You Remind Me of Someone! - Part A

Jesus Christ is the one by whom we trace the behavior of our life, whether good times or bad times.

And that's the reason why we put up, endure, harsh circumstances and harsh people is because Jesus did it. Oswald Chambers wrote, Anxiety is the problem. It's a problem all human beings at some point have to deal with. Understanding and overcoming anxiety is possible. And we want to help you move from feeling paralyzed by anxiety to finding lasting peace with three powerful resources. Overcoming an Anxious Mind, a new booklet by Skip Heitzig. His teaching, Worship in the Uncertainty on CD. Plus, the War is Over worship CD. The cure for worry is to redirect your energy and replace your anxiety. This resource bundle is our thanks for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to the Prince of Peace.

Visit connectwithskip.com slash offer to give online securely or call 800-922-1888. Okay, we're in First Peter chapter two as Skip Heitzig starts today's study. According to the Apostle Peter, one of the best ways to resemble Jesus is submission. Submission is a word we've been talking about that you submit during difficult circumstances. You go away with submission. You know, there are certain words that are just hard to understand or hard to grasp where they're harsh when you hear them.

They sort of great at you. Foreclosure is one of those words. You're fired would be another one of those words.

Inoperable is a harsh word to hear. Submission is hard because it naturally grates against our idea of freedom. We think if you're free, it means you don't submit to anybody. And what Peter has been telling us is because you are free, verse 16, we've discovered, because you are free, you should never use that freedom in a way that would cover up something evil, something wrong, but use your freedom for the right means.

In other words, because we're free men and women, we curtail certain freedoms that we might cultivate other freedoms. And so he continues in verse 21 of First Peter chapter two. For to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us as an example that you should follow his steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness. By whose stripes you were healed, for you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and the overseer of your souls. Just to bring you back up to speed and get us all on the same page, and especially if you're visiting us, what Peter has been dealing with, and we've been looking at the last few weeks, is this whole thing of submission. And we've been talking about submission to government.

We've been talking about submission to management. And now what Peter does is he brings us to the highest point of the text, really, the example, and the motivation for submission, and that is because we want to be like Jesus Christ. He did it, we do it. And the whole theme, that hinge verse that we told you about last time and the week before, the hinge verse, is back in verse 12 where notice he writes, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles. You and I live in such a way among unbelievers who are watching us, and if we live like Jesus and we have this attitude, it could be a catalyst for them to know Christ. Listen to that verse, verse 12 in the New International Version.

Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God. Now with the five verses that we have in front of us, I want to give you five quick statements to apply. How to be like Jesus in this area. Like Jesus, live with endurance.

That's number one. Like Jesus, live with endurance. You know what endurance is? It means putting up with things. Putting up with people.

Endurance. Verse 21, for to this you were called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. To this you were called. To what were we called? To put up with harsh circumstances and harsh people.

To this you were called to endure or to even suffer unfair treatment. And simply because you and I follow a suffering Savior. Remember that song, I've decided to follow Jesus? Do you know that one, I've decided to follow Jesus?

Do you know what the lyrics say in it? I've decided to follow Jesus. I've decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back.

Really? You've decided to follow Jesus? No turning back? Because, again, last time I checked, Jesus has walked in some pretty gnarly places. And the footsteps that he has laid out for us were in many places footsteps of suffering.

It's a great song. But the reality of I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. Well, that really is what he is saying.

We're following him. Notice the word he uses, leaving for us an example. I've got to tell you what that word means. The Greek word is hupagramos, which means literally writing under, writing under. In ancient times when they wanted to teach little kids their ABCs, they would take letters, writing, and place it under a piece of paper.

So that the little kids could see through the top sheet of paper down to what's below and trace perfectly the letters they were learning. In other words, Jesus Christ is the one by whom we trace the behavior of our life, whether good times or bad times. And that's the reason why we put up, endure, harsh circumstances and harsh people is because Jesus did it. The text says we're following his steps, literally footprints, footsteps.

Like a dad putting out steps in the snow and his son or daughter follows behind him and just puts those little feet in those little footprints, those big footprints. But those footsteps led to Calvary. Those footsteps led to Roman persecution and Jewish persecution that cost him his life. And so, too, the Bible says all those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer what?

They'll suffer persecution. I've always been compelled by a missionary woman named Amy Carmichael. She lived in the 1920s and 30s. She was Irish.

She moved to India. Her whole ministry was to rescue children who would have been used as part of a sexual ritual in Hindu temples. She brought them and she raised them. In 1931, Amy Carmichael was praying one day and she said, Lord, whatever you want from my life, that's what I want to do. Whatever it costs, whatever it takes, I want you to do whatever you want to do in my life. The next day she fell down and she broke several bones that rendered her basically immobile for years to come.

