Four Strategies for Victory in Jesus

Foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] can you hear me [Music] okay very good yesterday because one two hey good morning church hot my hot my good morning it is good to see you here in the house of the Lord It's the Lord's day amen and I am so glad to be able to be here and if you are new to our church welcome to it we're all about loving God loving each other loving our community and world Amen and so we are going to you know have a great Sunday for y'all we're talking about suffering today in the first Peter chapter four so you know hold on to your seat I know some of you said it's been interesting catching up with folks and talking with you throughout the week and you know it's it's a very timely message for many of us and so I just prayed the Lord's blessing to be honest today a couple of announcements before we dive in firstly if you got prayer requests or anything like that be sure to fill out one of these cards that's in the seat in front of you drop it in the offering plate as it goes by it'd be a huge help of me being able to pray for you on the 25th that's in about two weeks we're going to have a children's ministry potluck basically what that means is that we're going to get together we're going to talk about children's ministry kind of long-term

Vision hey Kenny how are you doing man it's good seeing you let's see here sorry you distracted me there we're going to be talking about children's ministry we're going to be talking about kind of the mission and the volunteer needs and different things like that and so bring a meal if you care at all about children's ministry you should be there so if you're a parent if you're a volunteer or if you may be becoming a parent or you think that you might want to be a volunteer or you just care about children in general be there it'll be a great time and amber and Cindy are going to be leading that and it's going to be great Joy group they got their fourth of July celebration that's coming up there's information on how to sign up in the bulletin as well as youth are going on a hiking trip on the 20th Vacation Bible School is right around the corner be sure to get your get your kids all registered for that and signed up and checked in and everything like that it's going to be great fantastic week we're talking about twists and turns and how we should be following the Lord Jesus Christ now we've got on the back of your bulletin you'll also notice that we've got several mission trips coming up we need to put the youth in here in here as well all right because they're going to be leaving at the end of this month to go up to Kansas City and they're going to be doing submission trips we've got a trip going to Idaho we got a trip going to Mexico praise the Lord that we've got some mission trips to go and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ amen and it's not just about doing missions locally or you know abroad or anything like that it's about living out the Gospel every single day in our world that desperately needs the hope and the

Love of Jesus Christ now we've got a ton of things to cover but you can look at those in the bulletin and keep track of all of that but we got baby dedication today that will take place after the first first song I'm really excited about that excited to see these moms and dads dedicating their children to the Lord it's a good and it's right thing for us to do now I don't know about some of you guys but I've seen some folks slip in here and I think that you should stand up go find someone that you haven't been able to say good morning to and say welcome to First Baptist Church thank you questions you're not feeling good thank you foreign good morning First Baptist Church it's good to be in the house of the Lord today can you hear me good morning as you make your way you know back to your seats this is the time of our worship service where we just take a moment to quiet our hearts distill our minds and to ask God to help us to focus on him in our worship so I'd invite you at this time just to Bow your heads and close your eyes spend a moment asking God to help you prepare for corporate worship families if you're with your kids today you know take some time and pray with them it doesn't have to be silent okay Lord I pray that you would help us individually to focus our hearts and our minds on you even as we gather together to corporately worship Lord I pray that you would help us to cast all of the distractions all of the anger the frustration that we may be

Experiencing to cast all of that down at your feet or to give it over to you so that we might be completely enthralled in worship because Lord you are worthy Lord help our knowledge of your worthiness to result in our worship together help our affections for you to overflow in our singing in our prayers in our exhortations Lord help us to worship it's in Jesus name we pray amen I'd invite you to stand as we join together and sing this morning [Music] I was buried beneath my shame [Music] who could carry that kind of wait it was my turn [Music] I was I was breathing but not alive all my failures I tried to [Music] you called my name you called my name of that grave out of the two do you say [Music] and I ran out of that grave out of the darkness into your to your yesterday thank you [Music] the sea has said [Music] now you're freedom is on that I thought the Old Bay News when I met you called my name and I ra Q the darkness to your New York [Music]

