In this sermon, David Capoccia explores Peter’s exhortation regarding suffering in 1 Peter 4. After some important introductory information, David Capoccia explains that, to suffer righteously and joyfully, believers must: 1.) arm themselves for suffering with Christ’s mindset, 2.) not seek to escape suffering by adopting worldly behavior, and 3.) remember that judgment is coming.
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it’s a blessing to bring the word to you today of course there’s the great responsibility of teaching the word of God a fair warning might get a little emotional today because we’re talking about suffering and suffering can be an emotional topic but also the truths we’ll be looking at they’re very great and they show us a lot about the heart of our savior I’m already feeling a little overcome let’s pray father you are great Lord if I try to pray some of the things that are in my heart right now I know that I will I will burst into tears not simply because life can be hard but when we consider the truth of the songs that we were just singing they describe the extent of your sacrifice how you chose to suffer but not just that you chose to do it but that you delighted in it there is something powerful there for us and your example Lord I pray please help me to be able to explain that help me to be able to articulate clearly what your word says so that we can suffer and that we can do it joyfully we can imitate you father please Empower me now also give me this the ability to keep together and father I pray that you would work in the hearts of those who listen please build up your church and those that don’t know you God I pray that they’d be saved that they would see that it is more worthwhile to suffer with you than pursue the unrestrained pleasures of the world father please be with us Spirit please work now in Jesus name amen am I’m in the Lord’s army have you ever sung that sure many of you have the song is a favorite of children something so enjoyable about pretending to March Ride or salute but being in an actual Army is not quite so fun especially during war well there are some benefits to being a soldier joining an army at war is to sign up for hardship you will have to do without many of the Comforts of civilian life you’ll have to submit to your commanding officer and whatever he says is necessary for you to do and you will have to engage an enemy whose goal is to demoralize maim and even kill you unsurprisingly many soldiers throughout time have neglected to fulfill their full military duties or have even deserted their armies I didn’t sign up for this they cry it is one of the most natural of human impulses to want to flee danger find Comfort avoid suffering but what is it that will cause a soldier to stay to endure the pain the discomfort and even his own death the answer is a certain way of thinking a proper mindset the steadfast Soldier needs good motivation he has to see that his suffering is worth it he has to realize the satisfaction and even the happiness that will be his as a result of his own suffering this is true for soldiers in the world’s armies but it’s true of the Lord’s army as well the Apostle Paul makes this connection clear when he urges Timothy suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus it is hard to be a true Christian to be a soldier in Christ’s Army if you want to follow after Christ you must suffer because you’re part of a war a war against sin a war against the flesh a war against the world system a war against demonic Powers as a Christian you will be persecuted and you will suffer many painful trials just in day-to-day life trials which are necessary for you if you’re going to be obedient to your command Jesus Christ but just as human soldiers are tempted to neglect their duties so will you be you will be tempted to disobey God’s difficult orders you’ll be tempted to forget battle and simply indulge yourself and you’ll be tempted to even desert the Lord’s army what will enable you to stand and suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ the answer again is the same you need to have a right way of thinking you need to gain a proper mindset what is the proper mindset that we as Christians ought to have what convictions do we need so that we can endure suffering and even suffer triumphantly righteously joyfully the spirit of God wants to show us this morning through the words of the Apostle Peter so let’s look at those open your Bibles please to First Peter chapter 4 where we are going to find our main text today 1 Peter Chapter 4 verses 1-6 let’s read this section follow along with me as I read therefore oh this is Page 1214 in the PE Bibles by the way therefore since Christ has suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves also with the same purpose because he who has suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sin so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men but for the will of God for the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles having pursued a course of sensuality lusts drunkenness carousing drinking parties and abominable idolatries in all this they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation and they malign you but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead for the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead that though they are judged In the Flesh as men they may live in the spirit according to the will of God you may notice that this section begins with a therefore meaning the writer is basing these words on something that he said that came just before well what came before we need to get some background not just on the previous passage but also on this book as a whole so let’s do that I want to actually spend a fair amount of time on background because I think getting a sense of the people the author the situation and the words that Peter has already declared before first Peter 4 will be extremely helpful for us understanding our passage let’s first go back to the beginning and talk about the author and audience of this book this is the letter of First Peter and it’s named after its Author Peter Simon Peter the former fisherman turned Apostle Peter was one of the leaders in the early church and his ministry was specifically aimed toward the Jews Paul