Rejoicing In Sufferings — Anton Bosch

Well, welcome to those who are joining us on live streaming. You can see that something that things are very different here in California. We've not allowed to meet indoors anymore. And so we're meeting outside.

We think the streaming is working and Please bear with us if the sound is not great. We're on a very busy intersection and there's a lot of noise and That for those that are here that's why I'm standing here to try and cut out some of the noise from the microphone to keep the microphone out of the wind and out of the traffic traffic noise, so welcome and Let's turn to first Peter chapter 4 as we continue our study and Peter first Peter chapter 4 and We'll read 12 through 12 -17.

The Fiery Trial and Rejoicing in Christ’s Sufferings

In fact 12 through 18 first Peter chapter 4. 12 through 18. Beloved do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial. Which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings that when his glory is revealed.

You may also be glad with exceeding joy if you are approached for the name of Christ. Blessed are you for the spirit of glory and of God rest upon you on their part. He is blaspheme, but on your part.

He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer a thief an evildoer or a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. But let him glorify God in this matter.

For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God and if it begins with us first. What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Therefore that those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in doing good as to a faithful creator and so we are in Peter he and Peter is dealing with suffering that the whole book really deals with the fact that we are strangers and Pilgrims that we don't fit into the world and because we don't fit in.

There will be those who don't. Like us there would be those who would persecute us. And so he's dealing with persecution and Sorry, I hate these. These microphones, but unfortunately and so he's now come to the heart of the issue the the very core of the issue and that is don't think it's strange.

Concerning the fiery trial verse 12, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. And now we're in verse 13 in verse 13. And I know that the screen cuts off the top part. But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings that when his glory is revealed.

You may also be glad with exceeding joy. Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings. The the idea of rejoicing because of suffering is a very strange idea particularly these days, it's a very it's particularly strange for for many people because.

Surely when you're suffering you must be Sorrowful you must be unhappy you must be sad. How can you rejoice when you're suffering? And yet here says that we must rejoice to the extent that you are suffering and the Apostles you remember that they were beaten because of the gospel and it says that they They they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake.

They rejoiced in their suffering and and Peter is going to give us reasons why we rejoice here. As we as we go along. But but notice that he says rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings.

In other words, the greater the sufferings the more the rejoicing needs to be now. The problem is that that's very foreign to us because we we tend the greater the suffering the more we complain the more we we moan and and and and bemoan our situation, but Rejoice to the extent and so if you have great suffering you have greater reason to rejoice and and it's not because we are Masochists or sadists or you know have some kind of perverse pleasure in our suffering.

But we rejoice because we partake of Christ's suffering. We partake of Christ's suffering now when he's speaking about Christ's suffering here. We must immediately say that he is not talking about the fact that we are suffering in the same way that Jesus Suffered to pay the price for our sin our suffering is not atoning our suffering does not pay for our sin or for anyone else's sin and we We shouldn't be suffering because of our sin and he's going to deal with that in a in a few moments.

But you can you can suffer, you know. Tremendously and that will never wipe away one sin at all. Only the blood of Jesus can wash away sin. And so the suffering that we partake in Christ's suffering is not Salvific it is not atoning.

It doesn't deal with the problem of sin at all. It's got nothing to do with that, but you'll see that he says that you partake of Christ's suffering Christ's suffering. So is Christ then still suffering.

That's the the question we must ask because clearly we are partaking of the same suffering that he suffered 2 ,000 years ago. But is he still suffering today? And the answer is yes, he is and we said but he's glorified.

He's in heaven. How can he be suffering in heaven? How can you know that it just doesn't make sense. He is he is he is glorified. But remember that we are intimately connected to him we are his body and he is the head of the body and there is nothing that you can do to my body that my Head doesn't participate in that.

My head doesn't feel intimately and you remember that when Jesus meets Paul on the road to Damascus Paul says who are you and Jesus says I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. You see because whatever is done to the church is done to the Lord Jesus Christ this is a very very serious thing when when people attack the church, they're attacking Jesus Christ and The pain that we feel he feels that same pain because he is he cannot be separated from us.

