Please turn in your Bible to 1 Peter. We've been studying through 1 Peter together and we land this morning at chapter 4 and verse 12. Read with me chapter four, verse 12 through 19. 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 insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God. And if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. Pray with me. Father, thank you so much for your word. We confess that your word is living and powerful. This is your word, Lord. I pray, God, that your voice would be heard through your word in this place and that all of God's people would cry out glory. God, please work in our hearts. Make us like Christ through your word this morning. We love you, Lord. We need your help. Thank you. In Jesus name. Amen. We've mentioned this a lot coming through First Peter, but First Peter is a letter to suffering saints. It's a letter to suffering saints, and I think we ought to glorify God for his kindness, that he would be so kind, so gracious to prepare his people to suffer. that it wouldn't surprise us, we wouldn't be blind going into it, but in kindness and love, he prepares us, and especially through 1 Peter, and especially through our pastors today, he prepares us for suffering. Now I believe every Christian, every single Christian needs a robust theology of suffering. You need a deep, deep doctrine of suffering. There's a lot of shallow thinking In mainstream Christianity over this topic, you know, blessing is almost equivalent to I'm free of suffering. There's no suffering in my life and so I'm blessed. And our passes today actually directly contradicts that. There's a lot of shallow views of suffering. If you have a shallow view of suffering, your faith is in danger. Your faith is gonna be obliterated when the suffering comes because you have a shallow view of it. If you have a shallow view of suffering, you're gonna be terrible at fulfilling the Great Commission. Try to take that shallow view of suffering, try to take it to those churches in Cuba we've been praying for. Take it to Moldova, take it to the church in Kunming, China. Take that shallow view of suffering there and see how it goes. in places where Christians are persecuted. And it seems like it's just harder. And so what I hope is that as we've come through first Peter together, I hope that there's been this building of a theology of suffering. And I hope that will continue this morning in our passage. Now notice that same theme of suffering is in our passage. Listen to me. It's in every single verse that we just read. Every single verse we just read references Christian suffering. Just let me highlight that really quickly. Verse 13 says the fiery trial that will come upon you. Verse 14 says you share in Christ's sufferings. That's a reference back to chapter two, verse 21, where it says that we follow in the footsteps of Christ. Christ suffered and we follow in his footsteps. We share in the sufferings of Christ. We follow in his example. Verse 14, insulted for the name of Christ. You see that there? Every verse, insulted for the name of Christ. Verse 15, you see the word suffer. Verse 16, if anyone suffers as a Christian, Verse 17, it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And I hope to make it really clear that that judgment he's talking about is Christian suffering, the fiery trials. It's in every verse. Verse 18, if the righteous is scarcely saved, And actually, a better translation there is, if the righteous are saved through difficulty, scarcely through difficulty, through many tribulations, we enter the kingdom of God, suffering. It's in every verse. The last verse, verse 19, says, those who suffer according to God's will. those who suffer according to God's will. Every single verse in this passage deals with Christian suffering. So this passage is clearly meant to be an instruction, even an encouragement and some warning to suffering saints. And it's really important. We need this. Jesus decided to prepare us for this, and we really need it, a deep theology of suffering. So here's how I want to take this passage. I see here ten ways that Peter instructs suffering saints. And I just want us to go through all ten of them. Ten ways that Peter instructs the suffering saints. Number one, he instructs them with love. You see the very first word says, beloved. He instructs them with love. Beloved, he says here. So he, in this passage, he's going to push them. He's going to prod them, he's going to warn them in this passage, but it will all be rooted in love. Beloved is how he starts it. Or you could say dear friends, dear friends, beloved. Now the commands that he's going to give in our passage are not easy commands to obey. Rejoice in the midst of suffering. They're not easy commands to obey. There are some hard sayings here. So let's be clear. Hard sayings can follow beloved, dear friends. Or to say it another way, when someone loves you, when someone loves you, that does not exclude them from saying hard things to you. Can you imagine this? Looking right in the eyes of a suffering saint that's in the depths of pain, the depths of suffering, and you don't just say, oh poor God, but you lean in and you say some encouraging things and you even say some hard things. Hard sayings are not excluded from giving hard things to those that you love. All right, so he instructs them with love. Number two, number two, He deals with their expectations. He deals with their expectations. Notice it says, do not be surprised. Do you see that in verse 12? Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised about the fiery trial that's coming upon you to test you as if some strange thing is gonna happen, some strange thing's happening to you. Don't be surprised as though some strange thing is happening to you. Christians are to expect suffering. They're not to be surprised when it comes. Now, why would Christians need to expect suffering? Because the life that you live is so different from this world. The Christian life is so different from this world that it even condemns the world. Remember chapter four, verse four, it says, with respect to this, It's talking about Christians that walk in godliness and holiness. With respect to this, chapter four, verse four, with respect to this, they are surprised. They are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery and they malign you. So why would we expect suffering? Our lives just stand in stark contrast to this dark world, and they'll see it, the world will see it, and they'll malign you. Not to mention the truth that we uphold as the church can be offensive to the world. It can stink to them at times. And so where to expect suffering? In fact, we were just simply told that we would suffer. Acts 14, 22. It says, through many tribulations you must enter the kingdom of God. 2 Timothy 3 verse 12, all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Philippians 1 29, it's been granted to you not only to believe in him, but to suffer for his namesake. So we are to expect suffering and not be surprised. Fiery trials, according to verse 12, should not surprise us. It should actually surprise us if we don't face trials of various kinds. It should actually surprise us if we don't face persecutions. Jesus said this, woe to you, woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so they did to the false prophets. So Peter's dealing with their expectations. You should expect fiery trials to come. Don't think of it as though some strange thing were happening to you when you're in the midst of it. This is the normal Christian life. He's putting this forward. Don't be surprised. This is the normal Christian life. Now, setting that expectation in your soul, it has a way of grounding you. It has a way of establishing you. Because if you take an unexpected punch, it's gonna hurt and you might lose your footing. But if you're expecting the punch, if you're expecting the hit to come, it's still gonna hurt, but you're less likely to lose your footing. This idea of this expectation, don't be surprised, it has a way of grounding a Christian, establishing a Christian in their walk with Christ. Number three. Number three, he reminds them that this suffering is actually for their good. This suffering is for their good. Notice verse 12, it calls it not just a trial, it calls it a fiery trial, which is to test you. You see that in the text? It's a fiery trial that is to test you. Now what that means is this is for your good. It's a purifying fire that is to test you. He calls it a fiery trial, referencing back to chapter one, verse six and seven. Look at that. Remember this? One, verse six. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been greed by various trials. There's your trials. So that, The tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, though it's tested by fire, fiery trial, these trials that are testing you like gold is tested by fire, what's the reason for it? So that your faith may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. These things are preparing you for the return of Christ. So these fiery trials, are for your good. Christian suffering is not meant to destroy you, it's to destroy your sin. Fiery trials are not to destroy you, but to destroy your sin. Now what can prepare you, what can prepare you for various kinds of trials? I would say being absolutely convinced that this is, what is this various trial that's coming against me? Being absolutely convinced that this is the purifying fire from the hand of God. That my God is in control and he means this for my good and that prepares you for trials of various kind. These are not just random trials. These are fiery trials to test you, it says. Number four. He calls them, Peter calls them to rejoice in their suffering. You see that in verse 13. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. So he calls them to rejoice. This is a demand on your emotions. This is a demand on our emotions. We're not called to simply endure suffering. but to rejoice right in the midst of it. Now, we're not expected to like pain. Nobody's expected to enjoy or like pain, but we're called to be, as it says in another part of scripture, we're called to be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. Pain and suffering and loss bring sorrow, and that's okay, but we can never lose Jesus. We have Christ and we can never lose Him. So even in the midst of sorrow and pain that's there, there's this deep and abiding joy. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing. Now there's a relationship here, I don't know if you see it or if you noticed it. There's a relationship between rejoice in suffering now and rejoice in His glory later. Do you see that in the text? It says, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that's now, that you may also, that's the relationship, rejoice in sufferings now, here's the relationship, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. So there's a relationship, what's it mean? What's the connection between these two things? Now it is not your suffering now somehow earns you that gladness and rejoicing later. Okay. So that's, that's contradictory to God's word. This is not suffer a little bit and you earned your way into heaven. That's not what this is. So what is it then? The path, this is how you should think about it, the path that leads to, let me read