Untitled Sermon

trusting the faithful father in the face of fiery trials

Big Idea - Peter combats the natural tendency to react with shock and outrage at trials among the suffering community of faith by explaining that trials in this life should be expected (4:12), and, when unjust (4:1615-16), they allow us to participate in Christ’s sufferings (4:13) and give us a foretaste of future glory through the Spirit (4:14). Thus we can rejoice even in the midst of them (4:13). Further, when trials as a Christian make us want to run from the faith to escape them, we should remember that the eternal suffering of the unbeliever makes that of the believer in this life pale in comparison (4:17-18). Thus, when we face even the darkest of trials, we can trust that the sovereign God who created all that exists is still in control, and will work all things for our good and his glory. We can always trust our trials to him (4:19). You can trust the Faithful Father in the Face of Tough Trials.

(Bridgeway Youth, 10-Jun-2018)

FCF1 - The tendency to be shocked and outraged when we face unjust suffering or trials.

Big Idea - Peter combats the natural tendency to react with shock and outrage at trials among the suffering community of faith by explaining that trials in this life should be expected (4:12). When we suffer unjustly (4:1615-16), we participate in Christ’s sufferings (4:13) and are blessed with a foretaste of future glory through the Spirit (4:14). Thus we can rejoice even in the midst of suffering (4:13). Further, when trials as a Christian make us want to run from the faith to escape them, we should remember that the eternal suffering of the unbeliever makes that of the believer in this life pale in comparison (4:17-18). Thus, when we face even the darkest of trials, we can trust that the sovereign God who created all that exists is still in control, and will work all things for our good and his glory. We can always trust our trials to him (4:19). You Can Trust the Faithful Father in the Face of Fiery Trials.

Grace - An explanation that in the gospel, Christ suffered, and called us to suffer, and that our sufferings bless us with the glory of the future.

FCF1 - The tendency to be shocked and outraged when we face unjust suffering or trials.

FCF2 - The temptation to alleviate our sufferings as Christians by abandoning the faith.

Grace - A reminder that unbelievers will face an eternal suffering, and so abandoning present suffering as a Christian to join them is not a win.

Grace - An explanation that in the gospel, Christ suffered, and called us to suffer, and that our sufferings bless us with the glory of the future.

FCF3 - The difficulty in believing that God is actually in control when we face unjust trials.

FCF2 - The temptation to alleviate our sufferings as Christians by abandoning the faith.

Grace - A reminder that unbelievers will face an eternal suffering, and so abandoning present suffering as a Christian to join them is not a win.

Grace - An assertion of the faithfulness of the Sovereign Creator. He not only is in control - He is faithful to his character and promises.

Introduction - The Greatest Lie

FCF3 - The difficulty in believing that God is both in control and good when we face unjust trials.

1. Don’t let unjust trials take you by surprise, but rejoice in them as a foretaste of future glory (4:12-16).

Grace - An assertion of the faithfulness of the Sovereign Creator. He is in control, and he is faithful to his character and promises.

Introduction - The Greatest Lie

A. Don’t let trials take you by surprise (4:12).

- A word about persecution

“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.”

Our natural tendency is to think that life should be without struggles. “When we experience something that is really hard to bear and that appears pointless (in contrast with the harsh sting of an antiseptic cleansing a wound), we immediately ask, Why is this happening to me? This question is a protest against the fact that we suffer while others do not and presupposes that suffering ought not to happen to anyone. Peter ‘answers’ this question in this section of the letter. He gives a number of reasons for having a different attitude, one of joy rather than outrage.” (Marshall, I. H.). Jesus suffered extensively, and made it clear that those who follow him would face the same (; ; ; ; ; ). Trials for unbelievers are not strange - they are promised. Further, they should be seen as part of the “testing” and “purifying” process that the sovereign God always brings his people through (; ; ; and ). We are tempted to think that when we go through suffering, it somehow means that God is absent. But in fact, it is the greatest evidence that he is lovingly present.

1. Don’t let unjust trials take you by surprise, but rejoice in them as a foretaste of future glory (4:12-16).

 B. Rather rejoice during Trials because you get to share in Christ’s sufferings and taste his future glory through his Spirit (4:13-14)

Don’t let trials take you by surprise (4:12).

“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, on their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.”

