3 principles for handling trials that are dramatically different than our natural instincts
I. Understand the Temporary Nature of Your Suffering
1 Peter 4:7 - The end of all things is near…
A. How could this statement be true?
1. Because of their pending martyrdom
2. By comparing a full life filled with trials with the length and glory of eternity
2 Corinthians 6:11 - Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
2 Corinthians 11:23-29 - Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
2 Corinthians 4:7-11 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 - Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
3. Jesus may return for His children at any moment
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
4. God’s timing is not our timing
2 Peter 3:8-9 - But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
B. What is the evidence of this understanding?
1. sound in judgment
2. sober in spirit
3. fervent in prayer
II. Use Your Limited Times and Resources to Invest in Others
A. Keep fervent in your love for another – v. 8
1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another…
1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
B. Be hospitable to one another – v. 9
1 Peter 4:9 - Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
C. Employ your gifts in serving one another – v. 10
1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:11 - 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…
1 Peter 2:24-25 - …and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
III. Rejoice That Such a Life Brings Glory to God
1 Peter 4:11 - …so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 3:15 - …but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence…
The mission of Faith Church is to glorify God by winning people to Jesus Christ and equipping them to be more faithful disciples.
1 Peter 4:11 - …so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- Have you ever been in a situation where what you were being told to do was difficult in part because it went against all your natural instincts?
- you would have naturally and automatically done “x” yet someone else in your life whom you trusted or respected was telling you to do “y”
1) You’re walking on a high bridge over a deep canyon, and the bridge is kind of rickety or unstable…your first instinct is to….look down, yet the person leading you is saying, “don’t look down”.
- can you picture yourself doing what they’re telling you to do even though it’s just about killing you?
2) Or when you were a child, pulling off a band-aide.
- the natural way to accomplish that task is as slow as possible…hair by hair.
- yet your mom, or your dad, or the school nurse says something like, “just yank it off”…
- and in some cases, if you wouldn’t they did….and there was that split second of terror…
3) Or taking medicine you didn’t like…
- your instinct said…as slow as possible…slow sips…
- yet the other person was saying….just gulp it down and get it over with…
- are you picturing the dynamic I’m describing…where what you were being told to do was difficult in part because it went against all your natural instincts?
- now, let’s push it one step further…why are occasions like these so difficult?
- part of the answer is, because we already have an established way of thinking about that situation, and it’s hard to abandon that if what the other person is saying is radically different.
- and especially if pain or uncertainty is associated with the event, we cling tenaciously to our way of thinking…and we’re very reluctant to think differently.
- one last question…what’s would have to be true of our relationship with the other person before we were willing to look at the situation his way instead of ours?
- trust and respect for the person giving the instructions…
- along with a corresponding spirit of humility on our part and willingness to learn
- now, you know this message isn’t about taking off your band aide the way your dad said to, or walking across a bridge the way your friend said…
- see, there’s someone else in your life that has a way of encouraging you to think about things a lot differently than you naturally would.
- and who’s that?….God Himself.
- this morning I’d like us to look at a passage of Scripture that is a good example of this dynamic we’re discussing, and then encourage all of us to ask of ourselves…am I handling this area of life in a way that comes natural to me, or in a way that obeys my God?
- with that in mind, please open your Bible to I Peter chapter 4…that’s on page 182 of the back section of the Bible in the chair in front of you.
- our church’s theme this year is Hope for Everyday Life…
- and I realize that some might say – then why are we studying the book of 1 Peter?
- because this book is written to people living under the reign of the wicked emperor Nero.
- and his audience is made up of people who literally have been scattered, driven from their homes and families simply because of their faith in Christ.
- so this book is one of the most important discussions in the NT of how you and I ought to handle the suffering and trials God allows to come into our lives….both large and small…and those that come and go quickly and others that never end in this life…
- so someone could say – where’s the hope in that?...
- one strong answer is that the Lord offers us An Approach to Suffering that is Both Surprising and Superior
- and there’s a sense in which we’ve been seeing that throughout the book – but that concept is especially on display in the verses we have before us today…
- read 1 Peter 4:7-11…
- so we’re talking about An Approach to Suffering that is Both Surprising and Superior
- and I’d like to present to you this morning that in these verses we can find Three principles for handling trials that are dramatically different than our natural instincts.
