The Three Hidden Blessings of Suffering (1 Peter 4)

But we're taking a look at First Peter for this morning and it is another. Countercultural message, it's another one of these messages that says exactly the opposite of what our society says this time about suffering. It just takes what we hear from our society and turns it on its head is not at all with our society would expect to hear but just remember as we're working through 1st Peter 1st. Peter actually isn't taking what society says and turning it upside down. It's turning it right side up. Our society is the one that is raised upside down. So as we hear the startling countercultural messages, just remember we're hearing them because they're true and life makes a lot more sense right side up then upside down. Because what are teacher what our society teaches us is physical Comfort is everything. Physical we live our lives in search of physical comforts, you know when my car is out of gas. I won't go to the gas station. If it's on the wrong side of the road to inconvenience, if you take a look at the chair of the seats in cars, they're beautiful. They their bucket seats. They have lumbar. They're heated do yourself a favor Google 1960 car interiors and look at what we used to sit on. We absolutely desire comfort. And we we go to stores that are the most convenient when we go get our fast food Rupp said if it takes more than three or four minutes to prepare, we are all about physical Comfort our society worships physical comfort and our society teaches that suffering is a universal bad. It is to be avoided at all costs is a matter of fact, this is one of the major Arguments for euthanasia. The life is not worth living when you're suffering. The right move there is just to end it. You know, I have a very good friend and not a Believer but a really good guy and I was talking to him a couple of years ago and he was telling me something about him. I did not know years ago. He was very seriously ill near death and through medical treatment survived and I said to him, what did you learn from that and he said if I had to do it and what I learned is if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't I said what do you mean by that? He says it's not worth it is I was so painful. So I expected exactly the opposite but we are so into comfort. Unit suffering is seen as a universal bad. And you know, there is some truth to that suffering is bad suffering is the result of sin suffering will be removed from heaven. But even so even though suffering is the result of sin, even though it will be eventually eliminated. It is still true that God uses suffering in our lives to accomplish his purposes. It is still true, even though suffering is bad, even though it'll be eliminated. It is still true that there are three hidden blessings of suffering. Suffering can give us Focus suffering can remind us that we're on a mission and we got work to do. There's nothing that sharpens the human mind more quickly than suffering. It can give us Focus suffering can bring us together as a community. There's something about suffering together that makes me love you more and makes you love me more and suffering can give us intimacy not only with each other but with the Lord You know, I am fond of watching World War II documentaries. Some of the closest friendships veterans have is with the soldiers. They fought with there's something about being under attack together repelling the enemy together that brings a lifelong intimacy. And when we are suffering as the Lord suffered it can bring us suffering with the Lord. So let's take a whirlwind tour of these verses. 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 1 since there for Christ suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves arm yourselves, you know, this is a military term it Mill. It literally means take up weapons. It means what you think it would mean if I said, okay boys. It's time to arm yourself gun.

Will this verses saying to arm yourselves but with what not a gun arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. What is the same way of thinking what she referring to their? What is our weapon with? What are we arming ourselves? What is the same way of thinking? Who is talking about the central theme? A 1st Peter and the central theme of 1st Peter is that we are elect Exiles headed for in imperishable inheritance. That's who we are. We are elect know where X-Files now, but we are elect. We are chosen by God and we have a imperishable inheritance. That's why in 1st Peter 1:13. He gives us this life advice set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That'll be our Focus things may be going bad right now. But our heart on the grace that is going to be revealed. Jesus is going to be returning and race will be revealed. Is going to happen set your heart on that. And boy that changes everything about how we GIF you suffering temporary Earthly suffering. Can I just remind you of four things about the hope that we're looking forward to? Beloved we are God's children now. But what we will be has not yet appeared. Something better is coming. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is friends. You are headed for a future and your future is secure. We don't think We don't hope we don't wonder we know that when he returns we will be made like him. Our future is secure that changes the way we look at suffering. Not only is our future secure its glorious kids the sermon notice glorious. You might also say victorious. This is what your future looks like the perishable puts on the imperishable the Mortal puts on immortality then shall come to pass that which is written death is swallowed up in Victory. This makes temporary suffering look and feel differently. Can I tell you that our future is tested it's not like we're the first to do this. Our captain has gone before he suffered and died and was glorified and he's the first fruits were next. We're looking to Jesus the founder and Perfecter of our faith who for the joy that was set before him and you're the cross. He went through the Suffering despising The Shame he went through this suffering and is seated at the right hand of the Throne of God after the suffering came the glory and we're on the same path. Our future has been tested kids you're looking for the word tested. And our future is eternal suffering looks a lot different. When you remember this that this light momentary Affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen But to the things that are unseen for the things that are seen or transient, but the things that are unseen are Eternal friends. Our future is secure its glorious. It's tested. It is eternal it will never end with that. You can't say that for the suffering

