1 Peter 4:12-19

[0:00] If you'll flip in the New Testament with me to 1 Peter chapter 4.

[0:15] The books of 1 Peter I had the privilege years ago of going through 1 and 2 Peter in an adult Sunday school class at another church.

[0:27] And as short as these small epistols are that Peter wrote there's a whole lot of information in them. And I was kind of struggling to not whether to go with the first section, the first Peter 4, the last section I believe we're going to go with the last section of 1 Peter.

[0:50] But Peter had a lot of things to say to believers in Christ and that's something that's much like the book of James when we read it.

[1:02] We read what could easily be seen as a lot of negative things. But it's written for our exhortation. It's written to help us and it was written to believers in Christ just as the book of James was written to believers in Christ.

[1:21] Although James when it begins it says James to the 12 tribes, get on the broad reading, he's reading, writing to Jews, but he's writing to Jews that had made a confession of Jesus Christ and professed their faith in Christ.

[1:36] And Peter's writings are no different. There's some, a lot of negative, what we could see is negative things in his writings. But they're written for our help and this part in 1 Peter in chapter 4 is certainly a help to me and I hope it's a blessing to you as we read through it tonight too with the good Lord's help to expound on it for just a little while.

[2:01] So in 1 Peter in chapter 4 beginning at verse 12, Peter writes, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, happened unto you, but rejoice in as much as your partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

[2:26] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

[2:40] Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evildoer or as a busybody and other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.

[2:58] For the time has come the judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

[3:10] And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly in the center appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator?

[3:25] Back to verse 12, Peter begins this passage here saying, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

[3:40] So Peter begins calling the brethren beloved, encouraging words from Peter, endearing words. It shows Peter really his pastoral care for the people that he is writing to.

[3:56] But he begins by calling them beloved and he says, Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

[4:07] So he says to think it not strange concerning this trial. Now understand there's some context leading up to this or some context within this passage of Scripture.

[4:17] And that would be persecution. Peter was writing to the first century church which was experiencing severe persecution after the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[4:32] And the book of Acts has all already taken place, the apostles have gone here and they've gone there, they've gone to different cities, they've gone to different regions, they've preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and thousands of people have come to believe in this man Jesus Christ, this Jesus that Peter preached, the Jesus that Paul preached.

[4:53] All these people believed in this man Jesus Christ and they were suffering persecution for that but I'd like for us to think about this considering that context, yes, but in a broader aspect of suffering in general tonight.

[5:08] If you all listened last night to the little message that I gave last night when Vern and I did that here at the church, this kind of closely coincides with that message as far as suffering and affliction goes but Peter was talking specifically about persecution here when he's talking about the fiery trial but folks, there are fiery trials that come in our lives, there's persecution that comes in our lives, there's health issues that come in our lives, there's all kinds of things that come in our lives that we could consider to be a fiery trial.

[5:43] This is talking about something severe that has entered into our life, it's entered into our mind, it might cause us to dwell on the negative aspects of things, the negative aspects of life that may cause us to have all kinds of gloomy and dark thoughts but folks, even though these trials come our way, there's still a God that loves us, there's still a God that redeemed us, there's a God that has promised that he will be with us always even to the end of the world, there's a God that said that he would never leave nor forsake his own children and that God has promised to be with me, that God has promised to be with you, we shouldn't fear these fiery trials and we shouldn't as Peter said, think it as some strange thing that has come our way for the Bible speaks about persecutions, it speaks about tribulations, it speaks about trials folks, when Jesus Christ saved my soul he did not call me to a cakewalk, when Jesus Christ saved my soul he didn't call me to a life of ease and to a life of pleasure, Jesus Christ said if any man will be my disciple he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me and bear the bearing of that cross, your cross will be different than mine and my cross will be different than yours but we all have a cross to bear and we bear that cross throughout this entire life and it may come in the form of tribulation in our life, it may come in the form of trial, it may come in the form of testing, it may come in the form in many different ways, we might bear this cross and we might suffer through trials and affliction but God has promised that he will be with us through all of these things and he will be with us always, Peter said to not think of it as some strange thing that happened to you or happened to us folks, we should expect these things to happen, we shouldn't go out looking for trouble, we shouldn't invite trouble into our lives but we should expect these things to happen not because