“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.”

Peter picks up Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount here. Jesus had explained, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (). Peter reminds his readers (and us!) that Jesus not only already told us that we would face suffering, but exhorted us to be glad and rejoice in the midst of it. Peter knew this reality well. After preaching the gospel early in the church’s story, he had been imprisoned and flogged for preaching Christ. And how did he respond? Luke says of him and the other apostles, “Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name” ().

Our natural tendency is to think that life should be without struggles. Smooth sailing should be normal. Tim Keller explains, “Some people have the naïve view that because they are fairly savvy people, or self-disciplined, or morally decent, or good Christians—that really, really bad things simply can’t happen to them. That is nothing but bad theology. And so many people’s misery and distress in suffering is doubled and trebled, coming not from the trouble itself but from the shock that they are suffering at all.” So what happens when suffering does come to those of us who are so naive? “When we experience something that is really hard to bear and that appears pointless (in contrast with the harsh sting of an antiseptic cleansing a wound), we immediately ask, Why is this happening to me? This question is a protest against the fact that we suffer while others do not and presupposes that suffering ought not to happen to anyone. Peter ‘answers’ this question in this section of the letter. He gives a number of reasons for having a different attitude, one of joy rather than outrage.” (Marshall, I. H.). Jesus suffered extensively, and made it clear that those who follow him would face the same (; ; ; ; ; ). Trials for unbelievers are not strange - they are promised. Further, they should be seen as part of the “testing” and “purifying” process that the sovereign God always brings his people through (; ; ; and ). We are often tempted to think that when we go through suffering, it somehow means that God is absent. But in fact, it is more often the greatest evidence that he is lovingly present.

Peter gives three reasons why we can have joy in the midst of trials. First, because since Jesus suffered in the events of the gospel, our suffering gives us the opportunity to enter into and share the sufferings of Christ (; , and here in ; ). Second, because when we find joy in our sufferings we are able to get a small foretaste of the glory that will one day be ours through Christ (see especially , and also and ). Third, because our suffering is evidence that we belong to God. Just as it was promised that the Spirit of God would rest on the Messiah Jesus (), the NT declares that this same Spirit would rest on and guide us when we are persecuted (; , ). Peter may be suggesting that there is some sense in which a special “blessing” of God’s “Spirit of glory” comes to “rest” upon Christians when they face suffering for Christ.

 B. rejoice during Trials because you get to share in Christ’s sufferings and taste his future glory through the Spirit (4:13-14)

Peter furthers this point when he explains “on their part he [the Spirit] is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.” This final phrase of 4:14 is not included in the ESV, but it is in most later Greek manuscripts (and a number of early versions), and I think it was part of the epistle as Peter originally wrote it. Peter, having denied Jesus three times, was all too aware of the pain of that denial. Did denying Jesus mean that one had committed the “blasphemy against the Spirit” that Jesus had said warned his followers that no one would be forgiven for? Peter says no. One author explains, “It is a question of “blasphemy of the Spirit” (; cf. v 32; ; …). The apparent point of the longer text is that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a sin committed not by Christians but by their enemies. It is possible that an association between denying Christ and blaspheming the Spirit (as, e.g., in ) had led some Christians to fear that they might be guilty of the latter. Because the Spirit of God rests on those ridiculed for the name of Christ, the ones guilty of blasphemy are those who do the ridiculing, not those who are victims of it.” You can rejoice in your suffering, because the Spirit rests upon you to guide you through it, and this is evidence that you are his.

“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, on their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.”

(Ill - The different kinds of pain between a stab wound by a criminal and the recovery phase after a surgeon’s knife)

Peter picks up Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount here. Jesus had explained, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (). Peter reminds his readers (and us!) that Jesus not only already told us that we would face suffering, but exhorted us to be glad and rejoice in the midst of it. Peter knew this reality well. After preaching the gospel early in the church’s story, he had been imprisoned and flogged for preaching Christ. And how did he respond? Luke says of him and the other apostles, “Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name” ().