toward the Gentiles Peter toward the Jews to whom specifically does Peter write well Peter himself tells us actually hold your place in 1 Peter 4 just get ready to come back there but go back to chapter 1 for a moment because Peter tells us whom he’s writing to in 1 Peter 1 1 to two look at that for a moment one second he says in verse one Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout pontis galatia capid doia Asia and bethia who are chosen according to the full knowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with blood May Grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure notice the word scattered in verse one this is a Greek word that many of you will recognize diaspora well diaspora can refer to any kind of scattering for instance the word is used in Acts 8 to describe the Jewish Christians scattered in Palestine after the martyrdom of Steven the word is usually used in the New Testament and is used here I would argue to refer to the scattering of Jews outside of Israel after Judah was conquered by the Babylonians you remember under Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar II many Jews were taken into Exile and forcibly settled in Mesopotamia they were dispersed there other Jews fled to Egypt they were dispersed there and though exiled Jews were allowed to return to Israel under the Persian king Cyrus many Jews did not many remained where they were were in Mesopotamia or in Egypt and others moved into other sections of the world they mostly moved into the increasingly heniz that is grei Mediterranean that emerged after the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great Greek culture was spreading throughout all the conquered lands and many Jews ended up in these various cities these various heniz cities especially Alexandria in Egypt Antioch in Syria and various cities of Greece and Macedonia even as far as Rome see this plainly by the way in the book of Acts you just analyze Paul’s method of missionary work what does he do first how does he start out in any Greek city well he goes to the synagogue meaning that even in these Gentile cities far-flung as they were from Palestine there was a community of Jews already living there this is the Jewish scattering the Jewish diaspora Jews living all over the Mediterranean World more Jews living outside of Palestine than living in Palestine though many Jews did visit Jerusalem during the appointed religious feasts this Jewish diaspora helps explain some of the details in First Peter first back in verse one Peter says that he’s writing to people who reside as aliens well this is literally true these Jews are outside of their Homeland there in Alien territory but this is Also spiritually true as Peter shows in his letter another detail that becomes clear or at least clearer Peter identifies where he’s writing from from in 1 Peter 5:13 turn there if you like I’ll I’ll just read it 1 Peter 5:13 Peter says she who is in Babylon chosen together with you sends you greetings and so does my son Mark now some interpret Babylon to be a code word or symbolic description for Rome for the city of Rome it’s like a new Babylon early church tradition after all had it that Peter died in Rome so maybe Peter’s already there and he’s riding from Rome however it’s possible because of the Jewish diaspora that at this point Peter actually is in Old Babylon he’s in Mesopotamia because that’s where many of the Jews stayed he’s actually riding from Babylon and after all he is speak specifically designing his ministry to minister to Jews either way his use of the name Babylon allows Peter to emphasize something to his listeners you are Exiles and so are we we’re writing to you from Babylon we’re outside our homeland too we suffer as aliens and we stand with you now to what specific region of this diaspora is Peter writing well back in 1 Peter 1:1 he mentions a couple regions pontis galatia capid doia Asia and bethenia well these are all regions in Asia Minor which would be modern turkey pontis and bethenia on the North Coast galatia would be in the Inland Center capid dohia in the Southeast and Asia on the west coast so a whole bunch of regions covering most of Asia Minor this would have been a highly heniz region strong influence of Greek culture even under the Roman Empire Greek culture was very strong and remember this is Pagan Greek culture would have been a strong influence on whoever lived there and indeed many of the people who were living there were actually Greek they were not Turkish like the modern day that was a later development in history there are a lot of Greeks living in Asia Minor at this time this explains other facets of this letter much of the language of First Peter does draw in a Jewish background such as sprinkling with blood the temple the priesthood the idea of being a chosen people of God that’s intense reference to the Old Testament but we also hear things like this 1 Peter 1:14 as obedient children do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance lust ignorance that sounds like a gentile background or as we read earlier in our main passage 1 Peter 4:3 Peter says for the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles and pursued a course of sensuality lust drunkenness Corr rousing drinking parties and abominable idolatries this description again sounds more characteristic of Gentiles than Jews Jews were not known for this kind of behavior so what we’re looking at here I think is a mixture of people in these Asian churches we have Jewish Christians settled in the area of the dispersion and then we have some Jews who are acting like Gentiles they’ve been heniz they’ve been strongly influenced by Greek Pagan culture and then we have some actual Gentiles converts add to the number of these Jewish communities all of them are being addressed in this letter so we see the author and the audience what circumstances have prompted this letter well in short suffering look back at First Peter 1 down to verses 6 and 7 Peter says in this he just talking about salvation in this you greatly Rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory at the honor of the revelation of Jesus Christ and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ another section of First Peter again emphasizes the same things 1 Peter 41 12-13 this is after the passage that we’re looking at today sheds more light on this idea of suffering verse 12 chter 4 beloved do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you but to the degree that you share the sh the sufferings of Christ keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of his glory you may Rejoice with exaltation so this community of Jewish and Gentile Christians are experiencing pain all kinds of pain they are distressed by the word it said various in that that first passage in chapter 1 it could also be translated diverse manifold even multicolored their experience is described further as a fiery ordeal like the experience of burning the hot refinement of metal this is a period of intense suffering and the Christians in Asia Minor are experiencing it what is this suffering what brought it on some think this is the persecution of the emperor Nero that began in ad.
