Be prepared for times of suffering, lest affliction cause you to lose your grip on your relationship with God.
I. DON¡¦T BE DUMBFOUNDED BY SUFFERING (12-13)
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
A. WE CAN RESPOND TO ADVERSITY IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS
1. with surprise
They were encountering a painful trial
Same word last week: a testing that can also be a temptation
Elaborate
We shouldn¡¦t be surprised by trials
That¡¦s often how people respond
Going merrily along without any problems
Suddenly affliction hits
People are shocked: turn inward / wonder and doubt
Why is this happening to me?
Instead of shock / surprise, we can respond to affliction¡K
2. with joy
Instead: rejoice
Paul: Rom 8
James: James 1
Peter: here
All point out that the right response to trials is joy!
Why? We saw last week: because when trials come, God uses that to make us mature
(here): we see another reason¡K
B. WHY WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED AT SUFFERING
1. as Xians, we live in union with Jesus
NT says many times: we are ¡§in Christ¡¨
e.g. Col 3: our life is hidden in Christ
therefore: if Jesus suffered, and we are in union with him
we can expect to suffer as well
2. in this life (13): we ¡§participate¡¨ in the sufferings of Jesus
every trial you face thus takes on a new / different character
Peter was writing to people under persecution for their faith
That certainly reflects the suffering of Jesus
Who was killed because he represented God
But there were also many other levels of suffering in Jesus¡¦ life
He was betrayed by a close associate
Abandoned by his friends when he needed them most
Lonely / misunderstood / went homeless / more
suffering creates a special bond between ordinary believers & Jesus Christ
Amy Carmichael was a ground-breaking missionary to India
She wrote a poem that has always gripped me
About this union between Jesus¡¦ sufferings and ours
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening wolves that compassed me, I swooned:
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? no scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me;
But thine are whole: can he have followed far
Who hath no wound nor scar?
She says: ¡§as the Master shall the servant be¡¨
¡§pierced are the feet that follow Me¡¨
its part of our identification with Jesus
but if your suffering somehow shares, even a little bit, in the character of Jesus¡¦ suffering, part of our union with Christ is that¡K
3. one day: we will participate in Jesus¡¦ glory
Jesus¡¦ life was characterized by a certain pattern
First came the cross „³ then came the resurrection
First came the suffering „³ then came the glory
In union with Jesus: we can expect the same pattern in our lives
So we shouldn¡¦t be surprised to share in his sufferings first
But we also rejoice that we are going to share in his glory
how are you going to respond when Jesus comes back again?
(13): you are going to be overjoyed!
The suffering of this life cannot compare to the glory that will be revealed
Whatever is happening in your life that today seems unjust / difficult
Will be turned into a celebration of joy
When you understand that Jesus endured the same things
Even more than that: when the glory of Christ is revealed
And all this world¡¦s suffering / sorrows fade into oblivion
We don¡¦t always have the answers to the question ¡§why¡¨
But we do have a reasonable confidence in One who does have the answers
The assurance here: God will have the last word
So don¡¦t be dumbfounded when suffering hits¡K
II. DON¡¦T BE DESERVING OF SUFFERING (15-16)
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. 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.
A. DON¡¦T BE ASHAMED TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST
(14): if you are insulted because of your association with Jesus, you are blessed
in first century, this is not just being criticized
rather: the loss of social standing
that might often be the result of becoming a Xian / living for Jesus
we haven¡¦t faced anything like what they faced
or what believers face in other parts of the world for their faith
it happens every day in Sudan
in Muslim countries
still happens in Communist China and North Korea
but maybe you¡¦ve been criticized for following Jesus
maybe you¡¦ve lost a job opportunity because your values have changed
I¡¦ve had family members mock my decision for Christ
I¡¦ve been counseling by e-mail a woman down in Provo
Her husband converted her to his religion
But she has now realized that it is not true
She wants to simply follow Jesus
So she is preparing to renounce that faith
Her husband has threatened to divorce her
it would be hard to see that as a blessing
but he reminds them: if being a Xian has cost you something
you have gained far more
(14): you have the Holy Spirit
first: the HS is God¡¦s down payment to you
as a guarantee of your eternal, heavenly inheritance
second: the HS is given by God to change your life from within
to provide guidance
to illuminate God¡¦s Word to your heart and mind
his work in your life is indispensable
third: the Holy Spirit is going to empower you to stand the test
his strength is given to you to enable you to obey God
to remain faithful when times of affliction / testing come
comes back in (16) with a similar statement: if you suffer as a Xian
you have nothing to be ashamed of
in fact, you have reason to praise God
it¡¦s a privilege to bear the name of Christ
the fact that you suffer for him
means that you belong to him
which is an honor and blessing that no comfort / ease in this life can match
B. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED IF YOU SUFFER FOR DOING WRONG
the contrast is sandwiched in the middle, in (15)
you have reason to be ashamed if you suffer for your own wrong doings
if you lost your job because your boss asked you to do things
that you could not do and still obey Christ
that¡¦s one thing
if you lost your job because you were a jerk / loafer / thief
that¡¦s totally different
there is nothing honorable about suffering if you deserve it
no higher purpose
in fact, if we suffer as a wrongdoer, it brings negative attention on the whole body of Christ
we should never deserve ill treatment because of our actions
sometimes the greatest hindrance to the reputation of Jesus
and to the advance of God¡¦s kingdom
is that behavior of Christians
someone once said: the greatest reason some people don¡¦t come to Christ¡K
they don¡¦t know a single Christian
the second greatest reason: they do
III. DON¡¦T BE DERAILED BY SUFFERING (19)
17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; 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?" 19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
A. SUFFERING IS PREPARATION FOR GOD¡¦S JUDGMENT
Consider suffering in light of God¡¦s judgment
We¡¦re going to stand before God one day
Answer for how we conducted our lives
As we saw last week: how we handled the tests of life
This relates to suffering in a way you may not have thought of
We¡¦ve seen all along that God uses affliction to perfect our character
Thus suffering is one way that God purges his people
To prepare them to be ready for the final judgment
1 Cor 11:32: ¡§When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world¡¨
suffering, if we respond to it rightly, purges sin from our lives
if God¡¦s own people have to go through trials as a preliminary to God¡¦s judgment¡K
(18): just imagine what the actual day of judgment will be like for those who have never turned to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins
in light of that¡K
B. SUFFERING IS NEVER AN EXCUSE TO DISOBEY GOD
(19): the practical application
if God wills that suffering come into your life
commit yourself to your faithful Creator
continue to do good
IOW: Suffering doesn¡¦t give you a free pass to abandon your duty
Don¡¦t let suffering keep you from being obedient / faithful
Response: continue to be committed to honor, worship, serve and live for God, no matter what happens in the circumstances of your life.
CONCLUSION
Show a video with interview with Gracia Burnham, a missionary whose husband was killed during capture by terrorists. Show at the end, to illustrate the virtue of staying committed to God, serving him.
