To God Alone Be The Glory endure. Ask those harmed by drunk drivers or by illicit drug use. Ask the Well here’s a news flash: as Americans, households dealing with severe cases of we don’t like pain. If we’re in pain, we COVID-19 because someone don’t put up with it. We’ve got Tylenol accidentally shared the virus. Ask and ibuprofen for mild aches and pains. people whose reputations have been And there are oodles of prescription smeared through social media. meds you can get to manage severe pain. Then there’s cortisone shots. And So what do you do when your pain did you know epidurals are not just for can’t be eased without going against pregnant women about to give birth? I God’s will? In our text for today, the met a man who reportedly got a special apostle Peter presents us with GOD’S epidural that could knock out his pain CHALLENGE: SUFFER PATIENTLY. for up to three months. We Americans Peter is writing to a group of Christians want everyone to be free of suffering who were undergoing persecution at the “so they can be happy,” as if that’s the hands of their government and real First Commandment. Dr. Jack neighbors and spouses, none of whom Kevorkian convinced a lot of people shared their faith in Jesus as Savior. that it’s ok to help someone else end According to the context, these verses their pain through an early death rather are especially for the slaves in the than doing the much harder thing—trust churches. Just before our text begins, God while you manage the pain and Peter writes, 18“Servants, be wait for his timing! Never mind that subordinate to your masters, showing medicines can effectively control pain every respect, not only when they are for at least 85% of sufferers. Never good and kind, but also when they are mind that God reserves to himself the unfair” (NET). But all of us non-slaves right to end our lives when he sees best. also find this passage helpful when we We often act like we are God. We get want to suffer patiently, as God to decide. challenges. This passage helps Christians who get razzed for not going But a painless life is a pipe dream. along with wickedness. It helps Painlessness is unlikely on this side of Christians who go out of their way to heaven. The big cause? You guessed what is good, right, helpful, excellent— it: sin. As long as sin exists in this and then are criticized for it. It helps world, sin will result in many rounds of those who are ignored or left out misery. Although we often bring because it is known they are practicing trouble on ourselves, the suffering Christians. caused by others is even harder to

03 May 2020 Easter 4 – A 1 Peter 2:19-25 S-1661.1013 St. John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 1 But this challenge is for more than just they were suffering for their beliefs. believers who suffer religious persecution. Most of our suffering does But Americans don’t like to see you not, at this time, come from our being suffer patiently. They advise you to get Christians. Much suffering comes from out, or hire a lawyer to represent you, or others who are just being selfish, like find a way to get even, or call in the those who shop or park or drive or reporters and go public, hoping that listen to music like no one else matters. sheer embarrassment will stop the Somehow it’s become ok with people perpetrator. Please don’t misunderstand across this whole generation, age 2 to me: I’m not saying God wants you to 102, to be completely curved in on suffer and do nothing about it. themselves. In the family, parents Certainly, if you’re being abused, get suffer when children don’t honor and help now. But if you’re not being obey them as God’s representatives. abused, stay and work out a solution. Children suffer when parents are Don’t say, “I don’t have to put up with inconsistent in their discipline, or when this. I’m out’a here.” Besides you they discipline harshly, or when they can’t always change schools or get a are lax in discipline. In marriage, one new job. And don’t abandon your spouse suffers when the other decides to family. It’s often the right thing to manipulate instead of ministering to remain in your situation even though their partner’s needs. In the classroom you suffer. students suffer when a few talk out of turn and make it hard for everyone else Peter gives us three reasons to SUFFER to listen, or when some students make PATIENTLY. First, 19“It is fun of others to get a laugh from their commendable if, moved by their friends. On the job, supervisors suffer conscience to please God, people bear when they get flack for trying to keep patiently the pains of unjust suffering.” workers accountable; or employees In other words, if you are accused of suffer when the management takes something you did not do, perhaps even unfair advantage of them. punished for it, deal with it patiently, just to please God. Never try to get Take selfishness out of the picture and even. Let God deal with those who you still get suffering from ongoing harm you, in his own way and in his illness or chronic old age. No matter own time. He will. He always does the situation, we need GOD’S (see Galatians 6:7, Romans 12:17-19). CHALLENGE to SUFFER Be patient. PATIENTLY as much today as the Christians did in the first century when Here’s a second reason Peter 03 May 2020 Easter 4 – A 1 Peter 2:19-25 S-1661.1013 St. John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 2 encourages us to suffer patiently: 21“To dishonor. What to do then? It’s not this you were called.” God has made it like a spanking would work. So parents our calling in life to do good to others suffer patiently in spite of their efforts and, if need be, to suffer for it. to raise wise children. They still correct Showing love is what we believers are and admonish, but they do it patiently. to be all about (John 13:34-35). Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot. “Who does God think he is, asking us to In an attempt to solve future problems, maintain such high standards?” He’s parents or teachers over-discipline. only challenging us to act like he did. Children still have to do what their That’s the third reason for us to suffer parents and teachers say, even if they patiently: Christ suffered patiently. He think it’s unfair or that they’ve been didn’t retaliate. He didn’t call people disrespected. The wise often learn to names. He didn’t sass back. We want suffer patiently from childhood. to be like Jesus. Think of a little child trying to walk in the footsteps of their The courts can seem too lenient on law- daddy as he walks ahead? Since we get breakers, but occasionally someone gets the credit for Jesus’ perfect life, God is a “bum rap.” What do you do if you challenging us to walk in Jesus’ has been falsely convicted? You serve footsteps. the sentence patiently and strive to please God every minute of your jail- Now it’s no big thing to suffer as a time. That’s what Joseph did when direct result of something you’ve done Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of wrong. If you suffer a hangover… If attempted rape. you suffer a parking ticket or a speeding ticket... If you suffer poor health from Even if someone twists your words so too much smoking, sitting, working, that it looks like you said something eating... If someone puts you in your you never intended, or if someone place because you got too big for your misunderstands your actions as evil britches... If you’re short of money when in fact they came from a godly because you did too much shopping or heart, GOD’S CHALLENGE: SUFFER gambling… who is going to erect a PATIENTLY. bronze statue of you for bearing up under pain that you deserve? What could ever motivate you to take up God’s challenge? Consider what the But what if as a parent you endure a lot Savior did for you. He suffered of grief when your almost-grown-up willingly as your example. 22“He never children rebel and treat you with sinned, nor was [He] found to be 03 May 2020 Easter 4 – A 1 Peter 2:19-25 S-1661.1013 St. John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 3 deceitful when He spoke.” Jesus did without looking where they’re going, nothing to deserve the suffering he and before they know it, they clatter underwent. 23“When others [verbally] over a cliff, or bumble into a bramble abused Him, He did not abuse them in bush, or blunder near a hungry predator. return; when He suffered, He did not So sheep need a shepherd to think for threaten.” What an example Jesus set them while they eat. The shepherd for us! He took up God’s challenge and walks around keeping them together passed with flying colors! and safe. | We are like sheep. We get so wrapped up in our day-to-day But Jesus is more than our example. He responsibilities that, before we know it, also is our enabler. Usually being an we’ve wandered away from God again. ‘enabler’ is a bad thing. But Jesus God could say, “I’m tired of rescuing enabled us to follow his example. Peter that one.” But instead Jesus comes reminds us how: 24“He Himself carried looking for us. He finds us and brings our sins in His body on the cross... By us back to him through someone who his wounds, by his suffering patiently, helps us see our wrong and leads us to you have been healed.” Did you hear repent of our sins. He cares enough to that good news? Jesus has taken all our do this for us again and again, now that sins on himself, including the times we he’s invested his life and death in us. got even or pouted or talked back or The risen Good Shepherd watches over called names or assassinated us every day, walks around us, keeps us character—Jesus carried all that away together and safe. He does this through from us. Now we are free to SUFFER his Word as we read it ourselves or as PATIENTLY just like he did. When someone else speaks it to us. This is the we are suffering, Jesus wants us to think same Jesus who encourages us to suffer of his Good Friday suffering and say, patiently, especially when we suffer for “Mine isn’t near as bad as his. I’m going doing good. to bear up under this, patiently, like Jesus did, because I know it pleases my God.” God’s Word wouldn’t lay this challenge before us unless God himself were As often as we fall short of this willing to help us. So then go forward challenge, we remember that through in life with confidence, and suffer Jesus’ suffering, we’ve been forgiven. patiently. Do good to those who make When we act like sheep and wander you suffer. This is God’s good and away—… You know how sheep gracious will for you. wander, don’t you? They get their noses buried down in the luscious green grass as they move around, eating 03 May 2020 Easter 4 – A 1 Peter 2:19-25 S-1661.1013 St. John Lake City Pastor N Cordes Page 4