it, the path that leads to rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed is a path through suffering. There's no way around it. The path that leads to glory is through suffering. There's no way around that. This was Jesus' path. Remember chapter 1 verse 11 says, the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow, or the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. We see the same thing in chapter 5 verse 1, the sufferings of Jesus and the glories that we would partake in later. So this is the path, it's the same way with the followers of Jesus, that we go through this path. We must through many tribulations, what? Enter the kingdom of God. So it's through suffering to glory. Now here's what happens. Some people will see this final glory, they'll want the final glory, But what they'll see is that path of suffering that leads to it, and they'll decide not to enter the narrow gate. They'll reject Jesus. They'll reject this path because it's a path of suffering. They will count the cost, and they will count Jesus not worthy. They'll see the glory at the end, but it's a path through suffering, no thanks. Many people will do that. We have an example of that in John 12, 42. Listen to this. Many believed in him, Many believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. Maybe they want the glory, but it's a path through suffering to glory, and they wanted nothing to do with that. Now, others will count the cost, they'll count the cost, and they'll be willing to forsake all that they have to have Christ. They'll forsake everything else for the treasure. Or, to say it the way Peter says it here, they will rejoice insofar as they share in Christ's sufferings so that they may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. It's a path through suffering that leads to glory. So rejoice. Rejoice. Number five, Peter reminds them that they are blessed when they are insulted. You see that in verse 14, they're blessed when they're insulted. Verse 14 says, if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. So the blessed life here, the blessed life, it's not defined as a life free of suffering and pain. In fact, here the blessed life, it includes suffering and pain and even insults. The blessed life is not the life that's free of suffering and pain. I believe Peter learned this from Jesus. Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 6, 22. Blessed are you, it's from the mouth of Christ, blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and I love this addition, and leap for joy. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Now, verse 14, it's just, it's worded so beautifully. Look at verse 14 again. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed. It's like the blessing rides in on the insult. They meant to do you harm, but what they ended up doing is escorting blessing to you. The blessing rides in on the insult. Now, how are they blessed? In what way are they blessed in the midst of these insults and suffering? How are they blessed? Are they blessed because this persecution is going to work Christ's likeness in them? Yes, but that's not what it mentions here. Are they blessed because they're being insulted now, but they're going to be vindicated later? Yes, that's true, but that's not what's highlighted by Peter here. Peter says you were blessed because in the insult, in the suffering, God draws near to you. That's the blessing, God draws near to you. The insult comes, and surely it stings, and yet God draws near with his presence. Look how it says it, blessed because, you see the because there? Because the spirit of glory and of God rest on you. If you're insulted, you're blessed, because what? Because the spirit of God rests on you. He's called here the spirit of glory. That glory that's gonna be revealed in the future, it's like it grabs, it comes back into life now, when? In the midst of your suffering. And be encouraged by this, the spirit of God draws near. When you're insulted, when you're maligned, when you're suffering for the sake of Christ. These are moments when you would be tempted to feel the most alone. You'd feel tempted to be the most abandoned in those moments of insult and suffering, and yet that's the exact moment where he says, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of glory, Spirit of God rest on you. He comes to you in that moment. Like a father, like looks at his son in his moment of deepest pain, deepest pain, and that's when the father draws near and wraps him up. Christian, be encouraged by this. The Spirit of God rests on you. You're blessed right in the midst of the insult. Number six, Peter warns them about self-inflicted suffering. Peter warns them in verse 15 about self-inflicted suffering. Look at verse 15. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer, or as a meddler. So Peter's giving a warning here. He's trying to get ahead of a sinful human tendency that's connected to suffering for Jesus. Now, we've probably all seen this at some point, right? At some point or another, you've seen someone that claims to be suffering for Jesus, but you're thinking in the back of your mind, they're suffering for their own foolishness. They're suffering the consequences of their own sin, but they're claiming to be suffering for Jesus. That's the warning here. Peter warns them against this kind of suffering. It's not actually for righteousness sake. It's not suffering according to the will of God. It says, let none of you, that's what he says, let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, or as an evildoer. So suffering for Jesus is not to be confused with suffering for your own sin. Now notice the last sin that