64 you may know a devastating fire broke out in the city of Rome people were searching for explanations and they became suspicious that Nero himself the emperor had set the blaze in order to rebuild Rome according to his own taste Nero trying to reestablish public order blamed the fire on a scapegoat the Christians they were already not well-liked many Christians in Rome were then rounded up and executed in brutal and shameful ways it’s possible this persecution was empire-wide and extended as far as Asia Minor were the Christians of First Peter suffering under this persecution it’s possible however even without an organized top down effort to persecute Christians Christians were far from safe from persecution in the Roman Empire because Christians did well there are a number of reasons Christians did not take part in public life with the GRE Romans Christians did not attend the religious festivals and they did not plate the gods with offerings remember in Roman Greek religion it’s important that you keep the gods happy so that the gods don’t do anything bad to you or to your region Christians are not plating the gods then there were all sorts of rumors about what Christians did in their secret nighttime meetings very suspicious worst of all Christianity was new now the Jews even though they were monotheists they were mostly tolerated by the Romans though staunch monotheists the Jews had a religion that was demonstrably old even older than the city of Rome itself the Romans respected old institutions things with a long and established tradition but Christianity was new it was this weird offshoot from Judaism and it was antisocial and potentially subversive so therefore Not only was Christianity disrespected but as soon as something went wrong for the community just like in Rome’s fire the Christians were often scapegoated and brutalized toolan Christian teacher and apologist wrote at the end of the second century ad quote if the Tyber floods the city or the Nile refuses to rise or if the sky withholds its rain if there is an earthquake a famine a pestilence at once the cry is raised Christians to the lion sporadic persecution from GRE Roman mobs were part of life for early Christians and they would be until Christianity became more accepted in the empire in the 4th Century but it wasn’t just the Gentiles persecuting Christians it was the Jews too I mean if you just read the book of Acts you can see the apostle constantly being opposed and persecuted but who’s usually leading it not the Romans not the Gentiles but the Jews the Jews couldn’t stand to see Christians making converts and the more zealous among the Jews Like Paul thought it was their religious duty to oppose and even stamp out Christian communities Jesus himself was put to death by Jews with Roman help as was James the brother of John Peter was about to die at the hands of Jews but was rescued miraculously by an Angel so that he could sleep so persecution and suffering was coming to the Christians from all sides perhaps from the top down with Nero the emperor certainly from disenchanted Roman mobs and even the Jews who zealously hated Christians every Christian of community was subject to the suffering of persecution and this was a multicolored persecution it wasn’t just martydom Christians experienced all kinds of opposition mockery slander betrayal loss of property imprisonment beatings and the Christians of Asia Minor that we’re reading about they were experiencing some of these things but on top of the threat of persecution and the general disrespect and slander of both Jew and Gentile these Christians are also experiencing the General suffering of living in a sin cursed Earth you name it any suffering that you have they were experiencing a similar suffering relationship conflict dwindling marriage prospects misplacing valuable items Financial loss or professional disappointment bodily aches and pains sickness and disease birth effects miscarriage barrenness disobedient children oppressive taxes and laws swindlers and thieves accidents the death of loved ones all these are the lots of all people on the Earth they are another layer of suffering to the Christian experience and the Christian is called to deal with them differently Christians can’t react to suffering the way that unbelievers do there’s an extra layer of suffering and this is to say nothing of false teachers rising up in the church that’s actually a horror that Peter addresses in his second letter amidst all this persecution we’re teachers saying I can make everything better now we’re not told the specific trials besetting the church as an Asian Minor but we know in general they were experiencing both persecution and the Troubles of life just as we do and we will this means then that Peter’s words to this church are extremely relevant to you and me I don’t know how you’re suffering but whatever Peter says to this church is going to be important for you to hear through your same multicolored trials so we see the occasion of this letter but what instruction has Peter given already by the time we reach chapter 4 I think would take too much time to trace the whole argument but by the middle of chapter 3 let me just say that Peter’s emphasized three main points to his suffering listeners First Christians must persevere through suffering to be obedient to Christ second Christians are a testimony about Christ when they persevere in suffering