"Submissive Unto Suffering"

“Submission is certainly not a popular topic, but it is needful, especially in our rebellious and self-gratifying society. Submission does not mean slavery or subjugation but is a recognition of God's right to govern our lives.

God established the home, government and the church and He has the right to tell us how these institutions should run. We will not understand or exercise authority properly, until we come under God's authority.”

Someone else has said… “Submission is voluntarily cooperating with anyone out of love and respect for God first and then secondly out of love and respect for that person.”

That being said… Submitting to nonbelievers is difficult, but it is a vital part of leading them to Jesus Christ. I want you to understand that, just as it is with our submission to government… we are not called to submit to nonbelievers to the point that we compromise our relationship with God… However, we must look for every opportunity to humbly serve in the Name of Christ.

In our passage today, we’re going to discover the importance of submission in work relationships and that when we suffer we’re to remember our Savior, Our Living Hope… Jesus Christ…

Lets look at today’s passage together… 1 Peter 2:18-25 (Read)…

Meat:

Before we dive into the passage it’s important to understand the culture into which Peter is writing, especially as it relates to slavery.

There is always a question or criticism of whether or not the New Testament condoned slavery… If that question was posed to me, I would have to say, no… no it does not condone or promote slavery…

However, Slavery was the foundation of the Roman economy (like minimum wage jobs are today). Some have estimated that slaves made up one-third of the population of urban areas.

but understand this… The slavery of the first century was “LESS EVIL” than the slavery of America:

- Race was not a factor.

- Education was encouraged (some slaves were better educated than their masters).

- Slaves could own property.

- Manual labor was not the only task of slaves (some were doctors, teachers, accountants, etc.);

- While most slaves were born that way (because their parents were slaves), many voluntarily chose slavery over the other option of wandering around trying to find odd jobs in order to survive.

- The majority of slaves could anticipate freedom by the age of 30.

And so, while the New Testament does not call for the abolishment of slavery, it does teach the EQUALITY of all believers, whether slave or free.

Galatians 3:28 Says… “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We can apply this passage to the workplace and the employee/employer relationship and seems how Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, mentions our employee - employer relationships, that is what we focus on today as well.

But I realize that there are many here today and many others that may listen to this message at a later time, that are retired, or possibly even self employed… If that is you, please do not tune me out, because we can honestly apply this passage to any circumstance in which we are suffering unjustly.

And Just because you may not be in the “secular” workplace, … … if you are alive and a part of the Body of Christ, then God must still have some work for you to do in His Spiritual workplace, or else He would’ve called you home to heaven…

Keep that in mind as we look at…

Guidelines for Christians in the Workplace:

The first guideline is simple…

1. You are a Servant

I Realize that this doesn’t sound very glamorous…

But Look at what Peter says…

1 Peter 2:18-20 “18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”

Employers need to be careful to not treat people as property and employees must exhibit Christ-like qualities… We as Christians should not only be the best citizens, submitting to the authority of our government… but we should also be the best employees!

Col. 3:17 “17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

A paraphrase version of this same verse says “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus…”

We’ve been hitting this topic pretty heavy these past few weeks… But, we need to make sure that everything we are doing is God Honoring… Why? Because we are representatives of Christ!

When people see the way that we live our lives, the way that we drive, the way that talk, the way that we react to difficult situations… they should should see an example of how Christ would handle the same situation.

As servants, we are to be…

1.1 Serving with Submissive Hearts

Again, Peter says… “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear…”

This means to have a healthy desire to avoid their displeasure by showing humility and respect. Let me be the first to say that, this is not an easy thing to do… There are times when we may conform on the outside, but we are grumbling and complaining on the inside.

That reminds me of an old Dennis the Menace cartoon where Dennis is sitting in his rocking chair facing the corner, where his mother put him for a time out. As he looks over his shoulder, he cries out, “I’m sitting down on the outside, but I’m standing up on the inside!”

We’re called to obey on both the inside and the outside. We are to serve with submissive hearts…

Also, as servants, we should be…

1.2 Enduring Through the Unfairness

We are to endure faithfully even when it’s not fair…

1 Peter 2:18 “18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.”

It’s much easier to serve a kind and gentle boss but really difficult when he or she is harsh. The Greek word is skolios, from which we get our word scoliosis, or crooked… It means dishonest or immoral…

The point that Peter is trying to make here, is the fact that even though your boss may be crooked, you as the employee, can still serve the Lord and honor God. Remember, we are not called to submit to non-believers, even if they are our boss, to the point that we compromise our relationship with God…

Our relationship with God comes first…

Because, as servants,

1.3 God is our Ultimate Boss

1 Peter 2:19-20 “19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”

When we submit in order to honor God, it is commendable. This word means, “approval, favor or graced.” Notice that we’re called to endure grief and even suffer wrongfully… and we are to endure it with patience… But when we do, we receive God’s favor.

John MacArthur says “Favor with God is found when an employee, treated unjustly, accepts his poor treatment with faith in God’s sovereign care, rather than responding in anger, hostility, discontent, pride, or rebellion”

Howard Hendricks tells the story of being on a plane that was delayed on the ground. The passengers became upset and impatient and one obnoxious guy took out all his frustration on the flight attendant. She held her composure and smiled courteously.

