By Rev. Dr. Brent Russett – Asbury Free Methodist
July 28, 2024 – 1 Peter 4:1-6
Have you ever been reading scripture when you come across a passage that you just don’t understand? Some of you are saying, “yeah – all the time.” What do you do when you hit a passage like that? You can study and try to understand it. You can ask around and see if other people understand it. But here is my advice to you. Don’t worry about the stuff you can’t understand; Focus on the things you can understand.
Whey do I tell you this? The passage we are looking at today has some things that I don’t understand. But we are going to focus on the things that we do understand.
The scripture that we are looking at today comes in the middle of a passage that is talking about suffering.
We looked at 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV) last week
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
When we come to verse 1 of chapter 4.
1 Peter 4:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude…
The “therefore” refers back to the suffering of Christ on the cross. Peter says, “Since Christ suffered, arm yourself, or it could be translated, equip yourself, prepare yourself with the same attitude.
In other words, equip yourself with the attitude, “I am going to suffer.” Am I not Mr. Positivity today. You are going to suffer.
Since I have come to Perth, one of the most frequent refrains I hear from many of you goes something like this, “Getting old is hard.” And it is. Your hips give out, your knees give out – and your mind feels a lot younger than your body. On top of that, you have to figure out who you are when you don’t have the capacity to do the things you used to do.
Your hearing starts to go.
Three old men are sitting on a park bench.
“Windy, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s Thursday.”
“Me too. Let’s go to the coffee shop for a drink.”
Your mind may not work quite as well.
Old John says to his wife, ‘I’m going to the kitchen for a snack. You want anything?’
Dora replies, ‘There’s no point telling you. You’ll just forget what I want.’
John is annoyed and assures her his memory isn’t that bad. He can surely remember what she wants between the living room and the kitchen. So she gives in and says, ‘Alright, bring me some toast and jam.’
John goes to the kitchen and is gone for a while. When he comes back, he proudly puts a bowl of ice cream in front of Dora and says, ‘There! I said I wouldn’t forget.’
Dora looks down at the ice cream with disdain. ‘You old forgetful fool. You forgot the chocolate syrup.’
We live in a world where suffering comes to all of us. It doesn’t come in the same amount. Life isn’t fair. But I don’t know anyone who hasn’t suffered.
But we live in a world that wants to avoid suffering at all costs. There are all kinds of drugs and alcohol floating around our town. Often, people engage in those activities to alleviate their internal pain. Now, our country has introduced MAID. Medically assisted suicide. Why? We don’t want to suffer.
Peter comes along and says something quite different. He says, “Follower of Jesus. Jesus suffered when he was on earth. If your Lord and Saviour suffered, then we are going to suffer as well. Get ready for it. Prepare for it. Equip yourself for it.”
As a pastor, I have sat with a lot of people who have had some tragic things happen to them. In the middle of the pain, some people will ask, “Why me?” It is like suffering has surprised them. This shouldn’t happen to me. But Peter would say, “Suffering came to Jesus; it will come to you.”
But Peter goes on in verse 1
1 Peter 4:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.
He is not saying that if you suffer, you are going to achieve sinless perfection. But he is saying that suffering does something to your soul. There is a work that happens in our hearts that will only happen when we go through pain and suffering.
Now, remember Peter is talking to the disciples of Jesus. I know too many people whose suffering has made them bitter. Suffering can destroy your soul if you let it. But for those who are disciples of Jesus and are willing to follow in his ways suffering has a way of dealing with the dark side of our hearts.
Suffering has a way of helping us get to what is important. It has a way of burning away the chaff and the fluff. I have known what it means to go through some very dark times. One of the things that I decided was that I wouldn’t share my heart with those who had not suffered. You see, when you have gone through pain and sorrow, you know that pat answers are unhelpful. When you come to a place, like Job came to where you say, Though he slay me, yet will I trust him – that your faith has become deepened.
When you get to that point, I think that you are experiencing what Peter was talking about. You’re done with sin because you know and rely on the grace of God.
Peter goes on to say about those who have suffered
1 Peter 4:2 (NIV)
2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
In suffering, God’s way becomes the best way. You start to see how sin is meaningless and God’s way is meaningful. You start to see where doing God’s will gives you purpose, and living for your unhealthy desires robs you of life.
That is why Peter says,
1 Peter 4:3 (NIV)
3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.
