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Scripture
1 Peter 3:12-22
1 - The following comes from an Australian paraphrase of the
Bible called "Laughing Bird."
2 - It's named after the “Kookaburra,”
an ornothological symbol of the Holy Spirit's "power to spread
joy and laughter, to remind people not to take themselves too
seriously, and to confront and overcome forces of evil."
1 – Let's listen to 1 Peter 3:12-22 through this “Laughing
Bird.”
(brief pause)
2 - It is unlikely that anyone will be out to get you because of
your enthusiasm for doing what is good.
1 - But even if some do set out to make you suffer for doing the
right thing, you are still on a winner.
2 - Don't be afraid of them, and don't let them get you down.
1 - Stand your ground, and give your allegiance and obedience to
Christ before all others.
2 - Be ready to explain yourself to everybody who questions why
you live with such confidence.
1 - Don't be pushy or aggressive, but never hesitate to give
them a quiet and respectful answer.
2 - Keep your nose clean so that if things turn nasty, and
somebody starts misrepresenting your commitment to doing what is
right as followers of Christ, your record will speak for itself.
1 - If you have made sure that the mud won't stick to you, those
who throw it will end up wearing it themselves.
2 - There is no shame in suffering if it is a consequence of
doing the good that God asks of you, but if you suffer because
you are involved in corruption, you have got only yourselves to
blame. After all:
1 - The Messiah copped the consequences of human corruption and
suffered them all in one hit.
2 - He who had done only what is right suffered for those who
had done wrong in order to bring you home to God.
1 - He was killed by human hands but made alive by the Spirit.
2 - In the spirit, he went and preached freedom to those who
refused God's way in past generations and whose spirits have
remained in prison ever since.
1 - In their own day, God had given them every chance.
2 - While Noah was building his boat, for example, there was
plenty of time for people to realize why and change their ways,
but in the end a mere eight people were saved from the waters by
getting into that lifeboat.
1 - Their experience was a bit of a preview of the way baptism
saves you.
2 - It is not just a bath to clean up your appearance.
1 - Rather, you are pulled from the water to a new life so that
you can stand before God with a clear conscience.
2 - You are raised from death to life with Jesus the Messiah,
who has since taken his place in heaven as God's right hand man,
and he has the last word on everything and everyone.
1 - There is no authority or power, human or angel, that can
overrule him.
©2002 Nathan Nettleton
LaughingBird.net
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