The Hope of Avoiding Poisonous Responses to Trials

- How many of you like snakes?...especially poisonous ones?...

- so would it help your Sunday morning worship experience if I showed you, for example, a picture of a rattlesnake?...

- or how about a copperhead?...

- or maybe a water moccasin?...

- did you know that there are actually over 3000 different species of snakes in the world?....approximately 600 of them are venomous…and 7% are poisonous enough to kill or injure a human being…

- now, if you’re wondering how I know so much about this subject – I did about 15 minutes of research on the internet in preparation for this introduction, so that pretty much makes me an ______ -- you can fill in the blank (preferably under your breath), but I’m going to go with…”expert”…

- this data leads to another question and that is – what is the most venomous snake in the world?...that would be this guy…please say hello to the Inland Taipan…technically it’s the Oxyuranus Microlepidotus…

- now if you’re wondering – how do they know which snake has the deadliest venom?...they use the LD50 test on mice…

- how much venom is sufficient to kill 50 per cent of a population of animals within a certain period of time…

- so btw, if you think you have a bad job…how would you like to be a laboratory mouse who goes into work Monday morning and looks up at job assignment board and it says…please report to cage 37 to participate in an LD50 test…and then there’s a smiley face at the bottom from the HR department that says, have a nice day…(some jobs are worse than others)…

- now on the serious side of things…imagine being bitten by a snake like this…

- I stumbled across a website that is apparently for physicians who have a patient who presents with this condition…and one summary began with these words…The bite of the Inland Taipan with envenomation can be rapidly fatal (as early as 30 minutes).

- I had never heard that word before – envenomation…I don’t like it much, how about you?...

- here’s a scary thought – what if every person in this room is likely envenomated with something?...because the trials we face in life immediately provide an opportunity for all sorts of venom to be introduced to our spiritual well-being…

- and since we all face trials…and since not one of us handles them perfectly each and every time…it’s highly likely that we have envenomated…carrying traces if not large amounts of responses that very much can function like spiritual poison…

- now what’s the next question you’d have if you had been bitten by an Inland Taipan?...

- you’re sitting there on the table in the emergency room…you look at your watch and notice that 20 minutes have elapsed since the bite…what’s the single question you want that doctor to answer?...is there an antidote – and do you happen to have any here?...

- because amazingly there is a Taipan Antivenom…and the treatment is anywhere between 3 and 10 vials….but you can’t dawdle around with this kind of poison…you have to9 have it neutralized, and you have to have it neutralized right away…

- that’s essentially what Peter pivots to at the beginning of I Peter chapter 2…it’s The Hope of Avoiding Poisonous Responses to Trial…

- with that in mind, please open your Bible to 1 Peter chapter 2…that’s on page 181 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…

- our church’s theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life

- and that’s not just a slogan….we really do believe that’s possible because we have a source who is supernatural…one of the names for God in the Bible is that He is the God of Hope…that’s really good news…and it is available for every person who will repent and believe in Him…

- furthermore, Paul said this to the Roman believers about the Word of God…

- Romans 15:4 - For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

- so if you’re in need of encouragement and perseverance this morning…it’s available in God’s Word and the net effect of studying and confirming our hearts of lives to what Scripture reveals to us is hope…

- that’s so true that Paul went on to tell his brothers and sisters - Romans 15:13 - Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

- so this is a delightful annual theme for sure…

- to kick it off, we’re doing a verse by verse study of the book of 1 Peter entitled Hope in Everyday Suffering

- and we’ve already learned that Peter is writing to a group of young Christians who have been scattered all over what is present day Turkey because of the persecution of church by Emperor Nero…

- and extra-biblical resources tell us brutal some of that persecution became…

- that’s why Peter wastes little time before raising this issue by saying things like…1 Peter 1:6–7 - In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

- well, many of would say that the material presented in chapter 1 has been incredibly helpful…and that takes us back to the way Peter introduced Himself…as…1 Peter 1:1 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ…

- and we noted in the very first message that this wasn’t Peter just throwing his title around…the word means that he was a messenger, a sent one from Jesus Christ….

- in other words, he had God’s message for troubled people.

- Peter knew that it was the life changing Word of God that had helped transform him…and was continuing to transform him….

