Suffering Well for Christ

Amen. If you have a Bible, please turn with me to the second part of 1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

And we'll continue on. We'll continue on in our series in 1 Peter.

But before we go into it, tell me if you hear the difference.

I'm going to say the same statement twice.

What have I done to deserve this?

And what have I done to deserve this?

It's interesting that the same phrase, spoken in different ways, mean completely different things.

It's exact wording, but the emphasis is clearly off.

What have I done to deserve this?

You can picture somebody with a wonderful banquet or maybe, I don't know, it's like the third win in a row.

They're enjoying life.

But somebody's saying, what have I done to deserve this?

Sorrow and heartache has gripped them.

Although both sentences, they share this exact wording and they are different in emphasis,

they both convey the same interesting truth.

Interestingly, this reveals something remarkable about the human heart.

That we deep down believe that good behavior ought to be rewarded and poor behavior ought to be overlooked.

We shouldn't be punished or suffer for the things that we do wrong.

But not just any poor behavior, just my poor behavior.

Those that wrong me, they deserve justice.

Don't overlook them.

Our friends, our family members, those that are closer, close to us, they get a pass too.

But how about those that are on the wrong team?

Are part of the wrong people?

Or think the wrong way, vote the wrong way.

They deserve what is coming to them.

It's interesting that the sins of others is excusable.

But when we sin, when we suffer, when we do things that are wrong rather,

nuance should be considered before judgment is passed.

Understand the context.

Of course I had to do it this way.

It's understandable.

So why do I bring this up?

Peter will once again address the topic of suffering

in order to answer a very honest question

that many in the congregation in Asia Minor,

but really it's a perpetual question that the church asks from generation to generation.

And that is,

why if I am following Christ,

if I am doing good according to God's will,

why do I have to suffer?

Why should I suffer?

If I am doing the greatest possible good,

the New Testament,

follow God's will,

and it is the highest expression of good action we can do as human beings on planet Earth,

why then, if it's the greatest good that I'm doing,

do I suffer?

Why should it not just lead to perpetual bliss

and gifts and honor and blessings forever?

However,

doing good should mean getting good.

So a text like this potentially seems backwards.

And to be perfectly honest,

it seems like a raw deal

and maybe a dereliction of care by God to his children.

But before we pass judgment on the eternal,

perfect,

and just God,

let's remember that God's word is always good news for us.

It is always,

we put on a lens when we read the Bible,

and we always read the Bible thinking,

this is good news.

One way or the other,

whether I understand it fully,

this is good news.

It is a good news.

That if we suffer for Christ,

it is not an unfortunate reality,

but a joyous,

worthy act

that we ought to rejoice in.

In fact,

it's what the human heart longs for.

What this text doesn't do

is it doesn't defang suffering.

It doesn't say that

downplay suffering as if suffering doesn't hurt.

Suffering hurts.

This doesn't make a kitten

out of your tragedies and your difficulties.

The pain,

the difficulty of suffering,

it's still real,

but what it does do

is it defangs it,

for it puts suffering

in a lower tier

of control over our lives.

It doesn't dictate

how we ought to live

nor our eternity ahead.

So this text will help us

to understand what suffering is

and then how we ought to handle it

as God's people.

So let's look firstly

at what is the true nature

of suffering for Christ.

If you have a Bible,

there's still,

I think,

four or five Bibles back there.

You can grab one at any time.

If you follow along with me,

that would be very helpful.

But look with me at verse 12.

And we'll continue to verse 16.

It says this,

Beloved,

do not be surprised

at the fiery trial

when it comes upon you

to test you,

as though something strange

were happening to you.

But rejoice insofar

as you share Christ's sufferings,

that you may also rejoice

and be glad

when His glory is revealed.

If you are insulted

for the name of Christ,

you are blessed

because the Spirit of glory

and of God

rests upon you.

But let none of you

suffer as a murderer

or a thief

or an evildoer

or as a meddler.

That's like a busy body.

Yet if anyone suffers

as a Christian,

let him not be ashamed,

but let him glorify God

in that name.

