UFCC - Sermon August 15, 2010
Pastor Tom Colburn

Good Morning!

I want to start this morning with two questions. Question number one: How many of you have suffered in your life somehow? Suffered with a sickness, a tragedy, the loss of a loved one, been harassed or picked on, or any kind of suffering? 

Okay. Me too. I think most people have. Question number two: How many of you have stopped sinning completely?

So that being the case, if we’ve all suffered and yet all still sin at least once in a while in a small way, then what can we gather from Peter's words?  Let’s turn to the 4th chapter of 1 Peter and read the first verse. That’s 1 Peter 4:1 [READ].

“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,”

Have we been suffering for nothing because clearly it hasn’t stopped us from sinning, completely. Taken out of context this is exactly what it says. If we’ve suffered in the flesh (and we’re all still in the flesh), we are supposed to have stopped sinning. That’s what Peter says here.

So either we’re all a bunch of phonies or Peter is saying something a little different than what meets the eyes at first glance. Make sense? So what does he mean?

The Jewish people seem to have a propensity to speak in absolute terms for the purpose of emphasis. They did so not expecting their listeners or readers to take them absolutely literally.

Even Jesus did this. Jesus was Jewish. The most striking example that comes to my mind is his declaration as recorded in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”

Now we know with complete certainty that Jesus was not advocating hating our family. That would fly in the face of many other of his statements and certainly in the face of much of Scripture. He phrased it as he did for emphasis.

In Luke’s account, Jesus is talking about priorities. He was telling his disciples that there cannot be any holding back. God must be number one. We have to believe God so strongly that we don’t hesitate to follow Him even when our family beckons us to hold back.

Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. Imagine what Abraham’s wife would have said if she knew he was taking their son off to be a sacrifice? Now personally, I lean toward the belief that the story of Job is an allegory not the literal account of what happened. But nevertheless, the principles are there.

In the case of Abraham with his son Isaac, God had no intention of Abraham ever actually harming the child. In fact, he stopped his hand. But it demonstrated the absolute, unquestioning commitment to doing God’s will that Abraham had. And this is what Jesus was talking about when he made his statement about hating your mother and father. Abraham loved his son, but he was confident that God would resurrect him if he indeed sacrificed him.

Jesus certainly expects us to love our parents, but we should never let that love trump our allegiance to God and Christ. Jesus used the extreme and absolute language calling on his disciples to hate their family as a way of emphasizing the importance of trusting in God.

In a like manner, Peter (in common Jewish style), declared that he who has suffered, has ceased from sin. He is emphasizing that when we truly suffer for our faith, we do so because our priorities and focus are riveted on God and Christ. We allow the suffering and persecution because we know the eternal value of the cause. And when we are that focused on what is right, the temptation of sin is far from us.

Now are we intensely in that mode 24/7? No, of course not. And neither were the disciples. Not even Paul. But to the extent they were, and to the extent we are, we cease to sin. That was Peter’s point.

This is better understood when reading verse 2.
“so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

Let’s reread that all together. Verses 1 and 2 of 1 Peter 4.

“Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
“Arm yourselves also with that same purpose,” Peter says. Adopt that same focus that Jesus had. Because to the extent that we do, there will be no place in our lives for sin.

Let’s continue with verse 3:

“For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.”

Peter is saying, “Look. You’ve been there, done that. It got you nowhere closer to the kingdom. It’s destructive. It’s fatal behavior, ultimately. You are a new man (or woman), in Christ. Adopt the focus of Jesus and cease these degrading things.”

We can easily apply this to our lives in today’s world. It’s not a message only applicable to a culture 2,000 years ago. Let’s read verse 4:

“In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;”

The world thinks we’re crazy. Especially our old friends (for those of us who lived away from the church in years past). We’re missing all the fun. We’re allowing too much to blow by us. We must be a bunch geeks or freaks or weirdoes! Extremists. That’s what we are. A bunch of religious extremists not wanting to bask in the lusty, greedy, self-focused pleasures of the world.

But God gets the last laugh. Only for Him, because He loves every person who ever lived, it’s not a sweet victory when someone chooses rebellion and death over obedience and life. Nevertheless, those who do not accept His gift will, as Peter said in verse 5, “give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

Continuing with verse 6:

“For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”

The Gospel of the Kingdom and of the King, Jesus Christ, has been preached so as to motivate us to an eternal perspective, so that even as those hostile to God may judge us by their secular, irreligious reasoning, and even persecute us, we will hold fast to our faith.

Peter goes on to give more incentive in verses 7 and 8.
 
“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

There are a number of people in this room (perhaps 6 or 8) who have lived beyond 80 years. I’m 50, and to my daughter’s perspective that’s older than dirt! But it’s hard for me to believe I’ve been alive for a half century. It doesn’t seem that long ago I was a young man just starting out.

I would imagine that at 80 or 90 life would still seem like it went by too fast. In the giant, eternal scheme of things, even 100 years is a blink of an eye. The end is, from that eternal perspective, relatively “near” for all of us at any given time.

And while Jesus told us that no one knows the exact day and hour of his return (not even Jesus himself), but God alone, we know from reading prophecy and the signs of the times that we’re not likely looking at another 500 years. The era of the “last days” is fast running down.

