I’ll never forget that night. It was just a normal Sunday evening. My usual routine was to go to the evening service in church, and then cross the street to the church hall where the youth fellowship would shortly begin. But that evening was slightly unusual. The Rector wanted to chat to me after the service. And wanted me to help him clear up. So I chatted, and helped, and then headed over to the hall, a wee bit later than normal. Into the hall, and it was quieter than normal. Opened the door into the room, and got a big surprise. A surprise party for my 21st birthday.
Somehow, they had kept it from me, and I really was surprised. I wasn’t expecting it at all. But imagine the Rector had told me while he was chatting, look, the only reason I’m wanting to talk to you tonight is because I’m stalling you and when you go into the hall there’s going to be a big party - then I wouldn’t have been surprised at all! I would have known what to expect. I would have known what was coming.
In our reading tonight, Peter wants his first readers - and us as well - to not be surprised. But it isn’t something like a surprise birthday party that he’s telling us about. Rather, it’s something much less pleasant than that. Look at verse 12: ‘Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.’
Now, maybe when you hear words like ‘painful trial’ and ‘suffering’, you are surprised. You might think to yourself - this doesn’t sound great. That wasn’t what I signed up for when I became a Christian. I was promised life, and joy, and peace, and hope. Health, wealth and happiness. So why is Peter talking about painful trials that his readers and suffering? And he thinks we shouldn’t be surprised if we’re going through them? He thinks we should think it normal, not strange for these things to be happening? What’s going on?
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been working our way through this letter. And the summary of the whole letter is summed up in the second line of 1:1. ‘To God’s elect, strangers in the world.’ The amazing truth is that if you are a Christian, you are God’s elect - you have been chosen by him, and made his child, and you have an imperishable inheritance waiting for you. That’s what Peter tells us about up until 2:10.
But being God’s elect means that we are also ‘strangers in the world.’ And that’s what we’ve seen since 2:11. We are in the world, but we are not of the world; we are different from those around us; and we are to live differently from those around us. We are to abstain from sinful desires, and instead to live such good lives among the pagans. And doing those two things together will mean that we stick out like healthy thumbs in a world of sore thumbs.
And because we are different, and distinct, and because we stick out, the truth is that we may well undergo trials. Painful trials. Various kinds of trials (1:6) And when these trials come along - whether it’s severe persecution as Christians in North Korea might face, or the kinds of things that we might face as believers - pressure, or mockery, or opposition - when these trials come along, we might be tempted to think, I didn’t sign up for this!
But Peter is telling us that suffering goes with the job. To be a Christian is to face some kind of trial or suffering. We shouldn’t be surprised about that. Now, maybe it does seem strange to us because we’ve been living in a strange situation, whereby we live in a so-called Christian country, with the last trappings of Christian privilege. But suffering shouldn’t seem strange to us. And it looks like the UK and Ireland are changing rapidly - bringing in a new state religion of secularism.
Now, why does Peter tell us to not be surprised when suffering comes? You might think he’s a pessimist or maybe even a realist. But his purpose is actually to encourage us in our sufferings. He does it in three ways:
Firstly, in verse 13, he calls us to find joy in our sufferings. It’s not that we like the pain; that we want the misery. But rather that the sufferings point us to future blessing: ‘But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.’
When we participate in the sufferings of Christ, we will also participate in his glory. The pattern of Christ is our pattern too - suffering now, glory later. So when we are going through suffering, we are to keep an eye on the future - the suffering won’t last forever. Jesus will have the last word, when his glory is revealed. So think of the future blessing.
Secondly, in verse 14, we should also focus on current blessings. ‘If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.’
When suffering comes, and when insults and opposition comes, it can seem as if we’re all alone. It might appear as if the whole world is against us. But we are never alone. We have the Holy Spirit with us, resting on us. Even though these people say all kinds of bad things about you, their word is not final; their say does not matter. What matters is God’s opinion - his word is blessing, guaranteed by the gift of the Spirit.
Thirdly, in verses 15-16, we’re to know whose we are. You see, it’s not just any and every kind of suffering Peter is talking about. It would be a disgrace to suffer as a a murderer or thief or criminal, or even as a meddler. But to suffer as a Christian - for that to be the reason you’re passed over for promotion at work; or to be sidelined from your friends; or to be teased (or worse) in the community - this is no disgrace, you shouldn’t be ashamed about that; rather, Peter says, it’s a reason to praise God that you bear that name.
What a privilege it is to bear the name of a Christian; to be united with Christ, to live as one of his chosen exiles. And yet, as we’ve been seeing over these weeks, it’s not easy. The world is watching. We need grace to live up to the name, to show our faith by our deeds.
The story goes of Alexander the Great, the Greek military general who had conquered almost the entire known world by the age of 30, who had a soldier brought before him on the charge of stealing a horse. What is your name, he asked the soldier. ‘Alexander’ came the reply. Here’s what Alexander the Great replied: ‘Soldier, change your name or change your conduct.’ He didn’t want someone to share his name and act in such a way. We bear the name of Christ, we are his - and we need to remember this in our suffering.
When sufferings come, we’re not to be surprised at them. Rather we’re to find encouragement here as we look to future blessing; current blessing; and remember whose we are. And these are especially important when we look around at the world and wonder why things are the way they are. How come Christians are the most persecuted religious group according to the report launched in Parliament the other day? How come those who persecute and oppose Christians seem to get away with it, and might even have a better life?
Peter says that we are already experiencing the testing that all will eventually face. For us, it will be a refining fire (just as he had said back in 1:7) to prove the genuineness of our faith. We already know the outcome of the judgement us sure, because we are God’s chosen. But how will others face judgement?
Can you imagine living a life of ease now, persecuting God’s people, thinking you have it made, thinking you’re on the right side of history, only to discover on that day of judgement that you’ve been wrong; that you missed the path of life - in fact, the very people you were persecuting and opposing were in the right all along?
‘For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it beings 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?”’ (17-18)
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been listening in as Peter addresses the theme of living as strangers in the world - what it will look like, and what it will mean for us. We’ll stick out; and we’ll suffer in some way. But Peter gives us the encouragement to keep going; considering the future blessing, the current blessing, and remembering whose we are. And our last verse summarises this whole section:
‘So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.’ (19)
God is faithful. He won’t let you down. He is with you. And on that you can depend. Commit yourself to him; and continue to do good.
This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 14th July 2019.
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