Hope in Suffering

Showing Christ While Experiencing Difficulties

What are some of the funniest test answers you’ve ever seen or given yourself?

POINT: While we all appreciate the snarky/sarcastic humor… (or maybe not) we all know something is wrong with these answers right?

Saying the declaration of independence was signed “At the bottom” misses the fact that the question is asking what is the location where the document was signed. .. AKA Philadelphia.

You see sarcasm and humor are much appreciated parts of life…

I love sarcasm and humor. I love the snarky answers and smart remarks.

… unless your Roman or Camden… then it depends on what your saying and when your saying it…

But Here’s the point…

When you have difficulties in life, are sarcastic answers going to carry you through?

Is sarcasm the example we want our life to display?

When we face trials, tests, hardships, we have the opportunity to demonstrate to the world and to others that our foundation for life is Jesus.

That everything I say and do is done from my relationship with Christ.

Read 1 Peter 1:3-9; 2:11-17

Today’s scripture is packed with much truth.

For Context, In the first century, believers in Jesus were often persecuted for their faith.

This didn’t always mean physical (beating, killing, etc…)

Sometimes it was verbal, which of course could lead and often did lead to physical abuse.

Which leads me to my first point I want to bring out today.

Does Jesus call us to live Safe Lives?

In the midst of persecutions, Is Peter calling the churches in Asia Minor to be safe?

no

So think about this for a moment.

If I’m experiencing difficulties in my life, then it’s not because God is mad at me or against me…

Maybe you’ve made poor decisions

developed bad habits

dated someone who doesn’t love Jesus or formed a close friendship with someone who doesn’t love Jesus.

All of these may lead you to troubled places…

BUT! If you are following Christ and life suddenly feels flipped upside down…

It could be that I’m experiencing something in my life that is going to drive me to:

A. be more dependent on God

B. push me away from God into further hurt.

Look what Peter said in vs. 5-7

“You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed int he last time. You rejoice… if you suffer grief in various trials.. which… may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus doesn’t call us to live safe lives.

Jesus does promise to guard us though!

And he promises through suffering, our faith in Jesus will be refined by the fire! You faith will be solid.

So what is your response to hardships? Suffering?

One quick thing then I want to tell you a story.

vs. 3 says we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus isn’t dead.

Our Hope in him in Living and Active!

Hope isn’t like the anticipation of your birthday.

Your 16 and you are hoping your parents buy you a car.

That’s not the same thing as hoping in God.

Hope in God is the confident expectation that God will do what He says.

What a gift this is!

When I was in middle school, one of the adult leaders (i’ll call him Bob) in the student ministry I attended had a wife who ran away.

Literally she disappeared, ran off, ended up in Europe with another man.

Obviously Bob was devastated.

I don’t know what happened in Bob’s life from that time until I was in high school, but here’s what I do know…

Bob was one of the most influential adult leaders in my life.

He showed me great grace and unconditional love.

He took interest in me and what I liked.

He modeled Christ before me and helped me through difficult times in my own life.

All I know about Bob is this, His hope was in Christ.

He suffered greatly, but He knew the goodness of God.

He felt God’s reckless love in his life and was able to share Jesus as His living hope to other teens.

To be clear too, Bob wasn’t a youth pastor, he was an adult leader.

What a blessing.

I thank God he didn’t chase safety, but through His suffering He impacted many.

2. We can thrive in the difficulties

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be Courageous! I have conquered the world.”

In a couple weeks we will return to the book of Acts and you’ll learn some of the difficulties Peter goes through.

However, Jesus promises us that in this life bad stuff is going to happen to us.

Isn’t that comforting in a way? It is to me.

It is far more confusing to believe in a God who promises good things all the time like Santa clause than it is to believe in a God who says, hey… there’s a bout to be a war in your life… But guess what, I’m in the trenches with you.

Santa leaves nice gifts, but then he retreats back up to the north pole and hibernates all year.

Only Jesus promises to be with us always.

The difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not believe in Jesus has nothing to do with suffering.

We will all face it.

But as believers in Jesus, we have a hope to endure all trials.

3. Lastly, we can share the burden and the hope

Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

This is one of my favorite sections of Scripture because it also reminds us that we don’t suffer alone.

When you experience difficult moments in life, there are other people in your life who have also gone through similar experiences.

As you get older, there will be people younger than you who experience something you may have gone through as well.

For those in Christ,

we remind the sufferer about Jesus presence in our lives.

But we also empathize with them.

We should make ourselves present in their lives to help them walk with confidence in Christ.

SO what do we take away today?

APPLICATION:

every trial you face in life is an opportunity to show someone else how Jesus has impacted your life.

If we respond in anger or complaining, we may show that Jesus doesn’t actually impact us that much.

if we respond in prayer and humility, people may be amazed at your response.

What kind of message is your life displaying for others to see?

reject hopelessness and isolation.

If you feel broken and beat up from difficulties in life, remember your hope in Christ.

Don’t isolate, but go to someone who can share the burden with you.

Open your eyes.

Everyone has something they are struggling with.

Make it a habit to express Jesus’ love to others around you.