As offerings being collected, I'd like to invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4, as we've been making our way through this letter penned by the Apostle Peter, probably from the city of Rome in the mid-50s A.D. We come to the final main section of his letter, and so today I'd like to consider together with you 1 Peter 4, verses 12 through 19. So let us once again give ear to the reading of God's holy, infallible, and inspired word. 1 Peter 4, beginning in verse 12. 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 rests 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 of 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. When the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever. Let's ask his blessing upon it now. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you once again for your word. We thank you for the fact that it is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. So we pray that as your word is proclaimed today, that you would pierce our hearts with your truth, that you would help us to embrace all of the promises given to us in the gospel, as well as hearts of gratitude for all that Christ has done. And we ask this in his name. Amen. Well, beloved Lord, the Apostle Peter wrote this letter to Christians living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia to remind them of their new status in Christ Jesus. They are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation due to the fact that they have been begotten again by God to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. This means that although they may be residents of those various cities that I listed, they are sojourners and exiles in this present evil age and are therefore called to live lives of holiness before the Gentile world, no longer living according to the passions of the flesh and joining them in the same flood of debauchery that they engage in. But because they do that, their pagan neighbors are going to think they're weird. they're going to think it's strange that they don't join with them in their sinful behavior and thus they slander and revile them for their good behavior in Christ Jesus. These are some of the various trials that were besetting Peter's readers as he addressed them. This is what they were grieved by. But he writes to encourage them that nothing can rob them in this life from that inexpressible joy that we have in Christ. And far from these trials being a reason for despair, Peter's told us that they are actually a reason to rejoice all the more. And so as he concludes this letter with this final section, Peter revisits many of the themes that he's developed earlier in the letter, and he gives pastoral comfort to his readers. And he does so by telling them, calling them, addressing them as his beloved readers, and telling them not to be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon them. This is important for us to hear, because more often than not, we are surprised by suffering. We think it's strange or out of the ordinary when trials come our way. We just want to get back to quote, unquote, normal. Of course, human suffering and misery was not part of God's original design and creation, but was ushered in as a result of the fall. And God has promised to make all things new and to wipe every tear from our eyes when Christ returns. But in the meantime, we as Christians must expect trials of various kinds. And if this was true of Peter's first century readers living in the Roman Empire, how much more true is it of us 21st century American Christians who have been taught that it is our God-given right to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And when anything gets in the way of that, we think it's strange. No, you see, suffering for the Christian, and specifically suffering as a Christian, is not strange, is not out of the ordinary. but is to be expected. And that's the specific trial that Peter has in mind here, is suffering reproach for the name of Christ. He specifies that in verse 14. He's already specified it previously when he talks about suffering for righteousness' sake. So if the Gentile world thought it strange that Peter's readers didn't join them in their sinful practices, they shouldn't think it strange when they are thus maligned and insulted for the name of Christ, and neither should we. Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ taught us in John 15, a servant is not greater than his masters. If they persecuted me, Jesus says, they will persecute you. But notice how Peter characterizes these trials that came upon his readers. He likens it to a refiner's fire, a fiery trial which, as he said back in chapter 1 verse 7, refines our faith even as gold is refined in the fire. Boys and girls, if you ever have opportunity to go gold mining and you strike upon an ore of gold and you chip it out, there's, together, clumped together with that gold is a bunch of other stuff, other rock and materials, and the only way that you can get pure gold out of that material is you put it into a fire that's really hot. And everything else burns away and the gold remains. That's how it is for our faith. God puts our faith in the fire. He puts us in the fire so that, as he said in chapter one, so that the tested genuineness of our faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And so far from being surprised when God sends fiery trials our way, Peter actually tells us in verse 13 that we are supposed to rejoice. This is the uniform message of the New Testament, as James tells us in the opening of his letter, 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, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. And the Apostle Paul says something very similar in Romans chapter five. But it's interesting that the reason that James and Paul gives for us to rejoice when trials come upon us is somewhat different than the reason that Peter gives us to rejoice when fiery trials come our way. Peter tells us that we should rejoice in as much as we share in Christ's sufferings. You see here, Peter's emphasis so much isn't on the process of refining our faith, that process that we might call sanctification. No, for Peter, and although he wouldn't deny that process, obviously he would affirm what James and Paul teach us. No, his emphasis isn't on the process of sanctification, but the end result of that process, namely justification. He says, we should rejoice in as much as we share in Christ's sufferings so that we might rejoice and be glad or rejoice all the more or exceedingly rejoice when his glory is revealed. You see, the end result, of course, is glorification