WEBVTT
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This program is made
possible by the giving
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of the God called partners
of Renner Ministries.
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Get ready for a teaching
that feeds your spirit
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and your mind where the
word is the anchor in
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uncertain times.
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And doctrine doesn't bend to culture.
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We keep it simple,
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but dive deep revealing a
truth that strengthens us,
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a love that emboldens,
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and a mission that touches the world.
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Let's join Rick Renner.
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Welcome to today's program, my friend.
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It is the 1st of the week
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and today I'm beginning a brand new series called, What the
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Bible Says About Relationships,
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and it's going to cover the
whole gamut of relationships:
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employers, employees, husbands and wives, brothers
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and sisters in the church.
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What should be your
attitude toward politicians.
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We're going to cover all of it,
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and it's really going to be helpful.
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So please join me today
to the end of the program
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and every day this week as we discuss
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Bible Says About Relationships and go online
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or give us a call to order this 5-part series,
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which comes with a wonderful study guide.
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And we're offering you right now the Green
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Volume of the RIV.
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That is Vol.II.
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Vol.I was James and Jude.
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This is 1st & 2nd Peter,
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and we are really taking a deep dive into various topics in
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the book of 1st Peter.
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And this week we're gonna
be looking at what Peter had
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to say about relationships,
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but the RIV is the Renner Interpretive Version.
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It's a parallel study
Bible for people of faith.
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So if you consider yourself
to be a person of faith,
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here is the study Bible
you've been waiting for.
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And when you dive into it, you are going
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to be stunned when you see
what is in the commentary
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and all the footnotes.
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It is just amazing.
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It is a treasure trove waiting
for your eyes and your heart.
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So please go online to order
it and all these other things,
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or you can give us a call.
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And I wanna say thank you for being a partner. Partner,
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we need you and you're so important to us.
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Don't ever let the devil tell you that
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what you do is insignificant.
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You are very significant
to taking the teaching
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of the Bible to the ends of the earth.
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And I just want to say thank you.
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And if you're not a partner
yet, I want to ask you
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to please pray about becoming a partner.
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We need you and together we can really do
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something significant.
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And I also want to remind
you that if you need prayer,
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call the number on the screen
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and please write it down and save it.
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So later on, if you're not watching TV
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and you don't see the
number on the screen,
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but you need prayer, you
have that number to call
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and you can call us
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and we will always be here to pray for you
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and we will really pray.
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Maybe you would prefer to send an email.
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Well, you can write the
email address on the screen.
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Either way, whether you call
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or whether you write to
us, we are really going
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to pray for you.
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But reach for your Bible.
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We always use the Bible in this program,
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and we're believing for Revival of the Bible in the church.
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We need to have the word of
God preached from every pulpit
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of the land.
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But today we're gonna turn to 1st Peter,
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and we're going to today begin
talking about a whole gamut
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of relationships.
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So I want you to open
your Bible to 1st Peter,
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and I want you to go if you would please
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to 2:17.
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And I'm gonna be teaching
directly today from the RIV.
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And I'm going to warn you
in advance that I'm going
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to be reading a lot of information,
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but it's very, very important.
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But let's begin in 1 Peter 2:17,
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where Peter says in the King James Version,
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Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God,
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honor the king.
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So in this verse,
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we have a pretty big
gamut of relationships.
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We have all men, we have the
brotherhood, we have God,
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and we even have a
statement about how we are
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to honor the king or to honor
those that are in authority.
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So let's begin at the
very beginning of verse 17
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where the King James
Version says, honor all men.
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Now you might say, well,
what does that really mean?
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Does it really mean I'm
supposed to honor all men?
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Well, listen to how the RIV interprets it.
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The RIV says - Esteem, honor and value everyone.
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And that really means everyone
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with no one excluded.
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You have to remember that Jesus gave his life for everyone.
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He even gave his life for those who crucified him.
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He gave his life for those who tried
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to sabotage his ministry.
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He didn't just love people who
loved him, he loved everyone.
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And here we find in the same
spirit, we are commended
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by Peter that we are to honor all men.
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Now, you might say, well, what does
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that word honor really mean?
