Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
once again for allowing us again to gather together and to be
together in this oasis and to hear Thy Word preached and proclaimed.
We pray that You would take these words and minister to Your people,
Lord Jesus. That the Holy Spirit would illuminate
the Scriptures and teach us more and more again of Christ. and
that we would not take for granted the wonderful privilege and honor
we have of gathering together. We love you, we praise you, we
pray that you would be magnified and glorified today. In Jesus'
name, amen. Open your Bibles, if you would,
to 1 Peter chapter 4, or continue our study in this wonderful book
that we've been going through. 1 Peter, we're now in chapter
4, we'll be finishing the chapter of Lord Willen today. And today's
message is called Bearing Reproach for Christ. Bearing Reproach
for Christ. And we're continuing this book,
and this book is a book about suffering saints, whom Peter's
writing to. And he's writing to them, exhorting
them on various things. But he's exhorting them and keeps
bringing them to Christ. continuously brings forth, in
contrast, the sufferings of Christ with their own sufferings. And
how, although our sufferings are great to us, and they are
when we're going through it, in light of what Christ suffered
for us, it really is small what we go through here. Although,
again, I'm not minimizing anything that we go through, because it's
huge to us, it's big to us. But in light of what Christ suffered
to redeem his people from their sins. It's amazing. Now, when we were last together,
we looked at how love covers a multitude of sin and how the
believer in Christ is one who is forgiving. We let things go. We let things go. When we consider
the great The great amount of forgiveness that we've had, the
great pardon that we've received in and through Christ, it's not
hard for us to be forgiving towards other people. And Brother Joel
made a wonderful statement when he was here. We were talking
at the house, and I think he touched on it a little bit in
one of his lessons. But he made a wonderful statement
when he was here in regard to this. He brought forth that if
we look at each other in Christ, if we look at each other in Christ,
it'll make it easier for us to forgive our brethren when they've
wronged us, or when they've done something
that hasn't pleased us, and it'll make it easy for us to forgive
them. And if they look at us in Christ, it'll make it easier
for them to forgive us too when we've wronged them. So if we
all look at each other in Christ, We see our insufficiencies, don't
we? We see, because like Joe said,
we're all gonna let each other down. But if we see each other
in Christ, if we look at each other in Christ, it makes it
very easy for us to forgive one another. And we see each other
as members of the body of Christ. We see each other as members
of the body of Christ. So let's look at our text today.
It'll be found in verses 12 to 19 here. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as you are
partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be
revealed, ye shall be glad with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory
and of God resteth upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken
of, being Christ, but on your part, he is glorified. But let
none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer,
or as a busybody in other man's matters. Yet if any man suffer
as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify
God on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment
must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely
be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore
let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to Him, being Christ, and well doing
as unto a faithful creator. So, we have here before us, in
verse 12 and 13, that we're not to count it strange. We're not
to count it strange when we suffer for Christ. When we suffer in
this world for Christ. Look at verses 12 and 13. Beloved,
think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering, that when
his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding
joy. Now Hawker brings forth that
in this portion it's probable that the Apostle Paul had in
view the rune of Jerusalem when he spoke these words, especially
with the verse that talks about judgment being at the house of
the Lord. When he spoke about Jerusalem
concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and that was coming
fast. That was coming fast when this was being written. Jerusalem
was to be sacked in the most awful way. And the Christians, the church
in Jerusalem, was being reproached for Christ. They were suffering,
beloved. They were suffering for what
they believed. They were being ostracized by their Jewish families,
and they were suffering. And the time of judgment beginning
at Jerusalem in the temple, that is the house of God, literally
took place in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was sacked by
the Romans. And let us not forget that amongst
those unbelieving Jews, there was believing. There was believing
brethren. There was Jews who had believed
Christ. And so let us take comfort that
these words will suit the church in all ages, too. In all ages,
and we'll see this. All the ages, through all the
ages, God's people have suffered. Just read Fox's book of Christian
martyrs. Just make sure you got a box
of Kleenex beside you when you're gonna read that book. What these
people suffered for Christ. We have it very easy. We have
it very easy. But what sweet comfort God's
people can take from this book. God's suffering saints all through
the ages know that the one who support all those saints that
went before them and all the saints who will come after them
is the Lord Jesus Christ. The same Lord who supported them
through their fiery trials is the same Lord who will support
us through our fiery trials. The same one who bore these suffering
saints as they were reproached for Christ is the same Lord who
will bear us through the trials when we're reproached for Christ.