She couldn't have the same workload that she had with the children. Never one to be bitter, she decided that this was the Lord's gracious way of allowing her a career in writing letters, books, and poems. Here's this young gal in Ireland following Jesus, she believed to India, following Jesus to rescue kids, looking for the Lord's will.

This happens, seeing this as following Jesus. And so she wrote a little poem that I've always loved. It goes like this, Hast thou no scar, no hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand? I hear thee sung as mighty in the land.

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star. Hast thou no scar, hast thou no wound? Yet I was wounded by the archer spent.

Lean me against a tree to die and rent, By ravenous wolves that encompass me I swooned. Hast thou no wound, no wound, no scar? Yet as the master shall the servant be, And pierced be the feet that follow me.

But thine are whole. Can he have followed far, who has no wound or scar? And so, like Jesus, live with endurance. Lord, toughen me up to endure as I follow you.

Let's take it a step further. Like Jesus, forego vengeance. Verse 22. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Now what Peter is doing is quoting from the Old Testament. From Isaiah chapter 53. He's quoting what Isaiah predicted Jesus would be like. And then in the very next verse, because Peter lived with Jesus in real time, he says that's what he did. So look at the quote again. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth.

Now this is Peter's own experience. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return when he suffered. He did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.

Isaiah the prophet, looking through the fog of time, seeing into the future there would come a Messiah who would suffer. Having said nothing wrong and having done nothing wrong, still he would suffer. His actions and his words were pure, were undefiled, were truthful, and were non-retaliatory.

He didn't fight back. Notice, when he was reviled, that means verbally abused. People using insulting language against him. Untrue accusations. Have you ever thought of all the things just said about Jesus that were untrue? Take comfort, because when people say things about you, remember back to this study. They call Jesus an evil doer.

Can you imagine? They call Jesus a deceiver, an illegitimate child, a blasphemer, and one who would come and destroy the temple. But here's the point. When all that happened, he didn't retaliate. He didn't say, wait till after the resurrection.

I know where you live. He didn't say anything. He didn't fight back.

Now, it's not like he didn't have backup, right? I mean, he had bouncers, am I right? He had how many legions of angels? Twelve legions of angels, 72,000 angels. He told Peter in the garden, don't you know that I can call 72,000 angels right now? Put your sword away. He didn't retaliate. At any moment, Jesus could have zapped people. Oh, there's a Pharisee. Ooh, a sad you see.

I'll have a little more fun with him. Never did that. In fact, not only did he not do that, Pontius Pilate, his judge marveled at Jesus saying nothing. And at one point in the trial, he said, do you answer nothing?

Wouldn't even open his mouth. And then from the cross, what were the first words out of his mouth? Father, forgive them.

I don't know what they're doing. Hey, if it would have been me, I don't know, I could say, Father, forgive them. I might say, Father, fry them.

Flatten them. I don't deserve this. Jesus said, Father, forgive them. But herein lies the problem, the little quandary we have, because I said that I wouldn't say what Jesus said, and probably you wouldn't either. Here's the problem we have.

You tell me if this is true. It's a whole lot more fun to get even than it is to forgive. It's a whole lot more satisfying to just get even than to forgive. Some of you are looking at me like, I have no idea what you're talking about.

I'm so holy. Okay, whatever. It is human nature. It's that human nature that has to be restrained and brought in and say no to because it is so natural to want to fight back. Like the maid who was fired from a large estate. She worked for a family and the family fired her and on her way out the door, they were all standing around and she took a five dollar bill out of her purse and threw it to Fido, the family dog. And the family said, what's that for? She said, I never forget a friend. That's for all the time she helped me clean your dishes.

Oh, that felt so good for her to say that. And we laugh at that because we know that would feel good. True story, a man created a product called Revenge, selling for $3.99. He was just sick and tired of smokers blowing secondhand smoke into his face. He decided I'm going to create a little aerosol pocket-sized can called Revenge that gives smokers a dose of their own medicine, bad air. This foul-smelling disinfectant irritates their nose and their eyes and he carried it with him, carries it with him, sells it, called Revenge. Sad thing is some of you are writing that down. Google Revenge.

I'd like to get some. To forego revenge. That was a lesson Peter, the author of this letter, had to learn. You remember the time he walked up to Jesus and he said, Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times, he was feeling generous.

Seven times. Hey, if right now I came down there and I punched you and I said, I'm sorry, I'm just crazy. He'd say, yeah, okay, you are sort of crazy. I forgive you. And then I turned right around and slugged you again. Okay, get away from me. And then I said, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, would you just please forgive me?

I'd probably get away with it. But if I did that number three and number four and number five and number six and number seven, you'd have a hard time. So Peter, when he said seven times, he's feeling pretty good. And then Jesus said, no, not seven times, but 70 times seven. It's not to be an exact count, by the way. Okay, at 150, I'm going for it. Or 400, what is it, 490?

