Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
And this is suffering, speaking of suffering for the glory of God. This will be the second part. We'll try to get it all in today, but if not, Lord willing, we'll take it in another Lord's Day. Well, let's be honest, first of all, before I read these Scriptures.
From my heart,.
Suffering for Jesus Christ is not something we desire for ourselves, is it? Let's be honest. Or for those who we love. I don't know about you, I battle hard enough with my own heart and the sins within, working on sanctification every day with God's help.
But yet, suffering is a reality that we all face in Jesus Christ.
It's especially to those.
Who are called of God in Jesus Christ. And though there is a great deal of pain and affliction and persecution that goes with it, I want to also say this, there's great comfort and great glory and eternal bliss that waits on the other end.
And that's what we must keep our sights on. Jesus Christ our Lord, let's not forget this, He endured the horrible agonies of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. For the joy that was set before Him.
The joy that was set before Him. That's what we must keep before us. We must consider Him if we're going to make it. We must keep our eyes on Him if we're going to make it. Because the Scripture says, if we consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against themselves so that we will not grow weary and give up.
That's the Scriptures. Jesus is our focus. Jesus is our vision. Jesus is our living hope. Through every bit of the suffering, whatever comes our way. With that truth in mind, let's look at the verses.
Let's look at this awesome, awesome text before us. This is heavy. It's a heavy text before us. So, we need God's help, don't we? Beginning with verse 12. Hear the word of the living God. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you.
But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed.
Blessed.
Because the spirit of glory and God rest on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer.
Or a thief.
Or an evil doer or a troublesome meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed but is to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.
And if it begins with us first, what will the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?
Therefore, those who also suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. Praise God for the reading of His holy word. Let's all go to the Lord in prayer.
Our Father and our God, we stand in Your presence. Lord, in the desire to hallow Your name, Lord, in all this, Lord, help us to recognize Your greatness, Your majesty, Your sovereignty as it has already been said, Your great power and Your wisdom that is in Your word.
Help us to realize, Lord, that all things, all things, Lord, come from You and through You and to You.
All things.
And, Lord, that includes suffering if it comes our way. Whatever happens is Your hand.
Everything.
You, Father, in Your great wisdom know exactly what You're doing. We don't. So, Lord, help us to remember, Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He endured. It was glory on the other end. Lord, we need Your blessed Holy Spirit to teach us, to sanctify us, to cleanse us.
We're too weak. Lord, we're too weak. But we pray that You take our weakness and use it for Your glory. Lord, we thank You for Your word this morning. It sanctifies us. It's like gold purified seven times in a hot furnace.
It's like a hammer that breaks to pieces our hard hearts. And it's like a fire that purges and purifies the dross and the sin within our heart, Lord. And, Lord, we need this. We need this. Lord, we desire this.
We need to be cleansed and purged and purified. So, Father, we ask You, do a work within us for Your great name's sake. And we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen and amen. Well, as we've already seen, the theme that we see throughout this entire book of 1 Peter is addressed to believers that are that were suffering great persecution for Jesus' sake and for His name's sake, for righteousness' sake.
Actually, both are the same. And they were suffering for the very purpose. What this letter was teaching them was literally how to live victorious in the midst of such suffering and violent sinners that were persecuting them.
We've already looked at that we are to expect that as Christians. But we do not need to forget that there is victorious living in the midst of this by God's grace. We could be overcomers and not to fail our Lord.
Peter was writing this practical application to the Christians. He said, basically, first, we do not need to lose hope. Next, we reminded the Christians not to become bitter. Also, while trusting in their blessed Lord in the midst of suffering.
And next, I think is extremely important, while in the midst of suffering they were to be looking for the blessed second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that will put an end.
To all of it.
And He will. He will have the last word. While Peter exhorts the persecuted Christians in these great truths, he also impresses upon them practical everyday applications that by living in an obedient, victorious life under such persecution and suffering, a Christian is needed the help of the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus speaks about this. And in the midst of such persecution they could still evangelize to the lost wicked sinner. Even up until the point of death. And we see this in the martyrs, don't we? How they almost like offer their lives up to God like a living sacrifice, literally.