The same Lord. The same Lord. And note here
he brings forth the fact that they are beloved of God right
away. Look at verse 12. Beloved. They're beloved of God. So Peter's writing again to God's
blood-bought people. He's writing to God's beloved
people. The word beloved in the Greek is beloved ones. Beloved
ones. Think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you. Now the, this word is a Greek
word, beloved. The underlying Greek word means
divinely loved ones. Divinely loved ones. It speaks
of God's divine and infinite love. That's comforting. That's comforting for God's people. One Greek scholar said we could
translate it divinely loved ones. Divinely loved ones. And Peter
uses this word as a descriptive title reminding the recipients
of this letter who again were suffering for their faith. because
of persecution, because of what they believed, but Peter comforts
them here. And what is the charge to God's
preachers, right? Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
sayeth the Lord. So we see Peter here comforting
the suffering saints of God, letting them know that they were
loved with an everlasting love by our great God. And again,
what a sweet pillow this would be for them to lay their head
upon, one commentator said. Just like we lay our head at
night, resting, despite everything that's going on in this world,
we see things going on, we think, my goodness, what's going on?
But isn't it amazing that you and I who believe can pillow
our head at night, knowing that our God is in full control? and we wake up in the morning
and we don't have to stress about the world's events and the things,
knowing that our God is in full control. And sometimes with Peter, we
cry, Lord, help my unbelief. Don't we? Because we get worked
up sometimes about things going on. That's why we just gotta
keep focusing on our great king. Use this as a pillow. Use this
comforting word as a pillow for your heart, beloved. Beloved. God's people are beloved of God.
What comfort is found in this one little word, beloved? Now,
Peter brings forth that they are Think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you. In the Greek it's think it not
alien. Don't think it to be alien that
you're going to go through things, because we do. We do go through
things as believers. Don't think it alien that you
have these trials and tribulations. Oh my. In verse 13, look what
it brings forth. You are partakers of Christ's
suffering. So if our Lord suffered, we're going to suffer. We're
going to suffer. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice in much as you are
partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be
revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. the Christians
were thinking that the suffering which they were enduring was
a thing foreign or alien to their Christian lives. As if Christianity
provided an immunity from suffering. And this is something we need
to let new converts know. This is something we need to
let people who are young in the faith know. That they're gonna
suffer for the faith. We're going to suffer for their
faith. We're going to go through trials and tribulations. But
let us never forget, in light of our suffering as our dear
brother Drew brought out, afterward it yielded the peaceable fruit
of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Afterward. So when you're going through
a trial and tribulation, afterward, beloved. Afterward. Let us remember that. And note
here the fiery trial mentioned here in verse 12. The same Greek
word is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in the Septuagint
in Proverbs 27.21 and Psalm 66.10. Let's turn there if we could.
And it's rendered a furnace. It's rendered a furnace. Look
over in Psalm 27.21 and Psalm 66.10 is where we'll go. A furnace, beloved. So our trials are like a furnace. Look in Psalm 27, verse 21. As the finding pot for silver
And the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise. I'm sorry,
that's Proverbs 27, 21. I messed it up again. Proverbs
27, 21. Not Psalm 27. Proverbs 27, and
then we'll go to Psalm 66, 10. Proverbs 27, 21. As the finding pot for silver,
and the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise. Furnace
there. We see that rendered furnace
for gold. And then go to Psalm 66.10. Now what happens when you put
gold into a furnace? It becomes refined. It becomes
refined. Here's an old story for you that
I read years ago. A man walked into a smith back
in the days when they used to smith gold. And he asked the smith, he said,
I see that you've got the fire burning, the furnace burning
there, how do you know when the gold's done? How do you know
when the gold is refined? You know what that old smith
said to him? When I can see my reflection. Think of that when
we go through trials and tribulations. And remember this, we're being
conformed to the image of Christ while we're here on this earth.
My goodness, we're going through a fiery furnace. We're being
refined, beloved. Remember, we're being stones
made ready, stones made ready. Look at this in Psalm 66, 10.