He cannot be separated from the body, but he is intimately connected to us. And so there is a sense in which he's suffering. Continues it doesn't continue in the sense of making atonement when he finished the work on the cross.

He said it is finished. The price is paid. There's no more atoning for the sin. It's all done and it's all over but the suffering will continue. So we partake of Christ's suffering and I have a couple of other scriptures in Philippians chapter 3 verse 10.

He says Paul says that I may know him and that that passage that I may grab hold of him that I may know him. And the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings the fellowship of his sufferings even being made conformable to his death.

Or conformed in this in this translation. And so Paul is speaking about the fact that when he suffers he is having fellowship with Jesus on the basis of suffering. We're he's understanding what Jesus endured and Jesus understands what he is enduring.

And so there is a intimacy between the Lord and the person who is suffering. We we sometimes think well, you know, he's in heaven and he you know, we he no I believe that he is intimately affected by the martyrs and by those who are suffering for the faith that he is there in a special way and You just need to read about the martyrs and you'll see how that in many of the cases God Revealed himself to them in a very very special way many people say and I come across this all the time people say well I you know, I don't know if I if I was physically had to be martyred.

I don't know that I'd be able to stand. But the testimony of the martyrs is that the Lord Jesus is present with them in those fires and on those places where they are. Where they are persecuted and of course, you remember the first great martyr Stephen and He he says he he looked into heaven and he saw Jesus standing not seated.

Because that's his normal position is he is seated at the right hand of the majesty, but he is standing. And and it seems to indicate that when Jesus sees Stephen paying this ultimate price for the gospel.

He actually stands up and in this in a sense of honoring Stephen in what he is doing and so he is connected and so we're we're in fellowship with him in the sufferings in Romans 8 verse 17. He said Paul says if we're children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with him.

Suffering for Christ Rather Than for Our Own Misdeeds

That we may also be glorified together. So you see that Paul speaks about the fellowship of his suffering here he speaks about that we suffer with him. And so we can never suffer and and remember we're speaking about suffering for the faith.

We're suffering for Christ. We're Peters speaks about and we'll maybe get there tonight. I'm not sure I have to check the clock down around the corner here. But When we suffer for our own misdeeds, well that doesn't count.

You know if you if you do stupid stuff and you get some kind of reprisal or something comes back at you. Well, then that's that's that's what you get if you break the law and you get a fine or you get put into prison.

Well, that's that's what happens. You're not suffering for Christ. And unfortunately so many people claim that they are suffering for Christ. But in fact, they're being Obnoxious they're being rude. They're being all sorts of things and they say well, you know, no you brought it upon yourself.

But if we're suffering for him, then we are never alone. He is with us in the time that we are suffering. And so let's go back to verse 13. So rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's suffering.

So it's it's not it's not our suffering. We're not suffering for our own sake we're suffering for his sake and He is no man's debtor. He honors those who suffer for his sake many times Christians I hear Christians really get down in the dumps when they being Persecuted and and when people are saying terrible things.

I got an email from somebody this week calling me all sorts of stuff the most terrible terrible stuff. But but in fact Jesus is being said that is being said of the Lord Jesus because I'm standing on the truth.

And I'm standing for him. And so we're partaking of Christ's suffering with it's not for us, but it's for him now. You'll see in Romans. We'll go back to that verse in Romans 8, but he says that when his glory is revealed.

You may also be glad with exceeding joy. So the glory is going to be revealed. When will his glory be revealed? When he comes again. Remember, this is part of the problem that the Jews had they thought he was going to come in his glory.

But he didn't he came as a suffering servant. This is a very important principle. So Jesus came and he suffered when he comes again. He's going to come in glory. He's not going to come to suffer again.

He he has suffered once and for all he's going to come in glory now in the same way as The Lord Jesus suffered and then there was glory in the same way. We in a sense sense have to suffer in this world.

But there is glory coming he will glorify us with the same glory that he has and and that's why we we have and Obviously, we didn't it was here when we when we bought the building but right above you can probably see the cross and the crown.

