Sermon Tone Analysis

*Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 2:21-24*

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*Text:  1 Peter 4:1-6 – The armor of suffering*

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*Introduction:* Adoniram Judson, the renowned missionary to Burma, endured untold hardships trying to reach the lost for Christ.

For 7 heartbreaking years he suffered hunger and privation.

During this time he was thrown into Ava Prison, and for 17 months was subjected to almost incredible mistreatment.

As a result, for the rest of his life he carried the ugly marks made by the chains and iron shackles which had cruelly bound him.

Undaunted, upon his release he asked for permission to enter another province where he might resume preaching the Gospel.

The godless ruler indignantly denied his request, saying, “My people are not fools enough to listen to anything a missionary might SAY, but I fear they might be impressed by your SCARS and turn to your religion!”

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*Central Idea:  The believer’s joy in sufferings comes from an eternal perspective.*

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Main Transition:  On our return to this book of 1 Peter, Peter makes a subtle shift in our focus.

He now shifts from submission, back to the Christian’s every day life.

The question he is facing is, if I submit, won’t a godless people run me over?

Will they not see my submission as weakness?

Peter reveals a much more important answer than a simple yes or no.

He begins by revealing that you are at risk of suffering in order to follow Christ, because you are being conformed into the image of God which means that you are rejecting the world’s lifestyle, but you do so realizing that you are receiving the eternal rewards given only to those that follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

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*I.

At risk of suffering in order to follow Christ (1-2)*

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*            *A.

The armor of sufferings

 

1.

Peter’s change of course has its basis back into our submission and the very Gospel in a nut shell of 3:18 – Peter begins here with “therefore” – as a habit of personal Bible Study we recognize that we need to understand the context when we see this word.

2.

The context (3:18) is the gospel, Christ died the just for the unjust, that we might be brought into the kingdom of God

 

3.

Now we realize that Peter is calling us to suffer at the hands of the unjust.

a.

Remember the first readers of this letter are scattered and need encouragement because of the sufferings that they have had to face already.

b.

What Peter is reminding them and us is that we are going to face sufferings, and when we do here is what will mark the difference between an unbeliever and a believer.

4.

Those who suffer are to arm themselves with the same purpose that Christ had – the suffering of Christ was to bring us to God.

 

a.

To arm is to take up as armor – we are called to put on the armor of sufferings

 

b.

Combined with submission we are developing quite an arsenal to fight the spiritual battle that rages.

B.

The purpose of sufferings

 

1.

Suffering produces conditioning, that conditioning prepares the one suffering to cease from sin verse 1 says

 

            a.

The word for cease means to die to sin.

 

            b.

Sufferings conditions us to stop sinning

 

Illustration:  An amazing thing happens when persecution affects believers.

Once, comfortable complacent men and women become a powerful witness of the Gospel.

In fact, the church in the former USSR is created in many circles with the fall of Communism.

The church is active and growing in China despite the death and torture of those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

2.

Sufferings refine the heart of the believer and strengthens or tempers the resolve of reaching others for Christ.

C.

Changes produced by sufferings

 

1.

God through His word now reveals a major shift.

a.

Sufferings produce change and cause the mind to realize that the rest of the time here on earth will be wasted and all for not if it is not lived out in the will of God.

Illustration:  Throughout the Old and New Testaments the illustration of the potter is found.

When I was kid we were on a trip and stop by a road side shop where a potter was crafting his art.

We watched as he grabbed a lump of clay and proceeded to beat and twist and hone the clay into a workable material, he then took that clay and shaped it and molded it, smashed it again and started over, and eventually displayed a completed product.

2.

Sufferings mold and shape us into conformity with the will of God. 

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Transition:  It is hard for us to suffer, but by suffering we take up the armor of sufferings and combined with the action of submission become a powerful testimony for the Gospel.

Suffering in the believers life produces crafted results giving testimony to our Creator.

Sufferings in the life of unbelievers is just consequences of their own ungodly actions.

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*II.

Rejecting the world’s lifestyle (3-4)*

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A.     Times up – you are no longer like the world

 

1.

Peter grabs our attention and reveals that the time to act the world is over

 

a.

We use the word sufficient – which Peter understood to mean “far more than enough.”

b.

The time has already passed, or rather that chapter of your life closed the moment you trusting Christ as Savior

 

2.

To have carried out the desire of the gentiles – Peter is looking at the pagan ways of the pagan people and commanding us not to live like the world anymore.

He his about to reveal more concerning this, but already we understand

 

B.

Lifestyles of a godless people

 

1.

Peter lists a trail of six pictures of the world’s pagan ways

 

a.

This trail is the sought after and pursued, it is their goals, conscious or subconscious, they gloat in their depravity and are proud of their sin

 

b.

sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, abominable idolatries.

Application:  Peter may as well have stood on the street corner of any city in our country, He may as well have turned on just about any sitcom, or commercial on TV.

The same pagan practices of free love, money, and alcohol are here today.

2.

Peter is not concerned about the actions of the world, they are ruled by Satan and have no choice but to destroy themselves until they see the futile lifestyle they lead and follow Christ.

3.

Peter is concerned about believers, we need to stand out, not be involved in the pagan free love, money, and drunkenness.

But when we do we will suffer.

C.

The cruel mockings of a godless people

 

1.

Peter reveals that when you reject to live in the same way as they that they are surprised,

 

a.

They are surprised because they are trapped and cannot help themselves

 

b.

They try to get out by themselves but they can’t and it consumes them, because they refuse to trust in Christ as Savior

 

2.

So they mock you – They are upset that you do not join with them in their mad race

 

Application:  If you have never been mocked for your faith, and you have been a believer for sometime, then you are not different enough from the world.

But it is this suffering and mocking that they realize that you are different.

Suffering the just for the unjust has become a reality and the unjust see Christ in you.

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Transition:  Likely you have been laughed at and mocked because of your faith.

But to understand Peter’s point is to understand that despite the hurt feelings, the bruised and battered emotions, you have put on the armor of sufferings, this armor will reach into the hardest hearts and prepares the willing servant for rest in eternity.

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*III.

Receiving the eternal rewards (5-6)*

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*            *A.

Those who live the way of the world 

 

1.

The believer lives focused on eternity, while the unbeliever lives for today.

2.

There is coming a day and is near that every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, but as that day approaches there is another day where every person will give an account of the way they lived their time in the flesh, or on this earth.

Illustration:  Not long ago I shared a sad testimony of a man who is leading millions astray through a type of new age.

He was asked what happened after death, and he said, ‘nothing’ ‘I don’t think about it.’

What he is not thinking about is the day of judgment where he will stand before God and admit his blatant rejection and be condemned to eternity separated from God.

 

            B.