For thou, O God, has proved us. Thou has tried us as silver is
tried. And this again speaks of the
refining process. So let's go back to our text
in verse 12 of. Chapter four, first Peter, chapter
four, verse Well, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing
happened unto you. So the word in our text for fiery
there literally means a burning, it's a furnace. But it's used
in these passages in the Greek Septuagint that we just looked
at to refer to a smelting furnace. And the smelting process in which
gold or silver is purified. So Peter here in our text, in
verse 12, is bringing forth that the sufferings which the recipients
of this letter were undergoing was like God refining them in
a smelting furnace. Kind of changes the perspective
of our trials and tribulations, doesn't it? And let us remember that trials
are not strange and unusual for the true believer. They're common
for all of us. All who will live godly in Christ
Jesus. Here are four things for us to
remember about trials. They try our faith. They try
our faith, which becomes more precious through trial, because
Christ is the object of our faith. They try our love for Christ,
which cannot be dimmed or drowned in the floods of suffering. They
actually draw us closer to the Lord. I remember Sister Marge
talking to Sister Marge, and she said, Brother Wayne, I thank
God for this cancer that I have because it's drawn me closer
to the Lord than I've ever been before. Brother Tim, you can
attest to that. We used to talk to her on the phone, and it was
amazing to talk to her. She was just incredible. They
also try our hope of eternal life. They wean us from the fleshy
foundations of this world. We have grave clothes on, beloved.
we have grave clothes on, and they fall off when we go through
fiery trials and different things that come up in our lives. And
they try our profession of religion, they try our profession of Christ,
revealing whether it is in Christ's person or in the loaves and fishes
he provides. Tries our faith. Is it real?
Let's quickly look at verse 13. But rejoicing as much as you
are partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be
revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. Now the Christian
has no cause for rejoicing and suffering that is brought on
because of our own misdoing. We don't have any cause for that.
And oftentimes that's the case with us, right? But the suffering
here mentioned is when we suffer for righteousness sake. and for
Christ. Now, we will never, ever enter
into what He suffered upon the cross, because He treaded the
wide press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God alone. Now, the sufferings of Christ,
which we share in common, are His sufferings for righteousness'
sake, which, even while He was dying upon the cross, they were
throwing barbs at Him. They were reproaching Him, even
as our Savior died upon the cross. The sinless one, dying for sinners. The sufferings that are spoken
here are the sufferings that He suffered before He went to
the cross too. Turn, if you would, to Colossians
1. Colossians 1. Paul wrote of these sufferings. And Peter here writes of these
sufferings also. Colossians 1. Verses 24 and 25. Now we know that Paul is suffering
for Christ. He's suffering because of his
faith in Christ. He's being reproached for his
faith. Colossians 1, 24 and 25, who
now rejoiced in my sufferings for you and fill up that which
is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his
body's sake, which is the church, wherever I am made a minister
according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me
for you to fulfill the word of God. But now look, he rejoices
in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind
of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake.
And let's go back to our text. Peter brings forth that in these
sufferings we are able to rejoice and give the glory to the Lord
as these trials and afflictions. Think of this too. When we're
being reproached and when we're being going through trials for
our faith, God's allowing that to happen. When your family turns against
you, I had that happen. Brother Donnie had that happen. When when people who you know
and love and. Don't want to have nothing to
do with you because of your belief in Christ. It's hard. But we have to remember that
these trials and afflictions have been bought upon us by the
will of God. have been bought upon us by the
will of God for the sake of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And rejoice, beloved God, that the hand of God is upon you in
mercy. Rejoice. Rejoice that He's having mercy
on you and not wrath. Rejoice. Making you like Christ
as you go through trials and tribulations, as He's conforming
you to the image of Christ. and rejoice that He counts you
worthy to suffer, to suffer for His glory. Rejoice
that you are blessed to share the sufferings of Christ, being
identified with Him in a world that rejects and hates Him. We
were once there, weren't we? Rejoice, also beloved of God,
that His full glory will be revealed in the last day. Rejoice that
you've been identified with Him, suffered with Him, confessed
Him, and that one day you'll be glorified by Him. And you'll see Him face to face. Let's look at verses 14 and 16
together. We see an indication of the character
of these sufferings as the world was casting in the teeth of Christians
to whom Peter was writing to. And I talked to Brother Drew
yesterday, and we were talking about this portion a little bit.
