“Called to Bless Others”
(1 Peter 3:8-12)
Series: Strength Through Adversity
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
- Take God’s Word and open to 1 Peter, chapter 3 (page 816; YouVersion).
Peter has been addressing Christians on various relationships. In fact, beginning in chapter 2, verse 13, he writes about the Christian’s relationship to civil authorities, then in chapter 2 and verse 18, he writes about servants relating to their masters–an application today would be employees and their employers–then in chapter 3 and verse 1, Peter writes about the way wives should relate to their husbands, and last time we were in 1 Peter, chapter 3 and verse 7, Peter writes about the way husbands are to relate to their wives.
Now, picking up in verse 8, Peter turns from instructions about individual relationships between one person and another person to the corporate relationships of all Christians to all people. What he says today applies immediately to every Christian in the room. And I want you to listen carefully to this passage as I read it aloud. Listen for what each and every Christian is called to do.
- Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
- Pray.
Introduction:
Did you hear what Peter said there in verse 9? He said, “Don’t return evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing.” Blessing! And he goes on to say there in verse 9, “Knowing that you were called to this.” Called to what? Called to be a blessing. If you are a Christian, you are called to bless others. I am called to bless others. Say that with me, “I am called to bless others.” That’s my calling. That’s your calling.
Now remember Peter is the author here. Isn’t it amazing how much Peter has changed from who he was in the Gospels to who he is now? I mean, in the Gospels he’s this rugged, self-assured fisherman with swagger. And he just seems to run roughshod over the other disciples. And when the bad guys come to arrest Jesus in the Garden, Peter takes out his sword and cuts off a guy’s ear!–which means he wasn’t so good with a sword if he was going for his head, or maybe he was going for the ear, in which case he was pretty good with the sword!
But I mean, he’s quite different from what you read there in verse 9, “Don’t return evil for evil. Don’t return reviling–being insulted–don’t do that but on the contrary blessing, because you were called to bless others.” I mean, that’s just so markedly different from the Peter we read about in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, isn’t it?
What a difference the Gospel makes! What a difference salvation makes in our lives! That’s what makes Peter so different. He has changed. And what changed him? The power of the Gospel. I’m telling you the Gospel can change your life this morning.
The Gospel can change you. It can take you from being a selfish person and turn you into a self-less person. The Gospel can change your bitterness into forgiveness. It can turn you from hate to love, from guilt to freedom, it can take you from being hell-bound to being heaven-bound. What a difference the Gospel makes!
So as Christians Peter says we are called to bless others.
Look at verse 8. The first word there is the word, “Finally.” But it’s clear that Peter still has much more to say. He goes on talking about a lot more stuff, two more chapters! It’s almost like the false promise of a preacher when he says, “Finally” and then goes on preaching for another 20 minutes. The word “Finally” here is not Peter’s wrapping up the letter, but wrapping up a section, a section on relationships. Remember?
Having talked most recently about husbands and wives relating to one another he says, verse 8, “Finally all of you,” do some things. All of you Christians do some things. What things? Five things in verse 8: “Be of one mind, have compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”
So Peter is talking now to all Christians in the church, everyone in the room. And here’s what he’s saying, number one, write it down, first main point:
- Bless Those Around You (8)
Verse 8 is written to every one of us in the room. In fact, John Piper uses this text to support the biblical call for small groups. Every Christian should be part of a big group–corporate worship–and a small group–like Sunday school.
And as you look around at the people sitting next to you and in front of you and behind you and in the back and up in the balcony, and as you look around at the people in your small group, Peter is saying in verse 8, “All of you be of one mind, have compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”
Let’s break these down. First, “All of you be of one mind.” What does that mean? Does that mean we’re all to be exactly alike, no variation in thought or talents, just everybody always saying the same thing like a cult of zombies or something? Of course not.
