"Living Like Family"

Peter turns from talking about submission to talking about suffering. As he begins his teaching, he reminds Christians about how they ought to treat one another.

Living Like Family

(1 Pet. 3:8-12)

Intro:

A.  The joy and excitement that seemed to captivate the first Christians seems to be incredible.  The church was exploding with new converts and on the first day, the day of Pentecost, about 3000 souls were added to the church by God.  But Dr. Luke tells us how these new Christians grew spiritual.  Acts 2: 42 states that they “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayer.”

B.  That word translated “fellowship” is the Greek word “Koinonia.”  It is the idea of sharing, of being so connected that there is a oneness and bond that supersedes a normal connection.  Just listen to how these new Christians started (Acts 2:43-47).  Now jump over to Acts 4:32-35.  Do you at least sense how united they would have to be in order to sacrifice their own personal finances in order to help another Christian.  There wasn’t a need person among them.

C.  Did the first century church ever have conflict?  Peter goes into the house of Gentile named Cornelius and after a time of sharing Jesus baptizes him and his household as God’s Spirit came upon them.  But Acts 11 begins by Jewish Christians having problems with Peter going into the home of Gentile and eating with them.  That just was not done.  But they listened to Peter and realized that God was at work even among the Gentiles.  Sadly, Acts also tells the situation where Paul and Barnabas so disagreed over the use of Mark that they could not work it out and stay together, instead, they separated and continued to each do mission work for God.  Not every story has a great ending, because not every Christian behaves and feels the way God desires when conflicts happen.

I.  Attitudes of a Christian (1 Pet. 3:8-9)

A.  Peter has been talking about submission when it is not easy.  Now he turns to suffering when it is not easy, but the place that is probably the hardest to suffer is where you can love the deepest.  Marriages can cause great joy and great pain.  Children can show great love and great ingratitude.  The church family can be a place of safety and a place where you have to watch your back.

B.  A person often hurts the most by the ones they love the most.  Sadly, even within the body of Christ, we can hurt one another deeply, sometimes so deeply that we simply refuse to work through it and simply hold the anger within.  Peter wants to challenge that thought.  He knows that suffering happens, but within the church family he wants us to examine our attitudes to see if we are more like Christ or more like the world around us.  He calls us to six attitudes that can change conflict into compatibility.

C.  First:  Live in harmony with one another.  The teaching here is to “be of the same attitude.”  Paul would use a similar wording when he tells the Philippians that our attitude should be the same as Christ.  The goal should be that we can have a oneness in how we view the Christian life.  We may not always agree on everything, but can we agree on Salvation, on what is doctrine that all must follow if they will one day receive the crown of life?  That type of oneness is what Peter calls us to have as Christians.

C.  Second:  Be Sympathetic.  We need to share in feelings of one another.  It is not telling you simply to put and shut up with cranky Christians.  It is telling us to enter into their feelings as much as that is possible.  To share in those feelings.  It is a calling to know seek to understand why our brother or sister is having those feelings, but that takes a willing to trust and to become transparent.

D.  Third:  Brother Love.  Family has different meanings to each of us.  In your family of origin you may have been taught what family or brotherly love was very differently than in my family.  Some families are competitive with one another and other families view competition as mean spirited.  The point is Peter wants to confront conflict and suffering with in the church by reminding us that we are all a part of one family and God is our dad.  Sometimes dad has to come along and knock a few heads together because the kids are not getting along as they should.

E.  Fourth:  Compassionate.  This word is technically the word used for internal body organs like you liver, kidneys or heart.  I don’t think there is an English word that can hold the meaning.  It is often used when one person is hurting that you shows the depths of your love for them by going to whatever measure you need to so that they feel your support as if it were their own strength.   Sympathy understand and kindness acts on that sympathy.

F.  Fifth:  Be Humble.  Humility was not considered a virtue in the Hellenistic world.  Instead it was considered weakness.  Why should I put myself down so you can build yourself up?  I challenge you to read Romans 14 and 15 and see the importance of being humble when Christians are in conflict.  That chapter and a half calls each Christian to remember that to Christ our brother or sister must stand for fall and the Lord is able to make him stand.  Putting you down, seeking to attack has no place in the Christian family.  Humility ask, “What can I do to help this brother who is missing out of the goodness of Christ and his grace?”

G.  Sixth:  Bless not Curse.  That is what brings us to verse 9 where we decide I will not repay evil for evil or insult for insult.  You want to get in the mud and start a fight with me, my response needs to simply let you get in the mud and let me keep my mouth shut.  Peter goes so far as to tell us to give that Christian who desires to cause us to suffer a blessing.  Then he quotes Psalm 34:12-16.

Conclusion:

A.  Listen to Rom. 14:13-23.  There is a time to fight for truth and stand up for doctrine and there is a time to love a brother who thinks completely opposite but it is not a matter of salvation.  In the matters that are not going to cause that brother to end up in hell, then love him enough to help him grow.  He or she may need better teaching.  If you have a good enough relationship, then offer to share you understanding with words that are filled with grace and not condemnation.  But there comes a time when you simply must keep some things between yourself and God.  There is no need to force your brother or sister into a different thinking.  They are not lost, they are simply without freedom.  But it is not up to you to change them, let that take place between them and God and love them.

B.  Can a church be a place of safety?  Yes, and it should.  Can it also be a place of conflict and suffering?  Yes, and we should take hold of the attitudes that Peter tells us can help to being back unity and love.  Check your attitude and examine your walk.  Then enjoy the fellowship of the Christian family and don’t get all worked up when someone thinks differently, just love them.