[7:45] God has forsaken us and not necessarily because God is punishing us but God uses trials and God uses temptations and God uses these things in our lives to refine us and to refine our faith and to make us stronger and to cause us to depend upon him more folks if you're depending on God for your salvation you should depend on him for every other thing that's within your life, if you're depending on him to keep you out of the pits of hell you should depend on him for everything in your life, depend on him for food, depend upon him for your finances, depend on him for your health, depend on him for everything in your life, do not think it is a strange thing when these things come into our lives they are completely to be expected for the children of God but God has promised to be with us, hallelujah verse 13 but rejoice in as much as your partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice folks that's hard to do, it's hard to do, it's hard for me to do and it's hard for you to do when trials come our way especially this fiery trial that Peter is talking about here and again I understand the context of the persecution of the first century church but when trials of any kind come our way it's hard to rejoice in these things but Peter says but rejoice in as much as your partakers of Christ's sufferings, folks these trials they bring us into a closer fellowship with Jesus Christ according to what I'm reading here in the scriptures we are partakers in the sufferings of Jesus Christ if we are persecuted by our family if we're persecuted by our friends if we're persecuted by the government or by the public at large by whomever if we're persecuted by these people folks it should bring us into a closer relationship with God and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ we are partaking and we are fellowshiping with Jesus Christ in his own sufferings not that we not that our suffering has anything to do with our own salvation or anybody's salvation around us but we are partaking in the pain and in the persecution that Jesus Christ suffered himself but rejoicing as much as your partakers of Christ's sufferings folks Christ suffered ridicule, Christ suffered derision, Christ suffered mockery, Christ suffered guilt, Christ suffered shame no guilt of his own and no shame of his own but he suffered with your guilt and with my guilt and with your shame and with my shame but if we if we are partaking in the sufferings of Jesus Christ it should be to bring us into closer fellowship with Jesus Christ that when his glory shall be revealed he may be glad also with exceeding joy the first part of this verse but rejoicing as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings that's present tense but we move on into the last part that when his glory shall be revealed we're in the future tense now when his glory shall be revealed he may be glad also with exceeding joy we partake in the sufferings of Jesus Christ now that when his glory shall be revealed this is the blessed hope that Paul wrote to Titus about this is the glorious appearing of the Son of God the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ and when he appears in all of his glory and we see him as he is we can have exceeding joy why because of the first part of this verse because we partook in the sufferings of Jesus Christ that tells me we shouldn't back down from it we shouldn't back down from those sufferings again I do not encourage you or anyone else to go out looking for trouble don't invite trouble and don't buy trouble but when trouble comes our way and it will come our way it will come our way when it comes our way use that to grow closer to Jesus Christ that at his glorious appearing that at his appearing in all of his glory and all of his majesty we can have exceeding joy hallelujah verse 14 if you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you if you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye happy are ye if you're reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye if the world comes against you because you name yourself to be a Christian happy are ye if you're if you're living in the light of the gospel if you're doing your best to follow along with what the saith the word of God happy are ye if the world reproaches you for these things for the spirit of God it rests upon you the spirit of God when it says that the spirit of God rests upon us that means he is staying there with us and he's there with us to comfort us he's there with us to guide us he's there with us to remind us that we have a hope in

[12:53] Jesus Christ and we have a hope in that glorious appearing that we will have exceeding joy one day after a while the spirit of God will rest upon us according to the words that Peter wrote here for the spirit of glory and of God rest rests upon you on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified when you again with the first part of this verse if you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye if the and the the ending part here where he says for on their part he is evil spoken of this is this is the people that will be reproaching you from their part he is evil spoken of the folks as much as the world hates God and as much as the world hates Jesus Christ and as much as the world hates the gospel and the world hates the things of God and the people of God and the church of God they hate the songs of God they hate anything that has to do with God as much as they hate him on their part he is evil spoken of but not on our part on our part he is glorified when we partake in the sufferings of Jesus Christ rely on that hope of his appearing that we may have exceeding joy and when we are reproached for for for for the being referred to as a Christian we're when we are reproached for being affiliated and associated with Jesus

