Hope Beyond the Culture: How to Shock the Pagan Crowd, Part 2

Ever feel snubbed by hostile critics of your Christian faith?

Whether it's in the workplace or your neighborhood, as followers of Jesus Christ, we'll occasionally encounter pushback from those who don't share our convictions. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll continues our series called Hope Again. 1 Peter chapter 4 begins with these words, Therefore, as Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. Let's resume now the message that Chuck titled Hope Beyond the Culture. We who are living in Christ, we who draw our life from him have ceased from sin's control. We no longer spend our days overcome by the desires we once had. We now live for the will of God and we have closed the book on godless living. The time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued at one particular time of your life a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

You've tasted of it, you've entered into it, you've experienced it, having pursued your own course of things that excite the disgust of the public. It's amazing when Christ fills the void how he takes away a lot of that garbage and removes a lot of that drive. Remember now, you've been transformed. You're no longer a helpless slave to sin, you're not overcome by your glandular drives, you are now interested in God's will and you've pretty well closed the door on godless living and that causes a reaction.

Look at the reaction in verses 4 and 5. Some of you by now are really getting into this, you understand exactly what I'm talking about. And now the pagans, and in all of this they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation and they malign you.

Don't answer out loud but have you had that happen in your life? Have you had your former friends start passing the word about you that you're getting a little weird? That you're getting a little fanatical?

That you're looking a lot like Saint Francis? You have a few folks passing the word that you're a little holier than thou? Look at the reaction, first of all it's one of surprise. They are surprised that you don't run with them. Did you know that was in the New Testament?

Do you realize that was in the Bible? They're surprised that you don't run with them into the same excess of dissipation. I think some of them are saying look misery loves company. If I'm going to get this miserable, you ought to get miserable with me. You used to.

I don't want to do it alone. And they, here's the other reaction, they malign you. Your former friends, says the living Bible, will be very surprised when you don't eagerly join them anymore in the wicked things they do and they will laugh at you in contempt and scorn. Some of you have discovered that your whole set of close friends has changed now that you're in Christ. I want to warn you and then I want to commend you. First I want to warn you about running with only Christians.

Be careful that your entire circle is nothing but Christian people. Or you really will get fanatical. You really will get idealistic.

Unrealistic. You really will. You really will. You really will come across as holier than thou and you'll be out of touch with their life. So be careful that all the people you're around are Christians. And then I now commend you for changing close friends. Some former close friends do you no good. Most people who fall into gross sensuality do not do it alone.

They're usually prompted by a few other people. Country western group Alabama released a song several years ago. I happen to be a country western freak. I like some of their stuff. And they released a song on one of their albums several years ago called I'm Not That Way Anymore.

It's a song that grows out of not out of the Christian life because as far as I know they're not a Christian group. But they talk about the way their lives have changed now that they've gotten a little older. Back in the days of the 60s they were you know burning campuses and wearing certain kind of clothes but now that they've come full circle they've lived a few years. They're now into cowboy boots. They've traded in their loafers and they're now into pickups and they've traded in their BMWs and they're now into a casual lifestyle. There's a line in it that says time has closed yesterday's door.

I like the way that sounds. That's the way it is with a Christian. You're not like that anymore. Time has closed yesterday's door. Christ has closed yesterday's door.

Thank God. But you won't be on their popular hit parade. They will be shocked and they will malign you. The point of all of this you're going to go through unjust suffering.

Once again we're back to the theme of the letter. Simply because you desire to live for Christ you will have people who once really enjoyed your company now talking about you behind your back. And that is tough to take because you know they aren't representing you fairly. Verse 5. But they must someday face the judge. This is a serious verse. They shall give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. If in your Christian growth you can come to the place where you continue to have a very soft and tender heart but you build a good thick rhinoceros skin you'll be happier. The longer I live the more I see the value of having a thick skin but a very tender heart.

That way those maligning and ugly words that come across from other people that misrepresent you can kind of glance off and you don't feel the need to attack back or defend yourself. Let me tell you what's happening. The pagan will never tell you this but down deep inside in many of their lives, not all of them, but in many of their lives they will envy you. They will wonder how does she do that? How can he no longer do these things?

I'm not able to stop. What in the world has made the difference? And when you get them alone it's remarkable how many of them will really listen to what transformed your life.