Peter quite explicitly says

that suffering

for Christian living

and association with Christ,

it's a good thing.

There's no nuance at all.

He says it's a good thing.

Notice in verses 13 to 16,

Peter makes mention

of Christ three times

or the name three times.

We see it here.

As you share Christ's suffering,

he continues on.

If you are insulted

for the name of Christ,

he continues on in verse 16.

Yet if anyone suffers

as a Christian,

he makes it very clear here

that the suffering

that he has in view

is to suffer

as somebody associated with Christ

or doing Christ's will.

I'll say this right off the bat.

That's an important observation.

This isn't Peter saying

that all suffering

is to be rejoiced in.

He is not making

a blanket statement

about suffering

that somehow

this is just

a baptized version

of some kind of

stoic,

stiff upper lip

that Christians ought to keep.

He is specifically

talking about

suffering

in light

of our association

with Christ.

And this is a really

important thing.

Firstly,

like I said,

because it doesn't approve

of suffering in general,

suffering is a bad thing.

In the New Testament

and really the entire Bible

is clear that

that we are

as God's people

to work

to alleviate

suffering in the world,

to see justice

come forward,

to see mercy extended,

to have justice

and mercy

and love

be the calling card

of the church,

especially

as it pertains

to the suffering

that we see.

Suffering is bad.

It's really bad.

And here,

it's not like

Peter is again

giving a green light

or saying that

it is okay.

The second,

it's important

to remember

that this suffering

is specifically

linked to suffering

for Christ

because we can

at times

as Christians

develop a martyrdom

complex.

We can see

any

oppression

against

our individual

freedom

as

potentially

Christian

suffering

and that's

not the case.

I'm probably

wading right

into

mucky

waters here

but during

the lockdowns

over the past

whatever,

three years,

the chronology

gets kind of

murky.

Christians

weren't targeted

for being Christians

when the churches

were closed.

It was garbage

in my opinion.

I didn't like it.

Obviously,

I'm a pastor.

I like when the doors

are open

and the seats

are filled

and it was

very frustrating

to see churches

deemed non-essential

but the LCBO

and cannabis

dispensaries

open to the public.

It was frustrating

but it wasn't

an attack

on Christianity.

Mosques

were given

the same

mandate.

Kingdom halls

of the Jehovah's Witnesses,

Hindu temples,

Jewish synagogues.

That wasn't

an example

of Christian

suffering.

That's not what

it has in view here

and Peter

is making it

very clear

that the suffering

that we should rejoice in

isn't the suspension

of our individual rights.

By the way,

that is

a problem worth fighting.

I'm not saying

it's not a worthy

fight

but what Peter

has in view here

is suffering

because we are Christians

specifically

with our association

with Christ.

Another example

that might help

with this.

Edith Stein

was a German

philosopher

in the 20s

and 30s.

She was a Jewish

woman who came

to faith,

became a Roman

Catholic Carmelite

nun.

And in the

early 30s

and into

the mid-30s

and farther on

when Nazism

took root,

she fled

to Holland.

Anyways,

she was

arrested,

she was sent

to Auschwitz

and she was murdered

beside her sister.

And in the 80s,

John Paul II

beatified her.

That's the first

step towards

making her

a saint

in the Roman

Catholic faith.

But there's

controversy around it

because why?

Because she was sent

to Auschwitz.

So did she,

was she murdered?

Was she a Christian

martyr or was she

another murdered Jew?

If she was just

another murdered Jew,

lamentable,

something to

mourn.

But she wasn't

necessarily

a martyr

for her Christian

faith.

Interestingly,

and it's not

for our discussion,

I think there's

a legitimate claim

for her in the

Roman Catholic

religion to

grant her

sainthood.

But it's

interesting to me

that in the

Roman Catholic

Church,

they go to

great pains

to differentiate

Christian suffering

from other kinds

of suffering.

And you see

the difference

here.

And Peter here

has in view

Christian suffering.

Peter is making

the point that

suffering for

Christ's name

is the suffering

that we ought

to embrace.

And he says it

for three main

reasons.

The first,

very quickly as we

go through this

first point,

the first is

that it tests

our faith.

