When Life Ain't Fair, Part 1

Turn open your Bible if you would to 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3 and I want you to begin to think of the time in your life where you really believed that what happened to you just really wasn't fair. It wasn't right. It was. Unfair. Think back of the time you're like, maybe it's happened to you this week. I don't know. Maybe you're right in the midst of a situation where you feel like, you know, this isn't right. This isn't fair to me as an individual. Many times we go through life thinking that we deserve better than what actually we are receiving.

I'm sure that if the truth were known of those 1,200 students and parents that were captured in Russia not too long ago, where three hundred and fifty of them were slaughtered by terrorists. I'm sure that many of those people would seem to think this isn't right. It's not fair. Why us? The worst terrorist attack in Russia's history would produce the death of many, many people. And most people would say, that's just not right. It's not fair. Or how about the young lady who, after giving birth to three marvelous children, anticipating their growth and their education, and one day their marriage, and raising them together.

With her husband, only to find out that he comes home one morning and says, You know, I really have desires for someone else, and I'm planning on leaving you for her today. And she thinks to herself, that's not right. That can't be fair. I've given my life to you. We've got these three children, we're going to raise them together. Now you're just going to walk out. And leave me here? Or the young lady who was looking for 10 years to have a child. She and her husband had tried to conceive. And we weren able to do so.

And yet, all the while, all of her friends were having babies, one, two, three, four, and she wasn able to conceive any child. And she would seem to think, you know, Lord, all I wanted to do was get married, settle down, have kids. And all my friends are having kids. I'm not having any. That just doesn't seem right. And I would be a good mother, I would invest my time into them. It just doesn't seem fair. And then, lo and behold, she gets pregnant, only to find out that the child has a severe disease and will probably live no longer than three years.

This doesn't seem right. It's not fair. I'm sure that there are many instances in your life that you can point to. Maybe not as tragic as some of those, but instances in your life where you would think, you know, this doesn't seem right. Peter. W address people who really believed that what happened to them wasn't right, wasn't fair, they deserved better. And you know what? These people, they didn't do anything wrong. They had tried to live for the Lord. They'd given their lives to Christ, and they were following the Lord and serving Him and wanting to honor Him with all that they had, and they were being persecuted because of that.

That doesn't seem right, that's not fair. Why us? Didn't do anything wrong. And yet, Peter would help them understand, help them gain perspective. You know, it's important for us to gain perspective, isn't it? So many times, our perspective is so misconstrued that we can't even think straight. So, by way of introduction, let me help you understand man's perspective versus God's perspective.

We look at man's perspective. We look at the situations round about us. Remember, we've been studying the history of Israel now for five years. I don't know how long it's been since we went through Genesis and now we're in Exodus. And here they were in Exodus chapter 1 in bondage. I mean, they were living in Goshen, and things were going well, and Joseph was there, and they were multiplying in Exodus chapter 1. They had so many people, and God had kept His word. That to Abraham, he would have a seed that would be so vast and so great, it would be like the stars in the sky, like the sand on the seashore.

The Jewish population was growing. But then Joseph died. A new king came on the scene. Who didn't know Joseph? He became a little frightened because the Israelites were growing as fast as they were. So they began to enslave them. They started to mistreat them and abuse them. Doesn't seem right. That's not fair. What do they do? All they did was multiply and grow. All they did was be obedient to the word of the Lord. All they did was try to serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And all of a sudden, they are being mistreated, enslaved.

On top of that, all the newborn male babies were thrown to the Nile River. That's not right. What happened? And the Bible says in the book of Exodus that when the Lord came to Moses, he said, I have heard the cry of my people.

I've heard it. I've seen their affliction. And then he said, And I'm coming down. I'm coming down. But it seemed like it went on for a long time. An extended period of time. The Bible tells us that it was a little over 400 years. It was prophesied in the book of Genesis that they would be in bondage for that long. The problem with man's perspective is that we think that God closes the book at the end of the day and it should be over with. But God is infinite, God is not subject to clocks and calendars.

God doesn't close the book at the end of the day, or the week, or the month, or the year, or the decade. Sometimes He doesn't even close it in our lifetime. But we expect him to, or at least we think he should bring a conclusion to the event in my life that's causing me turmoil, trouble, and difficulty. Sometimes it's a person that we meet that has been a thorn in our side and treats us so unfairly, who treats us with great cont. And it's against us. And we wish that it would be over. We've all faced times where we have been treated, for all practical purposes, unfairly.

