10 AM Service – October 19

Introduction

It’s wonderful to be back with you again. A reminder for those in the service, particularly the youth, that there is something to scribble on at the back. You can follow along with my points, or you can draw pretty pictures that represent the points. I had a beautiful portrait done of me last week, and it captured my best side, I can say that very clearly. So that’s up the back for you. How about we pray before we listen to God’s word again?

Father God, we thank you for your love for us. We thank you that you talk to us, and you talk to us to communicate your love for us, your desire for us to be reconciled to you through Jesus, but you also speak to us so that we might be equipped to be able to share that with others. And we pray that that might happen today for Jesus’ sake. And it’s in his name we pray. Amen.

I love my weather app on my phone. I really do. Most mornings that I wake up, I just want to know what the temperature is now. I want to know what the temperature will be at 3:00 p.m. I want to know what’s the likelihood of rain. Apparently, I also want to know what the dew point is. I don’t know what the dew point is. Presumably, it’s when the dew starts to form. And I can tell you on the day that I did this, it was like 9 or 4.3° Celsius is when the jewels start to form. And that’s meant to change my world, but it didn’t.

But some days, you wake up with your weather app, and it says this number. It says something like 19°. And you’ll go, “What does 19° mean?” Like, does that mean jacket weather? Is 19° jacket weather? I don’t know. It could be, it couldn’t be. Some days it says a certain percentage chance of rain, like 25%, and I’m kind of like, I’m not taking the umbrella for that. But then it’ll say 75%, and I’ll say, I’m definitely taking the umbrella for that. And then somewhere in between 25% and 75%, there’s a crossover point. I just don’t know where it is.

What’s the weather like at the moment for sharing the gospel? Is it 19°? Is it good? Is it bad? Is it 40% chance of rain? Well, it actually depends on who you ask at the moment. Because like the real weather, Christians argue about this a lot. I’m not sure they argue a lot about the weather, but they certainly argue about whether it’s cold or hot. People keep on disagreeing over whether the conditions are good at the moment for faith. So lots of people think it’s really hard going out there at the moment because culture is moving away from faith.

This idea goes back a long, long way. Way back in 1867, there was an English poet, a guy called Matthew Arnold, and he wrote a poem called Do Beach, which unsurprisingly talks a lot about beachy stuff. And as he’s looking at the beach, and in particular as he looks at the sea with the tide going out, he says, “You know what that’s an illustration of? That’s an illustration of the Christian faith. The Christian faith is receding.” And so this is what he said. “The sea of faith was once too at the full and round earth shore lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled. But now I only hear its melancholy long withdrawing roar.” Just focus on those words. “But now I only hear its melancholy long withdrawing roar.” Tide is going out on faith people.

Census says we’ve now dropped below 50% identification as Christian on the census. That’s people identifying Christian. That’s not people turning up to church. That’s people who could be bothered ticking the box Christian on the census form is now below 50%. There’s now a definable category in social studies called the nuns. Not nuns, but N-O-N-S. That is people who tick no religion, people who see no discernable connection to any religion available for them. That number is nearly 40% in Australia now. And most people just don’t see the need to connect with a religion anymore. So people call our era a secular age. And what they mean by that is the idea that life in the modern world seems to almost frame out the possibility of God. That it’s just not even plausible to even think about what my life would be as a religious person. It seems like bad weather for the gospel.

And yet in the last year, an opposite picture has started to emerge. People have started to talk about the surprising rebirth of belief in God. There’s actually a book by that title by Justin Bryley. People have started to talk about a quiet revival where people have started to do surveys and said, you know what, people after COVID, they’re coming back to church, particularly men. And so maybe things are way better than we thought. So what’s happening? What’s the weather like out there? I don’t actually think anybody knows except for God. I don’t think any of us truly know. But here’s what I can say. Both groups, whether those walking away or those walking towards, I think for all of those groups, Christianity feels weird and different. For some, the weirdness is the barrier, and for others, the weirdness is the thing that’s actually attracting them to it. For some, the weirdness is a barrier, and for others, the weirdness and difference is what is attracting them to it.

Christianity Feels Weird and Different

Christianity in 1959

Probably the peak point of evangelism in Australia was the 1959 Billy Graham crusade. For those of you who don’t know who Billy Graham is, he was a very famous preacher and particularly famous in the 1950s, 60s and 70s for running huge rallies where he invited people to come to Christ in all parts of the world, including Australia. And in 1959, he came and ran these rallies. He still holds the record for the largest crowd at the MCG. Over 140,000 people at one event still held the record. Billy Graham, if you watch back those sermons from the 1959 crusade, which you can do, you see how much Billy can assume about his listeners. When Billy preached, 90% of Australians identified as Christian. And so, he’s able to talk about topics like sin and the Bible and eternal life. And he doesn’t have to do too much explanation because Billy was talking to people who thought they were Christians, but they weren’t actually taking God seriously. And thousands and thousands and thousands of people converted. But it doesn’t feel like that anymore.

