June 15th

but Father's Day, we're going to talk about suffering, don't know what that means, but that's what Peter is going to be talking about In this passage

And so suffering, if you've noticed has been a a theme throughout all of 1st Peter and today we're going to talk some about what it means to suffer because we are believers in Christ. And so this isn't your general everyday kind of suffering that we faced. This is this is suffering as a result of having a faith in Jesus until we'll read our passage together and then we'll pray like usual and ask that God would be the one to teach us this morning until we are in 1st Peter, chapter 4. 1st Peter chapter 4 and we're going to cover verses 12 through, 19, 1st Peter, 4:12 through 19, and it should be on the screen behind me as well.

And it says dear friends do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you as though something strange were happening to you but rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed. When his glory is revealed, if you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer it should not be as a murderer, or a thief, or any kind of criminal or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed. But praise God, that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household. And if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly in the center? So then those who suffer, according to God's will should submit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good, let's pray together. Only father, we pray that you would open our ears and open our hearts, as we continue to reflect on this passage and father, we see what it means to suffer as a Believer here. And father, that we would be encouraged because we are called to Rejoice if we suffer because we bear your name until Lord, give us wisdom as we interpret and read the message. And for me, it lead us to a greater understanding of what it means to follow your son Jesus and the Lord. We pray this in Jesus powerful name. Amen.

And so, as as I've been thinking about this, passage one thing that I've been thinking about is haunted houses. I know that we are a ways away from haunted houses at summertime, after all. But does anyone like haunted houses? Has anyone actually seek them out? No, not a single person. Okay, I'm in good company. Then when you go to a haunted house you go knowing what to expect, right? When you go to a haunted house, you know, you're going to be let down these dark corridors and things are going to jump out at you, okay? Likely it's some high schoolers with a mask on or something and they're going to try to jump out and scare you. It's a pretty tried-and-true formula, right? But what drives me nuts about them is that the rare occasions that I do go to them. I would go and I would tell myself know what, you know what's in store, you know, as you walk through these Halls These people are going to jump out at you. They're going to try to scare you. And I tell myself that and guess what happened. As I go through this haunted house though I still get surprised. So yes I know it. I know it's going to happen and yeah I'm still shocked. I'm still surprised I used to tell myself like okay don't don't react because I wanted to impress the girls at youth group when we were going. And now I tell myself that so I can make a me feel like she didn't marry a coward, but I'm always still surprised. I'm always still shocked when somebody jumps out and it's it's just still drawing. In this passage Peter tells the churches and he tells us and you saying he saying don't be surprised. Verse 12 it says dear friends do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. And so kind of like how I go into a haunted house and I say don't be surprised, don't be surprised, don't be shocked, Noah Peter saying I hate Church. Don't be surprised when You Face challenging times. Don't be shocked church if you go through a time and and you enter into a period of suffering. I'm particularly if that that. Of suffering is is testing you. Right? Because there are times and in churches, I think we can maybe guilty of of kind of pushing this out there that hay. If you just follow Jesus, man, things are just going to be great. Life's going to be great. So there's going to be no, trials is going to be no heartache. There's going to be no suffering and yet, if you've been a Believer for any amount of time, you know, that that just isn't the case. Even if you look at scripture, you can see that these people we, we would call pillars of the faith. They all went through times of suffering in their own life. If you think about the the book of Joe that entire book is filled with a Godly and righteous man, who is suffering. If you read in the Book of Psalms you, you find a lot of David Psalms and many of David Psalms were written, not when he was at his Peak and when he was the happiest, many of them were written when he is at his lowest when he was going through the, the most intense suffering that he went through in his life.

And yet these moments of suffering often lead us to a deeper desire and understanding of what it means that that Jesus is enough.