and three Christians will receive a blessed Eternal Eternal inheritance from God if they persevere so he says Christians must persevere if they’re going to be obedient to Christ they they are to be a testimony about Christ by persevering in suffering and they are to receive a blessed in Eternal inheritance from God if they persevere now in the middle of chapter 3 Peter turns to Christ as an example of suffering now this I want to read with you because this is directly related to the first verse in chapter 4 look at 1 Peter 3 chap or yeah 1 Peter 3: 17 to 22 as we read through this section note in your minds what aspects stand out as exemplary in Christ’s suffering verse 17 for it is better if God should will it so that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong for Christ also died for sins once for all the just for the unjust so that he might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit which also he went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison who once were disobedient when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah during the construction of the Ark and which few that is eight persons were brought safely through the water corresponding to that baptism now saves you not the removal of dirt from the flesh but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of God having gone into heaven after angels and authorities and Powers had been subjected to him just so you know I’m not going to try and tackle the whole issue of Noah the Ark and baptism verses 20- 22 we’re going to focus just on the example of Christ here note that Peter says that suffering for doing what is right is a good thing it’s better that that should happen to you it is a blessing when it happens to you you should count yourself fortunate happy or lucky why well because it allows you to be like Christ and to partake in everything in which he partook a number of details are given about Jesus here but we can group the details into three summary statements describing Christ’s attitude toward his appointed suffering first Christ determined to suffer righteously being completely obedient to the father his sacrifice was a once and for all Mission and he would die the just for the unjust if he had turned aside to Disobedience his suffering would have been meaningless and useless be no worthiness to his suffering if he was disobedient so Christ determined to suffer righteously fully obedient to the father second Christ sought to suffer for the sake of and as a testimony to others it says Christ suffering reconciled us to God and moreover Christ’s Triumph through his suffering was testified to imprison Spirits he was being a testimony and he was suffering for the sake of others and then third Christ looked forward to his Vindication and exaltation by the father though put to Death In the Flesh it says Christ Was Made Alive in the spirit He Was Made Alive by God and moreover Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of the father you may notice these three aspects of Christ attitude almost perfectly match the three themes that Peter has been expressing this letter up to this point really Peter presents Christ as the embodiment of what is necessary to suffer righteously to suffer joyfully whatever you need to do oh church is what Christ has already done you’re going to look to him as your example you’re going to follow him as your example that’s how you’re going to suffer so with all this background in mind 1 Peter 41-6 should be much more clear let’s return to our main text Paul’s instruction in these six verses of chapter 4 can be grouped into three main points really loving the number three today I know but this is the main part of the sermon three main points there’s technically only one imperative here that is one command but I’m going to articulate each one of these points these ideas in terms of imperatives for us this is what Peter and the Holy Spirit wanted the suffering Christians of Asia Minor and us today to know and to remember when it comes to righteous suffering so these are the three points first you must arm yourself for suffering with Christ’s mindset two don’t seek to escape suffering by adopting worldly Behavior three remember that judgment is coming let’s take each of these points in turn point one arm yourself for suffering with Christ’s mindset arm yourself for suffering with Christ mindset look again at verses 1 to two therefore since Christ has suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves also with the same purpose because he has suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sin so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lust of men but for the will of God the word for arm here arm yourselves is the Greek verb haido and if you’re into ancient history you’ll recognize the word hoplight in it a hoplight was a heavily armed Greek Soldier so Peter is saying when he says arm yourselves arm or equip yourself for suffering like a heavily armed Soldier puts on his equipment so that he can fight but what are we to arm ourselves with Christ’s mindset Christ’s purpose Christ’s way of thinking well what was Christ’s way of thinking well Peter has already just finished demonstrating it and we’ve already identified it Christ first determined to be completely obedient to God second Christ determined to be a testimony of God and third Christ determined to wait on the promised Vindication from God these thoughts delighted Christ’s mind and he was well motivated to endure his ordained suffering we too can rejoice in suffering if we see the blessing in being like our savior if you and I are to succeed in suffering righteously we must be delighted in the same way Christ was delighted and we will be able to do this because if we’re really saved whatever was true for Christ is true for us and maybe in a slightly different way let’s examine three those attitudes of Christ again but with our perspective in mind what attitude do we need to have what are the aspects of that attitude well first we like Christ must determine to be completely obedient to God we must determine to be completely obedient to God it says Christ died once and for all for sin and in a similar way we die once and for all to sin we discard the old fleshly sinful way and determine to follow in obedience to Christ this