1 Peter 4.12-19
An Index to 1 Peter
1 Peter 4:12-14
1/7/99
Introduction:
I’ve mentioned that the book of 1 Peter is a manual on how to handle suffering.
And we’ve examined several principles already on how to do this.
But one of the things I wanted to do before we concluded our time in 1 Peter was to give a summary of the these principles for ready reference when we all face hard times.
Kind of consolidate things, boil them down to just a few things. And as I come to our passage for the next two sermons, I am glad to find that it lends itself to this purpose.
I want to give you something small enough that it can be contained on a single sheet of paper and tucked away in your Bible or in a notebook.
Something that when you are facing tough times, you can pull out quickly and say, here’s how I can respond to this difficulty. 1 Peter does indeed have the answers to handling trials.
In our passage this morning, we are going to find that we have already heard a lot of what Peter is going to say. Much of what he says is a repeat of what he has already said.
You know, there’s a very important part of many books that often goes unread. It’s often overlooked, often not even noticed. And that is---- the index.
It’s tucked away in the last few pages of the book, and it gives a listing of the topics that were discussed in the book and where you can find them.
Our study this morning and next Sunday morning will serve as somewhat of an index. In other words, we want to give somewhat of a summary in list form of the principles we have been discussing, and where to find it in the book. This index will not be exhaustive (it won’t have every little topic we have discussed), but it will relate primarily to the topic of suffering in the book of 1 Peter.
How to suffer properly, how to get the most out of trials.
These are eight “action items” if you will that will help us sail through the turbulent times. Four this morning and four next Sunday morning (Lord willing).
Remember that much of what Peter is about to say has been said in one form or another before. So this morning we are consolidating what has been taught.
If we keep these in mind, we will be well on our way to handling tough times successfully.
1 Peter 4:12-14 (read it)
I. Action Item #1- We must never be surprised when we are facing troubled times. (vs. 12)
A. The immediate context
1. Peter says, “don’t think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you!”
2. The word “strange” here has been defined as “to entertain strangers.”
3. The idea is this, if you are a Christian, and a trial comes knocking at your door, you’re not entertaining a stranger.
4. The Christian is no stranger to trials.
Illustration:
It’s possible to think that the Christian life is a relatively trouble-free existence in which we move happily on our way. But that is not the truth. The person who really wants to stand for Christ in any given situation will face trials and suffering. Difficulty, opposition. Times of having to take a stand. There will be times in the Christian life that we are under the gun. The heat will be turn up on us. All eyes upon us, every ear tuned to what we have to say. Tension fills the air.
5. Don’t think it strange that this should happen.
6. Don’t let it shake your roots, shake your confidence, rattle your cage. Don’t be flabbergasted that something troublesome is happening. Don’t be caught unawares.
It was F.B. Meyer who said,
“If I am told that I am to take a journey that is a dangerous trip, every jolt along the way reminds me that I am on the right road.”
B. The context of the rest of 1 Peter
1. Earlier portions of the book which tell us to expect suffering.
2. 2:20b-21- (read it beginning with “...but if when ye do well, and suffer for it…)
a. we were called to suffer.
b. are we children of God? Then we best get ready to suffer.
3. 3:17- sometimes it God wants it to happen to us.
A word on context- Now we know from our study, that Peter is speaking of direct persecution when he discusses the subject of suffering. But we must never forget that the principles apply to not only persecution, but also the other suffering that comes to us. Just the suffering that comes to us from being a human. We are frail, the years catch up to us. There are things we cannot control.
Expect it. It’s going to happen! It’s a reality.
Illustration:
Have you ever gone to pick up a pencil that looks perfectly new. It’s never been used. You take it to the pencil sharpener, get it all sharp and ready to go. You start using it and then it happens. You make a mistake. “Good thing this is a new pencil. It’s got a nice big eraser.” You turn the pencil over and begin to erase. But all you get are big black smudges across the paper. The mistake is left untouched. The eraser has hardened with time.
Is it possible that one could allow trials to do that to him or her? Get bitter about the trials, get hardened to God, become ugly and useless? Something that on the outside looks so usable, so productive. On the inside, hard. Bitter at God.
We must never forget, God never promised we wouldn’t have troubles in life. As a matter of fact He promised us just the opposite.
We been called to tough times.
What did we expect?
One other thing while we’re on the subject of the reality of tough times in each of our lives. It’s easy to look at other Christians while we are in the midst of difficulty and think, “man have they got it made!” I wish I had life that easily.” Don’t believe it! Often some of the most difficult trials one may face are those which no one else sees or will understand!
That’s the first action item in Peter’s “How-to manual on suffering.”
We must never be surprised when we are facing troubled times. (vs. 12)
II. Action Item #2- We must view the troubles of this life as being tests (vs. 12)
A. The immediate context
1. Peter calls it a “fiery trial.”-
2. “fiery” was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to a fire which was used to purify metals.
3. The idea was to burn off the impurities in the metal.
4. Peter seems to have a particular instance in mind. A particular situation. It may be that a particular situation had recently developed where Christians had undergone suffering.
