1 Peter 3:12-22 • What to do with suffering?
Before we get into this. I just want to open up a brief story and then someone that works just pray for here this morning, but about five years ago this older couple. They're in their mid-70s. Our church at that time was about average age 28 29, if you attended during that season just a lot of young families couple comes walking into our church, and they said they they walk out and they told me this story and they tell to me very very often actually almost every time I have lunch with them. I love them dearly looked at her husband and said I love this place, but we're never going back. Are we He showed up in this full Suit & Tie very very traditional and how he View Church and he looked at his wife and he said honey, that's our church. That's our church and this couple has been really influential in our church. I'm actually just pulled the right here was was made for me by by him. They greeted and brought donuts and it's Lewiston Janet's and you know, Lewis and Janet, you know, the big smile that Lewis brings in and you know, Janet her sweetheart and Janet's been going through just some surgeries and just as last weekend had a complication and infection is called MRSA that happened after the surgery and she's she's 80 almost 81 and our church needs to pray for her right now. So Janet amazing her daughter Sandy goes to our church her granddaughter Mackenzie. Just walk back with our 1st through 5th graders. Our great-grandchildren. She's got a few that come here as well. So for Generations there a matriarch a woman of Faith a woman that loves God, and she needs her and so corporately we're going to pray for her now individually I ask her out the week that you guys are praying for her and then lift her up. So let's do that other. Thank you.
Make sure that you're good. Thank you that you came and that you rescued us. That you have delivered us in even as we saying that just as the grave had no power over you that same promise is given to us for our faith is placed in you and we have the Blessed hope of the resurrection of the lord. We also know that you have power over sickness and that you are able to heal and able to touch and able to fix what even doctors cannot fix it today God. We ask that your Mighty hand would touch Janet that you would feel her body that you would just be able to extend her days that we can continue to enjoy her laughter her warms her friendship that we can continue to glean from her and spend time around her. Let me know that you placed great doctors around here and people are caring for her. We also know the power of prayer and your Mighty hand touch to heal to move in the name of Jesus. We ask this we pray for this we desire this knowing that you are able that. You are good that you are kind of you are gracious. So move in this situation we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen this week as you guys think about her. Please lift her up in prayer. We love her dearly and deeply And actually you know, what I'm going to be talking about today. I had no idea how this would even tie in and it does what we're looking at today as I even sat there Wednesday morning frustrated as I was studying and couldn't figure out where we're headed with this passage and I sat there Wednesday morning at her home frame with her before surgery. So I want to read 1st Peter. I want to read this latter half a chapter 3 to you. I can follow along if you'd like in verse 13, it says now. Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled. But in your hearts honor Christ the lord as holy always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who ask for you a reason for the hope that is in you you do it with gentleness and respect. How did it good conscience so that when you are slandered those Revival Year good behavior in Christ me to put the shame for it is better to suffer for doing good. If that should be God's will for Christ also suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous. But he might bring us to God being put to death in The Flash but being made alive in the spirit in which we went and Proclaim to the spirits in prison because they were formerly did not obey God's patience waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight persons were brought safely through water baptism, which corresponds to this now saves you not as removal of dirt from the body that is an appeal to God for a good conscience to the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is gone into heaven and it's the right hand of God with angels authorities. The powers haven't been subjected to him. What are the things that I deeply appreciate about the Bible the truth of God's word that is given to us and not just in the Old Testament and the New Testament is it deals a lot with human suffering, doesn't it? What tends to be one of