Every Pastor has to always remember the sheep belong to the Lord. The Lord said to Peter, “Feed MY sheep.”
The Pastor has been entrusted to feed God’s sheep. One day he will have to give account to God for what he fed them.
In chapters 4 & 5, Peter FED them some spiritual food they may not have wanted as part of their diet - SPIRITUAL SUFFERINGS.
What a lot of folks cannot comprehend, it seems, is that many times SUFFERINGS are a blessing in disguise. This is especially true in the generation in which we now live.
For example, we have a society that was raised up during PROSPERITY and PEACE.
Almost anything they have ever wanted has been theirs for the asking. We have spoiled them rotten!
Illus: We parents tend to forget that spoiled children grow up to be big stinkers...
God in His wisdom does not make that same mistake.
God knows that the worst thing in this world that He can do to destroy all hopes of happiness for His children, is to give them everything they want and spare them any sufferings in this life.
That is why Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
The words “All Things” include the good and bad that comes into our lives.
The Christian life has much good, but God, in His wisdom, makes sure some suffering is mixed in, for without suffering we would not be able to fully appreciate the good.
We can appreciate the GOOD TIMES when we have the HARD TIMES to compare them to.
For instance, it is easy to take good health for granted.
Illus: When you have a bad cold for 2-3 days, and you feel so bad you can hardly hold your head up to talk, remember how great you feel once that cold has cleared up? You feel super good because you have had a super bad feeling to compare it to.
Yes, God allows suffering because it serves a definite purpose in our life.
I. SUFFERINGS IDENTIFY US WITH CHRIST
In 1 Peter 4: 1, we read, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;”
Notice, after Peter says, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh…” Then he tells us something very unusual, he says, “…Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.”
That is, if you think you can go through this life without having sufferings, you have not ARMED your mind to think right.
Illus: When the policeman goes to work in the morning, he puts on his uniform and straps that pistol to his side. He has to be armed with it so that if something does come up, GOOD or BAD, he is armed! As Christians, so do we!
We sometimes hear professing Christians say they do not understand why they have to suffer.
They would have you believe that the Bible says this. They cannot find it in the Holy Scriptures, of course, but they are sure it is in there somewhere. "Accept the Lord Jesus Christ and you will never suffer any more."
Illus: This is why these television preachers can pack out a Coliseum. They know this is what people want to hear, and they tell them what they want to hear.
THE WORD OF GOD DOES NOT TEACH THAT!
Our Lord Jesus suffered in the flesh, and John 15:20 states, "Remember…if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you…”
Christ has never asked anyone to suffer anything He has not suffered Himself. He was a suffering Savior, and if we are going to be identified with Him, we also have to be identified with His suffering.
He gave us the supreme example. Consider with me these two things about Jesus' suffering.
A. THE FACT
"Christ hath suffered.”
WHY DID CHRIST SUFFER?
It was not for any of the many reasons that we sometimes suffer. Often we suffer because we brought certain sufferings upon ourselves.
Illus: For example, we are told that today most heart attacks are brought on by the way we eat, and by not taking proper time for rest and exercise of our bodies.
In fact, our bodies suffer much because of what we do to them, and also as a result of sinful living.
But, everything Christ suffered was a result of His righteousness.
Consider this; it would be one thing for Christ to ask us to suffer for the kingdom of God when He Himself was not willing to suffer.
• That would be like a pastor asking the people of his congregation to live dedicated Christian lives, when he was not willing to do the same.
• It would be like asking the people to tithe when he was not willing to tithe.
You see, Christ would not ask us to do anything He was not willing to do Himself.
He has asked us to be willing to suffer for the kingdom of God, and this is something He has already done - “Christ hath suffered…”
Look at Isaiah 53:3, "He is despised and rejected of men: a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief... "
He lived and died among people who despised Him and regarded Him as an outcast. Jesus was a suffering Savior!