For those walking away and for those walking towards, Christianity still feels weird and different, very different than how it felt in 1959. And I want to say that’s okay. That’s okay because that actually makes us more like the first Christians. You can see this change happening in the questions that people are asking about the Christian faith. So three decades ago or more when I was growing up there was a certain set of questions that were barriers to belief for people and most of them revolved around the idea of is Christianity true? I know I’ve been raised to believe this stuff but I need to know is this true? And so Paul Little was a guy about 50 years ago who wrote a book called Know Why You Believe. It was trying to answer all of those questions that were barriers to belief. And these were the kinds of questions he answered. Is Christianity rational? Is there a God? Is Christ God? Did Christ rise from the dead? Is the Bible God’s word? Are the Bible documents reliable? Does archaeology verify scripture? Are miracles possible? Do science and scripture agree? Is it true? Is it true? Is it true? I know I meant to believe it, but is it true?

Is Christianity Good?

Those questions still matter, but a different set of questions has emerged alongside those questions that are just as important to people today. People are not only asking whether Christianity is true, they’re also asking, is Christianity good? They don’t just want to know whether you can make a rational proof for being a Christian. They also want to know if I become a Christian, do I have to become a horrible person? Because you’re all a bit weird. That’s what they’re thinking. So in 2019, Rebecca McLolin wrote probably the best book in this area in the last 10 years, a book called Confronting Christianity, where she sought to answer the questions that were barriers to belief for people. But I want you to notice how in the middle of all the is it true questions are the is it good questions. So look here at some of the questions she has. Aren’t we better off without religion? Doesn’t Christianity crush diversity? Doesn’t religion hinder morality? Doesn’t religion cause violence? Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women? Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery? So you can see intermingled all the truth questions are still there. But she’s also wanting to say, “I’m calling you to believe in something that is true and good.” True and good.

Because Christianity looks and feels like a strange option to people. The early Christians were living in just such a world where their life and faith looked strange and weird and different to their next door neighbor. And what one Peter is saying to us in a beautiful way is there’s a way to do weird well. There’s a way to do weird well. Peter actually from the start of his book refers to God’s people as strangers. In your translations in the New Living Translation at the start of Peter’s book, it would use the word more commonly foreigners. But what it’s meaning by the word foreigners there is someone who doesn’t feel like they fit in. And so the idea that Peter is trying to communicate to them is you aren’t ever going to entirely fit in. That is okay. You don’t fit in perfectly into this culture, but it’s okay. There’s a way to do weird well.

Tacitus’s Description of Christians

Because Christians in the early centuries had to suffer grief. They were sometimes attacked. They were often slandered and insulted. We know this even from sources outside the Bible. So the great Roman historian Tacitus, he’s writing once about how Christians were attacked and persecuted in the reign of the emperor Nero. And he gives us lots of details about how they were attacked. But I want you to listen to this passage and how he’s actually talking about how he feels about Christians. This is what he says. This is about 30 years after Jesus, similar time period to when one Peter was written. “Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations called Christians by the populace. Christristus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty under the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Palatus. And a most mischievous superstition thus checked for the moment again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular.” Tacitus would have been wonderful to have over for dinner, wouldn’t he? He’s just having a rant. But can you see how he’s describing Christians? People who are a class hated for their abominations. People who are mischievous, people who are shameful. It’s a lot.

Peter and his audience know what it’s like to feel weird and different. And yet Peter wants to say there’s a way to do weird well because Christians are never aiming to be weird. They’re never even aiming just purely to be different or strange. When people do that as Christians, it’s all kinds of awful. If you prioritize weirdness, you don’t become godly, you become a wacko. I sometimes say to my students, if you’re an idiot for Jesus, you’re still an idiot. As in there’s some people who want to prioritize weirdness as the definition of holiness. That’s not the weirdness comes because your focus is following Jesus. The call is for us to follow Jesus. Let the weirdness take care of itself.

Following Jesus

Be of One Mind

That’s really what this passage is all about. Have a look with me from the start of verse eight. And I’m just going to read about what it’s calling you to do. “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and turn your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers, but the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” And then these final verses now who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good. But then the realization but even if you suffer for doing what is right God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.”

I read that whole passage to simply say in a connected way from the text of scripture itself that this is just a description of someone following Jesus. That’s what it’s talking about. The assumption is that as you follow Jesus, sometimes you will be insulted and you will suffer simply because you’re authentically following Jesus. And yet Peter in the middle of it is saying the strangest thing. He’s saying this. Even insults are an opportunity to show people Jesus. Even insults are an opportunity to show people Jesus. Because these verses from verses 8 to 14, what we just read, lead up to one of the most frequently quoted memory verses around. Straight afterwards, Peter says this in verses 15 and 16. “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”