I needed rescue my sin was heavy but chains break at the weight of your glory I need a shelter I was an orphan call me a citizen of heaven when I was broken you were my healing now your love is [Music] when you called my name [Music] is you called my name [Music] sing it again you call my old time out of into your glorious day called my name and praise [Music] out of the darkness Into Your Glory glorious day [Applause] and then you can be seated well at this time we're going to dedicate some babies to the Lord amen and so I'd like to invite parents and those babies and I guess bring them babies up here and as we do child dedication this is I guess a reminder to you that this is not just these parents dedicating these children to the Lord it's also us as a church family coming alongside of them and agreeing that these children are a gift from the Lord and we will do everything within our power to support them to be a resource to them the Scriptures Heidi do you mind if you hold that for me just real quick just hold it no I'm not gonna make you talk but I wanted to read a passage of Psalm 127. Over these families it says this unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain unless the Lord watches over the city the Watchman stays awake in vain it is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest aiding the bread of

Anxious toil for he gives to his beloved sleep behold children are a Heritage from the Lord the fruit of the womb a reward like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth blessed is the man who fills his quiver with him he shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate we believe that children are a reward and a privilege and a great honor amen parents I'm going to ask you guys these questions and I've gone over them with you guys and y'all will respond affirmatively with we do and church I'll also ask you some of these questions and you guys will affirm we do as well and so listen carefully parents do you hear this day publicly recognize your child as the gift of God and give heartfelt thanks for God's blessing church do you agree that children are a blessing from the Lord and thank God Almighty for the blessing of children in our church parents do you hear this day publicly dedicate your child to the Lord who created them church do you celebrate with me in the public dedication of children to the Lord parents do you hear this day publicly pledge as parents that you will bring up your child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord church do you hereby agree to help these families with this responsibility parents do you hear this day publicly promised to give your child every possible benefit of a loving home a well-rounded education and a Gospel-centered marriage and family church do you promise to join these families in their passionate pursuit of raising a Godly family parents do you hear this day publicly ask God's blessing upon your child's life to guide their steps guard their

Hearts and direct the minds of your children through all his or her years or her years they're all baby girls throw through all their years Church do you this day and every day forward commit to be a blessing to these Brothers and Sisters in Christ and their children seeking God's glory in the good of your neighbors that are up here I want to invite these families to pray over their children at this time dear heavenly father we just asked teaching Maeve and help her through her years in As You Wish in Jesus name amen dear gracious Heavenly Father we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving us these children and being able to dedicate them to you Lord and help us to give everything that we need to give to them through you Lord that they grow up strong in the faith in Jesus then pray amen dear Lord we thank you for Elizabeth we thank you for bringing her into this world in your timing Lord we pray that you would bless her and keep her Lord we pray that you would fill her with strength and with knowledge of Who You Are God more than anything we pray that you would quickly draw her near to yourself that she would know you and love you and profess your Gospel in this world amen and so Lord together with these parents that you love dearly and these little baby girls that we love dearly God and you love more than we could ever fathom Lord we just pray that you would save these little babies Lord one day they would profess faith in you God help these moms and these dads to continue to grow in you to always seek out your will and in your face above everything else Lord God I pray these parents that they

Would know the Lord and that they would help these little babies to know you as well gotta we just we lay aside all worldly claim on them we dedicate them to you and to you the glory of Jesus Christ from here on out and forever in Jesus precious name amen [Applause] we also have some gift bags that we'll give to these families at the end of service or at the end and so we're very thankful for God's work in the young families in our church and so Austin you ready to lead us let's continue to worship together through song today [Music] is [Music] remember [Music] here I raise my heaven easy [Music] me too High Jesus [Music] how great straight to me let thy Grace [Music] foreign [Music] Lord I feel it to the God I love Here's My Heart Lord take and see seal it for thine thy doors you may be seated as our ushers come forward to take our offering this morning let's pray together dear Lord I ask that you would bless this offering that we're about to take up Lord I pray that you would make us into a people that give generously not just of our money but Lord of our

Time and our talents of everything that you have given to us because Lord it is all yours God I pray that you would remind us of that not a scent not a minute not anything that we by this world could claim really belongs to us but Lord it all comes from you and it's all for you it's in Jesus name we pray amen as we've seen this last song you're welcome to stand or to sit or to kneel or to do what you need to do to worship our Lord and Savior this morning [Music] thank you [Music] Man of Sorrows [Music] in my place [Music] Son of God [Music] more [Music] guilty violence we [Music] best Lamb of God [Music] can be Hallelujah Man of Sorrows their sorrow [Music] by his blood who takes [Music] was his Christ [Music] Hallelujah [Music] Son of God [Music] thank you [Music] he's coming again [Music] to see Hallelujah [Music]

