Sermon Tone Analysis

THE WORTH OF KNOWING THE CHARACTER OF GOD WHEN SUFFERING

OF GOD IN SUFFERING

OF GOD IN SUFFERING

(SOMEWHERE USE THE HYMN “WE REST IN THEE”)

Quote Westminster Confession of Faith “What is the chief end of man?

To glorify God….”

The Christian life is a cross bearing life.

It is a life that willingly owns the beauty and triumph of the cross and at the same time willingly embraces the causes of the cross.

Jesus says in 16:34

:

up his cross and follow me.

Jesus holds out to us the triad of Christian discipleship

Deny himselfTake up his crossFollow me

The Bible -

how to suffer and die well

Hold both: sov of God and evil of men in suffer together

tension

The Bible is the mind of God to us on how to suffer and die well by the knowledge of Himself.

The Bible holds out the antinomy of both the hand of God in suffering and the realities of sin and evil in the world that cause them.

Hence, to suffer well is to be made able to live in the reality of the divine tension of the sovereignty of God in all things and the responsibility of man.

Some seek to rescue God

yet, in this they devalue His character

“Jesus is the rock of my salvation His banner over me is love, then we have problems if love is limited

his omnipotencehis omnisciencehis omni-benevolence toward his people.

If the children are right when they sing, “Jesus is the rock of my salvation His banner over me is love, then we have problems if love is limited

PETER DOES NOT BEGIN WITH WORDS OF EASE

BEGINS BY SHOWING THAT GOD IS RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING

THIS IS A LETTER OF COMFORT

This is a letter of comfort’ it is s letter to strengthen them in their suffering.

It is a direct fulfillment of what Christ said to him on the night Peter betrayed him in the gospel of ,

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,* that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.

And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

HOW DOES HE DO THIS?

GIVING A WORD ABOUT GOD - SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE TRINITY AND THEIR WORK IN OUR SUFFERING

The Knowledge of God and Suffering

The foreknowledge of God (vv1,2a)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father

I. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE FATHER IN OUR SUFFERING - HE CHOSE US FOR IT

1.

They are exiles (give context of why).

Not by birth, but re-birth

i.

By birth they are at home in the world and pursue its hapiness

ii.

By rebirth they long for another home and find discomfort and suffering in this world

They are elect (exiles)

Foreknowledge =for loved.

Your current situation (immense and horrific suffering) is due to the love of God before the foundation of the world.

How does this encourage?

GOD SEES WHERE YOU ARE....HE PUT YOU THERE!!!!

His love has not lapsed or failed you because of your situation: His eyes are upon you; he sees you.

The implication that God is love suggests, to some, that such horrific and intense suffering is inconsistent with love.

Peter says differently: you are where you are because of God’s love.

You are exiles, and all that that brings with it in terms of suffering, “according to the foreknowledge of God.”

When we can affirm and believe this, our eyes begin to open to the purposes of God in suffering.

You cannot talk to people about the purpose of God in suffering if they cannot see their suffering in the context of their being exiles according to the foreknowledge of God.

God , in other words, must be preimmenent.

His person and His ways must be established before we ever ask how our situation fits into His design.

This is not where most people begin and thus, why at times, get mixed up.

We are not the reason for our suffering; the glory of God in us is the reason for suffering, so to begin there is to be on the right track to understanding our situation aright (Theology from above-theology from below)

Verse 6

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

After Peter describes this glorious salvation of God granted to them,

It is God who, out of abundant mercy has caused you to be born again (cp 1:23: both in passive voice).

It is an inheritance that cannot be lost because it is: “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven….”but

what of this “keeping.”

If God is keeping me then why do I suffer?

In other words, how does His keeping of me relate to His sovereign deign that I suffer?

The keeping is a keeping so that we do not fall away; God’s keeping of us involves, at times suffering, so that we do not get too comfortable in Him in the world.“Though

now, for a little while, if need be….”Do you hear the echo of , and 4?

2. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE SPIRIT IN SUFFERING?

- HE CHANGES US BY IT

“in the sanctification of the Spirit…

a. Holy Spirit is the means of bringing election to its intended end, namely whole sanctification in heaven (see v 9).

How does this relate to suffering?

(verse 7)

One prominent focus of the letter is holiness (1:15,16) and Holy Spirit is the on by which such a life is born and sustained.

And yet, this is not a passive kind of holiness (it comes merely by God’s act alone), but fundemental to holiness is the knowledge of God (cite ,) In this chapter Peter holds out at least two aspects of God that are resident in the life of one who is growing in holiness:

I. God is holy (vv15,16)

II.

God is impartial (v17)

III.

God is gracious ()

b.

The work of the HS, while third in terms of redemptive historical purposes, is ranked second here.

Why? Obedience to Jesus is owing to the work of the Holy Spirit.

3. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOD THE SON IN OUR SUFFERING - HE CONQUERED IT BEFORE US

For obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with His blood

Flow of this point

Flow of this point

II.

What does that obedience practically look like?

What is the foundation of that obedience?

How does one behave as a free person in the midst of suffering?

How does one honor the one inflicting pain, in the midst of the pain?

How does one remain obedient to God when such obedience is the cause of your pain?

a. Look to Jesus

i.

He is the source of our obedience

1. Active obedience

a. Active obedience in suffering is rooted in “looking” (,)