Let me start by saying that this will be my last blog entry until September. I'm taking the remainder of the summer off and looking forward to how the Lord will speak to me personally during this time. July is full of events and a vacation. In August I'm actually taking a month off from preaching at PBC. While I will be in attendance for the majority of those Sunday services, the sabbatical provides an opportunity to enjoy the Lord for my own personal growth. I'm finally going to take those 40 days that I shared about a couple of months ago.
Since this is my last blog entry for a while, I thought hard about what I could share with you. I wanted to ensure that I could give you something that would bring encouragement and possibly challenge you to go deeper with the Lord. The verse above provides just that.
Other translations of 1 Peter 3:15 tell us to "sanctify" the Lord in your heart. In other words, set Him apart. It's an encouragement to always keep Jesus as Lord of your heart. There are so many things that would pull our heart in different directions. However, as we establish His Lordship in our lives we are able to live according to His definition of us, follow His leadership in every area, and keep Him the "main thing" in all that we do. Jesus doesn't seek to be 1 of many priorities. He longs to be the #1 priority in your life. In this way we are able to walk in the abundant life that He provides. We are also able to display to the world what devotion to Him looks like, acts like, and feels like.
The second admonition of this verse is to "always be prepared to give an answer (or make a defense). Living with a heart that is purely devoted to the Lordship of Christ will always provide opportunities to give an answer. You life will look much different than the rest of the world (and even some in the church). People will want to know what the secret is to the hope that you carry. How is it that you are able to have peace in the midst of difficulty, joy in the midst of sorrow, and love in the midst of tribulations. When Jesus is Lord of your life then you will be walking in the love, joy, and peace that is found in the Kingdom of God. So be ready to answer those people with "gentleness" and "respect." They don't need you to preach to them. They simply want an answer.
Think about it:
Your children will have questions about the change in your nature.
Your spouse will long to know more about the "presence" you carry.
Your co-workers will want to experience what is going on in your life.
This was true in the life of Jesus and it will be true in your life as well. Have you ever noticed how comfortable the common people were with Jesus. They didn't have any problems approaching Him or being in His presence. Why? The didn't have any issues because Jesus lived within the peace and joy of the Kingdom. He was always aware of who He was and Whose He was. This type of life keeps us from living in judgement and condemnation. And the world is always amazed when the followers of Christ don't seem "religious." I don't blame them.
Not only do you need to think about where the questions will come from, you need to think about how you are going to answer them. This is where you will need to move from knowledge to experience. Don't get me wrong. You will need to know what you believe and why you believe it. However, too many people have taking this verse and increased in apologetics rather than application. In other words, they like to give a good argument but they don't have an experience to back it up. As you set the Lord apart in your heart then you will move into a realm of experience like never before. The sabbatical that I'm going into isn't about increasing in knowledge. It's about increasing in an experiential relationship. I'm looking to experiencing the Lord. The people that come to you are not looking for knowledge alone. They will want to know how to move into the lifestyle that you have put on display. They will want to know what makes your relationship with your family work. They will want to know how to walk in joy. They will want to know the hope that is in you.
I pray that over these next few weeks that you will experience that hope. I trust that the Holy Spirit in you will spring up like a fountain that not only brings refreshment to your soul but also flows out like rivers of living water. You have the opportunity to bring peace and healing to every person you come in contact with. So don't wait - go ahead and set the Lord apart in your heart, begin to experience Him daily, and release what He gives to you to others.
I hope your summer is filled with wonderful experiences in Him. I also look forward to sharing with you the incredible bounty the Lord shares with me during my time away. These are exciting days. Don't miss out on this leg of the journey. It promises to be amazing!
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