Answering for Our Hope

I would like to begin the sermon today with a question, and that is, why do you believe what you believe? I appreciated the sermonette Mr. Firkke brought us. He pointed to a piece of the pie, right? The Sabbath day and the point of it, and what would you give as an explanation?

And do we remember the purpose and the reason that we do these things? So if someone asks you, why do you believe what you believe, what would your answer be? You know, we've just come through this holiday season in the world around us, the Christmas season, the New Year season, a lot of things happening in the world, and no doubt you were asked that question a number of times. You know, why? Why weren't you at the company Christmas party or the school Christmas party?

Or why aren't you participating in the family reunion on that day? Why was your house the only one on the whole block, not all lit up? Maybe more importantly, how did you answer? You know, was your answer, oh well, you know, I can't afford to spin the meter this year?

You know, sometimes we can deflect the question, we can dodge the question a little bit with an answer that is maybe not exactly a deceit, but maybe just sort of, you know, sidelines it a little bit if we're not quite ready or comfortable to answer that question straight up. What if someone came to you and asked you today, what is the hope that drives your life? You know, I'm your neighbor and I've been watching you, I've been interacting with you, and I notice there's certain things you do do or don't do, or certain times you do them, you dress up in a suit and tie, and your family goes to church on Saturday, and I've noticed things about you are different.

You're not stressed out like the rest of the world, perhaps. And they may ask, what is the hope that drives your life? You know, the Bible tells us we should be able to answer for these things, not aggressively, not defensively, but thoughtfully, and in a way that shows forth our faith in God. We ought to be able to give an answer. And you know, answers can come in different forms, but you know, the answer shouldn't always be, well, here, I've got a booklet on my shelf that talks about why we don't keep these days. You know, a booklet has its time and place, but the fact is, we all, at one form or another, ought to be able to speak up for the things of God, and frankly, the things that we identify with personally in our lives.

The Apostle Peter directly addresses this concept of giving an answer in his writings, and so today I'd like to walk through a very specific verse. It's a memory verse, actually, in the book of 1 Peter, and I want us to look at his words. What does he really tell us to do?

How does he tell us to answer so that we can clearly and decisively know how we need to respond? When someone asks the question, why? Now, you might be asking, why am I giving a sermon now and not, you know, a month ago, right, before the holidays? Well, you know, sometimes these things take a little time to grow in our mind, and we ought to be prepared at all times, which is actually a point of the message today. The title is Answering for our Hope. Answering for our hope. I hope our hope is a part of our identity. And if it is, can we answer for it?

And can we answer well? Let's begin today in 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15. This is going to be our anchor scripture for the message today. 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15, because here Peter speaks to the subject in a setting that might surprise us. You know, sometimes it's easy to give an answer when things are easy, or the environment is easy, or there's not something heavy on the line. But let's just consider the backdrop to this admonition from Peter. 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15, he says, I think sometimes we hesitate to give an answer because maybe we're afraid of what it might cost us.

You know, maybe our answer could cost us a friendship. Maybe it could cost us a job. Maybe even a family relationship. Why don't we do what we used to do, maybe, with the family? If maybe you've been called out of this world and into God's way of life, your way of life has changed.

And sometimes there could be a little bit of a fear factor because of what the cost may indeed be if we speak up. And I do believe we, for the most part, speak up. But sometimes maybe it's a little easy as well just to let the question slide if it's a bit of an uncomfortable circumstance. But as we're going to see, Peter wrote these words to believers who are already facing far more uncomfortable circumstances than most of us probably ever will. Or certainly probably ever have. You know, this was written in a time where the early New Testament church was under a degree of persecution for their belief in Jesus Christ.

His instructions here remind us of the importance of being ready to speak up calmly, thoughtfully, faithfully, in whatever circumstances we may face, even when it's not easy. So you notice 1 Peter 3 verse 15. It starts with this word, but. Okay, so I want us to look at the context. And it starts with but. But means he's carrying on with a thought that was previously given. And so to recognize the context, we want to back up a little bit. So if we go back to verse 14, you see it starts with but. So let's go to verse 13. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 13.

Peter says, And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. Then he goes on to say, But sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and always be ready to give a defense. So these are some unsettling words we could say leading up to this point. He says words like suffer and threats. How many of us have truly suffered for living the truth of God? How many of us have been under severe threat because of this way of life?

Now, maybe a few of you have. But I would say by and large, compared to what Peter is addressing here, most of us have not lived under this level of suffer and threat. So that's before. Let's pop after, then, this focus verse as well. Let's notice verse 16 through 18 and see how the context carries forward.

