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Hope Beyond Bitterness When Life “Just Ain’t Fair” Msg 917 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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  Speaker 1: There is something within each one of us that longs
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  Speaker 1: for life to be fair, isn't there? For the good
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  Speaker 1: guys to win, to receive their rewards, and at the
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  Speaker 1: same time for the bad guys to be soundly defeated.
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  Speaker 1: We all want that. We love it when the stories
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  Speaker 1: work out like that, and everybody lives happily ever after. However,
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  Speaker 1: We don't live in a dream world where magic and
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  Speaker 1: superpowers overwhelm the forces of evil and mete out perfect justice,
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  Speaker 1: do we? Real life doesn't always turn out the way
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  Speaker 1: it should, least of all the way we want it to.
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  Speaker 1: Our response to unfairness, as in all other issues, will
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  Speaker 1: be based on the particular vantage point from which we
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  Speaker 1: look at life, our own personal perspective. Basically, we have
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  Speaker 1: two viewpoints to choose from, the human viewpoint and, you
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  Speaker 1: guessed it, the divine viewpoint. Turn with me to 1
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  Speaker 1: Peter chapter 3. I want to read for you verses
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  Speaker 1: 13 through 17 and see what we can learn about
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  Speaker 1: the divine viewpoint from Peter's words. He wrote them to
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  Speaker 1: the persecuted first-century Christians. We'll see where Peter encouraged these
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  Speaker 1: persecuted Christians to choose the divine perspective, even in the
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  Speaker 1: midst of their persecution. So, 1 Peter 3, I'll begin
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  Speaker 1: reading with verse 13. Who is there to harm you
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  Speaker 1: if you prove zealous for what is good? But even
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  Speaker 1: if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you
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  Speaker 1: are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do
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  Speaker 1: not be troubled. But Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
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  Speaker 1: always being ready to make a defense to everyone who
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  Speaker 1: asks you to give an account for the hope that
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  Speaker 1: is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep
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  Speaker 1: a good conscience, so that in the thing in which
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  Speaker 1: you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in
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  Speaker 1: Christ will be put to shame. For it is better
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  Speaker 1: if God should will it so, that you suffer for
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  Speaker 1: doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
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  Speaker 1: I would like to speak for a while about a
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  Speaker 1: subject that has touched all of us in one way
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  Speaker 1: or another, and for some it is still going on
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  Speaker 1: in your life. I have reference to times when life
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  Speaker 1: is not fair and we find ourselves unable to get
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  Speaker 1: even or get back. and we must live with the
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  Speaker 1: consequences of what is occurring. I would like for you
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  Speaker 1: to join me for a few moments of prayer as
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  Speaker 1: I begin. Will you bow? And for a moment, will you,
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  Speaker 1: with your eyes closed, blocking out all visual interruptions, will
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  Speaker 1: you focus on that person or that event that perhaps
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  Speaker 1: is still haunting your life? that series of circumstances that
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  Speaker 1: has taken your joy and has preoccupied your time for
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  Speaker 1: too long. Father, there is something in all of us
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  Speaker 1: that longs for things to be fair. There is this
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  Speaker 1: equitable sense within us that requires for our own peace
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  Speaker 1: that there be justice, that truth be rewarded and honored,
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  Speaker 1: and that lies be dealt with, and that consequences be
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  Speaker 1: suffered as a result of dishonesty. But, O Lord, you
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  Speaker 1: know how it is in this life. Not all things
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  Speaker 1: do work out, at least as we perceive them, fairly well.
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  Speaker 1: And in such a way that we feel a sense
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  Speaker 1: of relief. For some, this has occurred in the family
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  Speaker 1: to a child, even an adult child, whose mate has
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  Speaker 1: walked away. And we feel within such anger and such
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  Speaker 1: frustration in not being able to bring that mate back.
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  Speaker 1: The family has been torn apart. For others, it is
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  Speaker 1: one's mate, where though a good life has been lived,
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  Speaker 1: disease has come and has stolen the light from their eyes.
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  Speaker 1: For others, it has been an unfair situation at work
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  Speaker 1: or at school, and we cannot seem to make it right.
