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Chosen To Be . . . READY! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the July 21, 2024 sermon, “Chosen To Be READY!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 Peter 3

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

This morning’s message continued a series through 1 & 2 Peter with a theme of “Chosen To Be . . . “.  As God works the miracle of revival in our life, we discover He does so as the God who chooses us!  This is an important message to all who feel distant from God for whatever reason.  To those believers who are scattered around the known world, God communicates a message that they are known by Him, loved by Him, and chosen by Him.  As we gaze into God’s Word and examine what it means to be chosen by God, we find that we have been chosen to be . . .

  • Respectful:  1 Peter 3:1-7

    • One of the things that often gets lost when people look at the first part of 1 Peter 3 is the context of submitting to one another so that we are ready to give an answer for the hope which lies within us.  God’s desire is that our attitude toward one another would be respectful so that unbelievers would desire to know the Savior we know.  When our submission is a reflection of our reverence for Christ, we find that it has purpose and brings fulfillment to us and to others.

  • Encouraging:  1 Peter 3:8-9

    • The world is filled with so many discouraging things which weigh us down and attempt to keep us from being ready to share the good news of Jesus and His return.  The way in which we encourage one another goes a long way in not only helping others remain faithful, but i helping us be ready to share about the hope Jesus gives us.  The Bible says we ought to be actively involved in meeting together for the purpose of encouragement, and to be doing so more and more as we see the day of Christ’s return approaching.  When we are encouraged, and encouraging, we prepare ourselves to be ready.

  • Active:  1 Peter 3:10-14

    • Being ready is not something that passively occurs simply because we want it to happen.  God’s Word instructs us to be active in our participation even as God’s Spirit does the work of conviction and transformation.  Refraining from evil and doing good requires an active desire on our part to know that which is God’s good and perfect will, and then set about with the fruit of God’s Spirit to help us live according to that will.  We find ourselves ready when we are active in our repentance and obedience to all God’s instructions.

  • Direct:  1 Peter 3:15-17

    • Many of us like to be liked, so it often becomes difficult to be as direct as we ought to be.  When asked about the hope that lies within us, we beat around the bush so badly that the truth of Jesus being that hope never gets heard.  The necessary balance to being direct is to do so with gentleness and respect.  Helping a fellow believer notice a sin in their life which they may be blinded to, must be done with love, compassion, and care.  Our answer about what God has done in our life should be as clear as possible so that others would know the hope they desire is attainable.

  • Yielded:  1 Peter 3:18-22

    • Being ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us begins by first setting apart Christ as Lord in our life.   We live a life yielded to Him and a life that continues to yield to Him.  Being immersed into Christ often makes no logical sense other than it is an act of obedience which identifies us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  It is God choosing to work in us a resurrection from the deadness of sin which had laid claim to our soul.  If the heart of being ready involves submission to one another, the foundation on which we build is a life fully yielded to God.

Today, how will you live as one chosen to be READY?