Unto God for the life that they have to be a witness to the wicked. Beloved, this is an awesome and wonderful theme that we see through this text. I'm going to recap a little bit first and then we're going to pick up where we left off.
Last Lord's Day we looked at two important features in the times of suffering and persecution for Jesus' sake. We need to keep that in mind. It's for Jesus' sake, not our sake, right? It's for Jesus' sake.
It's for His name's sake. It's for Him. The first point is found in verse 12. Beloved, that means chosen of God. You're loved of God. You're loved of the Lord. Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal or the fiery trial, the translation says, among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you.
In other words, what he's saying is we are to expect suffering as Christians. We are to expect it. Do not marvel, Jesus said. Do not be surprised if the world hates you. They hated me before they hated you.
And actually if they hate you, it's for my sake, Jesus said. Paul the apostle says all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
That's going to happen.
Christians should expect persecution and suffering. That's what we looked at. Should not be surprised by the fiery trials that come their way or regard them as something strange or something foreign. But to expect it.
Well, what's the purpose of it? What's the purpose? Why are we to expect it? What scripture gives us that answer? Notice what it says in verse 12. For your testing. For your testing. It's for our testing.
Your testing. My testing. Testing of what? Testing of your faith. Your faith in God. And also the testing is to take us through the purging and the purifying.
Our characters.
And that's what God is after. He wants to purify our characters. He's into making us strong in Jesus Christ. Be strong in Jesus Christ.
Be strong in the Lord.
In the power of His might. So if the master himself, Jesus Christ, was made to endure suffering, it should not be regarded as strange that His servants would be compelled to endure the same thing. Actually, that comes right out of the Word of God.
Jesus said this in John 15, 20 -21. This is what the Lord says. Remember the word that I said to you. He's speaking to His disciples. A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. They do not know God. They're blind. They're to be pitied.
And actually, Jesus in that same chapter, He instructs His disciples, which is very interesting. It's really worth studying in the Gospel of John, in chapter 14, 15, and 16, especially those three chapters there, because what He's doing, He's giving them instructions and tells them right up front, you're going to suffer persecution.
You're going to suffer for My name's sake. And then He tells them, you've got help with you. The helper is the Holy Spirit. My Father will send the Holy Spirit to help you, to comfort you. He's not going to leave you like an orphan.
He's going to come to you. He will teach you all truth. In other words, He will aid us and give us the power and comfort us in the midst of such suffering. And as He ends the discourse in John chapter 16, before He prays that magnificent, glorious prayer in John 17, and then Jesus ends the words with verse 33 in chapter 16, these things I've spoken to you, that in Me, in Me, in Jesus, that you may have peace.
So in the world you will have tribulation. That's going to happen. Then He says this, but take courage. I like the translation, be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Beloved, that's what we need to remember.
We must remember this great truth. And actually, it is the very anchor of our souls to keep us steadfast in the Lord. It is the ground for endurance in persecution and gives us the victory in Jesus over the world.
To remember that one great truth that He has overcome the world, no matter what comes our way. And let me say this, if we forget that great truth, it does not mean that the gospel has lost its power because we forget it or defect from it.
The Scripture says, the counsel of the Lord stands. The word of the Lord endures forever. It just means that it does harm to our own souls. And that's why we as God's people are called to be exhorted to endure to the very end, no matter what kind of persecution comes our way, for Jesus' sake.
And not to defect from the truth. Not to pull away and draw back. But to go forward in Jesus. To go forward. And just as Christ did, He faced the persecution, but He saw the glory on the other end. It was for the joy that was set before Him.
Well, next, not only we are to expect suffering and persecution, the next thing we see in verse 13, we're to rejoice in it. We're to rejoice in it. And it says this, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice in exaltation.
Spurgeon said this, he says, if we do not share in Christ's humiliation, how can we expect to share in His exaltation? And then he goes on to say, but if worldly people rebuke and reproach us, we may take it for granted that they can discern something of Christ in us.
Amen.
Peter says this in chapter 1, verse 6 and 7, in this you greatly rejoice. Even though now, for a little while,.
Just for a short time,.
A little while if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. That means temptations. So that the proof, the genuineness of your faith be in much more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested, there's the word again, even though it's tested by fire and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Peter says that. So, scripture says that there is three things, and I like to add four, because in the Old Testament, it speaks there's three things or four things that's precious to God. One of the ones, and I can't remember the psalm, but the psalmist says, precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of His saints.
