1 Pet 4

Welcome to our lesson on 1 Pet 4. We have been considering Christ as an example of One who suffered unjustly. He suffered at the hands of wicked men for the cause of righteousness.

Please join me in chapter 4 of 1 Peter.

This is a special part of the book where we discuss our expectations in regards to our allegience to Christ. What is clear from the previous chapter is that we can suffer for righteousness or for doing wrong. When we discuss the cross, we ought to expect that just as our LORD sufferred for us, that we ought to be prepared to suffer for Him also.

1 Peter 4:1-2

4 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

We marvel at what Christ has done for us but how do we go when facing the trials of life and find ourselves in the midst of suffering ourselves?

In fact many turn away from Christ for the very reason that they are not prepared to suffer for Him. It is in the midst of our suffering that we learn obedience towards our God. What God is requiring for us is that we persevere and trust Him for the solutions to our trial. Many find it too hard and bail out. Yet there is a yielding of great reward and trepedation for those who refuse to give in and follow the Lord regardless of the persecution and attack that may come.

Suffering, if endured patiently and with the truth from God’s word along with His awesome promises is pleasing to our God. In fact, just as our Lord had to take up the cross, we need to be prepared to do anything for Him, even if that leads to martydom or great loss or horrendous illness. What is key is being content with what we are. I am not saying that we need to look to suffer but what I am saying is that we will find suffering when taking up our cross and following after Him.

Jesus, remarkably learnt from His suffering and so do we. In fact, we are promised persecution so it is not a matter of whether we will suffer but more of when we will suffer as it is just a matter of time. Our Lord stated that we will suffer such things as division in family and friends, loss physically or financially and great division between our relationship with the World. Jesus said that the World would despise us just as it despised Him. This is not our home folks and we should expect to generally feel alienated from all that goes on in the World. In fact Paul states that he counts all of this as rubbish. We are called aliens because that is what we are. This is a temporary abode for us and there will come a time when there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more tribulation or rust or moth to destroy.

Should we suffer in the flesh, we will put off our sin and be victorious over sin and the devil. There will be a level of victory over the prince of this World and we will affirm our position of Christ. Of course we can always make a decision to reject this calling and go and live like the world and fall for all the sinful pleasures and therefore avoiding persecution. So we can always decide to choose Christ and overcome our sin or to reject Him and live like the World. Of course it is the Lord’s will that we grow up and be an overcomer in regards to our motivation and allegiance to shine as a good soldier of Christ with an eye on the prize that will most certainly outway anything that Satan and the World can offer.

We ought to live in purity and godliness, bearing the reproach of Christ, and suffer at the hands of the wicked.

Now, if we choose to suffer persecution and loss, the power of sin in us is broken and we then rejoice knowing that our suffering is not void of meaning but identifies us with Christ, puts away sin and allows us to conquer against the accsuser of this world that would dealy love for us to fall for his traps and worldly passions and living. Now that is not to say that we will not sin but it does say that we break the power of sin. Realise that the Lord has for you a much better way to the World, flesh and the devil. When we break through our circumstances, the Lord breaks us away from slavery to the world and gives us His Spirit to rule and reign with Him day after day. We have a relationship with our Father in Heaven, a connection that only can be achieved through our allegience to Christ. No one comes to that relationship with the Father except through Jesus Christ. That means we can live a victorious life just as it was before the fall. Jesus has become a curse for us so that we are atoned for, forgiven of our sin and born again to enjoy the richness of God as stewards of His great wealth, a royal subject to an enormous inheritence that Satan can never offer us. What we take with us is precious when we are born from Heaven and enjoy the treasures that we earn from our temporary dwelling place here on Earth.

Be encouraged, there are many things that we can learn and enjoy as we accept the fact that we will learn great truths and joy through our trials and tribulation. SHould we have the correct attitude, we will enjoy the trials of life and learn a great deal from them. Lately I have encountered trials with technology. I was struck with malware on my email exchange server. Then my internet failed to work meaning I was no longer able to receive emails. Nevertheless, I trusted in Christ and learnt a great deal about troubleshooting skills. I learnt a great deal from the trials and rejoiced in God for He has the answers and will never let you down. He just wants us to trust Him and have faith. Then, our suffering metamorphises into great glory and ascendance all because we choose to have great faith in a God who has all the answers and is able to help us in times of need. That is vindication and we can be most jubilant when God provides for our solution and we praise Him giving Him much glory and we grow stronger in our walk with our God.

