Welcome to the ministry of First Reformed Church of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Our worship services are at 9 o'clock every Sunday morning. Now we join Pastor Hank Bowen as he brings us God's Word. We're continuing on in this final thought of chapter 3 where we've been building upon the concept of our Christian identity and he began in verse 8 with a point that we are called to blessing, not only to pursue blessing in our lives, but to be a blessing in the lives of those around us. And we're going to look at the verses 13 through 17 this morning as we continue to work through. But I want to start our reading again with verse 8, where the section kind of begins on this thought, where Peter says, finally, all of you Be of one mind, having compassion for one another. Love as brothers. Be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him speak peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. May God bless the hearing of his word. Father, as we gather here and we approach now to hearing the sense of your word, we pray that you may cause your spirit to work, that our minds might be fixed upon that word that is coming forth from your mouth. For we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. Well, beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have a question for you. How prepared are you to explain to a neighbor or a friend or an acquaintance why you are a Christian? A simple question, not asking for a deep theological explanation, just a simple question. Why are you a Christian? What are you gonna say? How would you go about answering the question? Well, the title of this sermon is My Credo. That is Latin for what I believe. So we're getting our fill of Latin terms here. Last week was quorum deo. Now it's my credo. But it's simply the word that means what I believe. You are familiar with the term as a member of a creedal church. That's what First Reformed Church is. We're creedal. We hold the three forms of unity, the Heideberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dorrit. Those are our creeds. Those are those expressions of what we believe. If you have not read them, then you should. And you should be especially familiar with the Heideberg Catechism. Many of us grew up with it, memorized it. But hide it in your hearts, even as you hide the Word of God in your hearts. Everyone who is a member of the church should be so familiar with the first question that your credo should be built around it. When somebody says, what do you believe? Go to the first catechism question. Someone asks you why you're a Christian, the answer is, that my only comfort in life and in death is that I'm not my own, but I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood is fully satisfied for all my sins and redeem me from all the power of the devil. That's a good answer. That is a creed or an apology for why you believe. I believe because Christ is my Savior, my Lord, But note that if you end there, it may be sufficient, but it is also deficient in that it stops short of the fuller description of God as Trinity. And that is kind of a Jesus-only testimony if you end there. But question one is much more to confess as it goes on. and so preserves me without the will of my Father in heaven." So we've got Father and Son. "'Not a hair can fall from my head. Indeed, all things must work together for my salvation.'" That is a beautiful way of saying that you trust that God, no matter what the circumstance, is in complete control of everything going on in your life. It is a statement that you trust in the providence of the divine creator in your life. But the first question is still not done. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him. And that gives expression as to why you believe in God, even though your neighbor may not. God has given you this new life in Christ that sets you apart from those who are in the world. The first question is a great credo. Everything that follows simply fills that out. But the first question is all heart. It is what I believe deep down inside me that makes the difference in my life. There's another key principle to learn here. Your credo must be more than words. These are words that give expression to your life. They explain why you approach every day the way you do. And that is at the heart of the theme of the Apostle Peter's words here in 1 Peter 3, 13 through 17, where he encourages the Christian to always be ready to explain why he believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior through their life and words. Always be ready to give a defense of the hope that is within you in meekness and fear. Well, consider this theme through three points, your disposition, your defense, and your delight. Now, you should recognize the force of these is Christocentric, or Christ-centered, because what you believe needs to be Christ-centered. So first, considering your disposition. We see that kind of in verses 13 and 14. And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? What is the disposition of the Christian? What is the identity of the Christian? And is that we are disposed to doing what's good and to seeking to throw off the old man and to reject that which is evil. That's our disposition. This passage is an extension of Peter's instruction of your calling as a pilgrim and sojourner to live with a distinct Christian identity that is consistent with doing good and putting away what is evil. That is what is meant by your disposition in this point. The follower of Christ is to be Christ-like, which is to be, according to verse 8, tenderhearted and courteous. It is to love one another and seek to be a blessing to those around you as you pursue the blessing of God in your own life. So Peter states, who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? I mean, the general common sense would say, if I'm seeking to do good and to be kind and to be courteous to my neighbor, they're not probably going to want to attack me. Sounds good in principle. But God's word does warn us. Paul states in Romans 12, 18, that you are to strive to live peacefully with your