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51 Hope in Hard times – Part 2

1 Peter 4:12-19

12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God[a] rests upon you.15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? 18 And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” 19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

The first thing he tells us is to:

  1. Expect suffering.

As Peter tells us to expect suffering he is calling us to stop being surprised by suffering and to stop seeing suffering as strange. Many Christians are surprised and even shocked when the trials and sufferings come into their lives. Today there is a popular theology called prosperity theology, which teaches that the sun always shines on the saved, that the grass is always greener for good Christians, that suffering doesn’t come to those who are sincere in their faith. But Peter proclaims that prosperity preaching is not only deceitful and bogus but it’s dangerous.  Because it causes us to pursue happiness instead of holiness. River rock is prized and sought out by builders because of its beauty, but it’s a beauty that came about through being bashed about. The raging river didn’t just tossed and turned this rock it transforms it. Just as the rock is refined by the raging waters so God transforms our lives through turbulent trials. We may not like the scalpel of suffering but we need the surgery so that we can be shaped into men and women who reflect His glory. We may wish for the slow streams and the still pools so that we can live undisturbed lives. But God cares too much about our character to leave us in the calm and the comfortable creeks. Jesus never taught the “prosperity gospel,” but He did preach the “persecution gospel.” Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In John 15:20, Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” In John 16:33 He adds, “…In this world you will have trouble…” 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Philippians 1:29: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.” We shouldn’t be surprised when fiery trials come our way because we are at spiritual war with Satan himself. Do you have Prosperity theology or proper theology? A proper theology is ok with pain that produces Christ like character, but a Prosperity theology will always panic at pain because when your pursuit and purpose is pleasure you will only see pain as a problem. Proper theology is concerned with character, Prosperity theology is concerned with comfort. Prosperity theology is also dangerous because it causes us to question God’s love. But notice that Peter starts with the words “dear friends or beloved” which means to be “prized and valued, dearly and very much loved.” The first seven uses of this word in the New Testament refer to the love that the Father has for the Son. When you are going through a season of suffering it’s easy to question God’s love. But you are beloved by God even when you’re being bombarded by suffering.  God’s love is not tied to your current circumstances it’s tied to the cross. God treasures you even in the midst of your trial. But Prosperity theology forces us to find our love in a problem free life not in the Lord of life. Suffering is a seal of discipleship, something that is guaranteed for the follower of Christ. If you have a false belief you are going to get blindsided, and a faith that leaves you unprepared for suffering is a farce. When you base your faith on a lack of affliction, your faith teeters on the brink of extinction and will fall apart and fail at the first mention of a debilitating disease or disaster. A False faith can’t survive suffering, nor should it. One of the blessings and benefits of suffering is that it exposes and eliminates our toxic Theology and replaces it with truth. Believing God exists is not the same as trusting the God who exists.


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48 Sold out Servants – Part 3

1 Peter 4:7-11

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

As a result secondly we are called to: 

2.         Love lavishly

The second practice we should engage in in light of the fact that we are living on the edge of eternity is that we must unleash our love for others.  This is now the fifth time Peter lifts up love in this letter. Other versions us the phrase “above all” which remind us of the priority and primacy of love. The love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that “Love never fails” that when everything else has faded love will last. This is not just a feeling love but a fervent deep love. Peter is calling us to be fully engaged in love. It’s the picture of a race horse whose legs are fully extended galloping or of an athlete straining and stretching at the finish line in order to win the race. It means that our love must be operating at full capacity. Instead of limiting our love we are called to love lavishly. In fact the only other time this word is used is in Luke 22:44 when Jesus was in agony and prayed so fervently that “His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” In truth biblical love is often more sweat than sweet, because it often takes effort to love people. God wants us to have a lavish a love for others that is at full stretch with an intense strain. Peter points next to loves power and provision, that it can cover a multitude of sins. This doesn’t me we hide sin but help those in sin. Again the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 provides a word picture for us to help us understand what this means. It says “love bears all things.” The word “bears” is derived from a thatched roof which covers a building and provides protection. To “cover” here means to protect, instead of exposing faults for everyone to see, love limits what we share with others. Peter is quoting from Proverbs 10:12: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” While hatred stirs things up, love settles things down. Love looks past the hurts and doesn’t hold a grudge. Sometimes the hardest love of all is letting go, but real love refuses to deliberately drag  the sins of others through the dirt. Do you remember what happened when Noah got drunk and lay uncovered in his tent? When his sons saw they sought to cover his shame. This doesn’t mean we condone sins because the Bible calls us to confront sins in love. But confronting sin is more than just calling it out its coming alongside and reaching out to restore. Yet for many people they live life in the past and long after people have repented they still haven’t let go and released. Instead of releasing they relive which leads to resentment. We hold people hostage to the hurts and while they are forced to live in regret we reside in resentment, the result is that we both end up prisoners to the past and the pain. When others hurt, you can either take them hostage and hold on or set them free. You can broadcast the hurt or bury it. No relationship will survive unless we unleash love and let it cover a multitude of sins. Without forgiveness only the failures flourish. Love chooses not to dwell on the failure, or bring it up only to beat down, or talk trash around town, or hold others hostage and hinder the relationship. Peter now provides some practical ways for us to flesh out this fervent love, by calling us to have a heart of hospitality. Be gracious without grumbling, don’t just serve smile. Some of us are serving with a scowl, having let ministry become a misery. Do you see love as a duty or a delight? Are you making it a job instead of a joy? Some of us are more hostile that hospitable. Hospitality lends a help hand. In Peter’s day this practice was absolutely necessary, providing a refuge for persecuted believers. Remember Peter started his letter to those who were scattered, the homeless and the hurting, those that could use a little love through lodging. But you will never open your home until you open your heart. We are called to care cheerfully, which means that we must guard against grumbling. Hospitality can be hard, but we must be careful not to resent the time or the expense involved. If you offer hospitality and under your breath you growl how will your guests feel? It’s a delight not a duty to have an open door. Open hearts lead to open homes, just as a forgiving spirit leads to a friendly spirit. When we cover sins, we’ll uncover the sofa. So let me ask you what message are you modeling for your kids, is it one of me or one of ministry? Caring comes with a cost, remember the paralytic in Mark 2:4 that was lowered through the roof to the Lord. In order to reach the Lord and be healed they had to remove the roof of the home. I wonder what thoughts were racing through the home owners mind as their roof was being ripped off, were they fascinated or furious? As I read that story this week my heart was probed by a penetrating question: “Do I have an ‘open roof’ policy in my home? Am I willing for my home to be redecorated so that people can meet the Redeemer?