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  Speaker 1: Life just doesn't seem to be fair for some. I
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  Speaker 1: pray that you will use these few moments we spend
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  Speaker 1: together in your precious word to give us a sense
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  Speaker 1: of relief and release. Thank you in advance for addressing
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  Speaker 1: each one of us in our own particular world and
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  Speaker 1: remind us again of the power of the cross. And
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  Speaker 1: may its shadow cast itself across our lives and may
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  Speaker 1: your spirit win us and woo us to righteousness in
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  Speaker 1: our response. For Jesus' sake. Amen. Life is difficult. I
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  Speaker 1: was reminded of those three words when I came across
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  Speaker 1: a 20th century testimony by Malcolm Muggeridge. On page 72
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  Speaker 1: of that book, he makes this statement. And I want
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  Speaker 1: to read it slowly because... it is what my talk
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  Speaker 1: is all about. And I quote Malcolm Muggeridge, contrary to
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  Speaker 1: what might be expected, I look back on experiences that
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  Speaker 1: at the time seemed especially desolate, especially desolating and painful
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  Speaker 1: with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness,
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  Speaker 1: that everything I have learned in my 75 years in
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  Speaker 1: this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my experience,
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  Speaker 1: has been through affliction and not through happiness. In other words,
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  Speaker 1: if it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction
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  Speaker 1: from our earthly existence by means of some drug, or
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  Speaker 1: other medical mumbo-jumbo. The result would not be to make
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  Speaker 1: life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial
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  Speaker 1: to be endurable. This, of course, is what the cross signifies,
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  Speaker 1: and it is the cross more than anything else that
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  Speaker 1: has called me inexorably to Christ. I want to repeat
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  Speaker 1: a statement that he makes in that particular paragraph. Everything
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  Speaker 1: I have learned in my 75 years in this world,
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  Speaker 1: everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has
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  Speaker 1: been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. Now,
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  Speaker 1: it is one thing to hear those words from a
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  Speaker 1: man like Malcolm Muggeridge or to read those words in
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  Speaker 1: a great book that might move you to tears even.
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  Speaker 1: And it's another thing to embrace them in a personal way.
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  Speaker 1: Because I know that there isn't a person hearing my
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  Speaker 1: voice right now who doesn't have a reason to become bitter.
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  Speaker 1: Because of treatment you have received, from someone, or because
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  Speaker 1: of an experience that you were not able to bring
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  Speaker 1: justice out of, or just because of life itself. You
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  Speaker 1: find yourself in an affliction that will not make itself right.
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  Speaker 1: And life seems to you to be terribly unfair. Seems
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  Speaker 1: to me that there are two perspectives on that particular
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  Speaker 1: inevitable reality that we can choose. One is the strictly
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  Speaker 1: human perspective. Since life isn't fair, I'm going to get
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  Speaker 1: my share. I am going to spend my energy getting
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  Speaker 1: back or setting it straight. or making it right. I
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  Speaker 1: am not going to take it any longer. That's the
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  Speaker 1: human perspective. And our world is full of literature and
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  Speaker 1: counselors who will help you carry that out. And if
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  Speaker 1: that is your only perspective, you may get even, but
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  Speaker 1: you won't get peace. You won't get satisfaction. You may
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  Speaker 1: find a way to channel your anger, but you will
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  Speaker 1: not find a way to glorify God, if that is
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  Speaker 1: your only perspective. Now there is another perspective, and it
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  Speaker 1: is the divine perspective, which is addressed in the third
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  Speaker 1: chapter of 1 Peter, which we are working our way
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  Speaker 1: through these days. And I find the perspective very well
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  Speaker 1: stated in the single 12th verse of this third chapter.
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  Speaker 1: For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
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  Speaker 1: and his ears attend to their prayers, to their prayer.
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  Speaker 1: But the face of the Lord is against those who
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  Speaker 1: do evil. Now you can count on that. Not only
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  Speaker 1: is it written by Peter himself, he quotes it from
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  Speaker 1: one of the Psalms, Psalm number 34. Look at the verse.
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  Speaker 1: Remember the principle. The principle is God misses nothing. His
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  Speaker 1: eyes are upon your life as a righteous child of his.