I. Understand the Temporary Nature of Your Suffering.
- Peter says to his readers… 1 Peter 4:7 - The end of all things is near…
- I realize you might say…PV, excuse me, but doesn’t that pose somewhat of a problem for us since it was written nearly 2000 years ago.
- if the end of all things is near, isn’t someone a bit late for the appointment?
- and if trials are supposedly temporary, how do you explain this one I’m facing that appears to be life-long?
- and I realize that is true for a significant number of people who will hear this message today…
- well, let’s think about that
A. How could this statement be true?
- there are actually several different possible answers, depending on the life situation of the person reading the verse.
1. Because of their pending martyrdom.
- history tells us that some of the people who received this book were soon after martyred for their faith.
- you may want to peruse the book “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs”
- so for some of them, the end of all things was at hand because some of them were about to lose their lives…and the issue of “ending well” was to be of prime concern.
- however, for you and me, our trials ought to be viewed as temporary….
2. By comparing a full life filled with trials with the length and glory of eternity.
- you may remember that the apostle Paul made a similar point in the book of 2 Corinthians….
- as soon as we hear a mention of that book – one helpful response is to remember that 2 Cor. is the book where Paul… 2 Corinthians 6:11 - Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide.
- it’s one of those conversations where we might learn things that otherwise might not have been shared…
- there’s a special level of authenticity is on display…that’s certainly the case in this book, where we read for example…
- 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 - Are they servants of Christ? (he was speaking about false teachers who were criticizing him and trying to undermine his apostleship) —I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
- now, you might hear that and say – wow - what a trial filled life…there wasn’t anything temporary about that…
- but wait a minute…because if you know this book – there may be another passage that comes to mind…
- 2 Corinthians 4:7–11 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
- now you might say, well, that’s a bit more balanced, but it still doesn’t sound very temporary…that’s why we should keep reading…
- 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 - Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
- now you read and that and say “what?”….momentary, light afflictions?
- what about being beaten for your faith?….what about being shipwrecked?….what about all the pressures and difficulties….How could you call that momentary, light affliction?
- the answer is…by thinking about life and trials and suffering the way God does.
- it’s just like the leader on the bridge saying…”Don’t look down…”
- and we think…that is so different that what I instinctively want to do…but because I respect and trust this person, I’m going to do it their way…
- friends, God says…the end is near…
- either because we’ll pay for that trial with our life…
- or even if we live a full life, filled with trials….that’s momentary and light compared to length and glory of eternity…do you believe that?...
- the third way this is true is that…
3. Jesus may return for His children at any moment.
- “Perhaps today” is the hope and prayer of all true children of God.
- I’m not sure we say enough about the imminent return of Christ…but we should…
- and do you realize that this week, you could be right in the middle of a trial [and by God’s grace I hope you’re trying to handle it God’s way and not your own]…
- and then all of a sudden you hear a trumpet…
- I Thessalonians 4:16-18 - For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
- and I realize that someone might scoff at that, saying, well pastors have been talking about that for nearly 2000 years, maybe it’s time to talk about something else…
- friends, please always remember this…
4. God’s timing is not our timing.
- in Peter’s second book, he wrote these words…
- II Peter 3:8-9 - But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
- now what’s the point of all of this?
- if you and I are going to think about trials and suffering the way God thinks about them, we’re going to be convinced that whatever we’re facing, for however long we might have to face it, is simply temporary and light compared to the glories of heaven for those who have a personal relationship with Him.
- now, according to the rest of verse 7…
B. What is the evidence of this understanding?
1. sound in judgment
2. sober in spirit
3. fervent in prayer
- some of us during times of trial aren’t thinking correctly…[God says don’t look down and we look down]…
- or we’re not sober in spirit…we’re lackadaisical about our response instead of realizing that eternal issues are at stake, either for ourselves or those who are watching us go through the trial…
- or we don’t take time to pray….
- see, if the time is at hand…if the trial is temporary in the way we’ve biblically defined that this morning…then you better believe we’re going to think very carefully about how we’re responding [God says don’t look down—I’m not looking down]
- we’re going to be very sober in our spirits [realizing what’s at stake], and we’re going to bathe that response in prayer.
