My wife and I have had opportunity to work with the Bible Fellowship Church, first of all, as church planters out there in Las Cruces, New Mexico, oh, about 2,000 miles from here, and we had opportunity to be church planters. A gentleman had started a little congregation, and he wanted to join a denomination. The Bible Fellowship Church sent us out there, and praise God, the Lord worked through the ministry there, and we were able actually to graduate, to become a regular church with the Bible Fellowship Church. We stayed on there for a little bit as pastor and pastor's wife, and then we moved back here to Lancaster County. I was raised in Lancaster County. My wife is from Portugal. I met her in Portugal. And when the Lord led us to move over here, this is her first experience, Pennsylvania of the United States and Lancaster County. So every time the Lord directs us away from a ministry, we always go back to Lancaster County. We also had opportunity to live in New Jersey. We grew to love New Jersey. We ministered in Old Bridge, New Jersey there for a while, and so it's nice to be back here. I believe in the Garden State, yes, here in New Jersey. So thank you so much for the warm greeting and opportunity to preach God's Word. Yesterday I received information, actually from Brother Bob, I've been emailing him back and forth, that you'll be having communion service today. And I thought to myself, how wonderful, the Lord often does that. Sometimes when I have opportunity to preach somewhere, or I don't know exactly what songs have been chosen, when I realized, after all the song service, it's like, well, they must have looked at my notes. They must have known what I was preaching. But we know the Holy Spirit does that, and the Holy Spirit knew that you would be remembering the Lord around His table, and so the Lord did indeed direct me to speak from 1 Peter. So if you turn there, please, in your Bibles to 1 Peter, and we want to look, starting at chapter 1, verse 10, But I will be reading from the beginning of the chapter. We will get a feel of this chapter. We will be speaking about and discussing the sufferings and glories of Christ. As we read this passage and as we begin to get inside the mind of Peter and even follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, we see that Peter indeed was a man of God. Well, of course, he was an apostle. He was a disciple. And we remember that Peter, unfortunately, denied the Lord three times. But the Lord, in his wonderful way of grace and mercy, restored Peter. But what I find marvelous is that the Lord did not say, well, Peter, I forgive you, but I'm going to put you in a divine timeout. You see, the Lord's grace extended to Peter to forgive him, but then also restore him back into the ministry. And he told Peter, he said, feed my sheep. He wanted Peter to tend his lambs, to feed his lambs. And my friends, do you know what we have here in the epistles of 1st and 2nd Peter? We have written documentation of Peter obeying the Lord's words to feed his sheep and to tent his lambs. Peter will actually identify himself as a fellow elder Peter is helping other elders in the ministry, but he's also taking that responsibility as elder to feed his sheep, to guard his sheep, to tent his lambs. And we see the wonderful pastoral heart of Peter coming through in his epistles because he's very concerned with his readers. Because you see, his readers are going through persecution. Follow with me, please, as I read 1 Peter 1, and I'll be reading verse 1 of chapter 1 down to verse 16. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 1, Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood, may grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy, has called us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. this you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials 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 and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. As to this salvation, The prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit. Send from heaven things into which angels long to look. Therefore, prepare your minds for action. Keep sober in spirit. Fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts, which were yours in your ignorance. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy also, yourselves also, in all your behavior, because it is written, you shall be holy. for I am holy. Lest us go to the Lord and ask for his blessings on his word. Father, we thank you so much for your word. We thank you so much, Holy Spirit, for inspiring Peter to write these words to help those readers, but then also generations there in the future to help us as well, so that they would know how to confront persecution, and so also we also would know how to act and respond in face of suffering and persecution. Oh Lord, thank you so much for your word. open our eyes that we may see wonderful things out of your law, not just to be hearers only, but by your grace doers for the glory of you and the glory of your son Jesus, in whose name we pray. Amen. These people had been scattered, they'd been dispersed abroad, and those words, those place names there in verse one, are actually part of modern-day Turkey. You see, they were away from the hub. What was the hub in that day? It was Jerusalem. But they had been scattered, they had been dispersed. And Peter, as we mentioned, as an elder, was so concerned about them. As a shepherd, his heart went out to them because they were going through suffering. they were going through persecution. It's very interesting when you compare Peter, 1 Peter, with James, you see that