neighbor as far as that is possible. And if you do so, then generally speaking, people will not seek to harm you. But the good here envisions far more than being nice to others. It includes your total outlook on life, your life and worldview. When everyone around you is becoming unraveled by the election results, you're calm and confident in the future. Why? Because our future is not founded, is not tied to, is not grounded in a political election outcome. Our future is tied to the return of Christ. God is in control. And that is your outlook on the circumstances of the moment. And more than that, you know the end of the story. Jesus is coming back, and when He does, He will rid the world of all evil. So Peter goes on in verse 14 to say that even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. The way you prepare yourself for adversity as a Christian is to understand and know what the Bible says about facing trouble in the world, and that is that we are to rest in the promises of God. You should have hidden in your heart Jesus' words found in Matthew chapter 5, verses 10 through 12. Now, you should be familiar enough with your Bible to know when pastor says, Matthew chapter 5, you go, aha, Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5, chapters 5 through 7, Sermon on the Mount. Oh, chapter 5, early verses, the Beatitudes. In verse 10 is the end of the Beatitudes, where he says, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. or so they persecuted the prophets who went before you." You hear those words. You hide those words in your heart. And when the trouble comes, when they come after you for righteousness' sake, you're already settled on the issue. Okay, bring it on. I don't really care because my reward's in heaven. My Lord has told me that. And it's not like I'm the first one to be persecuted for my faith. What then follows in 1 Peter 3 is a quote from Isaiah 8.12, where it says, but even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The threats of those who come against God's people. And the context here of Isaiah 8, 11 through 22 is that Assyria is threatening to invade the land and the people are in fear. And they should be because they've messed up royally. Rather than resting in God, they turn to other allies to make treaties to protect them. In other words, they didn't look to God for their help. They looked to the world for their help. And they acted like the world. They didn't act like the church. And God said that because of that, they were going off into captivity. And Assyria was going to be the ones who came and brought them. But there was within the core of Israel a remnant of God's people, including Isaiah. And he says, not to be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake. You are blessed. Why? Because you trust in God. So verse 12 said, do not say a conspiracy. Now, this is interesting. Listen to this, because this is going to kind of come into play with what's been going on. If you watch the news at all, which may not be a good idea nowadays, but even in Isaiah's day, He says, do not say a conspiracy concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. The Lord of hosts, him you shall hallow. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, a sanctuary, a place set apart, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel. as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, they shall fall and be broken and snared and taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait on the Lord. This is the response of the Christian to the ungodly mindset around him amongst the covenant people. He says, and I will wait on the Lord who hides his face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me. We are signs and wonders. Hear this. the church, the people of God, those who truly are trusting in Christ. We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion. Signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, not to the Assyrians, to the others around them in Israel. The unbelieving element in Israel, Those who were part of the covenant people of God who didn't believe. Those who did were to be signs and wonders. The political unrest all around us in the country and the world is not to be a fear to us. We are to rest in the Lord. The troubles that exist to the godly will be blessed when endured with patience. Here's what John Calvin had to say about this. He said, then the best remedy for checking the turbulent emotions of our minds will be to conquer immoderate terrors by trusting in the aid of God. Now, I don't know how many of you had a hard time sleeping Tuesday night or Monday night. I went to bed at 11, woke up at 7. But I saw so many posts about, I couldn't get to sleep. I was up till 2 and da, da, da, da. I was like, who cares? You know, where's the outcome? The outcome is in God's hand. You know, what happens, happens. I'm not going to find myself turned upside down by that, nor should you. We vote the way we're supposed to vote, the way we know we should vote. But the outcome is in the hands of the Lord. And that's what Calvin's saying here. The best remedy for checking the turbulent emotions of our minds will be to conquer immoderate terrors by trusting in the aid of God. I have said this before and I'll continue to say that. There's a reason we don't put an American flag back here. You know, that used to be a big thing in churches, right? I know there probably was one in here at one time. This is not the kingdom of the earth. When we come through these doors, this is the kingdom of God. And the kingdoms of this world will pass away. There will be no United States of America when the Lord returns. Fact of life, we may love our country. I love our country. I'm as patriotic as you're gonna find. But I'm a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. And when I come through these doors, this is where my heart is with the people of God. And so we understand that in terms of our first step, that our disposition is one that we're the people of God. That's our identity. And then we trust in God. And then even if the world doesn't go the way we