Rejoice in Suffering | 1 Peter 4:12–19
Notes
Transcript
Good morning church! Opening.
If you have your Bible go ahead and open it to 1 Peter 4:12-19. This morning we are wrapping up the end of chapter 4, but beginning Peter’s last section of his letter. In this last section Peter returns to one of the common themes he’s covered throughout the book: suffering. So there’s going to be some overlap, and we’re even going to look back at some of the things we’ve covered before. But as exiles, aliens, people who are living in a place that is not their home Peter this morning is reminding us that God is at work in the midst of suffering so that we might trust him and continue to do good. That’ll be our main point this morning. So let’s read our passage, pray and then dive into it.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray.
This week I got to go to Atlanta for a produce meeting. On my way back I was talking with a guy before we boarded the plane and he began to make some extremely derogatory remarks towards Vice President Kamala Harris. He wasn’t critiquing her policy positions; he was making unkind comments about her as a person. Much to my shame I didn’t engage in the conversation, but just moved on.
Church as we continue to move forward we are going to face a culture that is extremely antagonistic towards the values we have as Christians. Values that life begins at conception so abortion then is not about women’s reproductive rights, but rather about the life of a child. Values that declare all people to be created in God’s image and because of this they’re worthy of dignity and respect. So things like racism and sexism and belittling comments like what I experienced are not ok. Values that believe that God gave marriage as a good gift between a man and a woman. Values that state that we’re going to prioritize obedience to the Word of God over what the rest of the broader culture says is good or acceptable. We could go on and on about how Christian values stand in opposition to the world, but the point is that because they are opposed to what the rest of the world declares to be good we can expect to face suffering or what Peter calls “fiery trials.” That’s our first observation from this passage:
Suffering should be expected
Suffering should be expected
Peter begins by saying, 1 Pet. 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
It shouldn’t surprise us when these “fiery trials” begin to be more and more common place because as exiles and aliens our values and our conduct differs from the rest of the world.
Now it’s important to note that we aren’t suffering for the sake of our own sin. This is why he says in 1 Pet. 4:15
But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
Suffering here isn’t because we’ve done something wrong and are now experiencing consequences for what we’ve done. No, this suffering is due to us rejecting the world and it’s ways. Peter calls us back to 1 Pet 4:3-4
For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;
We don’t join them, we don’t engage in what they’re participating in and so they malign us. We don’t value the same things they value so we suffer. We grieve because we are ostracized and objects of derision. When the outside world sees a pure Christian witness, it will respond in one of two ways. Either it will recognize it’s own folly, or it react in anger. So Peter begins by saying don’t be surprised. Suffering should be expected. This isn’t strange, it’s inevitable because of who we are.
Notice though, in this Peter doesn’t say to go seek out suffering. Our calling isn’t to go find ways in which we can be miserable. However, this also isn’t a call to avoid suffering. Comfort is not the king that we serve. Peter’s call to his readers is to be prepared because the Jesus we seek to make much of is the aroma of life to some and the aroma of death to others. For those that reject Jesus, they will reject his followers too. As one commentator said, “Because evil and sin targeted the perfect human being, Jesus Christ, those who follow in his footsteps should not be surprised to find themselves also targets of the forces of evil and sin that came against Jesus.” Suffering should be expected!
Now we might step back and go, yeah that’s logical. Why does Peter need to remind us that we should expect to suffer? I mean, the original readers of this text were in the midst of suffering and trials. Why would Peter want them to not be caught off guard that suffering was headed their way and possibly even more suffering than what they were currently enduring? Well he doesn’t stop here and say, suffering is coming, good luck! Better toughen up and get some thicker skin, because it’s inevitable. No, Peter says, hey, church, suffering is coming, but it’s coming for a purpose. That’s why he doesn’t stop at the end of verse 12. So our second point is:
Suffering has a purpose
Suffering has a purpose
Now the beauty of these next few verses is that there is 4 smaller purposes for our suffering that really can be summarized in to 1 large purpose for our suffering. Because there’s so much in this, we’re going to spend the majority of our time here this morning and hopefully by the time we get to the end of v18 you’ll see the purpose of our suffering. So let’s start at the first purpose of our suffering
Suffering causes you to rejoice
Suffering causes you to rejoice
Look back with me to 1 Pet. 4:13
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
I’m pretty sure none of the original readers were clicking their heels and skipping down the yellow brick road whenever they were ostracized by their communities and families. What in the world would cause these readers, and us, to rejoice at the experience of suffering? Why would Peter exhort his readers to rejoice?
