Suffer as Christians part 2

Scripture Reading:  Hebrews 12:7-10

Title:  1 Peter 4:17-19 - Suffer as Christians part 2

Introduction:  Elizabeth Elliott wife of martyred husband Jim Elliott wrote this in her book, “Keeping a quiet heart.”  “Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  It was a human cry, a cry of desperation, springing from His heart’s agony at the prospect of being put into the hands of wicked men and actually becoming sin for you and me.  We can never suffer anything like that, yet we do at times feel forsaken and cry, ‘Why, Lord?”

            The psalmist asked why.  Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why.  It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question.  What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us.”

Central Idea:  Discipline produces purity in the life of the believer, and condemnation for those who reject.

Main Transition:  This morning we are finishing out chapter four of 1st Peter.  As we do so we have a cap stone of sorts to place over our study.  Chapter four has been nothing short of a rocky road and the road is not yet come to its end.  This morning the final stone will be placed as we realize that sufferings produce purity in the life of the believer, but judgment brings condemnation to those that reject the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection for the payment of our sins.  And this all leads us to a vital question that each one in this room must ask, who are you suffering for?  It was an idea that Peter was sowing the seeds for last week that he now embraces and makes us come face to face with its reality.

I.  Sufferings produce purity (17a)

            A.  A time for discipline

1.  Peter has just brought us through some of the difficult doctrine of sufferings, he has used the picture of a fiery ordeal in verse 12 to remind us that when we suffer as Christians we are in the process of being refined.  We had to stop before we fully developed that principle so we start in verse 17 having understood in part that we should not bring suffering on ourselves, Peter now explains

2.  Judgment –

a.  Peter uses this word judgment to remind us one of the day and age that we live, as it is the end of the age,

b.  but also to remind the believer that this judgment is refining us through discipline

c.  Judgment starts with us because we understand from God’s word that those whom the Lord loves he chastens.

3.  Judgment equals refinement – our Scripture reading out of Hebrews points out that a father disciplines his child not out of angry or frustration but out of love.

Illustration:  If you love your children you will correct them when they are young, so that when they are old they are productive in society not destructive.  No parent wants to have to see their child on visitations at the prison, because their child grew up to be a thug.  Genuine love requires tough love in discipline which even though difficult produces purity.      

            B.  Discipline gives an identity

                        1.  This reveals an incredible truth – discipline secures an identity

Illustration:  When I discipline my children nearly every time they immediately return to me and give me a hug.  They somehow inherently understand that my disciple of them means that I am theirs and they are mine.  It gives them an identity.

2.  The church is disciplined by the Lord, for our good, in order that we be purified and live in the pursuit of holiness.

Application:  remember who Peter is writing too?  Christians that have been scattered by persecution, they were suffering for their faith and their faith was being refined.  They knew better than most where their identity was because it was in this time of distress that they understood the tough love of their Lord and master.  

C.     A place for discipline to start

1.        Peter now asks a question that could be offensive if you are an enemy of God.  If discipline starts in the church , what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the Gospel of God.

2.      Let look first at the first part of the question

a.      if it begins with us,

b.      Discipline starts with those that love the Lord and serve him.  As a loving father discipline for purity the example they follow is that of an everloving God. 

Illustration: We are so confused about genuine love in our world.  We have somehow understood that love means no pain, no heart aches, just love them for who they are.  That is not biblical love.  If God loved us like that He would never have sent His Son, there would be no salvation because there was no sacrifice.  This is love, God loved us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  Love requires sacrifice, it requires discipline, it requires refinement which requires pain.

c.  This is why God starts with the believers, His love for us motivates Him to purify us so that we might learn to pursue holiness.  

Transition:  Peter has revealed a truth about sufferings that we must not forget.  If you love your children you will correct them when they are wrong, you will guide them and teach them what is right.  You know where you learned that?  Originally it was God who love us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  But now as we near the end of the chapter we need to handle the second half of the question here in verse 17

II.  Judgment brings condemnation (17b-18)

            A.  Those who have rejected Christ (17)

1.  God’s love motivates Him to purify the believers, but what about those that have lived their lives in rejection of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

2.  The truth of this passage is that God’s judgment of the godless is that they are godless.

a.  The consequences of living a life with the attitude of doing what you want is that you will pay for all eternity for your few short years here, but you will also suffer from the nagging truth Christ showed His love for you and you rejected it and now He has rejected you.

b.  Obviously those who do not trust in Christ alone for salvation will have rejected God and His gift of salvation, those that believe they can work their way to heaven have defrauded God and doing so have rejected Him.

            B.  The difficult sufferings of purity (18)

1.  Peter quoting out of the book of Proverbs states what we

already realize

a.      Sufferings are hard, no one wants to be disciplined

Illustration:  I am afraid that we as a culture are so fearful of pain that we think anything that brings pain is bad.  A sign out in a church yard advertises, “Hand over your life to Jesus and no one will get hurt.”  While it might be a cute thought that is all it is and there is no truth to this one-line theology.  When you become a Christian you realize the difficulty involved in offering Salvation, but you also realize the work that is no involved

2.  But for the believer it is this discipline that despite its difficulty reminds us of who we are and what we are to do.

C.     Judgment reaches the ungodly  (18)

1.        Now Peter defines the question a little better, if it is with difficulty that the believer is saved, what about the godless who have tried to go at it alone.

2.      Peter doesn’t have to answer his question because we know.

a.  One day you will stand before the God you have rejected and explain to Him why you refused to believe.

b.  The consequences are spelled out in Revelation, you belong to Satan and just like Satan you will be cast into the Lake of Fire separated eternally from God as you are godless, in torment from the unquenchable fire that burns

Transition:  The outlook for the believer here in earth is one of discipline and direction, which means sufferings.  But these are to refine us for our own good in order that God be praised.  For those who have never trusted in Christ as Savior, there is only a lake of fire and eternity separated from the one who loved you so much He sent His Son that you rejected.

III.  Who are you suffering for? (19)

            A.  What makes you willing to suffer?

1.  You have a choice to make today, sufferings can be temporal and over in short order if you trust in Christ alone to save.

2.  But to those that follow Satan and reject Christ, are you sure you want to make that choice?

            B.  Commit yourself to the Lord

1.  The word for entrust is a banking term – you place your money in a bank knowing that when you need it the bank will have it – you trust the bank, and you entrust your wealth to a bank giving it to them for safe keeping.

2.  Peter is calling us to entrust ourselves to the Faithful Creator.  He is the one loves you with an everlasting love, He sent His Son to provide the sacrifice, He corrects as a loving father you disciplines out of love for his child.

3.  By doing so you are simply giving back to God what he has created, as our creator no one knows better what we need and why. 

C.     Strive for righteousness

1.       Once you have entrusted yourself to your creator the sufferings you face produce not worthless pain, but rather purity in the pursuit of holiness.

2.  Turn back to verse 16 – of the two kinds of sufferings one refines and the other glorifies.

Conclusion:  The message that Peter has shared is simple.  Discipline produces purity in the life of the believer, and condemnation for those who reject.  If you have never trusting in Christ alone to save, you are rejecting the only one who loved you enough to pay the price of your salvation.  Stop rejecting and entrust your soul, deposit your soul in Christ.  Believer, never buy into the world’s free love lies.  Genuine love is not pain free it takes work and it takes sufferings.  God provides the perfect example don’t suffer for unrighteousness, but suffer as a Christian.  In order that you be purified and God be praised.