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  Speaker 1: His ears attend to your prayer and don't ever think
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  Speaker 1: that he has missed the evil. He not only sees,
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  Speaker 1: he never forgets. He may be long-suffering, but he doesn't
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  Speaker 1: Compromise his justice. His eye is on the righteous and
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  Speaker 1: his face is against the evil. Now you might think,
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  Speaker 1: why in the world has he let it go on
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  Speaker 1: so long? I like the way one person put it.
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  Speaker 1: Because God doesn't close his books at the end of
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  Speaker 1: every month. Sometime it takes a lifetime. And sometime it
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  Speaker 1: will even occur beyond your death. But in the end,
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  Speaker 1: God will be just. In the end, it will all
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  Speaker 1: work together for good. If we don't believe that and
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  Speaker 1: if we don't focus on that, we become the loser.
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  Speaker 1: And we spend our years in cynicism and bitterness and become,
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  Speaker 1: in our aging years, angry old men and women. Now
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  Speaker 1: the verses that are following this 12th verse, actually just
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  Speaker 1: a few of them, verses 13 through 17, I find
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  Speaker 1: some helpful principles and guidelines to follow. And please understand
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  Speaker 1: this is not a cure-all for every area of life.
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  Speaker 1: Certainly this does not have reference to national defense. This
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  Speaker 1: is speaking of personal matters. This is not ignoring your
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  Speaker 1: right as a citizen to be protected by the provision
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  Speaker 1: of our government and by the police force, etc. I'm
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  Speaker 1: not referring to that realm. I'm talking about the personal
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  Speaker 1: realms of life where you do not need some kind
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  Speaker 1: of protection or some kind of defense, but you simply
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  Speaker 1: cannot bring things to terms. in relationships, or in life
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  Speaker 1: in general. It is in those areas where no one
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  Speaker 1: can be your defense, no one can be your help,
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  Speaker 1: only the Lord, which is why he mentions the prayer,
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  Speaker 1: his attending to our prayers. Now let me give you
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  Speaker 1: the general statement in verse 13, which really is stated
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  Speaker 1: for us. Who is there to harm you if you
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  Speaker 1: prove zealous for what is good? This is a general principle,
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  Speaker 1: and it generally is true. And what is it? Those
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  Speaker 1: who live honest lives will usually not suffer harm. I
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  Speaker 1: use the word usually for the sake of realism. Those
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  Speaker 1: who live clean, honest, pure lives will suffer less harm.
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  Speaker 1: Let's put it that way. You pay your debts. You
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  Speaker 1: live financially responsible. Chances are good you will not get
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  Speaker 1: into financial trouble. You obey the rules of good health.
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  Speaker 1: You get sufficient exercise, watch your diet, sufficient sleep, relaxation.
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  Speaker 1: Chances are good you will live a healthier life than
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  Speaker 1: those who break those rules. Here's another. You drive within
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  Speaker 1: the speed limit. You obey the rules of safety. You
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  Speaker 1: will usually not get a ticket. Usually. You help others
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  Speaker 1: in need. You give yourself to those... you will find
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  Speaker 1: when you have needs, there will be someone there to
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  Speaker 1: give to you. It's that kind of principle. Again, it's
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  Speaker 1: a general principle. However, life just ain't fair. And there
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  Speaker 1: are times when that general principle is changed. And you,
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  Speaker 1: though righteous, zealous for good, pure, believing in prayer and
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  Speaker 1: walking with God, Even though all of those things are true,
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  Speaker 1: you can still find that life turns on you. There
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  Speaker 1: are occasional inequities, and that is what verses 14 through
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  Speaker 1: 17 are all about. But these are the rare occasions.
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  Speaker 1: See the words, but even if you should, verse 14.
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  Speaker 1: Let me give you a little brief Greek lesson, okay?
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  Speaker 1: Every time the word if appears in the New Testament,
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  Speaker 1: it can be one of four things. It can mean
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  Speaker 1: one of four things. We call these first class conditions,
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  Speaker 1: second class conditions, third class conditions, and fourth class conditions.