our biggest grievances against God when I sit down with people and talk with them and we have conversations whether their followers of Jesus they believe in God or not. One of the things they tend to bring up is why if God is good. Do we see so much pain and hurt and suffering. In fact, it tends to be one of the strongest arguments that people who don't believe in God have against him yet the Bible never shies away from this topic and scriptures on in The Human Experience. Be at through the Injustice that happens to us through others like slavery violence. there's a whole story in the beginning of Exodus that focuses on that alone people who are crying out to God it seemed as a God was very distant and not Pharaoh was the one in control and he was the one who was able to create pain and ease that pain or maybe it's the very hard that we bring ourselves because we sow to the Flesh and Lee Reed from The Flash and we seen this even in the life of Jacob in that narrative and Genesis a man who betrayed and lied to his father who hurt his brother who didn't had to run away and be gone from home. We see also that this world is a fallen broken devastated world that has disease that has a sickness and is hurt that is pain is a breakdown of our bodies in the Bible. It talks about all kinds of pain. Curry job and his story he suffered. the loss of children He suffered the loss of finances. He suffered from boils on his body he suffered cuz he realized the relationships around him. Maybe weren't always the best and didn't have the best intentions for him. In the Bible doesn't shy away from the fact that suffering exists. It does not teach some way of Escape through meditation or simply acting as if it's not real and there's some other round we can enter into as other philosophies and religions might teach and if you've come to redeemers for sometime you go man. We sure have to talk about suffering a lot. That's because the scriptures talk about suffering. The Bible does the constant theme in human life. And because of that there's an onslaught of questions, I could ask surrounding this idea and topic of suffering angles over the last couple years. We seen that when you suffer God is near does it always feel like it? It always seemed like it but when you suffer God is near we've approach to this this topic of suffering to answer some of the questions of why it exists or whose fault. Is it at Paradox that we saw in 1st Peter chapter 1 where this idea that we when we suffer we were still able to Rejoice not that we Rejoice because we're suffering or Not that we're suffering and someday Will Rejoice foot that even in the midst of suffering because of what Christ has done in our lives. There can be ever Joy scene in our hearts. And today we're going to see that suffering produces something else. Suffering produces something in his there's a few things we have to talk about first and Peter declares first. He says don't be surprised by suffering. Just because you are following Jesus and serving. The lord doesn't mean that we have these lies that are exempt from crisis doesn't mean that we get a free car on the difficulties in trials and challenges and there could be some sense in which that creeps into our hearts. Are we safe? But God will look at what I've done why then do I have to walk through the pain and difficulties but others do as well. We're not exempt or get some kind of pass from suffering. Videos on to say something in this chapter where he says don't be surprised if you do righteousness, if you do good and you suffer. I'm okay with the first premise. We all suffer. See it.
parents comes to us all but then the second Tremors of don't be surprised if even when you do the right thing. The song will come against you.
Difficult to swallow because the reality is is in life. We're trained to look for the right formula to avoid suffering. We want to find out what it would be like in so we pursue some sort of life that says this will ensure that I won't have pain or trouble our struggle and we all have a definition of what it means to have some sort of successful life, but in some form or another we got this formula that says if you do this this in this then you can avoid suffering all together. What happens in world the systems or people think if I can just work hard enough and make enough money. Then I won't experience the pain and suffering that others do. If I can just make myself attractive enough and friendly enough, then I won't have the same kind of relationship lost that others do if I can just paint my body up enough when I'm later in life. You still feel young did I won't feel the breakdown in the devastation that I'm falling apart people have all sorts of ways in which they want to deal with. Pain and suffering and have these formulas that say here is how I won't suffer even religious people do this.