Friends, here's the pattern of our life the cross precedes the crown. They're both real but just remember the cross precedes the crown and when we live this this is what we are to arm ourselves. This is the way of thinking this is setting our heart on the hope and suffering still happened. It's still painful. It's still terrible, but it looks different. It looks different. Therefore Christ suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves with this way of thinking. And when we arm ourselves with this way of thinking it adds a certain urgency. We are on a temporary Mission. We're doing work that can only be done right now and it brings a certain Focus to our lives and we realized that the time is past for doing with the Gentiles want living in sensuality passions drunkenness orgies drinking parties Lawless idolatry. We've got a whole chapter to go through I can't go through all these words, but I do want to talk to talk about two phrases one is sensuality and one is Lawless idolatry. I'm talking in code here parents sensuality usually is associated with things very physical. It's not necessarily so here sensuality means sinful abandon sensuality means sinful abandon. You just give up you just give yourself over fully to the Sim. Have you ever been there? You're fighting a habit overeating gossiping wrong thoughts anger anxiety and you're fighting fighting Friday. And then you just get tired of the fighting that I'm giving then I'm just going to go Gorge myself. I'm going to gossip like there's no tomorrow that is sensuality sensuality is sinful abandoned I give up I give up I'm just going to do it and I'm going to do it and Lawless. I don't retreat is displacing god with another God. That's what an idol is the point. I wanted to make his Lawless idolatry causes all these things when we displace God when he doesn't have the rightful place in our life horse for going to give in to sensuality and passions and drunkenness at all the rest. But there's a focus suffering brings a focus that we said the time has passed for that. This is no longer part of our mission. other people react then we don't when we don't want to be part of this debauchery. I just want to say a little bit about this word debauchery. It means dissipation as in die Lucian dissipation is when you speak something powerful and spread it out. So it's less powerful, you know, there's a crowd and they're protesting and they're about to ruin everything burned down building. What are the police do? They dissipate the crowd because the crowd dissipated is much less powerful when the crowd is together. When you want to put out a campfire, what are you do you spread the coals out because coal spread out dissipated or much less powerful than Kohl's put together the sensuality and orgies and drinking parties. They dissipate life. When we're together, we're powerful force. We can get things done for the Lord. These are dissipation. They dilute the power of life. Nothing good is going to come over and when we give up this debauchery people are surprised alert words. They're literally means shocked just made astonished and what do they do? They say you're pointing the way I want. I want a piece of Elections. Sometimes they do very often. They Moline us. The root word for Moline is blast BMO from which we get the English word blaspheme to speak against to say false things. But can I ask you a question? Why do people do that? If we live on purpose if we live on point if we are demonstrating the Holiness of God, why don't people flock to us? Why what they malign us. What what's in it for them? Why would they do that?

Let me just make two points one. We shouldn't be surprised that happened to Jesus. As he lived holy Lives song Bow Down and Worship, but most rejected him. Remember the Demonic man. He took all those demons and put them in pigs and they said you're the Lord they said yeah here we don't want you here when you're a pain in the neck. Why do people do that?