- and what these dear men and women needed in the midst of the struggles they were having, was a message from God, was the Word of God…

- and chapter 1 has been filled with that…which is why so many of us would say its been so helpful…but here’s a hard question…what if we don’t heed what Peter has been teaching here?...the answer is…some very deadly venom…poisonous responses to trial…along with, thank the Lord…a very powerful antidote…

- please follow along as I read…Read 1 Peter 2:1-3

- so we’re talking about The Hope of Avoiding Poisonous Responses to Trial, and with the time we have remaining, let’s look for 3 truths to prevent trial from destroying our spiritual health.

I. Recognize the Poison We Must Put Off

- one of the benefits of going more slowly through a book of the Bible is that we can pause make observations for our souls about individual words or concepts that we might otherwise have to skip for sake of time…that’s true even of…

A. The logical role of “therefore”

- that’s the way chapter 2 begins…

- one of the foundational classes we had in Bible college was called Principles of Bible study…taught by a man named Chuck Emert whom everybody just adored…

- this would have been 44 years ago for me…and I can still remember many of the things he taught us…

- one was the discipline of carefully making observations…so we would have an assignment like…make 50 observations about 1 Peter 2:1-3…

- and at first, homework like that was maddening…but over time you learned to slow down and carefully read, consider, and digest God’s Word…

- he would tell us…think about what the word “therefore” is there for…

- and of course the answer is – to help us remember everything we’ve learned in chapter 1…as we consider this new information at the beginning of chapter 2…

- and here’s an assignment…sit down with your Bible and maybe a few family members or friends…and find 50 logical connections between what we read in chapter 2 verses 1-3…and what we’ve already studied in chapter 1…

- in other words – determining…what is the therefore…there for…

- now if you were listening carefully…and I know you were…I’ve actually already done that a couple of times…

- I reminded us that Peter introduced himself as an apostle…what we have here in verses 1-3 of chapter 2 is not just casual advice from an ancient fisherman that we can cavalierly choose to heed or ignore…this is a message from God…

- I also reminded us that we’re not just talking about general malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander …it has to be understood in the context of wrongly responding to the trials and difficulties the Lord has allowed into our lives…

- I honestly don’t believe it would be hard to find 50 connections between what’s already been taught in chapter 1 and these challenging concepts in chapter 2, verses 1-3…

- here’s one more just random example which explains what the therefore…is there for…

- what about the person who would say – I don’t intend to put off these characteristics in certain trying situations…with certain trying people – I’m still going to have malice toward them…I’m still going to lie about them…I’ll be hypocritical and envious with a generous helping of slander thrown in for good measure…

- well, what emphasis from chapter one (and several other places in the book we’ve not yet studied) would be lacking in that hot mess?...

- I would encourage you to take me up on this challenge – and the easiest way to do it would be to make a copy of chapters 1-2 – take out a red marker…and start making connections

- and if you really want to try that, we’ve got some copies on large sheets of paper at the welcome center this am for you and your friends and family

- now, what about this phrase…

B. The centrality of the phrase “putting aside”

- apothemenoi

- this comes up in some of the most important places in the New Testament about Christian growth, or progressive sanctification…let’s see if we can find it…

- Ephesians 4:22 - that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,

- it’s pretty obvious there, isn’t it…or here…

- Colossians 3:9 - Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

- and the idea is–it’s a clothing illustration-here’s the way John MacArthur explained it…

- The verb rendered putting aside (apothemenoi) applied to any kind of rejection, and sometimes referred especially to stripping off soiled garments…In ancient Christian baptism ceremonies, those being baptized customarily took off and discarded the clothes they wore to the ceremony. Following their baptisms, they put on new robes they received from the church. Exchanging clothes symbolized the salvation reality of laying aside the old life and taking up the new (Rom. 6:3–7; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24). (John MacArthur, Commentary on 1 Peter, p. 97).

- so the idea here – based on the context of verse 1 is – if we don’t respond to trials well…what stains might we end up with on our spiritual clothes?...and are we willing to do the hard work of taking those off?...

- or to go back to the introduction at the beginning…if we don’t handle trials in light of the instructions in chapter 1…what poisons may we have allowed into our spiritual growth system?...

- now this requires a willingness to do something that does not come naturally…during a trial, looking at ourselves instead of everyone else…which – can we all just admit it – is very hard…because I’d just rather look at everyone else’s failures, especially when I’m upset or uncomfortable, how about you?...

