No Strangers to Suffering
Notes
Transcript
The elephant in the room… a phrase we use to identify a problem that everyone is aware of, but no one wants to talk about. It is on everyone’s mind. It is a concern shared by all. And it won’t go away until somebody decides to talk about it.
That’s the problem with elephants in the room. They don’t go anywhere on their own. The longer they sit, the harder it is to deal with them.
Think about it… the elephant is “fed” the more we talk about it or complain about it or run circles around it. The more we feed it, the heavier it gets. The heavier it gets, well, you get the idea.
No one wants to talk about it… but everyone needs to talk about it. So… when someone gets enough courage or becomes fed up with the situation… they break the ice and the conversation begins.
In our study tonight, we are going to see Peter bring up the elephant in the room. He has touched on the topic briefly earlier on in his letter, but the time had come to fully address the issue.
Remember, the people have been scattered for their faith. They are living in hard days. They are being persecuted for their belief in Jesus.
They were “strangers living in a foreign land.” They were alienated from each other… but they were no strangers to God. God was still very much with the people as they felt exiled from each other. They were NEVER exiled from His presence.
Regardless… the people were suffering. Their suffering was not a result of any worldly problem… it was a direct result of their faith. The elephant in the room… was their suffering. And Peter was not about to end his correspondence with the people until he directly addressed their suffering.
As we jump back into 1 Peter 4, we are going to see that those who are no strangers to God… are no strangers to suffering.
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Whew… this is another one of those passages that we… I’ll speak for myself… that I might struggle a bit with. How so? I am aware that I might suffer for my faith, but I struggle with the idea of rejoicing because of the suffering I go through.
James told us to count it PURE joy… Joy in it’s most genuine form… when we face trials of many kinds!
Joy is typically NOT the first thing to come to mind when we are hurting… UNTIL we remember why it is that we are walking through the trial.
Peter brings out three quick things to be considered regarding the suffering a believer might face.
We should not be surprised by suffering.
Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that suffering is not an if thing but a when. It WILL come. Why? Because the world is broken and corrupted by sin.
Jesus suffered at the hands of those who tried to silence Him. What is amazing is that their efforts only ADVANCED God’s plan of redemption.
Those who call on His name are saved BECAUSE He suffered for ALL sinners. Believers are made whole through His brokenness. He took on our sin, believers take on His righteousness.
It wasn’t fair that Jesus suffered… but he did so for our sake.
Jesus did not hide the fact that those who choose to follow Him, will have to take up their cross daily in order to do so.
Secondly, We should rejoice in our suffering.
Ugh… there it is again! How can believers expect to rejoice when they are hurting? We rejoice as we remember WHY it is that we are suffering.
There are a lot of “causes” in the world for which a person might suffer. But there is NO OTHER CAUSE greater than the cause of Christ.
When we suffer for Jesus’ sake… it means the world recognizes our alignment with the ways of the Lord. It means the world sees the Word living and active in our lives.
In a sense… suffering is a tangible sign of our separation from the world and it’s ways. It may be uncomfortable… but it sure beats the alternative.
Lastly, We should remember that suffering is a season (when His glory is revealed).
The suffering believers endure is but a season. It will not last forever. It is something that we must endure… for now. But there is coming a day when our suffering will be no more.
I love the lyrics to the song, “What A Day that Will Be.” And no… it’s not talking about the day the Chiefs win the Super Bowl again or even when the cure for cancer is discovered. Those will be great days for sure. But the day the song is speaking of is the day “When my Jesus I shall See!”
The lyrics say this, “There’ll be no sorrow there. No more burdens to bear. No more sickness, no more pain. No more parting over there. And forever I will be with the One who died for me. What a day, glorious day that will be.”
Church… today might be a day of suffering… but tomorrow is a day of glory! HIS GLORY! And in these days as it becomes more difficult to take a stand for Jesus… know in the midst of the struggle that your suffering is but a season. There is coming a day when ALL suffering… ALL SUFFERING… will be a thing of the past!
Can someone give God praise in this place for that?
So what is to come of those who find themselves in present suffering for Christ? Well, Peter gives that answer in verse 19.
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Peter doesn’t say run and hide. Peter doesn’t say groan and moan. Peter doesn’t say complain and criticize. Peter doesn’t say rebel and revolt. No… Peter says:
One - Stay committed to God’s Will
Do not let personal agenda or emotions get in the way of what God has for you and
Two - Continue to do GOOD
Stay the course. Don’t just speak it… continue to live it. May your faith continue to be placed in action. Do not become passive in your suffering but remain active in your walk with the Lord!
