1 Peter 4:12-14
In the biography of Adrian Rogers, Joyce Rogers gives an account of the death of their son Philip.
On Mother’s Day, after Sunday lunch, they lay Philip in his crib for a nap. A few minutes later, while walking by the crib, they found Philip dead from SIDS.
Looking back on the story, and the lesson of the suffering she and Adrian endured, Joyce Rogers makes the statement.
“People stop using things once they are broken, it seems that God won’t use anything until He breaks it.”
In life, we often times wish we could bypass all the hardship, and only sail along through smooth waters.
However, that is not the way that God intends it.
God does not desire for us to be self-sufficient, He wants us dependant.
God does not desire for us to be self-fulfilled, He wants us seeking Him.
God does not desire for us to be self-centered, He wants us worshiping.
We go through hardships in life
For the purpose of making us more like Jesus.
Romans 8:26-29 “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
God is desiring to do a great work in your life,
And part of that only comes through the crucible of suffering.
This is precisely what Peter is desiring to show
“The Rejected Selected” in our text this evening.
I’m going to show you three attitudes to avoid when you find yourself in the midst of suffering.
#1 DON’T BE SURPRISED
1 Peter 4:12
The point here is easily made.
These people who are receiving this letter are literally walking in the fire.
Life has been difficult for them.
They have lost jobs, lost family, been kicked out of the synagogue, run out of town, and are literally hunted by those who seek their lives.
The danger is not to be prepared for it.
If you have not studied the word, this can catch you off guard.
It did me.
I remember the first deacon’s meeting I was ever in when “the fangs came out.”
Peter is reminding his readers to be prepared so they won’t be surprised.
And there are three things in the verse that we see that will surprise you if you aren’t ready for it.
1) THAT IT IS HORRIFIC IN NATURE
“do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you”
The word Peter used there literally means “to set on fire”.
Of course Peter is speaking metaphorically to these people, that they shouldn’t be surprised that they have been set on fire.
The picture is obvious. This is no mild amount of suffering. This is severe. This suffering is much harder perhaps than you ever expected.
Peter says don’t be surprised at that.
And of course we shouldn’t be.
Matthew 10:21-23 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. “But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.”
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
Luke 21:12-19 “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
We get surprised when someone talks about us.
That shouldn’t surprise us at all. Jesus said they would KILL us.
If you aren’t paying attention to what Jesus said
About the severity of trials,
Then you are setting yourself up
To be surprised when they hit you.
Jesus promised severity in suffering.
Don’t be surprised that they are horrific in nature.
2) THAT IT IS HELPING YOU GROW
“which comes upon you for your testing”
Now here is a heart warming statement.
You say, “Let me get this straight Peter, I’m suffering, comparable to being set on fire, but this is really for my own good.”
YEP
DOES THAT SURPRISE YOU? IT SHOULDN’T.
All throughout the Bible,
God has used suffering as one of His most reliable tools.
When He wanted to turn a sinner to repentance, He used suffering.
Remember the children of Israel and the Exile?
When He wanted to show how strong a person’s faith was, He used suffering.
Remember Job and how he was put on display?
Likewise, when God wanted to find out how strong you were, He used suffering.
It is a tool of God to find out if you really believe.
ONLY TRUE FAITH WILL STILL BE STANDING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF PERSECUTION.
Matthew 10:22
“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
Matthew 24:9-13 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
God knows that anyone can be a Christian in central heat and air,
He is going to find out if your real in the fire.
REMEMBER WHAT JOHN SAID?
1 John 2:18-19 “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”
For some reason, these fell away because they weren’t real.
God uses trials to test how genuine we are.
Peter says not to be surprised that God is doing that to help you grow.
When trials come it is important to realize that God is using them for your good.
James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Revelation 2:8-11 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”
Consider how trials worked even in the life of Jesus.
Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”
Hebrews 5:7-10 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Do not be surprised that trials are severe, and do not be surprised that God is allowing them in order to test you.
3) THAT IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU
“as though some strange thing were happening to you.”
Now this one gets tough.
My guess is most of us firmly believe that Christians will suffer.
We just don’t often believe that we are going to suffer.
In fact, we get shocked when it actually happens to us.
It isn’t so surprising when you have hardship, but it is when I do.
This is one of my favorite illustrations of this in all the Scripture.
TURN TO: MATTHEW 11:1-6
You have to love John the Baptist.
He was fine and well until he was tossed into prison.
But he had unfulfilled expectations
He was suffering alone
Jesus gives him a very gentle rebuke.
“blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Literally “fall away on account of Me”
Don’t be surprised when it is you who is suffering.
Trials are a very real and promised thing, don’t be surprised when the visit you.
#2 DON’T BE SORROWFUL
1 Peter 4:13
The second temptation after the shock wears off,
Is to enter into the pity-party stage.
We are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves.
Peter says not to do that either.
But instead of entering depression, Peter says to “keep on rejoicing”
HOW MUCH SHOULD I REJOICE?
WELL, HOW BAD ARE YOU SUFFERING?
And the reason Peter tells you to “keep on rejoicing” is “so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice, with exultation.”
So some day you can really rejoice.
You see, the temptation in trials is enter a state of depression.
The key to trials is to turn temptation into joy.
Look at what Jesus said.
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
The key to being happy in trials can be stated in one word.
PERSPECTIVE
WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSING ON?
James 1:2-4 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
At the Pastor’s conference, David Jeremiah was preaching on grace during suffering, and he had us mark a text in our Bibles. I want to share this with you.
TURN TO:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“Inner man – outer man”
“decaying – renewed”
“affliction – glory”
“light – weight”
“momentary – eternal”
If you will maintain a proper perspective in the midst of suffering,
You will be see that you truly can rejoice in the midst of suffering.
The idea is get your eyes off of what you see,
And focus on what you can’t see.
When you suffer, don’t be surprised, and don’t be sorrowful
#3 DON’T BE SHAMED
1 Peter 4:14
Now notice what Peter says here.
Don’t be deceived into feeling ashamed of yourself.
Usually people are first surprised, until they find that sufferings are common to man.
Then people are sorrowful, because they don’t properly focus.
But then they usually feel ashamed like they did something wrong.
This is a big one in our day.
The reason is because we live in a nation were so few are experiencing persecution. If you suffer as a Christian in America, you will be the minority, and if you aren’t careful, the devil can make you think you did something wrong.
Now make sure you notice what Peter said.
“reviled FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST”
We aren’t just talking about suffering for any reason at all, but if you suffering comes because of Jesus, then don’t be ashamed, be happy.
WHY SHOULD YOU BE PROUD?
“because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
Trials are a revealing thing.
They reveal that you are living like Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
1 Corinthians 11:17-19 “But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”
Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!”
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH TO PLEASE JESUS?
“it is enough for a disciple that he become like his teacher”
I LOVE TO LOOK BACK AT THE TESTS I’VE PASSED
And this is not wrong.
Look at Paul.
He listed his trials and victories as proof that he was a servant of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:23-29 “Are they servants of Christ? — I speak as if insane — I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”
Jesus had His sufferings chronicled by four different authors.
Sufferings are not marks of shame,
They are marks that reveal our Christ-likeness.
You can’t be in the image of Christ without a few stripes.
It is important for us to realize this as Christians.
Don’t be surprised when the world treats you like it did Jesus.
Just focus on the reward, and rejoice
In what those sufferings say about you.
Tonight that leads us to fundamental truth.
As a Christian you are called to suffer.
In fact, it is the calling of a Christian.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”
The very invitation of Jesus
Was to part with your comforts and ease.
The question tonight is “HAVE YOU?”
Have you ever come to Jesus?
Are you living for Him?