That's the joy of being left on foreign soil. You get to acquaint them with a life that is now yours and it can be theirs that will only give their lives to Christ. Don't beat them up for their lifestyle okay? Let's understand that. Nobody ever got saved because he was rebuked for his drinking or taking drugs or sleeping around.

I'm surprised everybody in the pagan world doesn't do more of that to fill the void. So don't even talk about their lifestyle. They can't help it. Sometimes it's the hardest thing in the world to put up with it.

Especially if you don't like profanity and you resent that whole scene you once partook in. One of the men that used to lecture at Dallas Seminary, Carl Armerding, during the lectureship series on one occasion went to the local barber shop to get a haircut. And Armerding was just tough as nails, just pure as the driven snow. But he said what he thought. The barber didn't know who he was so he sat down in a chair and the barber began to cut his hair. A friend of mine happened to work there and he overheard this conversation. And this barber was just letting out one oath after another, just cursing here, cursing there.

Here sits Carl Armerding you know. And he just got his belly full of it. And he looked right at the barber, he grabbed his hand, pulled his arm around, looked the barber right in the eye. I imagine that has happened maybe never before in the barber's life.

Gets twisted around and Armerding said as he pulled on his earlobe, does that look like a sewer? Sometimes you just get your fill of it, you just can't stand it. I especially resent it when there's a lot of profanity and my wife is present or my children are present. It's not that they've never heard it or can't handle it. I resent that and so do you. There are times you just have to say something. But you cannot clean up the lips of anybody until you've cleaned up the heart and that's Christ's job.

He's a master at it. So stand it as best you can and realize those are all simply signs of being lost. Makes them be tough, makes them seem rough and rugged because they talk like that. But down inside they're frightened little children and they're scared to death of death and of facing a judge and you're not. Their judgment is in front of them, your judgment is behind you.

Christ took your judgment and he bore it on the cross and he's given you the power he had now that you're in Christ. They got to face the judge who is ready to judge the living and the dead. And when he mentions the dead, by the way I got to make a correction on my outline. When he mentions the dead he turns his attention, I believe having studied that a little further, to the believers who have now died.

Many of them having been martyred. I thought at first when I studied this passage that this is a reference to those who are spiritually dead but just listen to it once again. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are, may I add the word, who are now dead. That though they are judged in the flesh as men, while they were on this earth they were maligned, they were judged as mere men, they now live in the spirit according to the will of God. I think it's the saved person who has died and perhaps died as a martyr for the faith. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are now dead.

In honor of them perhaps is the idea. The words those who are dead refer to Christian believers who had died, writes Kenneth Wiest. The gospel had been preached to them as they had become Christians. As a result of this they had been judged according to men while they were on earth. This judgment was in the form of persecution. Because of their Christian testimony these Christians died. Many of them as martyrs. In their disembodied state they were serving the Lord in the future life. By the way, you owe it to yourself if you've never done it to at least read the beginning chapters of Fox's book of martyrs.

It is a classic. Fox lived in the 16th century. He was born 1517, John Fox. And he like no other writer has traced the eras of great persecution from the first martyr, Stephen, all the way to early American missions. And he traces in vivid and sometimes tragic detail the martyrdom of saint after saint, saint after saint. You need to buy your own copy and read at least the first series of great persecution eras and you will have a new appreciation for those who have gone before you in the faith. I mean you talk about paying a price.

And those are the ones I think he has in mind here. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? Shall I fear to own his cause or blush to speak his name?

Sure, I must fight if I would reign. Increase my courage, Lord. I'll bear the toil, endure the pain supported by thy word.

It's a great hymn. It applies to businessmen and women today who live in an office and live with the verbal attacks of their fellow employees. It applies to people on a ball team who live for Christ and refuse to live the lifestyle of the others on the team. You're a soldier of the cross.

What more can you expect? You're not a martyr. You're just taking a few verbal punches. It's good for you.

It's good for me to be talked about like that. It drives us back on our knees to Christ. It reminds us of our dependence on him.

A letter was received from John Huss by his friends in Bohemia prior to his appearance before the Council of Constance in 1414. And it read, I shall not be led astray by them to the side of evil, though I suffer at his will, revileings, imprisonments, and death. As indeed he too suffered and hath subjected his loved servants to the same trials, leaving us an example that we may suffer for his sake and our salvation. If he suffered being what he was, why should not we? I love that last sentence.

