Once again, I want to thank you for your outpouring of encouragement and prayers for me and my family this week. For those of you who are visiting this morning, you come on an interesting morning. I was diagnosed this past week with thyroid cancer and it was a difficult blow, of course. One does not expect to hear those words and yet they can come to any of us. And so while dealing with this difficult news that I received this past week from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, We have, of course, looked to only that which is stable, only that which is forever. We are thinking a lot about the true Christian approach to suffering, and I know that this news has impacted many of your lives as well, as sheep in this precious flock. And I want to give an encouraging word this morning and a very straightforward word about Christian suffering. I thought it was good to do. I could have preached on the next passage in Luke on the 12-year-old Jesus, but that just didn't seem like the right thing to do this morning. And so we're gonna look at 1 Peter 4, 12 and 13. And I want to say just a couple of words about our approach to suffering before we read our text. First of all, we, beloved, cannot let our suffering crush us. We cannot let it overwhelm us. That's one extreme response to suffering as Christians. We don't want to despair. Whether we're given a prognosis of a month to live or given a prognosis of 10 years or 20 years or whatever, or whether we lose someone in a day, whatever the case may be, we can't let our suffering or whatever God brings into our lives crush us and make us despair. And also, we can't go to the other extreme and pretend that it's not real. We see a lot of people in our age in the 21st century trying to suppress pain and suffering by entertaining themselves to death or pretending that it's not happening. And that also is not a Christian response to suffering. No, to suffer Christianly, friends, is to deal with it head on. To deal with it head on, square between the eyes, as it were. Actively, actively resting in the strength and in the promises of God in the gospel. I got a text from a friend who had a form of cancer, still maybe battling it, but is doing well after a couple of years. And he texted me and said, praying for you, brother, rubber meets the road. I thought, man, that was exactly right. Rubber meets the road. This is where faith and life collide. What is it that you believe? Upon what are you standing on? So actively resting in the strength and promises of God in Christ and trusting that God, our sovereign heavenly father, doesn't just allow things to happen to us, but he brings things into our lives to happen to us. As I received a note from one of you this week, encouraging me to be reminded that this didn't happen to me, but for me. And that's true of all suffering for the Christian. As we confessed earlier in Heidelberg Catechism question answer one, it's a reminder to us that not a hair falls from our head except by the will of our Heavenly Father. It's a powerful theme, this theme of suffering, Christianly, and how God wants to remove the dross from our faith on the anvil of suffering, to strengthen our reliance upon him, to loosen our grip upon the things of this world, and to tighten our grip and our devotion. And so these are some of the themes that we'll be thinking about this morning, and that's by way of introduction. I apologize for my voice. I've had a little cold this week. I woke up on Tuesday morning in Rochester, and it was one. Some of you may have never even experienced that before. I looked at my phone, it was one out. And so lots of colds going on up there, of course. I invite you to please stand with me now. Let's look together at 1 Peter 4. 12 through 19. All right, we'll look at 12 and 13 this morning. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Let us pray. Our fathers, we consider this text and we consider the theme of Christian suffering this morning. Ask for your grace. Ask for your wisdom. We pray, Lord, that today would be a day that none of us would ever forget in terms of how we are to approach the Christian life and those difficult things that you bring into our lives in order to remove the draughts from our faith and to strengthen our love and reliance and devotion to you. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Some have come here this morning and have wondered, why do good people suffer? Now, I'm a Calvinist, so I don't believe that at all. I don't believe that about myself. I don't think there are any truly good people. We're all sinners. We're all deserving of that which what we all deserve, God's wrath, and by his grace, we don't receive that in Christ. But we do have to ask the question, why do God's people suffer? Why do God's people suffer? Is there a true meaning to our suffering? Many despair because they see no meaning in it. How could this happen to me, many people ask. In the first few months of my ministry at Grace Presbyterian Church, my former congregation where I was for 10 years, again, I'm, in my early 30s, just beginning my pastorate. And within the first six months, we had two very difficult events. One of our dear members, a lady in her 50s, I got a call from one of the elders who said that her husband had just died in a motorcycle accident and you need to go see her and talk to her. My first thought was, what am I going to say to this lady? What am I going to say to her? She just lost her husband. like an hour ago. Another incident, just a few weeks later, I got a phone call