The Fiery Trial, Part 2

What Peter is saying here then may speak to us in our own lifetime. The lifetime of our children as our nation becomes more and more intolerant of the Christian faith in its quest for fulfilling its moral lifestyle will become a greater and greater tax dollars being used to pay the salaries of people pass on biblical laws. It's hard to be a Christian in that environment, especially when you realize that the Bible tells you to submit to the government, but no submitting to authority mean that you stop being salt and light you just try to blend in today's lesson on grace to you will help answer that question and show you how to live for Christ in a hostile world.

The title of John MacArthur's current study faith through the fire. Join John now as he begins his message. Let's take our Bibles at this time as we come to the study of God's word and open it to first Peter chapter 4, we are looking at the text of verses 12 through 19, under the title the fiery trial is most likely that this epistle of first Peter was written late in the year 64 A.D. that would put it. A few months after the burning of Rome. You remember that Nero had burned Rome wanting no doubt to build a greater edifice to his own glory and when Rome was burning into someone was needed to be blamed. He laid the blame on the Christians and so beginning in that year of 64 A.D. there came an ever increasingly intense and outrageous and widening persecution of Christian is then in that context that Peter is writing his epistle. His readers would already be feeling some of the fury of a people who were anti-Christian to start with and who now would hold Christians responsible for the tragedy of the burning of Rome and the death of people who were in that city's readers. Scattered throughout the Roman world would also begin to feel the pressure of persecution. So Peter is writing then to believers who are beginning to have the fire turned up as it were, from those who were in an unbelieving role in the world an unbelieving role, I say, as those dupes and agents of Satan set against the Church of Christ to just get you in touch with that little bit got back to chapter 1 and get a feeling for this character within the epistle. Chapter 1 verse six in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials mentions in verse seven that such trials are testing their faith. Then over in chapter 2. Notice verses 11 and 12.

He reminds them that they are aliens and strangers. They are to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul there to keep their behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may, on account of your good deeds as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. So the idea again comes forth that they were slandered as evildoers as well as persecuted for righteousness sake. They were enduring distress in various trials in verse 19 of chapter 2 Peter alludes again to this, he says this finds favor if for the sake of conscience toward God. A man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly for what credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated. You endure it with patience, but if when you do what is right and suffer for it. You patiently endure this finds favor with God, or in chapter 3. Then in verse eight he says to sum it up, let's be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly kindhearted and humble in spirit, then this not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult again indicating that they were being treated with an evil means, and they were being insulted as well. Verse 14 says even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness. You are blessed.

Do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled. Verse 17 says it is better if God should will it so that you suffer for doing what is right, rather than for doing what is wrong in chapter 4 verse one. Since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin expected came to your Lord. Chapter 5 verse 10 after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect confirm strengthened and establish you know you can tell then that in every chapter there is some reference made to unjust suffering. The church was being persecuted as Peter begins here in chapter 4 verse 12 what is really the last section of his epistle flows all the way down through chapter 5, he again visits this same theme. He is concerned about suffering for righteousness sake suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ.

What Peter is saying here then may speak to us in our own lifetime.

The lifetime of our children is our nation becomes more and more intolerant of the Christian faith in its quest for fulfilling its moral lifestyle will become a greater and greater threat. So Peter's words must be taken to heart. Already there is a growing persecution against those that name. The name of Jesus Christ.

If you are to speak, for example, publicly against the sins of our culture. Sexual sin is particularly the sin of homosexuality. You will find the hostility that can be on its fringes, frightening and even life-threatening.

We are living in a day when those who live strongly for Christ and who confront the culture and whose testimony is on the cutting edge and to say what ought to be said where it ought to be said, may find themselves in trouble and under great distress and persecution, so be it. We should be ready for it in order to be ready. Should that comment even to endure what we are already experiencing. We need to take to heart verses 12 through 19. Here Peter gives us the proper way to deal with suffering for righteousness sake.

Let me read you.

Verses 12 through 19. Just set it in your mind. 11 do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ.

You are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you by no means let any of you suffer as a murderer or fee for evildoer or a troublesome meddler.

But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let it not feel ashamed, but in that name, let him glorify God, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God, and if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved. What will become of the godless man and the sinner therefore let those also who suffer according to the will of God and trust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right know all of that is rich rich true to dissect a little bit and put it in manageable bites you have here several great truths that summarize our response to suffering unjustly, not me say this before I dig into these words. You only suffer for righteousness sake. When you are visibly righteous. It is only when you live godly in an unrighteous culture that you create the hostility if you managed to hide your virtue if you managed to hide your testimony for Christ. If you managed to sublimate the fact that you are a Christian, so that no one can perceive it, then it is unlikely that you will suffer. But for those who live righteous.

Those who demonstrate their commitment to Christ. Those who speak boldly those who say what needs to be said where it needs to be said there will be a hostile reaction when that happens, there are number of things that you must take to heart. First of all, the first point in this wonderful summary by Peter is to expect suffering verse 12 don't be surprised at it.