We’ve got to back up for just a second to see why suffering causes us to rejoice. Peter in the previous verse calls this suffering a “fiery trial.” When he does he’s alluding to 1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Back in 1 Peter 1 we saw that the purpose of these fiery trials is to prove the genuineness of our faith and when our faith is proven genuine our worship is fueled! It’s why Paul could say in Philippians 3:8-11:
Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
What’s Paul’s greatest desire? Know Jesus. Because he desires to know Jesus he counts everything as loss. In fact, he’s suffered the loss of all things—the community he came from growing up as a Jew on the fast track towards the high priesthood, the friends he lived with, the church he was a part of, the job that he did, and we don’t know anything of how his family responded to his Damascus road experience. He lost it all so that he might gain Christ and have his righteousness come from Christ. He placed his faith in Jesus and everything else became as rubbish. Why? “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection” we like that part. Yes, give me the Jesus who conquered the grave. I want that power to overcome. But this next part, “and may share his sufferings.” Paul’s desire is to completely identify with Jesus in dying to himself and living for and with Jesus. Even if it meant losing his life he was ready to go. The sufferings that Paul would experience answered that prayer. His sufferings that he had and would experience stripped away his dependence on and desire for the things of this world and what did it give him? Jesus! It’s why the apostles could celebrate in Acts 5 that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. If suffering now makes them rejoice, how much more will the revealing of the glory of God make them rejoice?!
You see your response to your suffering actually reveals what your heart desires. If it’s to moan and groan, or if it’s to flee and avoid it, or if it’s to conform to those who are oppressing you, then your hearts greatest desire isn’t Jesus. It’s comfort, or it’s the approval of man. That’s the God that you worship. You see God allows and even redeems our suffering by using it to purify our hearts so that all we desire and all we have is Jesus. Because of that, suffering causes us to rejoice!
Prove the Spirit is with us
Prove the Spirit is with us
The second purpose of suffering is that it’s proof of blessing. Again, I’m pretty sure whenever we encounter suffering the first thing that pops out of our mouths isn’t, “I’m blessed”. However, just like we saw in the last purpose of our suffering, the freedom that we experience when we repent of our sin and put our faith in Christ, while it might mean leaving behind some sinful relationships or habits, at the end of the day we experience true blessing because of what we gain! This is why he says in 1 Pet. 4:14
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
There’s something really important to see here: the blessing doesn’t come because you’ve been insulted—that hurts. The blessing comes because of the presence of God is with you. How do you know this? Because, as Karen Jobes says, “it is only by the power of the Spirit that one finds the resolve and strength to live an uncompromising life in a society that is hostile to one’s fundamental convictions and values. One’s willingness to suffer rather than compromise indicates the inner transformation of the sanctifying work of the Spirit (1:2). God has not abandoned the Christian who suffers; to the contrary, God is powerfully present in the experience of suffering for Christ.”
The fact that you can stand firm in the midst of your suffering is proof that the Spirit of glory is at work within you. If he didn’t enable you, then you would succumb, but because he has enabled you to stand firm this means that in the midst of you’re suffering you’re not alone.
Typically when I wonder if the Spirit is at work within me I tend to run to the fruit of the Spirit and see if I’m growing in those, but I haven’t thought before, am I able to stand firm and endure insults for the name of Jesus as a measurement of the Spirit’s work within me.
Now I think there’s something worth commenting on here. Enduring insults for the name of Christ is not a license to be mean. There’s been more than one occasion in which I’ve encountered other pastors or just Christians seek to advocate for Christian principles or beliefs or convictions in a way that’s just mean. The message we carry—that your best efforts have condemned you to hell and outside of Christ you have no hope—that‘s offensive, but the way in which we communicate that message shouldn’t be. We are to be winsome. Let the gospel message we share do the offending, not the way in which we communicate it. Suffering insults for being a jerk is not what Peter is addressing here. He’s talking about suffering insults for winsomely sharing the gospel and living out the Christian life in the midst of a lost and dying world. When we do that, and we suffer insults for the name of Jesus, we can again see our worldly desires be stripped away, proving that the Spirit of God is working in us and changing us. That’s when we’re blessed. So suffering has a purpose to cause us to rejoice and to prove the Spirit is with us. The third purpose of our suffering is to:
Prove our eternal Identity
Prove our eternal Identity
Think about Peter’s original audience for just a minute. Remember we’ve talked about the extreme persecution some of them have endured. We see they’ve been maligned and insulted and that they’ve gone through “various other trials.” They’re a group of people who are exiled from their homes. Some of them might not be exiles but might be recent converts of the cities they’re living in and so what they’re exiled from inside their own cities is their families and communities they lived in and possibly even their financial well being. Do you think that doubt would’ve ever crept in? Do you think that there might have been moments where they began to listen to the shame that was thrown their way through insults and slander and they might’ve begun to believe that they really should be ashamed? Peter encourages them in 1 Peter 4:16
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
Having your identity rooted in that you are a Christian, an imitator of Christ, isn’t a reason for shame but rather a reason to worship, and here’s why: every other name you identify with won’t last.