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Well, they are, ivy interprets
it, esteem, honor, and value.
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And the reason that it is interpreted like
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that is explained in footnote No.406,
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which says - The words "esteem, honor,
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and value" are a translation of the Greek word, timao.
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But here it is the direct form which means it is a command
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which means to honor to hold something
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or someone so valuable that it's cherished,
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precious, prized, treasured,
valuable and very dear.
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And here Peter uses a direct form
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of this Greek word telling
us this is a command - he's
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commanding us to esteem, honor
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and value everyone.
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You say really everyone.
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Well, the RIV translates it everyone.
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And that really means everyone
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with no one excluded.
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Wow. And footnote No.407 explains -
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The words "everyone,
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and that really means everyone
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with no one excluded" are a translation
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of the Greek word pantas, which is an all inclusive word
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that means everyone with no exceptions.
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And the word "men" in this verse does not appear in the
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original Greek, but it's applied, it's understood
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by the word pantas, which includes all men.
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So here we find that we are to esteem, honor
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and value everyone,
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and that really means
everyone with no one excluded.
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Well, that's already a challenge
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because there are some people
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with whom you have a
difficult relationship.
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There may be people who oppose you, people
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that are aggressively against you,
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but yet in some way, in
the spirit of Christ,
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we are commanded to honor
all men to esteem, to honor
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and value everyone.
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And that really means
everyone with no one excluded.
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Well, this already is
gonna take us to our knees
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because we need to pray and
we need to ask for grace,
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and we need to ask for mercy
to help us to esteem, honor
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and value everyone.
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But then Peter adds and he says - love the brotherhood.
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The RIV says - You must love the brotherhood
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with a profound love
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and hold them in the highest admiration.
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Well, what do we mean by brotherhood?
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And I wanna read to you from footnote No.
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409, which says - The word "brotherhood" is a translation
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of a Greek word, which is derived from the word adelphos,
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which is the Greek word for a natural born brother.
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But it was also importantly
popularized at the time
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of Alexander the Great in a military sense
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to depict comrades in battle.
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Here it speaks of believers
spiritual relationship
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as being brothers in Christ,
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but also being comrades
in the fight of faith.
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Peter used a form of this
word which depicts brotherhood
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or comrades in the faith.
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And here we find that believers have a special brotherhood
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with a bond unlike any other, and
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therefore a special
commitment to it is required.
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Wow. So first of all, we
have found out that we're
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to steam honor and value everyone,
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and that really means
everyone with no one excluded.
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Second, he says, you must love thou brotherhood.
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We're talking about the comrades in faith, the people you go
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to church with, the people
that are you are related
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to in Christ.
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And we must love them with a profound love
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that holds them in the highest admiration.
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And that is a translation of a
form of the Greek word agape,
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which describes the highest level love.
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But then he adds - fear
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God. That's what the King James translation says.
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But the RIV says -
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You must fear God always holding him in awe,
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respect and reverence.
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Sometimes when people hear
that they're to fear God,
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they think it means that they're
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to quake and they're to tremble.
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And certainly there is a
time when you can quake
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and tremble in the presence of God.
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But in this particular case,
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we read in footnote No.410 the words,
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"you must fear God always holding him in awe,
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respect and reverence" are an interpretation of a form
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of the Greek word phobos which can be interpreted
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as hush, amazement,
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or it can be translated as alarm, fear
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or respect or reverential fear
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or indicate a fear that results from a threatening
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or alarming circumstance.
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But in this particular case, this does not describe a spirit
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of fear like we read about in 2 Timothy
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1:7,
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but here it's talking about a healthy dose of respect
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and reverence for God.
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And this is a message that believers in all ages of history,
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past and future must remember - we're
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to have a good healthy dose of respect for God
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and remember who he is.
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We need to have a respect for him.
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And that's why the RIV translates
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that you must fear God always holding him in awe,
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respect and reverence.
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But then the King James Version adds honor the king.
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Well, the king at this particular moment was Nero
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and Peter who wrote this was going to be executed by Nero.
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The apostle Paul was also executed by Nero.
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And it seems that Paul
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and Peter were executed on the same day.
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Peter was crucified upside down.
