“Do Not Be Surprised” [Matt's Messages] ~ Matt Mitchell

“Do Not Be Surprised”

As Foreigners and Exiles - The Message of 1 Peter

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

February 13, 2022 :: 1 Peter 4:12-19

“Do Not Be Surprised.”

The Apostle Peter wants his readers to not be shocked or astonished or taken aback at the unjust suffering that they were currently experiencing and could continue to expect in Asia Minor.

Peter doesn’t want them to be floored, or confused, or flabbergasted that things have gotten tough in following Jesus Christ.

He’s really been saying this all along, ever since chapter 1. Peter’s been helping them to get ready for persecution and telling them how to live under persecution. And encouraging them to keep on doing good even when they get accused of doing bad.

Like our memory verse, right?

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Notice that in our verse 12, Peter addresses them the exact same way as he did in 2:11, “Dear friends.” In Greek that’s “agapatoi,” and you hear the word “agape/love” in there. “Loved ones.” “Beloved.”

Peter has some hard things for his readers to receive in this paragraph, but he’s saying them all in love, out of his great love for them. “Dear friends [beloved], do not be surprised.”

In the previous paragraph that we studied last week, Peter reminded them that time was short, that the end of all things is near and so we should keep calm and pray and show love for each other and practice hospitality and serve each other with whatever gifts we’ve been given so that Jesus Christ gets all the glory. And then he couldn’t help but praise Jesus: “To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

But Peter wasn’t done in verse 11.

He comes down off of that doxology, returns to what he’s been trying to get across for the last 4 chapters, and really drives it home.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Beloved, do not be perplexed. Do not be dumbfounded. Do not be absolutely shocked that you are suffering a painful trial–and he’s not talking about just any suffering (covid or cancer or an accident). He’s talking about unjust suffering. Suffering for the name of Christ.

Do not be surprised.

The word there for “painful” in verse 12 could be translated “fiery.” “Purosis” a fiery ordeal, a painful test.

Peter says that this kind of suffering is not strange.

It’s normal.

Now, I’m not happy about that. That’s not how I would want it. I don’t like suffering.

And I’ll bet you don’t either. And the foreigners and exiles in Asia minor didn’t like it either. And Peter didn’t like it!

One time, Jesus told Peter He was going to suffer, and Peter rebuked Jesus for saying it! Yes, you heard me right. Peter rebuked Jesus. Not smart! But Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan...you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).

Well, Peter got the message. And now he’s telling the things of God to the beloved people of God.

Unjust suffering is normal.

Do not be surprised.

And yet, we still often are. There’s something about suffering that almost always surprises us.

Even though even Jesus told us to expect it. “In this world you will have trouble...” (John 16:33).

I think that one good reason for that is that we know in our hearts the way things ought to be. We have vestiges of Eden in our hearts, and we have longings for the Kingdom.

We know that unjust suffering is un-right, and we feel it in our bones.

But during this present age, unjust suffering is not actually strange. It’s normal for disciples of Jesus Christ.

One of the reasons why so many of us Americans are surprised when it happens to us is that Christians (at least white Christians) have enjoyed an exceptionally favored status in the short history of the United States.

Some Christians played a role in the founding of our nation, and some Christian concepts and ideals provided a few of its original foundations. And for a long while we benefitted from a privileged status.

But that’s actually unusual in the history of the world, and over time it almost always comes unraveled.

It’s not what we should expect. In fact, most of the time, we should expect the exact opposite. “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”

Don’t expect a Christian nation. Expect persecution, Christian.

We are strangers here, so suffering shouldn’t be strange to us.

Are you ready to suffer because you are a follower of Jesus Christ?

In the next seven verses, Peter tells us how we should respond when we experience this kind of unjust suffering.

What he says might surprise you. We shouldn’t be surprised when we experience unjust suffering, but we should respond in perhaps surprising ways.

I see at least 3.

#1. REJOICE.

Do not be surprised, but instead rejoice. Look at verse 13.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

“Rejoice.”

That is surprising, isn’t it? I mean it shouldn’t be. Our Lord Jesus taught us this in His Sermon on the Mount. Peter is just echoing the teaching of His master.

But it’s still shocking, I think, to read. Because it’s so counterintuitive. Don’t be surprised that you are hurting, instead rejoice that you are hurting!