5. Peter says that it was brought about to “try” or test his readers (middle of verse 12). The fiery trial was a proving ground for those early church believers.
This may be sounding vaguely familiar to you. Anyway, it should. Turn back to
B. The context of the rest of 1 Peter
1. 1 Peter 1:6, 7
a. Verse 6- “temptations” here is the same Greek word as was used in 4:12 for “try.” It’s been defined as experiment, attempt, trial. It’s a test.
b. Verse 7- “the trial of your faith”- You could substitute the word proof for “trial.”
It would then read, “that the proof of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
2. So what Peter is saying is that sometimes we are put in the furnace (or if you will put on the lab table to be used as an experiment) for the express purpose of proving our faith.
3. When we’ve come through the stress of it all, when we come out of the lab or inspection room, we end up with genuine, undiluted faith.
That is, if we had faith going into the trial. We can only have faith coming out of the furnace, if we had it going into the furnace.
The furnace does not create faith from nothing, it refines faith. If a person’s faith is not in Jesus Christ, the trials of this life will destroy him.
But you know, it sure helps to be aware of what is happening when we go through difficulties. If we remind ourselves that this is a test which will enrich our faith, we realize that it’s not forever, and that in the end it will be for our good. We will come out stronger, more glorifying to God.
What we do in a trial says a lot about our faith. It’s a test you see. An experiment.
Proof of faith is found . . . in the furnace!
Are we passing the test? If we are, people will see us standing after the furnace, more deeply devoted to Christ than ever before we went into the furnace.
Oh, that doesn’t mean that we won’t have our moments. Our moments of doubt. Our moments of weakness. That’s the dross being burned away. The impurities coming to the surface. But what we end up with is the real thing.
Action Item #2- We must view the troubles of this life as being tests (vs. 12)
III. Action Item #3- We must learn to rejoice in the face of difficulty (vs. 13)
Two reasons we can rejoice in difficulties:
A. The immediate context
1. When we suffer because it is what God wants, we have the privilege of sharing in the suffering of Christ.
2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who gave his life for Christ, said, “Discipleship means allegiance to the suffering Christ, and it is therefore not at all surprising that Christians should be called upon to suffer.”
3. This means that we take on the suffering of Christ. His suffering becomes our suffering.
4. It then becomes a privilege and something for which we can be glad or rejoice. We are no longer living an aimless, purposeless life.
B. The context of the rest of 1 Peter
1. In this book that deals so much with how to respond correctly to suffering, Peter uplifts Christ as the paragon, or example of suffering.
2. 1:11- The O.T. prophets predicted the sufferings of Christ.
3. 2:21- Christ suffered as an example for us to follow
4. 3:18- Christ suffered for our sins
5. 4:1- Christ suffered while in the flesh.
We share in the sufferings of Christ when we suffer according to God’s will. Sometimes the Lord brings about these difficulties.
Illustration:
You may remember the true story of the British medical Doctor, Dr. Helen Roseveare. She was a missionary in Zaire Africa for over 20 years. For many years she had a great time in Africa. But then she and the ones who worked with her underwent five and a half months of terrible difficulty.
Once, Dr. Roseveare was almost ready to be executed when a 17 year old student tried to intervene. He was kicked and beaten terribly. Dr. Roseveare felt awful and began to wonder if God had forsaken her.
But it was as if the Lord said to her, “Twenty years ago you asked me for the privilege of being a missionary, the privilege of being identified with Me. These are not your sufferings; they are My sufferings.” At this, Dr. Roseveare was filled with a feeling of being privileged.
When we suffer for Christ, we suffer with Christ! And that helps us rejoice and be glad in the trials.
This then leads us to our final Action Item for this morning
IV. Action Item #4- We must remember that we are not alone when we suffer (vs. 14)
A. The immediate context
1. “If ye be reproached”- That is, reviled or insulted for the name of Christ.
2. The Spirit of glory rests on you
3. The Spirit of God rests upon you
4. The point? You’re not alone!
5. In this context it is especially when you are being attacked as a Christian.
B. The context of the rest of 1 Peter
1. Peter develops throughout the book the idea of the fact that we at times will be insulted for Christ.
2. 2:12- they speak against you as evildoers
3. 3:16- they speak evil of you as evil-doers
4. 4:4- speaking evil of you
The point. His eyes are upon us when we suffer because of Him. (3:12)
It’s through the furnace of trials and testings that we get God!
We see Him more fully for Who He is, we wee Him more sufficient for our every need while we are in the trials.
You’re not alone in that difficulty. Through that trial, through that trouble, you can have God.
And for that, we would never want to trade in our troubles.
Are we using our trials to move us closer to God?
Conclusion:
This morning, we have seen the first four of eight action items which Peter presents in his book in response to life’s difficulties.
#1- We must never be surprised when we are facing troubled times.
#2- We must view the troubles of this life as being tests
#3- We must learn to rejoice in the face of difficulty
#4- We must remember that we are not alone when we suffer
Are we making the most of our sufferings? Are we responding properly? Do we have the proper attitude?