Religious people think if I follow God in this way and do these things then surely surely. I will not have to go through the same thing as other people so we read the Old Testament wisdom books. Narrative Amigo. Okay, here's the formula steps to make sure that if I do these things precisely nothing bad will come my way or movie narrative. This is what happened to Jacob when he lied. So I better avoid that we should Jesus talking about the Beatitudes in The Sermon on the Mount and he saying this is how you should live your life and what we do with that didn't say is if we live our lives this way then obviously it's going to go well for us in this lifetime you were the Epistles and they say conduct yourself according to this manner and all that is good and should be strive for it is not the promise or the guarantee a way to avoid suffering. Therefore all of humanity is plagued with this great equalizer. It's a familiar foe a suffering. He's an enemy to us all and it reminds us that in this life. This is not all there is that we're living for? It causes us to go something is wrong with the world. Something is deeply wrong inside of human medicine. This is and write I meant for something different and it should begin to cause our hearts to ask the right questions up. Okay. This is broken of this isn't working. What is truth? What does God have to I can sense that something is not right and Peter is painting this picture of reconciliation and the hope that we have with God in this chapter. It's a beautiful thing in our lives. We need to find a way to say even when were inflicted with pain for doing right God is still good. I think I'm the story of Joseph. He's in Potiphar's house and Potiphar's wife there accuses him of something you didn't do so, then he gets thrown into prison and imprisoned. He's told by these two men that he tells the dreams that they would tell the Pharaoh that it was Joseph who told their green they don't he continued to do right and still things did not go his way and what happens this question plays us. Why why God Part of that is cuz we read verses like in 1st Peter. If you just back up a little bit in first 10 it says for whoever desires to love life and see good days. Let him keep his tongue from evil on his lips from deceit what a turn away from Evil and do good seek. Peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. He just putting the song this year and he says Those Who desire to love life, but does not mean those who have a trouble-free life for the previous verse actually says that you're going to face evil. There's going to be struggle that there's going to be difficulty. Even in Psalm 34 which Peter quote verse 19 he goes on to say many are the afflictions of the righteous then he adds but the Lord delivers them him out of them suggesting this type of enjoyment. Of life and contentment of Life given to us by God no matter our circumstances. I want to tell you what this is. This is living above the plane. Are y'all just playing in which we see life and we'll ever we go through an experience. It impacts us it gets into us a kindig at us. They can bring rejoicing to bring sorrow. Did you bring Brokenness Arkham free bring things that are put back together on the plane and we realize and scent and feel life and feel emotions.
I need my living above the plane is that regardless of whatever is going on in the plane of life. The river to transcend that in the sense that we can worship love and serve God because he is good regardless of our circumstances. The plane of life is typically how we get child things are going. It's typically how we say, it's good because I was born in a country where were free because I can pursue a career because I'm married or I'm single as able to have kids whatever it might be. We look at the plane of life and say this is what genes life is good and successful and then something happens in Life or something from us is ripped away that we once loved and that is when we sent Suffering The Good Health we held onto is now taken away from us and we feel the pain in the midst of
What's the go-to? I'm experiencing something of discomfort. God must not be good. If the scriptures declare something very different where to live above that plane and say whether I'm suffering. Reaping what I sow Zone experiencing the impact of the Fallen broken world that somebody is coming against me. There's a God who is still good in the midst of it too many people want to say something like Christianity isn't working. Never heard those words.
I heard somebody on here that's worth.
May you if you have don't understand Christianity. And I mean this in the most gentle loving way I can prevent its. What's your understanding as some form of religiosity that says if I pay into a system than the God above the system owes me something there for he has control over the way life should go and I can and it's not going how I want. They're not good. It's not working. But that's not what Christianity presents Christianity presents a broken Fallen Humanity that has rebelled against a good god that is said we can do it our way and better this is what our way and better looks like it's horrible. There's Wars and shutdowns and layoffs in Brokenness. fractured Society This is what it looks like to be fallen from the glory of God get in Christ has redeemed us. He's building as backup in him. And he think this is the way we were to live. This is how many countercultural this is how to go against the grain of society. But with the grain of God's word,
This is how we are to be but because of original sin. There's been a breakdown in this world because of original sin. There's no debt that has entered in because of the sin of man. Our days have been numbered and we feel and since the tragedy that sin has brought in.
God has created this world in such a way. That is a green. We are the flow with and when we do one of the time it'll probably go fairly well, but not all the time because we still have to deal with the evil that's out there in this world that is going against the grain and against us so why is there suffering original sin brought it in and then we see their suffering because you're a follower of Jesus.
