Stay Joyful, Stand Firm
1 Peter • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Text: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-14
INTRODUCTION
In ancient times, there were cultures that celebrated childbirth with grand festivals. Imagine a village where the arrival of a baby brought food, music, and dance. The mothers, though they faced the pains of labor, knew that the joy of the community celebrating their child was worth it. It was as if every scream during childbirth was met with a cheer from the village—reminding us that the struggles we endure often yield joyful rewards.
Peter will now bring into view the PAYOFF / the REWARD into FOCUS.
Because of who JESUS is and because of WHAT AWAITS US…we will stay joyful and stand firm!1
(Jesus Gives Us)
1. A NEW PERSPECTIVE
1. A NEW PERSPECTIVE
(PERSPECTIVE OF PERSEVERING)
(This new perspective will help you) PREPARE FOR TRIAL
(v12) Don’t be surprised WHEN you are tested by suffering
(v12) Don’t be surprised WHEN you are tested by suffering
It was promised to all who live in Christ Jesus
This is NOT strange
This is about the testing of your faith
1 Peter for You (The Non-Surprise of Christian Suffering)
If you don’t have a theology of Christian suffering that is informed by all of Scripture, you will be surprised when you suffer.
In the midst of Christian suffering, you will likely ask the wrong questions or give the wrong answers.
You will likely feel emotionally confused whenever you may suffer.
You may assume that God has abandoned you or is punishing you; you will be angry or bitter at God; you will be anxious and despondent in your circumstances.
And you will probably respond irrationally, blaming God or others. You may even ultimately reject God, Christ, the church and the Christian faith.
Don’t think that way or go that way, Peter says—don’t be surprised when you face Christian suffering because God is at work in you and through your suffering to bring you to himself.
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
God’s call on Saul (through Ananias)
God said he was showing Saul all he would suffer in persecution as a result of running with Christ.
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
(This new perspective will help you) PREPLAN FOR JOY
(v13) Rejoice: you are identifying with JESUS
(v13) Rejoice: you are identifying with JESUS
Jesus said this is a way we identify with Him
as much as we might think we’d like to multiply bread or bring in a huge draw of fish
as much as we think He would let us LITERALLY open blinded eyes, or cause the lame to walk (like He did with the Apostles as He was establishing the church)
He knew, HE WOULD BE GLORIFIED in a most excellent way, if WHEN WE SUFFER, WE REJOICE AT THE PRIVILEGE
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
(This new perspective will help you) LIVE RIGHT
There is a disclaimer here on the reason for our suffering / the cause for our suffering:
Don’t suffer for sin
Murderer (Jesus said hatred is up there with murder)
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Don’t steal
Ex 20:15 / You shall not steal from one another
Mal 3:8-9 / It’s possible to steal from God - when we’re not faithful, generous, (and at times, Sacrificial)
28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Don’t suffer for doing evil
11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.
Don’t suffer for meddling
1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
Don’t suffer for foolishness…better, don’t do foolish things - YOU ARE NOT FOOLISH.
Don’t do evil things - YOU ARE NOT EVIL.
Don’t meddle where you don’t belong.
I think we get this…
Can I say one more thing before we transition to the final thoughts in 1 Peter?
Just a note about our theology of suffering and pain.
In my reading, I was struck…by how useful pain and suffering FOR BEING HIS AND DOING THE RIGHT THING can be…
Scottish theologian George Matheson, blind by the time he was 18, seems to have seen very clearly the connection between GLORY and PAIN.
“There is a time coming in which your glory shall consist in the very thing which now constitutes your pain.”
If we could ask the great ones of the past what has been the spot of their prosperity and they will say, “It was the cold ground on which I was lying.”
Ask Abraham; he will point to the sacrifice on Mount Moriah.
Ask Joseph; he will direct you to this dungeon.
Ask Moses; he will date his fortune from his danger in the Nile.
Ask Ruth; she will bid you build her monument in the field of her toil.