he mentions here. It doesn't seem to fit with the rest. Meddler. You see that? The meddler. So he says murderer. Don't suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer. And then here's the one that doesn't seem to fit. Or a meddler. A meddler. Now the new King James says it like this. A busy body in other people's matters. That's a meddler. Another translation says, prying in to other people's affairs. That's a meddler. The scripture says we're to live a quiet life and to mind our own affairs, but the meddler is nosy, gossipy, all up in other people's business. That's the idea. The meddler delights to hear the juicy details so they can pray, of course. so they can give good biblical counsel, that's why. They love to hear those juicy details, they're meddlers. Now the way the structure in the Greek here lines it out is to highlight meddlers. So it's like, don't suffer as a murderer, a thief, a evildoer, and then it says, or even as a meddler. It's as if, it's to highlight that if a Christian's gonna mess this up, they're probably not messing up as a murderer, they're gonna mess it up as a meddler. They're mad at me. They're mad at me for my biblical convictions. No, they're mad at you because you're nosy. And you're gossipy. And you're not minding your own business. You're not watching out for your own affairs, but you're claiming to be suffering for Jesus. That's the warning being given here. Brothers and sisters, examine yourself. Is your suffering self-inflicted? Is it self-inflicted? Is it like it says in verse 14, for the name of Christ? Or like it says in verse 16, suffering as a Christian? Or like it says in verse 19, suffering according to the will of God? Is it as a Christian? Is it in His name? Is it according to the will of God? Or is it self-inflicted because of your own sin? Peter calls these people and he calls us to examine what we think about this suffering in our life. Number seven, Peter calls them away from shame. Look at it in verse 16. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. Let him not be ashamed. Now why would a Christian feel shame, be tempted to be ashamed whenever persecution comes? Why would a Christian feel temptation to be ashamed whenever this suffering comes? Well, when the world brings persecution or insult, it's actually insults. Like you understand that when the world brings persecution, it doesn't sound like we don't like you because you're so compassionate. It doesn't sound like we don't care about you because you're so morally upright and like Jesus. That's not the way the suffering sounds. That's not the way the insults sound. The most effective insults or the most effective suffering is meant to shame you in such a way that it backs you off your convictions. Here I am, standing to my convictions, and the best kind of persecution that comes your way is meant to give you shame, to back you off of those convictions. Okay, maybe it sounds more like, you're a hindrance to modern progress. Or maybe it's something like, you're just trying to control women with your views of abortion. Maybe it's, you're so judgmental, you think you're better than everybody else. It's stuff like that. You're so intolerant. You think Jesus is the only way and everybody else is going to hell. And it's stuff like that. It's meant to shame you, to push you off your convictions. As I studied this, I thought a lot. I mean, this is for all of us. But I thought a lot about the younger Christians in this room, those that are about to head off to college. You understand, like, you're not gonna show up on a college campus and the kind of pushback that you're getting, that kind of pushback, it's not just, you're so nice, you're so compassionate, we don't like Christians. It's stuff to shame you. Will you be moved? Will you be moved off of your convictions by these words of shame? Or, what does Peter say? He says, do not be ashamed. Don't allow them to shame you out of your convictions. Kevin DeYoung, a pastor, Kevin DeYoung, he, on this word Christian, those who suffer as a Christian, if anyone suffers as a Christian, he takes that word Christian and he refers back to where we first see it in Acts 11, verse 26, which says, in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians. In Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians. And Kevin DeYoung says this, he says, almost certainly the believers in Antioch were first called Christians as a put-down. It was an insulting jab that they came to own for themselves. I like that. Notice in verse 16, if you suffer as a Christian, there's the insulting jab. What does it say at the end? It says, don't be ashamed, but glorify God in that name. They owned it. Glorify God in that name. So don't let yourself be ashamed. I'll give you one more thing that this makes me think about. You remember when Paul was standing before Agrippa? And Agrippa, and those who were with Agrippa, tried to shame Paul out of his convictions. You remember that? Remember what Agrippa said to Paul as he was preaching the gospel to him? King Agrippa said this to him. He says, would you persuade me to be a Christian? And I can just picture some Christians today go, backing up, backing off. No, no, no, I'm not trying to persuade you of anything. Go back and read Paul's response. Are you trying to persuade me to be a Christian? And Paul essentially says, yeah, basically. It's exactly what I'm trying to do. He didn't let shame push him away from his convictions. Number eight, Peter calls them and their suffering to glorify God. to glorify God." Verse 16 again, "'Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God.'" This tells us that when trials come, this is an