The text that we will be using is verse number 16, which reads, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. What? Christian, in that name, Christian. If anyone suffers as a Christian. You know what, reread this and the term Christian for us is, You know, it's commonplace. You know, you ask your neighbor, are you a Christian? Well, of course I'm a Christian. You know, I'm not a heathen. I go to church. A Christian is just a common designation. But when Peter's writing this, it was a derisive, derogatory term. Christian. You know, and I'll address that later. So Peter's saying, if anyone suffers as a Christian, you're a Christian. Let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. I want to read the whole passage here, beginning with verse number 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 in as far 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 as a thief, or an evildoer, or a meddler. Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glory in 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, and Peter quotes here from something, we don't know what, if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly or sinner? Or actually, it literally says, if the righteous is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and sinner appear? Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good, or doing what is right, the right thing. righteous thing, the right, righteous thing. The entire book of 1 Peter has been designed to admonish and to encourage believers with respect to their suffering, particularly in their being rejected and ostracized as Christians in the world. And this can come from any place. It can come from family, it can come from friends, it can come from co-workers, it can come from schoolmates, neighbors, but particularly friends and family. And we're living in very troubling and uncertain times and it is probable that we'll be called upon to suffer perhaps some serious persecution as they do in China or Iran. or someplace like that. And it's because we're followers of Christ. If you're a follower of Christ, you're going to be persecuted. It shouldn't surprise you. Because Jesus said, in the world, you will have tribulation. Take heart, I have overcome the world. John chapter 16, verse 33. The Apostle Paul wrote, indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Notice, there's no qualification here. All, indeed all, who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. While evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verses 12 and 13. And I want to reiterate here something. While evil people and impostors, are we living in a time of impostors? Very much so. And it's not going to get better, it's going to go on from bad to worse. Why? Because they are deceiving and being deceived. The deceivers themselves are being deceived. That's the interesting part. The church in Smyrna, they're recorded in the letter of the Lord Jesus Christ to that church in the book of the Revelation. Jesus said to them, do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested for 10 days. And I think that 10 days is designed to describe a period, but a short period in reference to other periods. Tribulation, the tribulation period seems to be described in scripture as three and a half years. So ten days in respect to three and a half years is not many. He says you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. That's Revelation 2.10. And I'm adding this because of a message that was preached after buying there by Reggie Sanchez there at the fire conference, an excellent message. And he reminded us that Jesus himself defined what persecution was in his Sermon on the Mount. There in chapter 5 verses 10 through 12, blessed are those who are persecuted. for righteousness sake. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. See, we operate in a different kingdom around. We're not in this world anymore, so we're in love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. But we are part of a heavenly kingdom, and because we're part of that heavenly kingdom, we will be persecuted. So then blessed are you when others Revile you and here's how he defines persecution. It's being reviled and persecuted persecute you and utter all kinds of Evil against you person and I'm going to define the word persecution here in a minute and you'll see how that fits in here Against you falsely on my account rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven Oh, I'm going to take it for a little while because my reward is great in heaven, see? For so persecute a day the prophets that were before you. Ah, you're in good company. You're in real good company. Now, let me define this term, persecute. Persecute means to pursue. I don't know if you saw this clip on the news, but Some activists went after Kristin Sinema, Senator Sinema, who was standing in the way of a vote, and I think it had to do with the abortion issue. She was standing in the way of getting that vote done, even though she's a Democrat. She was against it, and these women went into the restroom and screamed at her and hollered at her and pursued her into the restroom there to let their displeasure of her standing in the way of their desire be known. That's persecution. That's what persecution is all about. And why will they do this to us? Because of righteousness. Jesus said the world cannot hate you and he's referring to his brothers. We talked about this last week in the message His unsaved brothers encouraged Jesus to go up to Jerusalem During the Feast of Tabernacles that to present himself openly and publicly to them In order to gain back what he was losing Because people were walking away from him because they didn't like what he was preaching But Jesus informed them, the world cannot hate you. So it's not my time. We got my time and your time. And then he explained it. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me. The world hates me. Why? Because I testify about it that its works are evil. You tell people the truth and they don't like you. They don't like you. They want to reject you and isolate you because you walk in the light and they hate the light because it exposes their sins. They will get in your face and scream at you. They'll revile you. They'll lie about you to silence you. That is persecution. And I really think that I would encourage you to find that message by Brother Reggie recorded there on the internet on the Fire Fellowship page. But the text before us now describes what it is to suffer as a Christian and it warns us not to be ashamed when we endure it because We will do this and we will suffer persecution because all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And to be ashamed of Jesus Christ is a sin. Jesus said if you're ashamed of me, I'll be ashamed of you. So let's get into the message here. And really, this is kind of what Job also experienced as the Lord tested him. His friends persecuted him. His family persecuted him. And sadly, even Job himself was under the impression that all Bad things happen to you. All suffering comes to you. Sickness and disaster comes to you because that's God's way of punishing you for some sin that you've committed against Him. So Job, you must have sinned. You've got some secret sin there that God is punishing you for. So if you will repent and get right with God on that matter, He'll turn things around. And Job knew that that was not the case. But he didn't understand it either. So he just wanted to be able to go to God and talk to God and say, please, Lord, can you show me what I've done? But when God, of course, appeared to Job and revealed himself to him, it wasn't to explain to Job what was wrong, but how great he was. And Job said, oh, I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you and I abhor myself." Which should be the natural response. And I repent in sackcloth and ashes. So here is the thing. And in James chapter 5, verse 11, we read, you have heard of the steadfastness of Job. I've often scratched my head when I read that. Job didn't seem to me like he was too patient. But in reality, he suffered and endured the suffering. He never gave up. Even when his wife said, why don't you curse God and die? He did not give up. And so James says, you've heard of the steadfastness of Job that is enduring under the false notion that suffering was punishment for sin. And you have seen in this endurance, the purpose of the Lord. Job's a great example. So let's get into it. So I want to just, first of all, just for a few minutes, survey first Peter, because the entire book is given over to encourage Christians in face of these trials and suffering. Chapter 1 establishes the glorious truth of our salvation. In verses 3 to 5 there, 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, unfading, kept in heaven for you. I'm glad it's not in my possession. I might mess it up. Who, by God's power, are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. So here's our situation right now on earth. We have been saved. It's a great mercy of God that has brought us to eternal life. And the means of our salvation is being born again. We have been born from above. We have been born anew. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. We have been brought into the reality of new life in Christ Jesus. And now we have a living hope. All of the blessings of my salvation are not mine right now. I'm still in the flesh and I still walk and have to battle the flesh. And I'm getting old and I'm getting tired. And it's hard. But we have a, I have a living hope. And that living hope is through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was raised from the dead. And He has promised me that I will also be raised from the dead. And I'll be given a new body like His glorious body. There won't be anymore getting old. And there won't be anymore pain and suffering. And it's an imperishable life. Undefiled by sin. Unfading. Look in the mirror there and I'm getting old. But here's a life that's unfading. And it's guarded for me right now in heaven by a God who has all power. And guarded through faith. That's my part, believing, but you know what? That's his gift too. For a salvation, for a deliverance, ready to be revealed the last time. I'm looking for Jesus to come and when he comes I'm going to be delivered out of this life, out of this difficulty, out of this sin, out of this trial. I'm going to be delivered into the glorious kingdom forever. Now Peter then informs the reader that because We experience these glories of salvation in our understanding of the salvation. The problem is we're not going to find it an easy road as we think about them and look forward to them. For Jesus plainly stated that the salvation's gate is very narrow and restrictive. And the way is very difficult. It's narrow and difficult. They're according to Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 and 14. So then Peter responds to this by saying, in this you rejoice. Notice that in this you rejoice. When I find it difficult to get up, and my knees don't want to work right, You know what I do? I rejoice. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you are grieved, or you have been grieved, that is, by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith More precious than gold that perishes, although it be tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now look at that. It's for tested genuineness. You know how the Lord knows that you really belong to Him? When you endure the testing and you rejoice in it as you endure it. So secondly, in second chapter, we find then how the world is going to treat us. Here is the cancel culture of Peter's day, which took aim at Christians, because Christ followers have tasted that the Lord is good, verse 3, and having been called out of darkness into his marvelous light, verse 9, have lived so honorably among the Gentiles that they are spoken against as evildoers. And when they are spoken of as evildoers, their good deeds then are seen by all so that God would be glorified in that day of visitation, according to verse 12. The revelation of Jesus Christ is a day of visitation. It's a day when God is going to come back and he's going to judge everybody. Do you know God's coming back to judge? Jesus is coming back to judge. All judgment has been committed to the Son. You better be ready for the judgment day. It's coming. And our genuineness of faith will be evidenced in the meantime as we wait for that day by our continuing to do good when it's difficult to do it. And we're opposed in the process. So the shame here that was intended for Christians should, would evidently, excuse me, would eventually come to their rejecters. They're persecuting you now, but just as we read there in the 37th Psalm, it's coming back to haunt them. And it's coming back to bite them big time. So we read there in verse 8, they will stumble because they disobeyed the word as they were destined to. But on the other hand, the Lord's saving work stands as testified in scripture there in Isaiah chapter 28 and verse 16, Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, whoever believes in him, that is Jesus, will not be put to shame. And that's verse 2. The Greek word here that is translated shame describes someone who suffers repulse from others or whose expectations of his own faith have let him down. And what it tends to do is cause him to wither away, to back off, to hide, to not want to be seen. To be put to shame. Thus for a Christian to be shamed as he lives out his faith is tantamount to feeling shamed, to be ashamed. If you have the feeling of shame when you're opposed for your Christianity, that's tantamount to reconsidering your decision for Christ. And thus Christ warned, Luke 9, 26, Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Don't be ashamed. It's a sin to be ashamed. And Jesus was in all points tempted as we are, and yet, as the Scripture says, without sin. He went to the cross for His own, and to do so He endured the cross, and according to Hebrews 12, He despised the shame. and is now presently seated at the right hand of the throne of God. When all of the insults were hurled at Him, when He was rejected, when He was ostracized, when He was hung naked on a cross, there was no shame. There was no shame. And now He's seated as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and all of those who rejected Him, who ostracized Him, who despised Him, who insulted Him, are going to have to stand before Him as the Judge of all. Wow! And He did this, when Jesus did this, He did this for the joy that was set before Him. The joy that was set before him because he knew that out of it would be a host of people who would honor his name. And I hope that includes you. So we too have to guard our hearts against the temptation to suffer shame when we're rejected for our faith in Jesus Christ. And that brings us to the third chapter, which presses this theme. And so we read there in verses 13 to 18. Now, who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? And you say, wait a minute. The people who are persecuting me are doing me harm. Not any real harm. No. When Peter is mentioning this, when you're zealous for what is good, who can harm you? Even by the world's standards, people that do good ought to be honored. But ultimately, God Himself is going to reward what you do and what you suffer for righteousness sake. He says, but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Because Jesus said so. Have no fear of them. nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason of the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect. way of approaching people when they fuss and they throw their argument at you, just ask them, well, why? And then they'll try to give you a reason for that, and then you just respond again, well, why? After about the third why, they shut up, and so they let you talk. Yet do it, he says, with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, Those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit. did it for us, why wouldn't we be willing to suffer for Him? Christians are just experiencing something of what their Savior endured. That brings us then to the fourth chapter which begins with encouragement that the Savior suffered in the flesh to save them and that their suffering then produces sanctification to enable them to live to the will of God. The best way that God uses to sanctify His people is suffering. Because it sure takes us off of the things of this world. So we read there in chapter 4 verses 1 and 2, Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking. For whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions, but for the will of God. And I remind you again, it's only those who do the will of God that abide forever. So are you doing the will of God? See, this is what we need to really start focusing on. So then fifthly, and finally, the fifth chapter reveals the true source of Christian opposition. When friends revile you, it's really not them. It's the one who empowers them. So we're shown in Revelation chapter 12 when it speaks of the dragon, that ancient serpent that is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver, the whole world there according to verse number 9. And this dragon became furious with the woman. And the woman here stands for the people of God, who are beyond the reach and protected by the Lord. So the whole people of God. And so he goes off to, then the dragon goes off to make war with the rest of her offspring. And then they're defined as those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus. Verse