is exactly what the end of verse one and the whole of verse two explains it says those who put on Christ’s mindset have ceased from sin that is that’s not the pattern of their lives anymore they don’t live in that sinful way anymore the old way they live with a new Direction because there’s been a change in their mind there’s been a change in whose will they actually follow notice the two words lust and will in verse two the word translated lust is epithemia it appears a number of times in the New Testament it can be translated passionate desires or will passionate will correspondingly the word translated will at the end of verse two is Thea and it can be translated will or desire it doesn’t have the connotation of any fleshly passion but you see that these two terms are set in opposition to one another what we’re seeing in verse two is a transfer from whose desires and whose will we follow in Salvation when we became a Christian when we decided to follow Christ and become his Soldier there was a once for all change we no longer follow the desires of man and we start to follow the desires of God no longer the will of man now the will of God Romans 6 Echoes this language used by Peter to similarly similarly describe the parallel between Jesus once and for all encountered with sin with our own let me read Romans 6 6-1 to you this Romans 6 actually parallels our Passage in a number of ways but here’s Romans 6 6-11 knowing this that our old self was crucified with him in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin for he who has died is freed from sin sounds just like what Peter said he has ceased from sin now if we have died with Christ we believe that we shall also live with him knowing that Christ having been raised from the dead is never to die again death no longer is Master over him for the death that he died he died to sin once for all but the life he lives but the life that he lives he lives to God even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus so this first aspect of the attitude that we need to have the attitude that we need to arm ourselves with or arm ourselves with is to like Jesus determined by the strength of God’s spirit to be completely obedient to God for God’s sake because you love Christ determin to be completely obedient give up every old way once and for all that’s an important part if you’re going to suffer righteously suffer joyfully so um okay that was just one aspect of Christ’s attitude we’re still under the first point of the sermon we’re just looking at kind of like three sub points here so Christ determined to be completely obedient to God but second we like Christ must must determine to be testimonies of God testimonies of Christ we must determine to be testimonies of Christ when we suffer either through persecution or the common hardships of this life and we remain obedient to the Lord we are testimonies to the greatness of God back in 1 Peter 3:15 we didn’t read it but it’s a famous verse Peter commands Christians in Asia Minor to be ready to make a defense for the hope that they have in Christ Jesus this is because of their suffering it says you’re going to be suffering and you’re going to need to be ready to make it offense to describe to people the hope that you have because people will see the hope and trust you have in God through your suffering and they will have to come to terms with it why does he hold to his Integrity why doesn’t he do what I do when it comes to suffering why doesn’t he just flee and indulge himself why doesn’t he blame someone Etc you give testimony to the world of the supernatural power and goodness of God when you suffer righteously this is one of the most important ways that we as Christians are to be testimonies it is in our suffering moreover part of the testimony we give through suffering is what we really are we’re Christians that’s part of our testimony just as Jesus test testified in his suffering about who he was that he was the perfect Lamb of God that he was the light of the world that he was the only way to the father that he came from the father and was going back to the father so we testify that we are followers of Christ when we remain steadfast we prove that we are Christians when we obey God through suffering because that’s not what a natural man does that’s a sign of a supernatural work let’s not forget that the meaning or let’s not forget yet the meaning of the word trial remember at the beginning of First Peter he says you’ve been set by multicolor trials a trial yes in one sense is a difficulty that one must endure but trial also means an assessment an examination of the quality of something it’s like the assaying of metal through intense heat before that metal is fashioned into something the suffering that we endure as Christians is also testing not because God is not sure what we would do and he wants to find out but because he wants to show us and he wants to show the world what is really in our hearts we’re going to prove what we are and how we react to suffering this is one of the reasons why in the New Testament Church and in the early Church Believers rejoiced in suffering because they got to prove that they belong to Christ and that they love Christ they weren’t just talking to talk they didn’t just follow Christ because it was easy or comfortable they followed him because he’s the truth and because of his reward they remained obedient remained obedient through the time of testing and therefore showed the true worth of God and their own relationship to God and we must do the same to suffer righteously like Jesus we also must determine to be a testimony of Christ andove our relationship to Christ the third aspect of Christ mindset that we are to IM to inculcate in ourselves is like Christ we must determine to wait on God’s Vindication we must determine to wait on God’s Vindication just as Christ was resurrected after his suffering so will we be just as Christ was exalted in heaven after his suffering so will we be and just as Christ inherited a kingdom after his suffering so will we as joint HS with Christ we will rule and reign with him on his throne forever New Testament is filled with promises about the reward and exaltation awaiting believers who persevere Who Remain obedient even when it’s difficult in Revelation 21 for instance