The Savior Hallelujah [Music] foreign [Music] What A Savior let's pray together dear Lord let us never stop to stop being amazed at the story of the Gospel Lord that you would send your only begotten son to take our place to Bear the Wrath that was reserved for our sins so that we might take on the righteousness of Christ Lord help us to always and forever be amazed in Wonder and proclaiming this Gospel it's in Jesus name we pray amen but amen if you have your Bible and I hope that you do turn with me to First Peter chapter four we are going to be in verses one through six today over the coming weeks we're going to be in this series called Victory in Jesus next week brother Austin is going to be preaching and so we look forward to him bringing God's word and so it'll be a good thing to sit under the teaching of God's word we're going to be talking a little bit about what the World Views is a very backwards Theology of victory for us we view Victory and in Christ and yet the world sees our Victory and they think that's foolishness it's one of the reasons why for the majority of the world's history authentic Biblical Christianity has been mocked and it's been scorned by many evil people for example in the 1970s it was a lady her name was man I'm struggling with this last name I really practiced it's Nicole suddenite okay it's Eastern European she was sentenced to three years and working in a in a communist labor camp she was a young 20 year old lady that loved the Lord Jesus Christ and she was sharing the Gospel with friends and neighbors and people were coming to the Lord and that was

A big No-No back then and so as a result of that this woman who was at one time this absolutely strong-willed very vivacious blonde woman she goes into this labor camp and slowly but surely her body was overworked and malnourished and you know her hair started thinning and her body began to become bent from all of the things that she had to suffer in there she said that when she was sentenced it was the happiest day of her life just kind of weird isn't it strange after being set free she was asked how was prison and she responded kind of in a very unusual way she said it was romantic in other words her suffering for the Lord was one of the greatest Pleasures that she could ever experience in our passage today we must remind ourselves of the cultural context of Peter's audience this is Asia Minor it's turkey modern day turkey and the great persecution hadn't really occurred yet and yet there was increasing persecution in that area up until that point Christians they weren't regularly being martyred they weren't regularly being imprisoned but it was occurring and it was becoming more and more normative for Christians to be vilified to be ostracized to be relecated relegated to the fringes of society would be looked down upon and hated for simply believing the message of the Gospel for knowing the Lord God and in our world there's a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek in saying that Christians are being persecuted I mean it's not like churches have ever been penalized for gathering on the Lord's Day it's not like Christians have ever been taken to court for believing what the Bible says is true

In our world the loss they don't need to see Christians fighting back though not with violence not with heated arguments but what they do need to see is love they do need to see Christ in us they need to see well-reasoned responses and Christians living in Victory and today we are talking about victory in the Lord Jesus Christ in four different strategies that we can use to do that and so if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read First Peter chapter four verses one through six God's word says this since therefore Christ suffered In the Flesh arm yourselves with the same way of thanking for whoever has suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sin so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God for the time that is passed suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do living in sensuality passions drunkenness orgies drinking parties and Lawless idolatry with respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery they malign you but they will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead for this is why the Gospel was preached even to those who are dead that though judged In the Flesh the way people are they might live in the spirit the way God does pray and so Lord help us as we tackle this passage Lord it's it's been a week of a lot of in-depth learning and I pray that most of all that we would behold you in the passage today that we would see your suffering that we would prepare ourselves for the same kind of suffering and that we would we would

Do it well God we pray that you alone would receive the glory and that as a result of this preaching today that people would know you a little bit better or maybe if they don't even have a relationship or that today would be that day that they profess faith in you help us Lord to glorify you to be good representatives of your kingdom in Jesus precious name amen well the passage begins with since therefore Christ suffered and when you see the word therefore you have to ask what's there for therefore it's good hermeneutics it's a great way to know exactly what the author means and so we ask what is the therefore therefore and what Peter is doing is he's picking up his thought from Chapter 3 Verse 18 which says 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 and so Christ he was put to death he was put to Death In the Flesh he suffered In the Flesh the righteous for the unrighteous we talked about how that just seems to us such a bad trade but thanks be to God that Jesus Christ died so that he could reconcile us to the father and for Peter this suffering it's not just pain like we think oh I got sick or I stubbed my toe or you know my car is having problems and we think of that as suffering and yet it's not those are the things that the world goes through what Peter is talking about here is when you are vilified for the kingdom of God it means when you simply just are a Christian and people hate you as a result of that word suffering in this context it's synonymous with the events that are surrounding the crucifixion of our Lord and Peter he is teaching his audience