There's a quote from a guy, his name is George Matheson, he grew up in Scotland around the mid-1800s, but he said that she said there's a Time coming in which Your Glory shall consist in the very thing, which now constitutes your pain. Until when, when we endure suffering and in life. And I think that's important to know, it's when not if because we will endure suffering in our life, it tests us in a way that that reveals our heart to us. and so if you think about your life, if if if there's suffering if it feels like everything's falling apart, Maybe you, you have a health diagnosis within your family. Maybe you have money problems within your family but if everything's falling apart and it feels like your life is crumbling, do you still have hope? Do you still have hope because of what Christ has done? And believe me. I know I am preaching to myself, just as much. If not, more than two, all of you to this morning. Okay. I know, I know this isn't easy. I know when it life is falling down around us. I know it's not easy to go. Like will Jesus is enough? And yet that's that's the response we're called to half. And as I think back on on my life as well, I know that because of suffering because of these times of of pain and trial that is what produced Faith Within Me.

Until sometimes after suffering, there are good things that can come as a result. Suffering kind of strips us down to our core reveals, what we believe in what we trust then. And so as I think about my life, I I can think back to you. I know I've shared before, but my time in junior high, when I was sickened and I missed a whole year of schooling and because of that, it wasn't fun. But it produced faith for me. It produced a saving faith in Christ where I realize. Okay, Christ is Enough when I think back to the times of depression that I faced in high school, I can see that. Okay? Christ was teaching me to it to fully depend on him and beyond that, I can see that Christ is working through those things. Because if not for those periods of suffering once again, I know I've said this before, but if not for those periods of suffering, I would not be married to Amy. I would not be here, I would not have the kids that I have. And so because of the suffering that that I went through, God was able to turn it for good.

Now I don't mean that also as in a way of like hey when whenever you face suffering just endure because things will always 100% be better on the other side of things. I'm not saying that okay, if you just enjoy her through suffering, then you're going to be promise everything that your heart desires, you're going to have wealth and health at the end of it. Because that's, that's not the gospel. And then I don't mean to say that, but I simply mean, that that it's entirely possible for God to use suffering as a way to, to get through to us as a way to, to kind of wake us up to our need to him. To make sure that that we get it to help us understand that he is enough. Until with my need for Christ was was never made known to me through suffering. Then I would not think that I I truly need him.

But it's a result of the suffering in life that that we can look back on those periods and actually Rejoice. We can Rejoice because of the suffering we had because it made our need for Jesus, clear to us.

There's a somebody at somebody. I know somebody had talked to recently,

Who they are going through some, some really intense suffering in their life with a, with a health diagnosis, in a loved one. NN and I've been thinking about them and I've been praying for them and when when I heard about this that they were sharing and and kind of asked, okay, how are things going with this? And they said, the husband said, what we don't want to waste this time, we don't want to waste this time and I first my mind went to okay, like you're taking advantage of every moment that you have with the loved one in case something happens but that wasn't what he was getting at. He said we don't want to waste this time in terms of of growing closer to God in this in this time of suffering. Okay? This is way more mature and wise of a response than I would have. If I was in his shoes, we don't want to waste this time. They want to use this time as they go through this period of suffering, to grow closer to God, to really learn what it means to depend upon him.

And so, it's just an interesting approach because so often when we enter a period of suffering, what do we wish we could do. Skip to the end of it, right? We wish we had a TV remote that we could just click fast forward, fast forward, fast forward. And if we could go from one suffering started to where suffering ended, let's just jump all this stuff gone. And yet it is in this time of suffering that that we learn to really clean to God.

It's a time when when once again, we realize that God is enough for us.

Until Peter. It's just says, hey don't be surprised. Don't be surprised when You Face suffering, it's going to happen in your life. It's going to happen if it's not happening now to you it it will happen. I know I am not done with suffering in my life and believe me or there's going to be some time when I'm going through suffering and I'm going to recall this and I'm going to say Noah, I wish you had preached the sermon I have to remind myself this because there are going to be times. But I hope that when we enter those times, we're not going to be surprised by They were not surprised by the suffering in the heartache that we face in life instead that that we use them purposefully to drive us closer to God. So then we get the verses 13 through 16.

