Worrying about unbelieving friends

Todd Catteau

Parishioner's Picks • Sermon • Submitted 10 months ago • Presented 10 months ago

0 ratings

· 139 views

Notes

Transcript

Today I will be start teaching on your submissions. Today’s Parishioner’s Pick is based on a passage in 1 Peter:

1 Peter 5:6–7 (NIV) — 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Here is the comment included with this submission:

As Christians we often like to have more control than what we really need. For me I have loved ones that I’m worried won’t make it to heaven because of the life they lead. And I want to do everything I can to help them get to Heaven. But it’s hard to accept the fact that some loved ones will not make it and I know when I’m in Heaven I will not care. But right now on earth it’s hard to watch them throw their lives away even when I’m trying to lead them in the right way. How can I and other Christians rest on the fact that we can only do so much. How do I give it to God and let him work?

Peter writes in an anxious time for believers. There is persecution either present or looming and there may be some leaving the faith. In addition, there seems to be situations related to our Parishioner’s Pick. Looking back in 1 Peter we have this instruction from the apostle:

1 Peter 3:1–2 (NIV) — 1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

Obviously, there were some marriages where one was a believer and one was not. This is an isolated situation. We see a similar situation in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 7:12–16 (NIV) — 12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

So, how do we find peace knowing that some people we love don’t believe?

1. Find peace in knowing you are not alone.

Paul shares your concern. In a list of all the troubles he has faced as a Christian, look what he includes:

2 Corinthians 11:28 (NIV) — 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Although Paul is known as the apostle to the gentiles, he had a deep love for his Jewish people and was distressed that many did not accept Jesus. Lok what he says in Romans 10

Romans 10:1 (NIV) — 1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

Jesus felt what we feel. AS he comes into Jerusalem the gospels record his sadness of the Jews rejection of him:

Matthew 23:37 (NIV) — 37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”

Luke 19:41–42 (NIV) — 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

You are not alone. Sometimes it helps knowing that others feel the same way that you do. I know there are many here today who grieve for family members and friends who are not in the faith.

We had a Wednesday night community of empty nest women who went through a book The Power of Praying for your Adult Children. Some of those prayers were not necessarily salvation related, but some were. Prayer will always help usher in peace into our lives. Find a community of people. Don’t be afraid to share with others your pain.

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Praying%C2%AE-Your-Adult-Children/dp/0736957928/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580629522474&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026799&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13633351470366135771&hvtargid=kwd-13366799987&hydadcr=8292_13500883&keywords=praying+for+your+adult+children&qid=1690552859&sr=8-1

There is an ministry called The Prodigal - Support for families of prodigals.

The Prodigal is a ministry to care for and support families of children and loved ones who are wandering from God.

https://www.watermark.org/ministries/the-prodigal

Resources are available there as well as information for registering for a group.

Sharing our burdens with one another is a beautiful function of the church.

2. Find peace in knowing you can only plant and water. God gives the increase.

Situations like this can produce a lot of guilt. How could I say it better? What more can I do? What I have done to turn them away?

Some encouraging words are found in 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 3:6–8 (NIV) — 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

We cannot convert anyone. We can only plant and water. Sometimes we carry unnecessary guilt that robs us of our peace.

3. Find peace in the power of example.

Maybe they won’t listen to your words, but make sure that they see the gospel in your life.

Remember the advice Peter and Paul give to those who are married to unbelievers:

Earlier in 1 Peter, the apostle gives this advice to believers living among unbelievers:

1 Peter 2:11–12 (NLT) — 11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

4. Find peace in being prepared

Peter anticipates non-believers question believers about their faith and gives them this instruction:

1 Peter 3:15–16 (NIV) — 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

While waiting for someone to respond we must be in preparation mode. We must know why we believe. We must study the Word. We need to be prepared to answer some of the tough questions unbelievers have.

Here are some resources to help you prepare:

A Case for Faith – Lee Strobel

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Faith-Journalist-Investigates-Christianity/dp/0310364272/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580744422188&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9026799&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=17058105711449654069&hvtargid=kwd-19663462147&hydadcr=8237_13500794&keywords=the+case+for+faith&qid=1690555694&sr=8-1

Confronting Christianity - Rebecca McLaughlin

https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Christianity-Questions-Largest-Religion/dp/1433564238/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31AOTBBNVBRO&keywords=Confronting+Christianity&qid=1690555838&sprefix=confronting+christianity%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1

Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?: 21 Conversations from a Historically Christian - Dr. Preston M. Sprinkle

https://www.amazon.com/Does-Bible-Support-Same-Sex-Marriage/dp/0830785671/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2O7N1TKS6CYUC&keywords=preston+sprinkle&qid=1690555999&sprefix=preston+sprinkle%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-2

Not only do these resources prepare you for conversations, they will deepen your faith as well.

5. Find Peace in Hope

There are so many incredible stories of people who have wandered and come back. So many wonderful stories of people coming to Christ. One of many people’s favorite parables is the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Find peace that God forgives. Find peace in the fact that God is working in people’s lives. As Peter reminds us – cast that anxiety on God. He cares for you. He cares for us all. He wants everyone to come to know him.

I want to close by thanking all of you for living out the call of Christ in your lives. I can see our community noticing what you are doing. They are seeing something about how God is working through this church. Your love for one another. Your love for others. People see that. It can be discouraging not seeing churches overflow every Sunday. Do not become weary in well doing.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV) — 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Finally, I want to talk to anyone here who doesn’t believe. God is calling you. He wants to give you eternal life. He offers forgiveness of sins so you can have an eternity with him. You may have a lot of questions – questions I can’t answer. Questions that may not have answers. But one thing I know, God loves you and wants to be your God. If we can help in any way let us know.

Related Media

Related Sermons