See God’s ways are always higher than ours. His realm is so much superior to ours and if we trust in Him, we will care for us and provide for our needs. Us as believers choose to live these years for the glory of God rather than the gratification of sensual appetites.

1 Pet 4:3-6 “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

You know I grew up as a pagan in my younger years. What are we to expect when the system is expecting you to succeed academically, culturally, on the sporting field or in theatre. I was picked to be the male lead in a Gilbert and Sulliven production in my final year. I was ambitious, wanted to succeed and would do everything to excel. Now I may have succeeded in a certain way but my character was flawed. Internally, I was screaming for purpose and direction. I fought my counscience and batled internally, becoming very forthright and I would think that I was not a very nice person as a consequence. I resisted authority meaning I resisted God. I rebelled against the system that made me isolated with a feeling of rejection. Being head strong and stubborn, my pride was asking for a fall and that is exactly what hapenned. But you see it was a world I created. It was I that would put preasure on myself and my unravalleling. I was arrogant, aloof and setup to fail in God’s eyes.

So this is what Peter is saying in verse 3. We expended all our energy living in doing the will of the gentiles. Life was about parties, drink driving, sexual promiscuirty and idolatory and I got caught up on all of this, dabbling for life experiences that I am now ashamed of. See a young man can easily become perverse especially in this generation. There may well be sexually transmitted diseases but if not, there is a great change of picking up a spiritually transmitted disease. That is exactly what hapenned with me. Now I struggle with a thorn in my side, continually battling with the enemy. Yet this, just as in Paul’s experience, keeps reminding me about why I am here. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. As we choose to obey, remove trash and idols from our homes, stand up for Christ amounst family and friends or choose to hang up with the brethren rather than friends that are anti-Christ. Our testimony is ours and God gives us great opportunity to encourage and evangelise in the poeple we hang out with consistently. If they persecute us, we learn not to be offended but to know that they are not persecuting us but rather Christ. We can stand confident that we have done what we can to stand and share our faith despite the conflict. There is a battle around us all around and Satan is attempting to blind his people from the truth. Yet by bringing people to Christ, we can save them from a multitude of sin and point them to CHrist, saving them from an eternity in hell.

Yes, people will gossip and people will slander us. They will call us insane. People become what they worship and this leads to blind and sinful practices. They will ask questions and wonder why we do not follow up with what they are doing and instead speak evil of us. But the gospel has the answer for both those that live in Christ and are dead to sin in the world. Just like God, Satan has a plan for our souls. Satan’s plan is that we excel in his world according to his kingdom full of darkness and blind slavery that leads us to hell. That is what we did - we were slaves to sin and that sin points us to death. God will judge both the living and the dead so we need to live according to God in the spirit. God has deated death and the grave. We have nothing to fear in the world or in man but to God we provide all reverence and fear for his holy name.

1 Pet 4:7-11 “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

End things are evident all the time. We keep an eye on kingdoms such as Russia and China and recognise that at any time, one person could egnite another war between nations. The end of all things is at hand. Whatever you call this, whether Jerusalems destruction, the rapture, millenial reign or the destructions of heaven and earth the main point here is that we rejoice that the times are leading to the return of Christ to reign forever more. That is why we pray to keep our eyes on Jesus and to be prepared for what is to come. We are not to panic or be anxious as we have the incredible inate ability to not be flustered and challenged by what takes place.

Now serving for God’s glory means making use of the gifts that God has given us that we should undertake to serve the people of God. Hospitality is about ministering and stirring up our talents without complaining. We all have ability God given ability that in all things we glorify God through Jesus CHrist to whom dominion is his forever.

1 Pet 4:12-19 “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in…”

We are talking about this concerning suffering incurred for Christ. Persecution can see strange and adnormal but do not be surprised about the trial that besets you. We ought to see suffering as a normal Christian experience and not shy away from talking aboout it with our brethren and family in Christ. Jesus received harsh treatment and we should expect to go through similar acts. 2 Tim 3:!2 reminds us that all that desires to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. So we should expect it. Satans turns his big guns on those that are storming to conquer territory for Christ.

Also, we need to share our suffering with others. We have a family here at Border Church and we all are able to listen, respond and act to help people through their ordeal and this can be a great privilege. We can all feel rejected or harshly treated and we need encouragement from our brethren.