INTRODUCTION:
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In the news this morning is a story of an Australian missionary and
his two sons burned to death in their jeep in India by a radical group of
Hindus. READ IT!
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Suffering because of our faith in Jesus Christ is the price we must
pay as we stake our lives on following Him.
Suffering because of our determination to keep Christ’s commandments is
neither random nor senseless but part of the divine plan of God.
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Just this week a friend described how his commitment to follow Jesus
Christ has caused a series of friendships he used to have to break-up. In this instance, following Christ has cost
him close friendships he once upon a time had enjoyed and benefited from. The interests and priorities are different
now and he is coming to grips with some of the suffering associated with
obeying Jesus Christ.
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It may cost us our lives. It may cost us our friendships. It will cost us to obey Christ’s
commandments. Our passage teaches us
that suffering is the legacy of a committed believer and God is glorified by
the godly attitudes and actions we display when we suffer. The instruction begins with the principle:
1.
SUFFERING SHOULD NOT TAKE US BY SURPRISE
12
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The implication is that suffering can take us by surprise if we do not
have the appropriate perspective about it.
In other words when difficulties come our way because of decisions we
make to live godly lives we should not look upon it as an intruding stranger or
unexpected guest. Jesus told us that His
followers would suffer Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 21:12-19. Jesus himself suffered, setting the example
for us to follow 1 PT 2:21-25. The
apostles and many in the early church suffered and they taught us to expect it
Acts 4 and 5; 9:16; 2 Cor 1:5-7; James 1:1-4.
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In each case a deliberate
choice was made to move in a godly direction knowing that choice would bring
suffering or hardship of some kind into the life. That was not a deterrent from continuing to
follow Christ. Christ knew what was
going to happen to him and so did the
apostles but they did it anyway! WE can
expect to be misunderstood, alienated, rejected, ridiculed, marginalized,
gossiped about, maligned, misjudged by those who have no interest in following
Christ. Our faith in Christ will get in
the way of some of our relationships at work, at home, in our circle of
friendships. Our faith in Christ may get
in the way of our career opportunities or financial priorities. We should not being doing what we can to
minimize our suffering but to maximize our devotion to follow him. We can help but suffer when we do that! It is the price we must pay to honor
Christ.
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Somewhere along the way we have gotten the notion that following
Christ means a carefree life. No
problems. No difficulties. No hard
decisions or hardships. Wrong! First, we must expect to suffer. There are opportunities you will never have
because of your determination to follow Christ.
There are friendships you will lose, priorities that will shift..all of
them costly to some degree but not unexpected as you re-organize your life
patterns to conform more and more to the will of Jesus Christ! That life-long process will be costly to
you. Expect it to be so! Be willing to pay that price and suffer that
hardship. That is what Peter is telling
us.
2. WE
SHOULD REJOICE BECAUSE WE ARE SHARING IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING 13
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It is all a matter of perspective.
We can either look at the suffering as an unexpected guest. Then we will respond in ways that focus on
relieving the suffering for self-protective reasons. Reasons, the Bible teaches us that have
nothing to do with following Christ. Or
we can look at our participation in Christ’s suffering. That he tells us will bring a joyful response
from us. The fact is that when we take part
in Christ’s sufferings we will also take part in His glory which is to be
revealed or unveiled later. I can have a
piece of that he tells us and that should motivate me to respond with joy when
I am suffering because I am choosing to follow Christ’s commandments.
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Now if I am not interested in following Christ, then suffering will
not be a joyful thing for me. But I will
also not share in his godly when it is revealed. The suffering I experience now is a
downpayment of the glory of Christ I will share in then. We will be rewarded by Christ for the
sacrifice we have made to build His kingdom.
So Xians who are following Christ are people who are living for the
other side of the grave. We have the
opportunity to share as co-heirs in the inheritance of Christ but there is a
cost involved. Romans 8:17 says ‘If so
be that we suffer with Him.’ All Xians
are heirs but certainly not all will be co-heirs. For many xians will decide that the price tag
involved in discipleship is too high and will settle for comfortable,
complacent, convenient Xian life. But
those who op[t for the path of discipleship will discover that the sufferings
of this life are not even ‘worth comparing’ to the ‘glory that will be revealed’
Romans 8:18.
3.
SUFFERING FOR CHRIST IS A PRIVILEGE NOT A PENALTY 14
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The text tells us that being ridiculed or reviled when we make
decisions to honor Christ places us in Gods favor. That means that this kind of suffering is
never a penalty but a privilege. It
places us in Gods good graces! We can
make the mistaken notion that because I am suffering or a fellow believer is
suffering that God is penalizing them for something wrong in their lives. We are talking about the specific kind of
suffering associated with following Christ not suffering generally.