Now, of course, Peter doesn’t baldly say, “Rejoice that you are hurting.” What does he say?

“[R]ejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ...”

Participate. The Greek is “koinoneite” a sister word of “koinonia.” Fellowship.

Yesterday, I read my sermon on this passage from 20 years ago, and I said it this way then, “Suffering for Christ is Suffering With Christ, So Rejoice In It!”

It’s fellowship. When they hurt you, He is with you. Just like when they hurt Him, you were with Him.

Suffering FOR Christ is suffering WITH Christ, and that’s so worth rejoicing in!

I would rather be suffering with Christ and in Christ than having a “pain free existence” outside of Christ, wouldn’t you?

So, Peter says don’t just endure this suffering. Rejoice!

Not just now, but forever. Did you catch that in verse 13?

“[Re]joice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

We live now in light of then.

Rejoice now for greater rejoicing then.

Because, remember, Jesus didn’t just suffer and die. He was raised to life and vindicated. And now He’s reigning in glory.

And when Jesus Christ is revealed, we will be vindicated and share in His glory.

We learned this back in chapter 1. Remember when Peter said, “In this [inheritance] you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1:6-7)?

When Jesus Christ is revealed, we who have rejoiced to suffer with Him now will be overjoyed then!

Which gives us all the more reason to rejoice now!

How’re you doing at that?

Anybody here taking some flak for following Christ?

If we aren’t taking any flak, maybe we’re doing it wrong. Don’t go looking for it! But be ready for it. And be ready to rejoice. Look at verse 14.

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Wow! I don’t want to suffer. I don’t relish the idea of persecution, but I sure love that word “blessed.” I want that! And I want the “Spirit of glory and of God” to rest on me! Yes, I do.

The same Spirit that rested on Jesus (cf. Isaiah 11, Matthew 3).

This is important to understand because it is not obvious. It’s not the way it seems. When you and I experience persecution, it might feel like the Spirit has left us.

If you go into your public school and live as a Christian, you might feel alone.

If you go into your secular workplace and live as a Christian, you might feel alone.

If you go visit with your unbelieving family and live as a follower of Christ, you might feel abandoned.

But this says what’s really true. You are not alone. Quite the opposite. You are with and in Christ and the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you!

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed!”

Now, I almost want to be insulted for the name of Christ, just to have another reason to rejoice.

Do not be surprised, but instead rejoice.

#2. REPRESENT.

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, but instead faithfully represent Jesus Christ to the watching world.

Those words “because of the name of Christ” in verse 14 are super important. We aren’t supposed to rejoice just because we are in pain. We are not masochists. But we are supposed to rejoice because we wear His name. This is the point of verses 15 and 16.

“If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

Do you see the logic?

Peter says that if we suffer, it shouldn’t be because we deserve it.

It’s not a blessing to suffer the consequence of your own sin. Whether it’s extreme criminal stuff like murder, robbery or something like or garden variety sins like being a busybody or some other kind of meddlesome troublemaker.

It’s not persecution if you deserve it.

That is poorly representing Jesus.

And, sometimes, we will be accused of all of those things even if we haven’t done them.

But Peter says don’t be accused of them because you have done them!

That’s not where the blessing is. The blessing is suffering when you don’t deserve it. When all you’re doing is good in the name of Christ. When that happens, don’t be ashamed (v.16), “but praise God that you bear that name.”

“Praise God that you bear that name.” Represent. Bear that name. Fill your mouth with that name. And don’t be ashamed.

You know it’s easy to feel shame when you’re being persecuted. The whole point of persecution is to make you feel shame. They were heaping shame on Jesus at the Cross. And at the exact same time, He was unashamed.

You know there are only three places in the Bible that use this word “Christian” (like in verse 16). You and I go by a lot of names in the Bible, “disciple,” “believers,” “brothers and sisters,” and so on. Only 3 places where the word “Christian” is used.

And interestingly, it could be a negative word hurled at us by the world. “You Christians.”

I think it’s likely we’re going to see more and more hostility towards Christians in this country.

Of course, as I said last week, I am a not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, and I work for a non-profit organization (thanks, Walt Kaiser!).

But genuine biblical prophets have told us to expect persecution because we bear the name of Christ.

So I think it likely that more of that is on the way.

