Humility and Suffering

Intro

Good evening. Thank you for tuning into this Encounter video. This is the final week of our 1 Peter Series. Next week we will finish the semester by seeing a video from our seniors that Kevin has been working on so be sure to check that out next week.

We are going to look at the last two chapters of 1 Peter tonight as we close our series. We won’t go verse by verse, but we are going to hit on two key themes that we see all the way through 1 Peter, but especially during these last two chapters; humility and suffering.

Suffering

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.

Chapter 4 builds off of the end of chapter 3. Peter was encourage believers to be ready to give an answer for the hope they have to the world around them, saying it is better to suffer for doing what is good, than to do evil. Peter pulls on the example of Jesus who suffered righteously never doing evil.

So we see then the beginning of chapter 4 starting with:

“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, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

1 Peter 4:1-2

Peter calls us to arm or equip ourselves with the same way of thinking as Jesus; to embrace living a Godly, righteous life even if it brings suffering. Even if it brings pain. Even if it means injustice this side of eternity.

When Peter says that “whoever has suffered in the flesh as ceased from sin” that doesn’t mean that we will automatically live a sinless perfect life if we suffer. What is meant by that text is that if you are willing to suffer for Christ, if you love him enough to obey him even through the hardest of times, you are done with letting sin rule over you. You may have slip ups and you may mess up on the way, but your allegiance is truly to Christ. You’d rather suffer for Christ than live in peace with sin.

“Anyone who suffers for doing good and still faithfully obeys in spite of suffering has made a clean break with sin.” - Life Application Study Notes

The next several verses, Peter goes in verses 3-11 to again encourage and call believers to deeply love one another, show hospitality and care for one another, and avoid a lifestyle of sin. He says be serious and disciplined in prayer. Then starting in verse 11 Peter gives some powerful instruction about suffering:

“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”

1 Peter 4:12–16 ESV

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. 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. 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.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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

Peter tells us not to be surprised when the fiery trials come to test us as if something strange is happening to us. Don’t be surprised. Jesus himself promised his disciples that they will face trials and hardship in the world:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

But Peter isn’t simply saying that we have to grin and bear this suffering, but instead he says we should rejoice in our suffering. In this way, he is echoing what he said earlier in

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

We can rejoice because we know that suffering brings us closer to God. It proves our faith genuine. Suffering is like a refiners fire for our faith and souls.

We often want to avoid pain. He often to act surprised when we suffer because somewhere along the way the thought has creeped into our minds that Jesus won’t allow us to suffer if we obey him. Look what this verse in Isaiah speaks to this:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Isaiah 43:2 ESV

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

God doesn’t promise we won’t walk through the waters, and he doesn’t say we won’t walk through fire. But with He promises is that you won’t walk alone. You won’t be overwhelmed. You won’t be consumed. All throughout the Bible we see followers of God suffer in this life, but we also see a faithful God who is with them every step of the way.

Humility

Isaiah 43:2

But as you can imagine, it is easy to say we should rejoice in suffering, but it is another thing completely to actually do that. In order to accept this call to embrace suffering, it takes a heart and life of humility before God. Peter picks up on this point towards the end of his letter in chapter 5:

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

We are to clothe ourselves with humility. We have to put it on. It isn’t something that just happens, but it is an intentional decision and action to humble ourselves. Because God opposes the proud. God opposes our efforts to save our self. He opposes our efforts to elevate ourselves. He opposes our self-righteousness and human wisdom. But he gives grace to those who are humble.

The way Peter tells us to humble ourselves is to cast our cares upon God. Let’s look again at verses 6-7:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Peter knew that God cares for us. That He alone has answers for our life, and He alone is in control of his life. Humility is giving up control of our life, admitting we never had it in the first place, and trusting God with our cares, anxieties, and worries.Letting go of control and submitting to God to led to a life that was full of God. It is an act of humility to cast our cares on God and not bear those cares ourselves.

Immediately following this command to cast our cares on God, Peter gives this final word before closing his letter:

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

What do we do?

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 9

We have to be on guard when we are suffering and going through trouble because we are vulnerable the schemes of the enemy. When predators hunt, they don’t go for the strong, healthy prey. Instead they choose to go to the weak, young, and sick. Peter is saying that is true of Satan. He is like a lion looking to devour those who are suffering, or in a weak place, or are vulnerable.

Here a few ways that we can stay on guard:

Cast our cares on God

We can start by doing what Peter instructed us to a few verses ago, to cast our cares on God. If we try to fix all our problems ourselves or try to find other solutions away from God, we will be disappointed and overwhelmed. But remember that God is with us and He is also for us. Cast your burdens and anxieties of class on God’s shoulders, He cares for you. Cast your burdens and anxieties of our future and where our life is heading, He cares for you. Your burdens and anxieties of your family or relationships or friendships, cast them on to God. He cares for you. He wants to carry those burdens. Those burdens are not ours to bear. God wants to bear them

2. Pray

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If we are ever going to make it through our suffering, hardships, and trials, we must be a people of prayer. Prayer is the main way of communication that God has given his people. Philippians says that when we offer up our prayer in thanksgiving to God, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts.

3. Look to our Future Hope

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Just like the beginning of our series, Peter ends his letter looking to the hope we have in Christ. As we suffer, and as we walk though hardship, it is so important to know the hope we have in Christ. To know that our future is secure in him no matter what we walk though.

Conclusion

I pray that this sermon series has been helpful and encourage to you during this time of COVID-19. We thought it was very fitting that God had prepared us to walk through this book during the time in history and culture that we are in.

As we end this series, let’s take to heart the call to be exiles in this world, living for the world to come. To be God’s holy people who live lives that cause those around us to ask about our faith in Christ. And people who walk in humility before God and each other, rejoice in suffering because we know that it is a chance to draw near to God.

If we commit ourselves to those things, I believe that we will see a renewal in our lives, Chi Alpha, and the world around us. Take some time to discuss the questions that will be on the screen following the video with those around you or to contemplate them with you and God if you are watching solo tonight.

Thank you again for watching this week and next week we will have a special video brought to you by our seniors. May the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you.