The word conveys the idea of harmony. We all have the same thoughts and attitudes about the things we believe and, because we’re all different, we think and act in such a way as to bring harmony. Just like music has one main song or refrain that goes through the song, but the drum is doing its part and the guitar its part and the keyboard its part and the strings and the vocalists are doing their part and the result is harmony.
So verse 8, Peter says “all of you be of one mind, work together in harmony.” Not every one of us is the same, thank God! We come from different backgrounds and different locations and we have different baggage that we carry with us into this musical ensemble, okay? But we can play together in perfect harmony because we’re all in agreement as to the chorus that runs through the church, the essential doctrines of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
You bless your brothers and sisters next to you and in your Sunday school class when you show an appreciation for each person’s uniqueness. Bless those around you. Be of one mind.
There’s a wonderful lady in the church I pastored previously named Shirley. And when I think of encouraging others and blessing others I sometimes think of Shirley who blessed my family in so many ways. But one day in an effort to bless her pastor Shirley gave me a book. It was entitled, “Encouraging your pastor.” And she had bought it to encourage me. What she didn’t know is that the book was not to be read by the pastor, but was rather written to church members about various ways they could bless their pastor. And so later I’m leafing through the book thinking, “Oh, that would be nice if somebody did that! Oh, that’s a good one, too, Oh what a blessing that would be!” Now I didn’t tell Shirley that she had given me a book she was supposed to read herself. She meant to encourage me and so her giving the book to me demonstrated she was thinking of others and wanted to use her unique gifts and talents in a harmonious way. “Be of one mind.”
Verse 8 again, next thing he says, “having compassion for one another.” It’s the word sumpaqei√ß, from which we get, “Sympathetic.” We show sympathy for other Christians in our church. We have compassion for the people in our small group and in our big group. We share together in good times and bad. Paul says in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.”
So you bless your fellow brother and sister when you rejoice in their good times–they got a promotion, they had a wonderful time on a vacation, they’re enjoying good health. You’re not jealous, you rejoice with them in these good things. And when they have bad times, you don’t say, “Well I’m glad it’s not happening to me,” no, you weep with them when they weep. You bless others to the degree you can hear their innermost struggles and sit right next to them and cry when they cry.
This is why so many Christians in this church love their small group Sunday school class. Big group is important to hear the Word of God proclaimed and to sing hymns of praise to the Lord, but in the small group you have the opportunity to share victories and defeats and have the special privilege of “having compassion for one another.”
The next phrase in verse 8 is, “love as brothers.” It’s better translated, “Love as the brothers you all are.” It refers to the love of all Christians for one another. Love as the brothers and sisters that you all are to one another. You are a family of brothers and sisters. And just as you have a love for your immediate family so you love the brothers and sisters of your church family.
See there’s like a “pass” you give your brothers and sisters in your immediate family. One of them goofs up or says something that rubs you the wrong way, you give them a “pass” because they’re family. You’re like, “Look, that’s just my brother. That’s just the way my sister is, but I still love her.” That’s the same kind of grace you extend to your fellow Christian brother and sister in the church. Show love by giving them a pass. Say, “That’s okay, that’s my brother or sister. They’re cool. I love them anyway.”
Two more behaviors there in verse 8: be tenderhearted, be courteous. The phrase, “tenderhearted” is a weird word in the original Greek. It’s a word that refers literally to the inner organs. Gross, right? It is the Greek word, eu¡Splagcnoi. That just sounds like inner organs, doesn’t it?! eu¡Splagcnoi. But you know, we speak sometimes about “having guts” or we talk about a person’s, “intestinal fortitude.”
See, Peter uses this word because it conveys the idea of feeling for someone with all of your inner self. That’s what he means when he says, “Be tenderhearted.” Feel for your brother and sister with all of your guts. Here’s how it works: a brother or sister in the church shares about a recent struggle or difficulty. Maybe they share about a family member who is straying from the faith. You sit down next to that person and you imagine what it would be like to be in that person’s shoes. You imagine your own son or daughter going through the same thing. You feel inside what they feel. You feel the hurt, you feel the pain, you feel the struggle. That’s what it means to be tenderhearted. Do that today and be a blessing to others.