- now friends, what’s the obvious question?…since God’s way of viewing trials and suffering is so different than ours, who’s way are we using?
- and you know, I can think of a number of people in our church who are going through fairly deep waters….but they’re living right in the middle of verse 7…these principles describe their approach//their response…
- that’s one of the benefits of being part of a church family…having such brothers and sisters who are living proof and examples of what God’s Word says…
- and whenever that’s the case, at some point that person had to decide…I’m going to lay my way down, and I’m going to pick God’s way up.
- Trust in the Lord with all thine heart….(Pro 3:5-6)
- now, what we’re said thus far is important, but I believe the aspect of this text that is especially surprising is what comes next….
II. Use Your Limited Times and Resources to Invest in Others.
- please tell me, what is the repetitive phrase in this passage?….”one another”
- this is a passage about the church…
- remember, it was addressed to people who were residing as aliens, scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of their faith in Christ….
- well, what is our natural instinct during times of significant suffering?
- some people go into survival mode…
- it’s every man for himself…
- it’s the protection of resources to meet personal needs…
- those of us who are a bit older might remember just prior to Y2K – that there were Christians advising people that believers better stock up on a lot of water, dried foods…build some kind of a protective shelter, and buy a gun.
- and the notion was, at the turn of century, technology was going to go haywire…
- the food and energy supply was going to be interrupted…
- and prudent people would not only stock up on necessary items for their families…
- but they would have firearms to ward off their neighbors who would be starving and trying to steal their food.
- and I though, you’re really going to shoot you neighbor who’s hungry?
- why not invite everybody in, and say, this is all we have…but we’ll share it with you and then starve together….
- but while we’re eating, let me tell you about Jesus.
- the point is, in trial, many times people go in the survival mode…I’ve got to focus on me right now…its every man for himself….
- and yet God is saying something radically different….use your limited strength, your limited resources, your limited time to invest in others.
- now Peter says this in three specific ways….
A. Keep fervent in your love for another – v. 8
- during a time of trial, don’t simply focus on yourself, look for ways to love others.
- and not just as a priority that finds itself way down the list…or in a way that is casual or half-hearted…
- 1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another…
- I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that play out among our church family…
- where someone is taking a meal to another person or family in need…and I think to myself---wait a minute, I know that person is facing all sorts of hard times too, yet there he/she is – looking out for someone else not once their trial is over, but right in the middle of it…
- I’ve thought the same thing during serving opportunities…
- I or one of our other pastors might be privy to what that person’s medical prognosis is…and maybe its not been shared publicly yet…but there’s that person waving a flashlight during the LN, or slinging mulch around with the rest of the team…
- that’s keeping fervent in their love for one another…instead of hoarding all their time, attention, and energy on themselves…
- now, there’s a specific reason that is given in the second half of the verse that is fascinating…
- 1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
- now what’s that got to do with it?
- the answer is….trials and suffering has a way of exposing our weaknesses…
- of exposing our sin…
- well, if you’re in a trial with another person [and usually trials have other people involved]…if you’re in a trial with another person, and they are sinning in their response to what’s happening…
- you can either get mad at them…or you can love them….
- you can cut them off because of what they said or did, or you can love them…
- you can become bitter toward them or you can love them.
- some people in trial develop this self-protective cocoon that simply produces depression and bitterness….because God did not design us to live for ourselves.
- but as you reach out to that other person, and love that other person, and see life from their perspective, and start to realize that you may have it hard, but so do they….
- or they may have sinned but so do you….
- handling that trial God’s way is encouraging, and energizing….
- it puts the situation in perspective and it gives you direction even when times are hard.
- now, what’s the next surprise Peter has for us in the text?…please look at verse 9….
B. Be hospitable to one another – v. 9
- 1 Peter 4:9 - Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
- making time in your life and schedule for having others into your home…
- for building relationships, for reaching out to others….
- can I ask you, do you do that?
- and if you’d say, “no, I haven’t, but let me explain why, if you’re about to go into a story about how difficult things have been”…
- that’s the exact point of this text….