Verse 16, Peter says, Having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. You know, they'll be ashamed because of actually the truth of the words you speak and the way you live your life. They bring an accusation, but it's not going to stick. Verse 17, For it is better if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. Okay, so sandwiched right in the middle of these verses, speaking about suffering, speaking about threats, speaking about being defamed, Peter says, Always be ready to give a defense for the hope that's within you. And that's not always going to be easy, but it is our calling, brother. It is our calling. So let's read it again, 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

And always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. We're going to break this verse down line by line today so we can be refreshed on how we do this, how we're called to give an answer in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. So I have five points, and each point is just basically a line from this verse. We're going to break this verse down into five points today.

So point number one on how we would give a proper answer begins with, Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. You know, in light of all that Peter has written up to this point, this is where we're told to start. By sanctifying God internally in our hearts first before we even open our mouth to speak. To sanctify something means to set it apart for a holy purpose. You'll recall when Jesus on the final night is praying to his father before his crucifixion.

In John 17 verse 17, he prayed to God, Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Right? He said, set these apart for this holy purpose by the truth of your word. Now, God is already holy. So what does this mean for us to sanctify him in our hearts?

Well, it means for us to treat God as holy in our own thinking. To set him and his calling and his way apart in our minds as something that overrides everything else in terms of our focus. That we place God close to us. That we internalize this relationship. And all that we say and do is driven by the sanctity of God's presence in our life. Because if God is sanctified in our thinking, he will be the focus of the answers we give. So I want us to, kind of through this message, consider this process of actually who and what we are by virtue of God in us. Is what is going to motivate and drive the answers that we give.

And it starts by setting him apart as holy in our own life. Notice how this works. Matthew chapter 12, verse 33. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 33. The words of Jesus Christ. He's been confronted here by the Pharisees and as a response for them to consider.

And it's important for us to consider as well. Matthew chapter 12, verse 33. Jesus says, Verse 34. How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. It's a very important principle. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. In other words, whatever it is that's rolling around in our mind, in our heart, is ultimately and eventually going to come off the end of our tongue. Right?

It's whatever is in here internally, ultimately is going to come out verbally than in the words that we speak. That's just how this process works. So God must be the one who is set apart as the most important consideration of our heart. And if He is there in that way, and we hold Him in that esteem in our life, then our answers will flow forth from that place. Indeed, this level of sanctification must be an internal process long before it ever becomes a verbal one. What's interesting is Peter. You know, we talk about Peter oftentimes around spring Holy Days because we say, here was the Peter before the Holy Spirit denied Christ and somewhat fearful, and here's Peter after, bold and, you know, carrying forward with the things of God.

So Peter, bold Peter, said, right, always be willing to give a defense and to speak from the sanctity of God in your heart. But he even struggled with this principle himself early in his walk with Jesus Christ. Let's notice Matthew 16, verse 21. Matthew 16, verse 21. Again, the emphasis is, how will we speak when the truth of God and the plan of God and the purpose of God is set apart in our heart? Matthew 16 and verse 21, an interesting scripture to walk through.

It says, from that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, the chief priests, the scribes, and be killed and be raised the third day. Okay, so the disciples have been walking, talking with him. They've been hearing him teach, do miracles, and they're thinking, you know, this is the guy, right? This is the Messiah we've been waiting for, the king that will come and liberate us from the Roman oppression. And Jesus takes them aside and says, okay, guys, you need to understand what's going to happen here.

I'm going to be persecuted. I'm going to suffer and die and rise the third day. So imagine what's going through the mind of all of them. Of course, Peter, he had boldness here, too, maybe a little misdirected, but he spoke up.

Verse 22. Peter took him aside, began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall not happen to you. But Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. He says, You are an offense to me, for you're not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men. You know, hard words for Peter to hear, I'm sure. Jesus, if he said, Get behind me, Satan, I think for any of us, that would just be crushing. And yet there was an important point he's making, because this is a very unique and a fascinating exchange taking place. And it illustrates this point clearly, because if God had been sanctified in Peter's heart, I'm sure he was important to Peter.

But we're talking sanctification, which is not just, I love the Lord. It means everything that God is, the words he has given us, the commandments, this way of life, all becomes a part of who and what you are. If God had been sanctified in Peter's heart, he would not have opposed what God was doing through Christ. He would not have stood to oppose the crucifixion at this point, because it was through that process that God's salvation towards mankind would take place.

So Peter's response to Jesus was from the human perspective, wasn't it? It was from a man who was defending his friend. And, you know, I probably would have been there myself. Right? Not so. We'll take up the sword, we'll defend you to the end. But this was the human perspective. It was one of defending Christ, but unfortunately it was not truly pertaining to the things of God. You know, Peter had some things to learn.