Well, I like to be like right I shouldn't all the time. We did the opportunity have dinner with a lot of different people and afterwards always like G. I hope they like them. Oh man. I hope we presented ourselves in a way. That was okay or didn't say anything to horrible or shot or your ideas of what it would be like to hang out with a pastor and his wife. Could we do that on a daily shatterer people's because of that. I want to be white but Jesus says you follow me. You're not all going to be like, you know, why they didn't even like me. They didn't even like the one who lived perfectly who was holy who is righteous who always made the right decision. They didn't like me what makes you think they're going to like you and you do everything right? You know, what's going to happen to you? You're going to get killed. That's what they did say. So we sent here since here. even for doing right and the world's going to come against you. How do we respond to this? What he says here is really important first 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the lord as holy on a Christ the lord as holy. So just earlier in this chapter. He said what people do evil to you don't respond with evil back people revile. You don't revile them back. Does your dad live in such a way that he's ever been hurt by somebody the immediate response to want to inflict some sort of pain back on them. That's going to be a human instinctive notion. I'm going to pay them back. I'm going to get back at them and what Peter is writing is a different effect in which is been developed within our hearts one that says you stole from me. I'm going to make sure you pay it says don't repay evil with evil. Don't go beyond don't do the things. Even hurt even hurt deep show love and generosity and kindness.
We don't want to hear that.
We also want to desperately believe in our hearts at the righteous will not suffer. What do we do? How do we handle is West suffering producing in US? Was Chester when you're hurting when you're devastated when you're broken to honor Christ in your heart?
This is hard to do. Is what I'm suffering when I've experienced pain and hardship and difficulty. I don't want to honor I want to blame. Another one to blame myself because maybe I caused it and I blame myself. I can feel something real happening with Indian. I'm not just numbed out and then they want to blame somebody else for everything that's going on Ted, maybe in some circumstances. There's a premise for that because they truly have hurt and wronged you are there needs to be some dealing with that. But the last thing I want to do in that moment is honor Christ in my heart as holy as good as God because I want him to bring Justice there and then but if I honor Christ, holy in my heart, it changes my perspective it changes how to do the plank that I've been looking at and it says look at who I am. I'm going to bring Justice. I'm going to bring all of this under me at some point be patient be long-suffering be kind because you don't know Bret's but it may be through this hurt. They've caused you and the love that You show them that I'm going to grip and grab a hold of their hearts because the gospel is being presented in a tangible way.
What you think about a place your M1 or recently deep hurt pain suffering? Where's your heart gone? Where's your mind gone? Where's your list on front of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the heart is the control center of man. She can know really easily what you're feeling when you've been wronged by what you're thinking and speaking.
But honoring Christ look like she was suffering is to produce a heart that honors him as Lord.
Not Justa lift myself up and think how can I get what I want through the situation to suffering refines us. I don't like hearing this. Makes you see this world is not the end game. things that we thought mattered they begin to fade as we get chipped away at little by little and in that I'm not quite sure process to the most extreme point of how this happens, but it makes it so there's this more room for God to move in our lives the grip in the Allure of the world Fades as I go through seasons of suffering is replaced by a deep joy and love for God. What are the most traumatic? Difficult seasons of Our Lives that shared with you and it comes up often because it relates so well is October 20th 2012 when my wife's mom passed away. We walked through something. So horrific and horrible and difficult and painful. Because of deep sorrow and one of the things that did in us but didn't produce an anger or hate towards God. It didn't produce an anger or hate towards other people. What date is it showed us what truly matters in life. This is early on in our marriage and you know, when marriage you're married or have been married is a lot of little annoyances is the spouses. I guess I'm the only one.
My number one, I don't do towels, right? I found this out later. She's to go and tell her mom.