number 17. Thus Peter warns us, the readers in chapter 5 verses 8 through 11, be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him. Firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. It's a common thing. We have a fellowship of the saints. Your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, notice again, a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion. forever and ever. Amen. So what is it to suffer as a Christian? Thus beginning verse number 12, Peter informs believers that they should not be surprised when they are tested with fiery trials. And as we previously noted, fiery trials are designed to test the faith of God's people to reveal whether their profession of faith is genuine. For example, We have the parable of the sword given to us there in Luke's gospel, the eighth chapter, verses 14 and 15. And here some seed fell on stony ground, which sprouted, but because it didn't have any earth, soon withered away due to lack of necessary earth and moisture. Jesus then equates this with those who receive the word of God with joy and believe for a while, but in the time of testing. When tribulation and persecution arise, these fall away. They cannot endure, for they have no root to endure. There are many, many, many who profess Jesus Christ who have no root. And what proves their lack of genuineness? will be testing. Without question, the singular evidence of true conversion is endurance. Jesus was very clear on this matter. They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. Matthew 25 verses 9 through 13. Many will fall away. Why? They can't endure. But the one who endures to the end shall be saved. In the face of tribulation, it is he who endures to the end who shall be saved and delivered. But be careful here. It's not your ability to endure. He's not asking you to buck up, clench your fists, grit your teeth, and say, I'm going to do it. Because you won't. Your ability to endure is because you have genuineness of faith and the Spirit of God is working in you and He's the one who's causing that endurance, not you. So now Peter explicitly then argues that some suffering is because of one's being a Christian, specifically a Christian. And here again, I remind you, it's a derogatory in a derogatory sense. The Greek here, verse 16, literally reads, but if, but if. And so it's a follow-up on verse number 15, which warns Christians that they should not suffer as evildoers, that is murderers and thieves and meddlers and so forth. But on the other hand, if anyone suffers as a Christian, he must not be ashamed. It is a sin to be ashamed in the midst of persecution. If you shrink back because you are hollered at, you're rejected, you're reviled, you're spoken evil of, you're insulted. If you shrink back and pull away, which the word ashamed means to do, then you will reveal that you're not his, because Jesus said, if you're ashamed of me and of my gospel, I'll be ashamed of you. See, listen again, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. Now, if you get insulted for some silliness on your part, This is not what it's talking about. It's talking about being a Christ follower and being insulted for being a Christ follower. What is it to suffer? As verse 14 says, if you're insulted, if you suffer insult to be reviled, to be reproached in this cancel culture in which we live, they use shame As I pointed out there that Senator Sinema, they were chasing her into the bathroom to shame her into reconsidering her position and voting for in favor of their cause. That is what they do to Christians too. Sometimes it's not so evident, sometimes it's kind of subtle, but it's still there. Shame is the thing, is the means they use to control the narrative, and you will then agree with our understanding of things, or we will cancel you. Well, you just don't see it the way we do, and then they don't want anything more to do with you. So you will suffer reproach, you will be insulted, you will be rejected, and this cancelled culture should then not surprise us because Christianity was cancelled since its inception. Jesus clearly warned His followers that as they cancelled Him, they'll cancel you. 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. Luke 6, 22. The problem is the reaction of the believer to being reviled and insulted. We naturally react to criticism and being tempted to, and we're shamed. We're tempted to be ashamed. So the term Christian, Christianos in the Greek, is rarely used in the New Testament. Due to the fact that it was coined as a derogatory term against, to insult Christ followers. It first appears in Acts chapter 11, where we read in verse 26, and at Antioch the disciples were first called Christian. Oh, isn't that nice? No, that was an insult. And I think the second place where it's used is in Acts 26, verse 28, where Paul appeared before King Agrippa and was giving him his testimony. And he's telling him the gospel. And while he's, I'm sure, very impassioned in his speech, King Festus is sitting over there on the sideline and Festus suddenly speaks up and says, Paul, you're out of your mind! And Paul said, no, I'm not out of my mind. Then he turns to Agrippa and says, you believe these things, don't you? Surely you believe the prophets. And at that point, I think, is Agrippa there was listening to this impassioned plea that he says to Paul, when Paul says, the king knows these things, you do believe the prophets, do you not? I can just see Agrippa sneer. And look at Paul with a sneering retort, you really think you're going to persuade me to be a Christian? He wasn't thinking, well, you know what, Paul, I'm thinking about it. I just might be, you know, might decide. No, no, no, that's not what it means. He just looked at it and went, what? Here's Paul pouring out his heart in an impassioned plea for the gospel before this king, because God said, I'm going to put you before kings to testify before me, to testify. And here he is before the king. And Agrippa's response to it was, you think I would lower myself to be a Christian? So let's apply this. Verses 17 to 19 sum up the passage. And here's the heart of it right here. