Week 7: 1 Peter 4 Sin, suffering and service Discussion Questions

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1 Week 7: 1 Peter 4 Sin, suffering and service Discussion Questions 1. Have you noticed the different place the church has in society now compared to when you were younger? What do you think has contributed to the new way in which people view the church? 2. The world which Peter originally addressed then is pre-christian as much as we are post- Christian. What are the similarities? Read 1 Peter 4:1-6 Done with sin 3. What is the point of fostering a mindset which says I m done with sin? How is it that we can come to that mindset in any case? What s the flip side to this mindset (see again v2)? 4. What sort of difference would it make to our lives if we really fostered and implemented such a mindset? 5. What would you friends, family and neighbours increasingly think? (See vv44ff.) Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 Set to serve 6. The end of all things is near. Why is this still true today (as it was when Peter wrote)? Why is it so hard to live as this is in fact the case? 7. What will this deep love to which Peter refers look like? (see the passage for how he spells it out). How does love cover over a multitude of sins? 8. Are you using your gifts to serve others? What did Mark suggest was the best way to work out what gifts God has give you? 9. Why is it that in typical churches 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people? How can we encourage a greater enthusiasm of everyone in church actively service everyone else? Read 1 Peter 4:12-19 Suffer without surprise 10. Why does Peter reckon there are no surprises when it comes to Christians suffering for following Jesus? What does he see to rejoice in in suffering? (See also John 15:18) 11. What he mean by it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God? 12. Someone you know has just been passed over for a promotion at work and it seems to be precisely because they are Christian. How do you encourage them? 13. You live in Nigeria. On Sunday, some gunmen stormed your church and shot some of your friends and one of your family. If you are putting into practice what Peter is teaching, how do you help another through this hard time? What might the Pastor say next Sunday? What might you talk about at small group when you next meet? (Re-read this section and think through this very real situation, remembering Peter s summary point at v19.) What are the challenges for us??

2 Date: 8 June 2014 Services: 7.30 and 9.30 Series: Living on the Edge Title: Sin, service and suffering Passage: 1 Peter 4 Aim: I want people to understand clearly the importance of the mindset of being done with sin; the imperative to love and serve one another deeply and the importance of accepting suffering for Christ as sharing in the suffering of Christ and God s refining work. I want people to leave joyfully committing themselves to God alone and to doing good. Outline: Done with sin vv1-6 Set to serve vv7-11 Suffering without surprise vv12-19 We live in extraordinary times for the church. Many describe the age in which we now live as post-christian. Think about it for a moment. Churches used to be the centre and focus point of a community. Now sporting clubs or schools play that role. Ministers of religion used to be well known in their suburbs they were held in high esteem. Their opinion was sought. Their counsel was valued. Now they are seen as irrelevant at best or a danger at worst. In the last years, the world has changed Australia has changed. The influence of the so called new-atheists who often speak with authority in fields about which they knew very little has been very strong. They belittle Christians as ignorant, naïve as people either to be pitied or ridiculed. They attack and seek to discredit Christian scholarship. A political correctness has taken over so that politicians rarely refer to God or affirm faith; Christmas greetings are holiday greetings ; some schools ban Christmas carols or Christmas plays of any kind Court cases try to rid our schools of chaplains Active atheists work to rid schools of Special Religious Instruction Christians are regularly booed and dismissed on Q and A It s hard to have any intelligent debate in the media involving anything Christian. Christians are just one voice among many putting their opinions out there. And you will know in your own relationships that Christians have been marginalised // How are Christians to live in this world? How are to understand the world in which we live? And of course we realise that increasingly we live in a world which has similarities to the 1 st century where Christians were a minority voice among many pagan religions; where the Christian message was ridiculed and Christians were persecuted. And it s exactly into this context into which the Apostle Peter writes. And we ve seen along the way Peter s encouragement 1:3 despite all this we have an imperishable hope and inheritance

3 1:6 our sufferings are only for a little while 1:13 our hope is to be firmly fixed on what God has promised 2:4 that in the midst of all this, God is building us into his people and that together we are to declare God s praises to a world who needs him to stand out in this pagan world by abstaining from sin and doing good. 2:21 That Jesus suffered before us taking our sin and bringing us to God 3:15 that in the midst of all this Jesus is Lord and as we stand out, people will ask us why are we are people of hope... We ve seen we need to have an answer ready And over all this is the beautiful news that... for 3:18 Christ died for sins once for all the righteous for the unrighteous. //...we know that despite ridicule and persecution... we are actually safe in the hands of God... forgiven, clear, restored... fit for eternity with him! // Now we come to Ch 4 done with sin, set for service, suffer without surprise Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 1. Done with sin vv1-6 So friends, if Christ died for sin to break sin s power, to cleanse us from sin; to forgive our sin we need to consider ourselves done with sin! 2:24 he died so that we might die for sins and live for all that is right. So when Jesus suffered he did it in the knowledge with the attitude that this is going to do away with sin. Our attitude needs to be the same Christ died for me Died for my sin - that I might be rid of sin Therefore my attitude must be I m done with sin! I ve said before we re often too soft on ourselves. We toy with sin. Play with it. Entertain it. Even sometimes put ourselves in the very context which we know will lead us to sin! No our mindset needs to be Christ died for me. Died for my sin... therefore, I m done with sin. Enough!! No more! I won t entertain getting back at that person. I won t be greedy. I m not going to covet. Or cheat. Or lie. I m not going down any path which will lead to lust. I won t pass by opportunities to do good, to love, to serve, to give. Because I m done with sin. v2 as a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. I m done with sin.