That's precious to God. And if you notice, the rest of it's from Peter. The next two,.
The three,.
Two, I'm sorry, in 1 Peter, it says your faith is precious.
Your faith.
What does it say? 1 Peter 1,.
I'm sorry,.
It says being much more precious than gold. Your faith is much more precious than gold. Then in 1 Peter 1 .19, what else is precious? The blood of Jesus Christ. With the precious blood, as of a lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
It's precious. Precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of His saints. Precious faith. Precious blood. What's the other one? It's actually found in 2 Peter 1 .4. He's granted to us precious and exceedingly great precious promises.
Magnificent promises. So that by them, you may become partakers of the divine nature. Partakers of the divine nature.
Listen to that.
Having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust, we are now partakers of God's holiness. We are separated. We are sanctified. And continually being sanctified for His glory. Precious faith.
Precious death in the sight of God. Precious blood of Christ. Precious and magnificent promises. Now if we continue as we study this wonderful book of 1 Peter, we also have reference to unjust suffering in just about every chapter that we see.
So Peter has a lot to say about suffering, doesn't he? Especially to these persecuted Christians that were suffering severely under Nero at that time. The church was severely being persecuted. And he's concerned about suffering for the sake of righteousness or for Jesus' sake.
One of the same. And in verse 12 through 19, Peter gives the proper way, the right way, to deal with suffering for righteousness' sake. So we need to know, how do we deal with it? Now that's a personal application, isn't it?
How do we handle it? How do we respond to it? And he tells us. Well, I want you to notice the third point here is very important. And he picks this up in verse 14. Notice verse 14. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
And then he says this in verse 15. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a troublesome meddler.
Wow.
Make sure of it.
So the third point is we need to make, we evaluate, we expect suffering, we rejoice in suffering, we evaluate suffering. This is not original to me. I got this from MacArthur, of course. So we are suffering.
If you're suffering, we need to take a look at why we are suffering. Why are we suffering? That's huge, isn't it? Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer,.
A thief,.
An evildoer, troublesome meddler. Interesting to note here that there's four evils that are mentioned here that are really typical of the unregenerate in lifestyle. And they're used to illustrate the character of unacceptable suffering.
But a born again Christian should never bring suffering upon himself for wrongdoing because it brings shame to the name of Jesus Christ. He should never be guilty of murder, right? He should never be guilty of stealing.
He should never be guilty in general of evildoing. And this last one, I think, hits a lot of Christians, unfortunately. And he's speaking to Christians. Isn't that interesting? Meddling. Meddling in other people's matters.
There's no glory for God in this. There's no glory for God in meddling in other people's matters, in being a busybody. Let's be frank. It only brings shame for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Well, beloved, this is the reason that the Apostle through the Holy Spirit mentions these evils to correct us and to instruct us in righteousness, right?
And we are to receive correction and instruction in righteousness just as much as we are to receive encouragement. It is because all this brings shame to the name of Christ and that's why Peter brings this to our attention.
The first three evils are very obvious, like I said, but the fourth one can be a downfall to many Christians. Let's look at the fourth one. A troublesome meddler. I was reading MacArthur on this. His comments is interesting.
In his commentary, this is what he said. Quote, It's someone who intrudes into matters that belong to someone else. Peter is dealing with matters that would lead to persecution such as getting involved in revolutionary, disruptive activity or interfering in the function and the flow of government.
It might also refer to being a troublesome meddler in the workplace. In the workplace. And as a general rule, a Christian living in a non-Christian culture is to do his work faithfully, exalt Jesus Christ, and live a virtuous life rather than try to overturn or disrupt his culture.
End quote. That's excellent. I thought that was very excellent. And it's very practical because now, you may ask, what about chapter and verse? I'm glad you asked. Chapter and verse. If you go back to chapter 2, look at chapter 2 in 1 Peter.
And we already studied this, but it calls for our attention again. In verse 13, notice what he says.
Submit.
Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake. There it is. For the Lord's sake, to every human institution, whether to a king as to one in authority, or to governors as sent by him, for the punishment of evil doers and the praise to those who do right.
