The Christian Purpose: Called to Suffer 12/29/24

Rev. Jaseph E. Foster, M. Div.

WE MUST CONTINUE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH! 1 Peter 4:1-19

1 Peter 4:1–19 (ESV)

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 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. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

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. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 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.

On the site Persecution.Org in an article titled “Silencing the Christians in the West,” the writer says, “The historical influence of Christianity on American government and laws is being systematically removed through the re-writing of American history. Curriculums such as Critical Race Theory in America teach school children that the Founding Fathers were racist, and that white Christians created “White privilege” off the backs of minorities. Since 2020 in America, hundreds of historic statues and monuments have been destroyed or removed to rewrite history. Recently many new laws, such as same-sex marriage, gender identity, and abortions rights, have increase hostility toward Christians. Proponents of these laws look to silence Christian viewpoints by making them illegal. Many Christians have lost jobs for expressing their traditional beliefs in public spaces, workplaces, and online forums. In California, Jessica Tapia, a teacher, was fired after she refused to lie to the parents of junior high students about the fact that they were identifying as other genders. The West used to be a beacon of hope for those suffering from religious persecution. Newer rights, such as LGBTQ plus anti-discrimination laws and laws paying for abortion services with taxpayer funds, will continue to bring legal and social challenges to those who hold traditional Christian beliefs. These challenges, if left unchecked, will lead to further discrimination against Christians, making the West an increasingly hostile place for religious freedom.”

So what does the word “suffering mean?” What is the biblical definition of suffering?

The word “suffer” is pronounced pascho in Greek, which means to experience pain, hardship, or distress. So, suffering as a Christian means “to experience pain, hardship, or distress because of what you believe who you serve, what and who you put your faith in.”

When I first heard Pastor Steve talk about suffering, I was like, “What in the world is he talking about?” I had never heard anyone remotely mention that Christians suffer. I figured since we live in the United States of America my religious rights would not be in danger being taken away. I only heard about the persecution of Christians in some African countries, India, and the Middle East, but now we hear of people being arrested for praying at abortion clinics, people being escorted out of malls because they were wearing a Christian t-shirt, children being suspended from school because they won’t bow down to the lies about gender. In his article, “Yes, Christians are being persecuted in America. Here’s how We Can Respond” William Wolfe says: “Our society is turning up the heat, trying to smoke Christians out of the public square for good. Consider that churches were forced to close, with not solid scientific evidence supporting that decision at the time for months in 2020 and into 2021, even as casinos and strip clubs were allowed to stay open.”

The overturning of Roe v. Wade has been blamed on Christians, and you see street preachers being attacked and arrested for proclaiming the Gospel in the midst of immoral celebrations. Some preachers have given in; in fear of standing up for Christian principles, our society tries to force that fear to become compromise, and it’s a shame that it is working. I’ve even heard people blaming the election results on Christians. If we made a difference that is great, but we should never get to the point where we think we have somehow arrived, and become complacent, while the enemy of our souls are moving people to blame us as the reason things are not how they want them to be. I have heard of, and have read about many in this country who receive death threats because they simply want to share the joy of being a child of the Most High God.

Our places of worship continue to be set on fire and vandalized, and we have been recipients of that hatred and anger towards people of faith. I work for a Christian organization, and I know first hand disdain of any kind organization that wants to use the Gospel to help feed the homeless, help the addicted get sober and on their feet again, and putting children in loving homes. All of this I just mentioned would garner praise if it were a secular business, but for the fact that these places of business want to magnify the name of Christ, the automatically become Public Enemy #1., just as the Lord Jesus told us it would be.

Jesus says, Matthew 10:34-36

Matthew 10:34–36 (ESV)

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

In addition, we do not have a good grasp of what religious persecution is; it could be a number of different things. It could be being slandered and mocked for your faith, or being passed over for a promotion at your consulting firm because you refuse to fly the Pride flag from your cup holder during June. It’s anything and everything form suffering social ostracization to being beaten, tortured, or killed. We, as followers of Christ would do well in understanding this.The result of becoming a follower of Christ is frequently conflict.

To follow Christ, you must be willing and ready to endure the backlash because of your belief in the Gospel truth. Right now, I want to hone in on specific reasons for Christian suffering, suffering for what you believe, who you believe, and who you serve. I feel like the church needs to do more to prepare our fellow brothers and sisters for the floodgates to open and the outright attempt to completely remove anything Christian.