4 I m now about God his will, his plan, his purposes. Yes your neighbours may think you strange that you don t join them in this or that but too bad They may call you names; avoid you; belittle you; abuse you but they will one day give an account for such behaviour. v5 But this is the reason the gospel has been preached to you (and to those who have gone before) so that you will live according to God!! // Does it mean you will be perfect? Nope. But the more your mindset is I m done with sin.. the more your mindset I live to do God s will the more you ll abstain from evil desires and live good lives among the pagans... (2:11-12). 2. Set to serve vv7-11 So once your mindset is I m done with sin and I live for Christ then the decks have been cleared so to speak you re not obsessed with self you re not consumed by having your needs met all the time You can begin to look up and see a bigger picture v7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins Nothing like knowing the end is near to focus the mind! Some unusual sect in Sydney in the 80s.. convinced end was near... gave away homes and cars... gathered in one place waiting... they were focused...!! If you know the end is near you re clear minded... Yet obvious problem Peter wrote this nearly 2000 years ago and the end hasn t happened yet. So was he wrong? No because what is referred to as the last days is all the time between the gift of the Spirit which we remember with joy and thanks today and the return of Christ which still today could happen at any moment. So we are still in the last days and the end of all things is still near. Therefore we don t just lounge around waiting there is a focus and purpose to what we re about. Be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. It s not the first time in the letter that Peter has commanded us to be alert.(1:13) Nor the first time he has asked us to clear the decks as it were so we can pray.(3:7) Or the first time he has commanded us to love one another deeply! (1:22) I wonder why he repeats himself on these themes? Could it be that he knows that we are just too laid back about our faith? That it s just part of our comfortable and cosy existence here on the coast? That we all to easily lose our cutting edge our passion our sense of urgency in the gospel? Maybe it s time for us to wake up!! The end of all things is near!! Jesus could come back any minute

5 There are things to do There are people who need to hear this People we need to pray for people we need to love //// And do you see the robust nature of the love to which Peter exhorts us? Not a nice feeling of cuddly love love which means hospitality. When was the last time you had someone over? Love means serving one another with the gifts God has blessed you with Pentecost gifts of grace what is my gift? usually whatever you re good and whatever you enjoy. There s your gift!! are you using what you re good at and what you enjoy in the humble and joyful service of others? We ought to be taking the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us very seriously Speaking as one who speaks the very words of God (v11) Serving doing so with the strength God provides And the aim the end point the result? So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. (Small group how does love cover over a multitude of sins ) And if you re done with sin, if you live for Christ, if the end of all things is near if you are alert and sober then friends you will 3. Suffer (for Christ) without surprise vv12-19 v12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you no surprises!? No surprises when your relative considers you are religious nutcase When that neighbour in the village avoids you When your boss passes you over for an appointment... No surprise that Ron Williams wants takes the matter of funding for school chaplains to the high court When the school wants to sideline the teaching of scripture...no surprise when your church is blown up...when you re thrown in jail... when your church is demolished by the government......or the state removes all the crosses... Don t be surprised as though something strange were happening to you......it s to be expected...it s normal... Jesus said if the world hates you remember it hated me first... We follow one who went to the cross and asks us to take up our cross... to lay down our lives in his service... (John 15:18)

6 And furthermore... if you suffer for following Christ... you participate in the sufferings of Christ......vv13-14 but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you v16...if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed but praise God that you bear that name. You see by suffering for Christ you suffer with Christ... not for sin, for not salvation... but for what is right... and how appropriate on Pentecost... if you are insulted for Christ it s a sure sign the Holy Spirit rests on you Jesus Spirit is at work in you... why would you put yourself in such a position if he wasn t? // And then as we were reminded in Ch 1 there s a refining function to suffering for Christ... God is at work in you to shape and mould you deepen and mature you as his work of judgement begins with the family of God... v19 so then, those who suffer according to God s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good... Commit yourself to him. Don t pull back. Don t pull out. Don t compromise. He is faithful. He won t neglect or forget you. Won t abandon you. Continue to do good... for this is your role in the world. Salt and light remember? Such good lives among the pagans (remember 2:11-12?) that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God...!! Brothers and sisters... We live in a most beautiful part of God s world. And the people we live with want all that is good... but they don t want God. But here we are living among them of us across our two congregations... all spread out across the greater Noosa area... And although we find ourselves teased or ridiculed or sidelined or ignored... occasionally a whole lot worse we re charged to stick to our guns... To stand for Christ and with Christ To stand apart having done with sin To think clearly... alert to the fact that the end could come any minute... To pray for those around us To stand out because of the generous and beautiful way we love one another and serve one another... To stand out as people who do good everywhere To stand out as people who have hope! And to consider suffering for Christ as suffering with him... to count it has an honour... to see it as his work on us and in us...

7 And to commit to him and to doing good... no matter the outcome... Are you ready for that?? I m done with sin I m set to serve And (I m therefore) ready to suffer for Christ without surprise...