1 Peter 4:1-6 “Sin or Suffering? Self or Savior?”

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

That song and some others that we've sung already this morning are laying out for us the essence of this morning's sermon.

There's a distinct choice there, right?

All this world or Jesus?

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold or houses or lands or fame or applause.

Jesus himself was faced with a pretty dramatic choice like this, wasn't he?

There he was in the garden.

Was it going to be his own path?

Or was it going to be God's path?

He's in agony.

The sufferings of the cross are looming before him.

The abandonment of his friends is a present reality.

The anxiety of his spirit is so intense.

He's sweating drops of blood.

Father, he prays.

If there's another way that avoids this terrible suffering ahead of me, I would like that.

I don't relish the thought of drinking the cup of your wrath.

That's a lot of physical and emotional energy arguing for going his own way.

And yet his spirit trusts his father.

He decides suffering is better than sin.

Submitting to God's will better than serving his own.

Not my will, but yours be done.

It's not an easy choice, right?

But Jesus chooses to stand in our place as Peter has told us,

once for all, for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

Now, this morning, Peter says,

that choice is to shape your lives too.

Not just his, our lives.

As those united to Jesus, following Jesus, living as his people in this world,

this choice is to shape our lives.

1 Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

Let's see what this means for us in these first six verses.

God's holy word, always and unfailingly the best thing to shape our lives.

Since, therefore, Christ suffered in the flesh,

arm yourselves with the same way of thinking.

For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh,

no longer for human passions, but for the will of God.

The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do,

living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties,

and lawless idolatry.

With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them

in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.

But they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead,

that though judged in the flesh the way people are,

they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Father, we give you thanks for your word,

and we ask for that spirit

to teach us this morning,

and more than that, to give us Jesus,

to show us him,

to so work in our hearts

that we would want more and more and more of Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Peter has given us

some hard passages to understand recently, hasn't he?

This passage is easier to understand.

Good news.

It's just harder to live.

You know, I think those may be the worst

kind of passages in some ways.

I can't plead ignorance,

and neither can you.

I've decided to approach this text a little differently today.

First, I'm just going to walk through it

briefly,

so that we're on the same page about what it means.

And then,

talk for a little bit about what it means in our lives,

for us specifically.

So, first, what's the message

of these verses?

Again, it's in the context of suffering, right?

Specifically, suffering as God's people.

Peter's already pointed out

that suffering brings opportunity

to share our hope, right?

That suffering with Jesus means we will also celebrate

Jesus' victory with him.

And now, this passage

highlights the choice

that we've been talking about.

The threat of suffering

presents

a life-shaping choice

between your sin

and your Savior.

Listen, verse 1.

Since, therefore,

Christ suffered in the flesh,

heading to and on the cross, right?

Arm yourselves

with the same way of thinking.

Jesus evaluated,

was it going to be his way

or God's way?

Disobedience

with comfort

or obedience

with suffering?

And he chose obedience to God

with suffering.

He chose that to be the best way.

So now,

you have real spiritual warfare

that you are engaged in

every day,

so you need to take up

that same mindset

with you.

When I must choose

sin or suffering,

I suffer.

When I must choose

myself

or my Savior,

Jesus.

Every time,

Jesus.

Now, that may sound simple, right?

Hey, you're in church, you know?

Sin or Jesus?

Which one's right?

But we need to acknowledge

our default mindset

is avoid suffering, right?

Anybody else?

I don't like it at all.

My comfort,

my ease,

my success,

my pleasure,

whatever it is,

that needs to be pursued

at all costs.

That's the way

I'm used to thinking.

So this life-shaping choice

is no simple matter.

When was the last time

you chose

to suffer?

That happens to you.

You don't pick that, right?

But choose suffering

over sin,

Peter says,

for whoever

has suffered

in the flesh

has ceased

from sin,

so as to live

for the rest of the time

in the flesh,

no longer for human passions,

but for the will

of God.

Do you hear the choice

between self

and Savior,

sin and suffering?

This verse is not saying

that if you have ever suffered,

then you will never sin again.