from a man in his late 20s, and he was weeping on the phone, and I said, what is it, what is it? He said, my father accidentally backed up over our two-year-old. And the two-year-old little boy was crushed and died, and this family was such a dear, precious family, and you just couldn't believe, I put the phone down, I just wept on my desk, Lord, What am I going to say to his family? I'll never forget having a lot of ministry up in Juan Cavalica, Peru, up in the mountains, and knowing a committed member of the church who lost her husband and her son within the same year to cancer. And I'll never forget her standing up in the midst of a service and singing Psalm 121. and just seeing her faith and trusting in the promises of God, even with the deepest sorrow and grief. And I've experienced this. Many of you have experienced this. You could come up here and tell similar stories of perhaps suffering that you have done, or that family members and friends have experienced. There's no way of getting around it. God's people suffer. We see that all throughout Scripture. It's one of the biggest nonsenses in the world that these celebrity wealthy ministers get on TV and say things like, well, God's people should never suffer. If they just had the faith, they'll never suffer. It's nonsense. All throughout the Bible, we see God's prophets, God's apostles, his ministers, his people, in all different ways, suffering. And so, we must ask the question, why is it Why is it? If you are young, you must know that this life is going to present suffering. Either you've gone through it, you're going through it, or you're going to go through it. So this question is for all of us. It's not just for older folk. It's for all of us to consider. But we do hear mixed messages, don't we? Again, one message we hear is that if Christians only had more faith, they would be healthier, they would be more prosperous, the suffering would not be the normal course of life if we would just have faith. Secondly, others become angry when difficulties arise. They say, how could God do this? Why is he doing this to me? Thirdly, others become guilt-ridden. They think, surely I've done something wrong or I've done something to cause this tribulation in my life. And they've been taught this way. Now it may be that someone is living in gross immoral sin and God brings discipline in some certain way, way even physically, that is a possibility, but if there is no scandalous sin in your life and you're going along and living and this happens, it's not, shouldn't be the first reaction to say, what am I, what's wrong with me, what have I done to deserve this? No. This is a complicated and confusing subject, this Christian suffering, but we must take an up-close look at it this morning. And I'm hoping and I'm praying, as I know that you have felt this burden this week with our family, that we will all have a proper perspective on this, a Christian perspective as we move forward as a church. Look with me at verse 12. First of all, Peter says, beloved, beloved. This is a term of endearment. Not only should we see wrapped up in this word, beloved, a word of love from Peter and this love for the flock, but also the fact that they're beloved of God. Look back with me at 1 Peter 1. In the opening Verses, verse three, he says this, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Rejoice, he says, with joy inexpressible and filled with glory because you are beloved of God. He has caused you to be born again. He has united you to the risen Christ. This is what we rejoice in. We rejoice in the great mercy of God. We don't rejoice in ourselves. We don't rejoice in the things that we do for God. We rejoice in what God has done for us. What we do for him is that response that God's children have because of what he's done for them. We boast in nothing, as we sang earlier, but in the work of Christ. But we notice here, number one in verse 12, that these beloved of God are no strangers to suffering. That's our first point. Christians are no strangers to suffering. Verse 12. Look with me there again. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. Now, suffering experiences may be strange in that you've never experienced them before, perhaps, maybe different, but it shouldn't be strange in that you think, boy, how could this happen to me? We know that Christians and non-Christians alike receive bad news. The difference is how they respond to that news. For one, by grace, they cry out to God, rely on his promises, they trust him. They seek him for comfort, for guidance, for peace. For the other, it makes them hard and harder and harder, become angry and bitter. You see, it does two different things. The one is by grace. The other is the natural response in our sin. Earlier in this epistle, as we just read in verses six and seven, we see the whole theme of suffering making a very clear statement here. Look at verses six and seven of chapter one. It says, in this, that is in God's salvation, you greatly rejoice. Even though now for a little while, if necessary, notice those words, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. If necessary, he says. There may be a time in your life when God knows that it is necessary for you to go through certain trials. It may not have been necessary 10 years ago, but it may be necessary now. It may not be necessary now, but it may be necessary 10 years from now. If necessary, trials come into our lives. God brings them into our lives. It says in this, you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, that little