Ask David; he will tell you that his songs came in the night.
Ask Job; he will remind you that God answered him out of the whirlwind.
Ask Peter; he will extol his submersion in the sea.
Ask John; he will give the path to Patmos.
Ask Paul; he will attribute his inspiration to the light which struck him blind.
—-
Ask Jesus Christ—the Son of God.
He will no doubt take you to a lone spot in the Gethsemane’s garden where He struggled knowing what was to come…the place where grapes were crushed to make sweet wine is the place our Savior was preparing to be crushed to be poured out as a sacrifice - a glorious sacrifice to demonstrate His perfection.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
(Jesus Gives Us)
2. A NEW PURPOSE
2. A NEW PURPOSE
A PURPOSE IN OUR PAIN
17 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? 18 And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
It’s a surprising passage here in this letter as he begins to wind things up.
Don’t live like the wicked or the world
You will suffer for being a Christian
It could totally be from the outside - just for naming the name of Christ!
but Peter here hints at another divine work of suffering…
God uses suffering in our lives to prune us.
Paul refers here to Proverbs 11:31
31 If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
In the verses before, we learn the focus of all this…good, bad, up, down, trouble, or calm…
that the Christian - you and I - would NOT BE ASHAMED, and GLORIFY GOD in the NAME OF JESUS.
Spurgeon writes of a time he recalls as a chid…
The apricot tree at 2828 Hill Heights Park was trimmed back so much I wondered if the branches and leaves would ever grow back, let alone the leaves. We ended up that next year having apricots coming out of our ears; Mom made apricot pie, jam, and we had it as fresh fruit, and there was still an abundance left for the birds.5
For the Christian, there is a NEW purpose in our pain…
Be encouraged. If it seems as though the LORD Himself is putting you through a season of suffering…it is directly connected to His glory. He has a desire for abundance in your future - in Jesus name.
If this is you…receive that right now in the deep places of your heart.
If this is not you…go ahead and store that up in the bank of your resources, you will need to draw on that later.
The Christian’s pain is a reminder, that God’s glory shines bright through our cracks - we can be joyful because of that.
The Christian’s pain and suffering is a reminder that this world is the worst we will ever have it - when compared to eternity.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
For those who are not Christians yet…those are who are in darkness…
This is the best they will have it in light of all eternity.
Their pain…is just pain. It might build endurance, tolerance, even make them stronger (as humanity counts strength)…but it will not produce godliness.
Our judgment is here…there’s for eternity.
We see this NEW PURPOSE HERE: Suffering will REVEAL GOD’S PEOPLE as he brings them through it, and EXPOSE those who are NOT HIS people as they fail to trust Christ in it.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We can STAY JOYFUL when we have a SCRIPTURE FED AND SPIRIT LED Perspective of Persevering.
We can STAY JOYFUL when we understand that this PAIN HAS A PURPOSE.
(Jesus Gives Us)
3. A NEW POSITION
3. A NEW POSITION
(OUR GRACIOUS GOD SEES US AND HE WILL MAKE ALL THINGS NEW)
The truths here in these last few verses require very little EXPLANATION…just APPLICATION.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
How do we stay joyful and stand firm?
(v6) He’s positioned us to HUMBLE YOURSELF
you get low and EXALT HIM, let Him take care of your status
(v7) He’s positioned us to CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETIES ON HIM
He can handle it.
22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God!
(v8-9) He’s positioned us to RESIST THE DEVIL WITH SOBERNESS & WATCHFULNESS
Satan prowls (in what you’re seeing, hearing, absorbing in culture
Resist him ACTIVELY
be on guard!
don’t go where you’re weak
notice “seeking someone”
don’t be alone
don’t be isolated - an ISOLATED Christian is exactly the vulnerable “someone” Satan is looking to devour
An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for the gifts to be ministered either way.
Warren W. Wiersbe
(9) He’s positioned us NOT TO chase things that weaken your faith…BE FIRM IN YOUR FAITH!