And so these little annoyances I really think there was a distinct moment after that where they didn't bug us as much. Different things that have happened along the way in our lives. Things are people that robbed us maybe the wrong way or maybe we rub them the wrong way and they responded the way we didn't like there been other things that have happened or we've been taken advantage of and things like I just invited the things that happened to everybody, but you know what? I don't matter as much because it changed our perspective on what matters. What matters seen people come to know Jesus Christ what matters it is family in spending time and not the things that we amass in the things that we get. She when we suffered and began to refine us and God continues to use suffering in our lives to refine us and I think in this room in the sizes bag, there are people suffering too many different degrees submarines not something we can parents now. We don't do that because we each experience whatever is going on in a table to look at suffering and go it's his doing something is chipping away at my life so I can have more of him move in suffering produces. Hope in us that's number three. Suffering produces. Hope we honor Christ in our hearts and the power of this world begins to lose its grip on us. Is the promises of Jesus? Suffer you gone through pushes us to see we need him. Houses are possible on here. Inverse 18 be read for Christ also suffered once for sins. The righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God. Peter wants you to see
the ultimate Act of suffering and then good that I brought about Peter wants this argument to stick in our minds and it's also an example that says suffering is hard and terrible and difficult but God works in it and God works through house. So this past is present to huge theological themes. Did you want to move out of the emotional side for just a second? I want to move into some head knowledge here. That should get into your heart and make you go. Wow. God is so good. What are the terms that we throw out here is his term substitutionary atonement accomplished on the cross Tulsa known as penal substitution where there was a penalty that had been wrapped up on RN. What happened on the cross is one who was righteous who didn't deserve to be condemned these stood in our place and he suffered once for sin not over and over again, but once on the cross the righteous for the unrighteous that what that you might be brought you God. This in a nutshell sums up the mission of Jesus. He came to glorify the father and in so doing having live the righteous like perfectly. Holy did not send he becomes this Lambda substitutionary lamp for
any student our place any took that upon himself why so we could be brought close to God? So we could be brought into the fold of God. This is incredible and really since the Reformation this point has been turned way up on the volume control which each often and shout it and Proclaim it as we should but it's not the only thing that happens there on the cross. Rashid crisis victus or Christ Victorious and that level has been turned down some but First Peter chapter 3 turns that Notch up and says don't turn substitutionary atonement down. This is a chief team in scripture God has done for you. But you know, what else happened in that moment when the enemy thought he triumphant what are the greatest pictures we have of it today. Is that of CS Lewis when he writes about Aslan in the wicked witch and all of the wickedness around that he really began to Congregate together in one place and they murdered Aslan and they rejoiced in party because they thought wickedness had one. But not so for as asthma and came back the grave could not keep the true Aslan which is our God Jesus and he has proclaimed victory over death victory over the grave. He said not only is it paid not only have I suffered for this but now I rule and Iran and I'm in control. Look at verse 22 quizzed on in heaven is at the right hand of God is the Angels Authority and power having been subjected to him. What are you saying is? I'm in control as king and judge overall. angels
more stories of a power over everything going on I rain. I need to let this sink into our hearts when it comes to the idea of suffering. Cuz it's not that God can't work in and through it. Sometimes we don't want to see him move her. So angry with him, but God is even in control and power over all As we sing that first song going on in our lives and in the universe and he's good and he wants to meet you there. Now 1st Peter gets really weird. I'm going to tie this all in and where to land This Plane here in just a second 7 verse 19 In which he went in for playing to the spirits in prison because they formerly did not obey when God's patience wait in the days of Noah with the ark was being prepared. Which of you that is eight persons were brought safely through water baptism which corresponds to this now saves you not as the removal of dirt in the body does an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Read a lot of commentaries on this this week, but a lot of books in the past on this this week is one of the sections in scripture where we say, everything is equally true but not everything is equally clear. We may not fully understand it and there are five views on this little section of scripture there really are two main views one of a natural look at it and one of a supernatural look super natural. Look. We don't have time for it. It's something in that spiritual realm he went and preached to the spirits in prison. And the meaning of this is disputed who are the spirits in prison on believers who have died Old Testament believers who died Fallen Angels. What did he preach second chance for repentance Burgatory completion of redemption of work final condemnation. When did he preach in the days of Noah between his death and resurrection and after his resurrection.