We've gone into this. This is just review expect it is inevitable and God has brought it to test you. It comes on you for your testing to prove to you the genuineness of the state of your Christianity to purge your life for greater holiness is God's test to show that you're really gold when the fire has come and gone, you're still there noncombustible, pure, refined, purged for greater use to God. So, since God wants you maximally useful and since he wants to to have your calling and election sure then he brings suffering inevitably into your life to prove and test the genuineness of your faith for faith is not genuine when the test comes like the seed thrown against the hard soil. You may show some signs of faith, but you will have no fruit and under tribulation.

You will wither and die. So the fiery ordeal will show you the reality of your faith expected. It is inevitable. It is in God's purpose is inevitable. Also, because a righteous life in an unrighteous culture is a confrontation that that culture does not will tolerate. It fights back. Secondly, not only expect suffering but rejoice in suffering.

Verse 13 says to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled the name of Christ are blessed because the spirit of glory and spirit of God rests on Jerry simply saying rejoice in it, why you share Christ's sufferings why you will share Christ's glory and his unveiling why because as you suffer.

Now the spirit of God rests on you. He takes over to refresh and strengthen and do you so you can rejoice. Sometimes this is quite challenging to be honest with you I would I have been battered around a little bit and say to myself what I should expect that after all if I desire to live a godly life and preach the truth of God.

And if I want to hold the standard of holiness very high and if I want to hold the standard of doctrinal purity and biblical truth very high.

I can expect to get this so I must be ready for.

I can usually handle that it's moving to that second one where I rejoice over it that challenges me, but I by the grace of God I have the time to meditate on it into late before the Lord, that this I find that the spirit of God fills my heart with joy and it's usually the joy twofold the joy of participation the sense that no matter what I might suffer. It is small compared to what Jesus Christ suffered and yet I am a partaker of his suffering. In the second element that hits me hard is that whatever suffering I may incur in this life shall be more than rewarded in the eternal joy which shall be mine forever in the presence of the Lord rejoice in it. The third very necessary perspective with regard to suffering is to evaluate the suffering, expect suffering rejoice in suffering and evaluate suffering.

In other words, when you're suffering. Take a look at why verse 15 by no means let any of you suffer as a murderer or fee for evildoer or a troublesome meddler. There are four evils mentioned there that really are typical of an unregenerate lifestyle and they are used to illustrate the character of unacceptable suffering there very obvious, at least the first three don't suffer as a murderer them. If you murder somebody and you suffer and they persecute you and put you in prison or take your life. Don't moan and complain.

Same thing with being a thief don't suffer as a thief and an evil doer. By the way, the word evildoer is to cover all the crimes not mentioned in the first two words those first are pretty broad murder and thievery and then summing up all the rest don't suffer as an evildoer, all forms of wickedness and sin, then he adds one other very interesting word he says. Laura troublesome meddler you say will how the world you get a troublesome meddler and there was a murderer, thief, and an evildoer because this is a very very interesting word by the way, it's only used here in the whole New Testament that always challenges the lexicographer or the person who has to define the terms if it's the only usage of the word that we want to be sure we understand what it means is a very interesting word. The word is a lot tree Episcopal pass. This deposit is the word for overseer and if you combine the two words together.

It means someone who looks over or someone who includes into things that belong to someone else.

Someone that looks over or intrudes into things that belong to someone else.

It is a sort of mind your own business. Word now. Why does he throw that in here wouldn't be covered by an evildoer. Well, there's more to it than that.

This word I think has a more specific significance then is at first apparent. We just give you some other scriptures it might help you to kinda get a feel for the meeting back in first Thessalonians 411 you to turn to.

Paul says to the Thessalonians year to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded not to be a troublemaker. You're not to be a rabble-rouser you not to stir up your society you to lead a quiet life. You are to attend to your own business and to work with your own hands. Do your own trade stay out of other matters. In second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 11 he says to the Thessalonians, for we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies a different word here. You're acting like busybodies now such persons we command and we exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in a quiet fashion eat their own bread. In other words, back off, be quiet, do your own work. Then when Paul wrote to Timothy in the very next letter in the order of the New Testament chapter 5 verse 13 and he's talking about young women here. He says they should learn well when they're married. They learn to be idle as they go around from house to house, and not merely idle but also gossips and busybodies talking about things not proper to mention here is talk about something different. It's the same thought of busybodies probing into things that are not their own affairs, but it seems to me that while here it's very specifically talking about a woman who is widowed and who has nothing to do and so she floats around and just puts her nose in everybody's affairs, whereas in Thessalonians in the first and the second letter he is talking about how you conduct yourself not so much among the people you know like the widow here, but how you conduct yourself in the society and I believe that is precisely what Peter is talking about. With that in mind.

Consider again what Peter says you are not to be a troublesome meddler.

Now some people feel and I tend to agree with them that what he means here has a special reference to political agitation that is talking here about getting involved in revolutionary, disruptive activity interfering meddling in the function and the flow of government. This would surely lead to the government taking action which then the person would see as persecution. It could be in a business working on the job that you become a troublesome meddler thinking that because you're a Christian, you should be treated differently and because you have Christian standards, you should force your company to to apply Christian standards and so you become disruptive and you become a meddler and you become a revolutionary, to 1° or another. This would lead to suffering what it's saying is this very, very important. You are a Christian and you are living in a non-Christian culture.

