Holy Suffering

Do you like to suffer?

1 Peter 4:12-19

1 Peter 4:12–19 NLT

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

We are not people who like to suffer. In fact when suffering comes we want to go the other way. If there is one thing we has humans do not like, it is to suffer.

Talk about the Lord inviting me to suffer with him and how I missed the moments of building intimacy with Jesus and chose to run away.

Suffering with the Lord is holy.

Peter is encouraging us to change our perspective on holy suffering. These trials and sufferings are actually normal.

These trials are not only normal but they make us partners with Christ in His suffering.

Isn’t that an interesting word partner. When I think of a partner, there are many different kinds of partnerships.

Talk about the many different kinds of partnerships.

at the heart of a partnership- both parties agree to go on a journey, both parties agree that there is something each one will bring to the journey, both parties have similar views but not the exact same. both parties are willing to learn from one another, listen to one another.

But the kind of partnership that Peter is talking about here is an intimate partnership. When I think of an intimate partnership I think of my relationship with my husband. Ken has seen me at my best and my absolute worst. I have seen Ken at his best and at his absolute worst. In the moments when I have watched him at his absolute best there is an overwhelming sense of love that wells up and brings a smile that lights up my insides. But in the moments of great loss, great pain, the intimacy that arises from holding one another while we cry touches each of us at such a deep level that it bonds us together. This is the kind of bonding that intertwines at the root level.

There is also something that we get to look forward to, The glory of the Lord being revealed to the world. What a day that will be...The kind of day that we are overwhelmed with love and pride.

vs 14, says If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. Romans 8:28 moments. Expand what a Romans 8:28 moment is.

vs 15 - If you suffer if must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. This to me seems like a crazy word - These actions are a direct result of ungodly suffering. If these actions are a direct result of ungodly suffering that must mean that there is a remedy to allow us to enter into Godly suffering.

The remedy of course is Jesus Christ. Jesus paid the debt on the cross. He made the way for us to enter into this place of holy suffering. We can’t suffer holy if we have not gone into relationship with Jesus.

Once that relationship is established, we are made new. We are a new creation in Christ, the old is gone and the new is come.

This is an interesting intersection in a persons life, their two identities clash in one fleeting moment. The transformation happens we are given a new nature. But now we go about the process of applying this new nature to every area of our lives.

Talk about the storm in PEI

Vs. 17 - Judgement - we must put this in light of the context that Peter is talking about. He is talking about suffering and do we suffer in a holy manner. In suffering we still must obey God’s word. And so suffering becomes holy, intimate and time of sitting on the lap of Jesus.

vs. 19 - So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the one who created you, for he will never fail you. -

When we live our lives in such a manner of doing what is right, trusting in the Lord, we see his hand. we see his arms of comfort. we see the times when he has carried us. we see the times he has equipped us. Each one of us listening to this message is facing something that not everyone knows about, maybe even totally alone, but read this promise and let it sink in, the God who created you will never fail you.

lets pray.