Sermon Nuggets Week of Sept 7 2009
Sermon Nuggets Mon Sept 7
Theme- Suffering and the Will of God
Verses- 1 Peter 4:12-19
The Pain of Suffering
David Mazel talked to his rabbi once when he was asked how things were going, He answered, "Things are going all right, but it wouldn't hurt if they went a little better." The rabbi said, "And how to you know it wouldn't hurt?"
A gardener said of his chrysanthemum that we concentrate all the strength of the plant in one bloom. If we would allow it to bear all the flowers it could, none would be worth showing. If you want a prize specimen you must be content with a single chrysanthemum instead of many. So too, God prunes from our lives certain habits and practices, which in themselves may not be wrong, so that He may perfect in us the qualities he desires for the purposes he desires and in that we are honored and blessed.
When bad things happen to good people it is normal to ask why? It is confusing knowing that a sovereign God is in charge, not only of the universe, but our lives. How does His power and wisdom fit in with something that hurts? It doesn’t make sense.
In this passage there is pain mentioned. It is part of suffering. Sometimes that pain is physical. The story of Job or even the experience of Paul in 2 Cor 12 speaks of physical pain that comes as a messenger of Satan, but allowed by God. It seems as if it is His permissive will to ultimately accomplish his perfect will. Good things come out of it, but it is normal to do everything one can to get out from it when it comes to sickness or pain.
But physical pain was also the beatings and the jailings that occurred by Christians under persecution. It might involve hunger and thirst when denied some of the basics for life. It might be sleeplessness and soreness when called or forced into uncomfortable environments. Missionaries who experience heat, cold, lack of physical comforts experience pain that is part of the will of God to spread the message. Doing what God calls us to do is not always comfortable.
Suffering can include emotional or psychological pain when people are insulted and harassed by others. This is a common suffering around the world when prejudice and hatred abounds toward the Christian in a non Christian environment. Many are kept from following Christ because of the painful cost of losing friends, acceptance, and ostracism from family is too high for them.
Abuses come to Christians as well as non Christians in our fallen world when there are robberies, rapes, and bankruptcies. Let’ s remind ourselves that we live in a cursed world. Until we see Satan defeated the pain of suffering is a fact. It is naïve to think all Christians can escape that. It is normal to question God when we are hurting. But in this passage of study Peter points us to look beyond the present. God is still on His throne.
The Lord produces vibrant, fruitful saints by allowing the painful experiences of sorrow and trials to touch their lives. Believers who have experienced testing can confirm that through it they developed character and stamina, not the sheltered oasis of peace and rest, but out in the difficult experiences of life.
In the pains of life we seek God harder. In our seeking we find Him in ways that we might not have guessed. We learn most in our sufferings. That is what Peter discovered and wants to pass it on to others.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues Sept 8
Verse 1 Peter 4:12 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you."
The Promise of Suffering.
I introduced the topic of suffering in the life of the Christian yesterday as recorded by Peter in the last part of Chapter 4. Not only is suffering painful because of the fall of man and the call of Christ, it is also promised, so don’t be surprised. It will happen. It is proper to ask the why questions. It is a way of also crying out to God that we don’t understand the situations we face that cause us physical and emotional pain. But it is a road all of us walk down as humans, but don’t be surprised if this comes because of your faith in Christ.
There will be trials and temptations that affect us in this life. It is a promise. If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, count on two things. Satan and his evil forces will be seeking to give you trouble. Persecution, discouragement, and problems come because you are His follower. And secondly, you will have times in your life when you will be tempted to want to quit the faith and question if God really does care and know what you are going through. It doesn't seem fair!
It is during those times that divine faith takes over; we walk by faith not by sight. Suffering is one of the tools that bring us into a closer walk with God.
There is a brand of Christian teaching that seeks some prayer formula where Jesus is a means to get our personal desires. When issues of persistence trust, commitment, obedience, and faithfulness to the Lord are raised they resist that teaching instead that suffering is not God’s design for a Christian. Yet here Paul says do not be surprised. Satan uses all kinds of tactics to discourage our faith walk. Pray. Petition, Cry out to God and be aware that He holds you in His hands when the days are dark. And know they will get better.
"How can God get us to do what He wants?", is a much more important question for all of us. God is not making deals with us. It never says in the Bible that if we are good and do what He wants we will get what we want in this world. It does say, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well." What things? The things that we need to accomplish His righteousness and advance His kingdom. He will supply your needs in the riches of Jesus.
Where is your eye focused? Is it on Christ or things that you think He should provide for you?
Our lives should be different than those around us in that we seek to honor the Lord in the things we say and do. That should affect all of our lives- at home, school, work, community, and recreation. We become the conscience for society. Many people will not like that. Christians who are committed to the Lord will be rejected. Plan on it- sooner or later. People don't like guilty feeling and if we say some things are wrong and right, expect some form of persecution. However, be very much aware that even though people do not accept Christ or the morals of the Bible, do not hate or distain those who are victims of spiritual ignorance. The ones outside of Jesus Christ are to be pitied. Pray for them and show a deeper love even to our enemies. That is what Jesus did and taught.
