STAND UP FOR JESUS (15 OF 17)
by Joey Rodgers
Scripture: 1 Peter 4:12-19
This content is part of a series.
Stand Up for Jesus (15 of 17)
Series: Glow
Joey Rodgets
1 Peter 4:12-19
A Texan billionaire w/ a beautiful daughter loved having parties at his pool which was home to a 20 ft. great-white. Every night he'd issue a challenge: ''½ my fortune or my daughter's hand in marriage to the man who swims across the pool!'' He never had any takers. Then one PM, after the dare was issued, a tall, muscular guy hit the water. W/ arms churning he raced across the pool. Just as the shark was about to get him, he reached the wall safely. ''Bravo!'' cried the Texan, ''That's the greatest act of courage I've ever seen; ½ my fortune is yours!'' ''No thanks,'' he replied. ''Then, I'd be proud to call you son, you can marry daughter.'' ''I don't want her either,'' he said. ''What do want?'' ''I just want 5 min. w/ the guy who pushed me in the pool.''
This story begs the question - how should a person respond when bad/difficult things happen to them?
As you know, the circumstances facing these early believers was beyond challenging - it was life threatening. During Nero's tyranny, he viciously used Christians as a convenient scapegoat for the trials of Rome and enjoyed using them for sport to entertain the masses. So to profess one's faith was the equivalent of declaring your own death sentence. It's in regard to such persecution Peter penned this epistle to exhort/encourage all believers for the sake of the Gospel.
As we pick back up after Easter, we find in Ch. 4 - Peter speaking to the issue of suffering/persecution w/ the intent to encourage believers to GLOW for the glory of God - to be steadfast, immoveable abounding in the work of the Lord...
When something glows it emits or reflects a steady radiance of light. It illuminates. It shines. It sparkles. As followers of Christ, we're called to GLOW - especially when the going gets tough and hostility rises. We're called to emit/reflect the steady radiance of Christ in us into the dark world around us.
The pers ...
Series: Glow
Joey Rodgets
1 Peter 4:12-19
A Texan billionaire w/ a beautiful daughter loved having parties at his pool which was home to a 20 ft. great-white. Every night he'd issue a challenge: ''½ my fortune or my daughter's hand in marriage to the man who swims across the pool!'' He never had any takers. Then one PM, after the dare was issued, a tall, muscular guy hit the water. W/ arms churning he raced across the pool. Just as the shark was about to get him, he reached the wall safely. ''Bravo!'' cried the Texan, ''That's the greatest act of courage I've ever seen; ½ my fortune is yours!'' ''No thanks,'' he replied. ''Then, I'd be proud to call you son, you can marry daughter.'' ''I don't want her either,'' he said. ''What do want?'' ''I just want 5 min. w/ the guy who pushed me in the pool.''
This story begs the question - how should a person respond when bad/difficult things happen to them?
As you know, the circumstances facing these early believers was beyond challenging - it was life threatening. During Nero's tyranny, he viciously used Christians as a convenient scapegoat for the trials of Rome and enjoyed using them for sport to entertain the masses. So to profess one's faith was the equivalent of declaring your own death sentence. It's in regard to such persecution Peter penned this epistle to exhort/encourage all believers for the sake of the Gospel.
As we pick back up after Easter, we find in Ch. 4 - Peter speaking to the issue of suffering/persecution w/ the intent to encourage believers to GLOW for the glory of God - to be steadfast, immoveable abounding in the work of the Lord...
When something glows it emits or reflects a steady radiance of light. It illuminates. It shines. It sparkles. As followers of Christ, we're called to GLOW - especially when the going gets tough and hostility rises. We're called to emit/reflect the steady radiance of Christ in us into the dark world around us.
The pers ...
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