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  Speaker 1: Let me explain. A first class if in the Greek
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  Speaker 1: text assumes the statement to be true. Satan said to
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  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus on a couple of occasions, if you
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  Speaker 1: are the son of God, Matthew six or Matthew four
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  Speaker 1: verses three and six. If you are the son of God,
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  Speaker 1: that's first class. It's assumed as true. Even Satan knows
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  Speaker 1: he's the son of God. We could use the word
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  Speaker 1: sense to describe the same thing. That is not what
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  Speaker 1: is used here. It's very common use. There's a second
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  Speaker 1: class condition if, and it assumed as not true. Paul
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  Speaker 1: writes in Galatians 1.10, if I were still trying to
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  Speaker 1: please men, I could not be a bondservant of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: That's a second class condition. I'm not still striving to
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  Speaker 1: please men. That is a rare occasion, but it does occur.
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  Speaker 1: I can't say too rare, but it is not as
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  Speaker 1: common as the first. The third class is extremely common.
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  Speaker 1: It's like our use of the word if. Maybe it's
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  Speaker 1: true and maybe it's not. For example, verse 13 says,
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  Speaker 1: has a third class condition. And who is there to
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  Speaker 1: harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
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  Speaker 1: Maybe you will, maybe you won't. Very common. You have
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  Speaker 1: a choice. Verse 14 has a rare fourth class condition,
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  Speaker 1: which means it's unlikely, or even some have said it
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  Speaker 1: means I wish it were not true, but it is
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  Speaker 1: on occasion. Verse 14 says, But even if, rare though
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  Speaker 1: it may be, unlikely though it may be, even if
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  Speaker 1: you should suffer for the sake of righteousness. You see,
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  Speaker 1: it's the exception rather than the rule. Then certain things
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  Speaker 1: are going to occur. And here's where I'd like to
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  Speaker 1: have you take out a pencil, find a piece of
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  Speaker 1: paper to write some thoughts down. And I want to
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  Speaker 1: give you, from God's word, five responses. to certain situations
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  Speaker 1: in life that aren't fair and how you can handle
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  Speaker 1: them the next time they occur. And I'm asking you
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  Speaker 1: to write them down because this is not my advice.
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  Speaker 1: This is God's advice. If I were to give you advice,
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  Speaker 1: I would tell you to kick him in the teeth.
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  Speaker 1: I would tell you to get even because that is
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  Speaker 1: my nature. But that's not good advice. That's human counsel.
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  Speaker 1: So I want to know what God has to say
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  Speaker 1: about how to respond when you have done what is right,
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  Speaker 1: but wrong is being done to you in return. Okay,
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  Speaker 1: five pieces of advice. And they are in five different areas.
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  Speaker 1: So let's put for the first one. As far as
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  Speaker 1: the injustice itself is concerned, that's the beginning of verse 14.
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  Speaker 1: As far as the injustice itself is concerned, be happy.
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  Speaker 1: Consider yourself blessed by God. Go ahead, even though you
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  Speaker 1: don't want to write it down, write it down. Because
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  Speaker 1: that is the very first statement Peter writes. Even if
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  Speaker 1: you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
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  Speaker 1: It is the word for blessed over and over. For
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  Speaker 1: being happy. You are unique blessed by God. Sounds surprising,
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  Speaker 1: doesn't it? If you like referring to other verses, write
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  Speaker 1: down James 1 verse 2. And it's a paraphrase in
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  Speaker 1: Phillips which reads, When all kinds of trials and temptations
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  Speaker 1: crowd into your lives, my brothers... Don't resent them as intruders,
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  Speaker 1: but welcome them as friends. A question comes, how can
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  Speaker 1: I feel blessed by God if I'm getting unfair treatment?
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  Speaker 1: That's a good question. First of all, because you have
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  Speaker 1: been called to go through this. It's a reminder that
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  Speaker 1: God's hand is still on your life. You say, I'm
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  Speaker 1: not sure I've been called to do this. Look at
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  Speaker 1: verse 21 of chapter 2. You have been called for
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  Speaker 1: this purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you
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  Speaker 1: an example to follow in his steps. Called to what purpose?
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  Speaker 1: You've got to look back at verse 20, chapter 2.
