Sermon Tone Analysis
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This might be hard to believe
Stories that are hard to believe...
Illinois Kidnapper…his own account
Topeka Kansas store “Clerk”…worked for 3 hrs
“Innocent” Suspect…didn’t say that
New boat…and trailer
......Wandering Shepherd (Dr.
Randall D. Smith)
These are hard to believe…and they are funny.
But what I want to tell you about might also be hard to believe, but it’s true…but it’s not as funny.
Last week we talked about how God wants to turn our struggles into a platform that he can use us to reach out people getting swept up in similar struggles.
You might say, why would God do that?
If God can do anything, why wouldn’t he just get me out of my struggle?
It doesn’t make sense.
But I believe it’s one of those things that sounds strange, but it’s still true.
God wants us to entrust our suffering to him that he might use it for our good and the good of others.
Many of you might say, I do.
“I pray all the time when times are hard, I trust him to see me through.”
If I were to be honest though, would our prayer be more about us trust Him or just complaining?
Do we see ourselves as pawns of God…merely used and manipulated for his entertainment? or am I one of his beloved children who he has a great purpose?
Do we see our pain as something God has allowed into our lives because he is vengeful?
Or is there something in it for a bigger purpose?
How do you understand pain and suffering and God's role in it?
Many of us say things like…
God will always give you a way out.
God will never give me more than I can handle.
God will heal you if you just believe.
God will always protect his children.
I don’t think any of these are true.
They sound good, but they are not the truth.
The truth is, God has a plan for us to live beyond our circumstances, not one day in eternity…but right now, today, including in the midst of pain and suffering, our struggles.
So the question we must ask is, instead of looking to escape the struggle,
How do we trust our struggle to God?
To accept that struggle has a bigger purpose in our lives than pain and difficulty.
What is God’s desire for suffering in our lives?
Why does God let it happen?
Well if you look in Scripture, you will find a lot of verses that explain God’s purpose for our life.
One of those is 2 Cor 3:18.
God’s purpose for our lives, to become like Christ.
If that is the goal of our lives, to be restored into a relationship with God our father who can then transform us or conform us into Christlike-ness, then God can use anything and everything he wills for that purpose.
He doesn't’ waste anything....not even our hurts.
I believe that since God’s ways are holy, and just, God would use the best way to produce this holiness in us.
So you see, I believe God teaches us in scripture that suffering can produce real transformation in our lives as we trust our suffering to God.
But how do we do that?
That’s what Peter was writing to explain here in this letter.
That’s what Peter’s letter to the church is all about.
He’s been talking about it all this time, but now he begins to get very specific.
The passage starts “so then”, it’s one of those phrases that points back to something earlier in the text.
I’ve told you before whenever a passage starts with this sort of phrase, it’s important to go back and see what the writer is point back to.
We don’t have to go back very far to find out what Peter is talking about here.
Jesus lived a sinless life, yet died a sinners death…for us.
He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the power of God’s spirit.
And now, Jesus is now in heaven seated in a place of honor with God, in authority of all powers and spiritual forces.
That’s where Jesus is today.
Jesus is victorious!
NOW, arm yourselves with the same attitude, and be ready to suffer.
Because you know that your suffering in this life will be rewarded in the next.
God’s desire for us begins with us having the same attitude of Christ.
Obedience and servanthood.
Two things that Jesus modeled for us to center our lives on Peter uses to point out that they will be the open front door to suffering in our lives, to struggling.
This might be too hard for some of us to believe.
Best things for our kids
…we can’t imagine that God would command us to do things that would lead to trouble in our lives.
Why not?
If God can use anything to transform us…wouldn’t he use the best thing?
The most effective thing?
Perhaps obedience and servanthood are the best teachers.
First, Obedience opens the door to suffering in our lives
1 Peter 4:2-6
Obedience opens the door to struggles
Early Christians were ostracized for their obedience.
They didn’t seek to blend in…they understood God’s call for them to be holy, yet in their holiness, not to shrink back from society.
Not to hide from the pressures of their peers.
Second, we are called to serve.
Serving opens the door to suffering as well.
1 Peter 4:7-11
Serving opens the door to struggles
When we serve others it changes us…that’s why Jesus modeled it for us, because he wanted to teach us to think like him.
You see when we are served, what do we learn?
I think of that commercial where the kid calls his grandmom in the other room and asks for another grape soda.
The kid isn’t learning anything by his grandmothers service.
It’s when the child serves that his thinking changes…of course the commercial doesn’t show that part though.
Serving changes the one serving…not the one being served.
The Change
Not to avoid struggles....but to cling to Jesus in the midst of them.
Not to be delivered from, but to experience Christ in them.
Christlikeness is about accepting and taking responsibility for the things that GOd allows into our lives.
5 things this change in attitude, change in perspective brings about in our life.
5 ways you can apply this change in perspective to the struggles in your life.
1. Expect Struggles.
:12 Don’t be surprised.
In fact when struggles come, you should know you are on the right track.
In fact if everything is going well....you may need to really focus.
ILLUSTRATION: Budget meeting…things are healthy, but that should tell us to get ready to move.
2. Rejoice in Struggling.
:13 Suffering allows us to share in the life of Christ that leads to a future glory with Christ
While not a pleasing experience, we know that our best comes out in hard times.
Think about the times in your life when everything was going right?
What was special?
Now think about the times in life when things were tough.
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