[14:16] Christ the world thinks that they're doing something great and the world thinks that they're doing something that is just insanely crazy in their eyes but folks he is glorified as far as we're concerned why how because we're his children and because we've got our faith in him the spirit of God is resting upon us the spirit of God is giving us help the spirit of God is giving us hope the spirit of God is giving us comfort he is giving us strength he is giving us guidance and if we are true children of God the world will witness this they won't like it they won't like it one single bit because they're they're speaking evil of God they're speaking evil of Christ not that there's any evil to be spoken of God or Christ but they're speaking evil of him but Christ is glorified in our response to the world reproaching us for the name of Jesus Christ and for the sake of the gospel God is glorified God is glorified in our response to that but let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busy body and other men's matters yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God on this behalf again verse 15 but let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as a busy body and other men's matters folks this tells me that suffering is a universal thing it is not just the people of God that will suffer it is those that are out there in the world that will suffer as well he says don't suffer as a murderer or as a liar these other things he names off what we would consider some some some great sins some some big sins and then he says or a busy body so he goes from murder down to someone that's just sticking their nose where it doesn't belong putting it in somebody else's business don't be don't suffer because of these things folks if we if we're suffering for those things God is not glorified in that and God won't be glorified in that if we're suffering for those things what we need to do is repent of our sin and we need we need to seek God we need to fall in our face and seek God and repent of those things but but he says here let none of you suffer as a murderer a thief or an evil doer or a busy body and other men's matters yet if any men suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed folks don't let it don't let it don't let yourself be ashamed if you're suffering as a Christian

[16:57] Christian when the term Christian was first was first used it was actually used as a derogatory term to refer to those that were crosslocked to refer to those that were following the way of the gospel that were following the way of life which is Jesus Christ it was meant as a derogatory term but Peter turns it around into a badge of honor instead of instead of the derogatory term that was once used as if any man suffer as a Christian we know from the book of Acts that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch but it was but it was done so in derision from those folks that were calling them such but if we suffer as a Christian let them not be ashamed but let them glorify God on this behalf if we are truly suffering as a Christian and again I understand the context here is persecution but we're suffering in any way let us not be ashamed but let us call out to God let us call out to God publicly let us call out to God privately let us call out to God let the world see us call out to God folks hey when Paul and Silas in the book of Acts Acts in chapter 16 when they were wrongfully thrown into the prison they didn't let bitterness get ahold of them they didn't they didn't want their finger at God they didn't snub their nose at the system or at the road at anyone else they went in there they prayed and they sang psalms unto God they sang hymns unto all mighty God and God delivered them with a great deliverance and not only that but in their witness in the witness that they had by suffering for Christ and not being ashamed of this eventually it led to the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his entire family.

[18:48] Amen. Don't you're suffering be a testimony to God's goodness don't say I can't believe God's letting this happen to me folks it don't matter if we got both legs or no legs God is still good it don't matter if I've got one hour both thighs God is still good that does not negate the fact that God is good and God is saving my soul and anything that's going on in your life anything that goes on in your life whether it's physical pain whether it's emotional problems no matter what it is God is still good God is still good and he is still mighty to save and he's still the Savior and he still came to seek and to save that which was lost and he still reaches down in grace and he still reaches down in mercy and he reaches down in compassion and he grabs up lost sinners and he cleanses there in the blood of Jesus Christ hallelujah God is good regardless of what we face regardless of what we face let God be glorified in your life and on this behalf as Peter puts it first 17 for the time has come the judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first began at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God for the time is come it's present tense the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of

[20:22] God was this judgment that Peter is talking about here I've heard this put so many different ways since I've been saved I've heard this very scripture preached many different ways the time is is come and now is that judgment must begin at the house of God will folks judgment is judgment but what's the context that we're talking about here we're talking about persecution we're talking about trials we're talking about tribulation in our lives folks regardless of what it is and regardless if it comes from above or comes from below regardless of any of these things we're to glorify God with these things but Peter says for the time has come the judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first began at us that does not when he says the house of God he's not necessarily talking about the local church body he's talking about he's talking about believers in general when he says he's talking about the family of God when he says this judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first began at us what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel be of them that obey not the gospel of God folks what Peter is getting at here is if we're going to make it through trial and we're going to make it through tribulation and we will the Bible says all them to live

