INTRODUCTION: THIS WEEK OUR STUDY IS 1 PETER 4:12-19. LAST WEEK PETER TAUGHT US IN THE FIRST 12 VERSES OF CHPT. 4 THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THREE ATTITUDES TOWARDS LIFE: 1) THAT BECAUSE OF JESUS DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND OUR BAPTISM, WE ARE DEAD TO SIN; 2) THAT AS A RESULT OF OUR NEW LIFE, OUR OLD FRIENDS WILL ABUSE US, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT GOD WILL JUDGE AND MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT; AND 3) WE SHOULD HELP EACH OTHER BY BE LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE. THIS WEEK HE CONTINUES--AND HE TALKS ABOUT OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUFFERING -- LETS LOOK AT IT.
I. TRIALS A. READ 4:12. PETER SAYS THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO BE SURPRISED IF WE SUFFER. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? WHY NOT BE SURPRISED? MAKE THE ARGUMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE SURPRISED ABOUT SUFFERING--AND THINK THEY SHOULD BE SURPRISED? (LEV. 26:3-13; PROV 2:6-12; 3:21-26; IS 40:31)(THAT GOD IS STRONGER THAN SATAN AND THAT HE WILL PROTECT US.) B. WHEN PETER FIRST HEARD JESUS SAY THAT HE WOULD SUFFER, WAS PETER SURPRISED? (MATT. 16:21-23.) 1. JESUS SAYS SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING TO PETER (ASIDE FROM CALLING HIM SATAN), HE SAYS THAT HE HAS IN MIND THE THINGS OF MEN AND NOT OF GOD: a. WHAT ARE THE "THINGS OF MEN?" (PEACE, POWER.) C. PETER WAS SURPRISED BY JESUS. HE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF JESUS' SUFFERING, AND HE IS TRYING TO TEACH US WHAT HE LEARNED. D. PETER SEEMS TO MAKE TWO LINES OF ARGUMENT WHY WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED. [MAKE A CHART WITH 3 COLUMNS. AS DISCUSS, WRITE IN "CHRIST SUFFERED" "JUDGMENT/PURITY" "CONFLICT"] E.THE FIRST, IN v. 13-16 ESSENTIALLY SAY "CHRIST SUFFERED." WE WILL GO INTO THAT IDEA IN DETAIL LATER. F. THE SECOND LINE OF ARGUMENT IS IN v.17-19 AND I WANT TO START WITH THIS ARGUMENT FIRST. READ v. 17. 1. IS SUFFERING A JUDGMENT FROM GOD? 2. A JUDGMENT THAT STARTS WITH THE FAMILY OF GOD? (EZK9) G. IF YOU STUDIED THE LESSON THIS WEEK, IT HAMMERS THE IDEA THAT GOD SENDS THESE TRIALS TO PURIFY US. IT SAYS (SUNDAY), "TRIAL IS PART OF THE EDUCATION GIVEN IN THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST TO PURIFY GOD'S CHILDREN FROM THE DROSS OF EARTHLINESS." 1. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 2. WAS JESUS BEING PURIFIED BY HIS TRIALS? H. OR DOES SUFFERING COME FROM THE SCHOOL OF THE DEVIL? (1) IF YOU SKIP AHEAD, AS OUR LESSON DOES, 5:8 SAYS THE DEVIL PROWLS LIKE A ROARING LION LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR; 2) 4:15 & 16 GO BACK TO THIS THEME THAT WE SUFFER FOR BEING GOOD--AND THERE IS NO MERIT FOR SUFFERING FOR BEING BAD. THIS SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THE IDEA THAT WE ARE SUFFERING TO GET RID OF THE BAD.) I. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS IDEA OF JESUS MAKING GOOD PEOPLE SUFFER SO THAT THEY WILL BE BETTER--HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN v. 17 REFERENCE TO JUDGMENT BEGINNING WITH THE FAMILY OF GOD? J. WHAT IS JUDGMENT? (PUNISHMENT FOR BAD, REWARD FOR GOOD.) K. DOES THIS MEAN THAT GOOD PEOPLE ARE PUNISHED FOR THE BAD THAT THEY HAVE? DOES THIS SUPPORT THE IDEA OF "PURIFYING THE SAINTS?" L. SO IF WE LEARN HOW TO LIVE BY STUDYING THE BIBLE, AND DO IT, WE WILL NOT NEED THIS PURIFICATION? **** 1. CONSIDER THIS IDEA: THE RIGHTEOUS ARE SAVED BY FAITH: BUT GOOD BEHAVIOR CAN KEEP YOU OUT OF HARMS