And by extension you and I that we must arm ourselves with the same way of thinking with which Christ approached the cross the first strategy for living in Victory is to concentrate on the mind of Christ Paul he reaffirms this teaching doesn't he when we look over at Philippians chapter 2 verses five through eight it says have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross so let me ask you this how do you view your suffering when the trials and the storms of Life come because you were you were standing on the word of God how do you view that suffering do you view suffering as an as an enemy or as a tool for the Lord to use is it something that is a hindrance to your walk or a help to your walk is it something for your sanctification or is it something that you just want to avoid that suffering well we have to ask ourselves how did the Lord view the cross how did he View his suffering well we know that he despised it that's exactly what Hebrews 12 2 says he despised it he endured it but he also knew that all of that suffering and his death would lead to the Salvation of man and so we must attain this mindset that as we grow closer to the Lord it means our suffering and it means our death death of our desires for his desires death of our principles for his principles death of our morality for his morality in other words in order to walk rightly with in Victory in order to walk rightly with the Lord we must first die to ourselves and continue dying to

Jesus he taught this in Matthew chapter 16 verses 24-25 then Jesus told his disciples if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whoever would save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it you must die in order to live and Peter says that we are to arm ourselves with that kind of way of thinking it's a military word that arming of yourself it's the Greek word which means is in reference to the hop-life soldiers that were very popular in ancient Greece they were foot soldiers that would carry these big Spears and heavily armored and they would stand eight ranks deep with Spears bristling they were very Fierce Warriors they had Grit and it would stand firm knowing that the battle was their life or their death and they would fight well any and so Peter he is telling us to arm ourselves not with the mindset of a soldier but with the mindset of Christ to think about suffering in that same way that suffering In the Flesh that death brings the greatest victory in a believer's life I told you it was backwards for our world some of you who don't know the Lord you think that's weird what is he talking about this see as Christians we should have every intention and every understanding that knowing God ultimately means dying to ourself in fact Peter goes on to say whoever has suffered In the Flesh has ceased from sin that's a that's a really weird phrase isn't it Whoever has suffered In the Flesh has cease from sin remember that this suffering does not just mean simply death

Christ's suffering it was completed at the cross that's why he said to tell us die it is finished but it also started when the nation of Israel rejected its king and creator continued when he was lied about and conspired against it his suffering grew in betrayal at the hand of a beloved disciple who betrayed him with a kiss it increased under the crown of thorns the purple robe the heavy lashing the mockery the spitting the cursing and it crescendoed at the cross where his hands and his feet were pierced with nails for the sake of our Redemption death is not the only form of suffering and yet Christ's suffering ended in that and it was unjust suffering and Believers should also be prepared for unjust suffering when we have the mind of Christ we have to expect that there are going to be some terrible things that are happening to us around Maybe by other people to us but if we come at it knowing that because of the righteousness of God our relationship with the Lord and US seeking to please Our Father our audience of one it totally changes our perspective when those things come like if someone lies about you they start rumors about you they despise you remember that suffering can be an encouragement that Christ suffered unjustly and we share in his sufferings and as well in fact it can be very beautiful or as Nicole said it can be romantic many years ago I had a friend of mine that was in an automobile accident and he flipped his car three times it was bad they called his wife and they said you need to get to the hospital and as she walked in to the ICU he was just a black and mass of Flesh she could barely recognize him it's hard to look at thankfully has the testimony of God's

Grace he pulled through and you know she said I learned so much through all of that I didn't know that I needed to learn and he said one time isn't that the way that it usually goes isn't that the way that usually goes I didn't know that I needed to learn that we don't know what we don't know Christian your hope is not in this world it's not in the people in this room it's not in this church it's not in some type of group that you're in it's not in your works all of those things will ultimately fail you every single thing you will experience things like church her it hurts you will have people misunderstand you will have neighbors speak ill about you but we can look at the suffering of Christ and we can be encouraged that just as Christ from the cross said father forgive them they know not what they do we can offer that forgiveness very quickly as well and so what does what does Peter mean here when he says to arm ourselves and those who have suffered have ceased from sin does that does that mean that if you have experienced suffering that you have stopped sinning I mean if you said yes to that please let me know your secret I would really love to know that but remember the context Peter he is tying it back to that symbol of baptism which is the Mark of us dying to sin and living to God therefore we are no longer unified with sin we're not married to sin in fact we are divorced from sin we are dead to it we no longer have a relationship with it that once exclusive relationship has changed because we found a better spouse the best spouse listen to what Paul writes and we read