Being part of the body of Christ comes with suffering, persecution, and difficult times. We must remember that our suffering comes with the territory. As we know, Satan wants to destroy as many lives as possible; he wants to destroy our resolve, weaken our will to endure. He does this by attacking marriages, families, and yes, he has his eyes set on destroying the church. The weapon he uses is fear. If we are afraid to be ridiculed, shunned, cursed out, and attacked physically, then he has done his job; if we are fearful then we are not effective. But we must remember what our Lord says in Revelation 2:10–11 “10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” and Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12 “12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...” Notice, Paul does not say that we may be persecuted, but we will be persecuted.

John MacArthur says “We are constantly exposed to a world system energized by Satan and his demons. Their effort is to discredit the church and to destroy its credibility and integrity. Christians, however, must stand against the enemy and silence the critics by the power of living holy lives worthy of the call."

You see, it’s how we deal with and respond to persecution that makes the difference. I want you to answer these questions as we go through this message; do we continue to fight the good fight of faith? Or do we run with our tail between our legs? Do we remain committed to prayer and the study of God’s Word in the midst of troubling times? Or do we give in to the enemy and wave the white flag of surrender? Are we really willing to face physical violence, ridicule, and even death? Or do we conform to what the world wants us to do and be. In these last days, attacks on the church are going to increase, and we must have an attitude of victory in the midst of adversity.

During the time this letter was written, Nero had set Rome on fire and used Christians as the scapegoat. During this time, Christians went through unspeakable torment, persecution, and suffering. The Apostle Peter was telling the church during that time, and he is telling us today, that our attitude, our determination, and our approach to adversity and suffering is what sets us apart from the world, and will make us the last ones standing when it is all said and done. I would like to use God’s Word to answer the question, why do Christians suffer?

If you don’t hear anything else I says this morning, please, remember this first point. I. (Verses 1-2) WE ARE CALLED TO SUFFER BECAUSE JESUS SUFFERED.... Peter says, “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, as to live for the rest of time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. In Acts 5:41 Luke wrote...

Acts 5:40–41 (ESV)

40 and when they had called in the apostles (Peter and John), they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

The didn’t complain, the didn’t give up, but they rejoiced in suffering because they got to endure just a taste of what their Savior had endured.

We must have a willingness to suffer; We must believe and hold on to the fact that although we suffer, it is not in vain. We must come to the realization that there is a chance that potential death could be the result. Peter says to “arm yourselves with the same way of thinking...” we are to approach persecution as Jesus did… with the willingness to sacrifice it all so that God’s will in done.

Paul says in Philippians 2:5–8 “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, thought he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thingto be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Peter says, “for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, as to live for the rest of time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” My ESV Study Bible says this: “Peter’s point is that when believers are willing to suffer, the nerve center of sin is severed in their lives. Although believers will never be totally free from sin in this life, when believers endure suffering for the sake of Christ they show that their purpose in life is not to live for their own pleasures but according to the will of God.”

II. (Verses 3-7) We Suffer Because the World Hates us… 3 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. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.

The world hates us because we no longer engage in a consistent pattern of sin, we no revel in sin, but are repentant and sorrowful for what we had done in our lives. Sin for the Christian has become a weight that drags them down, rather than pleasures that bring the joy. Former friends, family, and even people church members are astonished, surprised, and yes, angry and vindictive because you no longer live in the flesh, but in the spirit of the living God. Paul says in Romans 12:1–2 “1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

We no longer live our lives according to ‘god of this world,’ meaning Satan and the world’s warped perception of living, and for going against that, it comes with a price. We even see and hear now that proclaiming the Gospel is viewed by the world and hate speech. Ministries, such as the Family Research Council, have been deemed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a hate group. We who are in Christ know that we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. In this world, everything must be accepted, and if you remotely disagree with anything at all, you are considered an outsider; and enemy. As followers of the Way, we want to be on the outside, and we hold true to what is right! This world has become so corrupt, and some are afraid to call a spade a spade. We have some ‘churches’ who have conformed, agreeing with the world on issues based on man’s selfish reasoning instead of God’s commands. Some are scared to say that homosexuality is wrong, looting and burning down businesses is wrong, sex outside of marriage is wrong, same-sex marriage is wrong, adultery is wrong, and abortion is wrong, but we are the ones who are ridiculed, harrassed, and persecuted. Paul says in Romans 8:36 “36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.””