would like to see it go, that doesn't unravel us. You know, brothers and sisters, we've had it so easy in our lives. Things are getting a little bumpy, but they're nothing compared to what's going on around the world with the church, with Christians. So we need to recognize that God gives us great opportunity in our country to live our faith, to live what it is we believe. So the first step in my credo, why I believe, is because I trust that God is in control. Why do you believe in God? Because God is in control. This is his world, not ours. Secondly, we note your defense, verse 15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Verse 15 is the heart and soul of this passage. The whole study of apologetics is commissioned by this verse. The word translated as defense is the word apologetic. It is to speak on behalf of oneself or others against accusations presumed to be false, to defend oneself. Quite often, it's the vindication of the gospel against false philosophy. But it's not so much, I think, in terms of my credo, a trying to undo false thinking as much as it is a positive statement of, here's why I believe. Here's why I believe. I think biblically, and because I think biblically, I respond biblically. As a Christian, God calls you to always be ready to explain why you believe and to speak about your faith. Why do we not do that? Is it because of fear? Fear of what people might think? You know, the intention here is not a long theological spelling out of all the Bible teaches. It is not always be ready to answer any crazy or difficult question that someone asks you. Well, if God is real, then why does evil exist? Or perhaps, you know, if God is a God of love, then why did He take Aunt Sally through a car accident? or murder, or some other terrible thing. Those are difficult questions, and God doesn't call you to have to answer those. Other than to say God is in control and God has a plan, you know, God will be glorified. But you can't blame God for the evil, because God is good, man is evil. It is to be ready to answer with the reason why you believe. It is that simple. Every Christian should be able to do that in a heartbeat. I suggest this. Maybe you're wondering, how would I answer? I suggest this. Go home this afternoon, take out a sheet of paper, and write down in a couple of paragraphs or a page why you believe in Jesus. Just write it out. What would I say? Write it out. Here's a clue of how to begin. Peter begins in verse 15, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Now the word sanctify is the word for hallowed or holy be your name in the Lord's prayer. Set it apart, set God apart. The starting point in why you believe is answered right here. It is because the Christian sets God apart from everything else as the sole object of our worship. He is our Lord and Master, our Chief Teacher and Prophet, our only High Priest and Mediator. And He is our King who rules over all things, including my heart. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. It is the love of God in your heart that fuels your passion for why you believe. I believe in God and love God because he first loved me and has known me from the foundation of the world. That's a credo. That's a statement. That's why I believe. Why is it important that you are ready to give an apology to the hope that is in you? Because you are called to be a sign and a wonder to the neighbor as a member of the body of Christ. We're to be signs and wonders to those around us who don't understand God, who don't believe in God. But when you remain silent and fail to exalt the name of Christ, you open the door of derision from the ungodly. They talk about believing in God, but they're afraid to say anything. They don't have much conviction. The activity of apologetics is really pretty simple. You affirm your faith as one who is a child of God and belongs to the kingdom of God. You are demonstrating by your boldness that you fear God first and foremost in the positive sense that he alone is the one you worship and live for. Why do you remain silent? Well, I'm afraid what they're gonna say. So you've elevated them above God Peter couples two things together to keep in mind when giving a defense. You do it in meekness, not seeking to be adversarial and argumentative and confrontive, combative. And you do it in the fear of the Lord, meaning that you do not fear the one who asks you the question. And as such, you elevate God over man in terms of how you approach your response. You will be bold in your apology because as you do good, your conscience is good, your conscience is clear. Which brings us really to our third point, what is your delight? Look at what it says in verse 17. It says, for it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. If you're gonna suffer, suffer for the right reasons. The Apostle Peter has been focused in the whole context here in this chapter on the Christian's identity as one who seeks to do good as the path of his life. As you profess your faith for Christ before the world, you do that in two ways. First, you do it by what you say. The Christian is to be careful in his words, not just the content, but even the choice of words. You need to be careful to clean up your language and not be influenced by the vulgar language common in the world. Peter knew this well, as he was guilty at Jesus' trial when identified as a follower of Jesus by the way he talked. Do you remember the story? He's there by the fire. And a couple times, they kept saying, aren't you one of his disciples? And finally, this young gal goes, yeah, you've got to be one of those, because you speak like one of his disciples. And it says immediately, Peter changed the way he was talking. He began to talk in an inappropriate way, not in the way he should have said, yes, I'm a disciple. I'm careful in my language. I'm identified by my language. But what did he do? He betrayed his identity. He began to talk in a way inconsistent with that. So Peter, as he writes here, he understands this, because he was guilty of it. Often when we're, as Christians, holding strongly in our conviction