We have seen

this before

back in chapter

one,

Peter writes

in verses

six and

seven of

chapter one

when he says

this,

in this you

rejoice,

though now

for a little

while if

necessary you

have been

grieved by

various trials,

verse seven,

so that the

tested genuineness

of your faith

more precious

than gold

that perishes

though it is

tested by fire

may be found

to result in

praise and glory

and honor

at the

revelation

of Jesus

Christ.

We seem

comfortable

with God's

good and

sovereign plan

when we are

happy and

things are

going well.

When the

blessings are

coming,

we can quickly

point out a

God moment,

and I kind of

say that a bit

facetiously,

but I do it.

This is a God

moment right here,

whenever things

are going well.

But what

happens when

pressures and

pains come?

Our false

trust in

God is

exposed as

not being a

trust in

him, but

delighting in

the blessings

of this life,

but not the

one who gives

the blessings.

Do we say

that it's a

God moment

when we

suffer some

kind of

indignity

because we

proclaim and

bear witness to

the cross of

Christ in

our workplaces

or within

our homes?

If we get a

slap on the

wrist or

potentially worse

by HR because

we are a bit

too forward with

our Christian

faith, is that

a God moment?

Do we see that

as a God

moment?

I would say I

probably don't.

I would struggle

with that.

Especially in

June, it rolls

around a lot of

us, I mean I

say a lot of

us, I don't,

but a lot of

us as a

congregation, we

work in a

secular environment

and we have

soft, sometimes

hard pressure to

support Pride

Month.

What happens

when we choose

not to?

Not that we're

rallying against

Pride Month, but

that we just don't

participate in it.

Is it a God

moment when we

suffer

promotion?

When we are

whispered at

behind our

backs?

When we don't

include our

preferred pronouns

in our

signature page,

or our

signature on

our email?

Is it a God

moment?

Peter here is

saying that

yes, it

certainly is

when we

suffer, and

that we

shouldn't be

downcast and

broken about

it.

He says this

in verse

four, sorry,

verse 13,

but rejoice

insofar as you

share Christ's

sufferings, that

you may also

rejoice and be

glad when his

glory is

revealed.

It is a

tough thing to

be a Christian

in the secular

world, and I've

said this in the

past, I'll say it

again, I have a

far easier time

being a Christian

pastor at a

coffee shop or

with my neighbors

or wherever it

may be, because

my job in some

ways is not on

the line, yours

is.

Potentially, you

guys have to deal

with this more

than I do.

Nevertheless, it

says rejoice.

Rejoice.

And it's coming

not from this

proud, like,

beat-his-chest

type of man.

Peter is the

same guy who

had this rock-solid

faith tested and

failed miserably.

What did he say?

Those loser

disciples, they

will fail, they

will fall away, but

not me.

I will follow you

to the death.

Bravado.

And the second

a bit of pressure

was applied, he

gave it up.

I do not know

the man.

I swear to God, I

don't know the

man.

Literally, calling a

curse upon

himself.

Nevertheless, verse

13 still rings true.

It says rejoice.

Like everything

that claims to

have integrity,

testing is

needed.

It might seem

unfair, but

testing is needed

for our faith.

A bridge, a

boat, a

barbell, all

items cannot

withstand the

pressure and

stress.

If they cannot

withstand the

pressure and

stress, they

provide a false

sense of safety

and assurance, and

they pose a

risk to us and

to those around

us.

likewise, likewise

with our faith.

The good Lord, he

tests our faith in

the cross of

Christ, not from a

place of insecurity,

but as if God

needs our approval

and he is this

insecure, jealous

husband that is

just testing and

it's very, it's

exposing his

insecurity, not our

lack of trust, but

rather it comes

from a God who is

abounding in mercy

and love.

Why does he

test us?

Because he wants

our faith to be

sure.

Because we will

put our faith in

other things and

when we put our

faith in other

things, they will

crumble and we

will suffer.

But when our

faith is in the

cross of Christ

truly, and it

often is when we

are facing those

pressure points and

the struggles, then

we grip that cross

so tightly and it

becomes for us the

very foundation by

which we will live

this life with

joy and

thankfulness and

mercy and love.