491, man, come on. Peter's question was the issue, how many times do I let things happen and forgive before I start fighting back? Forgiveness is easy to preach on and easy to listen to in a sermon, but try living it out on the street.

That's the difficulty. One author, Frederick Buchner, said, of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to savor the last toothsome morsel is in many ways a feast fit for a king.

The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you. So like Jesus, he's writing, live with endurance and like Jesus, forego vengeance, here's a third, like Jesus, rest in confidence. Notice how verse 23 closes out. But he committed himself to him who judges righteously. You know what commit means? Let it go. You turn it over, you commit it, you turn it over, you drop it off, and you let it go. You confidently rest in God's ability to handle the hurt that's been done to you.

Let it go. Look over at chapter four for just a moment. First Peter chapter four, verse 19. He augments this thought.

Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God, here it is, commit their souls to him in doing good as to a faithful creator. Have you learned to do that? Have you learned to do that?

Not once, but many times. By the way, do you know that in our text where it says he committed himself? It's in the imperfect tense. Now, in the Greek language, the imperfect tense means not once, but over and over and over continually. So it could be translated, he kept on committing himself to him.

Here's the picture Peter is painting. With every new insult leveled on Jesus, Jesus said, Father, I'm committing that to you. With every abusive word, Lord, I'm giving that to you. With every slap of the hand, Lord, I'm committing that one to you. With every snap of the whip, Father, I commit that to you. And over and over repeatedly until finally on the cross he said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

And he bowed his head and he died. My brothers and sisters, you've got to do this. If you don't do this, you will be, if you're not already, you'll be a very bitter person.

If every time a transaction that somebody has done to you enters your mind, if at that point you don't say, Lord, I'm committing that to you, I've done it a hundred times, maybe more, but once again I'm giving it to you, you'll become bitter. It'll eat you up. You've got to get rid of it. Get like a hot potato when you were a kid.

You got it? Get rid of it right now. Commit it. I read an article about a man in Tokyo, Japan, who was arrested. And he was arrested because he had been so upset that he was denied entrance into a college for a graduate degree program 14 years ago, 14 years ago, that every single night since then, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., he made phone calls to the school, passing phone calls left on the answering machine to the professor that he thought was the one responsible for not letting him get into the program. 14 years of that.

14 years of annoying phone calls total to more than 50,000 phone calls. Dude, let it go, right? Here's my point. Retaliation costs.

Righteousness pays rich dividends, like being able to sleep at night and not stay up till 2 in the morning making stupid phone calls. But think of how many relationships get torn apart by anger and holding on to that grudge. Oh, I got my cool little grudge. I'm taking my grudge home, and I'm going to nurse it and feed it and pet it. No, let it go. Commit it. Number four, like Jesus.

You think it's been hard so far? Get a load of this one. Like Jesus, love with extravagance. Verse 24, who Himself bore our sin in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed. Hey, do you know what? Jesus loved extravagantly.

Do you know that? He was all in. He was all in. He so loved the world. It's not that He just endured. It's not that He just put up with people saying bad things to Him or making fun of Him or slapping Him.

It's not that He just endured that. He gave His life's blood for those people who had said and done those things. Romans chapter 5, verse 9, God demonstrates His own love toward us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It is the heart of the gospel because that is the heart of God. And that ought to be the heart of God's people toward people out there for the sake of showing a witness to them.

To love extravagantly. You can be a good doctor and not love your patients. I've worked with a bunch of them. You can be a great lawyer and not love any of your clients. I've seen a few of them. You can be a good scientist and not love science, but you can't be a good Christian without love.

That Skip hides it with a message from the series Rock Solid. Now we want to share about an exciting opportunity you have to take your knowledge of God's Word even deeper. Calvary College is now open for registration. Calvary College is offering select online classes as an opportunity for individuals to take their life's calling to a whole new level with an educational emphasis in Biblical studies. With our unique partnerships with Veritas International University and Calvary Chapel University, you will have the opportunity to obtain your bachelor's or master's degree with complete online programs. Whether you're looking to obtain an accredited online degree or take individual courses to become better equipped in your knowledge of God's unchangeable truth, Calvary College has you covered with a range of opportunities. For updates on classes and registration information for Calvary College, please visit calvaryabq.college. That's calvaryabq.college.

For Calvary College, calvaryabq.college. The Apostle Peter learned an important lesson as he served the Lord. A relationship with God includes an affection for his people. We have a great opportunity for you to share your love with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Again, that's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. Connectwithskip.com slash donate. Thank you. Tune in tomorrow as Skip Heisig highlights how you can make a lasting, inward change in your life. Make a connection Make a connection At the foot of the crossing Cast all burdens on his word Make a connection Connect with Skip Heisig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.