Don’t be surprised when it comes, but be mindful Jesus knows and brings the victory as we walk with Him through it.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Sept 9
Verses 1 Peter 4:13-16 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
A Purpose of Suffering
Part of the purpose of suffering is to help determine if our faith is in religion, church, or Jesus Christ. There is a difference you know. If it is in Christ there is the commitment to Him regardless of what happens. Faith is gone quickly as the seed falling on shallow grown that has no root. When the hot sun comes out it is scorched and dries up. Part of the purpose of human suffering for Jesus sake is to not only reveal our hearts to true faith but other hearts as well.
In an article in the Standard Pastor Terry White told of his severe house fire. His daughter called him from his sleep. As he threw open the door there was heaving rolling wall of orange flames. Her bed, wall and ceiling were an inferno He shouted for everyone to get outside quickly and ran across the hall to call 911 at 3:13 am Sunday morning.
His house and virtually all his possessions were destroyed by fire that night set aflame by a candle which was left burning after a storm and power outage. They were heart broken over the damage and destruction of a perfectly lovely home now only charred insulation, gapping holes in the roof and floors sopping wet. The pain of lost history and mementos and photos and sentimental gifts was the hardest.
They were showered with gifts from church members and friends. What did the Whites learn?
1) that things are not as important as relationships- all family members escaped without serious injury or death. God has a plan for them and they seem more aware of it now than before.
2) They now were called upon be to gracious receivers. It was humbling to have well-meaning friends (and even strangers)tramping through smoking ruins, looking in the ashes of closets and dressers drawers. It is humbling to accept gifts and love from so many given out of love and received gratefully.
3) the fire made them more sensitive to others' hurt. Having experienced this trauma helped them to better identify with others who are in crisis. There were episodes of frustration, anger, nostalgia and emotional pain.
4) They had to learn to hold possessions lightly. Though they never considered themselves materialists they now realized they owned far more than really needed. Lots of it was junk. They had learned to live on a simpler scale. Jesus speaking of the rich fool in Luke 12:15 said, "A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possession."
This is one type of suffering which allows God's purposes to be testing and trial grounds to perfect us. Then there is also the persecution that the Bible calls partaking of the sufferings of
Jesus. What does that mean? Romans 8:17 "Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Phil 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
We identify with Jesus not in his atonement, for some people are known to believe our sufferings in some way help pay for the sins of the world. When Jesus said it was finished on the cross, He meant it. The cross was the means of his paying for the punishment of our sins and there is nothing we can add to that.
To participate in his sufferings simply means that we will suffer persecution for righteousness and seeking to live in God's will just as Jesus did. He is our example.
The cross was the way to crown. Now we are not saved if we suffer. We are saved because Jesus gave his life for us. We accept that free gift. We are drawn by His Spirit to repentance and confession of sin. We are desirous to want to please Jesus and make Him first in our lives. This act of salvation is Gods' glorious grace made known to us. But there are times in people's lives when the manifold strength and presence of Christ is shown in a most extra ordinary way.
We can rejoice therefore in persecution for it will cause for us not only the presence of God in the here and now, but glory, upon glory in the future when Jesus returns again. The blessed hope of the believer is the return of Jesus and making right again all wrongs, and rewarding especially those who gave their lives in martyrdom and in suffering for Jesus sake. He does not forget. He knows motive and purpose in each one.
Of course, you realize it is not for wrong things that we ought to suffer, we deserve that. I read about a young man in the armed forces facing court-martial because he insisted on carrying his Bible on guard duty even after he had been forbidden to do so. The base commander explained that he was not opposed to the Bible, but it simply was against regulations for anyone to be reading on sentry duty. It can be a distraction from his job of guarding the base. The serviceman defended himself by saying the Bible helps him concentrate on the job. This believer was not suffering for righteousness sake. In fact it was for insubordination. It is commendable that he wanted to read the Bible but the job requires that he have nothing hindering him from being alert at his post that was the soldier's first responsibility. He could read the Bible on his own time. Do not suffer for doing wrong and think it is for Jesus.
Look in this chapter how many times there is a reference to rejoicing or blessing: v. 13 Rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ. so you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.v.14 You are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. vs. 16 Praise God that you bear that name.
Just like Shaddrach, Meshach and Obendego went into the fiery furnace, so they were walking with one like unto the son of man. Like when Stephen was dying in his stoning it said of him that his face shown like that of an angel's and he saw the Lord.
The purpose of suffering is to look to Jesus and allow others to do the same. He is the anchor when the storms of life and faith are rough.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs. Sept 10
Verses 1 Peter 4:17-18 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
A Prediction of Suffering
There are different kinds of suffering as we have pointed out. There is a suffering for the cause of Christ that is a meaningful and purposeful suffering. In such suffering, as the context of Peter’s letter, the believers were being judged by their persecutors for their faith. The worse they could possibly do was to harm their bodies, or imprison them. The world judges Christians on their own standards. It is the judgment of men.
Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna about the middle of the 2nd century. He was arrested for his faith and threatened with death if he did not recant. "Eighty and six years have I served Him said the saintly Bishop, "and He never did me any injury. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?"
The Roman officer said, "I have respect for you age. Simply say, 'Away with the atheists' and be set free." By the atheists he meant the Christians who would not acknowledge that Caesar was Lord.'
The old man pointed to the crowd of Roman pagans surrounded him and cried, "Away with the atheists!" He was burned at the stake and in his martyrdom brought glory to the name of Jesus Christ.
That is an example of the manner of martyrs throughout much of history.
The Bible indicates that it is also a time for judgment to begin with the family of God. We might call that type of suffering discipline. It is judgment that is for believers to bring Christ in proper perspective. It is one of the means by which God desires the church to get its act together. Would that we can learn as a people to depend on Him rather than wait for the times of trouble before we depend on Him. Would that we confess sin rather than wait until sin has done its damage and many are hurt by it. Would that the church seek Jesus above all other desires than wait for discipline to take away our other loves. It is not that God doesn’t delight in providing for us in our temporary stay on earth, but the fact is too often we delight more in the gifts He provides than the GIVER. There comes a time that judgment falls on the faithful. There is it time for it to fall on Stanchfield before we come to search our own lives.
Yet the passage also addresses the suffering of the unsaved. Sin is does not bother our society much anymore. We have changed the definition. Anything is right in anyone’s eyes now. Even the church promotes and highlights sin in the rise of active homosexuals leading congregations and denominations and people want it that way.
When godly morals are dismantled our whole society suffers. We see injury upon injury in AIDS, Pre marital pregnancies, abortions, broken homes and lonely children. We see sin rear its ugly head under the guise of fun, when many gamble away their paycheck and have no money for rent or food, we take pleasure in adult entertainment and find children and women abused. We see pornography shops more prevalent than MacDonald restaurants. We are paying a deep price in our culture and we will see worse.
God will judge sin, not only the natural consequences of sinful actions, but God will judge the unsaved. The people who are looking self righteous will be condemned. So many leaders, stars, and CEOS of our nation are a disgrace to our land when greed, popularity, sex serves their selfish desires and honesty, integrity, and righteousness are no longer followed except as empty words. All will stand before the Lord first and foremost to answer in regards to what they have done with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If we say we have believed in Him do we follow Him? God knows our hearts and sees the empty words of worship. Too often people come to praise only to run to their true desires of the heart. If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? They will be lost forever. That is a prediction of suffering far worse that anything anyone goes through here.
Once when Babe Ruth was called out on strikes by the umpire, Ruth said, There are 40,000 people here who know that last one was a ball tomato head."
The ump replied "Maybe so, but mine is the only opinion that counts." We have one who does not get the calls wrong. For it really doesn't make a lot of difference what I, or others, think. There is only one opinion that counts and it is God's. Now is the time to respond to Jesus Christ, and turn from sin. At the judgment it will be too late.
To those outside of God's grace now is the time to turn to Christ for salvation. To those who live in disobedience now is the time to repent of sin and follow Him.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri Sept 11
Verses 1 Peter 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
A Plan for Suffering
Well, suffering happens. We wish it didn’t. We pray. We evaluate our lives. We seek to do what we can to get out from under it. But it persists. We trust, we have faith and there is no place else to turn to but the Lord. He is not our last resort. He is our first resort. Our second resort, and all the resorts in the middle. Our job is persist in faith and in good works for His glory according to our ability. Do not give up.
One entrusts all of life to God. The Greek word means depositing money with a friend who can be trusted. A man or woman entrusts himself/herself to God who cannot fail. If a trust is sacred to man, how much more so to God?
Spurgeon’s quoted this verse. “When men unjustly criticize, May I in prayer to Thee resort? Although mistreated and maligned, May I rejoice and not retort.”
There is a plan that is in the Bible. It involves two simple points. First it involves commitment of yourself and your whole situation to God, who is your faithful Creator. There are many examples of people that give their burden to the Lord and then pick it back up again repeatedly. It never works. Leave it there. Or we may have to leave it there every day, but He is one who is trustworthy in His timing and in his way to see His perfect will done. Are you willing to Let God have his way with you?
Secondly, the plan involves responding the way Jesus would respond on this earth. It means responding by doing what is right and good.
That is what Jesus did. He also told us and showed us how to pray for those who persecute us and painfully abuse us for they are under the judgment of God and need forgiveness themselves.
No one likes to be criticized, especially when the judgment is unjust and arises from wrong motives. The natural reaction is to retaliate. If a person is right, however he doesn't have to worry about defending himself. When a Christian comes under fire, she should just keep on doing what is right and not be concerned about what others say. What God thinks is all that really matters.
When you give your day to the Lord, you are giving yourself as well. Let Him do His work and in time you will understand it better.
Pastor Dale
