The Way Out

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. We ask, Lord, that you'd be with those in our community who are still recovering, who face months, potentially, from flooding or damage, Lord, who don't have all the answers yet. We pray that you'd be with them, that you would help us to walk alongside of them, that we would be servants, that we'd look out for what is in their best interest and what is best for them. Lord, during this time of a lot of tumult and tragedies and difficulties and struggles and questions, we just come to you to find the answers right now and to ask you to fill us with your truth and grace. All this in Jesus, your name. Amen. So we're in, I think, is it the fifth or sixth week? Fifth week of this series. We missed a week because of Irma. So now we're in this series, week five, should have been six, but we're going on and it's called The Way. And today we're looking at the way out. Now, this isn't the way to get out of things. Actually, it's the way to get out of ourselves and out of our comfort zones. I would say it's the way to serve out, to reach out. And so that's what we're looking at today. And the text is from First Peter, chapter three, a letter that Peter wrote to Christians who are facing some tough times. And it kind of comes up even in this section of the letter. First Peter, chapter three, verses 13 to 18. Now, he writes, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. But in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile you, your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. Okay, so, your mission, if you choose to accept it, or your job, or whatever way you want to put it, is to absolutely confuse and befuddle your friends and neighbors. I don't want you to make sense to them. And you might be going, well, that isn't hard, I don't make sense to anyone. I'm not talking about your sense of music, okay? You listen to that? Or what lawn ornaments are in your yard? I've got some neighbors that I go like, where did they get that? And why did they put it there? Don't you? It's not what we're talking about. And I'm not asking you to be illogical or irrational, but I am asking and calling, and I think Peter does, for us to have a different logic and a different rationality than what is the current trend in the current culture that we are in the middle of. And Peter brings that out in his letter to that church. So we're going to learn about this way out, this way that is different than the way that the world is acting right now. We talk about three different movements often that we believe disciples or followers of Jesus participate in. They follow what Jesus did, how Jesus lived. And we see He lived up, in, and out. He had a relationship with His Father. He prayed up. Last week we talked about prayer to a large extent and what that all means and what that's like. He lived in towards His disciples and followers an intimate relationship. He loved them to the end. He served them to the point of washing their feet. And He actually served them all the way to the cross, right? And Jesus reached out. He reached out to His community and to those, even those who would reject Him, who turned against Him, up, in, and out. And we, as His followers, follow along the same path and live in the same way. And so today we're looking at the way out. The way out. And I think we're going to learn three things from 1 Peter 3 today. First of all, how this way is different, the difference of this way, compared to the way the world is kind of set up, the logic this world has. Secondly, then, it's the power that this way has. When we live in this way, the power, the freedom, the hope that we have that is so different than the world has. And then thirdly, how do you even get there? How do you live in that way? How can I get to that point? Because I think I read this, and I read what Peter is talking about, and go like, oh, man, I'm just, wow. How do I, how do I have that? So all three of those points. So we're going to, first, of course, the difference. Okay? Now, if I would summarize the culture that we live in and the logic or the rationale behind this culture, I think the acronym that fits it best is WIFM. Have you ever heard of this? W-I-I-F-M. What's in it for me? That's how this culture is set up. So I just Googled that this week, and you can get like 100 different sites, ...