Finally, the last behavior in verse 8 is the word “courteous,” be courteous. Most of the translations have the word, “humble” there, “Be humble” or, “humble-minded.” Both behaviors are important. Being courteous and being humble are what Christians do when they understand they are called to bless others. The very word “others” conveys courtesy and humility on our own part.
So, Peter teaches, “Bless Those Around You.” Second main point, number two:
- Bless Those Against You (9)
Peter now turns to those who, presumably, are outside the church, non-believers. And he says two things in verse 9: “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling.”
That is, when someone speaks evil of you or treats you in an ungodly way, don’t seek revenge. Remember Romans 12:19, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. He will repay.”
I had a buddy I used to work with years ago and he used to tell people, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” Popular thing to say, the problem is, he professed to be a Christian. Christians don’t “get even.” Remember what Peter said at the end of chapter 2? He said to remember Christ is your example. 1 Peter 2:23, “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.” When Christ was mistreated He committed the entire situation to the Heavenly Father, the Supreme Judge, who always does the right thing.
You’re having trouble with someone who is against you, they’ve spoken evil of you or mistreated you in some way, don’t lower yourself to the position of treating them the way they treated you. Entrust the unjust situation to the just Judge. God knows. He sees. He’ll do the right thing at the right time.
In fact, Peter says when people speak evil against you, rather than returning evil for evil, he says there in verse 9, “on the contrary blessing.” Bless those against you. By the way, Peter continues, “Know that you were called to this,” called to bless others, even those who are against you.
Remember Peter was there as a younger disciple when Jesus spoke those words in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:43-44:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you
It’s very likely those words were still ringing in Peter’s ears when he wrote down in verse 9, “Don’t return evil for evil, but on the contrary, blessing. You were called to this, to bless others.”
How do you bless those against you? How do you bless your enemies? Jesus says in Matthew 5 by loving them, by doing good to those who hate you, and by praying for those who use you and persecute you. That’s how. Someone wrongs you, love them, do good to them, and pray for them.
One of my favorite Proverbs is Proverbs 19:11, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
Somebody wrongs you, the most Christlike thing you can do is overlook it. Just overlook it. God says it is to your glory, to your credit, when you do that.
See the reason you can overlook the offense and the reason you can forgive anyone for anything is because of what God in Christ did for you. Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The saving power of the Gospel empowers us to forgive others. The saving power of the Gospel empowers us to overlook an offense.
There’s a small note here in the Life Application Bible. It’s very helpful. Here’s what it says: “In God’s Kingdom, revenge is unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person, no matter how indirectly it is done. Rise above getting back at those who hurt you. Instead of reacting angrily to these people, pray for them.”
Now, watch this. There’s a supernatural principle at work here in verse 9 and following. Look again at the last part of verse 9. Peter says, Bless others, “knowing that you were called to this, thatyoumayinheritablessing.”
Here’s the principle: Those who bless others will receive a blessing from God. Third point:
III. Bless Others and God Blesses You [10-12]
And in the following verses, Peter explains how this principle works. And what Peter does is he quotes the Scripture. He’s quoting from Psalm 34. By the way, do you know the Scripture? Do you quote it to help you in daily life? That’s what Peter is doing here. He says, “There’s this principle at work: when we bless others God blesses us” and he’s like, “Let me show you that from the Scriptures” and then he quotes Psalm 34. Verses 10-12 are taken from Psalm 34.
Two main ways God blesses us when we bless others. First:
He Gives to you His Peace (10-11)
10 For
“He who would love life
And see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
Peter is showing that when you and I are committed to living out our calling of blessing others, God rewards us with peace and contentment.