That's not what it's saying.

Rather,

if you are willing,

like Jesus,

to choose painful suffering

in order to follow God's will,

you're making a break

with sin.

You're turning your back

on sin and saying,

I'm going this way

and you're breaking

from sin.

You're setting your life

on a course

to pursue God's priorities

and His plan for you

over your own

selfish passions.

Now,

we all know suffering

can drive us

to turn in rebellion

from God,

to turn our back on Him

and to turn to self.

It's,

I don't want anything

to do with Him anymore.

This hurts too much.

But the one choosing

to suffer for Jesus

has determined

the path of Jesus

is more worthwhile

than the path

of sin.

And listen,

Peter says,

whether you've been

living for yourself

nine years

or 39 years

or 99 years

walking in this direction,

that's quite enough.

the self-indulgence,

the unbridled pursuit

of pleasure,

food,

drink,

sex,

material possessions,

being your own authority,

whatever it is,

enough of that!

You've got something

so much better!

Of course,

others around you

won't understand

that you do.

They'll be surprised,

right?

That you're not just

carried along

this overwhelming

current

of me-ism,

of self-indulgent living

because

what they will say

could possibly

be better for you

than whatever

you want

or whoever

you want to be.

Right?

I mean,

this just makes sense.

How could anything else

be better for you

than you?

We buy that lie

every day,

don't we?

You're weird,

Christian.

don't be surprised

when you don't fit in.

In fact,

they will

malign you.

At least mocking

with their words,

if not attacking you

with their actions.

You should expect

to be strange

because you are

a stranger

in this world.

It's not your home.

If you're following

Jesus' path,

the world

in which you live

is not your home.

So when people

malign you,

verse 5,

remember,

they will be called

to account.

There is a judge

for all of us.

No one maligns

anyone made

in God's image

without God

noticing.

sin.

So,

the good news

of Jesus

has been

preached to everyone.

Even those

who are now

dead,

it was preached

to them

in their lifetimes

because God's judgment

is real

and we need

to be saved

from it.

So that even

though we will

still die

in this mortal

life,

we might have

the hope

of living

forever

because of

Jesus'

death

and resurrection.

You see the choice

set before us

though

in this passage?

Follow

the path

of Jesus

and suffer

or

go with

the flow

of everyone

else around you

and avoid

some of that

suffering,

maybe a lot

of it,

and just

go along.

Live for yourself.

The choice

is described

well in

Moses'

life

in Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11.

By faith,

Moses,

when he was

grown up,

refused to be

called the son

of Pharaoh's

daughter,

choosing rather

to be mistreated

with the people

of God

than to enjoy

the fleeting

pleasures of sin.

He considered

the reproach

of Christ

greater wealth

than the treasures

of Egypt

for he was

looking to

the reward.

You see

the choice

that he had?

Choose

suffering

with God

over pleasure

with sin.

Reproach,

that means

shame

and people

maligning you.

Reproach

with Jesus

over treasures

in this world.

The threat

of suffering

for following

Jesus gives

you that choice.

Do you see that?

Will I

shape my life

along my

Savior's path

or down

my own path?

Peter is

calling us

to prepare

to suffer

for following

Jesus.

But I think

if I'm honest

and for many

of us

in our world

we're still

thinking something

a little bit

less dramatic

of a choice.

Maybe I can

have my cake

and eat it

too.

I don't

really have

to choose

do I?

I mean I've

been able

to claim

Jesus

and live

pretty comfortably

for myself.

I've been doing

that a long

time pastor.

It's not that hard.

You can get

away with it.

Can't I just

manage this

dynamic?

You know

keep them

both happy.

I'll even

lead my kids

to believe

that they can

have and do

whatever they want

so that they

don't view

Jesus as costly

and reject him.

I don't want

that to happen.

I bet that was

only a tough

choice in Peter's

day.

Not

anymore.

The problem

is it's

not

just

back then

is it?

This is actually

the normal

way

for

Jesus'

followers.

God's people

through history

have been

living this

difficult choice

life or death

even

at the highest

level

as they

follow in the

footsteps of

their suffering

Savior.