When you suffer, you realize the meaninglessness of those kinds of things. However, if you haven’t armed yourself for suffering and haven’t chosen to be a follower of Jesus, then when pain and suffering hit, what do you do? – You live in lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and idolatry.
This dynamic has been starkly evident in a number of – what used to be called – third-world countries that I have travelled in. Where there is suffering because of deep poverty – you would see the church enduring suffering and becoming like Jesus. But you would see a lot of the rest of society, especially the men, distract themselves with drunkenness, sex, carousing and idolatry. I noticed that dynamic before I ever came across this verse.
For most of us who are not poor – well, we may be poor by Canadian standards but not by world standards – we have other ways of distracting ourselves. While there are people and places within driving distance of us that could be very well described by living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry- many just watch those sorts of things on screens. We distract ourselves from our suffering in various ways. These are not ways that promote the work that God wants to do in our souls.
I worry about that dynamic in the church. It used to be when you were going through suffering, you had a choice. You could focus on Jesus and have him meet your needs. Or you could go the way of the world. But now, with this choice, we are not in the world in the sense where we are with other people – engaging in lust, drunkenness, carousing and idolatry, but we are by ourselves watching others do those very things. So, because we are not around people while we are distracting ourselves, it doesn’t seem as bad as if we were doing it with other people.
But distracting ourselves this way will not bring about the purpose of God in our lives.
So, what do we do? I have been reading a book called Practicing the Way that boils discipleship down to three things. Spending time with Jesus. Becoming like Jesus. Doing what Jesus would do. That is a pretty good overview of discipleship.
If the distractions in our lives keep us from spending time with Jesus, becoming like Jesus and doing what Jesus would do, then we are distracting ourselves too much. There is a place for entertainment in our lives. But don’t let the entertainment that is so pervasive in our culture distract you from suffering’s purpose.
Spending time with Jesus
Becoming like Jesus
Doing what Jesus would do.
Let’s get back to our passage. So, picture this. Some people are going through a time of suffering. It could be a time of grief. It could be the poverty and stress that that brings. It could be that they see you going through a hard time, and they can see how much you are suffering.
The way they deal with their problems are
1 Peter 4:3b–4 (NIV)
…living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.
They see your pain and say, come – let’s get blasted. Or they see you at peace, and they say, come with us – we’ll show you a good time. You say, “No thanks.” They say, “Get over yourself.”
1 Peter 4:4 (NIV)
4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.
While this can be true when you are older. This kind of stuff happens, at least in our culture, especially when you are younger. This is high school peer pressure. This is university peer pressure.
What do you mean by saying that you are not sleeping around? What do you mean that you are choosing not to get drunk? “And they heap abuse on you.”
But here is the thing. You realize that some that they don’t. God’s best is better than their best. You realize that this is not all there is.
1 Peter 4:5 (NIV)
5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
The ones who live recklessly in wild living will have to give an account. I know that judgment is not a very popular subject. But all of us will give an account for how we lived. Now, for those of us who know Jesus, we know that he takes what bad we have done and forgives us and gives us his goodness – his righteousness. But we still need to give an account.
It goes on to verse 6. I don’t understand this verse.
1 Peter 4:6 (NIV)
6 For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.
I am not sure what he is talking about there. I could give you people’s opinions, but I don’t know. But what I do know is that we are called to live a different way. Now, I plan to unpack these verses next week, but listen to how we are called to live.
1 Peter 4:7–11 (NIV)
7 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 followers of Jesus, we live differently.
1 Peter 4:3–4 (NIV)
3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.
You are called to live a different way.
Let me circle back to the beginning. Peter said Jesus suffered. Be prepared to suffer. If you are a follower of Jesus, suffering is going do all kinds of good things for your soul. It is going to teach you what is important. Living for Jesus is important. Living a life of sin is meaningless. Living for evil human desires will not get you the life that God wants for you.
We live in a world that thinks there should be no suffering. We live in a world that distracts itself in destructive ways from suffering. But we are different than the world around us.
Growing old is hard. Grief, pain, and loss come to all of us. We don’t go looking for it. We alleviate it when we can. But a lot of times, the only way through those times, is to walk through those times. During those times you can do what the world does and distract yourself with unhealthy living. Or you can choose to allow the trial you are in to produce a holiness that only God can create.
Spend time with Jesus.
Become like Jesus
Do the things that Jesus would do.
Don’t let the distractions of this world mute the work of God in you.