Handling the Heat, Part 2

Peter says, bel. That's a great word. Beloved. It's a word of endearment. It's a word that conveys tenderness and compassion and care and love and respect. Beloved. Same word used of the Lord when God the Father said, This is my bel Son in whom I am well pleased. Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 9, it said, This is my beloved Son on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is my beloved Son. Listen to him! He is my beloved son. He is my affectionate son. He is my tender son. I care for him. I love him. And yet, Isaiah 53 says, What?

It pleased the Father to crush his son. Now wait a minute. If he is the beloved Son of the Father who is in heaven, how could it be that the Father in heaven was pleased to crush his own son? Well, there's an answer to that. And the answer is in Isaiah 53. It says, But the Lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief. If he would render our s, he would render himself as a guilt offering. He will see his offspring. He will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it. and be satisfied. By his knowledge, the right one, my servant, will justify the many. As he will bear their iniquities, therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he will divide the booty with the strong, because he poured out him to death, and was numbered with the transgressors. Yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the trans. The answer is right there. It pleased the Father to crush the Son because there was a purpose in doing so.

The purpose was that there would be a redeemed people who would become the bride of the bridegroom. See, God had a plan. And Peter, a follower of the Lord, says, Beloved, you're loved of God. You're cared for by God. Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal. Now that's really unique. The fiery ordeal. It's just not an ordeal. It's just not a bad situation. It's a fiery ordeal. It speaks of flames. It speaks of burning. It speaks of a purifying. And Peter says. Don't be surprised at the furnace you find yourself.

Don't be surprised at the heat of the flame. Don't be surprised at those things. Remember Psalm 66, verse number 10, God has tried us with fire as silver is tried. God uses the fire to remove the impurities of our lives, that we in turn will be a pure and holy people. Remember over in 1 Peter chapter 1, what's it say? Verse number six: In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith being much more precious than gold, which is perishable.

even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Preacher says if they're necessary and if you have them, they are necessary. So now he comes back and says, don't be surprised, beloved, at the fiery ordeal. Among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. You know, we get to the point where we ask, how? Why? Why me? I don't understand this. I am confused. I am perplexed. And Peter says, wait, wait a minute.

Expect it. Expect it. Because you love the Lord and they hated him, those that persecute you hate you as well. You see, we forget about that, and we need to understand what the word of the Lord says. As though some strange thing were happening to you. It's almost as if, don't you understand this is God's design for you? God has a plan. My 29. I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for prosperity and not for calamity. Plans to give you a future and a hope. There's an end to all this, and it centers around the future of your life.

And I'm a part of that, God says. So Peter says, ex it. Number two, you won't like this one. But Peter said it. I didn't say it. Peter was the one who lived it. Peter was the one who exhorts us to do it. So I got to give it to you. So, if you want to complain about it, talk to Peter about it. All right? Not only are you to expect it, you are to get excited about it. See, I told you you wouldn't like it. You're to get excited about it. That's what he says. He says, but to the degree, whatever degree that may be, that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing.

In other words, don't ever stop rejoicing. In fact, you need to be exuberant about what God is doing in your life. Amidst all the difficulties that you and I face that come because of our stand for Jesus Christ, because of our commitment to Him. One of the last things we do is rejoice amidst our difficulty. See, it's one thing to rejoice before something happens. That's fairly easy, although you know it's coming. It's a lot easy to rejoice after it's all said and done, and the pain is no more. It's the hardest when you're right, smack, dab in the middle of the pain.

That's when it becomes very difficult. And Peter says that to whatever degree you find yourself suffering. For Christ's sake, you keep on rejoicing. He indicates an attitude that you and I ought to have. In the midst of trials. Now, it doesn't mean you're going around yelling, Yipp, yippee, yipp, this is great, praise the Lord, hallelujah, whoa! That's not what it means. But there's an inner excitement about what God is doing in your life that causes you to rejoice. What did James say? Throw over a couple of pages of James chapter 1.

James said, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James says you need to consider it all joy. Why? Because evidently there's something lacking in your life. There's something that's causing you from being complete. And Christ wants you to be complete. He wants you to be perfected. He doesn't want you to lack anything.

So you find yourself amidst a trial, amidst a difficulty in your life that's hard to face. He would go on and say in verse number 12, Blessed is the man who perseveres in the trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those. Who love him? Paul would say in Philippians 3:10, that I may know him and the fellowship of his sufferings. Now I know that you think, well, you know, I think that that's not what he means. Although that's what he said, keep on rejoicing.