That and and I we kept that there and gave it a place of honor. It was just on the side of the building it when we came. Because it is such a significant message. There is no crown without the cross we must through the cross get to the crown and that's the problem is that so many Christians today just like the Jews expected Jesus to come in glory and in power when he first came and Didn't understand that he had to suffer first and then come in glory in the same way many Christians Don't understand that we're not in a time of glory now, but the time of glory will come.

We're not ruling and reigning with Christ. No, we will rule and reign with him one day. And so there is the same way as he had to go through a particular process to end with a glory in the same way we go through the same process and we end up with with glory and so when When his glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy with exceeding joy so We rejoice.

It begins the verse rejoice in the Anticipation of exceeding joy in the future. Now, that's the problem is that we we want everything now. We want instant gratification. We want everything to be wonderful.

Now. No, there is a great rejoicing coming. And so we are able to endure now because there is something in the future. You remember that we need to look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith Hebrews 12 who for the joy that was said before him endured the cross and Despised the shame and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high and so the same way we need to look to we need to be encouraged that Jesus saw it through and What what caused him to see it through was the joy at the end?

How does and what why does a a mother go through the travail of childbirth. Just because of the pain just enjoys the pain I'm sure not. It's for the joy of seeing that new life or in Cynthia's case lives Come to come into the world.

It's it's that's the joy that makes it all worthwhile and one of the choruses that has always been very very precious and very important to me is. And I I don't think we sing it anymore. But it is it will be worth it all when we see Jesus one glimpse of his dear face all trials will repay just when we see him and we see him in his beauty and we see him in his glory and we see him in his Resurrected power and and when we understand everything because now we only see in part then we'll know everything when that happens.

All the trials that we have experienced and remember that while we're going through some rough times here We are we are not like those in North Korea or those who? Who paid the ultimate price for the gospel over the centuries?

But but even if you if you were one of those who was martyred and was burnt at the stake. All of that will be worth it all when we see Jesus and so we rejoice because of the Exceeding joy that is waiting for us at the end.

And so again Romans 8 17 confirms that that we Indeed if we suffer within the second line. And it's probably the first line there. Indeed. We see with him that we may also be Glorified together. So the suffering and the glory always go together.

Reproach for Christ and the Spirit of Glory

There is no legitimate suffering that will not have a flip side and the flip side is Being glory now if we go to verse 14. Verse 14 if you are reproached for the name of Christ Blessed are you? For the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you on their part.

He's blessing but on your part. He is Glorified if you are reproached if people say bad stuff about you. Like they did to me this last this last week and. And I I don't want to get into the details, but but some of the most hurtful things calling me a coward I've never been a coward those who know me know that I'm a fighter and I have fought in many many battles spiritually and and in the military and I'm no coward, but you call me a coward.

That's a reproach and it's a reproach for the name of Christ is because of the stand that we take on the Word of God. That we will not deviate from the Word of God. We will not buy into the doctrines of men.

We will not buy into the fear of the devil. We will not buy into Into any of these things. We stand on the Word of God and if it's in the Word of God, we will do it. And if it is not in the Word of God, we will not do it.

So there is a reproach. For the name of Christ for the sake of the Lord Jesus. Now he says if you are reproached for the name of Christ blessed are you. Blessed are you now? Remember this word blessed the Greek word Makarios?

And most modern translations translated as happy. Now that's partly true, but it really doesn't fully encapsulate the idea. It's not just that we have a temporary happiness. Like when you go to the happiest place on earth.

If you ever go there again, I don't know whether that will ever open but anyway, it's not that kind of happiness this is a this is a. Knowing that God is blessing you that he's blessing rests upon you.

That you not just that you are happy, but that you are in the place of God's privilege and of God's acceptance and of God's blessing. What a wonderful place now. Remember that that Peter had walked with Jesus he had heard Jesus teach some of these things.

He's writing by the inspiration of the Spirit obviously, but did Jesus ever say anything to these to this effect? Yes, and he's in the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 and in in Luke. We just saw that a couple of a couple of months ago.