and it says, But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed for the spirit of God and of Glory rests on you. If you suffer is you're not be as a murderer or a thief or any other kind of criminal or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed. But praise God, that you bear that name. Until verse 13. What an odd verse Peter. He says to rejoice as we participate in the sufferings of Christ. And so when we suffer as a Christian, our response should not be sadness. It should not be angry at shouldn't be shame. Peter says our response should be rejoicing and praise. Why on Earth if we're suffering because of our faith? Why should we do that? And Peter says, well, it's because you're being associated with Jesus. Now, I think that's a key thing to point out here in this passage. I think it's key that we point out that this suffering right now, that Peter is talking about is a result of being related to Christ. It's a result of following Jesus. And so, let me give me an example K. If I go to Walmart today, and I went there yesterday and it was crazy. But if I went to Walmart today, And I walked in and I don't, I don't know, I took a bag of Oreos, a tray of Oreos and I walked out trying to steal these Oreos. Okay, Matthews going to shake his head at me, then he's going to say no. You can do that. But if I steal something and it leads to too, you know, the consequences of that. Right, if I do that, why can't then go like, if as I'm sitting in the cop car first, taking these bag of Oreos, I can't go like well I should Rejoice because I'm suffering because of Jesus. Okay. Am I in that cop car because of anything to do with Jesus? Really know. I'm, I'm in that position because of my bad choices. Okay? And so I just make this distinction, because I think there are times where it, where Believers are quick to go. Well, I'm going to rejoice in my suffering because just because I'm suffering means that. I'm, I'm blessed because of this passage and Peter saying, no, you should rejoice in your suffering. Because if it's a result of you following Christ, if that makes sense, okay? If you suffer because of your faith because you are following Jesus, then then then we should Rejoice, then we should praise God for that and still kind of on the alternate end of this. If if you come to church and and then you go to work the next day or something. And and maybe somebody at work is, like asking if he would you do for Father's Day or would you do this weekend? You're like, well, I went to church and I spent time there with my church family and and they're like, oh, what a, what a loser. Like, that's what you did with your time. That's what you wanted, to spend your weekend doing. And instead of feeling any kind of shame or or like, like, I wish that person would have made me feel like that we can Rejoice. Peter says, you can Rejoice because hey, even if they don't feel that way, even if they don't think that way, you are being ridiculed in a way that identifies you with Jesus. And so, he would say rejoice. And I know it's not exactly fun, right? But but it's okay. Until we rejoice, when suffering comes as a result of following Christ.

Another example that illustrates this we see in Acts chapter 5 and so if you want to turn their, we're going to read a portion of this together. But what happens is, the apostles are out teaching and there they begin to heal a lot of people people who are sick and everything just kind of come to them and the apostles, pray over them and in these people are healed. And so the Sadducees that the teachers of the law, they see all of this happening. And they become jealous, they become angry. That the apostles are getting all of this attention and so they have the apostles arrested until they go to jail. And while they're in jail and Angel of the Lord appears opens that the jail doors and it says go out, continue to preach about Jesus. And so that the apostles do just that. And so, then the Sadducees realize in the morning, like, hey, those guys that we locked up in prison and put in jail, they're not there anymore. And so they go and they find them and they bring them in to be questioned. And so then, that's where we get to Acts 5:29.

Do in response to their questions. Peter says this. He says we must obey God, rather than human beings. The god of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead whom you killed by hanging on a hanging him, on a cross. God, exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We Are Witnesses of these things and so is the holy spirit. Whom God has given to those who obey him when they heard this, they were Furious and wanted to put him to death but a Pharisee named Janet Leal a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people stood up in the Sanhedrin in order that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the same. Heatran men of Israel, consider carefully. What you intend to do to these men some time ago who disappeared claiming to be somebody in about four hundred men rally to him, he was killed and all his followers were dispersed and it all came to nothing after him Judas. The Galilean appeared in the days of the census and lead. A band of people in Revolt, he too was killed and all his followers were scattered. Therefore in the present case, I advise you leave these men alone, let them go for if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men. You only find yourself fighting against God. His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged, then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they've been counted worthy of suffering, disgrace for the name. Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the messiah. It's a verse 41 just just look at that for a moment, okay? If you had just been arrested and you kind of had this miraculous Encounter With An Angel and you were like go and then you were brought back in and then you were flogged you were whipped in this very physical punishment kind of way as you left that place would would rejoice and be the thing you would do. I don't want to be mine, probably right. I would be, I would be mad. I would be upset, but it says they Rejoice because they've been counted worthy of of suffering because they bear the name of Jesus.