Some of you will say, well, I'm not sure that's exactly what he means. So let me read this to you. And they took this advice after calling the apostles in. Peter, the guy who wrote 1 Peter, who wrote 2 Peter, called the Apostles in, Peter being one of the apostles, they flogged them. In order them to speak no more in the name of Jesus and then release them. Now, when you flogged someone, you beat them 30 times on the back and 10 or 9 times on the front, 39 times. Thirty in the back, nine in the front.

So they were beaten, they were scarred, they were bloodied. Don't ever speak of Jesus again, they were told. So they went on their way from the presence of the council. Listen to this. Are you ready? Rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. And every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. So now here's Peter writing 1 Peter. He says, Listen, expect the adversity. You're going to stand for Christ.

You're going to live for God? Expect adversity. And not only do you need to expect it, you need to kind of get excited about it. You need to keep on rejoicing in the midst of it. Why? Because you are a fellow partaker of the sufferings of Christ. And this is a great thing. This is a marvelous thing. Peter lived, you see, what he preached. He lived what he preached. That's important. And I think that when you look at your life, you need to ask yourself the question, if I'm living what I'm preaching, there'll be all kinds of opposition.

All kinds of adversity. All kinds of difficulty. When I began my first senior pastorate and preached on 1 Corinthians 16, 9.

And talked about the wonderful opportunity as well as the delightful opposition. I expected a diversity. It was two weeks after my serm. On 1 Corinthians 16, 9, I experienced my first adverse circumstance in that church.

And for the next 14 months, they never let up. They grew with intensity. I expected it. I was never discouraged. I was never heartbroken because I expected advers. And you see, when you expect it, you're not going to be disappointed when it comes. Right? And then you can learn to get excited about the opportunity God has to work in your life. And that's so important. We miss that. God wants to work. Matthew 5, what did Christ say? Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you. Falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. That's what they did to all those people who preached the gospel before you. They persecuted them. They cast insults at them. They accused them falsely all the time. When I would sit at the back of that church, my previous church, and listen as the elders got up and read papers.

That would say I was preaching doctrinal heres because I preached the doctrine of repentance. I believed it was necessary that a man needed to repent before he got saved. I figured if John the Baptist preached it and Jesus preached it. I should preach it. So I did. They didn't think that that was necessary. They thought that was a works-based salvation. And I would sit in the back of the church at these different church meetings they had, and the congregation just came out in droves to listen to these men cast these insults at their senior pastor.

And I sat in the back of the auditorium. Never once did I stand up and refute them. Never once did I speak against that. I just sat and listened. But knew in my heart that God was at work and that God would bring about his purposes. I got a little excited about it, to be honest with you. Because God was going to do something. He had to. Because it couldn't continue as it was. And God began to work. And of course, the rest is history. But Peter says, You know what? Consider it all joy. Paul called them that light, momentary affliction.

He said, We don't lose heart, he says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. We don't give up, we don't quit, we just keep on. We don't throw in the towel. We don't wave the flag and surrender. We just keep on, keeping on. We don't lose heart because this is a light, momentary affliction. In light of eternity, this really means absolutely nothing. Nothing. But for the most part, we can't see the city of God because of the storm around us. Can we? The storm seems to be so thick. The clouds so dark, the rain so heavy that we can't see the city of God.

But know this, if you understand and know your destiny, you will end the journey. But you got to know your destiny. You got to know where you're going. Expect it. Get excited about it. Why? Verse 14, he says these words: If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed. You're a fortunate man. You're a blessed man. Why? He says, for the simple reason, because the Spirit of Glory. The spirit of God's beauty, the spirit of God's of God's glory and of God rests upon you. There's a certain kind of refreshment about the Spirit of God and the glory of God resting upon you.

Remember, Stephen? In Acts chapter 6, the Bible says that his face would shine like the face of an angel.

And he was speaking the things of God. Pharise in Acts chapter 7 were so angered with him that they would grit their teeth, and they were so mad they picked him up, threw him out of the city, and they stoned him. And all I did was look up to heaven and say, I see heaven opening up. I see the Son of Man standing. And that was because a spir of glory and of God would rest upon him. He had great peace and serenity because of what God was doing. Remember, recognize the priority of adversity. God wants you to experience His power and His presence.

So he's not going to eliminate your pain, your problems, so that he can effectuate his plans and his purposes. He's going to do that. And that's what Stephen did. That's what Peter did. They kept right on preaching and teaching, even though their backs were bloodied, even though their fronts were torn apart. They just kept on doing what God called them to do because they had a purpose and they understood what God's purpose was for them. Number three, exam them.