together with Christ. And sharing in Christ's suffering, literally having koinonia with his suffering now, is sure proof that when he appears, we also will appear together with him in glory. This is something the Apostle Paul clearly teaches in Romans chapter 8 when he says, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. And speaking personally in Philippians chapter three, he speaks of his desire to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. And Paul says, and I may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. And so a prerequisite to being glorified together with Christ is suffering together with Christ. Now, let me make myself clear. Peter, in talking about the suffering together with Christ in order to be glorified with him, he's not saying that our suffering somehow atone for our sins or somehow merit or improve our standing before God. Only the death of Christ accomplishes that. And he's made that abundantly clear previously in his letter. In 318, he says, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God. In 324, he said, he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. Only the once and for all death of Christ on the cross has fully atoned for all of our sins and given us that bold access we have before God. And yet while Peter highlights the unique once and for all suffering of Christ as our savior, he also highlights the fact that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we might follow in his steps. You see the road to glory that Christ blazed, that trail that he blazed was a trail of suffering. You'll recall the Old Testament prophets who were filled with the spirit of Christ What it is that they predicted, they predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. Notice the order, suffering first, subsequent glory. And that's the same order that we follow after our Lord as we take up our cross and follow after him. In other words, if it happened to Jesus, it's going to happen to us. And so Peter says in verse 14, if you are insulted. Now, the fact that Peter's writing to Christians who are beset by various trials, who are being grieved by various trials, the fact that persecution for the sake of Christ was not just a remote possibility, but was a reality in their lives, should lead us perhaps to translate verse 14 by not if you were insulted, but when you are insulted for the name of Christ, Peter says, you're blessed. This is picking up what he said back in 314 when he says, but even if or when you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Now, what on earth gives Peter so much confidence to be able to say that when you suffer for righteousness sake or if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed? I think it's because he knew and remembered the words of his Lord. On the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus pronounces blessings, the beatitudes, in Matthew 5.11, he says, blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Such an amazing thing that the Lord is able to turn the reproaches of this world into a blessing from Him. So when you hear those reviling, that when people revile you and speak evil against you as a result of the fact that you were a Christian, you can see that as a blessing of God because our Lord said so. But Peter even gives us more insight as to what is happening when the world reviles us for the sake of Christ and persecutes us. You see, what is unseen to the reviling world, but is grasped by faith for the believer, is the abiding presence of the Spirit of God resting and hovering over the believer, sealing him and her for the day of redemption. Notice what he says there. He says that we can rejoice and be glad that we are blessed when we are insulted for the name of Christ in verse 14, because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. In the same way that the glory cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night hovered over the tabernacle in the wilderness, giving, assuring the Israelites of God's presence there, so now the spirit of glory hovers over every living stone of God's new spiritual house, showing that we are part of his temple, we are part of his people. And the fact that Peter says that the spirit of God and of glory rests upon you, he's actually referencing what we read in Isaiah chapter 11. We read in Isaiah 11, there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his root shall bear fruit. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. What's fascinating is what was a prophecy, of course, of our Lord Jesus Christ, uttered by the Spirit of Christ through the mouth of Isaiah, we see now by Peter is applied to us, Christians, who are united to him by faith. Even as the Spirit hovered and was abiding upon Christ, so now the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of the Lord rests upon us. So it's Christ in us, the hope of glory that the world finds so revolting. Even if they can't fully understand it, this is what causes them to insult and revile us. And therefore, we should see it as an immense privilege to share in the sufferings of Christ as it means we belong to him. We have His stamp of ownership. We have His Spirit hovering over us. And that's what I think the apostles finally realized in the early chapters of the book of Acts. When we read in Acts chapter five that after they were called in by the Sanhedrin and they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go, we read in Acts 5.41, then they left the presence of the council rejoicing. in that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. It's an immense privilege to be able to suffer for the name of Christ because it means we belong to him. But no sooner does Peter tell us the type of suffering that we should rejoice at that then he warns us against the type of suffering that we should avoid in verse 15. He says, but let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or as an evildoer. Peter's already exhorted us to keep our conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against us as evildoers, they may be silenced by our good behavior. He wants to make sure that if and when we suffer, we suffer for doing good and not for doing evil. That our only quote-unquote crime is being a Christian and nothing else. Because if we do suffer for our own sinful and foolish behavior, we suffer as a murderer, thief, or evildoer, or meddler, what we are doing is adding to the offense of the cross. The cross is offensive enough to sinful man. Why should we add to that offense? Unfortunately and tragically, that is what we as Christians do and have done, which is why Peter says, don't