For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond slaves of God. You're a bond slave of God.
We do not belong to our own. We've been bought with the price. And then he says in verse 17, Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
There you have it.
That's what Peter's referring to. Listen to the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul's scripture interprets scripture here. Paul speaks about this matter in 1 Thessalonians about being a troublesome meddler.
In chapter 4, verse 11, he says a lot about it. Actually, he says this,. And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and to attend to your own business and work with your own hands just as we commanded you.
That is a command. That is an imperative. Imperative. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 11. He says the same to Christians there. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life. Undisciplined.
And then he says this,.
Doing no work at all,.
But acting like busybodies. And beloved, let me tell you this. That's why work is good. God created work for us. And to work unto Him and do our labor unto Him. There's great reward in it. Just read the book of Ecclesiastes and Solomon says much about that.
But Paul charges them here about the busybodies to the end. And then he says, Now such persons we command and we exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in a quiet fashion.
Eat their own bread.
Work.
Eat your own bread.
In other words, back off. Be quiet.
Do your own work.
Work is a good thing, right? It's a preventative. It's a preventative of being idle and falling into sin and being a troublesome meddler. Especially it's good because we submit and line up under Scripture and what God says.
To be quiet. To mind their own business. Just to work. To honor God. That brings great reward. Now someone might ask right here, Now what does that have to do with my suffering?
I'm glad you asked that.
Everything. Everything.
It does. Because it answers the question this, Why am I suffering? It answers that question, Why am I suffering? Am I suffering for something I have brought on myself? Being a troublesome meddler. God forbid that being a murderer or a thief, an evil doer.
But the troublesome meddler, that's a big one. Am I suffering for righteousness sake? Or is it something I brought on myself? Am I suffering for the name of Jesus? Well, if you look at verse 16,. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
It's all about glorifying God in suffering. F .B. Meyer says this, Whether it means the loss of business, reputation,.
Home,.
Desertion by parents,.
Children,.
And friends, misrepresentation, and even hatred, and even to the point of death. End quote. So under the name of Christian, it is possible to glorify God in all these trials. Or he would never have said that.
There is glory in the midst of suffering. Even in our weakness, and maybe we may think, and the one thing we do not need to ever think, is that God abandons us. Because He says, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age.
I am with you. My presence goes with you. That's why He gives that great promise that the presence of the Lord is with us.
In the suffering.
Just as much as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went into the fiery furnace, that the fourth man was there. He's there in the furnace.
Amen?
Well, Paul the apostle exhorted Timothy, now listen to this, you don't have to turn there, but you can study it, in 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 8,. Therefore do not be ashamed. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.
That's what we are not to be ashamed of. Paul said that in Romans 1, right? I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
And then he goes on to say that in the gospel is the righteousness of God. The very righteousness of God. And he said this, I am not ashamed of this gospel. And Paul proved it. When he wrote this, he was in chains.
Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is telling a young pastor, a young elder this,.
Of our Lord.
And then he even says this, or of me, his prisoner. But join with me in suffering.
You join with me.
Come and suffer with me for the gospel's sake. According to the power of God. See, Paul recognized that the more the suffering came on, the more the power of God was demonstrated. The more weak he was, the more God was glorified.
And that's the way God works. He tells Timothy this. Why would Paul the apostle even give Timothy this exhortation? Not to be ashamed. Well, number one, the Lord says not to be ashamed of him, right? He says, if you're ashamed of me, I'm going to be ashamed of you.
We're not to be ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. Because, why?
Why?
Well, he's exhorting young Timothy that he could possibly get afraid and fearful because of the potential persecution that would await him. And we can end up being the same. We can get fearful and afraid, right?
And that's why Paul says in 2 Timothy 2 .7,. For God has not given us a spirit of fear. That word fear means timidity, cowardice. But He's given us the power, dunamis, the power of God, the dynamite of God.
He's given us the agape love of God and of a sound mind. That word sound mind actually means a disciplined mind. He's given us a disciplined mind. And Paul says in verse 12,. For this reason, for the gospel's sake, for Jesus' sake, he suffers.
And I love what he says. And this is his great, and there's been a great hymn written from this. I also suffer these things, but I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day, beloved.