opportunity. When trials come, it's a chance to glorify God. When persecution comes, it's an opportunity, I can glorify God now right here. Now you can glorify God in everything in life, whether you eat, whether you drink, whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. You can glorify God in everything in life. But it's like when the heat of persecution comes, when the moment of trial comes, it's like this exalted opportunity to give him glory. Do you want to glorify your Savior? Everybody says yes and amen, I want to glorify him. Well, here's an opportunity with persecution and suffering. So don't shrink back. He says here, glorify him in the trial. Don't take it personal, don't get obsessed with defending yourself, but by your character, by your good works, by your speech, glorify your God in the midst of suffering, in the midst of persecution. When the fiery trial comes, don't waste your opportunity. It's not time to shrink back, it's time to glorify his name. Don't shrink back. Number nine. Peter reminds them of the fires of judgment. You see that in verse 17 and 18, and this might take some explaining, so hang with me. Verse 17 and 18, look how Paul points to the fires of judgment. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us, so he includes himself as the household of God, right? Judgment starts with us. What will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if the righteous, that's the household of God, the Christians, is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? So that word, it starts off with for, F-O-R, you see it right there. That tells us that this judgment he's talking about is connected to Christian suffering. If anyone suffers as a Christian, He tells them, you know, don't be ashamed but glorify God. Four, the judgment of God starts with the household of God here. So the judgment is connected to the Christian suffering. Judgment on the household of God connected to the Christian suffering, that's clear. He mentions here the household of God versus those who do not obey the gospel of God. So Christian, non-Christian. Believer, unbeliever, okay? So those who are the household of God are getting judgment first, and then if that's how that is, what's it going to be? And he's talking about those who do not obey the gospel of God. The gospel is going forward, they stiff-arm it. They stiff-arm the gospel. Now just to paraphrase the argument, I'm going to try to paraphrase it, it's something like this. So Peter's saying, if you think that the suffering and the difficulties that you see these Christians facing, if you think that's bad, if you think that's bad, man, do you understand what's coming for the non-Christian, for the unbeliever? That's the basic understanding of this argument. Now, this verse is kind of hard to process, and let me try to explain why. You probably feel this already. It sounds like he's saying that the unjust suffering on a Christian is the judgment of God as if it's the punishment for his sin, like it's his fault. It's unjust suffering, he's being persecuted, it's his fault, it's judgment from God. That's what it can sound like, but we know that's not the case. The Bible doesn't teach that human suffering is always punishment for personal sin. In fact, verse 15 said, don't suffer for your personal sin. Right? So he just said in verse 3, don't suffer for your personal sins. And that can't be what's being said here. So how do we think about this judgment of God in verse 17 and 18 and how it relates to Christian suffering? Here's a way to think about it. Think about judgment as a fire coming to cleanse the world of sin. Think about judgment as the fire of God cleansing the world of sin. Gonna purify the Christians and consume the wicked. This is the way you should think about it. Now, judgment as a fire. We see that in our text. The fiery trial, fiery trial, is the judgment. Peter says this again in 2 Peter, where he mentions the day of the Lord coming and the heavenly bodies and the earth are gonna be burned up. So he's talking about the judgment and this idea of fire, of something being burned up. Now a lot of commentators believe that the language in our passage is alluding back to Malachi chapter 3 and 4, where in Malachi it speaks about the fiery judgment of God that purifies the house of God and consumes the wicked. And I believe that's right. In fact, I want you to listen to this, because this is how you should understand this judgment on Christians. Malachi 3, verse 2, it says, Who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire." So the day of the Lord, the judgment, He's like a refiner's fire. Well, what will the fire do? What will the fire do? First, keep reading in Malachi, He will purify purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold. So that fire initially is coming to purify the house of God, the household of God, to purify them, refine them like gold. That's what the fire does first. What does the fire do secondly? Chapter four, verse one, Malachi 4, one says this, listen, the day is coming, burning like an oven. Burning like an oven. It's a fires burning like an oven when all the arrogant and evildoers will be stubble The day that is coming shall set them ablaze So the judgment is spoken of here like a fire and I believe that's how we're supposed to understand verse 17 and 18 in 1st Peter 4 the judgment is a fire coming into this world to destroy sin It begins with God's people, not by punishment on their sin, but by purifying them of their sin through these trials, through this judgment. But when it comes for the unbeliever, when it comes in that last day towards the lost, the wicked, the arrogant, as it says in Malachi, they will be burned up, set ablaze with eternal fire. With that in view, read it again. Look at verse 17. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. That's that purifying fire of God's judgment, grace from God. And if it begins with us Christians, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? That's that eternal fire, it comes burning like an oven. And if the righteous is scarcely saved or saved through difficulty, what will become of the ungodly? and the sinner. This is meant to be an encouragement for suffering saints. How does that encourage suffering saints? It reminds them that the fire of God's judgment that you experience now is for your good, is to purify you. But you've been delivered from that wrath to come. You've been delivered from that judgment on the wicked that's coming. You've been saved from that. It's meant to encourage them. And oh, what a warning. Oh, what a warning here, right? to the non-Christian, to the unbeliever? I mean, think about these – to every unbeliever in the room, like, think about these questions. What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Lost person, what will be the outcome? That's what he's asking. What will become of the ungodly and the sinner? And he's trying to get you to see that if the suffering on these believers seems so bad in your sight, If that seems so bad in your sight, do you understand what's gonna come of you? And the answer is eternal fire. The scripture says torment day and night in the lake of fire. You'll be tormented for your sin forever. And the only answer is sitting right there, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and he came underneath the wrath of God for your sin. He came underneath that fiery judgment of God's wrath for your sins so that you don't have to, so that you can sing, no wrath remains for me to face. I'm saved by saving grace. You can say these things if you come to Christ, but if you ignore it, man, what will the outcome be? What would the outcome be? And I would urge every unbeliever, every non-Christian in the room, think about that outcome. The day of the Lord's coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant, all the evildoers, they're gonna be burned up. The fire of God is gonna set them ablaze and it'll never end. That suffering will never end. This suffering for Christians, temporary. That suffering will never end. Lastly, number 10, Peter calls them to trust God. Look at him, verse 19. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. Never allow really important commandments to become cliche in your ears. This says trust God. If you're suffering according to God's will, you must, don't let it be cliche, you must trust God and trust your souls to God, plain and simple. That's the command here, that's the therefore. You'll be tempted to fear and suffering, In trials, you'll be tempted to worry. It'll be difficult at times to rejoice, but this commandment says, but you must trust God. You must entrust your soul to Him. You must trust God. He's called the Creator. Entrust your soul to the faithful Creator. He's called the Creator. He made you. Don't you think you can trust Him? He created you. He made you. He created the universe. Sun, star, and moon, he created everything. Don't you think you can trust him? Not just creator, he's called faithful creator. He's faithful, he's always faithful to his word. He's never spoken a word or a promise that has not come to pass or will not come to pass. He's a faithful God. True to his character, true to his word, always. People change. Situations change, he never changes. Immutable, faithful God. Don't you think you can trust him? That's the idea here, entrust your souls to him. I'm suffering, I'm in pain, this hurts, it's hard. Man, you can trust him, he's a faithful creator. Don't let that be cliche to you. One of the expressions here of trusting God when fiery trials are raining down on you and an expression of trusting God is it says it here, look at it. It says, while doing good. See that in verse 19? while doing good. But I can't, I can't keep going. I can't keep doing good. I'm suffering." Yes, you can. Yes, you can. Remember verse 11? If anyone serves, let him serve in the power and the strength that God provides. He provides that to you. You could keep going in the midst of suffering. Take this as a call to in every season of life, I think sometimes it's hard, there's trials, there's suffering, maybe it's persecution, maybe it's insults, whatever it might be, and there's this tendency to go, I'll serve God, I'll do good whenever I get past this season. That's not what this is. This is every season. In the midst of trials, in the midst of pain, it says every season trust God while doing good. Express it while continuing to do good for the glory of his name. And trust your souls to a faithful creator while doing good. I pray that all of this will prepare us as a church for suffering. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for your word. God, I pray, I pray, Lord, that you would help us to take these things in deep in our hearts, fill our hearts with faith in these words. God, help us to obey the commandments we see here. God, I pray that especially for saints in this room that are in the midst of deep suffering, God, I pray that you would draw near to them. You would make that verse so clear to them, Lord, that they are blessed because you, by your spirit, you rest upon them. God, I pray that they would feel that deep in their souls, that they know it, Lord. God, I pray that you would bless us as a church to have a deep doctrine of suffering and to live it out. Prepare us, Lord, please. In Jesus' name, amen.