Doing good in the face of suffering is not always easy. But Scripture gives us three points to remember when we face hardships because of our faith.
As Peter addresses the elephant in the room - the elephant being the suffering of believers - he gives three practical tings to remember as things heat up. All three of the points have to do with NOT allowing self to get in the way of remaining faithful.
The enemy wants you to stumble when the trials get tough. But God will give you the strength you need to carry on so long as you remain faithful to Him. So for those who desire to remain faithful, Peter first reminds them that...
Insult turned to Blessing
Insult turned to Blessing
14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Insults and offense. Words and actions that are designed to hurt your heart… to hurt your feelings. The world can be cruel with its words and the old line, “Sticks and stone may break my bones but your words will never hurt me...” is one of the biggest and most spread lies of our days. Words can hurt.
If the world throws a negative word toward you BECAUSE of the name of Jesus… No one likes being on the receiving end of such an action… especially when that person is already feeling isolated and alone because of their faith.
I get it. It can be difficult to deal with the rejection of the world. The enemy is not going to make our passage through this world an easy thing.
And the more the world becomes emboldened in its sin… the more intense and frequent the insults will be. And the more weary and broken our hearts might become… the more we will need the help and strength of our God.
No one likes being insulted. And when insults come our way… our flesh may try to rise up and repay evil with evil.
In recent months, we watched a celebrity physically assault another actor because he insulted his wife. The attack happened on stage while being televised live on TV!
And many would say it was justified… he stood up for his wife… no one should allow that kind of insult to stand unchallenged!!!
I’ll say it again… no one likes being insulted! It hurts! It can make us angry! And in the case of the believers in Peter’s day… it would only add to the isolation they were already feeling.
So I find it amazing that Peter says IF this happens… he doesn’t say be hurt… he doesn’t say be offended… he doesn’t say be angry… but rather Peter says… BE BLESSED! How can a person be blessed when taking insults? Insults turn to blessing when the negative word about you is said in response to the Spirit of God living in you!
Think about it… we are extremely blessed tonight! How much of a blessing is it to know that the Spirit of God dwells within the hearts of believers!
And… because His Spirit is different than the Spirit found in this world… the world reacts negatively to it. The dark forces of this world do not feel comfortable in the presence of God’s light. Therefore, the insults will come.
Victory over offense happens when we choose not to become bitter… and remain blessed. DO NOT LET THAT NEGATIVE SPIRIT TAKE HOLD OF YOUR HEART.
Let the world say what it will… but make the choice to remain in God’s blessing. His Spirit lives within you and although your faith may cause the world to see you as a stranger… you are NO stranger to God!
No Shame in Bearing His Name
No Shame in Bearing His Name
15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
There are a lot of forms of suffering a person can experience in this world that brings shame to that person’s name. Scripture points out a couple of those things.
When a murder is convicted of their crimes, it is often accompanied by an enormous amount of shame.
“Look what you did” or “you took my loved one away” or “you are a threat to our society” are only a few phrases that might get thrown out there. Our culture very much so looks down on murder as shameful. It is an action that is shunned.
When a thief gets caught taking something that does not belong to them, they are shamed. They are looked down on. They are ridiculed and brought to justice.
Criminal activity is not looked upon with kind eyes by people. It never has been. And this kind of activity will bring suffering upon the one who commits it because of the suffering they have caused others.
Peter is quick in his discussion regarding the elephant in the room to identify what kind of suffering he is talking about. Do not suffer as criminals do...
Criminals suffer because of what they did against others. Criminal activity is shameful. But Peter says this is NOT the same kind of suffering that believers experience. They suffer NOT as criminals but as bearers of the name of Jesus.
Jesus suffered as a criminal but was free of any criminal wrong doing.
Jesus was crucified between two criminals. From a distance, a person might see three men suffering for the crimes they committed. But up close… people began to realize that Jesus did not deserve to be where He was.
One thief mocked Him… while the other asked to be remembered by Him. Jesus was experiencing intense physical suffering yet He NEVER went off mission. His dedication to God’s plan was greater than the pain of the cross. He knew that our salvation… depended on it.
We are the criminals who deserve to be punished… but walk free of such suffering.
Jesus took on our sins and nailed them to the cross. he took on our suffering and shame and offered us forgiveness and eternal life. WHO DOES THAT? Jesus did! And it is the name of our Savior that we bear as believers.
We do not suffer as criminals… but as CHRISTians. If there was EVER a name worth suffering for… it is the name of Jesus!