God Almighty keeps His word. And I'm telling you, Paul knew in everything, in all the sufferings he would go through, God is faithful.
Hallelujah.
And that God would guard it.
He was committed to it.
Lord, help us to be committed, to entrust our souls to a faithful creator. In other words, Paul lived that kind of life, unwavering in faith. He had confidence and boldness for the gospel's sake because of the powerful relationship he had with Jesus Christ.
And that was his strength. That was his anchor. He experienced an unbreakable, unshakable relationship in Jesus Christ. And nothing could sever him from it. Even they severed his head from his body. But they ushered him right into glory.
Because he knew it. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. He said, to live is Christ, but to die is gain. He didn't fear persecution because he knew whom he had believed.
G. Campbell Morgan, the great preacher, said this in admonition of preaching about this text. This is more than glory and in the name. It is so living worthily. It is so living worthily of all its means as to glorify God.
That's what Paul's life was. It was all to the glory of God. Morgan goes on to say, if a man is known as a Christian and does not live as one, he dishonors God. To bear the name is to take the responsibility in a great and glorious one.
But nonetheless, a very solid one. End quote. So when it comes to suffering for the holy name of Jesus, we do expect it, right? We rejoice in it. Third, we evaluate our suffering. We evaluate it. Why are we suffering?
There's another thought. This is not the next point, but this is the next thought that is given to us in verse 17. This is powerful, y 'all. Let me get a drink of water because we're heading into some heavy material here.
Look at verse 17. For the time has come, for the time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us first, what will the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God be?
What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? You know, I want you to think about this. He's speaking about this in the light of the second coming of Jesus Christ. The blessed hope.
Now that's a consolation for suffering Christians. That Jesus is going to come back in power and great glory. And He is. So what Peter is saying here is, he's contrasting, what he's doing here, he's contrasting the suffering of God's people next to the sufferings of the wicked in eternity.
I want you to think about this. He's looking at time, the sufferings that we have in time, and the wicked, what they suffer, and God's people in suffering just for a short time in comparison to what awaits in eternity.
That's what he's actually bringing to light here.
Very, very sobering, beloved.
I want you to listen to Spurgeon. I was reading his notes on this, and he said this. Spurgeon says, If a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? Even if the righteous are severely tested, what short work God will make of the unrighteous?
The God who tries and tests the best will certainly not wink at the worst. That's Spurgeon. A period in Thomas Watson, a great period, and said this, and he puts a light on this that helps us get our perspective.
Quote, The wicked drink a sea of wrath, but the godly only drink a cup of affliction. Don't you think about that. Let that sink in. The wicked drink a sea of wrath for all eternity, but the godly only drink a cup of affliction.
Basically what he's saying, Peter, is saying here to the persecuted Christians that were undergoing such severe persecution, it's only for a short time your affliction is short and compared to eternity.
The ungodly will suffer it forever. You know, he said basically you should look at suffering as a sign that the end of all things is about us. The end of all things is near. It's time to clean up the household of God.
How do we know? How do we know? How do we know that Peter's thoughts is in this? Look at verse 7. The end of all things is near. When he's talking about all things, he's talking about God's timetable.
Therefore be of sound judgment and be sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer. He's actually calling believers to live obedient and expectantly in the light of the second coming of Jesus Christ. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God.
Actually, the original Greek says, for time, for judgment. For time, for judgment. That word time is in the Greek karyos, karyos. It basically means it is the crucial moment. It is the point. It is the season.
It is the judgment. It is time for judgment to begin. Now I want you to think about this. Judgment actually started, in a sense, in Galatians when Paul speaks of the Jesus Christ in Galatians 4, but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
For what purpose? In verse 5, so that He might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption to sons. What a great verse. So what Paul is basically saying of this great truth, he's mentioning God's timetable, in a sense, the fullness of time and the sovereignty of God.
When everything was in place, when God allowed, when God was orchestrating all things in His timetable, the fullness of time was right. In other words, in the religious scene, in the cultural scene, in the political conditions that were there, that was going on, God sent forth His Son at the perfect time.
God's timetable is always, He's always on time. He's never late, He's never early, as Brother Ben mentioned. He's always on time. The fullness of time. So Jesus came into the world, and now this speaks of His first advent.