WAY--OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TRIALS OF PURIFICATION! a. AGREE? (IT CLEARLY HELPS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF HARM'S WAY.) b. CAN YOU SAY THAT SALVATION IS FREE; PUT IF YOU WANT TO STAY OUT OF HARMS WAY, VIGOROUSLY KEEP THE LAW? BUT--BUT--BUT II. SUFFERING BECAUSE WE ARE SERVANTS OF CHRIST. A. LETS GO BACK AND READ v. 13--16. B. THE GENERAL THEME IS THAT WE SHOULD NOT OBJECT TO SUFFERING BECAUSE CHRIST SUFFERED. WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT BETTER THAN HIM, AND WE DESERVE TO SUFFER AND HE DID NOT. C. BUT I WANT US TO DIG DEEP HERE AND GO BEYOND THE SURFACE. v. 16 SEEMS TO CLEARLY INDICATE THAT WE WILL SUFFER AS CHRISTIANS: FOR BEING AND DOING GOOD. --NOT AS ANY SORT OF JUDGMENT OR PUNISHMENT. D. JUST WHY DID JESUS SUFFER? E. WAS IT GOD'S WILL THAT HE SUFFER? (IT HAD TO BE. IF IT WAS NOT GOD'S WILL, JESUS IS GOD AND HE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IT.) *** F. SO, IS IT GOD'S WILL IF WE SUFFER? (IF THEY SAY NO, ASK WHY NOT IF IT WAS HIS WILL THAT JESUS SUFFERED?) *** G. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT EVIL CAN BE DEFEATED ONLY THROUGH SUFFERING? (GOD'S PERFECT WILL WAS THAT ADAM AND EVE WOULD HAVE PAID ATTENTION, OBEYED AND LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITHOUT SIN AND SUFFERING. BUT SINCE ADAM AND EVE DID NOT OBEY AND FOLLOW GOD'S WILL...) H. THEN "PLAN B" WENT INTO EFFECT. UNDER PLAN B CAN EVIL ONLY BE DEFEATED THROUGH SUFFERING? (PROBABLY) I. DID GOD LACK LOVE OR CONCERN TOWARDS CHRIST? 1. IS OUR SUFFERING A SIGN THAT GOD LACKS LOVE OR CONCERN TOWARDS US? J. DO YOU SEE THE SUFFERING OF JOB TO BE LIKE THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST? (SEVERAL PARALLELS: A) EXAMPLE TO OTHERS; B) GOD CALLED JOB A PERFECT MAN; C) CAUSED BY SATAN'S ATTACK, THE EXTENT OF WHICH WAS CONTROLLED BY GOD.) 1. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ALL UNDERSERVED SUFFERING IS JUST LIKE THAT? DOESN'T IT WORRY YOU THAT THE TWO TIMES WHERE THE CURTAIN IS PULLED BACK AND WE CAN SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING, IT LOOKS LIKE SUFFERING CAME IN THE SAME WAY? K. NEITHER THE EXAMPLE OF JOB OR JESUS, NOR ANYTHING WRITTEN IN CHPT. 4 GIVE ANY HINT OF RANDOM SUFFERING: BEING IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME OR "JUST CATCHING CANCER." 1. I HAVE OFTEN SAID (IN THIS CLASS) I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS RANDOM SUFFERING. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT NONE OF THIS HAPPENS BY CHANCE? **** 2. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE ALL SUFFER AS PART OF JUDGMENT (WRONGDOING) OR WE SUFFER BECAUSE WE ARE CHRISTIANS? III. JUDGMENT IN GENERAL A. LETS SKIP AHEAD AGAIN: WE DID NOT FINISH v.17-19, WE JUST DISCUSSED THE FIRST PART OF v.17. READ v. 17-18. B. WHO DO THESE VERSES SAY ARE SUBJECT TO THE JUDGMENT? (THE FAMILY OF GOD AND THE UNGODLY--SO EVERYONE.) C. HOW DOES PETER SUGGEST THAT THIS IS GOING TO TURN OUT FOR THE TWO GROUPS? WHO HAS THE BETTER CHANCE OF SURVIVING JUDGEMENT? (HE SAYS THAT IT IS "HARD" FOR THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SEEMS TO SAY WORSE FOR THE UNGODLY.) D. IS IT JUST A "BETTER CHANCE" FOR THE FAMILY OF GOD? (NO. HIS MESSAGE HERE IS THAT HIS FAMILY IS GOING TO MAKE IT. THAT THE OUTCOME IS ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE JUST FINE!) E. READ v. 19. WHAT IS HIS CONCLUSION THEN? (HE SAYS THAT IN LIGHT OF THE JUDGMENT, WE SHOULD COMMIT OURSELVES TO GOD AND CONTINUE TO DO GOOD.) IV. NEXT WEEK: OUR LAST LESSON IN 1 PETER. WE STUDY CHPT.5.