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Paul was beheaded, the two
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of them dying on the same day at the hands
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of the emperor Nero.
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And yet here Peter says, honor the king.
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This is not questionable.
This is not optionable.
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This is a command in the Greek tense.
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He is saying honor the king.
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And the readers at that time understood,
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he meant honor Nero.
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And the RIV actually says,
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and it is essential
that you esteem, respect
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and hold in high regard the king.
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Wow, that must have been a very difficult message for them
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to swallow because many people were suffering at the hands
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of Nero, but he was the established authority.
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And Christians are never called to rebel
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and to be disrespectful of authority.
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Now, sometimes when I hear Christians speak, I'm amazed at
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how they say such horrible things about those
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that are in authority because they don't like them.
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Well, it's okay that you don't agree with them,
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but my friends Christians are never, ever,
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ever called to be rude.
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And in fact, we are told in 1 Peter 2:
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1, that we're to put away all evil speaking - we're
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to put away all evil speaking.
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And let me remind you about what that word -
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evil speaking - means.
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The RIV translates it like this:
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And along with this, put away all belittling, crushing,
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degrading, demeaning, denigrating, depreciating,
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discourteous, disdainful, insulting, rude forms of speech.
258
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And you must stop the business of talking down to others
259
00:12:33.670 --> 00:12:36.850
or speaking derogatorily to
260
00:12:36.850 --> 00:12:40.690
or about them as this is a completely inappropriate
261
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and unwholesome manner of speech.
262
00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:45.430
Any person that is in dwelt by the spirit
263
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of God should not denigrate
another human being,
264
00:12:48.040 --> 00:12:52.660
even if you don't agree with
them, you're never sanctioned
265
00:12:52.660 --> 00:12:55.600
by God to be denigrating
of another person.
266
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Jesus didn't do that.
267
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And my friends, we are to
walk in the steps of Jesus.
268
00:13:00.640 --> 00:13:03.250
And now Peter remarkably says to believers
269
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that are being persecuted
by the king, he says,
270
00:13:07.810 --> 00:13:10.690
And it's essential that you esteem, respect
271
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and hold in high regard the king.
272
00:13:14.620 --> 00:13:17.530
And let me tell you, friends,
when you buck authority,
273
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it never works out well for you.
274
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But when you respect authority,
275
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things tend to go better for you.
276
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And that leads us to the next verse.
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And the next verse is about slavery.
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In the Roman Empire,
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there were about 10 million slaves -
280
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10 million. 20%
281
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of the Roman population were slaves.
282
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The city of Rome had about 950,000 residents.
283
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And of the 950,000 residents between 300
284
00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.870
and 350,000 were slaves.
285
00:13:52.870 --> 00:13:55.570
So when we talk about
slavery in the Roman Empire,
286
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it was widespread.
287
00:13:57.520 --> 00:13:59.470
It was a fixture in society.
288
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They couldn't even imagine
life without slavery.
289
00:14:03.070 --> 00:14:05.830
But slavery in the Roman Empire was very,
290
00:14:05.830 --> 00:14:09.010
very different than American slavery.
291
00:14:09.010 --> 00:14:12.340
And when most of my
viewers hear about slavery,
292
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they think about the
American form of slavery,
293
00:14:14.710 --> 00:14:16.240
which was brutal.
294
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It was horrible.
295
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It was something that should
have never taken place.
296
00:14:19.780 --> 00:14:23.620
But Roman slavery was very different than
297
00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:24.820
American slavery.
298
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So I want to explain
299
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to you about slavery in the Roman Empire.
300
00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:31.030
And actually when you come to verse 18,
301
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it says servants, and the word servants
302
00:14:32.800 --> 00:14:36.850
here is a word which describes a household slave:
303
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a household slave.
304
00:14:38.800 --> 00:14:40.990
And I'm gonna read to you from my book
305
00:14:40.990 --> 00:14:43.480
because I want you to really
understand all of this,
306
00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:45.550
and I don't want to miss one point.
307
00:14:45.550 --> 00:14:48.490
So please forgive me for reading a lot but I want you
308
00:14:48.490 --> 00:14:52.040
to pay attention because
this verse is very important.