(9) He’s positioned us to Recognize that WE ARE NOT ALONE!
you’re not IN this alone
you’re not SUFFERING alone
you’re a part of the family of God that stretches around the globe
you have brothers and sisters in the remotest part of the world that are WITH YOU in spirit
(10) He’s positioned us to REMEMBER OUR REWARD
ONE DAY AFTER WHILE
THE GOD OF ALL GRACE WILL FINISH IT!
when the winds of this world have blown their last gail force
when the storms of life have battered you for the last time
when suffering can’t find you anymore
when pain has gone MIA
THE GOD OF ALL GRACE IS THE SOVEREIGN ONE WHO IS THE CAPTAIN OF OUR VESSEL
THIS GOD OF ALL GRACE
IS THE SAME GOD WHO RESCUED YOU WHEN YOU WERE ON YOUR WAY TO HELL
IS THE SAME GOD WHO DELIVERED YOU FROM YOURSELF
IS THE SAME GOD WHO TOOK THE WORST OF YOU AND LAID IT ON CHRIST AT THE CROSS
AND THE BEST OF THE SINLESS, SPOTLESS, LAMB OF GOD WHO HUNG, BLED, AND DIED FOR YOUR SIN AND SHAME - TOOK THE BEST OF HIM AND LAID IT ON YOU
THE GOD OF ALL GRACE HIMSELF WILL
Restore YOU / you as an image-bearer and glory carrier…
Confirm YOU / you are His child…He will make that abundantly and eternally clear in His presence.
Strengthen YOU / what the world, and sin, and life has taken from you GOD WILL GIVE BEAUTY FOR THOSE ASHES AND STRENGTH IN THE PLACE OF THOSE FEARS
Establish YOU / the work will be completed…
right now you are IN Christ - that’s your position.
right now you are pilgrims passing through this land.
right now you are strangers…IN this world, but not OF this world
right now you are in the process of being made more and more like Jesus
but one day soon as very soon...
you will behold the place that He has prepared for those of us who love Him and have repented and believed His Gospel
you will no longer be IN PROCESS…YOU’LL BE THERE!
you will be WITH Christ - seeing Him as He is!
HALLELUJAH!
It’s true…it’s all true!
just a little while longer…
Just a little while to stay here,
Just a little while to wait,
Just a little while to labor
In the path that’s always straight,
Just a little more of troubles,
In this low and sinful state,
Then we’ll enter Heaven’s portals,
Sweeping through the pearly gates.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Our living hope is NOT about US…it’s all about JESUS!
Peter knew well…he had suffered well.
Silvanus (v12) knew it too, this is another name for Silas (formerly imprisoned Silas). What a mail carrier to deliver the letter…both knew the grace of God and so do we!
We stay joyful and stand firm in the true grace of God - especially when we suffer.
We stay joyful and stand firm knowing that while the world may take everything away from us, it cannot take our glorious identity or our imperishable future, because we are exiles here BUT now on our way home (1:1–2).
We stay joyful and stand firm knowing that even though the world may kill us, we have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ to an imperishable inheritance (1:3–5).
We stay joyful and stand firm knowing that God does not waste our suffering (1:6–9)!
We stay joyful and stand firm knowing that our Lord Jesus Christ endured righteous suffering and blazed the trail for us to follow (2:21–25).
We stay joyful and stand firm knowing that if we suffer for doing good we will be blessed (3:8–17) and will be exalted to glory as Christ was (3:18–22).
We stay joyful and stand firm by humbling ourselves under God’s mighty hand, knowing that he will exalt us (5:6–11).
We—you—can, and must, stay joyful and stand firm in the true grace of God until we take our last breath or Christ is revealed.
Jesus has given us this NEW PERSPECTIVE…our suffering has a NEW PURPOSE…and He is calling us to our NEW POSITION for eternity - joint heirs who will rule and reign with Christ!