We can say

literally, come

hell or high

water, I am

secure.

This tells us

also that the

Christian faith is

one of integrity.

Are we here for

good morals?

Are we here on

Sunday for good

morals?

We want our

kids to have

good morals.

are we here for

friendly people?

Are we here for

the wonderful

angelic voice of

the worship leader

on this wonderful

Sunday?

Or are we here for

the risen Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ?

Are we here for

him?

Does this faith

inform our weeks,

our months, our

years?

Do we fashion our

lives around worship?

Are we valuing the

eternal king of

kings above all

else?

I had a conversation

earlier in the

week about how the

Christian calendar is

a blessing for us in

the midst of a

secular world because

it fashions our

life not around the

economy but around

worship of Christ and

of his life.

The calendar, I've

said this in the

past, that it

begins with the

preparation of Christ

being born.

It continues on to,

I'm speaking in kind

of broad strokes

here, his passion,

his death, his

resurrection, his

ascension, and then

we do it all over

again.

Our lives, are they

fashioned around the

king of kings?

If we want to grow in

our faith and

devotion, we must be

prepared for suffering.

But make no mistake,

our lives will be

richer, not poorer,

they will be more

robust, they won't

lack, they will be

more satisfying, not

less satisfying, than

anything else that we

substitute in Christ's

stead.

And suffering will

expose our false

messiahs, our false

gods, our false

foundations.

So what does he say?

Going back to verse

13, what does Peter

say?

But rejoice insofar as

you share Christ's

sufferings, so it

tests our faith.

What else does it

do?

It doesn't just test

our faith, although it

certainly does that.

It assures us that we

are united with Christ.

Notice verse 13, but

rejoice insofar as you

share Christ's

sufferings, that you

may also rejoice and

be glad when his glory

is revealed.

Steve mentioned in his

sermon last week when

he talked about

participation in Christ,

it's this idea that

when we put our

faith in him, we are

united to him in his

mystical body, the

church, but it also

means that we, our

destiny is Christ's, so

we suffer like Christ,

but we will also enjoy

the resurrection of the

dead like Christ.

So that when we suffer

for him, it is a sign

that we are of him.

It is proof.

It is a pledge that

Christ makes for us,

again, cause for

rejoicing.

All of this, finally,

what else does it do?

It brings glory to God,

for we value him to the

uttermost in a world

that values self above

all.

So, verse 16, if you

could look with me

briefly here, it says,

yet if anyone suffers

as a Christian, let him

not be ashamed, but let

him glorify God in that

name.

We glorify not a

slightly better power

than the earthly

powers, but I preached

a couple weeks ago, the

cosmic victor over

everything, no power,

no principality, no

spirit is greater than

him.

And all of a sudden,

we're connected to him

and we give him glory

and our lives are hidden

with him.

This gives him glory,

it gives us great cause

for rejoicing.

So that is what it

means to suffer, the

true nature of

suffering for Christ.

But then, how do we

suffer well?

If that's what suffering

for Christ looks like,

how do we suffer well?

We're looking at verses

16 and 19.

Look with me.

Yet if anyone suffers

as a Christian, let him

not be ashamed, but let

him glorify God in that

name.

For it is time for

judgment to begin at the

household of God.

And if it begins with

us, what will be the

outcome for those who

do not obey the gospel

of God?

And, quoting Proverbs

11 here, if the

righteous is scarcely

saved, what will become

of the ungodly and the

sinner?

Verse 19, we'll close it

off with this.

Therefore, let those who

suffer according to God's

will entrust their souls

to a faithful creator

while doing good.

Interestingly, and I'm

not going to comment

further than this, this is

the only time in the New

Testament that God is

explicitly called

creator, faithful creator.

So how do we suffer well?

Notice first that we are not

to be ashamed.

For the Christians in Asia

Minor, being a Christian

would have risked shame

upon their family and upon

their individual lives.

It meant not participating in

the practices and values of

the culture.

We see Peter alluding to

this, maybe not even

alluding, just saying it

explicitly.