Look again at verse 10, “He who would love life and see good days.” Peter has just said that we are called to bless others and he that if we’ll do that we will inherit a blessing and the blessing begins with “loving life and seeing good days.” It speaks to the matter of peace contentment in life, contentment in the life God has given us regardless of our outward circumstances.
It’s like what Paul talks about in Philippians 4 where he talks about having, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7),” a peace that leads to contentment. Remember Paul says in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”
When you live-out your calling to bless others, those around you and those against you, God rewards you with the blessing you of just loving life and seeing good days. You are content in the life God has given you. Second part of verse 10:
Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
And his lips from speaking deceit.
The reminder there to not return evil for evil or reviling for reviling, the very thing Peter had written about back in verse 9 and then Peter says in verse 11:
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good;
Let him seek peace and pursue it.
So there is this principle at work: Bless others and God blesses you. How? He gives to you His peace. But see, it doesn’t just happen automatically. When you choose to bless others you choose to turn away from evil and you choose to do good. You seek peace and pursue it and God blesses you with it.
Peter had also heard Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).”
Peace is not something that just happens, you have to make it happen. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace is something you work for. You seek it. You pursue it. And when you seek peace and pursue peace, you receive peace. So you work at blessing others, those around you and those against you, and you receive peace.
So there is this principle at work: Bless others and God blesses you. He gives to you His peace. Secondly:
2) He Listens to Your Prayers (12)
Don’t miss this. Verse 12:
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”
Hey, you guys: this is powerful! Don’t miss it. Peter is actually saying, “If you will commit to blessing those around you and those against you, God will bless you by hearing your prayers.” On the other hand, if you live like you did before you were a Christian, and if you say, “I’m not going to bless others,” don’t expect God to hear your prayers. Why? Because you’re living like an unbeliever and the last part of verse 12 says, “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
James says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16),” the prayers of a righteous person not an unrighteous person.
Bless others and God blesses you by listening to your prayers.
This is much like we saw last time in verse 7. Remember? Peter says, “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them [your wives] with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life,–[so that]–that your prayers may not be hindered.” The implication? If you’re not the husband you’re supposed to be, don’t expect God to hear your prayers. And one of the reasons husbands are struggling spiritually is because they’re not being the husbands they’re supposed to be.
Similarly, here in verse 12, Peter says, “Don’t expect God to hear your prayers if you are not committed to blessing others, blessing those around you and blessing those against you.”
Maybe the reason you’re not growing spiritually, maybe the reason you don’t have peace and contentment in your life is because you are not regularly blessing others–those around you as well as those against you, those easy to love and those not so easy to love–blessing fellow Christians as well as blessing future Christians. Think of your enemy as a future Christian. It may help you to bless him.
Bless others and God blesses you. This is not the “Prosperity Gospel.” Don’t think that for a moment.
Bless others and God blesses you–not by taking away your suffering. 1Peter 2:19 teaches you may suffer wrongfully. 1Peter 5:10 says, however, that God will strengthen you through your suffering.
Bless others and God blesses you–not with material stuff, a new house, a new car, lots of money–no. The blessings of the New Testament are primarily spiritual and non-material. Why? Because that’s what matters most.
It’s the kind of truth easier to affirm on one’s deathbed than perhaps anywhere else and at any other time. Ask a dying man what matters most or which is more valuable: money and worldly notions of success or peace with God and the assurance that He answers our prayers. Peace with God and the assurance that He answers our prayers.
- Stand for prayer now as we close.
Conclusion:
Father, we are reminded that the way we can forgive anyone for anything is because of what God in Christ did for us. Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The saving power of the Gospel empowers us to forgive others. The saving power of the Gospel empowers us to overlook an offense. The saving power of the Gospel empowers us to sing with the hymn-writer:
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing —
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, o Savior, I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Has God in Christ forgiven you? Turn to Him this morning and receive the salvation He offers through Christ Jesus our Lord.
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