We didn't do anything wrong. Yet, the attitudes, the looks, the responses that we receive from people just aren't right at all. But God has a perspective. We talked a little bit about last week in verse 12 of chapter 3. Remember what God said? For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, his ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. God is looking, God is listening, and God promises to act. 1 Peter 3: is a great verse. It's a great verse. And it helps us understand Romans 8:2, where God said that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

No matter what's happening in our lives, it's going to end up working together for our good and for God's glory. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but it's going to go that direction because if we love the Lord, if we've given our lives to Christ, that's the promise of Romans 8. 2. And that can happen because the eyes of the Lord, the eyes of the Lord are upon you. And his ears are listening to every cry. And his face is against your persecutor. And he will deal with your persecutor in his time.

And I want you to notice the very next phrase in verse number 13. Peter says, and who is there? Who? Name me one. Just name you one. You can't name me one, Peter says. It talks about the personal involvement of God in our lives. Who? Name me one. Is there anybody that God does not see, that God does not listen to, that God promises to act for? It tells us that God's words are very personal, very specific. God deals with us as individuals. Aren't you glad that God doesn't treat us as a unit? Throw us all into one big bucket and say, okay, let's just treat everybody the same.

Let's do it all the same kind of way. He doesn't do that with us. We're all individuals. And we're all unique and distinct, and God treats us as such. With that comes an exhortation. Let me read to you the verses, and then we'll look at some principles that Peter gives to help us gain God's perspective.

When life isn't fair. And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you, to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep a good conscience. So that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who avow your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. Those verses help us gain a proper perspective. And when you leave here this evening, you'll understand what God wants you to do when life isn't fair. Now, the principles I'm going to give you on the outset are not going to be really exciting to you. You're not going to say, oh, yippee, whoop, I'm going do that one. That's a good one. It's not going to be like that. So you're going to have to understand what Peter's saying here.

Here's principle number one: pursue. Goodness with a passion. That's number one. Pursue goodness with a passion. When you are treated unfairly, pursue acts of generosity, acts of kindness. Acts of goodness with, listen, very important, a passion. Peter says, but who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is Good. If your life is characterized by goodness, if your life is characterized by unself, kindness, Thoughtfulness toward others, Peter says, Who is there to harm you if you prove yourself to be one who pursues acts of goodness?

Who can harm you? Who would want to harm you? Is another way of saying it. You say, well, wait a minute, Pastor. I've done all kinds of acts of kindness, but people aren't treating me with respect. They're not giving me any dignity here. They're not doing any acts of kindness toward me, and I've been doing all kinds of good things toward them, and I'm not getting anything in return. We're going to cover that in a second.

That's point number two. Point number one is you got to pursue with a great passion act of goodness. That's important. Psalm 37: says, Trust in the Lord and do good. Trust in the Lord and do good. You're going to do good if you're trusting God. If you're not trusting God, you're not going to do good. But if you trust in him, you can do the good things. Remember, it's that of Jesus in Acts chapter 10 that he went about doing good. Jesus went about in his ministry doing the good things, doing the thoughtful things, doing the generous things, doing the kind things, doing the The empathetic kind of things.

That's the way God Himself is. Listen to Psalm 125. Verse number four. Ready? Do good, O Lord, to those who are good. Think about that. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good. You see, the psalmist prayed that somehow God would be kind and good to those who are doing good. Maybe God isn't doing good to you because you're not doing good to anybody else. Say, well, wait a minute, that makes God's goodness to me conditional. What about His grace, and what about His mercy, and what about His kindness and His love?

That's uncond. Understand that if we're not doing good, we're probably doing evil. Right? Listen to what the psalmist said. Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Set a whole new light on, doesn't it? You see, we need to be people who are zealous for good things. Let me share another verse with you.

Over in the book of Proverbs, the third chapter, the 27th verse, it says this: Do not withhold. Good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. In other words, if you have the power to do good to somebody, Then you need to do it. Don't withhold it from them. Over in Proverbs chapter 11, verse number 23, it reads this way. The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. The desire of the righteous man is that he wants to do good. He has in his heart a desire to do things that are kind and thoughtful.

It says over in Galatians chapter 6. You know the verse? Verse number 9, and let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Paul says, listen, in your acts of kindness and doing good, don't get tired of doing it. Don't grow weary. Don't stop. Because the tendency is to quit. You do kind things to people, and you keep doing kind things to people, and you keep doing thoughtful deeds to people, and nobody does any thoughtful, kind deeds to you.

So, what do you do? I'm not doing that anymore. But what was your motive to do it in the first place?