But Peter is actually in context, speaking of God's timetable, and on God's clock, concerning the second advent on God's timetable. The first time Jesus came, as we know He came as Savior, the next time He comes, He's coming as Judge.
The first time He came, I believe A .W. Peet said it like this, the men slayed Him, but next time He's going to slay all men. He came. And what did He begin to preach? He began to preach, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.
In other words, the time is coming. The judgment is near.
Repent.
There was an urgency.
You better repent,.
Because payday is coming. Judgment is coming. And that judgment stands before every one of us, beloved. No one escapes it. No one, because we're all going to die one day. And then we're going to face God.
And the Bible says that in Hebrews. For it is appointed for once men to die, and after that the judgment. You see, there's no escaping it. But beloved, we can be covered. We don't have to worry about the condemnation of it because of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross.
Even though we're going to give an account for every word, careless word that we speak, even as a Christian, and everything that we do or don't do, everything that we say, we don't say, every motive, everything, God knows it all.
You don't have to fear the condemnation of it, but I'll tell you what, it makes me tremble of what I'm going to have to give an account for. Jesus, in a remarkable three years of ministry, He fulfills all righteousness.
That's what He said, I come to fulfill all righteousness. He said that to John the Baptist. His act of obedience to the will of the Father. Then He accomplishes the Father's command that He comes, why He was sent.
He was sent to die and to suffer as the Lamb of God and to be our substitute and take the sin of the world upon Him. All the way from the beginning to the end,.
A perfect life.
Incredible, extraordinary life. Christ appeared actually at the end of the age. Christ the King came and we can actually say we're living in the end time since Christ appeared on God's timetable. And that's what Peter, I think, has in mind here because he's echoing Jesus.
He's echoing Jesus. It's already time for the kingdom of God, the judgment, repent. Judgment is to begin. And where did this judgment begin? It began on the old rugged cross when Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and God the Father poured His wrath upon Him and judged Him for our sins.
So beloved, we're living in a season of judgment, don't you think? I think we're seeing more judgment now coming on us than ever before, especially in America. We were living in Romans 1. We're seeing we have lawless leaders, lawlessness is everywhere, violence is everywhere.
The hardening of people's hearts. Have you ever seen a world that doesn't care about human life, about God? There's no fear of God. But judgment's here. Judgment's here. The sufferings of the born again Christians are just but a part of God's plan for the unfolding judgment that will culminate eventually at the great white throne judgment down the road.
Now, the text before us, Peter's not speaking again about the condemnation against Christians here. The Christians he's speaking of, actually when he speaks of judgment, he's speaking of chastening, testing, and purifying.
You can see this in Hebrews 12. I don't have time to go there, but it's in Hebrews 12 about the discipline of the Lord. But speaking of the discipline of God to Christians, and that is actually what has come upon us.
To the household of God is always first. Notice that. To God's house, it's first.
First.
Well, I like to say this. Peter mentions this in 1 Peter 2 .5. You also are living stones. You are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices accepted to God through Jesus Christ.
It's to purify and cleanse us.
It's to cleanse all of us.
Is there anything greater than cleansing our life and suffering and affliction? That's why David said, it was good that thou afflictest me. It is good that you afflicted me. It did his soul good. It does our souls good.
Because there's an eye opener there. It wakes us up to eternity. And not on this passing world. Peter first talks about the church, doesn't he? The church. To cleanse his people, to cleanse the household of God.
First. Before he ultimately brings the final judgment down on the wicked and ungodly that will perish. God purges his household first. So what's it going to be like when he brings that kind of final judgment on those who do not obey the gospel of God?
What a question. It's a purging. It's an evaluating, a testing that's necessary. Now, I was reading MacArthur's commentary on this and I'll be honest with you. He went to a passage of Scripture that I've never seen before on this.
Go with me very quickly to Ezekiel chapter 9. I want you to see this. This is a powerful chapter, beloved. It's actually a short chapter, but I want you to see something here. It's only 11 verses. I'm going to start with verse 3.
There's a lot here.
But I want you to see this in the light of judgment. Notice with me verse 3. Then the glory of God, the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherubim which it had been to the threshold of the temple.
