1 Peter 4 how to endure suffering

Series in 1 Peter

"How to Endure Suffering"

Sunday 11/4/07 p.m.

Text: 1 Peter 4:1-19

The purpose of 1 Peter is to encourage Christians to face persecution so that the true grace of Jesus Christ can be evidenced in them (5:12).

I.       With a Christlike Attitude (4:1-6)

1. The mind of Christ is a weapon, 4:1a.
2. Suffering righteously in the flesh, we are ceasing from sin, 4:1b.
3. We are not called to live in the power the flesh, but after God's will, 4:2.

1.                  Walking in lasciviousness, 4:3.

2.                  Walking in lusts, 4:3.

3.                  Walking in drunkenness, 4:3.

4.                  Walking in fighting, 4:3.

5.                  Walking and gluttony, 4:3.

6.                  Walking after false idols, 4:3.

D.  Do not worry, when they make fun of you, 4:4.

1.         Because we will all answer to the same God, 4:5.

2.         For all men have heard the same gospel, 4:6.

3.         Therefore all man are responsible for themselves.

II.      With a Christlike Service (4:7-11)

1. The service of prayer, 4:7.
2. The service of love, 4:8.
3. The service of hospitality, 4:9.
4. The service of using your gifts, 4:10.
5. The service of a spirit-filled Tongue, 4:11.

III.    With a Christlike Faith (4:12-19)

A.                Our faith is strengthened through the trials, 4:12. (suffering is an instrument to strengthen our faith)

B.                 Rejoice that your faith is worthy of being tried, 4:13.

C.                Rejoice in the humiliation of those who do not understand what faith is about, 4:14.

D.                For there is to be no rejoicing in sin. That which is not of faith is sin! 4:15.

E.                 Suffering because of the practice of our faith is nothing to be ashamed of, 4:16.

F.                 A "phony" faith will not stand; revival exposes the hypocrite, 4:17.

1.      Men are hungry today for godliness practiced, not preached.[1]

2.      People everywhere are searching for truth. What is truth?

3.      There is only one way into the preparation of the heart for revival, and that is the way of light and truth; and the true light from God, comes from His Word.

a.      If I am really seeking God I must be prepared to get into the light. He that is truthful and sincere will come to the light.

b.      Sincerity breeds honesty, when it is mixed with truth. Any man on his knees before God has to be honest and sincere because nothing can be hid from God’s gaze.

c.       Bare before the gaze of God, we become totally transparent. This is where and how the heart is exposed. We need not to deny it or explain it away. Is my heart pure?

d.      If my heart is not prepared for revival, then my prayers and talk about revival is nothing more than the laughingstock of devils. Whatsoever a man or woman is on their knees before God, that is what kind of person they really are.

e.       We must acknowledge what the light reveals.

f.       The light exposes the awfulness of our sin and our sinful hearts. The closer, and the greater frequency that we get into the presence of God, the more we discover about ourselves that we would have never seen otherwise.

G.                Only the righteous will have their lifestyle of faith under God's scrutiny, 4:18.

H.                Our faith has its strength in its object; who is the object of your faith? 4:19.

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[1] The following sub points (1-3f) are from a sermon by Duncan Campbell on Revival