Right? Whips out the sword and takes off the ear of the servant of the high priest when they come to arrest Jesus. He wasn't aiming for his ear. Okay? Guy ducked, and he got what he got. From Peter, I guess. But understand, there was something having to be worked through in Peter. This same Peter wrote, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Right? Eventually he came to understand that right thinking leads to right words and right actions. And brethren, if we sanctify God in our hearts long before the questions ever arise as to why do you do this?

How do you live this way? What is the purpose behind these things? We'll be in a position to give a proper response when those questions do come. It means that God's thinking must become our thinking in advance.

His ways must become our ways today. And our day-to-day thought processes need to be geared towards putting God first always. That's what it means to sanctify the Lord God in your heart. And this is what you do before you even are in a position to open your mouth and to give a response. Because the response has to come from that place. And how do we accomplish that? Well, by hiding God's Word in our heart, by studying His Bible, His Word daily, by praying daily, by utilizing those spiritual tools, fasting, meditating, even fellowshipping where we in our conversations insert the blessing of God in the heart of one another.

This week I emailed out the schedule that John Elliott puts out every year on Read Your Bible in a Year. And there's so many different schedules you can go through. Darla has one that takes passage in the Old Testament, passage in the New Testament, and you walk through day by day. And other people use other kind of schedules. The point isn't necessarily the kind of schedule you use, but the point is to get your focus into the Word of God daily. And to make it a part of who and what you are each and every day, it's a key tool to sanctifying Him in our hearts so that our answers spring forth from the things of God, not the things of men.

Because on our own, we'll give a logical-sounding answer. But His ways aren't our ways, and His thoughts aren't our thoughts, unless we willingly, by His Spirit and through His Word, align ourselves with Him. So that's where it starts. Point number two, Peter said, from 1 Peter 3, 15, and always be ready. Always be ready. You know, once our heart is focused, once that's been addressed in us, Peter moves on to our continual readiness to answer.

And, you know, being ready doesn't just mean, okay, I've got an answer memorized. We've talked before about elevator speeches, right? You know, you get in the elevator, the door's closed, and you're riding up several floors with somebody, and this time of the year it was probably, well, the weather's sure mild, and you got your Christmas shopping done. And, again, it's easy to just sort of let that slide by, but we at times think, okay, I need to have some sort of prepared response when somebody brings a question to me.

That's part of readiness, I would say, but it's not the complete package. You know, this readiness that Peter's talking about, it means always being in a state of readiness to speak from the heart. And it means in a constant state of spiritual preparation. It's speaking to what you know. We all have things of interest, hobbies, studies, educations, careers, right? And you know what you know. You're good at what you're good at, and I'm hopefully good at what I'm good at, and I would say we can all speak readily from what we know, right?

Because it's what you've studied, internalized, and it's who and what we are. Well, if we are God's people, ought we not to be able to speak readily from what we know? Not just something that we memorized. Again, it's this internal process, and it leads to spiritual preparedness. The Apostle Paul describes what this mindset of readiness looks like in Colossians chapter 4. Let's go there next.

Colossians chapter 4 and verse 2.

I just want to pull this one verse. Colossians chapter 4 and verse 2. Paul says, continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. So understand, readiness grows out of consistency.

Readiness grows out of consistency. Again, Paul says, continue earnestly in prayer and be vigilant in it. You're in it. You're doing it. You're rehearsing it. It is day in and day out, a regular part of your ongoing routine. And he states something similar regarding Bible study as well. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15.

2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15. Where Paul says, be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Be diligent, Paul says. He's writing to Timothy here, a minister, but it applies to every single one of us. Be diligent. Again, readiness grows out of our consistency. If we're engaging daily in our prayer and our Bible study, and are drawing close to God and internalizing Him in our life, if we're living life of obedience, which is putting in the practice the things that we know, then we're going to be ready because of how we're living. And it's not going to be a sudden scramble when somebody asks you a question or you know you're put on the spot to come up with an answer. Again, hopefully we can all speak from who we are and what we know. And then it should be able to flow out of us regularly.

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew chapter 10, verse 19 and 20, do not worry about what you'll speak. I'm paraphrasing. He said, don't worry about what you're speaking, you know, when you're called on the spot, when you brought before people the given answer. He says, don't worry about it. God's Spirit will give you what it is that you need to speak. But understand that doesn't just happen on its own apart from us. We must do our part. He says, God will call to mind the things you need to know. But it has to already be there because we've inserted it there through our consistency and our prayer and our Bible study. And then when we're on the spot, God will give us what we need when we need it. He is faithful in that. And you can depend on that. You know what? Sometimes our readiness gets tested.

