Suffering is Not Strange, Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. The Bible explicitly teaches that suffering is to be expected in the Christian life. Today's text, 1 Peter 4-12, says, Pastor Rich answers this question in today's message titled, Suffering is Not Strange. Listen as Rich contrasts our natural response to suffering to a response that is hinged on God's self-disclosure. This is the second part of a sermon first preached on January 15, 2023. Christians, listen to me, please. That is the bedrock of a theology of suffering.

It is the human condition. There's one reason why Peter says we should not think it's strange, we should not be surprised by it, because it is a law and there is a lawgiver. Paul said in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, in this tent, he's referring to the body, the physical being, in this tent we groan, being burdened. And then he says we long for permanence, and that permanence is our heavenly dwelling, and he's speaking of our glorified bodies.

And he says we long to put it on. Not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Again, bedrock material of the theology of suffering. In this tent, we groan, being burdened.

It is a temporary corruptible tent. Suffering is a part of the human condition. David Helm says, this kind of suffering, of the bondage of corruption, this sort of suffering, means that there will be seasons in life when you will lack provision, power, position, protection, and a sense of permanence. And the application could be myriad. You lose a job, you lose a spouse, you lose a child.

You lose a house. No one—are you listening to me, please? No one is excluded from this. And you are living in a bubble world of fantasy if you think you ought to be.

Fantasy if you think you ought to be. No one is excluded from this. It is inevitable for every person.

This is what Peter is saying. It is inevitable for every person, and so instead of avoiding it or denying it or wishing it not to be true, we should be preparing for it. Preparing for it. Emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, relationally, we should be preparing for it because it's inevitable. We do our self-harm by denying it or refusing to talk about it. So at this kind of thinking, some might think, well, this is morbid to be preparing for suffering.

No, it's not being morbid. It's called being a good steward of life because it's inevitable. Pretty sure that's why Ecclesiastes was written. One of the reasons.

And the Book of Job. The human condition, number one, is the bondage of corruption. We're all impacted by it.

Here's the second reason. It's evil in the heart and mind. Evil in the heart and mind. And right now you're thinking, yeah, there's a lot of evil people out there, but evil in the heart and mind of others and mine.

And mine. Consider what Paul said in Romans 5, 12. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. You want to know why the world is broken? It's because there is evil in the heart and mind of created beings in the image of God. Okay, that's why. This is what God has revealed to us. You see, if you don't know God, you don't know these things, and so you're sitting there scratching your head. Why is everything so broken? And we think it's up to us to make everything better and move towards some utopia. How's that working for us so far?

Not so good. Evil in the heart and mind. David Helm again says, at times you will become recipients of verbal and physical persecutions that arise on account of the word, on account of Christ, on account of being a follower of Jesus. For many throughout the history of the church, following Jesus has come at great cost.

At great cost. What I have to recognize too, though, we're not just talking about evil in the heart and mind of others, but also in my own, because sometimes I have to recognize I am my own worst enemy. The decisions I make, the thoughts I pursue, the grudges I hold, create suffering.

But oftentimes, we can be very much impacted by the brokenness of others. And oftentimes, that could be, and it has been throughout history for many, because of their faith in Jesus Christ, because the darkness hates light. Jesus said in John 15, verses 20 and 21, a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me. They will also persecute you.

If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. John said it very clearly and succinctly, 1 John 3, do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. And it's speaking of the world as a system of people who refuse to acknowledge God. Don't be surprised that that system and the people that represent it and are influenced by it, don't be surprised that they hate you.

We should not be surprised at that. And so whether it is because of the bondage of corruption or evil in the heart and mind of the human created in the image of God, what we're talking about this morning is all suffering, all of it, every form of suffering. It's not strange. It's a part of the human condition.

It's not strange. It's a part of the human condition. Suffering should not be considered as something foreign to the Christian experience. And any theological system or teaching or church system out there that teaches that ought to be abandoned. Because it is a heresy that has led many people to destruction. He says in the verse here, verse 12, as though something strange were happening to you.

It's not strange. It's a part of the human condition. People are broken. The world is broken. The cosmos is broken. And no one escapes that reality. The truth of the matter is things are not as they ought to be.

Things are not as they ought to be. And this is why Peter wrote this letter to Christians. He's crafting here largely a theology of suffering. We need to understand it. We need to understand our human condition in light of who God is and what he has done. Now, in contrast to that, there is a trending I wish I'd never been born movement in the world. Started about 2006 with a book.

And it's emerged in many different parts of the world. For example, in February of 2020, a 27-year-old named Raphael Samuel announced that he was suing his parents for birthing him. He said, quote, it was not our decision to be born.

Human existence is totally pointless. You want to know something? Without God, he's consistent.

Do you know what he just did? In his own paraphrase, he just quoted Ecclesiastes, didn't he? But that's when you're thinking is earthbound and there's nothing beyond the sun.

Everything is under the sun. What does Ecclesiastes say? Vanity of vanities.

All is vanity. Existence is pointless. And so, as I said before, this philosophy began with a South African philosopher, David Banatar, his book entitled Better Never to Have Been, The Harm of Coming into Existence. And I quote, life is a process of frustrations and irritations.

People want to be, look and feel younger, and yet they age relentlessly. He talks about people want to be in relationships and happy and those relationships are breaking up and on and on. He goes, right? He quotes Ecclesiastes 4-3. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.