Peter gives three reasons why we can have joy in the midst of trials. First, because since Jesus suffered in the events of the gospel, our suffering gives us the opportunity to enter into and share the sufferings of Christ (; , and here in ; ). Second, because when we find joy in our sufferings we are able to get a small foretaste of the glory that will one day be ours through Christ (see especially , and also and ). Third, because our suffering givrs a blessing of the Spirit that is evidence that we belong to God. Just as it was promised that the Spirit of God would rest on the Messiah Jesus (), the NT declares that this same Spirit would rest on and guide us when we are persecuted (; , ). Peter may be suggesting that there is some sense in which a special “blessing” of God’s “Spirit of glory” comes to “rest” upon Christians when they face suffering for Christ. We might think of Stephan as an example ().

C. But this is only the case if your trial is unjust rather than deserved (4:15-16).

“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.”

Peter furthers this point when he explains “on their part he [the Spirit] is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.” This final phrase of 4:14 is not included in the ESV and most versions (except the KJV/NKJV), but it is in most later Greek manuscripts (plus a number of early versions, and some early patristic commentary), and I think it was part of the epistle as Peter originally wrote it (ask me later and I’ll explain in more detail the reasons why). Peter, having denied Jesus three times, was all too aware of the pain of that denial. Did denying Jesus mean that one had committed the “blasphemy against the Spirit” that Jesus had said warned his followers that no one would be forgiven for? It might have been a pressing question for Peter’s readers. Peter answers with a clear, “no.” One author explains the meaning of the phrase, “It is a question of “blasphemy of the Spirit” (; cf. v 32; ; …). The apparent point of the longer text is that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a sin committed not by Christians but by their enemies. It is possible that an association between denying Christ and blaspheming the Spirit (as, e.g., in ) had led some Christians to fear that they might be guilty of the latter. Because the Spirit of God rests on those ridiculed for the name of Christ, the ones guilty of blasphemy are those who do the ridiculing, not those who are victims of it.” You can rejoice in your suffering, because the Spirit rests upon you to guide you through it, and this is evidence that you are his.

But what can it mean to rejoice in suffering? Is this a morbid stoicism which pretends that pain doesn’t hurt? Keller cautions,

In what functions almost like a parenthetical qualification, Peter clarifies that the blessings of suffering as a Christian don’t extend to Christians who suffer due to their own sin. Christians suffering as Christians, according to God’s will, are shamed by the world, but honored by the Father (; ; also the warnings of Jesus in //). But Christians who sin and suffer for it actually bring shame upon the Christian movement.

“Rejoicing cannot strictly mean “have happy emotions.” Nor can it mean that Christians are to simply keep a stiff upper lip and say defiantly, “I won’t let this defeat me!” That is a self-absorbed and self-sufficient response, acting as if you have the strength you need when it will be found only in God. It is unrealistic and even dangerous. Suffering creates inner sorrow, it does make you weak. To deny your hurt—to tell yourself you are just fine, thank you—means you will likely pay a price later. You may find yourself blowing up, or breaking down, or falling apart suddenly. Then you will realize you were kidding yourself. You hurt more than you thought you did.”

2. Don’t let trials Tempt you to flee the faith (4:17-18).

He further defines this “rejoicing” as follows, “To “rejoice” in God means to dwell on and remind ourselves of who God is, who we are, and what he has done for us. Sometimes our emotions respond and follow when we do this, and sometimes they do not. But therefore we must not define rejoicing as something that precludes feelings of grief, or doubt, weakness, and pain. Rejoicing in suffering happens within sorrow.”

“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?’”

In a second encouragement about suffering, Peter invokes the principle that God’s judgment begins in his own house (, ) then quotes to the same effect. His words could be easily misunderstood. He doesn’t mean that unjust suffering is a punishment upon believers. Nor is he saying that believers will “just barely” be saved. Nor is he conveying an image of an angry and vindictive God who’s going to “set his house in order” or any such thing. Such a notion could hardly have been an encouragement to believers who were suffering precisely because of their commitment to Christ! Rather, the idea of “judgment” evokes the “discerning” that was commonly understood in Jewish thought to be part of the end. This isn’t condemnation coming from a judge after a verdict. It is the actual process of the verdict coming down - in this case, are we or are we not God’s people?