I'm so because they were directly preaching about the Gospel of Jesus. They they they suffered and they Rejoice because of it. And so the Rejoice thing is is a result of being identified with Christ it to such a degree that it led them to suffer in Jesus's name. And do for us, if we are doing something that's directly related to following Jesus, okay? If if you are caring for the least of these of, if you are loving your enemies, if you are loving others, if you are loving God, if you're doing any of that and it leads you to suffering. Peter would say rejoice in it, you, you are being identified with Christ and so rejoice in that suffering because you are being so closely associated with Jesus,

And then 17 through 19 go on. And it says, spread his time for judgment to begin with God's household. And if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the center? So then those who suffer, according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. The Peter talks about that the Judgment that's beginning with God's household and he Compares it to to those who do not obey the gospel. And this goes back to it, 2 verse 12. This goes back to how suffering can also serve as a as a test for believers as we suffer in our life. Does that reveal a true saving faith in God? I think it's easier to to believe and trust God went when things are going fine in life, when things are going good, But Peter will challenge Us in and he would say when when everything is gone, when you are going through suffering, do you still believe in God? You still believe in Jesus despite the suffering you're going through. And Peter compares that the suffering that Believers go through here to the Judgment of God, to its people who don't believe the gospel. Until yeah. Obviously. No one enjoys suffering right? No one wakes up in the morning and goes gee by golly. I wonder how I'm going to suffer today, okay. Nobody does that. However, if suffering leads us to faith in Christ, that is suffering worth rejoicing over. Because suffering now in this life and it on this Earth is far better than spending eternity apart from God. And so, if we go through suffering in our life, that drives us to our knees, that drives us before the Cross of Christ, we can rejoice. Because we, we have an inherited that salvation through Christ, and that is what we need.

And so today, then and I know it's not been like a real uplifting sermon, I know, I get that today, but the question for us is is okay. When you go through some, maybe you are. And in the midst of suffering right now. But but when you are in suffering, are you going to continue to trust God? Are you going to continue to, to know that he's enough? When everything is falling down around. You are you going to continue to follow him? Are you going to continue to follow God? Even if that is what directly leads into your suffering,

I pray that we would say yes I pray that we would be at church whose whose faith is not built upon our our, our circumstances in this life, but around our relationship with Christ that Jesus is enough, The, let's follow him together in the good times. And in the times of suffering, let's pray together.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word here in 1st Peter and Lord. We thank you for just what it says to us about suffering. I'm father, help us to not be surprised. When we Face suffering in our life. I'm Lord. We aren't promise than an easy cushy Life by following you. I'm Lord your son himself said that in this life, we will have trouble until father help us to not be surprised. Help us to know that that suffering is a part of this life. I'm but Lord, I pray that we would see these times of suffering as an opportunity to grow closer to you. Father, help us to recognize and to realize that you are truly everything that we need. And Lord, I pray that, that, that decision within our suffering would itself be a witness two people. I'm father that people would see our commitment to you even as we Face suffering in our life and would be driven to, to find out who you are and what you have done for them. And to Lord, I pray this morning that if there's anyone in this place, going through suffering father, that they would be encouraged and in father, that they would be reminded that that you are with them in the midst of this suffering and Lord, I pray that you would remind them and speak to them. That, that you are enough. Father, that your love is, is truly all that. We need And father, I pray that if, if people aren't in the time of suffering, father, that they would remember this that they would recall these words. When they do enter a time of suffering, probably because you truly are enough. You are everything that we need help us to realize that and help us to live that out in a practical way. Father, we love you and we pray and ask God of this in Jesus name. Amen.

Are closing song this morning is in your