Do your work, live a quiet life exalt Jesus Christ preach the gospel but don't try to overturn the culture don't become a revolutionary, don't metal or if you do and you are being persecuted by the government as a troublesome meddling agitator that is disgraceful. That is disgraceful.

That is not honorable for a Christian we have to ask yourself why am I suffering.

If you are living your Christian life living a virtuous godly life presenting Jesus Christ every opportunity you are given but working quietly with your hands being faithful to your task being a noble citizen in every way be responsible to do the task within the culture.

Not a disruptive force and you are persecuted is for righteousness sake. But if you have taken upon yourself to force your Christian thinking on your culture. Whether it's the corporate culture in which you function or the shop in which you function or the state or the government in which you live.

You step beyond the boundaries and I think Peter is simply reemphasizing hear what he said back in chapter 2 that we are to be citizens who are models of submission to every human institution to everyone in authority. So Peter is saying luck if you suffer as a murderer, and the government comes in and puts the penalty on you if you suffer as a thief, and the government comes in and sentences you if you suffer as some kind of evildoer involving any other criminal offense and the government takes you prisoner or if you have become an agitator of the status quo and a social revolutionary, then don't count that as suffering for righteousness sake, you should be ashamed of that you have to do an inventory.

You have to evaluate the suffering Sam suffering why my suffering. Verse 16 says, if anyone suffers as a Christian. In other words, you suffer just for being a Christian, but to not feel ashamed.

The implication is if you're suffering because you're a murderer you're a thief you're a criminal of some kind or you're a troublesome meddler disrupting the society, you should be ashamed.

But if you suffer while you're doing your job.

Living a quiet and tranquil and peaceable life honoring Jesus Christ being the best citizen you can possibly be, and proclaiming faithfully the gospel of Christ and you suffer.

You have no reason to be ashamed. In fact in that name, let him glorify God, what a state if anyone suffers as a Christian in that name. The name Christian you will glorify God. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us along with being the featured speaker on grace to you for over five decades now. John also serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary in our current series on how to respond to persecution is titled faith through the fire, so purging purifying testing as we saw today. Those are reasons that God brings trials into the lives of Christians and John is difficult as it is to go through a severe trial.

I suppose the only thing that could be harder would be not to understand that God does have a purpose for the trial and that he's accomplishing something beneficial with it and thus I said a couple of days ago Phil all this promise about the prosperity God wants you happy, healthy, wealthy, fulfilling all your desires. God wants you with a silly smile on your face because everything is in life exactly the way you wanted. This is a big lie to me that this is not only alive because the Bible doesn't teach it. It is a lie in regard to what God uses in the believer's life to develop that believer in the direction of Christ likeness.

Christ learned obedience from suffering.

If that that's true of the Lord Jesus Christ that were when I can arise to some different level than that were not going to become obedient believers. Just because God unloads riches on us.

To me that that is a lie that the true pastor was saying what the Bible says he would say to people God wants you like his son.

His son learned obedience through suffering.

God is going to put you through trials. He's going to put you through suffering counted all joy when you fall into various trials because they have a perfecting work. You know the right message instead of the prosperity message would be pray that the Lord will put you through whatever suffering whatever pain, whatever trial will perfect you will conform you more to the image of his son.

You have an illustration with Paul praying three times alerted remove the thorn in the flesh and the Lord said no because my power is perfected in your weakness. So reminder about the book the power of suffering. This is a really powerful book. It's totally contrary to the direction of the prosperity preachers of our time because it says what you want most is to be like Christ and if that's your desire, the pathway is not through prosperity. The pathway is through pain but the pain is to be embraced with joy because of what it accomplishes. The book titled the power of suffering will send it to anyone is never contacted our ministry before as a free gift.

Just contact us now and let us know you like a copy of the power of suffering and obviously it's available to the rest of you who are part of our ministry for a reasonable price. Yes, and friend. This book can help you thrive spiritually in the midst of trials and after they passed to request a copy of John's book called the power of suffering free if it's your first time contacting us. Get in touch today. You can call our toll-free number 855 race or go to our website TTY.org. The power of suffering explains the gracious, good and loving purposes God has for the pain and hardships in your life. It also looks at the way Jesus handled suffering and how you can follow his example. Once again the power of suffering is our gift to you.

If you never contacted us before to pick up a copy. Call 805 race or go to TTY.and thank you for telling us what these daily broadcasts mean to you and thanks especially for praying for us. We rely on that more than you know to let us know how God is using this listener supported ministry in your life. Write to us at box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 or you can email your note letters@tty.org. That's our email address one more time. letters@tty.org now for John MacArthur and the staff on Phil Johnson inviting you back for tomorrow's broadcast.

When John will show you the surest way to keep your spiritual footing in this hostile world. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's true one verse at a time on grace to you