after detailing many glorious Delights of the new Heaven and new earth Christ himself says Revelation 217 he who overcomes will inherit these things and I will be his God and he will be my son if you are to suffer rightous with the mind of Christ you must determine to wait patiently for God’s Vindication and exaltation really these three aspects in the mind of Christ they all tie into one another you put sin to death once and for all because of the hope you have in God’s coming Vindication for you and you’re happy to give testimony of that to the world these are all aspects of Christ’s attitude they are all to be aspects of our attitude and furthermore if we love Christ each of these determinations should fill us with joy because they filled Christ with joy Christ loves the father he delighted in being totally obedient to the father to testify about the father and for the father and to patiently wait until the father fulfilled his promises to the son we can have the same joy as our Trailblazer Jesus Christ listen to how Hebrews puts it famous passage Hebrews 121:3 therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of Faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God he had joy in it because he knew the blessing of it God would vindicate him he was accomplishing great purposes in his suffering we need that same attitude we need to be equipped with the mind of Christ if we’re going to be well set for the battle to recap this main point one more time Jesus was joyful in suffering how well because of the way of thinking he adopted what was the way of thinking he determined to be completely obedient he determined to give testimony of God and he determined to wait on God’s Vindication if we do this saying we will be well equipped we will be triumphant we can endure the suffering like a heavily armed infantryman this is the first point arm yourself for suffering with Christ mindset but maybe we still have some false ideas about the world and suffering and we hesitate in arming ourselves with Christ’s mind maybe we think we’re not ready that embracing a view such a view is just too hard maybe there’s another way an easier way a more pleasant way or at least more pleasant to the flesh it doesn’t require these radical attitudes this is why we need to see the next two points Point number two don’t seek to escape suffering by adopting worldly Behavior don’t seek to escape suffering by adopting worldly Behavior look now verses 3 to four uh back in First Peter 4 for the time already passes suffcient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles having pursued a course of sensuality lust drunkenness carousing drinking parties and abominable idolatries in all this they’re surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation and they malign you now in some ways these verses are surprising what do these various sins have to do with suffering why did you choose to highlight these sins Peter but this is a purposeful ju deposition because back in Chapter 1: 13 and 14 we won’t read it but I’ll summarize Peter similarly connects arming our mind for suffering for action for perseverance with a warning not to pursue old lusts there’s a connection between getting ready to suffer and not pursuing old lusts the connection I believe is how these things are really opposite to one another and how they represent the world’s attempts to find comfort in this life and to escape suffering we see this in at least two main ways first these behaviors mentioned here they represent Vain and worldly attempts to deal with suffering they represent Vain and worldly attempts to deal with suffering people often in the world they respond to Life’s Pain by pursuing life’s pleasure incessantly I mean we can think about our own Society what do people pursue in order to make themselves feel good in life well they pursue more and various sexual Thrills they get themselves drunk they seek ecstatic experiences through drugs they Gorge themselves on food and drink they go to parties where they feel like they can let loose well these are the very same behaviors that are described here in verse three sensuality that is unrestrained lustful Behavior lust that’s the same word we saw before passionate desires drunkenness literally wine bubbling bubbling over carousing this is reveling or liting totally unrestrained uh drinking parties this refers to banqueting and then abominable idolatries Pro probably in reference to the various religious festivals and rights of the Greco Romans which combined partying and sensuality and music and all those types of things now not every person in the ancient Mediterranean World acted in such a debauched way they didn’t pursue necessarily each one of these things this is not an exhaustive list but it is a typical list these are representative of the normal human approach to life and to suffering at that time and even in our own day Escape suffering by pursuing unrestrained pursuit of fleshly pleasure furthermore notice the ver the word run in verse four it says they’re surprised that you no longer run with them that’s a poignant word because it characterizes of unbelieving as if on a mad Pursuit they are rushing after worldly pleasure they’re like a stampede desperate from more and they’re surprised that you don’t run with them Peter’s point is that this type of behavior this Pursuit this mad rush for worldly pleasure is not to characterize Christians especially in response to suffering we don’t obey Christ and then when it gets hard just slip back into our old unredeemed Behavior because well that felt good maybe I’ll feel better if I go back to that no we persevere for Christ you these things are opposite to one another if you’re going to serve Christ you can’t go back to the old way Peter says no if you’re a Christian these things no longer enslave you you don’t serve fleshly Pleasures anymore if you’re a Christian you not you ought not to act like the unbelieving they are in a mad rush for pleasure you don’t do that you don’t need that Peter even points out that it’s V came to even try he says the time already passed is sufficient for you to carry out the desire of the Gentiles you don’t need more of that kind of life and if you return to it you will find that it will never satisfy you you’ll never get enough of it because