A Blessed are those who are you when men persecute and say all sorts of things against you? So there's there's a blessing in those things just a blessing in those things and here's the blessing for the Spirit of glory.

And of God rests upon you. Now just think about that. Here we we can't rely on on on experience. We have to rely on the Word of God. What does he say he says that when we are approached for his sake we are blessed because remember the word for because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you and.

So as we said earlier that he is intimately involved when we suffer. He is there when we suffer and now he is saying more than that God's Spirit anoints us in and and and remember we use this word anointing.

Incorrectly many times talking about you know, you know, the the anointing made me roll on the floor run around the building. That's not what we're talking about. But but knowing God's presence in our lives in the times that we that we are approached for his sake.

God’s Presence in Trials and Persecution

And so the but it's it's not just it's not just his spirit, but it the Spirit of glory. The Spirit of glory rests upon us. Now the problem is that many Christians don't experience the Spirit of glory.

Resting on them in the in times of suffering because they are not taking the suffering correctly. They're they're kicking against the pricks. Remember Paul. Paul is hard for you to kick against the pricks because as we as we'll see and we won't dare to night.

But as we'll see in the in the next few is that suffering God uses to refine. We saw that earlier in Previous chapter he speaks about the fact that our faith when it is tried comes forth as pure gold.

So so God allows the suffering he doesn't bring it about this is this is persecution that comes ultimately from the devil and from the world and from and unfortunately from Christians, but I questioned whether they indeed are Christians, but This comes from outside.

It doesn't come from him. And so when the suffering comes we say well, how can God be in it? Remember, he works all things for our good. And so he is using our suffering he is using our the times that we are being persecuted and during those times He's anointing rests upon us in a special way, but if we are so busy fighting the Situation we find ourselves in.

We don't see the Spirit of glory and of God. Because we're seeing the the stuff that people are doing we see hearing the words and and and remember we say sticks and stones can Break my bones, but words can never hurt me.

That's the biggest lot of rubbish that you've ever heard in your life. Words hurt far more than sticks and stones. But you know when when we're so focused on the sticks and the stones and the words. That we're not hearing from God and we're not seeing God in the situation and in the process.

We don't see the glory. We don't see his spirit. We're not aware of his spirit because all I'm fixated on is The trial I'm going through. Now while he's speaking here, particularly about persecution. I think that we can apply this to our present situation because remember in chapter 1 he speaks about the various trials that we go through so There's persecution and then there are various trials.

Mostly we are not going through much persecution right now, but we are going through various trials. Things are really getting tough every week. We have to read readjust every week. We have to change things to to fit in.

I really feel sorry for. For particularly hairdressers and people like Danielle who were open for a week and then suddenly they're closed again and Everything goes goes back to square one again and everything has to change and we've gone through that here.

This is not persecution. Some think it is but it isn't. But but these are trials and I believe that God is with us in these things. If we will only see him and not focus on the trials. You remember Job and I'm almost through I'm not even sure I'm gonna finish this this verse, but but you remember Job.

Learning to See God Rather Than Circumstances

Job goes through this tremendous trial and and I suppose you can call it persecution in a sense because the devil is getting on his case because. Because he's such a favored man by God. And and he goes through all of this stuff and he spends 30 odd chapters in the book is Wasted in a sense because Job is talking about and his friends are talking about why is this happening?

I know there's this problem and maybe Job you sinned and maybe it's that's a maybe it's that and maybe it's the other thing. But what is God's response to Job? What is God's response to Job. God says I don't worry.

It's not so bad. You'll get over it. No, God. God's response actually is a little bit harsh. We would say well, you know, God doesn't have a lot of sympathy with Job. But God's response and you know, it's it's in several chapters.

But you know, I can we can sum it up in in one in one in one one sentence God's response is where were you? When I created everything in other words, who you I'm God. You're just a man. That's really what God is saying to Job and Job gets the message and Job begins to understand that it's not about what he's going through.