And he called to the man clothed in linen whose loins was at the writing case. The Lord said to him,.
Listen to this,.
Go through the midst of the city, even though in the midst of Jerusalem, put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in the midst. This is a horrific time in Israel's history of such sin.
And notice what he says, but to the others he said to my hearing, go through the city after him and strike. And do not let your eye have pity on, do not spare. You're going to see how much God hates sin.
I want you to hear this. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children,.
And women,.
And do not touch any man on whom is the mark. And I want you to notice this phrase next. And you shall start from my sanctuary. You shall start in my sanctuary. So they started with the elders. Started in the pulpit, y 'all.
Started with the pastors. Started with the deacons. And then who were before the temple. And then he said to them, defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go out. And thus they went out and struck down the people in the city and they were striking the people and I alone was left.
And I fell on my face and I cried out saying, O last Lord God, are you destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out your wrath on Jerusalem?
In other words,.
There was so much sin. There was slaughter. It was like slaughtering people all over the place because of the sin. And then he said to them, the iniquity, the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah.
Is very, very great.
Can you say that today?
That the iniquity in the church and in the world is very, very great?
The land is filled with blood.
And the city is full of perversion. And for they said, the Lord has forsaken the land and the Lord does not see. That's what they said. But God saw. And as for me, my eye will have no pity nor will I spare but I will bring their conduct upon their heads.
I'm going to stop right there. I want you to notice the judgment began in where? The sanctuary of God. Didn't Jesus do that when he came? God in the flesh. Where did He go? What did He cleanse first? The temple.
He cleansed the temple at the beginning of His ministry. He cleansed the temple at the end of His ministry. If Jesus cleansed it twice, I think it's very important. He always begins judgment at the house of God, at the sanctuary, in the temple first.
So judgment must begin with us first. Now he's talking about suffering, folks. Suffering. This is a chastening. This is a purging. It's all from the loving hand of God. Lest we forget, God is not being mean.
He has every right to do this. He's in the cleansing business, folks.
And you know,.
There's something here when we read the Bible. There's something about sin.
The way we see sin,.
The way God sees sin, is two different things.
We see sin.
We think light of it. Oh, this is a little sin, a little sin, a little sin here. God sees sin as all putrid and hatred to Him. He hated it so much,.
Look where He's,.
He spared not His Son. He poured wrath on His Son.
And He will not spare us unless we repent. There's a purging here. There's a purging. Again, to God's people, it's not condemnation. To the wicked, it's condemnation. It's by a loving hand. God will first purify His church.
He's going to purge His church. And then He's going to, then He will judge the ungodly. And if it be with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?
What will?
What a sobering, terrifying question. God judges His people first. Great severity. Great severity. And what will the end be of the wicked and ungodly? It helps me think. I couldn't help but think of Hebrews 10, 29 -32.
How much severe punishment do you think He would deserve who has trampled under the foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which He has sanctified and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge His people.
Hear that?
The Lord will judge His people. And then He says this,. It is a terrifying thing, a terrifying thing to fall in the hands of the living God. Verse 32, But remember the former days when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings.
Did you hear that? There's sufferings, there's a purging, there's a cleansing and that's what God does. So He begins with His people first. And this is something important here. I've mentioned this before but I think it's worth mentioning again.
We dare not miss this great truth, beloved. God help us if we do. It's far, far better to endure suffering here and now for Jesus' sake. Far greater than a short time on this earth than to be purged in His church and be part of His church and to endure it with joy because we know there's something greater on the other end than to endure an awful judgment in future for eternity, all eternity under the wrath of God.
Beloved, it makes me tremble to say that. J .C. Rowell says this, A single day in hell would be worse than a whole life spent carrying the cross. What a sobering thing. What a sobering outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God.
Go with me very quickly to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. You'll see a little bit what's going to happen to what's going to happen to the ungodly. This is just, hey, the Bible says so much about this. But look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1.
This gives us a small sample of what's going to happen. If you look at this, beginning with verse 4, I want you to see this. Knowing brethren, I said 1 Thessalonians, I'm sorry, 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians.
Verse 4, Therefore we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith, your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.
Notice he's speaking about persecutions, afflictions, and then he says this in verse 5. This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment. Did you see that? This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom for indeed you are suffering.