We have looked at THE FACT that Christ hath suffered for us. But also look at-
B. THE FORM
How did He suffer?
The Word of God says, “In the flesh…” The sufferings of Christ were real.
• He knew all the agony of rejection.
• He knew severe pain as the whip opened up long gashes across His back, as sharp, stiff thorns pierced His brow, and as nails pierced his hands and feet.
• He knew pain as that cross was thrust into the hole causing the wounds to rip with His weight.
• Then, above all, taking our sins upon Himself, the sinless Son of God!
He loved us so much! He knew if He was not willing to come and suffer for our sins:
• That one day we would cry from Hell, “I thirst!"
He thirsted for us.
• That we would cry out, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me!"
He suffered, in the flesh, so that we would not have to suffer in the flesh for eternity.
Peter says, "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered - for us in the flesh...,"
Let us not consider ourselves to be better than our master.
We are IDENTIFIED with Him in OUR SUFFERINGS. But also-
II. SUFFERINGS DRAW US CLOSER TO GOD
This is what verses 2,3 say, "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, BUT TO THE WILL OF GOD. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:."
Sufferings draw people closer to God.
• Before the Persian Gulf Crisis, many of the American people did not have time for God, but when their children, dads, husbands and wives waved goodbye to them, they knew they might never see them alive again. Because of this fact of life, many of them began to do something they had not done in a long time; they got on their knees and began to talk with God, asking Him to protect these loved ones.
• We have seen families who had no time for the Lord until some domestic problem came up that was too big for them to handle, and they were forced to turn to God.
• We have seen many people who would not take time for the Lord, until the doctor told them he had done all he could, and their disease drove them to the Lord.
Suffering draws us closer to the Lord!
Notice verses 2,3 tell us two things to consider:
A. SUFFERINGS CAUSE US TO REALIZE LIFE IS NOT TO BE WASTED
Look at verse 2 again, we read, “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”
Every one of us cannot afford to waste another day of our life serving sin.
B. SUFFERINGS CAUSE US TO REALIZE LIFE IS SHORT
Look at verse 3, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:”
Before we gave our hearts to the Lord, all we had on our minds were the things of the world, “...lasciviousness, lusts, excess wine, revelings. banquetings, and abominable idolatries.”
We all can remember when we were growing up and we could hear adults talk about how they hurt.
As youngsters we could not help but to think, that was strange, because we did not have a pain in our body.
But when we reached a certain age, we experienced the same things they experienced, and now we know what they were talking about.
Every time we suffer, it reminds us that this old body of ours is getting closer and closer to the time when it will take its last breath.
With every experience with suffering, we draw closer to that day.
But, especially as Christians, suffering tells us that life is short and we cannot afford to waste any more of our lives on these things.
C. SUFFERINGS POINT US TO THE JUDGMENT
In verse 4, Peter said the world does not understand why we do not run with them,
Look at verse 4, we read, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”
In other words, if we do not play ball with them, the Bible says they are going think it STRANGE, and SPEAK evil of us.
Illus: Moses could have run with that crowd, but in Hebrews 11:25, the Bible says that he was, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”
Moses did not deny there is pleasure in sin, but he was smart enough to recognize that those pleasures were only, “For a season”.
Moses could have enjoyed a life of luxury, but he was smarter than most: he was willing to suffer for a while that he might enjoy the rewards of heaven for eternity.
Peter said we are to be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ because one day, sinners and saints will be judged.
Look at verses 5-6, we read, “Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”
Conclusion:
I. SUFFERINGS IDENTIFY US WITH CHRIST
A. THE FACT
B. THE FORM
II. SUFFERINGS DRAW US CLOSER TO GOD
A. SUFFERING CAUSES US TO REALIZE LIFE IS NOT TO BE WASTED
B. SUFFERINGS CAUSE US TO REALIZE LIFE IS SHORT
C. SUFFERINGS POINT US TO THE JUDGMENT