right from the get-go in chapter 1, both of them hit on this theme of suffering and trials. As a matter of fact, James tells us, "...the count of all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing this, that the trial of your faith works patience, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, you may be complete, lacking nothing." James helps us to understand what we began to learn by experience, that we fall into trials. As a matter of fact, John MacArthur explains it like this. He says, all of us have just come out of a trial, we are presently in a trial, or we're about to enter into a trial. Peter helped us understand that something was going on there to his readers. And I believe that as we look at 1 Peter, if we're going to be fair to the text, we can take Peter's words and we can actually take those words and apply it to our lives in this sense. in the sense of James. Yes, trials are gonna come. How do we respond to sufferings in our life? But also, not just those trials, those everyday trials, those normal trials that everyone falls into, but more specifically, the trial of persecution. Oh, this word persecution, it used to be reserved for what was going on over there, in other countries, across the sea, in missionary reports. But if you are like I am, you have began to hear the rumblings, like the pounding of horses' hooves on the horizon. Persecution is getting closer and closer to the very point, don't need to show hands, but have you caught yourself even stopping yourself in mid-sentence, being afraid to say something because maybe somebody would say something to you or persecute you? Even wondering about job promotions and friendships. But to be more specific, for Christians here in the United States, where will that persecution come from and why? It seems as if there are three great issues that are all coming together. And the world hates us for our stand against abortion against homosexuality and the whole transgender issue. I believe it's these three issues that more and more will cause pressure to come upon Christians because we are getting in their way. They want to take the society a certain way and we hold to the truths of God's word on all these issues. And Peter is concerned that his readers, his sheep, his lambs, are gonna succumb to the persecution. So, Peter helps us understand, when he writes this about the suffings of Christ, that it was a designed plan. God had designed even Jesus Christ to suffer. If you look at 1 Peter 1, and verse 18, notice what Peter says. in 1 Peter 1, verse 18, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from the futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood as of lamb, unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ, for he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and your hope are in God. This whole plan of salvation was not a plan B for God. It was not God scrambling, trying to come up with a solution. Because Jesus Christ is the Lamb that was slain before the foundations of the world. And there in Revelation, we hear the worship to the Lamb that was slain. As a matter of fact, if you go not only forward in scripture revelation, if you go backward to the book of Genesis, in those beginning chapters, we find the drama playing out of the very unfortunate fall of mankind of Adam and Eve. And when Adam and Eve actually fall, we find God coming to restore them. And God calls out to Adam, where are you? Now God is Trinity. God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. So actually God the Son was actually crying out to Adam. Adam, where are you? Now God knows everything, but putting it in the human context, when Jesus was calling out to Adam, what did Jesus also know? In order to restore Adam and his fallen race. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, would have to go to the cross. And Peter begins to develop this whole theme of the sufferings and the glory of Christ to help his readers understand Jesus suffered, therefore you also must suffer. If you go to 1 Peter chapter two, Notice what Peter points out in the very context of this epistle. 1 Peter 2, and we want to start with verse 18. 1 Peter 2 and verse 18. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable, for this finds favor if, for the sake of conscience toward God, a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly, for what credit is there if, when you sin and harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if, when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. And notice verse 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, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. And while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously." Peter helps his readers understand this whole drama of the sufferings and glories of Christ, it was a designed plan of God. But not only that, it's the disciples' pattern. What will Peter teach his readers later on? Do not be surprised. when you suffer. And you know what happens when we're persecuted? We're surprised. What's going on? This is the United States. I'm a Christian. And Peter says, don't be surprised. It reminds me of what is told of some people, and maybe you yourself has remembered this, that when they were a child, their mother would say, you're gonna have certain days that don't go very well. And as they grow up, and in the adult years, they remember their mother's verse, her words. Mom told me there would be days like this. And just by the fact of remembering that you were warned about it gives comfort. And Peter is telling them, this is gonna happen to you. Now, Peter then enters into a