{"id":823,"date":"2020-07-22T11:10:21","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T16:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/?p=823"},"modified":"2020-07-22T11:10:21","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T16:10:21","slug":"be-all-you-can-be-even-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/?p=823","title":{"rendered":"Be All You Can Be EVEN in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Be All You Can Be in 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pastor Don Carpenter \/ General<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not From Around Here: The Complicated Life of a Sojourner \/ Testimony; A Witness; Evangelism \/ 1 Peter 3:13\u201317<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is easy to lose hope and focus in the tumult that is life in 2020. We learned last week however, that it is possible to love life and see good days even now. The secret it good clean living. Seek peace, avoid evil and know God hears our prayers. This evening we are going to continue to discover Peter\u2019s advice to the weary sojourners. Now that we have discovered that living a life we love and seeing good days is actually possible, how can we use this knowledge to help us live up to our potential? This evening we will discover three truths that will help us be all we can be EVEN in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Good<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Peter 3:13<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word \u201cand\u201d is, \u201cseeing that God takes such good care of the righteous,\u201d who is he that will harm you? This question was asked in view of the persecution and suffering through which these saints were going. Peter tells them that as a result of their righteous lives and God\u2019s care, their blessedness will be such as to turn off all the malice of their persecutors and make their suffering itself to be a joy. The word \u201cfollowers\u201d is the translation of a Greek word meaning \u201czealots.\u201d The verb means \u201cto burn with zeal, to desire earnestly.\u201d1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest\u2019s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 87.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proverbs 16:7<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a man\u2019s ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Romans 8:31\u201333<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God\u2019s elect? It is God that justifieth.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Confident<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Peter 3:14<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But and if ye suffer for righteousness\u2019 sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For even if suffering should occur, Christians are blessed and thus should not be frightened. The word here translated \u201cblessed\u201d (makarioi; cf. 4:14) was used by Jesus (Matt. 5:3\u201311<\/a>). To be \u201cblessed\u201d in this context does not mean to \u201cfeel delighted\u201d but to be \u201chighly privileged.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew 5:10\u201312<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness\u2019 sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Ready With An Answer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only were these Christian Jews to find a refuge in Christ Jesus as they set Him apart as Lord of their lives, but they were to be ready to give an answer to these persecutors who attacked them and the Word of God which they believed. The words \u201cgive an answer\u201d are the translation of a Greek word used as a legal term in the courts. It means literally \u201cto talk off from,\u201d and was used of an attorney who talked his client off from a charge preferred against him. He presented a verbal defense. The exhortation is to Christians to talk the Bible off from the charges preferred against it, thus presenting for it a verbal defense. Today, Modernism has preferred charges against the Word of God, has placed it in the dungeons of the destructive critic\u2019s inquisition, and has charged it with gross errors, and with being man-made. It is not allowed to speak for itself except through the prosecuting attorney, the destructive critic. But those who believe in a whole Bible, rather than a Bible full of holes, are admonished not to remain silent in the face of this attack by Modernism, but to defend the Bible against these false charges by presenting a verbal defense for it, refuting the statements of the destructive critic.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest\u2019s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 89.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 119:46<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colossians 4:6<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Blameless<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Peter 3:16\u201317<\/a> KJV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A believer\u2019s testimony should not be given in an arrogant manner but with gentleness and respect. (\u201cRespect\u201d here is from phobos, \u201cfear,\u201d whereas \u201crespect\u201d for one\u2019s wife [v. 7] is tim?, \u201chonor.\u201d) Christians who are not afraid in the face of persecution are able to witness respectfully to their faith in Christ. They then keep a clear (agath?n, \u201cgood\u201d) conscience (syneid?sin; cf. 2:19; 3:21). Peter may have been alluding to the occasion when he denied Christ out of fear, in words that were neither gentle nor respectful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\tChristians who suffer unjustly and keep a clear conscience put to shame those who slander their good behavior in Christ. Once again Peter encouraged his readers with the fact that good behavior is their best defense against unjust punishment and persecution.1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 Roger M. Raymer, \u201c1 Peter,\u201d in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 850.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

____________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An all-time favorite Bible teacher was Don Wilton. One day in class, Dr. Wilton told us about getting to serve on Billy Graham\u2019s team for a crusade in Korea. Dr. Wilton told about sitting on the platform one night during the invitation, — right next to Billy Graham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Wilton couldn\u2019t help notice that during the invitation, Billy Graham started looking down at his fingernails. And he thought, “I can\u2019t believe Dr. Graham is so unconcerned about this invitation that he would be studying his nails!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don was getting a little huffy on the inside, if you know what I mean. But just then, Billy Graham pointed to one of the Korean ladies who had come forward to talk to the counselors. And Billy said, “Do you see that lady? — She did my nails today, and I was able to lead her to the Lord.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the spirit and habit we need! — Looking for opportunities to tell more people about Jesus. It can help them for all eternity, and it can lighten our burden along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 12:02 PM July 22, 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Be All You Can Be in 2020 Pastor Don Carpenter \/ General Not From Around Here: The Complicated Life of a Sojourner \/ Testimony; A Witness; Evangelism \/ 1 Peter 3:13\u201317 It is easy to lose hope and focus in the tumult that is life in 2020. We learned last week however, that it is possible … Continue reading Be All You Can Be EVEN in 2020<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wednesday-evening-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=823"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":824,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823\/revisions\/824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/forum.ebcct.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}