This a couple of weeks ago but I think that it's really good for us to revisit it's Romans chapter 6 verses 1 through 12. What shall we say then are we to continue in sin that Grace May abound by no means by no means how can we who died to sins still live in it do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death we talked about that the waters represent death not life we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ raised from the dead by the glory of the father we too might walk in newness of Life remember that baptism it's the symbol of that reality that took place right when we professed Christ for if we have been United with him and a death like his we shall certainly be United with him in a resurrection like his we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin for one who has died has been set free from sin do you consider yourself dead to sin or you just well I'm a sinner I can't help but do it and you're walking that path to willfully transgress God's law remember consider yourself dead descent now if we have died with Christ we believe that we will also live with him we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again death no longer has dominion over him for the death he died he died to sin once for all but the life he lives he lives to God so you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its Passions this means dear Christian that we must obtain A New Perspective towards sin we must obtain A New Perspective towards

Sin in order to have Victory in Jesus because of the death that we've experienced and the life that we now live by grace through faith in Jesus Christ we now have a completely different goal for life did you know there's never been anyone too holy we think of the holiest person Jesus Christ never been anyone too holy only in this doesn't simply mean separation it's definitely a primary aspect of Holiness but Holiness means separated in service to the Lord that's what it means but there's many people in churches today although not our church for sure right that they view holiness maybe as a dirty word or something that's totally unobtainable for the believer and so they just kind of continue living in sin maybe it's that they love their lost family and friends right good motives good intentions there but as a result of that they have little concern for the things of God I mean what benefit is it if you're a lost family friends neighbors strangers co-workers whoever if they approve of you but your father in heaven doesn't approve of you what good is that what benefit is that towards you at the height of Christ's popularity he had these great crowds following him and Jesus turned to him and he said if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters yes even his own life he cannot be my disciple whoa whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple not much wiggle room for your own personal interpretation there is there the point that he's making is not so

Much hate which I know many of you look at but comparatively who has your most Supreme affection and Allegiance if her purpose is no longer to live like the rest of the world like the Gentiles that Peter's talking about In this passage if our goal is never to spend the rest of our lives for Earthly pleasure then what is our goal what is our purpose it's to live for the Lord it's to be pleasing to Our Father in Heaven it's to come in to him and say God I just I just want to live for you I just want to I want to glorify you help me to do that can you show me how to do I my drive and my ambition it used to be money it used to be Fame it used to be power it used to be pleasure it used to be all these different things that I was pursuing but God I only want you what do you care about God Christian we must be can we must consider ourselves dead descent and alive to God look at Romans chapter 12 verse 2 do not be conformed to this world excuse me but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect see our mind it must be renewed to understand God's will means that we must know the Lord because what we used to be it has to stay dead in the past Peter he describes it as living in look at the passage living in think back to First Peter chapter 1 verse 14 when it says that P that we are not to be conformed to the passions of our former ignorance in other words Our Lives they should be different now because of the difference that God has made in our hearts and so Peter he goes on to list several things here stemming from the

First one which is living in sensuality this is unrestrained behavior of All Sorts things that you can see the conspicuous and the Unseen here he goes through this list and we won't camp on all of them there's there's tons of places in Scripture where there's these all these different lists right tons of different places and they're not meant to be exhausted by any means but they are there to point out the difference that should be made in a believer's life from the culture that they were saved from Our Lives aren't to be characterized by the things of this world now Asia Minor it was a very religious area there were things like temporal worship Temple prostitution Emperor worship was a big one and so drunkenness and partying was very common in place there in that culture excuse me but Christians they are called to be very different than the culture not for the sake of being different but for the sake of the Lord and so now we do not look down our noses at people because they struggle with something that we no longer struggle with do we that's not Grace that's not forgiveness that's not love but the grace of God appeared on us and so what then should we do well we don't return back to the old pig trough and fill our bellies full of our former sins we don't go back to the vomit but what do we do we go to the Lord and we seek out his pleasure and his Joy the fact is that because of the new life that we have in Christ we should have a new perspective on sin and unrighteousness thank you so there's a renouncing of sin and a running toward God this only happens when we know the Lord