309
00:14:52.040 --> 00:14:54.050
And you will see that it really does have
310
00:14:54.050 --> 00:14:55.910
application for your life.
311
00:14:55.910 --> 00:14:59.360
These slaves found themselves in a relationship
312
00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:01.520
that they were unable to change.
313
00:15:01.520 --> 00:15:03.260
They were unable to change it.
314
00:15:03.260 --> 00:15:07.370
They were born into slavery, or they were sold into slavery.
315
00:15:07.370 --> 00:15:10.220
It was a status that they were unable to change.
316
00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:12.620
And again, there were many, many different kinds
317
00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:14.630
of slaves in the Roman Empire.
318
00:15:14.630 --> 00:15:16.310
So let me read to you from the text.
319
00:15:16.310 --> 00:15:20.690
This word depicts household
servants or household slaves.
320
00:15:20.690 --> 00:15:24.320
Slavery was a common practice
both in ancient Greek culture
321
00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.270
and later in the Roman Empire.
322
00:15:26.270 --> 00:15:28.250
There were two primary categories
323
00:15:28.250 --> 00:15:31.700
of slaves in the Roman world: public slaves
324
00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:33.290
and private slaves.
325
00:15:33.290 --> 00:15:37.190
Slavery was such an integral
part of Roman society
326
00:15:37.190 --> 00:15:41.090
that slaves could be found in
almost every realm of life.
327
00:15:41.090 --> 00:15:43.670
Slaves were often very educated.
328
00:15:43.670 --> 00:15:46.040
Their gifts and talents
were highly valued.
329
00:15:46.040 --> 00:15:48.980
Many slaves were medical doctors.
330
00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:52.100
Many slaves were
philosophers and educators
331
00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:56.660
and slaves of wealthy masters
often held trusted positions
332
00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:57.830
in their homes.
333
00:15:57.830 --> 00:16:00.140
They were palace stewards,
they were secretaries,
334
00:16:00.140 --> 00:16:01.850
they were financial managers,
335
00:16:01.850 --> 00:16:05.960
and they managed vast fortunes
on behalf of their masters.
336
00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:10.040
And highly educated slaves
were used for the education
337
00:16:10.040 --> 00:16:11.660
of Roman children.
338
00:16:11.660 --> 00:16:13.970
So were the slaves of many, many kinds.
339
00:16:13.970 --> 00:16:17.870
In the Roman Empire, for example: Socrates was a slave,
340
00:16:17.870 --> 00:16:19.280
Aristotle was a slave.
341
00:16:19.280 --> 00:16:22.370
Most people don't know
that, but they were slaves.
342
00:16:22.370 --> 00:16:25.610
But listen to this: the possibility
343
00:16:25.610 --> 00:16:29.270
that their masters might
eventually grant them freedom,
344
00:16:29.270 --> 00:16:33.410
encourage slaves to remain
obedient and respectful
345
00:16:33.410 --> 00:16:36.470
and to prove themselves faithful.
346
00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:38.540
So by being respectful
347
00:16:38.540 --> 00:16:41.990
and by being obedient, they
put themselves in a position
348
00:16:41.990 --> 00:16:46.130
where they might just be
freed by their master.
349
00:16:46.130 --> 00:16:49.010
And the only way they could
be freed is if their master
350
00:16:49.010 --> 00:16:50.840
gave them freedom.
351
00:16:50.840 --> 00:16:54.320
So now when you come to this
verse, Peter is speaking
352
00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:55.820
to his audience
353
00:16:55.820 --> 00:16:59.090
and a great number of
his audience are slaves.
354
00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:02.600
When people begin to come to
faith in the 1st century,
355
00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:06.770
the biggest groups to come to
faith were women and slaves.
356
00:17:06.770 --> 00:17:09.380
These were the two biggest
groups to come to faith.
357
00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:12.740
There were also slave
owners who came to Christ.
358
00:17:12.740 --> 00:17:15.620
And this created a very unique situation
359
00:17:15.620 --> 00:17:17.180
because here was a slave owner
360
00:17:17.180 --> 00:17:19.310
and at home he was the master.