Get tested when we're not expecting it. You know, I was at the hotel in Lagos on this trip. I stay just about two miles away from the airport. I used to drive around Nigeria a lot, and it's not as safe as it used to be. So these days I take a lot of hopper flights. I fly to Benin City and back. I fly to Owarian back, and I can see the brethren there. And I don't have time either to spend days on the road because there's Ghana. There's ten congregations in Ghana. So this is an important part of the process. So I stay at a hotel that's near the airport, and it's near the church hall there in Lagos. And this hotel has, it's kind of shaped like a U, and in the middle it's got a courtyard. It's actually one of my favorite places. It's beautiful. There are these palm trees that are planted and grown up. There's the other tropical vegetation flowering plants. You travel from the Pacific Northwest to Africa in December, and you see all these tropical plants blooming that I wish I could grow at home. But it's a very peaceful place. And for me, it's like this little nook of peace in the middle of the chaos that's going on in the city of 25 million people around. And a lot of times I like to go out into that courtyard in the morning after I've had breakfast at the hotel, and I'll take my coffee, and I'll go out there, and it'll be my time where generally I sit and think, and I'll study, and I'll pray to God. Again, it's just a place of peace. On this trip, as I was out there one morning, one of the groundskeepers walked by, and he came over to where I was sitting, and he said, well, good morning, sir. Welcome back. And it's like, well, okay. This is, you know, you're going four times a year. People start to recognize you in various places. And he says, welcome back. He says, you're here often. What is it that you do? I said, well, I'm a church pastor, and we have congregations here in West Africa, and I'm here to visit them and to support the leadership. And he says, oh, that's great. And we talked back and forth for three or four minutes, and then he says, well, I've got to get back to work. And as he walked away, he says, Merry Christmas.

And I just, you know, I don't know why it would have caught me off guard, but I was just, he's leaving, right? I just kind of stayed quiet. And that was kind of how the conversation ended. And I sat the next ten minutes sitting there, stewing with myself, angry with myself, frustrated, just like, here's an opportunity to give an answer. Because it comes up from time to time, and I'm not talking about, you know, we've all go through the checkout lane at the store, and as you're leaving, the clerk says, well, you know, Merry Christmas, and you're not going to say, Stop the conveyor, you know, hold the line, we've got to talk. It's just one of those things, you're on your way. But this was an interaction that was an opportunity, and frankly, I blew it. And I was quite frustrated with myself. In fact, I prayed to God for forgiveness, because I did not speak up to give an answer. I was sitting there for about another ten minutes, and He comes wandering by the other direction, and He stops, and He says, so, when's the next time you're coming? I said, well, probably the end of March, the first of April, that's the timeframe of the spring holy days. He says, oh, great, when you return, bring me my Christmas and Easter gift together. And it's like God said, here you go, you know, on a silver platter. You can't make it or not, right? So I said, well, you know, interestingly, I don't celebrate Christmas. And He said, really, you know, He was surprised. He knew I was a pastor, and I don't celebrate Christmas. I said, and I said, I didn't celebrate Easter either. I said, actually, we celebrate the Passover. I said, because in the Bible, Jesus said, do this in remembrance of me. And Christmas isn't in the Bible. Easter isn't in the Bible. But God's biblical holy days are in the Bible. Leviticus chapter 23. You know, this is stuff all of us can rattle off the top of our head without having to dig deep. You know, you don't have to dig deep. You just have to be able to give an answer. You know, this isn't in the Bible, but God's holy days are. Christ said, do this in remembrance of me. So I said, we keep the Passover, and we do, you know, seek to worship God according to His command. And He thought about it for a second, and He says, you do what the Bible says. Very good for you, sir. And then He was on His way. But I said, well, thank you, Father, for giving me an opportunity to maybe redeem myself a little bit here and to give that answer. He said, very good, sir. But again, brethren, we're not suddenly ready in the moment. We need to be ready prior to when the moment arrives so that when it does arrive, we can give an answer. And again, sometimes our readiness will be tested, but our answers by God's blessing should naturally flow out of that condition.

Twice on this trip, I was propositioned.

I don't know how to say it. Other than that is something that happens frequently in that part of the world. It is a desperate place, and people are looking for opportunities to change their circumstances or to get out. And the Westerner comes in and is like, well, maybe here's an opportunity to do something. So, was that a time where I said, wait a minute, let me go think what my answer ought to be? Or was it the answer that should come from, again, who and what I am?

