Take The Challenge

Introduction

Taking the challenge of following Christ through suffering will literally change your life. It will change the way you look at your struggles. It will change the way you look at yourself. It will change the way you think about your circumstances, and it will change the way you go through your trials. The challenge that Peter presents to us is very specific. He invites us to follow Jesus but not in a general way. He continues his theme of Christ’s suffering and now invites us to embrace suffering with the same mind that Christ suffered. It’s safe to say that he doesn’t expect every Christian to seek martyrdom. In these United States of America we are privileged with the freedom to express our Christianity without fear of physical harm or persecution. But as Christians we have some other struggles we experience. Now I think we have to be very clear that all of us experience trouble. Both the saved and the unsaved experience the storms of life. But there are troubles specific to this Christian journey that I think deserve our attention. Let me list some of the struggles that we are presented with as Christians so that we can stop avoiding them:

First, there is the struggle with sin.

There is the struggle with sinners.

There is the struggle with pride.

There is the struggle with feeling isolated.

There is the struggle with feeling crowded.

We face many struggles that sometimes cause us to shrink back our calling as Christians but Peter challenges us to embrace those challenges with a Christ like commitment and determination.

Here’s the kicker, for Christians, the choice to embrace these things really isn’t much of a choice at all. I mean you can decide not to embrace it but that would also mean you are deciding to not follow Christ. Accepting or denying this challenge has eternal implications. Heaven and hell depend on it. Salvation is at stake. So not only does this challenge help you right now, it helps out later on as well. Your spiritual health depends on it and your soul depends on it.

You may be asking yourself now, how do I opt in to this challenge?

To accept the challenge initiated by Jesus and presented by Peter we simply need to do one thing. Embrace the difficulties that come with being Christian. We must stop being BK Christians and become fully involved. BK Christians say I want Jesus, but without letting go of this toxic relationship. I want Jesus, but without having to commit to the church. I want Jesus, but without studying the word. I want Jesus to guard my life, but without letting him control my life. The challenge for every believer is to accept Jesus and embrace every difficulty that is attached with being attached to him. There are

I. Prepare Your Mind

II. Leave The Past In The Past

III. Accept Separation

Conclusion