[22:03] God then cross Jesus child suffer persecution if we're going to make it through these things and God will bring us through those things if we're his children he will bring us through the through these things he continues what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God again I said just a little while ago suffering is a universal thing it's a universal thing that happens to everybody the Bible teaches that it rains on the just and the unjust good things happen to just and unjust people bad things happen to just and unjust people the folks if God if God will not withhold judgment if God will not withhold tribulation if God will not hold with whole trial from his own people where shall the center appear where shall the center appear and what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved what shall where shall the ungodly and the center appear so if God doesn't withhold trials from us and he doesn't again folks it's to refine us it's to make us stronger it's to it's to it's to make us make our faith stronger in him when trials come our way and if we're not if we're not using trials in that matter what good is that trial to us folks trials come in the life of a believer to push us closer to God and they should push us closer to God because they should drive us to our knees seeking mercy and seeking help and seeking strength to make it through whatever tribulation it is that has come into our life it should drive us closer to God the folks tribulation doesn't come in the life of an unbeliever for the same reason tribulation just comes because it comes and now listen believers sometimes we bring tribulation on ourselves and I've already said God's not glorified and that God is not glorified in something that we bring upon ourselves just as when Peter was talking about not to suffer as a murderer not to suffer as a liar or any of these other things that he listed here as a busy body but if if God allows suffering to come into the life of his children and he also allows it to come into the life of those that aren't his those that aren't saved those that have not been redeemed folks our suffering is guaranteed it is promised to end one day after a while one day ours will end theirs will not in fact it's just a foretaste here what they're going to have in eternity as far as suffering goes as far as trial goes as far as tribulation but the thing is here there's hope there is hope in Jesus Christ there once the last breath is drawn there is no hope there's no hope in hell there is zero hope in hell there's zero hope in eternity for those that have rejected God rejected his gospel and if the righteous scarcely be saved folks when he uses the word scarcely here he's not talking about if the righteous barely be saved the

[25:31] Bible teaches that God saves to the uttermost that's not barely saving that's not what he and that's not what he said saying when he said when he says this if the righteous scarcely be saved he's saying if the righteous be saved with difficulty and not not with God having difficulty saving saving them but with difficulty in their in the righteous individuals life if they be scarcely saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear where shall they appear they'll appear in judgment before God they'll appear at a judgment that I won't be at that the Bible turns as the great white throne judgment though they'll appear at a judgment there will be no plea in their case there will be no begging forgiveness at that point there'll be none of that because judgment's actually already been given sentence things already been given we read all about it in the in the words of Scripture it'll just be pronounced then it'll be pronounced at that point verse 19 wherefore let them that some suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in Well-doing as unto a faithful Creator.

[26:49] Wherefore let them us suffer according to the will of God this is those that suffer for the sake of Christ those who suffer for the sake of the gospel those that suffer in the will of God as it's put here wherefore let them to suffer according to the will embassy we'll have God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in Well-doing." This is a commandment that has given us in Scripture.

[27:15] Remember, Peter is writing to believers in Jesus Christ here. He said, Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing.

[27:28] We should commit our souls unto God, even in our suffering, unto well-doing. We should continue doing well, even though we're suffering.

[27:38] We should continue in good deeds. We should continue in good works. And folks, one of the most wonderful works that we could do as a suffering Christian, regardless of the trial, regardless of the tribulation, one of the most wonderful works we can do is to glorify God in that suffering.

[27:58] We glorify God in that suffering, but Peter says, Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

[28:11] Folks, who better to commit our souls to? Who better to commit our souls to than the faithful Creator? And He is a faithful Creator.

[28:21] Folks, He created me. He created my soul. He created you and your soul. He created everything that we know here in this world. The Bible says by Him, all things consist.

[28:32] He holds it all together. He is a faithful Creator. He created this thing. He has sustained this thing. Who better to put our faith and our trust and our hope in other than Almighty God?

[28:45] Who is the Creator? There is none better. There is none better. But when these things happen to us, when trial comes our way, and temptation, and suffering, tribulation, persecution, when all these things come our way, folks, it's not a reason to give up hope.

[29:06] It's a reason to draw up to hope. It's a reason to get closer to hope. Jesus Christ is our hope. It's a reason to draw closer to Him when these things come our way.

[29:16] And isn't that what trial does? I know it certainly does to me. It forces me to draw closer to God, which makes me wonder, why did I ever scoot away to begin with?

[29:31] Why did I scoot down the bench? Why did I skip down the way? Why did I get away to begin with?

[29:41] God bless you all. That's my message for you this evening. I appreciate your attention.