At one occasion, I stepped out of the airport. I just returned on a flight in the local airport, and I came out. And there were people out there with these coin jars going around, taking up a collection. I had donated to them two or three times already as I was coming and going. It was a collection for families of fallen soldiers in Nigeria. So, it was a legitimate collection. They're all in these uniforms going around, taking up this collection. So, this lady comes up to me to seek to take a collection, and I dropped something in there. And I said, you know, this is like my fourth time through this airport, and, you know, I've given along. At first, I said, I've given enough to all your friends to cover, you know, what you're looking for. And she said, but you haven't given to me yet. So, I dropped a little something in there. And we were chatting, and I was waiting by the curb, waiting for the car to come pick me up. And she says, are you looking for a Nigerian wife? And I said, no, I have an American wife. I often admit I'm a little slow in the uptake sometimes. I wasn't exactly sure where she was going. And she says, okay, but are you looking for a Nigerian wife, too?

And I said, no. And she said, well, what about a Nigerian girlfriend? And I said, I am a faithful man. And she just kind of patted me on the arm, and she walked away and said, very good for you, sir. And I just thought it was interesting. Two answers. In a short period of time, the response from both was, very good for you, sir. I don't think I changed any lives dramatically, but it was an opportunity to give an answer. Rather than being ready to give an answer, it's not a difficult thing if it springs forth from who and what you are as the people of God. And if it's just naturally how you're walking around because you have God's Spirit and you live his way, then the response ought to flow freely. You don't just say, well, I'll get back to you. Maybe sometimes the answer starts that way. I've had times where I've given an answer, and I've also had a booklet because I said, well, here's the answer. Here's the cliff notes, but I'm going somewhere. I don't have a lot of time. I'll say, in your free time, read this booklet, and it'll give you some insight. But again, we always need to be speaking from what we know and who we are. Point number three, to give a defense to everyone who asks.

Again, this is from 1 Peter 3, verse 15. To give a defense to everyone who asks. The Greek word for defense is apologia. A-P-O-L-O-G-I-A. Apologia. And it means a reasoned explanation. It doesn't mean an apology, maybe like it sounds in English. This is a Greek word. We're actually talking about biblical apologetics in the scholarly level. But it's essentially a reasoned explanation. It's an explanation, and it's this readiness. This is what it looks like in action. It's not arguing a doctrine point by point. Okay, that's not what we're called to do. Now, you can give a doctrinal response, but this isn't an argument. And this isn't attempting to win a debate by proving the other person wrong. Instead, in the context of 1 Peter 3, 15, it involves a reasoned explanation of why you believe what you believe. Why don't you put up Christmas lights? Why don't you put up the tree? Well, give a reasoned explanation of why you believe what you believe, and the person receiving it, they can either take it or leave it. But you've done what God has given you to do. You know, the New Testament consistently warns us against turning conversations about our faith into arguments. And so, you know, you have to be careful. Be willing to give an answer. Be bold in your answer and confident. But this isn't about winning a hardcore debate. Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, Paul said.

Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they will generate strife. 2 Timothy 2, verse 23. Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and striving about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless, Paul told Titus. Titus chapter 3 and verse 9. So this isn't, our answer isn't about winning a debate, necessarily. It's about speaking up for ourselves, giving the answer on the things that are important in our lives. And also, there's times where it may not be best to give the first answer that pops into mind. You know, I admit I'm a little like pre-converted Peter in certain ways. Answers pop into my mind quite readily, and frankly, they're usually snarky. And I go, you know, I just, maybe it's best not said. So there's times that maybe something just pops into our mind. There's a war going on between each of us. Maybe it's the same for you as me, but there's a war that goes on, right, between the nature of man and the nature of God. And times, the first answer isn't necessarily the best, especially if it's argumentative or a knee-jerk reaction. My trip to O'Wary in Nigeria provided me an opportunity to contemplate an answer that was best not given.

As in, there was a circumstance, and I had an answer, if this circumstance actually went to the end that it was seeming to go to, I had an answer, and I was ready to give that answer. But at the end of the day, it was better an answer not given. I flew from Lagos to O'Wary because there was a funeral taking place there that I was involved in. And as I got off the plane and walked into the airport terminal, it's a very, very small local airport. I was met by a couple of airport officials. They wanted to see my passport, so I handed them my passport, and they looked there and found my visa. And they said, well, what are you doing here?

I said, well, I'm a church pastor. I'm here to conduct a funeral. We have a congregation in the area, and one of our members has died. And they said, where are you staying? I said, well, I'm staying around here in O'Wary. Where specifically? What hotel? I said, you know, I'm not really sure, which was true.

Emmanuel, the leader in O'Wary, had made the arrangements and the bookings at the hotel and hadn't told me exactly which one. I'd stayed there before, but I didn't know which one. And frankly, I wasn't looking to give any more information than necessary. I said, I don't know. It's been arranged by my friend. Where is your church specifically? I couldn't drive you there. I said, who's picking you up? I said, well, Emmanuel, a friend, he's a leader of our local congregation, and he's made the arrangements.