(Ill - The different kinds of pain between a stab wound by a criminal, and the recovery phase after a surgeon’s knife)

The context in which Peter writes makes perfect sense of this. When sufferings come for being a Christian, the temptation is to renounce our commitment to Christ. But for Peter, only those who endure to the end actually belong to Christ. At the end, the judgment of God will determine who does and doesn’t belong to Christ. Peter envisions this “discerning” as having begun already, in the sufferings believers currently face. How we respond to suffering is indicative of whether we are or aren’t God’s people. This of course would be the greatest encouragement to Christians contemplating abandoning the faith. If they leave the faith, they may be free from some of the present sufferings Christians face. But they would be earning eternal judgment by ending up on the “wicked” side of God’s coming judgment! Tom Schreiner explains well;

C. But this is only the case if your trial is unjust rather than deserved (4:15-16).

“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.”

“Peter was not saying that the righteous are scarcely saved, as if they were almost consigned to destruction and were just pulled from the flames. What he meant was that the righteous are saved “with difficulty.” The difficulty envisioned is the suffering believers must endure in order to be saved. God saves his people by refining and purifying them through suffering. It is implied here that salvation is eschatological, a gift that believers will receive after enduring suffering (cf. 1:5, 9). If the godly are saved through the purification of suffering, then the judgment of the “ungodly and sinner” must be horrific indeed. The verb “will become” (phaneitai) refers to the eschatological judgment of unbelievers. Peter wrote this to motivate believers to endure in suffering, and we have seen a similar argument in 4:3–6. Suffering may be difficult now, but by participating in the pain of following Christ believers escape the condemnation coming upon the wicked” (Schreiner, Tom).

In what functions almost like a parenthetical qualification, Peter clarifies that the blessings of suffering as a Christian don’t extend to Christians who suffer due to their own sin. Christians suffering as Christians, according to God’s will, are shamed by the world, but honored by the Father (; ; see also the warnings of Jesus in //). But Christians who sin and suffer for it actually bring shame upon the Christian movement.

3. In the Face of Tough Trials, you can trust the Faithful Father (4:19).

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

2. Don’t let trials Tempt you to flee the faith (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?’”

In verse 19, Peter draws the conclusion of the whole section. When we face trials and unjust suffering, we are first tempted to be shocked and outraged. Then, we are prone to let go of one of two great truths about God. First, some will find themselves tempted to let go of a belief in God’s sovereignty. They suspect that God must not be in control. His hand must have slipped off the wheel. He has abdicated his throne. What else could we conclude? But Peter assures us that the sovereign God who created the world is still in control of every element he brought into being. But second, some will remain convinced that God is in control, but they will come to doubt that God is truly good. He may be in charge, but he is surely a tyrannical dictator who has a sadistic bent. These two great truths about God - He is good and he is sovereign - seem in the face of suffering to stand in obvious tension. But the Christian faith must never let either God. God is not one or the other; he is always and ever both. And this is comforting, because he is always faithful, and always in control. We may not understand why trials and suffering come to our lives. We probably will never make sense of it all in this life. But that is ok. Understanding it is not our job. We can take our lives and entrust them to the God who we know will be faithful to his promise and to his people. Schreiner again put

In a second encouragement about suffering, Peter invokes the principle that God’s judgment begins in his own house (, ) then quotes to the same effect. His words could be easily misunderstood. He doesn’t mean that unjust suffering is a punishment by God upon believers. Paul said emphatically that we face no such condemnation! Nor is he saying that believers will “just barely” be saved (the word “scarcely” really means “through much difficulty” - ). Nor is he conveying an image of an angry and vindictive God who’s going to “clean up house” or any such thing. Such a notion could hardly have been an encouragement to believers who were suffering precisely because of their commitment to Christ! Rather, the idea of “judgment” evokes the “discerning” that was commonly understood in Jewish thought to be part of the end. This isn’t condemnation coming from a judge after a verdict. It is the actual process of the verdict coming down - in this case, are we or are we not God’s people?

“When suffering strikes, believers should “commit themselves to their faithful Creator.” Crist modeled what Peter enjoined, for when he was suffering, he entrusted himself to God (). Jesus used the same word (paratithēmi) when he entrusted his spirit to God at his death ()….Similarly, believers should entrust their lives to God as Creator. The reference to God as Creator (ktistēs) implies his sovereignty, for the Creator of the world is also sovereign over it. Therefore believers can be confident that he will not allow them to suffer beyond their capacity and that he will provide the strength needed to endure. Such confidence can be theirs because he is a “faithful” Creator, faithful to his promises and faithful to his people, never abandoning them in their time of need, always vindicating the righteous and condemning the wicked (cf. 4:17–18)” (Schreiner, Tom).