do it. don't suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer. These first three things of being a murder, theft, evildoing, of course, these are things that even their pagan neighbors and their governing officials would have frowned upon and would have punished, as Peter says back in chapter two. These governors are sent to punish evildoers and reward The righteous, clearly those things which are frowned upon by the unbelieving world are clearly out of place for the believer. But the word translated meddler in verse 15 is an interesting word. It appears only here in all of scripture and not at all in any secular Greek writers at the time. Leaving us to conclude that Peter actually probably coined this word. Literally, it means an overseer of another. It implies the idea of being involved in other people's business, which is why the King James translates it, a busybody in other men's matters. And so what is Peter getting at here when he says, don't be a meddler, don't be a busybody? I think in light of Peter's concern for our witness to the unbelieving world, and the importance of our conduct being just as important as our speech, as we are told that we can win others even without a word, and of our preparedness to give a defense for the reason for the hope which lies within us only when asked, and even then with gentleness and respect. I think we're on safe ground to assume that Peter is warning us against a tactless, overzealous attempt to police unbelievers' sinful behavior in a misguided attempt to win them for Christ. You know these type of people, right? These type of Christians who are really concerned about other people's business, about what those people in the world are doing, and it's their mission in life to point that out to them. Paul sets our priorities straight when he writes to the Corinthians who were neglecting policing their own business in-house within the church, and perhaps were a bit too preoccupied with what was going on in the world. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4.12, for what have I to do with judging outsiders? Speaking of unbelievers, is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. Purge the evil person from among you. This is very fitting with the counsel that he gives to the Thessalonians, also those living in a predominantly pagan Gentile culture who are also suffering persecution. We read in 1 Thessalonians 4.11, Paul writing to them to aspire to live quietly and to mind your own affairs and to work with your hands as we instructed you so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. This is what we pray for when we pray every Sunday for our governing officials. We pray that we might live a quiet and peaceable life in the sight of all men. Not meddling, not being busybody in other people's affairs, but being concerned about our own life and the life of the church. This is the best witness that I think we can have to an unbelieving world. Going back, moving from improper suffering back to proper suffering in verse 16, Peter says, yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, The word Christian literally means a follower of Christ. And it's actually a rare term for the New Testament. This isn't the type of term that Christians would use to refer to other Christians. The evidence we find in the New Testament is they called each other brothers and sisters since they saw themselves as all part of the family of God. They referred to each other as saints since they are sanctified in Christ Jesus as disciples. since they were followers, literally learners of the Lord. They referred to themselves as people of the way, since Jesus, of course, is the way, the truth, and the life. But we read in Acts chapter 11 that it was in the city of Antioch. that the disciples were first called Christians. And the only other time we read this word Christian in the New Testament is in Acts 26 when Agrippa responds to Paul saying, in a short time, would you persuade me to be a Christian? And the fact that this term Christian isn't used by fellow Christians to refer to Christians, but outsiders to us, leads us to believe that this actually wasn't meant as a compliment, but it was a term of derision. It was an insult to be called a Christian, a follower of quote-unquote Christ. And yet Peter says, if you suffer as a Christian, if people revile you by calling you a follower of Jesus, don't be ashamed. Now, in a culture that Peter is writing to, a culture where everybody, in any decision that they make, any sort of major life decision that they make, was predicated by the question, will this bring me and my family honor, or will this bring me and my family shame? And they made their decision based upon that question, what we might call a shame-honor culture. When Peter says, don't be ashamed, their ears would have perked up. And yet if we're honest, we're all concerned about what others think about us. As a kid, I was taught to say sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. That's not true. Sometimes those insults, what people call us, is more biting, more harmful, more painful to bear and endure than any sort of physical punishment. And yet Peter says if they revile you as a Christian, Don't be ashamed, but glorify God in that name. You see, since God can turn the insults of the world into a blessing, we have reason to glory and to glorify God, turning the insult of Christian into a badge of honor. And in that sense, even the Old Testament saints were Christians. As the author to the Hebrews tells us in Hebrews chapter 11, reflecting upon Moses and the choice that he made about his life, we read in Hebrews 11, 24, by faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. In this sense, we could be like Moses, not going after the world, not going after the fleeting pleasures of sin, not looking for their approval, but rather choosing to suffer together with the people of God, esteeming the reproach of Christ. It's greater wealth than all the riches of the world, as Jesus tells us in the same context in Matthew chapter eight, What would it profit him if he were to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul? But the one who seeks to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will gain it. This is the same idea that Peter found so hard to understand there in Mark chapter eight, as he rebuked Jesus for talking about suffering. But now he understands and he writes to his readers, he writes to us, to esteem the reproach of Christ as greater wealth, and to glorify God in that name, Christian. And that is, in fact, what we've done for the past 2,000 years, right? As