I've been here multiple times. We're friends. All is well. They said, give us his contact. They're holding on to my passport still, and I'm thinking, do I want to navigate this? This isn't immigration. You go through immigration when you come into the airport in Lagos to get your passport stamped and you're free to travel about. This was a little bit of a little bit of hassling, and they said, give us his contact. And I thought about it, and I gave them his first name and his WhatsApp number. And they gave me my passport, and they let me go.

So Emmanuel picks me up the airport. We're heading to the hotel, and I said, hey, you might hear from these guys at the airport. And I told him the story. Next morning, when I'm picked up to go to the funeral, I said, did you ever hear from these guys? And he says, oh, those guys. I'll tell you what. So they called me yesterday demanding to know where you are. And he says, he's fine.

He's in my company. I've made arrangements for him. There's no need to worry. They called back an hour later and said, we insist you tell us where he is. What hotel specifically is he at? And Emmanuel said, look, that's not information for you to know, because these were not security. These were not police. These were some airport officials. But again, this wasn't their purview. A little while later, they called him back, and they threatened to bring the police and have him arrested if he did not tell them what hotel I was staying at and specifically where our church congregation met. And Emmanuel just said, look, I don't owe you an explanation for anything.

He's here legally, and he's with me, and all is well. You know, never once did they say, we're worried about this guy's security. You know, it's a, where he was a place that we did not travel for almost three years, okay, because of the insecurity and the kidnappings and the various things going on.

We're heading to the memorial service, funeral service, and Emmanuel says, I got contacted one more time this morning, and they said, if I do not tell them where you are at, they're going to detain you at the airport. You're not going to be allowed to get on the plane and leave. You're going to be put into jail. And he says, but I would not.

I would not tell them, and I just, you know, refuse their calls. And Emmanuel's opinion was that these were actually lookouts and informants, because there have been, still continue to this day, kidnappings that go on in that area. And the thought is, there are actually people that are informants at the airport, that when somebody comes through that looks grabbable, they'll inform, and then they get a kickback.

And he says, the government's done nothing, and it's a well-known thing. So I appreciated that he kept my information private, and the church's location private. He never gave that up. But I had an answer that I was ready to give if I went back through the airport, because they said, we're watching. We're going to watch for that guy, and we're going to detain him.

And again, as I say, it's an answer I think that was best not given. My answer was going to be, okay, you know I'm an American citizen, don't you? And you know who my president is.

Did not call and invoke his Roman citizenship from time to time. And you know he has his eyes on Nigeria for Christian persecution, and you know he's just waiting for an excuse. So believe me, you do not want me to make a scene. That was going to be my answer. And God said, don't give that answer. Don't give that answer. I arrived at the airport after the funeral and was on my way. I didn't see hide nor hair of those guys. But again, there's times where the answer might come to us that really isn't the answer that ought to be given. And we have to consider these things carefully as well. If it's argumentative, if it's a knee-jerk reaction, you know, consider your words before you open your mouth in speech. Regarding the Apostle Paul's example, it's important to note his defenses, which there were multiple defenses he gave in the book of Acts, were reasoned explanations and not shouting matches. And there were times he was brought before hostile audiences and people that were very accusatory in a hostile and angry way, but his responses were always controlled and godly. Notice Acts chapter 24 in verse 10.

Acts 24 and verse 10. Here Paul is being wrongly accused by the Jews. He's here before Felix. Now he's offering up his own defense. Acts 24 and verse 10 says, Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered, saying, Inasmuch as I know that you've been many years the judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself. He says, Because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. And then neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone, or inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city, nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. You know, if you're standing before an accusation, it is reasonable to give a defense and an answer and to stand up for yourself in a logical way. And Paul says, like, you know, these are false accusations and they can't prove even what they're saying. Verse 14, he says, But this I confess to you, that according to the way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets. He says, I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense towards God and men. Okay, so the Apostle Paul, his defense is a good model for each of us to say, you know, I seek to be, again, without offense towards God and towards men. His words were careful, they were measured, and they were not used to incite contention. But they were used to stand up for something very important. That is his hope. Again, notice verse 15, he says, I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept. Okay, so this concept of hope that Paul's espousing, that leads us to point number four. Okay, as we're continuing through 1 Peter 3.15, point four is, a reason for the hope that is in you, the hope. That's what we're to answer for, the hope within you and the hope within me. So you notice Peter narrows the focus even further. He says we're to be ready to give that answer, not of every doctrinal detail of the Bible. Okay, you should know as much as you can know. The answer is not, let me line out the doctrine from A to Z. Let me line out the 20 fundamental beliefs of the church. Okay, the answer is the hope that is within you. He's saying we must be ready to explain to someone else what we are living for and why it impacts our life so profoundly. So for you and I, brethren, what is our hope? You know, hope is something you don't have yet, right? But you hope for. And it impacts your life because you're reaching for it, you're yearning for it, so you're making steps each and every day towards it. I have hope, physically, that one day I can afford to retire. Right? That's a hope. So what does that do? Do I just say, well, I hope one day I can retire and it doesn't impact my life? No, I'm supposed to now make decisions financially that take steps toward that hope, right? It impacts my life and my financial life. We have a hope spiritually in the kingdom of God. That kingdom that will come, that will wipe away the tree of knowledge of good and evil and establish righteousness. We have hope in the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the saints and eternal life in the family of God. Again, it's something we do not yet have, but we hope. But it orders our steps each and every day along the way because we're reaching for that hope and yearning for it. These are things we answer for. I have the hope in the promises of God who cannot lie.