361
00:17:19.310 --> 00:17:24.290
He had a slave but both he and his slave got saved. At home
362
00:17:24.290 --> 00:17:26.510
there was a distinction in their relationship.
363
00:17:26.510 --> 00:17:29.060
But when they went to church, all
364
00:17:29.060 --> 00:17:30.740
of these distinctions disappeared
365
00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:33.410
because in Christ, there's
neither bonded nor free.
366
00:17:33.410 --> 00:17:35.000
So in church they were equal,
367
00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:36.710
but when they went home,
368
00:17:36.710 --> 00:17:39.650
they had a very different
distinction between them.
369
00:17:39.650 --> 00:17:41.600
There was a lot of confusion.
370
00:17:41.600 --> 00:17:44.360
It was very difficult for
them to navigate these very,
371
00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:47.540
very complicated relationships.
372
00:17:47.540 --> 00:17:51.090
But Peter says to them in 1 Peter 2:18,
373
00:17:51.090 --> 00:17:52.770
It is essential.
374
00:17:52.770 --> 00:17:54.300
Now I'm reading to you from the RIV.
375
00:17:55.740 --> 00:17:58.080
Well, let's begin with
the King James Version.
376
00:17:58.080 --> 00:18:01.920
It says - Be subject to your masters with all fear.
377
00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:03.630
Well, that's very succinct,
378
00:18:03.630 --> 00:18:06.390
and it misses so much in the Greek text.
379
00:18:06.390 --> 00:18:09.150
That's why the RIV interprets it -
380
00:18:09.150 --> 00:18:13.740
It is essential to recognize those with authority over you
381
00:18:13.740 --> 00:18:16.830
and to respectfully align yourselves under them
382
00:18:16.830 --> 00:18:19.860
with a submissive attitude.
383
00:18:19.860 --> 00:18:22.530
This does not mean he was encouraging slavery.
384
00:18:22.530 --> 00:18:25.800
They were slaves. There was nothing they could do about it.
385
00:18:25.800 --> 00:18:27.690
But if they were good slaves
386
00:18:27.690 --> 00:18:30.510
and if they aligned themselves under their masters
387
00:18:30.510 --> 00:18:32.610
with a submissive and a right attitude,
388
00:18:32.610 --> 00:18:37.230
it might eventually lead to them being set free.
389
00:18:37.230 --> 00:18:39.960
And so Peter wants them to be good slaves,
390
00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:41.760
respectful slaves.
391
00:18:41.760 --> 00:18:43.500
And the RIV goes on to say,
392
00:18:43.500 --> 00:18:46.080
And in this right respectful attitude,
393
00:18:46.080 --> 00:18:48.270
you must demonstrate reverence.
394
00:18:48.270 --> 00:18:50.610
It's a form of the Greek word phobos,
395
00:18:50.610 --> 00:18:52.440
which can be translated as fear.
396
00:18:52.440 --> 00:18:55.260
But here it carries the idea
of respect and reverence.
397
00:18:55.260 --> 00:18:58.920
You must demonstrate
reverence for your masters.
398
00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:01.140
Now, here's what the Greek really says.
399
00:19:01.140 --> 00:19:06.140
Whose legal authority over you is real and unquestioned.
400
00:19:06.270 --> 00:19:08.820
That's what Peter speaks to his audience.
401
00:19:08.820 --> 00:19:12.060
He says, your master's authority over you is real.
402
00:19:12.060 --> 00:19:15.000
It is legal and it is unquestioned.
403
00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.210
That does not mean that Peter agreed with slavery,
404
00:19:18.210 --> 00:19:22.500
but the fact is that is the relational condition
405
00:19:22.500 --> 00:19:25.710
they were stuck in - like it or not.
406
00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:27.480
And they could not own with their master
407
00:19:27.480 --> 00:19:30.450
because that was the law of the land.
408
00:19:30.450 --> 00:19:32.310
They were in a relationship
409
00:19:32.310 --> 00:19:34.380
that they didn't have the power to change.
410
00:19:34.380 --> 00:19:36.600
So Peter's trying to tell them how to thrive in
411
00:19:36.600 --> 00:19:38.070
that relationship.