Always Be Ready to Explain It

If someone asks you about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. Christians love giving good answers to hard questions. And this is a beautiful thing. There are some people in this world who still think that faith is just going to crumble when you ask it hard questions. But actually, there’s lots of beautiful, good, and strong answers to hard questions. And this area of thinking through questions to hard sorry answers to hard questions is sometimes called apologetics. Now you may never have heard that word before. You may love that word. Ap not heard of that word before. It can sound a bit weird. Apologetics is that like where Christians just walk around and apologize to people kind of I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I’m very very sorry. But the word apology in its original meaning means to defend something. And so apologetics is the group of people who devote themselves to the task of working out how do we defend the Christian faith against hard questions. And yet this and so this verse is the the most beloved verse of apologists around the world. If someone asks you about the your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

Questions about the Bible, I have an answer for that. If you have questions about miracles, I have an answer for that. I reckon based on the fact that I’ve done about a thousand Q&As’s in my life, I can answer most people’s questions halfway decently. But here’s the deal. This passage isn’t primarily about becoming an expert in answering every hard intellectual question. That’s super important. It’s a good thing to do. But something more is going on here in this passage because Peter has just been talking to them about not retaliating when you’re insulted about blessing those who are hostile towards us about facing suffering for Jesus with courage and faith. And so Peter’s main point is this. If you live like that, people are going to ask questions.

Live a Life That Demands Answers

Even when people don’t like you, people will want to know. Why do you respond to insults with love? And then he’s saying, be ready with an answer to say to people, that’s the way Jesus loved me and all my hope is in him. Why do you love your enemies? Because that’s the way Jesus loved me and all my hope is in him. And so the key to this passage is to understand this. He’s actually calling us to live the kind of life that demands answers. That’s the good kind of weird. That’s how to do weird well. Because here’s what I notice. I’ve spent my life studying brilliant answers to all the hard questions. I’ve got the answers. But is anybody asking me questions? Is my life actually getting people to ask questions? Because I want my life to be a living mystery that people walk up to me and sit there and go, “Why do you do that?” That’s the kicker.

In a culture that’s hostile to Jesus, what gets people asking questions? Well, here’s at least some ways that you’ll get people asking questions. It’s when you give when others take. It’s when you practice hospitality instead of practicing exclusion. It’s when you love your enemies, when you turn the other cheek, when you forgive when everybody else might think you should take revenge. One of the fascinating things is Jesus’s sermon on the mount, which is brilliant instructions for how to be a disciple, is also brilliant instructions for evangelism. This is what he says. He says, “You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly father. Live the kind of life that demands answers.” good answers.

The Truth, Beauty, and Goodness of the Christian Faith

The Truth and Tone

Don’t misunderstand me, please. I’m not saying that everyone’s going to like you if you live a good life. The passage presumes that even as you live this good life, people will still say hard things against you, do bad things to you. Jesus himself was crucified. He calls his followers to take up their cross and follow him. Following the way of Jesus will not always mean that people are going to be instantly attracted to you. But here’s the thing. Peter says, “You will get people asking questions. They still might be hostile. They still might come with insult. Sometimes they might be from genuine curiosity. But whether hostile or curious, there’s a way to give those answers.” Did you notice it in verse 16? There’s something that never changes about our answers. Verse 16 says this, “Do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” The truth and the beauty and the goodness of the Christian faith is displayed best when our actions match our words. It’s at the very heart of evangelism to proclaim the truth of Christianity with gentleness and respect no matter what the weather conditions.

We don’t just want to win an argument. We want to win people or better we long for people to join us in loving and trusting and following the one whose definition of life is to give it away in service for others. And if we’re calling them to that, we point to the crucified one by calling people with gentleness and respect. Too many Christians see truth as essential and tone as optional. The Canadian theologian John Stackhouse talks about how he was raised as a kid to see evangelism like martial arts. You know, it’s kind of like what I’m trying to do is I’m trying to take down my opponent. I’m trying to destroy them for the gospel. And he tells this anecdote of an apologist, a guy who was defending the faith, who was proclaiming Christ in a debate with a non-Christian on stage. And this guy just wiped the floor with the atheists. He won the debate fair and square, but he was crazy rude. He was crazy aggressive and brutal. And as somebody walked out of that audience, Stack House overheard them say, “I don’t care if the guy is right. I still hate his guts.” See, truth is essential. But 1 Peter 3:16 says, “Tone is essential.”

Good Different

What’s the weather out there? I don’t really know. But what I do know is this. It won’t change the basic shape of how I want to speak to people. For many years, the supermarket Aldi has had a slogan, good different. You might argue whether Aldi is good different, but that’s been their slogan and it’s kind of worked for them over many years. But I think it works even better as a summary of what Peter’s trying to tell us in this passage. See, the goal is not to be strange or weird or even different. The goal is to belong to Christ, be like Christ, and point people to Christ. And for Peter, when you do that, when you prioritize Christ, it’s a good kind of different. And so listen again to verse 15. “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the communities surrounding New Light were provoked to ask questions by your way of life in Jesus? And wouldn’t it be wonderful if that resulted in them hearing the good answers that we have together? May it be that many people will find Jesus as your lives testify to his goodness and his transformation and then you get to with your lips proclaim him as the Lord and Savior not only for you but for them as well.