it’s the problem with the world’s Pleasures they promise lasting comfort and satisfaction with just a little more time and just a little more effort just buy a little more stuff get that one thing and you’ll be happy or or just find another boyfriend or another girlfriend a better one and you’ll be happy just go to one more drinking party and you’ll be happy but it’s never enough Book of Ecclesiastes makes clear that every worldly Pursuit is vain and will not satisfy you can never gain enough experiences you can never feel enough pleasure you can never accomplish enough or learn enough to satisfy you for you to say I’ve got enough the flesh always says just a little more serve this God just a little more and he’ll satisfy you but God says no you’ve wasted more than enough time already now is the day of salvation turn aside from your fruitless Pursuits waste no more time as you have done stop copying the desperate World in its rushing and come to the only fountain that satisfies stop suffering under my wrath you’ve had enough of that and taste my my kindness and another parallel to this passage listen to Romans 6 21-22 Paul says therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed there’s no benefit in those things there’s no reason for you to go back to those things you don’t need more time with those things for the outcome of those things is death not satisfaction but now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God you derive your benefit resulting in sanctification and the outcome eternal life true benefit comes from following God sin doesn’t bring benefit unrestrained pursuit of pleasure even pleasure that’s not in itself sinful but when you go after it unrestrainedly that is sinful that does not bring true benefit but obedience to Christ does even through suffering so this is one aspect of why we are not to respond to suffering or respond to Life by pursuing worldly pleasures but there’s another aspect another main a a aspect and that’s this these acts these types of behavior they are vain attempts to win the world’s approval and acceptance notice that verse four says that they are surprised at you they think it’s strange they think it’s weird that you don’t do what they do you don’t go after Pleasures like they do and what’s the result they malign you blaspheming oh they speak of you evily and falsely Darkness hates light we can see this firsthand in our own day evil not only wants to present itself but it wants affirmation and even imitation this is what man does and this is how he responds to Christians when they seek to persevere in obedience so there’s going to be a Temptation there is a Temptation for believers to adopt parts of the world’s lifestyle to take on some of the world’s Behavior so that they don’t seem so strange and are not so persecuted Christians are cool too they say see we watch your same television shows see we’re not a bunch of prudes see we can use crude language too see we can be connoisseurs of alcohol too we can approve gay marriage too we’re not outmoded weirdos trust us but this is f because to gain the level of acceptance the world truly demands you have to stop following Christ if you want the world to accept you you can’t be a believer you have to become one of them anything short from that they won’t be satisfied moreover and I guess really this is explanatory to be a follower of Christ is to be a stranger it’s to be an an alien it’s to be a sojer From A Distant land if they think your obedience to Christ is strange and I’m not talking about man-made rules here talking about what the Bible actually calls us to do then that is a good sign because that shows that you belong to God not the world because of the pain that comes with suffering for Christ we are tempted to seek the acceptance of the world and we even tell ourselves that we are helping the cause of Christ when we make ourselves more like the world but the truth is actually the opposite the power of our witness to the world is based in our not being like the world as Peter says in 1 Peter 2 it is our being a holy people that is set apart a chosen Nation a people who suffer willingly for jesus’ sake that we are the greatest testimony to the world now don’t misunderstand me I’m not saying that we should be weird for weirdness sake or that we should be obtuse in all our social interactions I am saying that our Holiness our way of life should stand out from the world to the point that some or most people think it’s strange people should be surprised at your behavior if you are a Christian Jesus made these points clear in his Sermon on the Mount Luke 6:26 says woe to you when all men speak well of you for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way in contrast Jesus said earlier in that passage 622 to 23 blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and insult you and Scorn your name as evil for the sake of the son of man be glad in that day and leap for Joy for behold your reward is great in heaven that’s that point we’ve already talked about right looking forward to the coming Vindication for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets you’re proving what you really are you’re the same as those old prophets prophets you truly belong to God let us neither be misled into thinking that headlong Pursuit into a worldly pleasure or adopting worldly practice to seem less strange are acceptable ways for Christians to deal with suffering no these actually prevent us from having the mind of Christ or of suffering righteously when we do these things we’re not able to imitate Christ’s attitude we’re not able to obey all of God’s commands we’re not able to give testimony of God and we’re not able to place Our Hope in God’s Vindication when instead Place Our Hope in present life and in man’s acceptance so we see this second point we must not try to escape suffering by adopting worldly Behavior but let someone still hesitate and think that all this is a choice between suffering and not suffering H I prefer to not suffer you’re saying that I have to suffer I really don’t want to do that well Peter has one more exhortation this is point three remember that God judges is coming remember that God’s judgment is coming now verses 5 and six in 1 Peter 4 but they that’s those who malign you will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead the gospel has for this P purpose been preached even to those who are dead that though they are judged In the Flesh as men they may live in the spirit according to the will of God the point here is really just a further exploration of one of the attitudes of Christ that we’ve already identified waiting on God’s Vindication but now there’s a view to the blaspheming persecutor what he will experience he will have to give an account of his actions to Christ at the final judgment seat the father will give all judgment to the son the Bible declares and the son will demand of every sinner an explanation for why they sinned and specifically why they persecuted his people he will demand an explanation give me an account what did you do and why but you know what their response will be silence they will have nothing to say they can mount no defense they can give no explanation and Christ reviewing their evil will give them a just sentence Eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire you see the choice between choosing to suffer for Christ or not choosing to suffer is not about simply whether you’re going to suffer or not it’s about when you’re going to suffer you can suffer a little now as you obey God and then enjoy an eternal inheritance or you can indulge the fleshly desires now and experience the Eternal consequences of your sin Eternal suffering as a just penalty either way you will suffer so this is both a consolation and a warning to the suffering Christians we know that God will be just he will vindicate he will not allow those who mistreat us to get away with what they’ve done they will one day be judged according to perfect justice but it’s also a warning lest we think of deserting Christ we will all appear before the Judgment seat and you want to be standing beside Christ or behind Christ as part of his army and not standing in front of Christ as a deserter and captured Rebel and let us not say well I’ll take a Middle Road I’ll settle for being a worldly Christian I’ll avoid suffering as much as I can and maybe I’ll miss out on some Heavenly reward but I’ll still believe in Jesus and I’ll get in by the skin of my teeth well it is true that God will sometimes allow his true children to remain in sin for a time it’s also true that they eventually come out the spirit that he places inside that God places inside a Believer is too grieved and Restless to permit ongoing unrepentant habits of sin as we’ve seen true Christians once and for all put to death the old way of sin this is not merely an option for devout Christians or mature Christians this is the way it is for all Christians if you remain a worldly Christian then you prove that you are not a Christian because Christ’s people are changed they walk according to a new pattern there is no Middle Road and don’t say you’ll repent or change later since you don’t know if you’ll get a later and even if you do there’s no guarantee that you’ll feel any different then and you do now the time is sufficient for you to have walked the course of the Gentiles God says repent today stop wasting your life today escape from judgment today there’s no reason for you to linger in that old life there’s no benefit there but if you come to Christ there is true benefit by the way some may find Verse 6 of 1 Peter 4 confusing what is he talking about preaching the gospel to the dead well the best way to understand this is that this is describing people who previously heard the gospel believed in it and then later died as persevering Saints Martyrs cast down and condemned by the Judgment of men but what was their outcome verse six tells us they followed the same pattern as Christ just as Christ was judged In the Flesh and died but made alive in the spirit so are his slain followers the same languag is used of them they are experiencing right now those who have died perseverance Saints they are experiencing right now the exaltation and Vindication of God man misjudged them but God gives them the true judgment the true judgment and they have their reward if we persevere we can join with those faithful ones and we can experience God’s reward so we see the third Point remember that God’s judgment is coming to review then Peter’s exhortation the three points in 1 Peter 1 to6 if we are to persevere as Christians to Suffer Well to suffer righteously to suffer joyfully as is necessary for any believer then we must first arm ourselves for suffering with Christ’s mindset determining as Christ did to obey God completely to be a testimony of God through our suffering and to wait for God’s Vindication second we must not seek to escape suffering by by adopting worldly practices and third we must remember that judgment is coming those who were not followers of Christ will experience Eternal punishment but those who followed Christ suffered for him they will experience Eternal reward so where do you stand do you suffer for Christ are you willing to are you part of the Lord’s army are you prepared to adopt Christ’s attitude to suffer righteously for his name’s sake I don’t know the exact nature of what you’re suffering or what you will suffer or what we will suffer as a church but I know that God’s word is true his Spirit through the word of God is giving us the equipment so that we can go into the Battle of suffering as we all must and Triumph hay happily for Christ let’s pray father it’s so easy in America to run away from suffering to say it’s okay if I don’t actually pursue obedience it’s okay if I just become more like the world I think that’s fine for a Christian but Lord you show us differently and show us God that we are to be like soldiers ready to be testimonies ready to follow you in every command and ready to wait for your Vindication to suffer as long as necessary to be grateful for it so that we can prove that we belong to you and that you are real God you did all this or you showed all of this first to us in Jesus Christ he entrusted himself to you he was a testimony of you he was completely obedient and dealt with sin once for all oh spirit Spirit of God please enable us to do the same please work in Us in such a way let us be armed with these truths and believe them so that as we suffer we can um we can Triumph we can give you glory and we can receive joy in Jesus name amen