This diagram has been helpful for me people do that because we are operating from a different worldview and we have different behaviors and it's like there's a spring attached here between us between us and our society. And as we get closer to the Lord. And or as our society dress further away from him, there's more and more tension. There's more and more tension. It's not about where we are. It's about where we are in relation to our society in this tension is difficult is awkward and if nobody likes it, and that's why they Moline us because we are an unwelcome life pointing out unwelcome fat. Which by the way is why people and churches are so tempted to compromise as Society drifts driss drifz. We feel the tension so we drift drift drift along with some. First we can't do that. We can't do that. We are elect Exiles. We have a right to an imperishable inheritance and that future is secure but unfortunately, so it was theirs their future is also secure. They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead we don't get to compromise. We need to use that tension to illuminate the truth and people will do what they will do but we don't get to move our position to increase comfort with our society. Our future is secure and so is theirs and we need to warn them the Bible gets his pictures. Our Lord himself said I tell you on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word. They speak our society is not expecting this we need to warn them. We need to warn them with our holy life the Bible gives us pictures. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was Seated on it from his presence Earth and Sky fled away and no place was found in them. And I saw the dead Great and Small standing Before the Throne and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which was The Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done.

And the Sea gave up the Dead who were in it, death and Hades gave up the Dead who were in them. By the way inescapable what you see here is inescapable. There's nowhere to hide. There's nowhere to hide from the coming judgment each one of them according to what they had done then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death the Lake of Fire And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life. He was thrown into the Lake of Fire friends when we see our secure future. And when we see Society secure future, we say bring on the suffering if it will bring Focus if it will bring Effectiveness if it will make us better ministers bring it on because our future is secure is Victorious It's tested is eternal. We're fine just fine. We want to live in such a way to warn these people that their future is as secure as ours but very different.

Friends, we are focused by the end of all things by the way, this word and does not mean termination or cessation. It means fulfillment.

Or consummation the end of all things is the Fulfillment of the story where we finally get back to the Garden of Eden and it is at hand. And therefore we need to be self-controlled just too worried about the self-control self-controlled is the opposite of sensuality sensuality is sinful abandon. I just given in I'm tired of fighting sensuality self-control is I'm going to win here's the ironic hidden truth about self control. Because sometimes these people here self-control and here will power you need to try harder. You guys you're not trying hard enough. Here's the thing about self control self control in the scriptures. Is not a function of the self.

think about. Self-control is not a function of the self self control is a function of the spirit. That's why self-control is one of the nine fruits of the spirit love peace patience kindness goodness self get faithful of self-control self-control is a function of the spirit. And because we see that the Fulfillment is not the Christ could come back at any moment and that that will mean our secure Futures are engaged but it will also need the other secure future is engaged. We live self-control lives. We live sober minded we are focused and there's nothing like suffering to focus on the mission that we have. And by the way I said this several times in the series, but this is a mission that we have now that we won't have in the future. We won't be around unbelievers in the future will be perfect in heaven. This is a mission that we won't have in the future. We only have it now. Let's focus. This train will never come back to town. Time that is wasted is gone forever. We're on a mission. And suffering can focus on that mission. It could also focuses on community. Above all loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. I want to see something with two phrases in this verse First Love covers a multitude of sins. You know, one of the things I love most about being at MDC in the Summers is campfires. We have a lovely trailer and then off to the side. There's a fire pit. We have Muskoka chairs around the fire pit and there's just nothing. I'll have a fire just by myself for hours and I just love being near the fire and watching the fire. I don't know what it is, but I've always loved fire. Sometimes you can't have them. You know why? Because the rating has changed in the municipality. They've got green and yellow and orange and red. And what is red. You can't have any campfires. Let me ask you a question what's changed? The campfire hasn't changed. The campfire. I was planning on having is exactly the one I was going to have when it was green. But now I can't the campfire didn't change. You know, what changed. The environment the environment used to be wet and moist now, it's dry and brittle and the fire that used to be safe because there's no chance of us catching. You have a spark gets out. Don't worry about it's going to be fine. Now everything's dry and brittle every little spark can start a whole forest fire. That's what this is talking about. When we live like that are wet and moist conflicts. Don't start it tone turn into forest fires. They don't burn the church down. They don't bring the family down. There still conflict we still disagree and I'm still irritated with you about this and I was offended when you said that if I hurt these people but yeah that'll still happens. It all still happens. But because we're wet moist it never catches. Same conflict different response and then we're dry and brittle then. We're dry and brittle every offense turns into a brush fire turns into a forest fire burn the whole place down.