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  Speaker 1: What credit is there if when you sin and are
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  Speaker 1: harshly treated, you endure it with patience? It's no big
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  Speaker 1: thing if you pull over after running a red light
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  Speaker 1: and patiently sign the ticket the cop writes you. That's
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  Speaker 1: no great shakes. You don't have a lot to be
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  Speaker 1: proud of. You just patiently ride it because you've got
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  Speaker 1: it coming. It's when he pulls you over and reprimands
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  Speaker 1: you and begins to write you a ticket and you
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  Speaker 1: don't deserve it. And you take that patiently. You say,
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  Speaker 1: that's not only a blessing, that is a miracle. And
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  Speaker 1: you're right. You're right. You're right. Everybody in this world
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  Speaker 1: can take it patiently when you get rewarded for doing
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  Speaker 1: what is right. And even many people can take it
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  Speaker 1: patiently when you get punished for doing wrong. But the
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  Speaker 1: believer in Christ is the only one equipped to handle
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  Speaker 1: it patiently when you suffer wrong, even though you've done right.
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  Speaker 1: That is what makes you stand out. That's your uniqueness.
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  Speaker 1: And yes, there are occasions in life when you will
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  Speaker 1: be called for that very purpose. You will be singled
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  Speaker 1: out just like the prophets. Verse 9, chapter 3 is
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  Speaker 1: saying the same thing. Not returning evil for evil, insult
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  Speaker 1: for insult, but giving a blessing instead. For you were
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  Speaker 1: called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
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  Speaker 1: How else can I be happy? Well, I think because
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  Speaker 1: someday I'll be rewarded. for those events. There is a
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  Speaker 1: reward for enduring trials that were not deserved. You just
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  Speaker 1: sit for a moment and listen as I read from
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  Speaker 1: Matthew chapter 5 verse 10. That's Matthew 5 verse 10.
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  Speaker 1: Blessed are those who have been persecuted Blessed are those
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  Speaker 1: who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Blessed
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  Speaker 1: are you when men revile you and persecute you and
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  Speaker 1: say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account
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  Speaker 1: of me. Rejoice and be glad. Your reward in heaven
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  Speaker 1: is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were
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  Speaker 1: before you. How can I focus with pleasure on the
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  Speaker 1: moment I can remember this event will be rewarded? Okay,
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  Speaker 1: that's the first. Consider yourself uniquely blessed of God. Second,
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  Speaker 1: as far as the persecutor himself is concerned, look at
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  Speaker 1: the second response. Even if you should suffer for the
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  Speaker 1: sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear
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  Speaker 1: their intimidation and do not be troubled. Second response, do
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  Speaker 1: not panic, do not worry. Do not panic, do not worry.
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  Speaker 1: I find both of those things occurring when I operate
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  Speaker 1: in the flesh, having done what is right and having
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  Speaker 1: suffered for it. First, look at the word fear. It
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  Speaker 1: is the word phobos. We get our word phobia from it.
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  Speaker 1: It's a reference to being seized with terror and running,
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  Speaker 1: taking flight, running away from the pressure. He says, don't
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  Speaker 1: do that. No reason to run. The next word is intimidation.
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  Speaker 1: I should say troubled. Do not fear their intimidation. Do
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  Speaker 1: not be troubled. This is the word to be agitated, uneasy.
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  Speaker 1: Remember John 14, let not your hearts be Troubled, it's
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  Speaker 1: the same word as used here. It's the word for
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  Speaker 1: inner agitation. There can be a calmness of spirit. You
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  Speaker 1: ever look at Mad Comics? Come on now, some of
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  Speaker 1: you are giving me that, who, me? There's a little
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  Speaker 1: guy in Mad Comics, it's Alfred E. Newman, and he's
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  Speaker 1: all the way through the comics. He's got this Simple
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  Speaker 1: little look and this simple little smile. Usually there's somewhere
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  Speaker 1: around his face that says, who, me worry? It's kind
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  Speaker 1: of like, I'm not going to sweat that. And I
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  Speaker 1: thought the other day, not a bad idea. Who, me worry?
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: The energy and the effort that is expended worrying when
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: it will not solve a thing. And he says, don't
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: do it. Don't fear their intimidation. Don't you worry. You've
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: got God on your side. As far as the injustice
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: is concerned, consider yourself uniquely blessed. As far as the
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: persecutor himself is concerned, don't panic and don't worry. Now,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: as far as the Lord is concerned, verse 15, acknowledge
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: him as Lord even over this event. Sanctify Christ as
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: Lord in your We often take this verse and immediately
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: apply it to some public defense of the faith. And yes,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: it can be applied there, but it's in a context
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: of wrong having come as a result of our doing
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: what is right. And it says, acknowledge Christ as Lord.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Sanctify means to set apart. Let me tell you how
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: I do it. I do it in a prayer. In
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: words something like this. Something has happened to me that
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: I didn't deserve. I didn't have it coming. I had
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: not done wrong, but wrong was being done against me.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: I will say, Lord, you're with me right now. You
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: are here and you have your reason for what is happening.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: You will not take advantage of me. You will not
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: let this go any further than you're pleased. You're much
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: too kind to be cruel. You're much too good to
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: be unjust. Take charge. Use my integrity to defend me.