There it is.
And then he says this. He speaks to God's people first. This is for after all, it's only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with the mighty angels in flaming fire.
And then he says dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power and when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have been believed, who believe.
For our testimony to you was believed. See? You see the glory of God in this? To this end we also pray for you always. Talking about the persecuted believers. That our God will count you worthy worthy of your calling to fulfill every desire for goodness and for the work of faith with power so that the name, there it is, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see that? You see how God brings purging and suffering to the church lovingly but a terrifying judgment on the ungodly. And he says here with difficulty context refers to hard times hard times that persecution brings to the believer.
Our salvation in Jesus Christ brings persecution. But actually in Acts 14 .22 we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. Many tribulations. You keep pressing on through many dangers Newton said it through many dangers and tolls and snares I've already come beloved.
Why? Why?
Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. It's only by the grace of God. Only God's grace alone keeps us, preserves us for His heavenly kingdom. And all of this helps us to see the great importance of a clear understanding of our suffering for Jesus' sake.
Beloved, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ even when you're being persecuted whenever it comes because beloved, it's going to eventually come. Let's prepare ourselves. Let's ask God to sanctify ourselves.
To honor Him, to glorify Him because He is purifying this church so that God will have a holy people a cleansed people sanctified for the Master's service for His glory. Well there is one more point and I'm going to make this very short.
In verse 19,. Therefore those who suffer according to the will of God Notice it's God's will to suffer. It's God's will to suffer. If you're His people. Now that, a lot of people don't get that. The ungodly don't get that.
And I actually, for the godly sometimes that's very difficult. But we have the word of God to help us see. To help us see a little more clearly even though it's dimly and it's clouded for us right now.
But God's providences are hard but it's sweet on the other side. There's something great. There's something glorious and Jesus sets that example for us. We're to expect suffering. We're to rejoice in suffering.
We're to evaluate suffering. The last point here. To entrust your soul to God in suffering. We are to entrust our soul to God. That word entrust is a wonderful word. In the Greek it literally means it's a banking term to deposit for safe keeping.
Don't you love that?
To deposit.
To entrust for safe keeping. Just as you go through suffering and as it takes your soul there you're actually depositing it from God to God. The word soul means your life. Your life. Your whole being.
Your person. You give it to a faithful creator. It's interesting that this that Peter uses the word creator because it reminds us that we're simply giving back in worship what already rightfully belongs to God.
It means that.
He is.
Capable of caring for it. As you deposit it. Entrusting it to God. Revelation 4 .10 and 11 the 24 elders will fall down before Him and sit on the throne who will worship Him and live forever and ever will cast their crowns before the throne saying what?
Worthy are you O Lord our God to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things and because of your will they existed and were created. Entrust your soul. Entrust your soul to a faithful creator.
It's the same word by the way that Jesus used when He died on the cross. He entrusted His spirit to the Father. Same word. While suffering upon the cross of shame. Praise God. I know this is a heavy message.
But may this.
Encourage you.
Prepare you.
As we remember when suffering does come.
We to respect it.
Rejoice in it to evaluate it and to entrust our soul to it. Let's pray. Father we thank you for this for the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Lord.
If anything Lord O God give us the kind of anchor.
That Paul the apostle had.
Such stability and steadfastness for the gospel's sake and for Jesus' sake. He was willing to go through anything any kind of suffering and He did for He was a chosen vessel to suffer for your name's sake.
Lord help us to remember when our time comes that you are all worth it. You are worth it. All we have to do is look at the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord we thank you that you are purifying and cleansing your people today before that great day of judgment as we see judgment about us and other parts of the country and third world countries.
Lord you are wrapping things up and God through great difficulty and pain and affliction. Yes. But we thank you for the good of our souls and for the glory that awaits us at the end. And Lord help us to draw nearer to you.
Help us not to forget the great love.
That's behind of the.
Rod of affliction. That rod should comfort us Lord. Help us to gaze upon Jesus and look at His sufferings His great sufferings and what little sufferings we attend to. Lord this is where we turn. We turn to Jesus.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up those whose whoever believes will have eternal life. Lord we thank you for that eternal life in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your glory we pray.
Amen and Amen.