It's about the glory of God and That he is seeing all of the trials and remember his trial was very very real. But he goes through all of these things and he understands in the end. It's not about my trials.

It's about seeing him it's about knowing him and Remember that he comes to the end of the book and he says and remember Job was a good man to begin with. There was nothing wrong with Job to begin with but he says before I had heard of you by the hearing of my ear.

In other words, I'd heard about God. I knew about him by hearing but he says now I've seen him and Because I've seen him I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes. You see the whole point of the book is that Job needed to learn to look away from his circumstances and to see God.

Remember we spoke a few months ago at the beginning of this crisis about Peter who walks on the water and as long as he's not Looking at the waves and at the storm and at the at the at the thunder and the lightning as long as he's had his Eyes on Jesus.

He's able to walk on the water, but the moment he looks away from Jesus Peter begins to sink and. So, how can we then be? Have the spirit of glory and of God resting upon us in those situations when our eyes are on him.

But when our eyes are on ourselves, woe is me or our eyes are on our circumstances. God can do nothing for us because I'm not listening. I'm not looking where he's trying to point and where is he trying to point?

He's trying to point to himself. He's trying to bring glory to himself through through our sufferings. And so let's have our eyes on him. It's going to quickly run through the last sentence and then we'll we'll close on their part.

God Glorified Through Reproach

In other words those who are approaching on their part. He is blasphemed. But on your part he is glorified now just think about what he is saying. What is? Maybe let me use this illustration and it's a back-to-front illustration, but you remember there was this man called Balaam who was Balaam he was the that the donkey spoke to and He comes to to to curse the people of Israel and he opens his mouth to curse and what happens out comes blessing.

Out comes blessing now what he is saying here in a sense. It's not exactly the same, but it's the same idea. That when they are approaching you When it leaves their mouths it is reproach. It's an attack.

But when it hits you It is glory and he is glorified. They intend to blaspheme his name. But in fact in the end he is glorified in that and we said well, you know, I can't understand. How can he be glorified in the blasphemy?

Well, it just shows him up more and more for his his glory the this afternoon when we were setting up the little light on the on the Transmitter here Isn't isn't very bright and I couldn't see whether it's actually on or not.

So to see if it is on I made it dark and suddenly I can see the light and Sometimes it needs to get dark for God's glory to shine. Sometimes things need to start getting rather difficult in our lives for his wonder and his his his Preciousness to become to be revealed in the in the darkness.

If you have a small little flashlight here in the city, it doesn't make a big impact. But when you go out there in the desert and it's pitch dark and there's nothing a little flashlight is visible for miles and miles.

And miles and so the greater the darkness the greater his glory and the greater the reproach against us the greater He's he he is as he is glorified. In us Father we thank you for your word Good things because it is it is counterintuitive Lord.

It's it's not what we're used to. It's not what we understand as human beings and yet Lord. We pray that you would help us to understand that your kingdom is in fact the upside down kingdom that things work the other way around in the kingdom of God.

We pray that you would help us to those who would accept suffering when it comes our way. That when we are approached for the right reasons not for the wrong but for the right reasons Lord that we would glorify you in those in those things and Lord I'm constantly amazed as I read them about the martyrs and I read how they that how they worshipped you in the midst of the suffering.

And in the midst of those fires as they were burned to death. As their limbs were pulled apart on the rack. Just worshipping you and bringing glory and honor to you. Pray Lord that you'd help us that even in our little suffering Lord relative to what they suffered in our little suffering in the midst of this pandemic and in the midst of the political turmoil in our country in the midst of all of these things Lord that we have our eyes fixed upon Jesus and Lord that We may be we may glorify you the Lord that the world may look at us and understand and say these people are different.

Because they're able to continue to glorify God in the midst of trials. And in the midst of persecution and in the midst of difficulty make this real for us Lord. We pray for those who've joined us. By the via the internet we pray for your blessing upon them and Lord, I pray that for those of our number who are not able to come because of.

Because they're sick or for whatever other reasons Lord. We we pray for them that you would strengthen them. We pray that you'd go with us now in Jesus name.