And we desire what he desires and align our wants with his wants and his will and this is a radical change when someone comes to know the Lord it's instantaneous and yet it's always increasing but not everyone is going to be thrilled with the life that you now live toward God in fact our life of obedience to the Lord to his will is sometimes going to be a source of tremendous suffering as well because our perspective towards sin has changed the culture's perspective towards sin has not changed and so you should not be surprised when you no longer embrace the culture and celebrate the things that the world celebrates when you're no longer living for the world pursuing the dollar getting drunk having wild sex parties going to parties to drink living for other things that are displeasing to the Lord what happens is that people they're not only just surprised when you don't join them in that the word there in the Greek it means astonished but it also means offended and we could probably put a very good modern word there triggered with respect to this look at verse four with respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them they get triggered when you when you're not joining them when you're not celebrating what they celebrate and all of a sudden they go oh so you think that you're better than me because you don't do insert the blank there it'll be something new next week but why is that why do they get so offended by that it's because the fragrance of Christ is offensive to those who are spiritually dead those who are spiritually dead they enjoy embracing the diseased things the Sick Things the spiritual carcasses and the diseases

Of others are totally normal to that culture but when a beautiful soul that loves the Lord God comes into their midst they're offended and repulsed by the essence of Christ and they hate it and this is one of the reasons why it's so tough to share the Gospel with family members isn't it that's a tough place to be because we love them and we fear damaging relate that relationship we fear the loss of a relationship but it's precisely because of that love that you must share the Gospel you and I we can't make dead men alive we can't that's why you must pray for them pray for them pray for them and never cease praying for your lost friends and family keep praying keep sharing keep praying keep being kind keep praying the Lord he will do the work don't hide your love for the Lord get up early invite them to come with you to church talk about the service afterwards if you've got family coming into town bring them don't sleep in don't skip out that's a great opportunity to share the Gospel the third strategy for us is to expect opposition expect opposition but don't be surprised when they malign you that's literally malign you it's literally the word blasphemount is which is a verb form of blaspheme it means when someone speaks ill about you with hate without rage surprise offense always oftentimes very quickly turns into attacks Thomas Schreiner in his commentary on this he said sharp words often times transform into sharp swords we will be maligned for living for the Lord and it will happen as you suffer for being a Christian the old hymn that we used to sing very often I have decided to follow Jesus you guys know the story behind that hymn is really

Interesting these Baptist missionaries back in the 1800s they were trying to get to these villages in India and very resistant very hostile and so they would go to these larger cities and they would evangelize there and hopefully by reaching these natives they would be able those natives would be able to carry the Gospel to these Villages well there was one particular Village that had already killed one missionary family and so they'd reached one man and he received the Gospel he was on fire with the Lord and just everything that he was doing he was ignorance on fire right I mean just reaching people for the Lord in his village doing whatever he could to share the hope of Christ he led his wife to the Lord he left he led his two sons to the Lord he even LED his immediate neighbors to the Lord and that really made the village Elders very mad the chief was very angry he called that whole family right outside of his village and he had some archers standing there and he said you must turn away from this quote-unquote false God we don't want that foreign God here and so you must turn away from this Jesus or die and what did he say I have decided to follow Jesus and immediately arrows were released in his two sons fell Dead next to him and he said you've already lost two sons the chief said that are you willing to lose your wife too what would you do he said though they won't join me still I will follow and then his wife looked at him and she was shot dead as well what would you do he had already lost his wife his two

Children for the sake of Christ man looked at the chief and said the crosses before me and the world is behind me I will not turn back and he died and those Believers that he had led to the Lord set his last words to that song to that little tune that we sing the beautiful part of that is that the very next day the chief as a result of the peace in the midst of the suffering because of the joy because he had no fear he received the Lord Christ as well and not only that but that entire Village came to know the Lord it's the blood of the Martyr sets the seed of the Gospel the world it might hate you for loving and following the Lord what of it if your father is pleased then why should you be concerned is it God's Delight in you worth far more than all the Praises of men verse 5 says but they talking about those who persecute you they will give an account give account I should say to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead Paul he writes these words to us in second Thessalonians verses 1 chapter 1 verses six through nine since indeed God consider considers it just to repay with Affliction those who afflict you and Grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels and flaming fire inflicting Vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus they will suffer the punishment of Eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might I mean how terrible is that is the Eternal Destiny of those who do not receive the Gospel we shouldn't go look at that and go yeah