Can argue I'm not going to elevate my view and say you're absolutely wrong. But I want at least present to you. What I believe is truth in this text to bring some clarity to it because our minds might wondered what in the world is going on here. Where did Christ go or did he go anywhere? What did he preach and why did he do that? The first view is one. That's a very natural view to this text. Because the spirits in prison could refer to either human Spirits in Hell or to Fallen Angelic spirits and how 2nd Peter 2 4 and Jude 6 refer to spiritual beans in prison Luke 16 23 through 24 as well 2nd Peter 2:9 talk about human spirits that are imprisoned. This passage is talking about spirits that formerly did not obey during the days of Noah. Who didn't disobey who didn't obey during the days of Noah, we know men didn't. We also know there's something really strange going on that day. There are these things called the Nephilim. And they were coming unto the daughters of man and having children of their own the natural view which is one that is taken by and large a lot of people today. Mostly because we live in a society that doesn't really want knowledge the supernatural realm of scripture. This whole spirit world had their powers and principalities and authorities. The Bible declares that are actually against us a natural view of this text says something like this. Noah through his righteous Works Noah who preached righteousness is actually speaking the gospel of Christ. So he's more of an ambassador through Christ preaching the gospel in that day and age to those who didn't believe so through Noah. Jesus is speaking and just like and Noah's day as it is in 1st Peter in. They were Thurs hostility and there's problems and there's difficulty there suffering going on. Noah remain faithful and righteous so to the church is to remain faithful and righteous all kinds of parallels in the text has a great view. I like that view. Drop that off but I think is a better understanding to this text. It's going on here is because Christ is Victorious. It's Christ himself as this text most literally naturally explains goes into the prison where these evil spirits are from the days of Noah flood rebelled against God would let their natural state who had chained up who during the dates of Jesus mean spirited high can sense that something was going on and we read evil was coming together against Jesus and they crucify him and he goes between that crucifixion and resurrection and he said you did not win. I am victorious. I have one because there is a real spiritual battle that is happening and it's not just a job, but it is his other realm that rebelled against him. But is that wore Satan himself is called the prince of the air. And it goes into that world and he says you have no authority to you have no power because I am the Christ and I am redeeming and saving a people for myself and I'm rescuing this world for me and he's declaring that he is Victorious. How much are so amazing about this? isn't Peter goes in and says baptism correlates to this the Judgment Waters of the flood didn't kill Noah, but he was safely carried through. In Romans, we realize that in baptism. We're being very just like Christ. Everybody had baptized under I brought back up. That's really good news. If you ever want to get baptized I've been able to pull you back out symbolizing. The we go under someday, we all go under or brought back up. Victoriously baptism is a planche. It's a pledge baptism. He says here so it doesn't save you know, The outward washing away is the n-word a commitment to Christ. But every Christian should needs to be baptized and it's a statement. It's a pledge covenanted with God and his kingdom in his side. I'm out walking in that other world. Are there other life the outward sign of the n-word Covenants? Nowhere else in scripture could be ever a some Churches teach down to the idea that somehow baptism saves us Paul is very adamant. That is faith alone that says not circumcision at word connects, but yet throughout the Epistles. We read the important that Jesus told us to be baptized. I need a declaration that I'm on God's side and God's team. It's a pledge of what he has done in our lives and it further shows like Christ went and preached this message. He said you you don't have them they're mine because of the Resurrection all things are subject to him because of the cross in the heat was raised from the dead. He has authority over everything and every dimension. That's what's going on in this text. Jesus the Same I win I win I win so this morning redeemers. I want you to hear this. In this world as Peter says it's going to be pain and suffering. What is a follower of Jesus this world is not all that you have. As you've gone under so to speak and then raised with him. There's a greater hope that we have to hold on to look forward to and you may not need this help right now you think but you better well put it in your pocket and remember it just life might be good. It's always come in at us. Always going to be difficult days and to remember whose side you're on and that he has one because he has one he's adopted us and he's made his sons and daughters co-heirs with him a great hope that weak link to if you don't know this and you don't have this today, we invite you to it to know this Jesus who stood in your place who died for you who is raised for you so you can have life in him.
Father thank you for the reality of this Truth for trade. Did you know the grave could not keep you could not hold you Jesus that you were resurrected and we have the same hope. That you are taking us from the kingdom of darkness and play stuff into the Kingdom of Light. But you didn't just tell us how to live but you lived the life. We could not live that you've given us your life. You've redeemed and rescued and ransomed us. Turn our hearts take great. Hope in this.
pictures of the world fade away
hello suffering in here. I pray that you would bring East for situation. But in the midst of it would cause them to long for you in a much deeper way. You're shouting out to us with a megaphone in the midst of our suffering. An offering yourself in your goodness and your kindness to us. But you comfort Hearts lift up spirits that are down and then we see you and Worship You In Praise You In The Name of Jesus. We have to call this a man.