I’m a dad. Maybe my favorite name. We were getting ready to pray and go to bed last night and I looked over at Walker who turns 9 this week and realized that half of his time under my roof is over. I’m as close to him moving off as I am to the day of his birth. Obviously I’ll still be his dad when he moves off, but you know that my relationship with him will fundamentally change. If my identity is entirely wrapped up in being “dad” what happens when that title is taken away?
I’ll be honest, I love being know as a watermelon farmer. That’s a source of pride for me. But do you know what happened to my watermelon crop this week? It got plowed up. It’s over. I hope I get to do it again next year, but being a watermelon farmer won’t last forever. If my identity is entirely wrapped up in that what happens when that title is taken away?
I could go on—I’m Ms. Moore’s husband. I’m a pastor at LBC. You want to be the largest cattle buyer in the US. You’re an EMT or a coach or a wife or grandparent or a single parent or a volleyball player or a country runner or _________ . Every one of those titles, while in and of themselves is not a bad thing, won’t last forever. So why are you putting so much stock in to something that is so short lived? Do you know the name that will last forever? Son of God. Daughter of God. We glory in the things that don’t last and give a slight consideration to the name that last forever.
Now who is writing these words? Peter. Peter wrote this. There was a point in Peter’s life and someone asked him, are you a Christian, and how did Peter respond? I never knew him. Damned be me if I was with him. Now, Peter writes, there’s nothing more important, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, there’s nothing worth glorifying God more than receiving the name of Christian. So naturally the question from this is are you a Christian? Is your eternal identity son of God or daughter of God? Well how do I know?
You see that’s what suffering does. God in his mercy allows and uses suffering to reveal to us all these other identities we’re living for and often that suffering strips them away. If you’re crushed at the loss of that title, then you’re probably not a Christian. I don’t mean that we don’t grieve when those titles are lost. We just don’t despair when those identities are removed. IF you despair then you’re looking for something else. So then how do we receive the title of son or daughter of God?
First you’ve got to acknowledge that all those other identities you’ve been resting fall short of what you really need, and not only do they fall short but they actually condemn you before God. They show that you’ve been trusting in things other than Jesus for your righteousness. When you acknowledge that and turn to the Lord and confess that he promises to forgive us of that sin. Then you ask him to save you. Jesus said, behold I stand at the door and knock. He’s ready right now to enter in and save you from those identities and deliver you to the Father. The Father then will give you the seal of His Spirit that proves we’re sons and daughters of the King and enables us to stand firm in our faith through our trials. If there’s some people in this room this morning that aren’t Christians and aren’t resting in the identity of Jesus then after the service today I would absolutely love to meet with you. I’ll hang around up here towards the front waiting for you to come talk.
But if you’re identity is in Jesus, suffering then just refines you to rest and not be ashamed in your when suffering comes. Suffering then proves you to have an eternal identity. The last purpose of our suffering is to purify our faith.
Purifies your faith
Purifies your faith
Now verses 17-18 have been difficult for me to wrap my mind around this week. I tend to think of Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” So if there’s no condemnation why does Peter say there’s judgment. However, there’s as much unanimity on the judgment of the household of God as there is no condemnation for God’s people. So how are we to understand all of this? Let’s reread these verses so they’re fresh on our minds and then hopefully I can explain it clearly. 1 Pet. 4:17-18
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
So far we have walked through how to understand our suffering and now Peter seems to flip the switch to being judged. The judgment Peter is talking about here is the fiery trials that his readers have endured—it’s their suffering. And as we saw earlier these fiery trials in verse 12 point us all the way back to what Peter said at the very beginning in 1 Peter 1:6-7. I know we had these up earlier, but I think it’s important for us to have them in front of us again.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
“You have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire.” The judgement of God is the refining fire of various trials—suffering—that purifies and proves our faith.
How do you purify gold? You take the metal and stick it in a fire till it melts. Something about the process of heating it separates the pure gold from the dross. The more you heat it up and separate it the purer it gets.