And he said, yeah, I knew a guy who said, oh, I'm suffering for
Christ. He was the most cantankerous
man he said he'd ever met. He said, no, you're not. And
he said, oh, yeah, I am. He said, no, you're not. You're
causing the trouble. My goodness. Look at verses 14
and 16 here. If ye be reproached for the name
of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God
rested upon you. On their part He is evil spoken
of, but on your part He is glorified. Now think of that. That's flipped
from our natural state, isn't it? Oh, what a miracle. What a miracle. the new birth
and salvation in Christ is. Look at that. We once spoke evil
of him. I did. Now I glorify him. I just look at that and marvel,
just marvel at that. But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other man's matters. Again, if any man suffer as a
Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this
behalf. We see there in verse 14 they're
being reproached, which in the Greek means to deframe, disparage,
reproach. Generally it means to rail at
and revile, to assail with abusive words. And think of this, this is what
they did to our Lord while He hung upon the cross. This is
what they did to our Lord during His ministry. But you know what our Lord says
to us? Turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 5. Look at this. And keep this in mind, too, that
to be reproached is to be revealed, too. Matthew 5.11. I think this will
bless your soul. Blessed my soul when I read it.
Oh, my. Look at this. Same Greek word
used in Matthew 5.11 here, translated revile. Same Greek root is reproached
there. Same Greek word, Matthew 5, where
we read verses 11 and 12. Blessed are ye when men shall
revile you. Or reproach, as Peter, it's over there in 1 Peter. When
they revile you. When they speak evil of you when
you've not done evil. Blessed are ye. And persecute
you. You ever been persecuted for
your faith? and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad,
for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Who is our reward, beloved? Christ is our reward, isn't he?
Oh my beloved, oh my. Calvin comments this way on this
verse here. He said Peter here brings forth
reproaches because there is often more bitterness in them than
in the loss of goods or in the torments or agonies of the body.
There is therefore nothing which is more grievous to the ingenious
minds, for we see that many who are strong to bear want, or courageous
in torments, or even bold to meet death, do yet succumb unto
reproach." So when religionists speak evil
of you, and others speak evil of you and persecute you for
your faith in Christ Jesus, and persecute you for belief in the
gospel of God's sovereign grace, don't be downcast, beloved. Rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice. Look at verse
15 now. But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other man's matters. Peter brings forth, let none
of us suffer reproach, and here we see the context, is a murderer,
which is one who hates or destroys other people's character and reputation by either gossip
or slander or who wishes misfortune upon others. Then he brings forth, let none
of you suffer reproach, is a thief, which is one who robs men of
the love you owe them. And the gospel message you sent,
you sent to share. that none of you suffer reproach
as an evildoer, or as a meddler, or as a busybody, one who takes
upon themselves to manage, direct, or command the affairs and lives
of others. So Peter's contrasting, saying,
you're bringing this upon yourself if you're suffering for these
things, you see. If you suffer for Christ's sake,
you're suffering for righteousness, but these things don't be found
to be barren reproach for these things, because this is all the
flesh. See the contrast? He's teaching them, isn't he?
He's teaching them. These things will bring reproach
upon those who do them, but they're not suffering for righteousness
sake, but they're reproaches that one brings upon themselves.
So Peter's bringing forth, don't do this. And even for us, don't
be like this. Don't be like this. See, I love
the scriptures this way because it teaches us, doesn't it? It
teaches us. So let's consider, too, a little
history in light of these words. It says, yet if any man suffer
as a Christian. Now there was the cult of Caesar.
We've looked at that before. It was the state religion of
the Roman Empire. And the emperor was worshipped
as God. And this served two purposes. This served two purposes back
then. The subjects of Rome gave obedience to the laws of the
empire, not only as a political, but as a religious duty. And
it was a unifying factor. I think more so from this, studying
history and aspects, it was a unifying factor which bound the many different
people of the empire. Because remember, their empire
was vast, and it consisted of many different people. They've
conquered all these places and now they've assimilated them
in. And they even conscripted, their auxiliaries were made often
of young men who were from countries which they had taken over. And
they had the opportunity eventually to become a legionnaire, but
at first they were an auxiliary. But think of this, it was a unifying
factor which bound the many different peoples of the empire into one. and made the military task of
holding together its far-flung dominion an easier one. They
could control the masses this way. And so Rome saw the expansion
of Christianity as a challenge to the imperialism of the Caesars. And thus the Christians suffered
persecution by the Roman government. And also by the citizens of Rome. The government stirred them up.