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In addition I have the HS of God inside of me now and He empowers me
to move through the suffering and various kinds of hardships in a God honoring
manner. This is when we need God’s
presence to strengthen us as we resolve to follow through with our commitment
to follow and obey Christ! WE are never
alone in our sufferings for Christ. God
is right there in the person of the HS.
You may shed some tears and struggles with your emotions and have to
swallow a few lumps in your throat as you try to make your way through your
sufferings for Christ but you are never left to go it alone! We have a companion called the HS and He
assists us to respond so that God is glorified by the way we handle it.
4. SUFFERING DOES NOT JUSTIFY RETALIATION 15
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The point seems to be that no matter what the trials xians are to do
nothing that would justify6 punishing them as criminals. In other words, physical violence against us
is not to be met by murder. Confiscation
of property is not to be compensated by theft.
We are not to suffer as murderers, thieves, or any other kind of
criminal or even as a troublesome meddler in other peoples affairs and
business. This is all out of place for
us.
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This is not the kind of response that honors God or gives him any kind
of glory. So, if you are tempted to act
with any of these responses, stop. Don’t
do it Peter tells us. Instead, focus on
the fact that you are having the privilege of sharing in Christ’s sufferings
and leave the consequences with God.
5. THERE IS NO SHAME IN SUFFERING AS A
BELIEVER 16
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Our suffering for Christ should not be a cause for surprise but
neither should it be the source of shame.
There is no shame if one suffers as a Christian rather than as a
criminal. While we courageously endure
the hardships associated with obeying Christ we bring glory to God. We show the worth of His name. He is worth suffering for and our suffering
puts God on display! Suffering as a
criminal only brings shame to us and no glory to God. Since our highest purpose is to put the
greatness and character of our God on display, then my suffering as a believer
from an opposing world does just that!
And this is to be my business.
Avoiding suffering as a xian is not my business. That only has my greatest interest at heart
and not Gods. Who I am to be serving me
or God? I cannot serve both.
6. GOD
ALLOWS OUR SUFFERING TO DISCIPLINE US AND PURIFY OUR LIVES 17-18
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Peter has said that suffering is used to refine and prove our faith
1:6-7. Now suffering is used by God to
corrcet us when needed because we may need it.
There is going to be a time of judgment for all believers before Christ
and in our lives God uses suffering as corrective action to get us back on the
right path so that we will not lose rewards.
Now if we need and deserve this kind of disciplinary action to keep us
faithful and on the right track how much more do those who do not obey the
gospel deserve the judgment they are going to get?
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A believer will experience the sufferings here while he follows
Christ. The suffering is for a short
while and God will use it to shape us and correct us so that we can be rewarded
by him at our judgment. The unbeliever
will not only have his sufferings here but he will also experience the judgment
of God for all eternity because of His sin.
That is where the ungodly and sinner of Vs 18 will appear. So he is warning the xian that he is not
exempt from corrective action by God through his sufferings. Hebrews 1`2:7 “Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as sons.”
7. WHEN WE
SUFFER DEPOSIT OUR LIVES IN THE HANDS OF GOD
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It is suffering according to the will of God that is significant. If I am suffering as a criminal it does not
count. If I am suffering solely because
I bear Christ’s name and my decisions reflect that, then I can be confident
that my suffering is Gods will for me.
Whenever I suffer because I am a xian it is Gods will for me. And when I do suffer for that reason I am to
deposit, like one makes in a bank, my soul, my life in the hands of God.
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There are many things into which a man can deposit his soul in order
to alleviate the pain. It can be money,
power, alcohol, lust, business, even a favorite hobby can all be used to
temporarily stifle the cries of the soul.
There are a number of drinks the world holds out for us that mite deaden
the pain of the cross we must bear for Christ.
Don’t deposit your soul there.
The temptation will be to retaliate, get even, take the plunge. All of these all be ruthless bankers you make
deposits in because they promise much but never deliver. When we are suffering for Christ, we need to
make sure that we deposit our affections, our attitudes, our responses, our
hopes into the hands of God because he is a faithful banker who will increase
the value of our lives as a result.
CONCLUSION
1. Suffering is not a necessary
evil but a necessary elective.
2. We only have a short time to
suffer.
3. We should never make
decisions to avoid suffering.