So Paul says, don't grow weary, because one day you will reap a harvest. It's going to come. So, therefore, as often as you have opportunity, you need to do good to all men, especially those who are in the household of faith. Those who are fellow believers. Remember Ephesians 2:10? That we are the workmanship of Christ, having been created in Christ Jesus to do what? Good works. Titus. Titus is filled with exhortations to do good, and he's only got three chapters. But in Titus 1, verse number 8, it says of the deacons that they are to love what is good.

It says in verse number 7 about young men. That in all things, show yourself to be an example of good deeds. Over in chapter 2, verse number 14, it says. That Christ gave him for us, that he might redeem us from every lawless deed, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous. For good deeds, excited about doing the good things, fired up about serving his fellow man. So Peter comes back, and the very first thing he says to those people who think, you know what, life just really isn't fair.

Things around me are crumbling. I don't like what's happening to me. Peter says, Okay, if you don't like what's happening to you, then do this. Do good. And do it with a passion. Be zealous to do good. Listen to what John said in 3 John, verse number 11. He said these words Beloved Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God. The one who does evil Has not seen God. That's pretty clear, isn't it? Beloved, imitate good. Do the good thing. Remember when Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:7, and we'll come back to this at the end of our time this evening.

When he said those very familiar words, when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Well, if we're going to please the Lord, then we've got to pursue with a passion. Goodness toward our fellow man, specifically in the context to those who persecute you, to those who are against you, to those who do not like you, to those who are your enemies. See? That's what Christ would say over and over again.

If you purposely hurt people, if you purposely steal from people, If you purposely speak evil of people and slander them and come against them, then you deserve to be treated with harm, right? But Peter comes back and says, Listen, who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? If you have an intense desire to do that which is good, if you have an enthusiastic passion, if you are craving that which is good and do good, who is going to harm you? Now, think about it this way. Peter uses the word zealous.

Remember Simon the zealot? He was one of the apostles of the Lord Jesus. The Zealots were a political organization that pledged to free Israel from foreign rule, and they would do everything they could to free the Jewish nation. If it took violence, they'd use violence. If it required assassination, they would assassinate someone. They were zealous to free their people. They were fanatics about freeing their people. Peter uses that word and says, Listen, as Jewish people, you need to be zealous about doing good to those who are against you.

Being kind to them. We all know what Paul said in Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12, verse number 20. If your enemy is hungry, you feed him. If he's thirsty, you give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals upon his head, to not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Don't be overcome by evil, but you overcome evil with good. And you heap burning coals of shame upon the head of that individual because of their ill treatment of you. See, I told you you'd like to think, you know, I don't want to do that.

For most of you, you're probably thinking, I'm not going to do any more acts of kindness. I'm done doing good. Well, if you are, then beware. Beware, because that is the heart of the believer. A desire, a craving, an intensity. To do good, one man said this way: No heart is good that is not passionate for good. It's only when a man falls in love with goodness that the wrong things begin to lose their fascination. Did you get that? It's only when a man falls in love with goodness that the wrong things begin to lose their fascination.

The wrong things meaning the evil things, the wrong things meaning the vengeful things, the wrong things meaning all those things that are opposite of good. And when goodness becomes the soul, Passion of my life, then the wrong things begin to lose their fascination. I don want to do them anymore. I want to do the right thing for the honor and glory of God. What are you passionate about? What are you zealous for? What are you enthusiastic about? Is it goodness? Kindness? Thoughtfulness? Deeds of mercy?

When life's not fair, pursue with a passion that which is good. There were two. If you didn't like the first one, you're not going to like the second one.

Ponder your blessing. Ponder your blessing. You know, some of you have been involved in situations where you have sought to do good, and you've done it for weeks, months, maybe even years. With very little or no return on your investment. And you're thinking, well, If I've done good and nothing's happened, in fact, things have only gotten worse, not better. What am I to do? Peter says, ponder your blessing. And you say, what blessing? I'm not blessed. I'm cursed. I'm cursed because everything around me is crumbling.

I'm cursed because things aren't right. I'm cursed because what is going on here? And Peter says, no, no, quite the opposite. You're blessed. And I want you to ponder your blessing. Listen to what he says. But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness. If you do good, who is there to harm you? Nobody. But just in case you do good. And you're kind and you're loving and you exemplify a Christ-like spirit. You're honoring the Lord with your thoughts and your words and your attitude. If you're doing those things, And you still suffer for the sake of righteousness, what's he say?

You are, what's the next word? Blessed. You're blessed if if what you're doing is following what the Word of the Lord says And your Christ-like spirit is being demonstrated, and you're still suffering for the sake of righteousness. You stand firm on the word of the Lord, you love the Lord, you're not going to back down from your convictions, and you're going to honor Him with all of your heart, and the things around you still are bad. Peter says, Guess what? You're blessed.