Title: Suffering is a Prelude to Glory
2014. 1. 12 Sunday morning worship service
Bible: 1 Peter 4:12-14
Title: Suffering is a Prelude to Glory
1 Peter 4:12-14 ‘12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that comes to refine you, as if something strange happened to you. 13 Rather, rejoice in your participation in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may rejoice and rejoice in the manifestation of his glory. Blessed are you if you are reproached in the name of Christ, for the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests upon you.' - Amen.
When we say and pray that the Lord is with us, what motive will the work of God's being with us happen? Can we realize and prove that we are together by praying a lot or attending worship services? It makes sense in principle, but not empirically. We want to receive grace by looking at the text in order to understand it experientially.
1. Are Christians Suffering?
The reason that people who believe in Jesus will suffer is what Jesus said in advance, and it has been understood through the experiences of individuals and groups in the history of the church.
John 15:20 “Remember what I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they have kept my word, they will keep yours as well.” - Because it is the same idea.
2 Timothy 3:12 “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus (those who live the truth) will be persecuted” When trying to live a godly life.
Text 1 Peter 4:12-13 ‘12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that comes to refine you, as if something strange happened to you. 13 On the contrary, rejoice in your participation in the sufferings of Christ, that you may rejoice and rejoice in His glory.”
2. Those who wish to have the spirit of glory (the Holy Spirit) with them must suffer first.
It is because of inexperienced Bible knowledge and experience that most believers misunderstand that the cause of conflict is their environment, others, or even fate.
1 Peter 4:14 “Blessed are you if you are reproached for the name of Christ, for the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you.”
It is not the essence of prayer to simply seek the presence of the Holy Spirit without doing anything. The resurrected Lord ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was present in the prayers of the disciples. However, their prayers were for missions, that is, to become witnesses (Acts 1:8). That's right. It is wrong from the beginning to say that our prayers for the filling of the Holy Spirit should just be filled with the heart, and life will be better.
For example, in Luke 11:13, when we see the saying, ‘…will your heavenly Father not give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him…’, then we should also listen to the teachings on what to seek and what to focus on. So we must learn to pray. Otherwise, there are cases of wrong belief in ups and downs, mysticism or prayer.
Therefore, in order for the Holy Spirit to be with you, you must first suffer in the name of Christ. Suffering is a prelude to the first to receive glory. The presence of God is a phenomenon that occurs immediately after the onset or occurrence of suffering for Christ. So, if you want the presence of the Holy Spirit, you must have a heart to accept suffering because of Christ. Then anyone will experience the presence of that glory. In Acts 7:55, the glory of God was revealed when Stephen was stoned to death while bearing witness to Christ.
The attitude that the saints will take when they suffer hardships while living according to the teachings of the Lord
1 Peter 4:13 “Rather, rejoice in your participation in the sufferings of Christ, that you may rejoice and rejoice in His glory.” These words remind you of the day you will receive your reward.
Job 23:10 “Only he knows the way I go; after he has tested me I will come forth as gold” (Psalm 66:10).
If we believe in Jesus, there will be persecution, whether we know it or not, and there will be training from God. When unexpected things happen, rather than get discouraged, what if you ask the Lord for His will and suffer for holy things? I want you to be able to rejoice with your heart as a soldier of the truth. Acts 5:41 I pray that you will win the year with the center of the saying, “The apostles departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy of being reproached for the sake of his name.”