while is speaking of our lives on this earth. This life is a little while compared to eternity. Think about how in 50,000 years into eternity, we're going to be thinking about how much worry and anxiety we put in the mere 70, 80, 90 years of life that we get in this world, if we live a long life. Peter speaks of this life as a little while. even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials so that, now watch here, this is why he brings us suffering, so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so this text here in chapter one is really a commentary on chapter four and verse 12 and following, is it not? That Christian suffering in the purpose and plan of God, now listen, is a means by which God tests refines and matures the faith of his redeemed children. Suffering, which God brings into our lives, is a means by which God tests, refines, and matures the faith of his redeemed children. We could have, boys and girls, we could have buildings and buildings full of gold, solid gold, but that gold is perishable. One day it will be gone. But faith, be that which we will carry to that final day of judgment. And we will either be found with faith, exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, being found in Him, robed in His righteousness, not resting in our own works, but resting in Him through faith, or we will be found having confidence in what we have done, the lives we've lived, a million miles from the standard. of God's perfection and holiness, which only Christ could satisfy. And so faith is so much more important than gold, than all the gold in the world. Wayne Grudem rightly states that, quote, the readers of this letter are encouraged to see God's good purpose behind their difficulties. And what are those positive outcomes to suffering? Many of them, of course, we will never know, but what we do know for sure, what we do know for sure, with God's word as our solid foundation, is that God strengthens and refines the faith of his people on the anvil of suffering. Notice again the words of verse 12. 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. Of course, when we think about suffering, we think of Job. We think of the trial that came upon him, the loss of his family in one swoop. The devil's attack. And we know his response, don't we? He grieved, he tore his clothes, and he threw himself down in the dust. But then what did he do? He worshiped. He worshiped God. It's our only response as Christians. Yes, news may be difficult. Yes, suffering may be difficult. This life is full of thorniness. And yet, our only response, friends, is worship. to worship God through Jesus Christ. Peter here exhorts these first century believers and us not to be shocked if these circumstances come our way. And again, he reiterates this by saying, you should not think it's strange when we suffer. Let's get at the heart of what Peter is saying here. As believers, we ought not to be surprised or think it's strange when or if we get bad news about a health condition. when a loved one gets bad news about a health condition, when we lose our job, when we are persecuted or slandered by friends or co-workers because of our Christian faith, perhaps when everything that we own is taken from us in a fire. In my former congregation, one lady lost everything in a fire. when we're robbed. A missionary friend of mine in Peru was robbed of all of his possessions. The list could go on and on about all the different kinds of suffering that we could experience, but we should not be surprised, Peter says, when these kinds of circumstances come into our lives. Why? Here's the first reason. God purposes Christian suffering for testing and growth in grace. He purposes it for testing and growth in grace. When suffering, we are placed again upon the anvil of God's grace, and we are made more like Christ. It is as if the pruning shears of God's love are taken out by the Holy Spirit, and all of those branches of self-dependence and self-righteousness and worldliness and pride are clipped off, stripped away, and we are made more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, we are made more holy, as we are called to be in 1 Peter 1, verses 14 through 16. Secondly, God purposes Christian suffering to strengthen our hope and the assurance of our salvation. You see, this drives us to the gospel, our suffering does. It makes us recognize how short this life truly is. Look with me at Romans 5, 1 through 5. Romans 5, one through five, a very important passage on this theme. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. More than that, he says, we rejoice in our sufferings. knowing, knowing this, that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. What encouragement. What encouragement, what a promise that this is what God is doing. in the lives of his children. As we bear burdens of things that are going on in our own lives, and as we bear one another's burdens, this is what God is doing in our lives by the power of his Holy Spirit. Also, look with me at James chapter one. James chapter one and verse two. Listen to what James says about suffering, count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may perfect and complete lacking nothing. Here we have Paul, Peter, James, writing essentially the same thing. Let us not, as I said at the beginning, allow suffering to crush us and to overwhelm us, to give us anxiety that paralyzes us, but rather let us trust, trust in our God, trust in His promises, know that He is doing a good work in us and that He is indeed working all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Thirdly, God purposes Christian suffering for His own glory. for His own glory. Look at verse 16 of our passage in 1 Peter 4, verse 16. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. It's for His glory. When His children respond with faith to the trials and tribulations of life, they shine forth most brightly for the glory of God. I've seen this over and over in my pastoral ministry as I've gone to minister to dying saints on their deathbeds, and I go away, I am sure of it, much more encouraged as I walk away than they were by my ministry to them. Oh, how encouraging it is to see God's people rejoicing and singing and trusting God in the midst of trials and temptations. We've all seen it, I'm sure. I'll never forget a family in my former congregation who lost, I mentioned her earlier, lost everything in a fire. And she said to me the day after, Pastor John, when we lose everything, all we have left is God. But he's enough. He's enough. And then she went on to say, and then we give him the praise and attention and the glory that he deserves. So often when our lives are rosy, we tend to fix our attention on those things that really don't matter at the end. And this is the time to readjust our hearts, our perspective. So, how do we respond? How do we respond to suffering? Number one, view suffering through the lenses of Holy Scripture. View suffering through the lenses of Holy Scripture, not through the fallen and sinful reason of this world. When we are suffering, we must go to the source and the source of truth and comfort, namely to God and to his word. The psalmist says, why so downcast, oh my soul? Put your trust in God. God is our refuge and our strength. He's a mighty fortress. He's our shield, He's our defender. He is the one who is unmoved. Let us view suffering through the lenses of scripture. Secondly, again, let us not think it's strange when we suffer. For God has purposed that His people would be tested and transformed into the image of His Son when we suffer in this life. thus preparing us for indescribable glory. Martin Luther, the great German reformer, put it this way, quote, therefore rejoice much more that you are promoted to this honor of suffering, and that since you are now in this like Christ, follow in his footsteps and suffer with him, you shall be well recompensed, end quote. Those of you who are suffering in this room, those of us who are suffering in this room, going through various trials, having to do with your health, your loved ones, your minister, your children, your job, the persecution of your faith, perhaps, which is, I think, the main focus here by Peter, at least in chapter four. Rejoice. Rejoice, for God is fashioning you. He's maturing you. into a child with greater faith, greater trust, greater hope, greater dependence upon God, upon Christ, upon his word for life and assurance in every blessing. Thirdly, thirdly, or I should say, yes, thirdly, glorify God by trusting him in the midst of suffering. Again, I think that a megaphone to the world about the truth of our faith is the Christian who is going through suffering. It's easy, of course, in the Christian life when everything is rosy. And, you know, I was telling my wife this past week that in some ways I have felt like my life has just been charmed in so many ways. And in some ways, this sounds a little grim, but somehow I was waiting for the hatchet to come down. Things have been so good and in so many ways so easy. I thought, well, God must know I'm a weak Christian to not bring more suffering into my life. And I'm not sure when I was thinking that, probably was recently. Maybe I shouldn't have been thinking those things. I'm just kidding. The Lord knows. He knows when we're ready. He knows when we're ready. As I heard from a dear friend this week, a minister whom many of you would know, he said, God knows when the shoulders of his children are ready for the suffering. And so God has brought this into my life. God has brought certain suffering into your lives. And he'll never bring anything that's too much for you to bear. So rest in his strength. Trust him in all of this. I love the words of Horatius Bonar in 1857, where he wrote this in this hymn. Thy way not mine, O Lord, however dark it be. Lead me by thine own hand. Choose out the path for me. Smooth, let it be, or rough, it will be still best. Winding or straight, it leads right onward to thy rest. Take thou my cup, and it with joy or sorrow fill. As best to thee may seem, choose thou my good and ill, not mine, not mine the choice. In things great or small, be thou my guide, my strength, my wisdom, and my all. Well, that's point number one. Christian is no stranger, no strangers to suffering. The second point is this, we participate, Christians participate in the sufferings of Christ. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this because we actually touched upon this in the Philippian series just recently and with similar theology in these verses. But look in verse 13 with me. but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Paul, again, says something similar in Philippians 3, 10 and 11, where he says, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. When reading this, of course, there's that thought, well, did Christ's sufferings not measure up? Were they not fully redemptive? Do I need to add my suffering to his suffering in order for me to be saved? Well, no, that's not at all. We know that's not the case. We've seen all over scripture the once-for-allness of Christ's redemptive work. For instance, in Hebrews 10, 12, we read that Christ offered one sacrifice for sins for all time. And in John 19.30, when our Lord Himself took His last breath on the cross, He said what? It is what? Finished. We add nothing. We can add nothing. In fact, if we try to add something to what Christ has already done for us, we've spoiled the whole thing. We've declared that we don't understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we try to add one thing to what He's done, It's not Jesus plus my good works equal salvation. No, Paul writes that this is no gospel at all to believe such nonsense. No, Christ has paid it all through his sinless life, through his atoning death, through his hell-conquering resurrection. We need not fear death. We need not fear pain and suffering because Christ, our living head, went through that for us, and it was atoning. As we will sing in a few moments, our sins were nailed to the cross and we bear them no more. No, we don't add to the sufferings of Christ. That's not what this means at all. So if Peter is not stating that Christ's redemptive work is lacking, then what is the meaning of this difficult phrase? This participation in the sufferings of Christ, well, it all connects to this whole idea of union with Christ. union with Christ. Remember what we read at the beginning in chapter one, that He caused us to be born again to a living hope. What does it mean to be born again? Well, it means that the Spirit of God took you who were dead in your transgressions and sins, Ephesians 2.1, and united you to the living, resurrected Christ, making you alive in Him, giving you a new heart, new perspective, new direction, new loves, new desires. This is what God does when He saves someone. And so union with Christ comes into view here as we think about this sharing in the sufferings of Christ. You see, our spiritual union with the living Christ not only unites us to Christ in His death and in His resurrection, as we learn in Romans 6, Galatians 2, and so forth, and also unites us in His ascension, Ephesians 2.6, but it also unites us to Him in such a way as to bring us into a true participation of the pattern of His life. He is the pioneer. And He went from suffering to glory, from humiliation to exaltation. The charlatan preachers of our day say that we need to have exaltation here. That we need to have glory here. But it doesn't come here. This is not the promised land. I surely found that out on Thursday morning. This is not the promised land. We are walking through the wilderness, and there are thorns, and there are difficulties, and when Christ came, he is called the suffering servant, the one who had no place to lay his head, the one who suffered and was tempted, as we are, but without sin. And so as our living head, as our leader, as our champion, he went from suffering to glory, he went from humiliation to exaltation, and so will we. And on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, you remember he's walking with these two, and they were so downcast. He said, oh, didn't you hear about the events that took place? And Jesus shrouded his identity, and he asked them, no, tell me about it. And they said, well, the Messiah, we thought he was the Messiah, and he died, and they were downcast. And Jesus, contrary to the nice Jesus that everybody likes to think of, he says, you fools, you fools. Didn't you know that the Messiah first had to suffer before he entered glory? You see, that is the pathway. That's the pathway. It's from suffering to glory, from humiliation to exaltation. We are to take up our cross and to follow him. This is not redemptive at all. but we must recognize it. We don't look for it. You know, in college, maybe some of you even prayed this prayer. I may have even prayed it one time, but it was like you're really holy if you ask God to bring suffering in your life, right? You ever do that? Lord, bring me suffering. Make me suffer so I'll be more holy. I don't pray that prayer. Enough of it's gonna come. Don't beg for it. God knows what kind of suffering you need. Praying for it is kind of weird. We don't pray for it, but we recognize that it is the pattern of the Christian life. Suffering to glory. Suffering to glory. Since we are in spiritual union with Christ by faith, we, in a mysterious manner, follow His steps. The steps that we begin with suffering end in glory. 1 Peter 2.21, For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. Remember Charles Sheldon's In His Steps? This is a theology of In His Steps. 1 Peter 2.21, you have been called for this purpose. What? Christian suffering. Now, I believe this is speaking here about the fires of persecution under Emperor Nero, but at the beginning of chapter 1, it is opening up to all trials. I love what Edmund Clowney says about this verse. Quote, the reality of our suffering for Christ becomes a pledge to us of the reality of our belonging to Christ. That in itself brings joy to our hearts. It also strengthens our hope. If, like Christ, we suffer according to God's will, we know that, like Christ, we shall enter the glory of the Father. Joy lies before us, the joy of seeing Christ in his glory in the great day when he will come again. Suffering then is not a threat, but a promise. The pattern of Christ's life is the pattern of our lives too. This is a precious promise to us. We participate in the pattern of our Savior's life. We share in his sufferings as our head. What is astonishing about this verse as well is that it seems to say that the more suffering we do in this