This is

what it means

to follow

Jesus.

Just think

with me for

a few minutes

this morning.

It wasn't

just Moses

and then

Jesus of

course

facing this

choice.

Many of

Jesus'

own 12

disciples

were

imprisoned

for speaking

of his

name

and told

to stop.

Many of

them are

killed

for their

commitment

to him

but they

choose to

cling to

Jesus

rather than

their own

lives,

right?

Many of

the Christians

receiving

this letter

as you know

will soon

face

martyrdom

at the

hands of

Nero.

They're

going to

face

lions

in the

Colosseum.

They're

going to

be

burned

as

torches

for

Nero's

parties.

They don't

know that

yet.

Or

there is

another way.

They could

renounce

Jesus

publicly,

quit

following

his way

and they

could enjoy

their lives.

they could

live

several more

years

perhaps.

Tempting

you got to

say.

I mean

think about

the people

they loved.

Fast

forwarding

to 1527

George

Carpenter

was facing

execution

in Munich

Germany

because he

refused

to deny

Christ.

As they

took him

away on

his final

day a

friend came

up to him

and thought

he could

appeal to

him with

one final

request to

save his

life.

Think of

your wife

and children

he said.

Give up

Jesus

to keep

them.

It's a

powerful

appeal

and a

crucial

choice.

Carpenter

responded

my wife

and my

children are

so dearly

beloved unto

me that

they cannot

be bought

from me

for all

the riches

and possessions

of the

Duke of

Bavaria.

but for

the love

of my

Lord God

I will

willingly

forsake

them.

We read

a heart

wrenching

account

150 years

later in

Scotland

of the

two

Margaret's

two of

many women

who faced

death as

covenanters

in Scotland

for refusing

to acknowledge

the king

as head

of the

church over

Christ.

Jesus

alone

would direct

their worship

and their

lives.

Margaret

McLachlan

a widow

aged 70

and Margaret

Wilson

a farmer's

daughter

aged 18

were

condemned

together

to drown

in the sea

outside

Wigtown.

They tied

the elder

Margaret to

a stake

further out

at sea

thinking

that as

she died

first they

could still

spare the

younger one

and perhaps

not look

quite as

cruel as

she watched

the one

that she

looked up

to

and respected

struggle

and drown

they thought

she'll

back off.

As the

waves crashed

and the

elder Margaret

struggled

for air

they scornfully

asked the

younger one

what do you

think of her

now?

Think

said the

18 year

old

I see

Christ

wrestling

there

getting angry

at this

foolish young

girl they

decided to

make the

choice

easier

they would

put her

under the

waves to

stop her

reciting of

Romans 8

nothing can

separate me

from the

love of

God

and they

put her

under

and they

would pull

her up

gasping for

air to

give her

what seemed

at this

point an

easy choice

swear allegiance

to the

king and

breathe freely

or refuse

and go back

under

time and

time again

she chose

Jesus

until she

spoke her

final words

Christians

have

continued to

suffer in

our

country

in case

you didn't

think that

was a

reality

many many

we could

cite over

the years

producing

songs like

give me

Jesus

Martin

Luther King

Jr.