- another observation we need to make is – these five words are not just random…we believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible…that means that every word is inspired, not just concepts…and every word is inspired to the same degree…

- so it helped me to picture it like this…let’s suppose that we were able to have a one-on-one conversation with the Lord about our Christian walk…and at some point we asked Him…what tendencies should I especially avoid during a time of trial…

- it’s highly likely that this would be the list…or something very similar to it…

- because again – how did Peter introduce Himself at the beginning…apostle of Jesus Christ…the five items in this list are not just random…the Lord selected them because these are the areas in which we are especially prone to fail when times get tough

C. The significance of the list of five potentially poisonous responses to trial

1. Malice

- what does that mean?...in English, it means the desire to harm someone else…

- kakia – all inclusive word for sin referring to general wickedness and baseness…it is also rendered “trouble” (Matt. 6:34) and “wickedness” (Acts 8:22; James 1:21).

- that can mean a lot of things – including this during a time of trial…saying or thinking – that person hurt me, and I’m going to hurt them back…

- I don’t get mad, but I do get…even…

- I’m going to cause them as much trouble as I believe they caused me…

- are you malicious in your words, are you malicious in your plans, are you malicious in your actions during a time of trial?...

- and if so…what does this passage call upon us to do?...to get that poison out of our body…to take those dirty clothes off…

- part of my Bible reading on the day I was preparing this message was Genesis 34…

- many of us like to read through the Bible each year and if you do, you’ve probably been reminded again of how imperfect the Patriarchs and their families were…I’m speaking about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph…

- and Genesis 34 is when Jacob and his family are moving back after living with his wife’s family because of his fear of his brother Esau…and a man named Shechem raped one of Jacob’s daughters named Dinah which of course was a terrible travesty…

- and then Shechem’s father Hamor suggested to Jacob and his brothers that they all intermarry and do you remember the brother’s response…

- sure, we can do that – but since you’re uncircumcised…you first need to go through that procedure…which was a sign of their covenant relationship with God…

- and then here’s what happened…Genesis 34:25–27 - Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, and killed every male. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went forth. Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.

- now you understand that I’m not for a second wanting to minimize what these pagans did to Dinah…but there’s a reason that passage is placed in the overall sweep of the book of Genesis…and that is to illustrate the profound potential malice of the chosen people of God and our desperate need for a Lord and Savior who can deliver us from such responses…

- it’s a hard question, but it’s necessary for us to ask from the emphasis of this passage…are you carrying any malice in your heart and life as a result of the trying circumstances and people in your life…and are you willing to recognize that for the poison that it is?...then Peter mentions…

2. Deceit

- this is a hard one to face too because no one likes a liar and we often pride ourselves on telling it like it is…

- our mantra can sometimes be – I may be a lot of things but I don’t lie…I always tell the truth…

- are you sure?...

- because as soon as a trial fires up…so does the way we interpret it…

- we start telling the story…over and over…to ourselves and sometimes to others…

- what’s the hard reality when we honestly evaluate that process…

- it’s amazing how every time we tell it – the other person gets a little bit worse and we get a little bit better…

- I mentioned Jacob and Esau…the amount of deceit that existed between them is legendary…

- but remember how Esau clearly sold his birthright to his brother for a “mess of that red stuff”….for a bowl of stew…

- but what did he later tell his father…

- Genesis 27:36 - Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

- that’s not the way the author of Genesis recorded the event…Genesis 25:34 - Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

- that’s why the NT says that Esau was…Hebrews 12:16 - that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

- what does this teach us – that during a time of trial, our hearts can be filled with deception…

- and the insidious thing is – the more we tell ourselves and others the lie…the more we believe it’s true…I believe that when Esau said this to his father, he genuinely believed he was telling the truth…

- that’s why the antidote we’re going to discuss in just a moment is so powerfully needed and so urgently necessary…

- it’s like that victim of an Inland Taipan bite…the clock’s ticking on what that venom can do…

- then there’s.

3. Hypocrisy

- which is a word that means wearing a mask, playing a part…being insincere…

- The word describes any behavior that is not genuine or consistent with what one really believes or says he believes (Matt. 23:28; Mark 12:15; Luke 12:1; Rom. 12:9; Gal. 2:13; 1 Tim. 4:2; James 3:17). (John MacArthur, Commentary on 1 Peter, p. 99).

- please think about the last trial that you faced, or the worst trial that you tend to face, or the most irritating person, or the most disappointing situation…

- is there any response – any words or behavior that is not genuine or consistent with what you really believe or say you believe?...

- can we all just say…ouch?...

- what about…

4. Envy

- and please remember – this isn’t just a random list…these are the biggies…as least in the sense that they are the potential pitfalls when trials come…

- phthonos – resenting someone else’s prosperity

- what does that sound like?...I don’t mind being in a trial as long as everyone else in my life has to be in one too…

- but woe to the person in my life for whom things are going reasonably well right now…

- Solomon said - Proverbs 23:17 - Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always.