to something, a lot of times it's because we were guilty of that very thing. And we recognize how wrong that was. Is the church filled with hypocrites? In one sense. Yeah, a lot of the things that I say we ought to be doing are things that, you know, that we shouldn't be doing, are things that I've done. But that doesn't make us a hypocrite. It makes us a sinner seeking the grace of God for the forgiveness of our sins and the power and the strength to overcome those things. We're not perfect in here. We all know that. We all struggle. We're in the battle. We're seeking to be overcomers. The book of Revelation identifies the Christian as an overcomer. Well, if you're an overcomer, it means there has to be something you have to overcome, something you have to struggle with, something you have to wrestle with. That's the whole point. And Peter understood that in many different levels. And so he comes as Pastor Peter, understanding because he's had and does still fight the battles as he's writing these things. James 4.4 essentially teaches that conformity with the world is enmity with God. And think about Colossians 4.6 where it says, let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer each one. Have you ever thought about that as you're speaking? Is my language reflective of the grace of God? Does this reflect God's grace? Is this meekness and in the fear of God that I'm speaking? So our words are important. And the content should be shaped and framed and seasoned with that salt of the gospel. And that influence of the identity of the spirit in our life. But second, you profess your faith in Christ by the things that you do. Maybe not so much by the things you do, but by how you do them. In honoring Christ with your whole life, you strive to be a person of integrity, honesty, and industry. You are the person that others can count on to do what you say you will do and to live up to what you are expected to do. Moreover, this is marked by a particular attitude. You delight in serving God, and often this delight is carried out in your service to those around you. What drives you in your faith is a deep desire to do good and to stand against evil, to love your neighbor as yourself. Isn't that the second great commandment? Too much of the church is either politically driven or piously inept. An example of politically driven, I'll just use this as an example, I could have used a lot of others, but it's sort of forefront in terms of our culture right now, is the conflict that is festering in this country over abortion. Abortion is an abomination before God. We should be settled on that. It is an abomination. The RCOS actually has taken a formal position years ago. And we wrote a letter to the president of the United States stating as a denomination that abortion is an abomination that must be resisted. So we have officially taken that position. And that's good for the church. But the easy thing to do is to jump on the political bandwagon and complain about the abortion people as baby killers. And that's not helpful. Where is the solution in that? It just polarizes the two camps more and more. In our day, unwanted pregnancies are ended before birth as a matter of convenience. It's been made easy. And because it's been made easy, the violations of the seventh commandment have grown exponentially. I want to think about the early church for a moment. In the early church, unwanted pregnancies often resulted in the child being discarded on a rock heap outside of the city. The Christians would go and gather those children and make them part of their family. And the church grew, had lots of kids. In this way, the Christian was showing their love and compassion of Christ to the cast off children. They were demonstrating the love of God to a culture that had become hostile to children. Now it seems to me that the church's approach to the abortion problem is to focus on the elevation of the sanctity of life by providing a better path. And what's the better path to abortion? It's adoption. The world shows its disdain for God by the murder of those conceived in the image of God. You need to understand that that's what the scriptures tell us after Noah comes out of the ark and it says, he who sheds man's blood by man's hand, his blood will be shed because it's an attack on the image of God. And it's showing a rage against God himself. And that's transported down into this abortion thing where they say, that which God has conceived is for us to be viewed as to be disdained. It's an attack against God. And so as church, we can stand up and we can be very pontificating about that. But what I'm saying is that church, if we're going to be apologetic about this, needs to not pontificate, but we need to perform. We need to perform the love of God by reaching out, by seeking to, one, give good instruction, by reinforcing what God's intention of marriage is, by reinforcing that wonderful relationship of a man and a woman coming together as one flesh is to be reserved for marriage and to be preserved for marriage. and that in circumstances where that hasn't been the case, that we need to stop making abortion cheap, easy to get, and adoption near impossible. Have you noticed those in control make abortion easy and make adoption almost impossible? Financially, legally, everything else. The church needs to work on reversing that trend. They need to make adoptions easier to get. And the church needs to be able to open its arms and say, yes, we'll go out to the rock heap. We'll bring the children in. Well, the point is this. Christians should not put themselves out there as angry and looking for a fight. The Christian should reflect the love of God for both our Lord Jesus and our neighbor as we seek to be a blessing in the world and serving the world by living our credo. And if we suffer for doing good, we understand that as serving God's purpose, We are patient in that, patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity. But if we are to suffer, what does it Peter says? But if we are to suffer, let us do so because the good we pursue is done to the glory of God. Amen?