So from either perspective, that 100 years of life isn’t long, or from the perspective that Jesus is returning soon, either way, the end of all things for us is near. Therefore, simply put, we’re kind of foolish not to act like it!

“Above all,” Peter says, “keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.”

One of the greatest things that motivated Jesus was his love for his fellow man. Jesus knew that we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, the original creations of God. We are all family. Red and yellow, black and white. From Asia to America and beyond. God loves us all because we are all the same family.

His desire to see all in the kingdom was a great motivator to him. Jesus was not kind and gentle to church leaders who should have known better than to act and preach the way they did, but for the many lost souls out there in the world who truly didn’t know better, he had great compassion.

And clearly Jesus did not forget about the bad-acting leaders either. The experience of the Pharisee Saul on the road to Damascus is a great example. That Christian-murdering Pharisee became the great Apostle Paul, writer of a good chunk of the New Testament.

“Keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins,” Peter wisely said.

I can talk on this more myself, but let’s let the Bible speak for itself. Let’s turn to a very familiar passage in Scripture and hear the words of Paul ring true. Let them soak in and resonate within your heart and mind. 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. Let’s read the entire 13 verses. It’s all about love.

1 Corinthians 13:1 [READ]

As for love covering a multitude of sins, this should also ring a bell in your mind. We read similar words from James several weeks ago when reviewing that book. James 5:19 and 20.

“My brethren, if  any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Let’s continue with 1 Peter 4, verses 9-10:
 
“Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Remember where the Bible talks about the various members of the church and comparing it to our physical bodies? Our bodies are not all arms, or all stomachs, etc. We need all kinds of various parts in order to make the whole human body.

And so we are each given gifts and not everyone has the same gift, but we are to work together so that collectively we will be a complete body for God and Christ. A complete body for service of good.

Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

We should take care of our church family in the same way we take care to help our family at home. But we also must do good for people at large. Shine the light at home and in church, but also bring it out into the community.

Verse 11

 “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

We are Christians, followers of Christ. And of course, Jesus Christ spent his life pointing us to the Father. The Father, being God, is the destination. Jesus, being son, king and savior, is the way.

Here again Peter is encouraging us to allow the spirit of God to work in us and through us. He is admonishing us to be motivated by an eternal perspective. When we speak, let us speak as representatives of God. Because that’s what we are as Christians. When we serve, it is not for our own glory but for that of God. To the extent we are living as true followers of Christ (Christians), God is being glorified, because Christ points to 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 we handle our sufferings in the same manner Jesus did, we are sure to experience the same strengthening of spirit as he did. God’s angels came and ministered to Jesus in his greatest time of need. 

We may not have visible angels attending to us, but God sends help from Heaven to bear us up. God has ways of lifting us and strengthening us and sometimes we may be entertaining angels unawares, as Scripture says. Sometimes the angel blessing comes from a member of our own family, home or church.

Verses 14-16

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, 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.”

Jesus himself said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12).

What does this mean? Well, we’re in good company for one. Prophets and apostles and even Jesus himself suffered persecution. But it also is an indication that we’re on the right track. We shouldn’t look for trouble, but if it’s coming at us for standing up for God and Christ then Heaven is smiling at our standing up.

Peter puts a qualifier in there though. Don’t be suffering for worldly deeds. We can’t be trying to spin bad into good by saying we’re meddling for the Messiah, or robbing for the resurrection, or killing for the kingdom. But if we’re persecuted for preaching the word of God, then we are not to be ashamed.

Let’s finish up by reading the last 3 verses of 1 Peter 4. Verses 17-19 [READ].

“For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, 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 also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”
 
The commentary in my Bible says that the persecutions the believers at that time suffered were sent from God to help them be tested and purified. That’s a common, but very unfortunate misunderstanding of God. In fact, it paints a very ugly picture of God.

God does not send trouble in this context, He uses it. Do we really think that God twisted the minds of the Pharisees and their ilk so that they’d murder Stephen and thus fire up the disciples?

God fired up Stephen and he was a great witness. The evil of those who murdered him (including the future Apostle Paul - then young Pharisee Saul), did what they did by their own volition. God didn’t force their hands.

We are judged by what we do for God. And it is hard for the righteous to be saved. It isn’t always easy walking the talk. But the rebellious toward God will be judged by what they do against God. If it is hard for us, how much more so for them? This is Peter’s question echoing the words of Proverbs.

It is God’s will that we be allowed some suffering in order to strengthen our faith. But God does not overtly cause us to suffer. He doesn’t literally “send” the suffering.

Peter concludes this verse saying, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

When we are doing the will of God, we needn’t worry about our eternity. God is a faithful creator. He made us. He knows how we’re designed to operate. When He tells us how to live, to the extent we listen and follow we are on very safe eternal grounds. And that is Peter’s message in Chapter 4.

We’ll continue unwrapping 1 Peter next week. Again I encourage you to peruse the entire book of 1 Peter throughout the week as you have occasion and if you have any questions not answered in my message, please feel free to give me a call and we’ll chat.

The benediction today is from I Thessalonians 5:23 “The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”