Missional Realism

For Sunday’s sermon we’ll be in 1 Peter 3:1–7, beginning with the command for wives to be submissive to their husbands. This is a staple command in the New Testament for Christians households (see also Ephesians 5:22; Colossians 3:18), but what makes Peter’s instruction unique is his line about unbelieving husbands.

He adds a purpose to the wife’s submissiveness — “so that even if some [husbands] do not obey the word, they may be won by the conduct of their wives” (3:1).

Peter is writing to Christians, but he anticipates that some of these Christian women will be married to men who are not Christians. This anticipation is what we might call missional realism. (We’ll look at verses 1–2 in more detail on Sunday, but for now I want to highlight this missional realism part.)

Not So Neat

Peter understands that the gospel advances like a wildfire and it effects people differently according to the will of God, which may not always seem so neat to us. 

We know that God, through the gospel of Jesus, will ultimately put all things in order — that’s where we’re headed! — but the way there, as the gospel invades a sinful, hostile world, it turns that world upside down.

Do you remember the way the mob described Christians in Acts 17? 

The unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They dragged Jason and some other Christians before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also” (Acts 17:6).

It was ironic, I know, but they sincerely believed Christians were turning things upside down (not themselves, the shouting mob). It makes sense, though. These Christians were saying that there’s another king, named Jesus, and he changes everything — and that ruffles some feathers. 

Worth the Ruffling

Here’s what it means for us: when we share the gospel with people, we should expect that it will rock the boat of their pagan lifestyles (in a good way). 

But sometimes I wonder if we (myself included) don’t share the gospel with some people because we’re afraid repentance would ask too much of them. 

For the sake of shallow niceness, do we not tell people the greatest news in the universe, that Jesus died to set them free from their sin and embracing that truth is worth every cost? 

Cities Church, we believe that. Jesus is worth it, and I pray God make us faithful in our witness! We shouldn’t be afraid that Jesus might mess up somebody’s life.