Examine it. Once you expect it, once you get excited about them or about the adversity, examine the reasons behind the adversity. Peter says, By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, thief, or evild, or a troubles meddler. You know, you can't suffer for Christ's sake as a lawbreaker or a troublem and expect to be blessed and expect the Spirit of glory and of God to rest upon you. Listen, if you're suffering because of your sin, guess what? You deserve to suffer. If you suffer because you've got a bad attitude, you deserve to suffer.

If you suffer because of your sin and because you're a thief, a murderer, a troublesome meddler, that is, you're meddling in other people's affairs and you shouldn't be. And you're suffering because of it, guess what? You deserve that kind of result. But he says, there are always consequences for fleshy acts. But verse 16. If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed. But in that name, let him glorify God. Don't be ashamed. Understand your honor. Understand that you're an honorable person.

You're an honorable company because you're doing what God has asked you to do. It's an honor to bear the wounds of or for the one who was pierced through for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. Verse 17, 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 of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Peter says simply this as he tries to help us understand the crucial aspect of God's judgment. It's time for judgment to begin in the household of God. There's going to be judgment. There's going to be chastening. There's going to be all kinds of turmoil that comes. To the household of God. And if it comes to the household of God, just think what will be the end result of those people who don't know God. See, why does God judge not in a condemning way, because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but through the purifying, through the testing, through the chastening?

Why does God do that? Because he purifies it. He weeds out the uncommitted. Because the only way The church is going to reach an unbelieving society is to be pure and holy before God. An imp church doesn't help an impure society, but a pure church, a holy church, can infiltrate An un society and help them understand their need for a savior. Jerry Bridges, in his book, Trusting God, said God uses adversity to loosen our grip on those things that are not true fruit: a severe illness, or the death of someone dear to us, the loss of material substance, or the tarnishing of our reputation.

the turning aside of friends or the dashing of our cherished dreams on the rocks of failure, cause us to think about what is really important in life. Position, or possessions, or even reputation, no longer seem so important. We begin to relinquish our desires and expectations, even good ones, to the sovereign will of God. We come more and more to depend on God. and to desire only that which will count for eternity. God is pruning us so that we will be more fruitful. That's what God wants from us.

See? So Peter says, you need to examine the reason behind your suffering. Is it because of your sin? Is it because you're a troublesome meddler? Is it because you're a thief or a murderer? Is it because you're doing things that violate the law of God? If not, you're suffering for righteousness' sake. Well, the judgment of God is happening in the house of God. And yet, what about those people who do not know God? What do you think their judgment's going to be like? It will be merciless upon them. By God Himself.

But one more. And this is the best one. Peter says, you need to expect adversity. You need to get excited when adversity comes your way. You need to examine the reasons behind your adversity. Lastly, you need to entrust yourself to God. He says in verse number 19, Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God If there is adversity in your life, if there is persecution because of the faith, it's according to the will of God. If you suffer according to the will of God, entrust Your soul to a faithful creator in doing what is right.

You need to make sure you consult the guide, the living word, to understand what to do. You entrust yourself to a faithful Creator. Why? Well, number one, it because you can rely on Him when adversity comes, and number two, you can take refuge in Him when adversity comes.

You can rely on him because the Bible says that we are to entrust ourselves. It's a banking term, which means to deposit for safe. Look what it says over in verse number 23 of chapter 2. It says, That Christ kept entrusting him to him who judges righteously. And what did he say on the cross? Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. He would entrust his life, his soul, into the Into the hands of his Father who is in heaven. You entrust to him because he's the creator. He's the one who created you.

He's also the one who created the circumstances. And therefore, we entrust ourselves to him because he is the one. Who can create you into his image in such a way that you can best reflect him? So you can rely on him because he is the creator. You can rely on him because he is trustworthy. You can take refuge in him because he's faithful. He's faithful. He's the faithful creator. That's why the Bible says in Psalm 119:7, I know, O Lord, that your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

It's the faithfulness of God. See? He's a faithful creator. You can take refuge in him. 1 Thessalonians 5:2. Faithful is he who calls you, who also will bring it. To pass. Peter says, ent yourself to the hands of the faithful Creator. Do what is right. Do the right thing. In other words, don't do the wrong thing. Make sure you do the right thing. Like what one man said. He said somet it's hard to understand Why darkness veils the sky, Why life's long road must twist and turn, We often wonder why.

But God knows best He will not leave His children comfortless He will sustain and guard and guide He lives our lives to bless. So, child of God, look up and hope Our God will bless you yet For He who notes the sparrow's fall Will never once forget. We should not question trials sore, Or sorrows hard to bear, But look in love to one above, Who every load will share. Dear Father, we would trust Thee now, and when the trials press, We'll cling to Thee yet more and more, And wait for Thee to bless. That should be our prayer.