412
00:19:38.070 --> 00:19:41.460
And he goes on to say, this not only applies to the masters
413
00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:45.930
who are good, equitable, fair, gentle, just, kind, mild
414
00:19:45.930 --> 00:19:50.310
and moderate, and who celebrate your service to them.
415
00:19:50.310 --> 00:19:54.120
But it also means you must be respectful to masters
416
00:19:54.120 --> 00:19:59.120
who are bent, crooked, perverse, unfair, or warped.
417
00:19:59.250 --> 00:20:04.080
Wow! And those words - bent, crooked, perverse, unfair
418
00:20:04.080 --> 00:20:05.940
or warped", in Greek
419
00:20:05.940 --> 00:20:08.070
is the word scoliosis; it's
420
00:20:08.070 --> 00:20:09.390
where you get the medical condition
421
00:20:09.390 --> 00:20:14.190
scoliosis, which is a spine that is bent, a spine
422
00:20:14.190 --> 00:20:16.950
that is twisted, or a
spine that is warped.
423
00:20:16.950 --> 00:20:18.270
But here, this word is used
424
00:20:18.270 --> 00:20:22.410
to describe the character
are really bad slave owners.
425
00:20:22.410 --> 00:20:24.360
Wow, who were twisted.
426
00:20:24.360 --> 00:20:27.750
In fact, the Greek actually
means bent, crooked, perverse,
427
00:20:27.750 --> 00:20:29.370
unfair, or warped.
428
00:20:29.370 --> 00:20:32.370
And Peter says, it doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter.
429
00:20:32.370 --> 00:20:34.590
You're stuck in a bad place.
430
00:20:34.590 --> 00:20:38.250
And whether your slave owners are good, equitable, fair,
431
00:20:38.250 --> 00:20:41.070
gentle, just kind, mild or moderate,
432
00:20:41.070 --> 00:20:42.930
and celebrate your service to them.
433
00:20:42.930 --> 00:20:46.560
Or if they are bent, crooked, perverse, unfair
434
00:20:46.560 --> 00:20:51.560
or warped, you must be respectful to them.
435
00:20:51.910 --> 00:20:54.700
That is the relationship that you are in.
436
00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:59.440
And God never tolerates a Christian to be disrespectful.
437
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.200
Even if you feel you
are not being respected,
438
00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:06.370
it does not give you the
right to repay another person
439
00:21:06.370 --> 00:21:07.480
with disrespect.
440
00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:12.130
We are called to the very
highest level as believers.
441
00:21:12.130 --> 00:21:14.260
And so now in today's program,
442
00:21:14.260 --> 00:21:17.080
Peter has talked about
honoring the brotherhood,
443
00:21:17.080 --> 00:21:20.800
honoring all men, loving
God, honoring the king.
444
00:21:20.800 --> 00:21:24.460
And he's even addressed
people like slaves.
445
00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:26.080
Maybe you're not a slave,
446
00:21:26.080 --> 00:21:29.110
but maybe you find yourself stuck in an employment situation
447
00:21:29.110 --> 00:21:31.240
that is really, really difficult.
448
00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:33.910
Or maybe you find yourself
in a marriage where you feel
449
00:21:33.910 --> 00:21:35.170
that you're being abused.
450
00:21:35.170 --> 00:21:37.210
Well, today we have a legal recourse.
451
00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:39.850
These slaves had no recourse at all.
452
00:21:39.850 --> 00:21:41.980
That's where they were stuck.
453
00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:45.760
And now Peter is giving them
advice from the Holy Spirit
454
00:21:45.760 --> 00:21:48.940
about how to thrive in
a difficult situation.
455
00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:50.320
And if you will get on your knees
456
00:21:50.320 --> 00:21:54.250
and pray, the Holy Spirit
will give you instruction
457
00:21:54.250 --> 00:21:55.570
from this verse.
458
00:21:55.570 --> 00:21:57.940
I'll be back in just a moment
and I'm going to pray for you.
459
00:22:05.770 --> 00:22:06.880
This is Rick Renner,
460
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.930
and somebody has asked a great question - Is it possible
461
00:22:10.930 --> 00:22:15.670
to be a godly man or a woman in today's world?