life, the more rejoicing we'll do in heaven. And it makes sense, I think. Those who have suffered most will rejoice most when they leave the suffering. Look what it says in our text, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing. Present perfect, keep doing it. Keep rejoicing. Keep expressing thankfulness for all that God has done, is doing, and will do for you in your life. That's our response, that's a Christian response to suffering. we will rejoice with exaltation at the coming of Christ. Calvin helpfully states it this way, that as Christians, we have a twofold joy. One, one which we now enjoy in hope, and the other, the full fruition of which the coming of Christ shall bring to us. The first, he says, is mingled with grief and sorrow, the second is connected with exaltation. But just as Christ persevered and went to the cross before entering glory, so we are called to take up our cross, to persevere in his strength and to be overcomers before entering glory and our eternal rest. Hebrews 12, one through three. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses who are surrounding us, who have gone before us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Beloved, do not lose heart. Do not lose heart. Those who are suffering in this room, do not be overwhelmed. Do not be crushed. Do not despair. Hope in God. God is working in your lives right now. He is preparing you for glory. Each trial that you go through is a part of your suffering. As a Christian in Christ, you are on the anvil and being prepared for that eternal rejoicing and it all enables you to bring more and more glory to his name in your life. This is why Paul could say, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us, Romans 8, 18. So beloved, do not be surprised. Do not be surprised when suffering enters your life or when it enters my life. View them as a part of God's sovereign plan to refine, to strengthen, to strengthen our hope and our faith and our love in preparing us for glory. This past year, 2013, was largely dedicated to studying and doing some writing on the Heidelberg Catechism. And one of the questions and answers, in addition to question answer one, which so many know, I've been so moved by question and answer 27, which is on the providence of God. The question is this, Does it mean by the providence of God? Or what do you mean by the providence of God? Answer, the almighty and everywhere present power of God, whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures, so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, all things come, not by chance, but by his fatherly hand. But by his fatherly hand. Our father, who art in heaven. By his fatherly hand it comes. Secondly, remember during your sufferings to contemplate the profound reality, again, that God is He's fashioning you into the image of his son. He's preparing you for glory. Jonathan Edwards, 18th century congregational minister and influential preacher during the Great Awakening, after accepting the presidency of Princeton, during a pastor he had to the Indians, he decided to get a smallpox inoculation on February 23rd. The problem became that he actually contracted the disease on the roof of his mouth and in his throat, and a month later, he died. Sarah's letter, his wife's letter to their daughter Esther on April 3rd, two weeks after her husband's death, is a powerful statement of faith. She says this to her daughter, what shall I say? A holy and good God covered us with a dark cloud. Oh, that we may kiss the rod and lay our hands on our mouths. The Lord has done it. He has made me adore his goodness that we had him so long. But my God lives and he has my heart. Oh, what a legacy my husband, your father has left to us. We are all given to God. And there I am. And there I love to be. Your ever affectionate mother, Sarah Edwards. Beloved, let us approach Christian suffering like Sarah Edwards, like Paul, like Peter, like James, from a Christian perspective, trusting God and declaring the words with full faith that Catherine von Schlegel wrote in 1752. Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side. bear patiently the cross of grief or pain, leave to your God to order and provide in every change he faithful will remain. Be still, my soul, your best, your heavenly friend, through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. Amen. Let us pray. Our great and sovereign Father, we love you. And we know we love you because you first loved us, gave your son for us. We thank you for the gospel. We thank you for the good news that your grace is greater than all of our sin and that in him we are forgiven. And we thank you for the promise that as your children who are united to Christ, that you bring difficult things into our lives to mold and to shape us into the men and women and boys and girls that you want us to be. So we ask Lord that you would use the trial that you've brought into my life and into all of our lives and use it to fashion us and shape us and to bring our faith through the fire so as to refine it. And so that on that final day, our faith will be shown to be true, not like those seeds that were planted by the way or on the rocky ground where the things of this world choke it out, but that these things would drive us closer to you and that under the shadow of thy wings, we would sing for joy and rest and be comforted in your grace. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen. Beloved, I invite you to please stand as we sing together, it is well with my soul, number 691 in your hymnal, 691.