Christian is the most common term we use today to refer to one another. As Peter concludes in verse 17, he says, for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. See, the purpose for which Peter writes this letter is to remind us what time it is. He said back in chapter one that Jesus was made manifest in the last time for the sake of you. And he said back in verse seven of our chapter that the end of all things is at hand. You see, with his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has ushered in the beginning of the end. The powers of the age to come have broken into this present evil age, and we as Christians participate in heavenly realities, including final day judgment. And that's what Peter's getting at when he says it's time for judgment to begin with the household of God. Peter reminded us back in verse five of our chapter that Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead. He's ready. You can come at any moment to do that. But now he informs us that that judgment, in a certain sense, has already begun within the household of God. He's reminded us how we are that household, all living stones being built up together into a household of God. We are both a people and a place. But when he talks about judgment beginning at the house of God, it's important to understand that this is not a judgment of condemnation. For the believer, that verdict has already passed. Paul tells us in Romans chapter eight, there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus teaches us in John five, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. As those who have been justified in God's sight. The final day verdict has already been declared over us. We are perfectly righteous in His sight, and nothing can change that. You see, the judgment that Peter has in mind here isn't a judgment leading to condemnation. No, it is a judgment, as he's already informed us, of purging and refining our faith in order to test us. So we're not being judged to determine if we are righteous. No, we're perfectly righteous in His sight. As those who have been justified, we are being tested and refined. And this is exactly what the Old Testament prophets predicted. concerning what the Lord would do when he would come as he would go first to his house. He would go first to his temple to purge and refine it before then going on to judge the rest of the world. Several Old Testament passages we could reference, but I think Malachi chapter 3 is probably the best example. Undoubtedly, one of the passages that Peter had in mind when he referenced judgment beginning in the household of God. We read in Malachi 3, the Lord saying, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, his house. And the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old, as in the former years. Jesus said that he did not come to condemn the world. but in order that the world might be saved through him. And that's what he's doing with us. He's come to save us and he is now refining us as judgment has begun in the household of God so that we might offer up the spiritual sacrifice of praise. It's authored to the Hebrews. It's teaching us that God is treating us now as sons. disciplines us with various trials in this life, with fiery trials for our good so that we might share in His holiness. So we should not grow weary or despise the discipline of the Lord, but welcome it and wear it as a badge of honor. It's a cause for rejoicing, as Peter tells us, because as he says, if it begins with us, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? You see, being tested now by sharing in the sufferings of Christ means that we will not share in the dreaded outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God. And to prove that, he quotes from Proverbs 11, if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? were translated scarcely, could also be translated with difficulty. You see, Peter here isn't calling into question the certainty of our salvation, which he's already told us is kept in heaven for us, nor is he implying that it is difficult for God to save us. No, but that it is through many trials, through many difficulties, through many persecutions that we must inherit the kingdom of God. And if that's the case, If it's through many trials, through the judgment of refining and purging in this life that we enter into glory, how much worse off the unbelieving world who presently engages in a flood of debauchery and maligns and reviles us for not joining together with them, how much worse off will they be? So Peter concludes our passage, exhorting those who suffer according to God's will. This is another point that he's made throughout his letter, that fiery trials should not surprise us, it shouldn't take us off guard, we shouldn't think it's strange, but also that these fiery trials are in accordance with God's will. He says that they are necessary, that God's will has willed it, literally. And so when we suffer according to God's will, we also are more like Jesus. Because back in chapter two, he reminded us that Jesus, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he was threatened, he did not respond with threats. When he suffered injustly, he continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. And we as his followers are to do the same. We are to entrust our souls, referring to our whole person as it's renewed in Christ, to a faithful creator. So the same God who made us is the same God who saves us. And it's the same God who has caused us to be born again to a living hope so that we might participate in his new creation. That he has begun with the resurrection of his son from the dead and he continues to do in us in our lives. We entrust ourselves to him, how? By doing good. May God continue to grant us grace to be able to take up our cross, deny ourselves, follow after our Lord and do good in Christ Jesus. Amen. Let's give thanks. Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for the fact that you were pleased in the fullness of time to be born of woman, to be born under the law, to take on the form of a servant and to live a life of suffering and obedience on our behalf. so that you might bring us to God. We thank you, O Lord, that you teach us that whosoever would come after you would have to take up his cross, deny himself, and follow that path of suffering, O Lord, and we pray that you would give us strength and grace by your Spirit to rejoice in our present trials. Continue to refine our faith, and may we look forward to the day that when you appear, we will also appear together with you in glory. We ask all this in your name.