462
00:22:15.670 --> 00:22:17.470
And the answer is - Yes!
463
00:22:17.470 --> 00:22:21.820
You have the power of the
Holy Spirit living inside you.
464
00:22:21.820 --> 00:22:25.480
And the truth is, God's people
have always lived in the
465
00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:26.770
midst of darkness.
466
00:22:26.770 --> 00:22:29.560
Whether it was God's people in Egypt
467
00:22:29.560 --> 00:22:31.750
or the people in the New
Testament who were surrounded
468
00:22:31.750 --> 00:22:34.990
by a pagan culture, the
spirit of God in all
469
00:22:34.990 --> 00:22:38.290
of them enabled them to rise above it all.
470
00:22:38.290 --> 00:22:42.460
They had a faith that overcomes the world and so do you.
471
00:22:42.460 --> 00:22:44.560
And even when you feel like you're surrounded
472
00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:48.940
by godlessness, you have within you all the goods
473
00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:50.290
you need to rise above it
474
00:22:50.290 --> 00:22:53.290
all; my friends, you really have a faith
475
00:22:53.290 --> 00:22:55.870
that overcomes the world.
476
00:22:55.870 --> 00:22:59.890
So say yes, even though
I'm surrounded by darkness,
477
00:22:59.890 --> 00:23:04.890
I can live as a godly believer
here in the end of the age.
478
00:23:05.230 --> 00:23:08.680
Starting this week, you
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484
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486
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In this new 5-part series,
487
00:23:29.230 --> 00:23:31.900
What the Bible Says About Relationships,
488
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489
00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:37.600
how spiritual maturity is
expressed in your treatment
490
00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:40.390
of others: from your spouse to your leaders.
491
00:23:40.390 --> 00:23:41.980
Whether you're married or single,
492
00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:44.470
this series will give you practical insight
493
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494
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496
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497
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510
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Hey, this is Rick Renner,
511
00:24:40.280 --> 00:24:43.790
and today I'm in the Tulsa office
512
00:24:43.790 --> 00:24:47.030
and this is the Conference
Room or the Boardroom.
513
00:24:47.030 --> 00:24:51.500
And this room is used all the
time for strategic planning
514
00:24:51.500 --> 00:24:53.960
for the gospel and for
the teaching of the Bible,
515
00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:56.300
which we're taking around the world.
516
00:24:56.300 --> 00:24:57.590
And all around this room,
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we have scriptures about wise
counselor and wise planning.
518
00:25:01.640 --> 00:25:03.650
Of course, we have the great
commission on the screen
519
00:25:03.650 --> 00:25:07.220
behind us, and we even have
photographs of all the Board
520
00:25:07.220 --> 00:25:10.520
of Directors of Rick Renner
Ministries who are real board
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00:25:10.520 --> 00:25:12.980
of directors and regularly provide us
522
00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:16.460
with the most wonderful
godly council and advice.
523
00:25:16.460 --> 00:25:18.530
But right now, we're in the process
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00:25:18.530 --> 00:25:21.890
of paying off this facility in Tulsa.
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00:25:21.890 --> 00:25:26.270
And guess what? We've already paid off 81%
526
00:25:26.270 --> 00:25:30.230
of the whole project,
and that is just amazing.
527
00:25:30.230 --> 00:25:32.360
If you consider how long
we've been doing this,
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00:25:32.360 --> 00:25:34.280
it's really not that long.
529
00:25:34.280 --> 00:25:36.800
But because of the grace of God and
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00:25:36.800 --> 00:25:38.600
because of people like you,
531
00:25:38.600 --> 00:25:42.260
we are really making significant progress.
532
00:25:42.260 --> 00:25:44.300
And when we're finished paying off the debt on this
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00:25:44.300 --> 00:25:47.060
building, it's gonna release all these finances
534
00:25:47.060 --> 00:25:49.820
to help us take the teaching
of the Bible further
535
00:25:49.820 --> 00:25:52.220
to the ends of the earth.