As believers, we bear no shame as we bear His name. And if the world should heap suffering on our head for bearing His name… I pray we would respond as Jesus responded on the cross by praying, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”
As bearers of His name, we experience the power in His name. We know the deliverance that can be found ONLY in the name of Jesus.
Shame in his name would only take us back to the bondage we were in outside of knowing His name. Suffering FOR His name means we know, bear, and understand the power of His name.
We need to give God praise for the name of Jesus! We need to be thankful that we know and bear His name. And if my association with His name brings suffering from the world… so be it. I would rather suffer for his name sake instead of suffer apart from knowing Jesus. And that brings us to the final point tonight...
Suffer Now… or SUFFER Later
Suffer Now… or SUFFER Later
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
Peter delivers one last point to be considered… and it is an interesting one. He talks about judgement… specifically judgment that begins with believers… and the time for that judgement is now. It begins with believers… and will extend to nonbelievers.
Peter places believers in contrast to those who have openly rejected the gospel of truth.
If in God’s testing those who embrace His gospel have to suffer first, what magnitude of suffering will the end bring for those who reject the gospel message and make no effort to serve or obey God?
The first two points that Peter makes turn negatives into positives for the believer.
insult to blessing.
No shame in His name.
But the third point regarding the suffering of the saints takes our positive… and makes it a negative for the people who do not believe.
Believers will in fact suffer now because of the lost and broken state of the world. But we know this suffering will only last a season as we look forward to the reward that we have in heaven.
But for those living outside of God, there may be no suffering for faith, but there WILL be eternal suffering for their lack of faith.
AND… the people who choose not to believe also must contend with the suffering they bring upon themselves because of their sin.
So Peter makes a point to say it is better to suffer a little now as a Christian than to become one of those who reject Christ and will suffer much more later.
Jesus Christ came to this world to end our suffering in sin.
But in order for that suffering to stop… those who believe must choose to walk away from sin and follow Jesus. Those that faithfully follow and believe will NOT perish but will receive eternal life.
Believers who choose Jesus die to sin now and come alive in Christ. The old self riddled with sin is done away with and we are truly born again.
Those who reject Jesus are dying in their sin now… and will continue to perish for all eternity IF they do not decide to believe in Jesus’ name.
Jesus wants NO ONE to suffer. Yet He knows believers will endure a season of suffering for His name’s sake. Those that endure receive a great eternal reward.
The world tries to use suffering to discourage people in their faith. The believers in Peter’s day were persecuted and pressured to drop Jesus and conform. The suffering they experienced was a confirmation of the faith they lived out daily. Accepted by God… but rejected by the world.
Our suffering as believer is real… and will only become more real in the last days. The judgment of the world for our faith can be uncomfortable and unpleasant. No one invites suffering into their lives.
But… if that suffering is a result of my faith then I welcome it. If that suffering is a response to my belief in Christ… I embrace it. I will deny my self… take up my cross daily… and follow Jesus!
Closing
Closing
No one said this was going to be easy! No one said we would be without trouble. In fact… Jesus Himself promised His followers there will be trouble in this world. But then He said, “Take heart… I have overcome this world.”
The key in overcoming is remaining faithful to the One who suffered for us. As 1 Peter 4:19 said
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
We need to commit ourselves to our God who is faithful.
We need to continue to do good when the world is doing bad.
The people Peter was writing to knew that Peter knew they were suffering. To not address their need in this letter would have resulted in failing to address the elephant in the room.
This elephant was large, was obnoxious, and was loud as most suffering is. Believers were struggling in their circumstance… if they weren’t then Peter would not have called it suffering.
Instead of skirting around the issue, Peter hits it head on. Yes… suffering will be a part of our walk with Jesus. But never forget:
They insult us because we are full of God’s Spirit
They shame us because we bear the name of Jesus
They do not realize the suffering that is ahead because of their rejection of Christ.
And I pray that last point will help us do something very important. I pray that instead of becoming bitter towards those who would persecute, we would become more compassionate and eager to share with them the love of God.
For if they reject Jesus, they will face an eternal suffering for their rejection.
The world suffers now in its sin… and it will suffer greatly tomorrow for its rejection of Jesus.
Let’s do all that we can to lead the world out of its suffering. Let’s do all that we can to share with them the love and truth of Jesus.
And let’s choose that should suffering come our way, we would continue to pray, we would remain faithful, and we will continue to do good. For the Lord is worthy of such devotion… and the day of our reward draws nearer!