The context in which Peter writes makes perfect sense of this. When suffering comes for being a Christian, the temptation is to renounce our commitment to Christ. But for Peter, only those who endure to the end actually belong to Christ. At the end, the judgment of God will determine who does and doesn’t belong to Christ. Peter envisions this “discerning” as having begun already, in the suffering believers currently face. How we respond to suffering is indicative of whether we are or aren’t God’s people. This of course would be the greatest encouragement to Christians contemplating abandoning the faith. If they leave the faith, they may be made free from some of the present sufferings Christians face. But they would be earning eternal judgment by ending up on the “wicked” side of God’s coming judgment! Tom Schreiner explains well;

Conclusion -

“Peter was not saying that the righteous are scarcely saved, as if they were almost consigned to destruction and were just pulled from the flames. What he meant was that the righteous are saved “with difficulty.” The difficulty envisioned is the suffering believers must endure in order to be saved. God saves his people by refining and purifying them through suffering. It is implied here that salvation is eschatological, a gift that believers will receive after enduring suffering (cf. 1:5, 9). If the godly are saved through the purification of suffering, then the judgment of the “ungodly and sinner” must be horrific indeed. The verb “will become” refers to the eschatological judgment of unbelievers. Peter wrote this to motivate believers to endure in suffering, and we have seen a similar argument in 4:3–6. Suffering may be difficult now, but by participating in the pain of following Christ believers escape the condemnation coming upon the wicked.”

“So I'm waiting for the King

3. In the Face of Tough Trials, you can trust the Faithful Father (4:19).

To come galloping out of the clouds while the angel armies sing

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

He's gonna gather His people in the shadow of His wings

And I'm gonna raise my voice with the song of the redeemed

In verse 19, Peter draws the conclusion of the whole section. When we face trials and unjust suffering, we are first tempted to be shocked and outraged. Then, we are prone to let go of one of two great truths about God. First, some will find themselves tempted to let go of a belief in God’s sovereignty. They suspect that God must not be in control. His hand must have slipped off the wheel. He has abdicated his throne. What else could we conclude? But Peter assures us that the sovereign God who created the world is still in control of every element he brought into being. But second, some will remain convinced that God is in control, but they will come to doubt that God is truly good. He may be in charge, but he is surely a tyrannical dictator who has a sadistic bent. These two great truths about God - He is good and he is sovereign - seem in the face of suffering to stand in obvious tension. But the Christian faith must never let either God. God is not one or the other; he is always and ever both. And this is comforting, because he is always faithful, and always in control. We may not understand why trials and suffering come to our lives. We probably will never make sense of it all in this life. But that is ok. Understanding it is not our job. We can take our lives and entrust them to the God who we know will be faithful to his promise and to his people. Schreiner again put it well;

“When suffering strikes, believers should “commit themselves to their faithful Creator.” Christ modeled what Peter enjoined, for when he was suffering, he entrusted himself to God (). Jesus used the same word…when he entrusted his spirit to God at his death ()….Similarly, believers should entrust their lives to God as Creator. The reference to God as Creator…implies his sovereignty, for the Creator of the world is also sovereign over it. Therefore believers can be confident that he will not allow them to suffer beyond their capacity and that he will provide the strength needed to endure. Such confidence can be theirs because he is a “faithful” Creator, faithful to his promises and faithful to his people, never abandoning them in their time of need, always vindicating the righteous and condemning the wicked (cf. 4:17–18).”

'Cause all this darkness is a small and passing thing

This is the storm, this is the storm

Conclusion -

The storm before the calm

“Refiner's fire

My heart's one desire

This is the pain, the pain before the balm

Is to be holy

This is the cold, the cold

It's the cold before the warm

Set apart for You, Lord

These are the tears, the tears before the song

I choose to be holy

Set apart for You, my Master

This is the dark

Ready to do Your will.”

Sometimes all I see is this darkness

(Ill - Child led to Disney world)

Well, can't you feel the darkness

This is the dark before the dawn.”

- Andrew Peterson

(Ill - Child led to Disney world)