536
00:25:52.220 --> 00:25:54.860
So if you want to become
a part of the Giving Team,
537
00:25:54.860 --> 00:25:59.270
we welcome you and together we're gonna remove this debt
538
00:25:59.270 --> 00:26:03.200
and release finances to go further in taking the teaching
539
00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:05.480
of the Bible to the ends of the earth.
540
00:26:12.590 --> 00:26:14.780
Well, today we have covered a lot
541
00:26:14.780 --> 00:26:18.050
of very vital information about relationships,
542
00:26:18.050 --> 00:26:19.550
and I want you to order the whole series,
543
00:26:19.550 --> 00:26:22.850
which is called, What the Bible Says About Relationships.
544
00:26:22.850 --> 00:26:25.610
And remember that right now we're offering the Green Volume,
545
00:26:25.610 --> 00:26:28.610
which is Vol.II of the RIV, which is 1st
546
00:26:28.610 --> 00:26:30.260
& 2nd Peter and my friends,
547
00:26:30.260 --> 00:26:31.670
You need this.
548
00:26:31.670 --> 00:26:34.610
It's called a parallel study Bible for people of faith.
549
00:26:34.610 --> 00:26:36.830
If you consider yourself
to be a person of faith,
550
00:26:36.830 --> 00:26:38.330
you need this.
551
00:26:38.330 --> 00:26:40.670
It will feed your spirit
and feed your mind
552
00:26:40.670 --> 00:26:42.530
and cause you to grow.
553
00:26:42.530 --> 00:26:44.070
But today we've seen
554
00:26:44.070 --> 00:26:46.920
that if we're stuck in a bad relationship
555
00:26:46.920 --> 00:26:50.520
or in a bad situation,
God always expects us
556
00:26:50.520 --> 00:26:52.530
to act like a Christian regardless of
557
00:26:52.530 --> 00:26:54.180
how we're being treated.
558
00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:56.820
And God's grace and mercy will help us.
559
00:26:56.820 --> 00:26:59.250
And Father, we thank you for your grace.
560
00:26:59.250 --> 00:27:01.860
We thank you for the instruction of the Holy Spirit to speak
561
00:27:01.860 --> 00:27:03.510
to us, to teach us how
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00:27:03.510 --> 00:27:07.800
to be respectful even in a very difficult situation -
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00:27:07.800 --> 00:27:11.040
in Jesus' name - Amen.
564
00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:12.300
We'll be back tomorrow,
565
00:27:12.300 --> 00:27:15.930
but until then, remember Ecclesiastes 8:4 says,
566
00:27:15.930 --> 00:27:18.930
"Where the word of a king is, there is power."
567
00:27:19.800 --> 00:27:22.050
If you've never received
Jesus as your Savior
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00:27:22.050 --> 00:27:26.430
and Lord, now is the time for
you to experience a new life
569
00:27:26.430 --> 00:27:28.590
Jesus has to give you.
570
00:27:28.590 --> 00:27:32.670
Pray this prayer with me right now - Lord,
571
00:27:32.670 --> 00:27:36.690
I repent of my sin and receive you as my Savior
572
00:27:36.690 --> 00:27:39.660
and Lord. Wash away my sin
573
00:27:39.660 --> 00:27:42.690
and make me completely new.
574
00:27:42.690 --> 00:27:46.470
I thank you that my sin is removed
575
00:27:46.470 --> 00:27:51.210
and Satan no longer has any
right to lay claim on me.
576
00:27:52.050 --> 00:27:56.010
I faithfully promise that
I will serve you as my Lord
577
00:27:56.010 --> 00:27:57.060
for the rest of my
578
00:27:57.060 --> 00:27:58.875
life.
579
00:27:58.875 --> 00:28:03.540
Amen. If you just prayed the
prayer of salvation with us,
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00:28:03.540 --> 00:28:05.460
would you please let us know by going
581
00:28:05.460 --> 00:28:08.460
to renner.org/salvation?
582
00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:09.960
We would love to connect with you.
583
00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:16.320
Thank you for joining Rick Renner today.
584
00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:18.480
For more information about Renner Ministries
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00:28:18.480 --> 00:28:21.390
and product resources, visit renner.org.