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  Speaker 1: Give me the grace to stay calm. Control my emotions.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: Be the Lord over my present situation. That kind of prayer.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: If I prayed that sort of prayer through the year once,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: I must have prayed it dozens of times. Lord, there
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: is no way I can set the record straight, it seems,
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: and it's getting tougher and And I find myself cast
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: at your disposal. Take over, Lord. You be the sovereign.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: You be the master over this moment. I can't change
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: this person or I can't alter this event. You be
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: the Lord over it. I got a phone call back
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: when our older daughter was in high school and she
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: was on the cheerleading squad and was on the top
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: of the pyramid they had built and and she was
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: to do a flip off the pyramid and was to
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: land on her feet. That was the game plan. But
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: she landed on the back of her head, and she
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: couldn't move, and I got a phone call. And between
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: the church office, where I was when I got the call,
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: and the school campus, where I was within a matter
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: of maybe 12, 15 minutes, I was offering that kind
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: of prayer. When I got there, they had her in
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: one of these one of these stretchers that wraps you,
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: holds you, keeps you from moving. And she said to me, Daddy,
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: I can't move my fingers. And I can't feel very well.
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: It's kind of tingling. I was, I confess to you
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: at that moment, seized with fear. And I leaned down
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: over Carissa very slowly and I whispered in her ear, sweetheart,
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: I will be with you through all of this, but
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: more importantly, he is Lord. Jesus is Lord over this
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: whole event. I was totally helpless. I was medically inept
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: and inadequate. I had no control over healing her life
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: and her body. She was at the mercy. of God.
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: And I remember the deliberateness in which I set apart
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: Christ as Lord in my heart and I attempted to
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: do it for her since she was in this helpless estate.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: She's fine today. She pulled through it and there was
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: no There was no lasting damage. There was a fracture,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: but it thankfully wasn't in that terrible spot that results
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: in paralysis. Stephen sanctified Christ as Lord when Acts chapter 7,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: the end of the chapter, 54 to 60, there were
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: these who were beginning to take up stones to stone Stephen.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: Verse 54, Acts 7, when they heard this, they were
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: cut to the quick and began gnashing their teeth at him.
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: I don't believe I know what that means. Maybe just
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: gritting their teeth at him. It's further than profanity. It
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: is a vile hatred, a rage that's out of control.
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: They're going to kill him, and they know it. It's
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: that kind of gnashing teeth. Look at his response. Being
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: Look at the response. And he saw the glory of
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: I've heard more than a few in the dying moment
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: see an image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stephen did.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: And people standing by can't see that image. But the
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: dying can see. And he sees the reflection of the Savior.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: And he said, behold, these men are standing with stones
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: to kill him. And he says to them, behold, I
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: at the right hand of God. And they cried out
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: with a loud voice. And they covered their ears and
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: they rushed upon him with one impulse. And when they
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him.
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: Next to crucifixion, I can't imagine a worse kind of death.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: They began to stone him and witnesses laid aside their
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: They went on stoning Stephen. And he called upon the Lord. See,
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: he's setting apart Christ as Lord in this moment. He says,
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees,
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: he cried out with a loud voice. Look at this forgiveness. Lord,
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: do not hold this sin against him. And having said this,
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: he fell asleep. I'll tell you, the man could have
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: died in bitterness and cynicism. He could have died with
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: cursing on his lips, and he dies with a prayer
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: on his lips, a prayer asking forgiveness for those who
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: had mistreated him. He didn't deserve the death. Don't believe
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: today's literature. Stop listening to the counsel that says you
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: must always get back, that that's how you find satisfaction.