Earlier in the chapter,

Steve mentioned it,

chapter 4, verse 4, this is

what it says.

With respect to this, they, that

is the pagans, non-Christians,

they are surprised when you do

not join them in the same

flood of debauchery, and they

malign you.

For the residents of Asia Minor,

the original recipients of this

letter, and for us today, we will

not be ashamed of Christ

only when we fully see the full

extent of our idolatry, and we

face evil face on, and we

understand what evil truly is.

Like the evil one, like Satan in

the garden, he knows how to

clothe evil in goodness, and

dress up all sorts of

horrendous debauchery, and make

it look like wonderful amounts

of self-expression.

But if we understand truly that

the lure and promise of our

culture is not the most fullest,

most free, most satisfied we

will be, but rather the very

decay of our souls, then we will

see Christ truly for who he is.

When we see Christ for truly, we

see Christ truly for who he is, it

is harder for us to venture back

into the other culture, the other

age, the other arena, and find true

joy that we've first found with

Christ.

And therefore, to be ashamed of

Christ after we enjoy him and see

him for who he truly is and see the

opposite, that it is decay, we will not

be ashamed.

Our flesh is weak, shame comes, but if

we truly value Christ, we value him

and we adore him over all things, we

will not be ashamed.

Throughout the Bible, this dilemma is

juxtaposed as the fear of man versus

the fear of God when we struggle with

honoring Christ over honoring the age

that we live in.

But hear these words of Jesus in

Matthew chapter 10, 28 to 33.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

He says this,

And do not fear those who kill the

body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather fear him who can destroy both

soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

And not one of them will fall to the

ground apart from your father.

But even the hairs of your head are

all numbered.

Fear not.

Therefore, you are of more value than

many sparrows.

Be wonderful if he stopped at verse

31.

But he hits hard with verse 32 and

33.

Listen to this.

So everyone who acknowledges me

before men, I will acknowledge before

my father who is in heaven.

But whoever denies me before men, I

will also deny before my father who is

in heaven.

They are very sobering words.

Friends, do not be ashamed of Christ.

If we deny him on earth, he will deny

us before the father.

So then how do we value and love and

proclaim Christ so that we are not

ashamed of him?

I think this is where suffering exposes

that for us.

It exposes for us our false gods like

we've talked about.

But it also exposes for us the false

narrative and promise of our age so

that we can see the truth of Christ in

its brilliance.

That's how we suffer well when we

treasure Christ above all.

Our text also tells us that we can

suffer well if we have eternal judgment

in view.

The Matthew passage alludes to this.

But look with me again at verses 17 and 18

of chapter 4 of 1 Peter.

For it is time for judgment to begin in

the household of God.

And if it begins with us, what will be the

outcome of those who do not obey the

gospel of God?

And if the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the

sinner?

Like other parts of Peter, we could spend a few

weeks looking at these two verses.

Peter, it's like he packs it in real dense.

But just a couple comments.

Firstly, as the creed affirms, both Christians and

non-Christians will experience the judgment of God.

Because we're Christians doesn't mean we are,

we don't experience God's judgment.

Yes, we don't experience God's judgment in terms

of we are judged to be sinners without redemption.

We are clothed in Christ.

So therefore, our judgment is a judgment to glory.

But we still will be judged.

And just like how the kingdom of heaven will come

in its fullness at the end of the age, but we

experience it now in part, so too with the judgment

of God, that there is a final judgment.

It will come.

It has not come yet.

But for the people of God, we experience it in

part now.

What do I mean?

The judgment of God throughout the scriptures is

described as a consuming fire that both purifies

and condemns.

The same purifying fire for the Christian, it

purifies our souls.

The suffering for the faith that God wills is a

a refining fire that sifts out who are truly his and

purifies the faith of the faithful.

Think of, and it's used a ton in the Bible, you have a

bunch of ore, but the smelter, he melts it down at the

right temperature so that the dross, the impurities are

melted away and the precious metal remains.

And that is what the purifying judgment, the fire of God

does.

It purifies us.