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. Judgment. You say, we're done with judgment. No, we're not. We have been saved from eternal judgment, but we're still in the flesh. And our time on earth is given over to sanctification. It's a process of sanctifying. And in this process of sanctifying, God judges us. He does judge us. The time of judgment, for judgment to begin, where? At the household of God. Not to the world, because of the household of God, but the household of God. There's a purification process that has to take place before Jesus can come and receive his bride to himself. His wife has made herself ready, is what we read in Revelation 19. So what is it? And Peter says, and if it begins with us, judgment has begun with us, Christians. the household of God, believers and followers of Jesus Christ. What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel? Well, we think it's hard. Sometimes it is really hard. And we say, well, I'm going to have second thoughts about being a Christian. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. If you think it's hard for you, you ain't seen nothing yet. what will be the end of those who believe not the gospel, who don't believe the gospel. And if the righteous, notice here, and if the righteous is scarcely saved, that doesn't mean that God, you know, he's doing his best, he's trying, And if we just cooperate a little bit better, we'd work out better for all. No, no, no. If the righteous is scarcely saved. See, everybody's got this idea of best life now. You know, you become a Christian, all of a sudden everything's gonna change for you, and it's gonna be for the better, and you're really gonna float in the clouds, and no problems anymore. You won't be driving Fords anymore, you'll be driving Cadillacs. You won't ever lack anything. No, no, no. If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinner? Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will. See now, your suffering may be to your own foolishness. And in that case, it's not the will of God. But if you're a Christian Christ follower and you're being persecuted for Christ's sake, then you're doing the will of God and therefore entrust your souls to a faithful creator. The one who made all things while doing good. Lord, you knew the end. beginning from the end, you know, whatever is going to take place. So that brings us to four things here very quickly. Number one, beware of the pressure to compromise. Here is the big issue. We find too many Christians who, because of the pressure to compromise, fold in some way. They won't take a stand against the rainbow crowd. They will cave to feminist pressures. I think that's the main, the big one. Feminism, the onslaught of feminism. Critical race theory. Just because you're white skinned, you're a racist. You racist person because your white skin grew up in the middle class, you need to be eliminated. Feel ashamed. No. Caved pressure to cave to mandates without proper informed consent. Don't do anything. Do not do anything until you have fully squared it with scripture and the will of God. And it is only those who do the will of God that abide forever. Secondly, remember the warnings of scripture to be faithful to the test. Here is a call for the endurance of the saints. We read there in the book of the revelation. Then thirdly, Remember the admonition of Jesus that it is only those who endure to the end who will be saved. And again, the end here is a glorious and worth all the suffering that one must endure. Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they, the prophets that were before you. And finally, and if you're here and you don't know Jesus, Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? Do you walk with Him? Is He your Savior? Is He your Lord? Do you know Jesus? This is important. Hear the gospel. The gospel is Christ died for sinners. He died as a substitute for sinners so that sinners might be saved. It's not your good works that's gonna get you to heaven. It's not how good you are. It's not how good you think you are. You cannot get to heaven in your own strength. You just have to throw yourself on the mercy of Jesus. God is the judge of all sin and your least little sin earns you eternal damnation. But Jesus went to the cross to suffer and to bleed and to die in the place of sinners so that sinners might have eternal life. And if God's speaking to your heart, throw yourself on Jesus. Commit yourself to Him. Plead with Him to save you. All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you can be saved. And there may be some here, even as small as we are, that you might be like that one who received the word in the shallow soil, but now you recognize, oh, Lord, maybe I wasn't saved. I need to come to you. I need your salvation. I throw myself on the mercy of Christ. Save me, Lord. Let's pray. Father, thank you, Lord, for this. Lord, we know we're living in some real testing times. And it may be we're going to be called upon to suffer for our faith. Perhaps just ostracizing communities is one thing, but perhaps taking off to a camp, to be isolated from society and put into a camp, and they're ridiculed and despised because we're those Christians, those right-wing Christians. That day may come when we may be facing guillotines or firing squads. Lord, keep your people faithful. Humble us before you to trust you. And Lord, even in the midst of it all, to know that we can have the fullness of joy in our hearts as we anticipate the glories that shall be revealed to us when Jesus comes. And I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.