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: It doesn't bring satisfaction. It doesn't. Not lasting, not peaceful satisfaction. Now,
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: you with me so far? Consider yourself uniquely blessed. Refuse
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: to run in panic and sit and worry. Acknowledge Christ
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: as Lord. Here's the fourth. As far as others are concerned,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: the fourth response, be ready to give a witness. Look
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: at the end of verse 15. Always being ready to
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: make a defense to everyone who asks you to give
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: an account for the hope that is in you, yet
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: with gladness, or I should say with gentleness and reverence.
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: I'm intrigued by this. Be ready to give a witness.
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: And please observe, they will ask you. Some of us
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: are so anxious to give a witness that we push
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: it in even when it doesn't fit or the timing
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: isn't right. Believe me. Believe me, if you are being
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: mistreated and you are handling for the glory of God
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: like we've been describing it, they will want to know
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: how you do it. They'll ask you, how do you
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: do it? How do you handle this mistreatment? How do
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: you live with it? Why is it you haven't lost
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: your joy? What is it that has kept you on
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: your feet? Why haven't you just, you know, turned tail
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: and run? Or why haven't you fought back? Be ready
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: to make a defense. See the word Make a defense.
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: It's the word apologia. We get our word apology from it.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: Making a statement, a verbal statement of defense. And to
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: give an account is the word logos. We get the
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: term in scripture for the word is logos. To be
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: ready with a word. To give a reason. Notice there
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: must be willingness and readiness. Be ready to give a witness.
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: There is nothing like being observed in a time of mistreatment.
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: It would be a perfect platform for a witness. Your
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: neighbors will want to know, how do you do it?
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: Your friend at work will want to know, how do
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: you pull that off? In fact, there's an old English
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: gazing stock, an old English term that is so translated
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: in the King James, in Hebrews 10, for our being...
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: observed by individuals. We are made a gazing stock. Listen
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: to verse 32 of chapter 10 of Hebrews. Remember the
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: former days when after being enlightened, you endured a great
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle.
• 35:43
  Speaker 1: That's the word rendered gazing stock in another rendering. Made
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, partly by becoming
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: sharers with those who were so treated. And rather than fighting,
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: you showed sympathy to the prisoners. You accepted joyfully the
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: a better position and an abiding one. That's foreign counsel
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: in our day. And Christians, we have bought into it.
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: We have bought into it. Be ready to make a defense,
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: to give an answer, to state a witness, To anyone
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: who asks you, talk about a moment to talk about Christ.
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: It's when you have suffered unjustly and you're doing it
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: with patience. Now's your moment to tell them how it happened.
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: They will listen. You have earned the right to be heard.
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: Because they know there's a difference in how you're responding
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: to it from how they would. Now there's one more.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: As far as you yourself are concerned, keep a good conscience.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: That's verse 60. It comes right out of the text.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: Keep a good conscience. Here Peter digs below the surface
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: and gets into inner character. He underscores the value of
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: maintaining integrity. Keep a good conscience so that in the
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. There
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: is nothing more powerful than a life of integrity. Nothing.
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: Nothing can stand the test like solid character. You can
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: handle the blast like a steer in a blizzard. The
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: ice can form on your horns and you keep standing
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: against the wind and the howling a raging blizzard because
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: Christ is at work in your spirit. He says, keep
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: it up. Keep a good conscience. It's the good conscience
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: that causes people to watch and to listen. There is
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: no more eloquent and effective defense than a life lived
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: consistently in integrity. Now, the underlying principle. Look at verse 17.
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: Peter brings it all to a conclusion. It is better
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: if God should will it so that you suffer for
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: doing what is right than for doing what is wrong.
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: The principle simply stated is unjust suffering is always better
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: than deserved punishment. It is better if God should will
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: it so, and I can't explain times it will happen
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: or how often or even why, but he will on
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: occasion will it so that you suffer for doing what
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: is right. Let me close with a great proverb. I
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: want you to look at it. I've read several other references.
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: Let me have you turn with me to Proverbs 16, 7.
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: Proverbs 16, 7. If you haven't circled this verse or written
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: it in the margin of perhaps a passage like the
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: one we just got through, it's a good time to
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: do it. It's one of those verses I memorized years
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: ago and have called it to mind on many occasions.
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: See the word enemies? Ayav. Ayav is the Hebrew word.