So therefore, the flames of persecution, when they come,

they become the pledge, not just of a purified faith, but a

proof that being united in Christ, our future eternally will

be with him.

It is, in a sense, the beginning of God's judgment unfurling,

first for the church.

It's proof that the spirit of God resides once again in his

temple.

If you remember in previous weeks, the temple imagery is

used by 1 Peter to describe us, the church, and the spirit of

God resides within the temple.

The fire of God, so to speak, resides within the temple.

It is proof that we are of Christ.

It's costly and painful.

This is why Peter references Proverbs 11 here.

Not to say that salvation is impossible, but that it comes at a

high cost.

That Christ has bought us at a high cost.

Remember 1 Peter 1.19, it says the very high cost of his very

blood.

Finally, how do we suffer well?

And this is what we'll wrap things up with.

We can suffer well when we entrust our souls to Christ.

This might be something you write out on a little cue card or

something, write it on your mirror.

This is what it says, verse 19.

Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their

souls, not to some indifferent person, but to a faithful creator

while doing good.

To a faithful creator.

Here's a troubling truth for us.

Us who are self-reliant folk.

Our ability to safeguard our soul is nothing compared to how God can

safeguard our soul.

Our ability to look after ourselves is nothing compared to how God can look

after ourselves.

Our ability to conduct self-care is nothing compared to what God can do in our

hearts.

Providing true care.

Self-care is okay.

Just to be clear.

Go to the Nordique if you need to for a little me time.

All right?

No problem.

Nevertheless, what is the Nordique compared to the eternal bliss of

glorification that Christ offers to us?

We have this problem where our self-reliance causes us not to enjoy life

better, but to suffer in a way that is just, that the suffering is not meant for

us.

Yes, we are to suffer as we embrace Christ, but he promises that we will, our

suffering will then be the source then of our joy and our love and our mercy that

we extend to others.

So friends, the very act of relinquishing our souls to Christ is the most sure and

safe thing we can do for ourselves.

Remember that Christ is the one who commands us to obey him, to suffer for him, but not as

somebody who sits back on an armchair to watch, but as the one who suffered as well and also

entrusted his soul to God the Father.

If you can flip back with me to 1 Peter chapter 2, 21 to 25, it's almost like an anthem that

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

Peter is proclaiming, and he says this starting in verse 21.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered, leaving you an example so that you might

follow in his steps.

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

This is a rehearsal of Isaiah 53.

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return.

When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued.

Here it is.

Another cue card verse, right there.

That's who we suffer for, the one who suffered for us.

That's who we obey when we entrust our souls to the faithful creator, because he entrusted

his soul to the faithful creator.

And the faithful creator did not let him down and did not let him see eternal decay, but

rose him from the grave to eternal life.

And that is our future.

So therefore, we can be sure, friends, that if we entrust ourselves to Christ, he will

not abandon us.

We are not destined for the rubbish heap, or the grave, or utter loneliness.

Instead, our souls are safeguarded.

And the imagery, interestingly, is it is given, it's to give somebody who is integral and trustworthy

something in trust to hold on to for the future when we will then receive it back.

That we are entrusting our souls to the most integral, trustworthy being in the entire cosmos.

Friends, the fact is, our good behavior is nowhere close to being good enough, and our

bad behavior is far greater and more dire than we would like to admit or even imagine.

We cannot hope to escape God's just judgment.

Let alone know him as friend.

Yet through Christ, this is our reality.

It is our future.

It's our sure hope.

Let us pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you that you have called us to suffer and truly follow in the

footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered on our behalf, entrusting his

soul to you, Father, and that you did not disappoint.

So, Father, as we lay our lives down for you, suffering as Christians, for being associated

with Christ, Lord, give us great courage.

Help us to not be ashamed.

Help us to live for your glory.

Help us to see this as a great blessing in our lives.

And, Lord, help us to entrust our souls to you.

Lord, we thank you that you will never let us down.

Lord, bless the rest of this time together.

Help us to walk in the fullness that you have called us to walk in.

Lord, we want to be your ambassadors.

We want to be the people that are a godly representation of you here on earth as resident aliens of heaven.

Amen.

We pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.