very wonderful argument to encourage his readers about suffering. If you look at verse 10 of 1 Peter, chapter 1 and verse 10. Peter is going to encourage his readers to know how to handle suffering, but notice how he approaches it. 1 Peter 1 and verse 10, as to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries. Peter then turns to the prophets, the diligent prophets. Why the diligent prophets? Well, if you read the prophets, you see they were diligent, right? They served God under immense pressure. But the diligence that Peter is pointing out with his prophets is that they would write scriptures, they didn't fully understand what they wrote, then they would go over and they would pour into what they just wrote to try to understand it. Now, we do that sometimes, too. But that's proofreading, right? Or checking with grammar errors. The prophets actually wrote all this material, then they were bewildered. They would actually go back in their own materials and try to understand what it was. Daniel would read Jeremiah, another prophet, and try to figure it out. What was the dilemma for the prophets? They were speaking about the Messiah, but in two totally different angles for them. In some passages, there was this glorious victor of a Messiah. In other passages, there was this suffering Messiah. And the prophets couldn't figure it out, so they would pour over their own scriptures. They would search the scriptures. Now notice what Peter points out here in verse 11. Seeking, that is, the prophets, to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories of the Father. Do you see what's happening here? The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets, inspiring the prophets to write about the suffering of Christ. Jesus Christ was fully in on this plan of salvation. As a matter of fact, we did refer to Genesis. Genesis 3.15 says, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. The Spirit of Christ was inspiring the prophets to speak about the very sufferings of Christ. Again, verse 11, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. Where was the Spirit of Christ? The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets. What was the Spirit of Christ was predicting? He was predicting his very own sufferings and the glories to follow. Then Peter talks about the service. What were the prophets doing? Well, they were serving. But who were they serving? Look at verse 12, please. It was revealed to them, that is the prophets, that they were not serving themselves, but you in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things which angels long to look. What was not revealed to the prophets? What was not revealed to the prophets is this whole dilemma of how you can have a conquering Savior and a suffering Savior. That part was not revealed. But what was revealed to the prophets? Somehow, it was revealed to the prophets, hey, you're not serving yourselves, you're serving a future generation. The future generation is gonna need to know this material that you're writing. And by the way, Is that not a comfort and encouragement to us to serve in situations in obedience to God and his word? We don't know exactly how it's all going to pan out. Perhaps we don't see visible fruit. But in the end, this isn't the kingdom of me. This is not the kingdom of you. This is the kingdom of the glorious Christ who suffered for you and me. And we serve him in obedience. And God reveals to us that we're actually not serving ourselves, we're serving others, even though we don't understand all how that pans out and what fruit will come from it. And so these prophets, at least It was revealed to them that they were serving other people. Well, immediately in verse 12, who were they serving? If you look at verse 12 again, it was revealed to the prophets, it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. What happened? The Holy Spirit revealed to the apostles and to the disciples. They then understood that our Messiah, yes, was a conqueror and a suffering Messiah. The apostles understood it and they went out and preached the word and we understand that today. And we will celebrate that today. Because what is communion? Is it remembering the death? The burial? and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the conqueror. And how long are we supposed to remember this? This has reference to when Jesus comes as the glorious king. We understand the dilemma that the prophets did not understand that Jesus is both victor and the suffering Messiah. Is there a throwaway line at the end of verse 12? Well, first of all, there are no throwaway lines in the Bible. But notice what Peter ends verse 12 with. Things which angels long to look. This longing has the idea of stooping down on a doorway, kind of peering in. It also has the idea of passion, of fervent desire. Do you know that you and I understand things the prophet didn't understand? We understand the things that angels don't understand. You see, angels, they had their choice. Follow Lucifer or don't follow Lucifer. That choice was sealed for eternity. And so now angels are trying to understand what is this salvation because they've never experienced God's grace. And so Peter is putting this in there along with the prophets to help his readers understand what great privilege they have of understanding these deep, dear truths of the sufferings and glories of Christ. In light of that, turn please to Luke chapter 10. Jesus alludes to this as he's talking to his disciples and also talking to us. If you look at this wonderful verse in Luke chapter 10, and notice verses 23 and 24, Jesus is encouraging his disciples, even