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: It means to be hostile. It has reference to a
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: personal foe. It's true. It's an enemy. Even his enemies
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: will be at peace with him. Remember the name Job?
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: It is the name Eov. Eov. And they're related. In fact,
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: you may be surprised to know that the name itself
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: means object of enmity. Lockyer in his All the Men
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: of the Bible renders Job's name he that weeps. No
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: man is more vivid illustration of one who suffered wrong
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: from the enemy, the adversary himself. No man is a
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: better example of that than Job. His name itself means
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: object of enmity. He became an object lesson of unfair treatment.
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: After describing in his brief biography his righteousness, he turned
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: away from evil, he took care of his family, he
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: walked with God, he was known for his integrity, then
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: it seemed as though all hell broke loose in his life.
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: And he was leveled, even lost his health. You know what, today,
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: he is one of the most admired men in all
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: of time. We refer to him as the man of patience,
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: the patience of Job. A man who was the object
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: of enmity. He won our hearts because of his response
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: to an unjust situation. I would not wish the life
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: of Job on anyone. But I'm not God. I've never
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: been too good at directing anyone else's life. I have
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: a hard enough time keeping my own on target. But
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: I have observed in my few years in ministry that
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: God does pick out a few, and they are fourth-class
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: condition if he should will it so. And it will
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: be rare, but it will occur in some cases. You
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: will be that Job. You will be the one. I
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: think you waste your time trying to figure out why.
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: I think it's a waste. I think you're wise to
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: accept it. Bruce Waltke meant so much to me during
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: my student days and since those days as a teacher
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: and as a mentor and a Semitic professor, brilliant man,
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: but a heart for God. And he said to me
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: when I was going through a very difficult time in
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: my senior year in seminary, I wanted to know some
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: of the answers to the why's. He says, you know
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: what I think, Chuck? He says, I've come to the
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: place where I I believe only on very rare occasions
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: does God tell us why. So I've stopped asking. That
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: was wonderful counsel. Kind of put it to bed for me.
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: I don't have to be the answer man for events
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: in life that don't make good logical human sense. I
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: take them from him and I And I live with
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: him as best I can. And that's my counsel for you.
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: We begin our time with prayer. Let's end it with
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: a time of prayer. You'd be kind enough to go
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: back to the same throne where you were earlier. Again,
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: your eyes are closed and you can focus back on
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: that same thing you started with when we began this message.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: Listen to the counsel of Peter. Just listen. Consider yourself
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: uniquely blessed by God. Do not run in panic or
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: sit in worry. Acknowledge Christ as Lord even over this event.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Be ready to give a witness. Keep a good conscience.
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: You cannot acknowledge Christ as Lord if you haven't Christ
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: as Savior. So maybe that's first. Maybe that's your visit
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: to the cross. Maybe that's what starts it. The essential
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: journey in life that must be made is the journey
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: to the Savior. Only through his power and strength can
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: you handle what life throws at you. Otherwise, you will
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: operate from the flesh and you will make a failure.
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: of your life. Our Father, as we acknowledge your Son
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: as Lord, it is with a bit of a sigh
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: because we do not deny the pain and the difficulty
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: of the earthly trials, and for some it is almost unbearable.
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: But being sovereign and being the one with full capacity
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: to handle our needs. This is not beyond your strength
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: to take the burden and to give us a perspective
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: that we need. Quiet our spirits. Give us a sense
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: of relief in the inevitable fact that life is difficult
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: and there will be those days when it will not
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: be fair. Enable us in whatever season of the year
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: to see beyond the present, to focus even on the invisible,
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: and to recognize that you are always there. Thank you
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: for the joy of this day. Thank you for the
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: pleasure of relationships. And especially, Father, thank you for the
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: truth of your word that lives and abides in Forever.
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: And best of all, it works. It works. In Jesus' name,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: we thank you. Amen.
• 46:53
  Speaker 2: The preceding message, Hope Beyond Bitterness, When Life Just Ain't Fair,
• 46:59
  Speaker 2: was copyrighted in 1988, 1990, 1996, 2006, and 2011. And
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: the sound recording was copyrighted in 2011 All rights are
• 47:13
  Speaker 2: reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is
• 47:17
  Speaker 2: strictly prohibited.