So Peter's point here is, can you explain your hope? Can you answer for your hope when someone asks why? Again, it's not a doctrinal dissertation, per se. The guy at the hotel by the airport that asked me about Christmas and Easter, it wasn't a doctrinal dissertation necessarily, but it was the pagan evils of Christmas. Essentially, it was, I hope for the kingdom of God, therefore I'm living my life today. I'm worshipping God as He said to worship in spirit and truth because I hope to be there one day. And that needs to be the thrust and the focus of our answers as well. It stems from the hope within us. Why are you doing today what you're doing? Because I'm reaching for what God has set before me. As a promise and a hope.

I had two opportunities on this recent trip to perform church ceremonies. One of them was the wedding of Dari and Ruth, and the other was the funeral of Oliver Equi in O'Wary. Two very different ceremonies, but two filled with hope in so many different ways. Both occasions took place in front of a mixed audience of church members and non-church members. What was significant to me was both ceremonies proclaimed the hope of the participants. In terms of the wedding, the bride and the groom, their hope, in terms of the deceased and the funeral, what was his hope? I really like the funeral ceremonies that we conduct in the United Church of God. They are very hope-filled in so many ways. Dari and Ruth's wedding ceremony pointed back to the very purpose for which God created man and woman. It reminds us that God is building a family, an eternal family, and this is where it starts. It started with the first man and the first woman, then whom he joined together, who created a family, who created a family, ultimately for the purpose of these relationships, pointing back to God and the family that he is creating. That's a very hope-filled service. It's not just a party. We do rejoice and celebrate in these things, but it's hopeful. The funeral service was obviously a bit different than that, but it was still hope-filled nonetheless. Through it, I shared Oliver's hope in the resurrection of the saints at the return of Jesus Christ. I shared his hope in the kingdom of God to come, and the day to come when there would be no more death, nor crying, nor sorrow, nor pain, because those former things will have passed away. That was his hope. In the midst of trial, the decline at the end of his life, that was the hope that carried him through. Oliver was 86 years old. He had been a leader in the O'Warry congregation. For years, he ran his course faithfully. For me, those are the easiest kinds of funeral services to give. I pointed directly to his hope. Many people came up afterwards and said, you know, that was a very encouraging service.

Never really experienced anything like it before. A funeral in the village. You know, you're out in the bush in the village, and there were approximately 200 people there. The O'Warry congregation was there, but the majority were not church members. There were other family, and people from around the village all came out in their traditional dress. So if you can imagine, you know, this is very traditional. I'm the odd guy out. I'm the only white man there. I brought a suit, and I brought my black suit. You can wear that for a wedding and a funeral. And I get to looking around, and I'm like, you know, nobody else is wearing a jacket here. It's 96 degrees. I went in in Africa due as the Africans, so I had a shirt and a tie, and I presented that funeral service. I gave the sermon. I gave the graveside service. There was an individual there who was Oliver's brother, and he was introduced as his royal highness so-and-so. He was a village chief and distinguished sort of fellow, and he stood up there, and he talked about Jesus Christ. And he talked to people saying, you know, don't let this day of salvation slip by. You know, from his perspective, it's the only opportunity to receive Christ. But I was introduced then as the pastor had come all the way from the U.S. to do the funeral. I don't know, something maybe got a little... that was part of the reason. But I was able to stand up and give an answer for Oliver, to answer for his hope, and to pass that on to others. To say, you know what, you're all gathered here to remember his life. Let me share with you what was his hope, what gave him strength, even in the face of his challenge, in the hope that will be an encouragement to you as well. And a number afterwards said, that was very encouraging. Like I said, I appreciate the ceremonies that we have in the United Church of God. It is very hope-filled. And I'll say, for me, it was indeed an honor to stand for him and to do so. He was my friend, probably for 12, 13 years now. And I appreciate his service to the Church. Interestingly, as the tradition is, a celebration follows funerals. So there was a live band, there were people dancing, there was food and drink that came out, and literally it was a celebration of this man's life. I think it was a fitting way to remember one well-lived.

