and
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  accepted the authority of their husbands.
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  For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband Abraham and called him
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  her Master. You are her daughters when you
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  do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
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  In the same way, you husbands must give honour to your wives.
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  Treat your wife with understanding as you live
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  together. She may be weaker than you are,
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  but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life.
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  Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.
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  Finally, all of you should be of one mind.
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  Sympathise with each other, love each other as brothers and
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  sisters, be tender hearted and keep a humble attitude.
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  Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults
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  when people insult you. Instead pay them back with a
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  blessing. That is what God has called you
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  to do and He will grant you His blessing.
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  For the scriptures say, if you want to enjoy life and see many
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  happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips
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  from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good.
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  Search for peace and work to maintain it.
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  The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears
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  are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face
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  against those who do evil. Now, who will want to harm you
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  if you are eager to do good? But even if you are suffering
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  for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.
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  So don't worry or be afraid of their threats.
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  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.
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  And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be
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  ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and
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  respectful way. Keep your conscience clear.
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  Then even if people speak against you, they will be
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  ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you
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  belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer
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  for doing good if that is what God wants, and to suffer for
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  doing wrong. Christ suffered for our sins
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  once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for
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  sinners to bring you safely home to God.
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  He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the
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  Spirit, so he went and preached to the spirits in prison those
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  who disobeyed God. Long ago, when God rated
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  patiently while Noah was building his boat, only eight
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  people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.
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  And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you,
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  not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God
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  from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the
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  resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now Christ has gone to heaven.
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  He is seated at the place of honour next to God and all the
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  angels and authorities and powers except his authority.
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  Jesus, thank you for these words of encouragement to take on a
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  different mantle, to live a different way.
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  And when people in our lives insult us or are rude to us, oh
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  Lord, you know the temptation that burns hot in our hearts and
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  in our heads to put them in their place, to speak harshly
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  back to them. But here you show us a different
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  way, a way of continual kindness and gentleness and responding to
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  sharpness with blessing. Oh Jesus, we need your help.
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  We need your transformation from the inside out so that we can be
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  people who live lives like this. Ah, Lord, continue to soften our
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  spirit. Continue to grow in US the
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  fruits of your spirit, so that that becomes the way that we
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  approach the world and others in it.
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  And thank you that when we do this, people will just be amazed
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  and ask us, ask us why we are this way.
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  And Lord, when these moments happen, give us the words to
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  share, to speak of you and your love and a better way so that
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  the world through us, through your transformation of us, can
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  hear of you and your truth and your love for them as well.
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  So transform us, use us, and guide us in your spirit.
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  Lord Jesus, we pray all of this in your name, Amen.