When they finally took off, Howard Hendricks asked the flight attendant to come over and said, “I want to get your name so I can write a letter of commendation to your employer.” He was surprised when she said, “Thank you, sir, but I don’t work for American Airlines…I work for my Lord Jesus Christ.”

One of the best ways to stay on track in the workplace is to recognize that ultimately God is your employer.

Our 2nd Guideline this morning… We are to…

2. Follow the Foot Steps of Christ

1 Peter 2:21 “21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

Peter says that…

2.1 We are Called to Suffer

“Pastor, it’s cold outside, the roads weren’t great on the way here, and I was looking for some words of encouragement today… and now you are saying that we are called to suffer...”

Listen, I am just reading what the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write… You don’t like what Peter said… Well then let me remind you of what Jesus said…

John 15:18–20 NKJV

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

If we are going to follow the foot steps of Jesus, then we need to realize that we are called to suffer… and we need to realize that…

2.2 He is our Example

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example… ”

The phrase “leaving us an example” is rich in meaning. When a teacher back then tried to pass along truths, he would leave a transcript so that the student could trace the words.

Teachers still do that today with the ABCs, right? As you are learning to write your letters, you trace them and then try to write them on your own... Jesus has left a transcript of His life that we’re to trace, a set of spiritual ABCs for us to copy.

1 John 2:6 says… “6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

How did Christ walk?… Look at vv. 22-23 of our passage…

1 Peter 2:22-23 “22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

Peter is mixing in references from Isaiah 53 to help us understand the example of Jesus. When treated unfairly, we are to trace what Jesus did…

• Don’t act sinfully. Jesus committed no sin. While we won’t be able to achieve the same, this side of Heaven... we should certainly strive to remove the sin from our lives.

• Don’t speak sinfully. Make sure your lips match up with your life. Guard what comes out of your mouth. Avoid workplace gossip and complaining about the boss.

Proverbs 13:3: “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.”

• Don’t retaliate. When Jesus was reviled he didn’t go ballistic on them. Peter probably winced at the memory of the time he sliced off someone’s ear when Jesus was unjustly arrested... Jesus told him to put his sword away. Some of us need to put our swords away as well.

And then… Trust God to make the wrongs right. Just as Jesus committed himself to the ultimate Judge, so too we must rely on God to handle justice.

Romans 12:19 NASB95

19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Instead… v.20 tells us what we are supposed to do…

Romans 12:20 NASB95

20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

In other words, serve those who are slamming you.

Follow in the Foot Steps of Jesus

Our 3rd Guideline is to...

3. Remember Jesus’ Sacrifice

1 Peter 2:24 “24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

The word “bore” translates a word that means to “carry up.” The Father counted our sins against Christ. Isaiah 53:6 says that He… “laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

The reference to the “tree” takes us to Deuteronomy 21:23, which speaks about a condemned criminal, hanging on a tree, is “cursed by God”.

We should never forget that Jesus took our curse and the condemnation that was rightfully ours with Him to the Cross. He took our penalty, He paid our price, He sacrificed Himself so, “that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness...”

This is…

3.1 Our Motivation to Serve

We have died to sins so we can live to serve the Savior.

This points back to our first guideline… You are a servant…

Did you know that the word “servant” in one form or another is used over 1,000 times in the Bible? That means it’s a very big deal to God and should be to us as well.

God refers to Moses with these words: “My servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.” Abraham, David and Job are referred to as “my servant” by God.

When Paul, James, Peter and Jude introduced themselves in their letters, the first thing they did was to identify themselves as servants. Each of them tells us who they are (their name) and then what they are (a servant). This is their fundamental identity…and ours as well.

We are motivated to serve Him because of what He has done for us… He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree,...”

Our Final Guideline this morning… is to…

4. Stay Close to the Savior

1 Peter 2:25 “25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

When the Bible says we’re like sheep, it’s not a compliment… Left to ourselves, we will go astray by going our own way… doing our own thing. When we stray away from the Savior, we start acting and looking like the world. We start submitting to our own will instead of His…

When we are in the center God’s will, when we are staying close to the Savior, there may be times that we are to be submissive unto suffering.

But that is ok, because v.25 says that He is our “Shepherd”…

In John 10 Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd”… A shepherd constantly cares for his sheep, He constantly provides for His Sheep…

He is also our Overseer, I believe the NASB translates the Greek word better by saying,… He is our “Guardian”… He is a guardian who protects us. He will guide us, even through our suffering.

Closing:

And so, when we are submissive unto suffering, whether it be in the workplace, as Peter talks about here, or in any other area of our life… Remember…

You are a Servant

We are to Follow the Foot Steps of Jesus

Remember His Sacrifice for us… and…

Remember to stay close to the Savior

What Did Jesus Do? He died in your place, taking your condemnation and the curse that was rightfully yours.

Jesus paid for your salvation but you must submit, surrender and be saved. And then once you’re saved, you’re to serve, and be submissive to His will, even unto suffering.

“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” - 1 Jn 2:6…