- not, well, our family is having some trouble right now…or the house is tore up right now, or I’m not feeling very well…or I’m trying to get this degree done….or I’m not comfortable around other people….and on and on…
- Peter says, not after the trials are done….but right in the middle of them…be hospitable to one another.
- now, why would God emphasize this in His Word?
- because hospitality causes us to take our focus off ourselves and place in on someone else.
- and it’s amazing to see how our trials are balanced out when we do this.
- and for anyone who would say…well, I did that once and it wasn’t reciprocated…
- that’s why there’s that little trailer at the end of verse 9….not only be hospitable, but be hospitable without what?….complaint.
- what’s the third one another in our text?
C. Employ your gifts in serving one another – v. 10
- now again, please remember the context….these people are in severe trial….
- some of them are about to lose their lives for their faith….
- the natural instinct is to go into the survival mode….
- Peter says, do the exact opposite…
- 1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
- that’s a power-packed verse – because it makes clear – every follower of Jesus Christ has at least one God-given spiritual gift…
- [btw – this is as good a place as any to emphasize that this entire discussion assumes that you have made a decision to become a follower of Christ…and if you haven’t, we would invite you to do that today…]
- but if you have…the question then becomes…are you looking for opportunities to serve even in the midst of your trials?...
- and I realize you might say – but I’m not sure what my spiritual gift is…
- there are different gift inventories you can take…and I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that…
- but I think the best way to determine your spiritual gift(s) is just to get busy serving…
- and how you’re gifted…and maybe in some cases, how you’re not…will become apparent pretty quickly…
- but the key is – not after all the difficulties of life die down…but in the midst of them…
- for example – consider all the people who will serving today to make Sunday services possible…sound/tech, children’s ministry, greeters, ushers, coffee, and on and on…
- if you went around and asked each person how things are going…would everyone say – I’m having a trial free life and that’s what enables me to serve?...
- and if your response to that would be – I just don’t have the strength…how does the first half of verse 11 help us there?...
- 1 Peter 4:11 - 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…
- can I ask you to evaluate how you’re doing in these three areas Peter emphasizes?...
- fervent love that covers a multitude of sins…
- hospitality without complaint
- faithfully using your spiritual gifts in serving your church family
- and these may be some of the many areas where it is so important to preach the gospel to ourselves…
- 1 Peter 2:24–25 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
III. Rejoice That Such a Life Brings Glory to God.
- Peter concludes verse 11 with a purpose clause that practically turns into a mini-doxology…
- 1 Peter 4:11 - …so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- a couple of weeks ago I was coming back from Florida and I had a layover in Charlotte…
- it had been a pretty long day because I spoke several times at a conference, returned the rental car…
- caught my first flight from Tampa to Charlotte and then went to the gate where the flight to Indy was supposed to depart…
- there were a lot of people there but I saw an empty seat so I was making my way to it
- when I heard someone say – hey, Pastor Viars…
- it was a young man whom I didn’t recognize but apparently he had attended one of our campuses several years ago…
- but what really surprised me was the guy sitting next to him said in a fairly loud voice – something like – “a pastor’s here, that’s perfect”
- so the first guy quickly explained that he had just met this other guy and he had a lot of questions and problems…
- and the second guy moves to the chair right across from me in the boarding area and says in an even louder voice…what’s the meaning of life?...
- well, alrighty then…it was a stark reminder of what Peter had just said in the previous chapter… 1 Peter 3:15 - but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
- one of the ways to answer his question is with the Westminster Shorter Catechism – the very first question is – What is the chief end of man?...
- and the answer is – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever
- that’s why our church’s mission statement reads – The mission of Faith Church is to glorify God by winning people to Jesus Christ and equipping them to be more faithful disciples.
- so what does it mean to glorify God?...
- to reflect His character…
- to give others the right opinion/understanding of Him…
- to live like He would…
- Peter says that choosing to respond to suffering and trials as he’s outlined is so surprising that those who are watching will have a better understanding of what God is like…
- 1 Peter 4:11 - …so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- may that be true of the way we think about the longevity of our trials…believing that as we’ve defined today – the end of all things is near
- and being committed to fervent love, and genuine hospitality, and faithful service…
- so that in all things God may be glorified…