Suffering is Sacred, Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Today, as we continue this sermon series titled, How Free People Suffer, Rich challenges us to reframe the way we view suffering. He shows us from God's Word that suffering is sacred. The apostles knew this about their own suffering.

After receiving a beating for sharing the gospel of Christ in Acts 5, the apostles left rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Listen as Pastor Rich unpacks 1 Peter 4, 14 through 16, to show that suffering is a unique opportunity to engage in the highest purpose. This is part two of a message first preached February 12, 2023. The identity and the beauty of Christ. What do I mean by the beauty of Christ? That he can endure injustice without demanding that things be made right, right there, right now. That he will endure injustice for something that is higher and better because the one that is insulting or reviling or denouncing does not understand that which is higher and better or refuses to accept it. Would you value the opinion of colleagues over the opinion of God, of your Redeemer, of your Creator, the one before whom you will stand, the one who loves you and accepts you fully? Would you value their opinion over his?

Listen, it happens. Famous English poet and S.A.S.T.S. Eliot, probably familiar with him, he became a Christian, he was converted to Christianity in the 20s, and Eliot belonged to London's Bloomsbury Group.

The group was a small informal association of artists and intellectuals in central London. When Eliot's conversion hit the news, the Bloomsbury Group responded with shock and disgust. Virginia Woolf, the de facto leader of the group, penned the following letter to one of her peers, and I quote, I have had the most shameful and distressing interview with dear Tom Eliot, who may be called dead to us all from this day forward. He has become a believer in God and immortality, and he goes to church.

I was shocked. A corpse would seem more credible than he is. I mean, there is something obscene in a living person sitting by the fire and believing in God. This is people that belong to intelligentsia. That's not a broad stroke saying that all of intelligentsia is meaningless.

Not at all. But there are insults that rage against Christians and people of faith today. Not long ago, for example, Richard Dawkins, as a new atheist, he was touting that people of faith, particularly Christians, were just ignorant and infantile in their understanding. Today, if you do not champion what society wants you to champion and affirm, because you are a Christian, you are called hateful and bigoted, dangerous, and you might be treated as such. That's all being insulted for the name of Christ. What does verse 14 tell us? When that happens, we are what?

I don't believe you. When you are insulted for Christ, you are what? That's the word of God, folks. That's not Rich Powell saying this. That's the word of God.

Are you ready to accept that? It's a promise of God. John Calvin said it well. Verse 14, as Peter writes here, you are blessed.

Why? Because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. I like what John Calvin said about this. Believers may well overcome the reproach, seeing that the spirit of glory rests upon them as upon Him, Jesus Christ. It cannot prevent the happiness of the righteous if they are reproached for Christ, because they retain before God their glory entire as having the spirit with whom glory is inseparably joined.

You have the spirit of God upon you and in you, and with that spirit is the glory of God. And so the unbelievers' denunciation of the Christ follower is them actually pinning on you the badge of blessing. Now, let's look at an example of this, and we have an example given to us in Scripture. You look at Acts chapter 5. You know the account well, but the apostles were called before the Jewish leaders. Two had already been in prison, and the apostles were called before the Jewish leaders, and the Jewish leaders said, you may not teach and preach in the name of Jesus.

You may not. And what was their response? Let me tell you what their response was not. We'll obey God rather than man.

You see what I did there? They said it respectfully with deference. We recognize you and your leadership over the people of Israel, but God has spoken, and we have been His witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard, and we will obey God rather than men. And the unspoken word there was whatever the cost may be. Are you willing to say that? And there was a cost immediately right there. What was the cost in chapter 5? Remember what happened? They beat them. They beat them and then send them out because Gamaliel was among them, and he says, be careful. We're going to talk about this in a few minutes here.

Gamaliel was among them. He says, be careful what you do here. This just might be of God, and if it is, you ain't overcoming it. Christians, are you aware of that? Do you understand that?

What we do is of God, and the world cannot overcome it, and you're a part of that. And so, in Acts chapter 5, after they were warned and beaten, they departed. And what was their disposition when they departed? They were rejoicing, that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. That's strange, isn't it?

That's strange to us because that's so foreign to us. But they were rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. In other words, the unbelieving leaders who attacked them because they were Christ followers, the way the apostles saw it, they were just pinned with the badge of honor. What was the honor? What did the badge say? Christ follower. That's an honor. And when someone recognizes that you are a Christ follower, they may respond with what they think is something that might change your mind or cut you down because they're afraid.

Ultimately, they're afraid, but you need to see it as them pinning a badge of honor on you. It's a blessing. The spirit of glory and of God rests upon you, Peter says.

What is he talking about? Well, let's consider Isaiah chapter 11, verse 2, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. This is speaking of Christ and the spirit of wisdom and understanding and the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. That spirit, the same one that was upon Christ, that spirit is upon you. The fear of the Lord, one who lives for the opinion of God and God alone, nobody else. But also the spirit of Acts chapter 4, verse 29. And now, Lord, as they were sent out, they were released from prison and they go back to all the apostles and the disciples were gathered and they pray together. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.

What is that? That's taking the suffering of being a Christian and using it as an impetus to be bold for Jesus Christ. We're not going to let the threats of the unbelieving world shut us down. That's why I like the title of Erwin Lutzer's latest book, We Will Not Be Silenced.

It's in our bookstore. I recommend you read it because it's very relevant to we as Christians about how we interact with our culture and society. In other words, when they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ, they knew that they had successfully communicated the character and the purpose of Christ. And it was recognized. And this blessing is the blessing that was promised by Christ in Matthew chapter five, where he said, blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. There is a reward from this. 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.