though ministry is so difficult. Notice what he says in Luke chapter 10 and verses 23 and 24. Jesus says in Luke 10, 23, turning to the disciples, he said privately, blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you that many prophets and kings wish to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them." Oh, the angels are desiring to peer into what do all the sufferings and glories of Christ mean. But Peter is using the example of the prophets and the angels to help us understand that we must make the study of the scriptures a determined priority in our lives. This is our hope in the message of the Bible. Peter understands, oh readers, if you look into the scriptures, if you study the sufferings and glories of Christ, that's going to encourage you to stand strong in the midst of your persecution. You can make a straight line then from this to the beginning verses of 1 Peter chapter 2. Oh, Peter is encouraging his readers concerning the precious meditation on the Word. Listen to these verses about God's Word, Psalm 1, verses 1 and 2. How blessed is a man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful, but his delight. is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. Fast forward to Psalm 119, verse 97. Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. In the New Testament, Colossians 3.16, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Peter understands if you're gonna stand up in persecution, that's gonna come fast and furious. You need to be grounded in God's word, the meditation of his scriptures. You can take away my house. You can take away my possessions. You can even take away my family. But you cannot take the word of God hidden in my heart. Oh, Peter will then encourage his believers in 1 Peter 2 to desire the pure milk of the words. But more in this context in 1 Peter 1 as we move towards our conclusion. Peter says, in the light of all of this, how are you supposed to respond in light of this persecution? 1 Peter chapter 1, and let's look at verse 13. Therefore, what do we do with all this information? Prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you as a revelation of Jesus Christ. Do you know what the tendency is when things are comfortable and easy? is to put our hope on those things that make us comfortable and easy. But when things get difficult, those props get knocked out, and then what's gonna make us stand? Oh, it's fixing our hope on God's word and the hope that Jesus is coming. Do you remember years ago, some people would walk into church, perhaps you saw it, And they had this little shiny button on their lapel. And if you looked a little closer, it just had two words. It said, perhaps today. Perhaps today, Jesus will break through the clouds. Peter is helping his readers prepare your minds in light of this persecution to focus in on your future glorious hope despite all the present suffering because you're following the pattern of Christ. What's going on with you? Happened to Jesus. Did Jesus suffer? Yes, then you will suffer, but did Jesus enter his glories? You also will enter into your glories. Paul said, for momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. Your persecution is heavy, take that weight. It's not gonna stand a chance on the scale of God's glories that he's gonna give to you. Peter is helping his readers. that if they respond correctly to suffering, they will lead a life of hope, happiness, holiness, and hallelujah to our Father God and to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible school that I went to had a cook, and if you have ever been involved in schools or even camping ministries, One of the most important places in all the school and in all the campground is the kitchen and then the cafeteria. Well, there was a cook. Her name was Betty. And Betty worked in that Bible school. And then she also worked in the summer camp, that opportunity to work out for two summers. And Betty would make homemade glazed donuts. There's no comparison to those donuts. But you know, when you're on your feet for hours and hours at a time, making food for so many people, it does get weary. But every once in a while, Betty would open her mouth, and she would just begin singing the opening words of this song. It will be worth it all. And that's how Betty was getting through her suffering for the Lord in that ministry. How will we get through the suffering and the persecution that is bound to come unless the Lord does a marvelous work of revival here in the United States? How will we get through it? By following what Peter said, fixing our hope on the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ and remembering it will be worth it all. So we will boldly and bravely run the race till we see Christ. Father, we thank you so much for Peter and his pastor's heart. These people were so far away from him, but he was following your words to tend his sheep, to tend his lambs. to feed them these words, to hold fast to you, Lord Jesus, to recognize, Jesus, if you suffered, they would suffer, and if you enter your glories, they would also. And then Peter not only anchored them on the hope that is to come in the future, but the word of God, your word that we have right now. Oh, Father, may we desire your word as babies desire milk, May we meditate upon it all of our day to find that strength to withstand persecution and stay true to You, not changing our mind, not changing our doctrines, not changing our convictions, but in love, boldly proclaiming Your truth that others also may come to know You as their Savior. It is for His glory we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.