What's the difference the difference is when we're keeping love earnestly. This word love is the same word that you would use when you're stretching a muscle stretching a muscle. There's tension involved. And it's intense its diligent. May I say? Keeping peace in the body is a full-time job. And you should sign up. The the more you interact with the body of Christ the more it's going to hurt you. The more it will offend you and irritate you that's why people stay away.

But I would encourage us all to have tender moist lives where we are working working hard at keeping these relationships moist and tender so that every little spark doesn't turn into a forest fire. Suffering can bring community. I wanted to give up illustration from history of what it means to have a dry brittle thing where every little thing turns into a big thing. I won't call on you to say it. But if you know who this person is, please put up your hands. Liam knows everyone else.

Okay, his name is gavrilo princip with the name. Does anyone know the significance to this person Peter and Liam still anyone else? Okay with the this date June 28th 1914. I know Peter. I know Liam anyone else. Does anyone know what I'm talking about here? People say no, but we never know what you're talkin about that. Hurt. You didn't have to say that. This is gavrilo princip. He assassinated a royal on June 28th 1914. And when he assassinated the Royal the Austria-Hungary Kingdom assumed that it was state-sponsored by Serbia. And so they invaded Serbia. This is not good, but it's not particularly serious. These are two smallish kingdoms. It's going to be a small War. It's going to be a short war is going to be a war that we never even learned about. Except that both sides had alliances. I have an alliance with this guy. He has Eliza that guy. So now the alliance's get into the conflict, but the people that you have alliances with also have a lion's is so now they get into the conflict friends. This is World War 1 A conflict that could have been settled easily. Turns into a World War 1 and World War leads directly to the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Versailles leads directly to World War II all of the Void. Because the ground was not moist it was not wet. It was dry and brittle so 1 teenager shoots a royal and millions died.

We need to work at living in the second half of Proverbs 10:12 hatred stirs up Trey Strife, but love covers all offenses, you know, I seen churches and and families and relationships get into all kinds of conflicts. I have noticed something very odd. It's not necessarily the seriousness of the conflict. It's not necessarily the content of the conflict is the spiritual condition of the two people involved dry and brittle a broken plate is divorce. Moist and beautiful the death of a loved one is survivable.

We need to. Not being to sensuality and drunken parties, but we need to be earnestly Desiring to love one another and showing Hospitality to one another without grumbling as each has received a gift. I don't have time to explain spiritual gifts this morning. But for those of you that knows what spiritual gifts are I want to tell you that if you have received Jesus as your savior you have one. You have been given a special talent a special interest a special position a special passion. That is your spiritual gift. But actually it's not your spiritual gift is our spiritual gift. God is going to give us a gift but he's going to use you to do it as each has received a gift use it to serve one another. And these gifts are different because God's grace is varied. You're one of the things that I've noticed in church life. Is it sometimes conflicts are started because people have different spiritual gifts. And that leads them to see life in different ways. I think of it. Let me give you two typical pairs of spiritual gifts that sometimes can be at loggerheads and instead of listening to One Another instead of learning from one another they see life differently. And so they were in Conflict what God meant to bless the church actually creates conflict. Let me give you two pairs of a leader vs an administrator. Some people have the gift of leadership and they're dreaming what could be and they've got all these big plans are we're going to change this and we're going to change that but the administrator has to make it all work. They got to figure out the details of a leader is typically thinking about the future And how to build it a administrator is typically thinking about the status quo and how to preserve it. So a leader is saying we're going to invite the neighborhood kids and we're going to play basketball in the administrator said who's going to protect the piano and what's going to happen. If they break the window. When do we have insurance about this know? Who's right? Who's right?