Stirred them up against the Christians. So in light of this, beloved,
if you are privileged to suffer for being a true believer in
Christ, if you're privileged to suffer for loving his word,
for loving his gospel, and loving his grace, then give all the
glory to God. Give him all the glory, beloved.
Give him all the glory. Again, look at verse 12. Rejoice
and be exceedingly, I'll read Matthew again. Rejoice and be
exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Rejoice. You're suffering for Christ's
sake, for righteousness' sake, rejoice. Rejoice. It's hard for us to rejoice sometimes
when we're being reproached, like Calvin said, it's one of
the hardest things to suffer under. The Lord says rejoice. Rejoice. And again, who is our
reward in heaven? Christ. Christ. Just keep your
eyes upon Him. Keep your eyes upon Him. Look
at verse 17. For the time has come that judgment
must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us,
what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? Note
the house of God is speaking of the true sons of God, those
who are born again and blood washed. And this judgment here
is not for the sins of God's people. They've already been
judged at Calvary's cross. And there's no condemnation,
no judgment for God's people. And God's people say, praise
our mighty name. The judgment here is by trial
and affliction and suffering. And it's by these things that
he will try our faith. He'll try our faith, our love.
in our trust. And this is all the household
of God, the elect of God. We all go through things. There's
not one believer who's exempt from suffering. And if you haven't suffered for
Christ, you will. You will. All God's people go through trials
and afflictions, which prove that we are His. that we are His. And God's people
are proven beyond doubt to be His. He's proved the faith of Abraham,
didn't He? He proved the faith of Job. Just
read the book of Job. My goodness. But who upheld Him
that whole time? You see? There's that other side,
too, isn't there? We get going through a trial
or something and all we see is a storm, beloved. And He's carrying
us through it all. Carrying us through it all. Comforting
us. So if God is pleased to put His
children through the furnace of affliction to prove their
faith, what will be the fate of those who bear His infinite
wrath? Well, the transgressors shall be destroyed together,
the end of the wicked shall be cut off. And if the righteous,
look at verse 18, and if the righteous scarcely be saved,
where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Now ponder this,
beloved. The believer is saved with difficulty
because of the holiness of God's law. Because of the holiness
of God's law and the strictness of his righteous judgment. And
what did that require? It required the perfect obedience
and the infinite suffering of the only begotten Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate. So then what shall become of
the ungodly and the unbeliever? Oh my. Since God spared not His Son
to redeem His people from their sins, will He spare the ungodly? No. Oh, how dreadful will be the
end of all those who would not obey the gospel. They would be
cut off and destroyed. Look at verse 19. We're finished
with verse 19 here. Wherefore, let them that suffer
according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls
to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. Peter here
brings forth before the suffering saints that all the suffering
that they're going through is according to the will of God.
It's according to the will of God. It's according to the will
of God that they're suffering reproach. It's by the will of
God that they're going through fiery trials, that they're in
the furnace. It'd do us well to remember this, wouldn't it?
when we go through things. It's by the will of God and by
his sovereign will and wisdom for us to suffer and endure trials
for his glory. And may we commit our souls unto
he who has all power over all things visible and invisible.
I was watching the grass today in the wind. I'm watching that
little wee blade of grass move and I'm thinking, that blade
of grass is moving all according to God's eternal purpose. Isn't
that amazing when you think about that? See, we didn't think that
way before, did we? It's amazing. All by the will
of God, beloved. It's absolutely incredible. And
let us remember this. No matter what we go through,
no matter what comes as believers, He will never leave us nor forsake
us. Never. And the same God who took
these saints through the fiery trials and tribulations that
they were going through is the same God who will carry us all
the way to glory. Praise His mighty name. Heavenly
Father, we thank you again for your goodness and grace and mercy
towards us. We are so undeserving, but yet
you are so full of grace and mercy. Oh Lord, let us rejoice
in this wonderful salvation that we have in thee. Let us look
to you as we go through the fiery furnace of trials and tribulations,
Lord. Let us keep our eyes upon you,
and oh Lord, Let us bring to our hearts the remembrance that
you are ever with us, you'll never leave us nor forsake us.
We praise your name, in Jesus' name, amen.