Justice Justice could be a comfort but don't we want those who oppose the Gospel to know don't we want those who hate the Lord to eventually turn around and love the Lord what greater testimony is that the Lord he will one day bring Vengeance on those who hated him and his people he will judge those who did not receive the Gospel and if you're here and you do not know the Lord I pray that is not you because it is an eternal destruction that's what the Bible says that same word Eternal there is the same word that the Scripture uses about your eternal life it goes on forever but yet we also know that it's by trusting in Christ that we can be delivered from that wrath to come it's a hard path it's a hard path it means suffering on this side of Eternity it means being hated by others but it also means knowing the Lord it also means being saved it also means being guaranteed eternal life in Christ when we come to Jesus we say Jesus would you would you cleanse me would you make me clean would you make me pure would you reconcile me to God he will do that and we know this we know that we are guaranteed eternal life because our hope is in God and in his final Victory remember revelation 20. The end is already written and the Scriptures say this then I saw a great white throne and him who was Seated on it from his presence Earth and Sky fled away and no place was found for them and I saw the dead Great and Small standing Before the Throne and books were opened then another book was opened which is The Book of Life and the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done and the Sea gave up the Dead who were in it death and Hades gave up the Dead who were in them and they were judged each one of them

According to what they had done then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire this is the second death the Lake of Fire And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life he was thrown into the Lake of Fire then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth had passed away and the sea was no more and I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold The Dwelling Place of God is with man he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there be Mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away amen see you can have peace with God by coming to Christ the fourth strategy is to live with eternity and view that's the key guys all of these are keys to live with eternity and view look at look at what Peter says let's go back over here for this is why the Gospel was preached even to those who are dead that though judged In the Flesh the way people are they might live in the spirit the way that God does okay so for this is why is not pointing to the conclusion of the previous verse okay grammatically we would look at that and say yes that's what it means in the Greek it doesn't he's pointing forward to those who are dead and who are they the ones who have died they are the Believers who died before receiving this letter see in Asia Minor we had talked about this persecution was ramping up there

Were some who had died for their faith and what was happening was his enemies of the Gospel were pointing to their death and saying see your Gospel has no power over death they died just like anyone else would but Christians they were judged in the flesh Peter he points to the fact that these believers they are alive with God in spirit even right now in the same way that God is Spirit now we who are in Christ we have an eternal hope because of what Christ has done in spite of all that the world may throw at us we have a sure confidence in Christ and even in the face of persecution or death we had an unshakable peace in the Lord and we get this by concentrating on the mind of Christ by obtaining A New Perspective towards sin by expecting persecution and by living with eternity in view head heart hand had I want you to know that you will experience suffering as a Christian you will it'll come at you while you stand with the Lord it will get tough but you are called to endure in Christ and he will enable you to do it as you rest and abide in him heart I want you to believe that suffering is a way that we become more Christ-like the trials that we experience oftentimes are a blessing we learn things that we never even knew that we needed to learn and we become more and more like Christ full of grace full of Truth in hand I want you to stop avoiding suffering so that God can go do a deeper work in you if there's a Gospel conversation that maybe you delayed or maybe a sinful habit that you've continued because maybe you're afraid of what it may cost you I want to encourage you to take that step of Faith get accountability bring yourself under the authority of the Lord and watch him work in your life he is always faithful to his people

Let's pray so Lord we do thank you for your word and I pray God that we would leave this place knowing exactly what your will is for us especially in light of this passage that we would just know how to suffer for you God you're so worth it all the pain all the heartache all the sorrow Lord with eternity in mind God it's worth it help us God to implement these different strategies not so that way we can do more but so that we might be able to just enjoy you a bit more we love you and as we stand and worship together help us God in Jesus name amen thank you I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus no turning back though none go with me I still will follow though none go with me I still will follow though none go with me I still will follow no turning back my cross I'll carry till I see Jesus my cross I'll carry till I see Jesus my cross I'll carry till I see Jesus no turning back [Music] the World Behind me the cross before me the World Behind Me the Crosby cross before

The World Behind me the cross before me no turning back just let's close in prayer Father in heaven we thank you Lord for your goodness Your Grace we thank you Lord for your word that we heard this morning and Lord how Peter has set out that for us as believers there is suffering it's not something that we should avoid it's something that is a part of our life and Lord as we as we move into this week if opportunities come up help us Lord not to shy away from them but to trust you in them to have that mind of Christ that we would suffer not for our Glory but for the glory of Christ father we take this time and just ask that you help us to remember these words through this week in Jesus name