Right now in our neighbor to the north, in Canada, there is a new law that criminalizes certain practices that aim to challenge a person’s homosexuality or aid a person with gender dysphoria to live in alignment with their biological sex.

Now, it’s possible that this law is only aimed at coercive treatments called “reparative therapy,” and I think they are an ineffective and unhelpful way to go.

But the law is sufficiently vague and potentially ominous enough that many pastors in Canada are concerned that it may end up criminalizing all Christian teaching and counseling on sexual ethics. Making it illegal to teach that “God created human beings uniquely in His image as male and female, and He has designed marriage to be a covenantal relationship between one man and one woman” (EFCA Resolution on Biblical Sexuality and the Covenant of Marriage).

Our Lord Jesus taught us that (Matthew 19:1-6), and we must be faithful to continue to teach it to our children and to the Lord’s church. No matter what the world says.

Now, hopefully, it’s not as bad in Canada as it might seem to some.

And, thankfully, it hasn’t even reached that point here in the US as of yet. [Though see this ordinance that was recently proposed in Indiana.]

But there is no reason to believe that it won’t.

And in some parts of the world, it is simply illegal to teach any Christian doctrine including the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And right now in our nation, even if we have all kinds of legal freedom of speech and legal freedom of religion, we still have hostile neighbors.

There are lots of ways to “suffer as a Christian,” not just as the hands of the government, but Peter says to not be surprised and to not be ashamed, but to praise God that you bear that name.

Represent Him well.

By the way, that includes how we teach about Christian sexual ethics. We better not be getting into trouble over sexuality and gender because we have been rude or impatient or unkind or envious or boastful or proud or self-seeking or easily angered.

We better not be getting into trouble over sexuality and gender because of a cold-hearted failure to love.

But only because we are full of love for God and full of love for our sexually struggling friends, neighbors, and loved ones (re-read verse 15!).

Represent Him well.

And then if you get into trouble, rejoice.

“Do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

In verse 17, Peter says judgment is coming and has already started. Verse 17.

“[Praise God that you bear that name.] For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’”

I get tripped up on these verses because I always think that judgment is a bad thing. I equate it with condemnation which is one outcome of judgment.

But Peter knows that God’s judgment is perfect.

Remember just few verses ago he said the Lord is “ready to judge the living and the dead” (v.5).

And I think that he’s saying that these trials reveal how real we are. Just like he said in chapter 1, verse 7. “These [trials] have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine [judged genuine, judged to be real] and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

So, mysteriously, as the world comes in and brings their fiery persecutions, God is using them to both purify us and confirm us in our faith.

It’s painful. So painful that we say, “It’s hard for the righteous be saved.” It hurts!

But it shows that we are real, that we really love Jesus.

And that we really are done with sin and really living for Jesus.

And, of course, it shows the opposite, as well.

That’s what Peter means when he says “what will the outcome [of this judgment] be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, [paraphrasing Proverbs 11:31] ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'”

Eternal punishment, that’s what.

Justice is coming, and all will be revealed.

So here is how we should live:

#3. RECOMMIT.

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, but instead rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ.

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, but instead represent well the name of Christ.

Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, but instead recommit yourself to your Creator and recommit to doing good. Look at verse 19. Last verse.

“So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

There he goes again with that “doing good” thing! [agathopoiia]

Peter’s a broken record.

Continue to do good.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Continue to do good.

Even when you suffer for it.

Especially when you suffer for it.

It’s not easy. If it was easy, Peter wouldn’t have written this letter for us. But it’s what we are called to. “Continue to do good.”

And the only way we can do that is to trust that God knows what He’s doing.

It sure doesn’t seem like it sometimes. I mean, this verse says again that it is sometimes “God’s will” that we would suffer this kind of persecution.

Not that He says to our persecutors, “Go, hurt my child.” He actually says the opposite to them. But, mysteriously, that pain is still in His plan for us as His children.

And so we have to believe that He is sovereign, and He knows what He’s doing.

He made us, and He is faithful.

He is our faithful Creator, and we can trust Him.

We can put ourselves in His hands.

And continue to do good.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering or are about to suffer. It’s not strange. It’s normal. It’s to be expected.

Instead of being surprised, be thankful. Rejoice that you are in Christ and His Spirit rests on you.

Represent Him well. Do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear His name.

And recommit yourself to trusting yourself to Him because you know that He knows what He’s doing and continue to do good.