But I would just say, don't underestimate the power of hope, brethren. Don't underestimate the power of expressing your hope in your answer. You may unpack somebody who in their life is desperately seeking an answer, and desperately seeking hope as well. And it gives us an opportunity to share our faith with others. Ultimately, hope is the core of the gospel message, isn't it? Jesus says, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. You can be relieved of your sins and the penalty through Jesus Christ. That is hopeful. The kingdom is coming. That is hopeful. Our message as a people is hope. Let us always be ready to answer for it. Point number five, finally, Paul says we are to give this answer with meekness and fear.

Meekness and fear. Well, it's meekness and fear because the goal is not to win an argument by overpowering your opposition. This isn't coming down like a hammer and just destroying any other opinions. The point is, and the goal is, to honor God and to reflect Jesus Christ in our words. So meekness, let's understand what meekness is. Meekness is strength under control. It's actually a unique word. It's strength under control. You have the power and the ability to do something. You could just fly off the handle and do it if you wanted to do it. But it's that power under control. It's metered out carefully. That's an attribute of God. The Bible says the meek will inherit the earth, imagining being in the likeness of God and Christ in a glorified spirit being with the power of God and not being meek. And somebody pushes your button and you just unleash. Right? This meekness is power and strength under control. It's confidence without arrogance. There's no arrogance because when we answer, we need to understand truly that our confidence is not in ourselves. Our confidence is in God.

And we answer with fear. Fear in this context means reverence. It means deep respect. First towards God, also towards the person who is asking the question. And so when we speak accordingly, it keeps our attitude in the right place and our hearts careful. Answering with meekness and fear also recognizes a very important truth. That is, you and I are not the ones that change hearts.

I can give an answer. I can give the truth. But I can't change someone's heart. Like Jesus said, no one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. If God has not opened somebody's mind to respond, I cannot kick the door open and force-feed them the truth.

A gentle and respectful answer keeps the door of communication open rather than slamming it shut with a snarky remark. Kind of a quick-witted comment. We've got to be careful with how we answer. Peter's instruction to us all reminds us that the way to give an answer is just as important as the answer itself. If you've ever said the comment, it's not what you said, it's how you said it. Well, that's just great.

Thank you very much. It's not what you said, it's how you said it. These things are also important. As a wrap-up, brethren, I want to remind us that there are appropriate times to keep silent. Times when it's best not to give an answer. That requires discernment to know as well. When Jesus was brought before Herod and he questioned Jesus at length, he was hoping to see a miracle, something great from Jesus, he says, I've heard of you. And he was excited to have him there. And he says he asked him many things. Luke 23 verse 8 and 9 tells us plainly, but he answered him nothing.

I just kept silent. Well, because, you know, Herod wasn't seeking truth. He was seeking a spectacle. He was seeking some miracle. And Jesus recognized that answering wouldn't lead to repentance or faith or understanding. And frankly, God was accomplishing something through his crucifixion. This is something that needed to go forward. And it says he remained silent. Proverbs chapter 26 verse 4 and 5 says, So you couple those two together and it's discernment that you have to exercise to know when to answer or how to answer. You know, sometimes answering pulls you into a pointless argument. And other times a brief correction prevents error from spreading. But again, the discernment comes in knowing which is which. And if indeed you should open your mouth or not.

In conclusion, in 1 Peter 3 verse 15, the apostles not telling us that we should be perfect Bible scholars in order to give an answer. But we do need to be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. Okay, because that's what this is about. Standing up and speaking for the one whom we look to, right, as our elder brother, our Lord and Master. Speaking for our Father in heaven. Speaking for the hope that is in us. We do need to be faithful witnesses for God in Christ. Peter's instructions remind us, number one, to set God apart in our hearts. Number two, to be continually prepared to answer. I'm paraphrasing. Number three, give a well-reasoned explanation when the opportunity arises. Number four, focus on the hope within you. And number five, speak with humility, with meekness and respect. Brethren, if we do these things, we will be prepared when the moment comes. Not because our words will be perfect. You don't have to give something that is a great oration. It does not have to be perfect, but it has to be who and what you are. And it has to be the truth of God, because our hope in God is real, and it is a vital part of who and what we are. So as the opportunity comes, let us be ready to give an answer, with hope that is within us, with meekness and fear.

Thank you.