- do you remember right at the end of the Gospel of John after Peter had been restored on the seashore and Jesus explained to Peter the kind of tortuous way in which he would die…trials were ahead…

- do you remember Peter’s response?...he pointed at John and said…what about Him?...I don’t mind it being bad for me as long as it’s bad for everyone else…

- and then what’s the capstone?...

5. Slander

- would you like to learn what is probably a new word for most of us?...

- the original word for slander is a onomatopoeic – a word formed in imitation of a natural sound…like boom, or meow, or honk…

- the Greek word for slander is - katalalias – “designed to sound like the whispers and tattles reported behind someone’s back in gossip and backbiting 92 Cor. 12:20). It referred essentially to defamation of character.

- how easy is it when we’re hurting to slander another person in our response?...

- you can almost hear the whispers and tattles behind someone’s back in gossip and backbiting…

- do you see now why we said at the beginning - since we all face trials…and since not one of us handles them perfectly each and every time…it’s highly likely that we have envenomated…carrying traces if not large amounts of responses that very much can function like spiritual poison…

- how would you evaluate yourself in these five key areas?...

- and btw – if you would say – I just have a little bit of it…what word occurs 3 times in this short verse?...the word “all”…and what is the Lord trying to tell us with that…

- these aren’t the kind of characteristics where a little bit of it won’t hurt…

- well, thankfully, the antivenom is in the very next verse, isn’t it?...

II. Embrace the Antidote of Passionate Longing

- 1 Peter 2:2 - like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

A. Benefit from the comparison

- this is one of the many places in the Bible where the word picture has one central idea…

- this isn’t commending people who remain as spiritual infants…

- nor is it contrasting the so-called milk of the word with the meat of the word…

- the idea here is a newborn…and that’s the emphasis…who is so hungry for nourishment that he or she has an insatiable appetite…

- and I hope as we’ve gone through this list, one of your responses is – I need massive doses of the word of God to counter these sins that can so issue infect my spiritual walk…

- btw – this image assumes that you’ve been born again as chapter 1 so clearly described [develop the gospel]

- one of the evaluative questions for all of is – during a time of trial – is my hunger for the Word of God anything like the hunger of a newborn baby?...

- and if you say – honestly, it’s really not there…

- I’m too busy hungering for the world’s theories at a time like this…

- or what my friends might suggest…

- or what my heart is telling me to do…

- please notice the grammar of this passage…

B. Obey the command

Long for (epipothēsate) is an imperative verb that commands believers to strongly desire or crave something. The apostle Paul used the word seven times (Rom. 1:11; 2 Cor. 5:2; 9:14 kjv; Phil. 1:8; 2:26; 1 Thess. 3:6; 2 Tim. 1:4), and in each instance it expresses an intense, recurring, insatiable desire or passion (cf. Pss. 42:1 and 119:174; James 4:5). Its meaning encompasses such things as the strong desire a husband or wife has for a spouse, the strong physical craving that accompanies extreme hunger, the poignant longings one has for a deceased loved one, the intense desire a Christian parent has for a spiritually wayward child to repent and return to obedience, and the strong desires believers have for the salvation of an unbelieving family member or close friend. Those definitions each illustrate the kind of strong, consuming desire Peter wanted his readers to have for Scripture. (John MacArthur, Commentary on 1 Peter, p. 98-99)

- the point is – this is ultimately a command…

- your desires are a choice of your will…or put another way – you choose what you want, you choose what you value

- so, what does your daily time in the Word say about your desire for God’s perspective on the trial that you’re facing?...

- what does your attendance at the Lord’s house say about that?

- what about the kinds of books you read, podcasts you listen to, counsel you seek, friends you trust?...and what is…

C. Embrace the effect

- v.2 – so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation

- one of the great pleasures of being a pastor is to watch this very process unfold in the lives of so many brothers and sisters…

- it truly is a delightful thing to see…

- and its interesting that when Peter gets to the very end of his second epistle…what’s he still talking about?... 2 Peter 3:18 - but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

- poison will kill you – milk will grow you…which one are you going to drink…

- if we do this well…we can…

III. Celebrate the Increased Delight in Your Salvation

- v. 3 – if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord

- can I ask you this morning – have you tasted His kindness?...

- and what was that like?...the best thing you’ve ever tasted…

- so when trials come…if we put off the poison…we can press further into the process of salvation our good God has prepared for us.