could have

chosen a

safer path

and avoided

suffering to

enjoy fame

and family

that was

increasing

this is what

he said in

his Nobel

Prize acceptance

speech he

saw the

choice we're

talking about

and that he

chose to

suffer with

the oppressed

even if it

cost him his

life

and then he

concluded

most of these

people the ones

he's identifying

with will never

make the headline

and their names

will not appear

in who's who

yet when years

have rolled

past and when

the blazing

light of truth

is focused on

this marvelous

age in which

we live

men and women

will know

and children

will be taught

that we have

a finer land

a better people

a more noble

civilization

because these

humble children

of God

were willing

to suffer

for righteousness

sake

he chose

Jesus

and suffering

and he gave

up his life

Elizabeth Elliot

you thought I was

through with

stories didn't

you

Elizabeth Elliot

didn't give up

her life

she did lose

her husband

Jim who

famously died

in 1956

at the hands

of the

Aucca people

in Ecuador

she chose

to encourage

him to go

share Jesus

even in the

face of

suffering

in fact

he died

and a few

years later

she took

her young

daughter

Valerie

back to

the same

tribe

with the

same

potential

risk

of

suffering

because she

wanted to

share the

hope of

Jesus

with them

no matter

the cost

she later

wrote of

suffering

the deepest

things that I

have learned

in my own

life

have come

from the

deepest

suffering

and out

of the

deepest

waters

and the

hottest

fires

have come

the deepest

things

I know

about

God

people

who say

such

things

in the

words of

Hebrews 11

make it

clear they're

seeking a

homeland

if they'd

been thinking

of that land

from which

they had

gone out

they would

have had

opportunity

to return

but as

it is

they desire

a better

country

that is

a heavenly

one

therefore

God is not

ashamed

to be called

their God

for he has

prepared

for them

a city

they sought

and God

promises

to those

who suffer

as they

follow

Jesus

in obedient

suffering

a better

city

this is

the way

of God's

people

over here

person

after person

in country

after country

y'all there

are books

upon books

you could read

of God's

people following

Jesus

and suffering

time fails

me

to share

of those

who for their

choice

to stand

with Jesus

have been

disowned

by their

family

so many

of my

friends

in India

rejected

by friends

passed over

for promotions

left out

of the in

crowd

uninvited

to parties

mocked

on social

media

see it

doesn't have

to be a

life or

death

choice

today

to be a

significant

one

Peter says

to people

not yet

facing

that life

or death

choice

start

arming

yourselves

with this

way of

thinking

start now

choosing

to live

costly

obedience

to Jesus

and the

small choices

that will

shape your

life

to be headed

this direction

to break

from sin

to leave

it behind

to leave

behind selfish

indulgence

living for

me

and to

follow

God's

will

and what

he wants

think about

Jesus

Jesus

big choice

in the

garden

that we

talked about

was rooted

in a

smaller choice

in the

wilderness

when Satan

tempted him

to be king

of the

whole world

without the

suffering

and Jesus

said

no

it was rooted

in a smaller

choice on the

road

when Peter

pleaded with

Jesus to

take the

path of a

conquering king

rather than a

suffering servant

and Jesus

said

no

such a

path

is of

Satan

he

recognized

it

didn't

he

we have

many

many

small

choices

already

to choose

the path

of our

savior

over

ourselves

suffering

with God

over

pleasures

with sin

I want you

to think

this morning

of small

choices

in your

life

maybe even

ones you'll

make

this afternoon

it may be

when you're

tired

at the end

of the day

and your

kids are

arguing

disrespectfully

and you

came home

just wanting

a moment

of peace

and you

could

explode

they are

they are

attacking

the very

thing you

long for

or

you could

choose to

suffer

the pain

of swallowing

your own

plan

to engage

with the

patience

of Christ

it may

be the

small

choice

of what

to do

with the

unexpected

bonus

check

when your

eyes start

getting big

and the list

of things

you'd like

to indulge

in is long

and think

of what

all this

could do

or

will you

commit

to seek

first his

kingdom

now

with some

of this

income

because he

says

eternal

investments

are worth

making

even when

we suffer

the loss

of things

we'd really

like to

have

here

it may

be the

small

choice

to

overeat

gluttonously

because