They both are that's why God gives us both administrators and leaders leaders need to learn how to listen to administrators administrators need to listen to leaders. But because we don't sometimes what God has meant to bless the body actually creates conflict. Let me give you another pair. teachers versus evangelist evangelist are all about getting the gospel. I would take it just get the gospel out to teachers are all about growing people who have already accepted the Lord. So teachers are saying your watering down the gospel. You're saving number to what? And evangelists are saying to teachers you only teach to your little flock. How will they hear? Who's right? Who's right? Course, they are both teachers need to allow a evangelist to stretch them evangelist need to allow teachers to stretch them. We are a big body with different perspectives sometimes due to our different gifting but we are told to receive the gift and serve one another with these gifts. Not only can suffering bring Focus not only can suffering been Community but suffering can bring intimacy here. I don't mean intimacy with each other community. I mean interested in a community, I mean I mean suffering can bring intimacy with the Lord. Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial in a fiery trial in scripture. Almost always means The Lake of Fire is not a fiery trial. This is a fiery trial. Another one would be in 1st Corinthians 3 a fiery trial in scripture almost always refers to something that Christians go through to refine them. Remember friends you're suffering is here to refine you. And to test you these this phrase test you. Could being to prove you. To prove who you really are. You know, it's a funny thing about people there A lot like tea bags. You never find out what flavor they are until you put them in hot water.

So when we're in hot water that's when the flavor starts to come out. That's where the proof is. Don't be surprised at this fire trial by the way. Did you notice we don't try to spend too much time on this, but did you notice that? The society is surprised that we let debauchery go but we should not be surprised when 5 or Trials come our way. There's a very interesting word play there. I don't have time to explain up that you can look it up on your own. But today are surprised. We are told not to be surprised and what happens at these fiery trials will two things one does we get refined but another beautiful thing happens and that is we share in Christ's sufferings. We share in Christ's sufferings. We are War bodies with the Lord. We are under attack together. We are repelling the enemy together. and when we share in the sufferings We are working towards the day. Where Jesus says to us? Well done good and faithful servant. You have been Faithful over a little I will set you over much enter into the joy of the master. Suffering and sharing in his sufferings and knowing this day is coming is such a frame changer for us. We have intimacy with the Lord through suffering not only because of the day that's coming. Like it's going to be a real blessing when he says well done good and faithful servant. Yes, that will be a real blessing but that not that blessing isn't today. That's talkin bout to be Missy and today is not to be Missy least not yet. There is intimacy not only in the future, but there is intimacy right now if you're insulted for the name of Christ you are blessed. Because of the spirit of of the glory of God rest upon you I want you to notice two things about these phrases their present tense. When we are suffering when we're insulted, it's not that we're going to be blessed. We're blessed in the present the Holy Spirit meets us right there. And it's not like the glory of God is going to rest on us course, that's true. But it rest on his right. Then. There is an intimacy in suffering for the Lord and having him meet our needs in real time exactly when we need them. There's an intimacy there's a beauty to that.

There's a quote here. If the righteous is scarcely saved what will become of the ungodly and The Sinner it's not really part of the sermon, but I thought it might be an opportunity for misunderstanding. And plus I put it in the kids note. So I have to cover it if the righteous are scarcely saved. What does that mean? Exactly? Like I barely saved like a little bit of wine. Is that what they know scarcely here doesn't mean barely it means

So you can't read that with difficulty.

The righteous are saved with difficulty. And here again, we see this intimacy because the difficulty is on both sides of the equation. It was difficult for the Lord. And because of the suffering it was difficult for us. And that's one of the things that we Unitas as the chapter says earlier. We share in the sufferings of Christ digging this intimacy with the Lord. So let me just leave you with this. Therefore. Let those who suffer according to God's Will and trust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. If God is calling upon you to suffer for the Lord sake don't be surprised at the fiery. Trial is coming your way. suffer according to God's will entrust your soul to a faithful Creator while you do good. And all those suffering is evil and bad and will eliminate it be eliminated. God still uses it in the present day to redeem his purposes to bring his Focus. To bring his community. And to bring us intimacy. Heavenly Father we thank you for this word.

Holy Spirit Minister it to our hearts now. We have been taught that suffering has no redeeming value. In our own falling Hearts want to avoid suffering at all costs? Help us to live in a countercultural way.

We're not hunting for suffering. But when you bring it our way. Allow it to have its way in US. Holy spirit use it to make us Focus. On the mission we have to accomplish. Use it to enhance our community. As we suffer and Minister together. And may the suffering be used by you.

To underline and enhance a delicious intimacy that we have with the Risen Christ who also suffered and is now in glory. Bless us in our lives as we illustrate to the world that the cross precedes the crown and we ask this in Christ name. Amen.