This is what God is doing in suffering. We saw in 1 Pet 2:9 that he is calling to himself a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation a people for his own possession and in order for those people to dwell in his holy midst they must be a holy people. God purifies them, he makes them holy, by passing them through the trials of suffering. In doing this God is revealing those which are truly Christ’s. In the refining fire of suffering Christians are purified, not burned up because suffering either pushes people towards Jesus or pulls them back into the world. Tom Schriener, a NT theologian says, “The judgment that begins with God’s people purifies those who truly belong to God, and that purification comes through suffering, making believers morally fit for their inheritance.”
The good news for the believer is that this purification process, this separating the pure from the impure, the sheep from the goats, as Jesus would say, this judgement, does not end in destruction. It will be hard for the believer to persevere to the end, but because they have the Spirit of God they’ll be able to. “In this sense it is difficult for even the righteous person to persevere to the end and be saved.” If that’s true for the righteous, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner who don’t obey the gospel? They’ll be seen for who they are and when Christ comes to judge the living and the dead they will be found guilty and deserving of eternal punishment.
You see suffering has a purpose. It causes us to rejoice; it proves the Spirit is with us; it proves our eternal identity; and it purifies our faith. Really you can take all four of those and sum them up to one overarching statement: Suffering proves God is still at work. So Peter’s readers, you and I, can stand firm and not walk alone through whatever various trials come to us. Peter hasn’t instructed us to buck up. He’s said, open your eyes and look around. See what God is doing even when it seems like he’s not doing anything at all. Suffering should be expected. Suffering has a purpose, and finally, our last observation this morning is that suffering has a calling.
Suffering has a calling
Suffering has a calling
Peter ends this section with a therefore. Therefore, because all of these things that we’ve discussed are true, because you have a faith in a God who is still working, there is something for you to do. 1 Pet. 4:19
Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
You might’ve walked in this morning thinking that suffering was something to be avoided at all costs. Run from it. Don’t ruffle feathers so you don’t have to endure. Don’t engage with those who say spiteful things about other people, just duck your head and move on. Go grab that seat on the plane and hope that he’s not sitting next to you.
But not only is suffering not a bad thing, suffering happens because it’s God’s will. If God desires for his people to be purified through suffering then he will accomplish what he set out to do. Since it’s God’s will we don’t have to be afraid of it. Instead we can trust him. We can trust that whatever suffering we endure is not outside of His plan—which to me is amazing to think about. God is going to take the evil things of this world, he’s going to take the plans of the enemy, and use them as his instruments for his own redeeming purposes. Only the true God can do that. Only the faithful Creator can do that.
That name Peter uses to describe God right here is extremely intentional. He is faithful. He won’t let you down in the midst of it, and he is the Creator. He is sovereign over all of it. Because he is both of those things you can trust him. Jesus entrusted himself to him who judges justly and we can too. We can trust in the faithful Creator to never leave us or forsake us in the midst of our suffering, and not only that, but also we can trust that he is using this suffering for a purpose. Suffering calls us to trust him and the way this trust is manifested is by continuing to do good works.
Do you know what has brought about the suffering of Peter’s original readers? Yes, it’s not participating in the worldly things that everyone around them is asking them to participate in. But we saw back in chapters 2-4 that it’s to live in our work, and in our homes, and in our government in a way that good is done. So the very good works that these readers are doing is actually bringing about the suffering that they’re being called to endure! If it were me, the temptation to forsake the good works and stop the suffering would be huge! I’d rather just avoid having to deal with it, but Peter says here, don’t stop. Don’t stop doing the good that you’ve been called to do. Continue to live out your faith that has brought about this suffering, because doing good is part of your calling. We are to be a people who are marked by doing good works. Works that improve our community and display our care. Works that declare that the God we believe in is greater than anything this world has to offer. As we become more pure through the suffering that we endure, our faith will increase and our good works will follow.
Think of a gold bar for a second. The more pure it becomes the better it will reflect whoever’s holding it. Do you see what God is doing in suffering? He’s calling you to trust him, because he’s holding you, and then continue to reflect him in even clearer and brighter ways. It is actually the natural result of the true Christian who endures suffering. God is at work in the midst of suffering so that we might trust him and continue to do good. Church, suffering is coming. You might be in the midst of it right now. If so, be encouraged that God is at work. He has a purpose and a calling for you in the midst of it. If you’re not suffering, than know that as you live out your faith it will come. How will you respond in the midst of it?
IF you’re in the midst of suffering please know that you’re not alone. God has given you his people, the church, to help you. So please, this morning catch me afterwards and I’d love to pray with you and see how I/we can help care for you. We talked earlier about our eternal identity. If there’s some here this morning that aren’t sure if they’re children of God or know that they’re not, don’t leave today without talking. There really is nothing more important. Church, may we be a people who are marked by our reflection of Him in how we continue to live and act as we suffer.
Let’s pray.