you're

seeking

comfort

and a

little bit

more food

or alcohol

and this

is what's

going to

get me

through

I'll

find my

comfort

there

rather

than

in

Christ's

love

it may

be the

small

choice

to choose

your

wife

over

the

woman

on the

screen

night

after

night

after

night

in

faithfulness

to

God's

direction

even

when

she

is

really

frustrating

you

this

passage

warns us

bigger

choices

follow

those

smaller

ones

and they

tend

to

follow

the

same

path

maybe

the

small

choice

to

refrain

from

a

gossip

fest

and

feel

and

seem

to your

friends

like

the

outsider

like

you

don't

even

belong

and

say

I'm

going

to

suffer

that

hurt

to

obey

God's

commands

about

my

words

and

maybe

the

small

choice

of

the

Sabbath

that

God

has

given

you

as

a

gift

in

which

to

enjoy

him

and

rest

and

relish

him

as

your

true

treasure

but

man

you've

learned

that

your

business

can

really

benefit

can

make

a little

bit

more

if you

work

through

Sunday

you've

seen

that

your

kids

can

really

excel

in their

activities

a little

bit

more

if they

play

through

Sunday

so many

choices

that we

face day

in and

day out

to train

our

hearts

to long

and live

not

for human

passions

but

for

the

will

of

God

he's

the

one

who

made

us

and

loves

us

young

people

I'd

like

to

try

to

have

a

youth

moment

but

every

time

I do

I

start

crying

so

it

makes

it

really

tough

this

is

for

those

of

you

who

used

to

come

sit

on

the

steps

up

here

when

we

have

a

children's

moment

but

I

want

you

to

know

how

much

I

love

you

is

that

I'm

not

going

to

ask

you

now

to

come

sit

on

the

stairs

okay

I

just

want

you

to

listen

you

can

stay

right

where

you

are

and

I

know

that's

important

to

you

but

so

many

times

you

already

face

these

choices

and

I

want

you

to

know

that

the

suffering

you

face

is

real

even

the

things

that

seem

small

you're

in

friend

groups

where

daily

you have

the

choice

to

make

fun

of

others

or

be

made

fun

of

and

it's

one

or

the

other

malign

or

be

maligned

watch

that

movie

or

stay

home

alone

go

indulge

in

something

illegal

or

immoral

at

that

party

or

feel

left

out

FOMO

that's

fear

of

missing

out

is

a

real

thing

for

adults

and

for

young

people

I

want

you

all

to

know

I've

spent

this

won't

surprise

you

perhaps

but

many

nights

in

my

younger

years

alone

yeah

sure

pastor

well

you're

kind

of

nerdy

like

that

doesn't

make it

easy

I

spent

sometimes

feeling

a sense

of

self

righteousness

like

I

was

better

than

those

kids

who

wouldn't

invite

me

to

their

party

because

they

didn't

want

me

making

them

feel

guilty

about

the

things

they

were

indulging

in

sometimes

I

remember

feeling

left

out

I

didn't

feel

anything

good

about

me

I

felt

uncool

I

felt

foolish

for

not

recognizing

all

of

the

apparently

wonderful

things

that I

should

be

enjoying

how

much

fun

I

could

be

having

and

that

is

a

tough

place

to

be

you're

in

that

spot

a

lot

I

want

to

tell

you

from

my

own

experience

that

following

Jesus

is

worth

it

that

the

pleasures

of

sin

are

not

ultimately

fulfilling

the way

they

sometimes

sound

but I

want

you to

hear

it

more

importantly

from

God's

word

listen

the

time

past

is

enough

you

may

think

you

haven't

passed

a lot

of

time

yet

he

doesn't

give

a number

of

years

he

doesn't

say

not

well

let me

try a few

more

things

first

and just

see

hey

Peter

I

haven't

gotten

to go

to

college

yet

that's

the

time

when I

get

to do

all

of

these

things

and live

for myself

and then

afterwards

I'll

follow

Jesus

no

that is

the way

of

comfort

and self

it is

not

the way

of

Jesus

listen

to me

it is

never

too

early

to agree

with God

that the

time

past

is enough

of living

for self

it is

not

too

early

you

don't

have

to

try

real

hard

to

find

yourself

on

this

path

swept

away

in

this

flood

of

debauchery

Peter

says

there is

an

active

enemy

there is

plenty

of

people

telling

you

to

be

who

you

want

to

be

and

find

yourself

and

do

what

feels

good

to

you

and

if

you

just

drift

along

if

you

just

say

I

don't

want

to

make

this

choice

you

will

drift

along

in

that

flood

through

middle

school

and

through

high

school

and

through

college

and

that's

the way

the

current

goes

if

you're

just

floating

along