If he suffered, meaning if Christ suffered being what he was, perfect, the ideal model, why should not we? Now you're probably thinking as I did toward the end of my study, so? Well what do I do? What do I do from now on? Because after all, you're becoming a shock to the pagan crowd.

You want to know how to really shock them? Live an authentic Christian life. No fanfare. You don't have to carry a big flag that says Jesus saves. You don't have to wrap yourself an enormous Bible. You don't have to quote verses all the time. In fact, it's best if you don't.

You don't have to carry yourself like a freak. Just live an authentic, godly life and you will shock the pagan crowd. You'll blow them away.

They will not be able to stay quiet about the difference in your life and theirs. And so my counsel to everyone is in three parts. Number one, continue living for Christ. Game plan, keep doing the same thing.

Continue living for Christ. That means being different on purpose. Second, expect to be misunderstood. We're gonna read a little later in this chapter that we're not to be surprised by the fiery ordeals which test us. Expect to be misunderstood. Don't be surprised when ugly things are said or false accusations are made or twisted statements are passed along about your life to someone else.

You know they're wrong and your life will prove that they're wrong. Expect to be misunderstood. Third, keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Stay on a steady course.

Keep on being different. Don't be surprised by the reaction that your life will create and stay on a steady course. Remember, we're not home yet. We're on our way.

We'll get there. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus, huh? Find yourself saying that a lot lately. I usually do toward the end of the month, you know. I usually do when I start getting it in the chops and I feel like I'm the number one martyr of the year and when I have a big pity party and nobody comes. I say, come on, Lord.

I need you to come back. Make it all right. What a beautiful time it is for Christians to gather around the table of the Lord. It is easy to forget.

Now listen carefully. It is easy to forget that when this ordinance was established, it was the night before the crucifixion. Easy to forget that. It's easy to forget that perhaps Christ's hands trembled when he held the cup and perhaps his voice quivered. Remember, he prayed in the garden after the table with his disciples.

Father, if it be at all possible, let the cup pass from me. He was a man. Very God, but nevertheless, true humanity and that night he observed that last supper with his twelve and finally Judas left and with his eleven, he was living in the immediate moment of his crucifixion.

He saw it coming. The shadow of the cross was now etched across his mind and he held a piece of the loaf in his hand and he passed it among his men and he told them that it represented his body and to pull a piece of that loaf off and to eat it in remembrance of his body. And then I think he had a single chalice, a common cup and he took it from the table with some of the wine that remained from the meal and he asked each of them to sip from that cup.

He said that liquid represents my blood. Paul tells us years following that the church had been handed the baton and were to continue this same act of worship until Christ returned. This is one of the few things we're told to do regularly until Christ returns. We as a common people are to come around the simple elements of the bread and then the cup of juice and we're to eat the bread and remember his body given for us and we're to drink the cup and remember it represents his blood given for us because he that dark day following was the most maligned and misunderstood individual who had ever lived.

Can you imagine the only perfect individual crucified like a common criminal but it had to be for the payment of sin to be made. Lord God meet with us in a particular way in these moments that pass. We all understand those words that time has closed yesterday's door and we don't live like that anymore. Not because we've been strong and good and noble but because you have transformed our life Lord and we sit in this time of worship with a heart full of gratitude that you've changed our course of direction. Even though you've left us on foreign soil we have a home in the skies. Hear the prayers of your people this moment as we in silence call out to you in confession and in worship and in praise for Jesus sake. Amen.

Hope Beyond the Culture. That's the title that Chuck Swindoll assigned to his message today. You're listening to Insight for Living.

To learn more about this ministry visit us online at insight world dot org. We know that some who are listening right now are feeling immense personal pressure from our pagan culture. Maybe you've been the victim of ridicule or a devastating loss that was caused by those who oppose your Christian values.

You would say that life hasn't been fair to you. Well Chuck wrote a book that's been helpful to countless readers around the world. It's called Hope Again When Life Hurts and Dreams Fade. There's a complete section devoted to today's topic. We believe that Chuck's teaching from First Peter will give you a brand new perspective. Look for his book called Hope Again when you go to insight dot org slash store or you can call us.

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