October 29, 2023
Morning Service

We laid ground work for this last week as we looked back at the teaching Jesus gave to the disciples of the spiritual battle they would experience first-hand.  A battle of good vs evil.  He told them that the world hated and persecuted Him and that it would do the same to them because of Him.  Peter is preparing us to be ready for the same persecutions/suffering to come our way as well.  This battle of good vs evil will remain until Jesus returns and puts an end to it once and for all.  He encourages us to “sanctify the Lord God in your heart.” (I Pet. 3:15) Peter ended chapter 3 explaining how Jesus, the just, suffered for us, the unjust, creating the pathway for us to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father.  He begins chapter 4 with “therefore” pointing back to Jesus’ suffering that He endured for us and gives us direction on what to do with that.

1Pe 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 

            Because Jesus suffered for us in the flesh, we are to “arm yourselves also with the same mind” He had; the same mindset and focus.  Paul describes what this looks like in his letter to the Philippians.

 

 Php. 2:1-8 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, (2) fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  (3)  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  (4)  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  (5)  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  (8)  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

            To follow Jesus is to seek to be like Him, to have the same mind, the same focus.  Paul here spells out for us quite clearly what that should look like in our lives.  This is totally contrary to the society we are living in as it has the attitude of “me first” in everything.  Notice to be “like-minded” with Christ we must have the “same love, be of one accord with others, do nothing in a selfish manner, but esteem others better than yourself.”  We are to choose not to look out only for ourselves, our needs, wants or ambitions, but be in tune with those around us and what their needs and desires are. God has not placed us on this journey of life alone, there are times when we like Jesus will choose to put others’ needs ahead of our own.  Self-sacrifice, giving of yourself to others, is a form of suffering with Christ This is a choice Jesus made to humble Himself fully in obedience even to the point of a death, disregarding His needs for ours.  He as our Creator and the King of kings and Lord of lords chose to suffer in the flesh for us.  We need to have the same mind towards suffering as He did and suffer with Him.  Paul says we do that by getting our eyes off of ourselves and humbling ourselves to the Will of God.   Peter shows us another form of suffering that comes through our yielding ourselves as we continue with chapter 4. (reread verse 1)

 

1Pe 4:2-3 that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  (3)  For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries

            Peter is telling us as Jesus followers that we are to choose to live our lives according to the will of God, not the will of our flesh.  This again is a big part of the spiritual battle we fight and it is an internal battle and at times we can be our own worst enemy.  We daily battle against the fleshly lusts within ourselves.  We must choose the path of obedience, which is not the easy road but the difficult one, knowing that suffering is a part of it.  When we choose obedience of God over the gratification of the flesh it is hard and we do suffer, but we do it for the reason of glorifying God with our actions by denying ourselves and suffering with Christ.  The battle is real and Paul discusses his own battle in Romans 7 (which we study tonight).

   In verse 3 he describes many of the fleshly lusts that we must move away from now.  Living the “party life” with no restrictions on our sexual lives, self-gratification (if it feels good do it) drunkenness, wild parties, and revelries (having a good time all the time with no restrictions).  Living this lifestyle is a form of idolatry in that we are worshiping ourselves (flesh) over worshiping God; a choice.  In that lifestyle we are only after doing what feels good to us in the moment with no long term consequences; no focus on the will of God for our lives.  We do it because that is what “everyone else is doing,” it becomes the norm. Sin is enjoyable in the moment but if we have the mind of Christ and have sanctified our hearts for Him, then we must choose a life of removing sin from our lives and find our joy and contentment in following Jesus faithfully.  Paul lists more self-centered attitudes that we must be careful of in his letter to Timothy:

 

  2Ti 3:1-5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: (2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, (4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

            Wow, did Paul hit this prophecy right on the head or what?  This is the generation we are living in and we must choose to take a different path than they are walking (the wide path leading to destruction).  We can readily see the evil in all of these worldly attitudes, but be very careful in pointing them out.  As I point my finger at them, there is always three fingers pointing back at me.  Our society places those who are successful upon a pedestal above others.  We all seem quick to brag about the things we have attained, achieved or the places we have been; “living the dream!” and post it all on social media.  We must be very careful to not become “lovers of pleasure over the lovers of God.”  It is very easy for a family here in our society to get caught up in striving to enjoy this world’s pleasures (things of the flesh) to a point that they put God and His will on the back burner.  We strive for more money to buy more things.  We seek to achieve certain status to have others look to us with envy.  We push our kids more to seek worldly success than to seek a relationship with God.  All our energy is being focused on achievement and enjoyment.  It is what we call living the American dream.  We must be very careful to be sure who owns our heart; the world and its pleasures or the God who gave His Son for you.

            In verse 5, Paul says this generation has a “form of godliness, but denies its power.”  We believe in God but He is only a tool in our hand to do our own will.  We believe in God until it costs us something; our time, effort, or money then believing becomes unhelpful for our agenda.  The attributes Paul listed above are all actions resulting from this “form of godliness.”  This is not what God is calling you to.  He is calling us to “sanctify our hearts” for His use and be a tool in His hand to minister to those around us.  We only learn that this lifestyle is much more fulfilling by doing it.  The “me first” approach sounds better, but the “Jesus first” approach is what we are created for and will bring us the joy, happiness, and contentment that we long for.  Nothing in this world will fully satisfy you or complete you.  “You are complete in Him (Jesus) who is the head of all principality and power.” (Col. 2:10) 

 I know how easy it is to fall into this pursuit of happiness and use this “form of godliness” because I have been there.  I wanted money, status, comfort, and an exciting life full of adventures and used my faith to try to attain it.  But God offered me something better.  He revealed to me a life that is not centered on the short-lived, unfulfilling pleasures of the world but gave me a vision to live a life of purpose and of substance.  A life not centered on me and my desires, but one that is centered on Jesus and His will for my life.  As I would seek my own desires, there never seemed to be an end.  There was always something else on the horizon to shoot for and no contentment in the moment.  I knew there was something more to life than this.  God has given me a contentment in who I am in Him.  He has completed me. (Col. 2:10) I still battle the things of the flesh, as we all do, but those things appeal far less to me than before because I have tasted what the Lord has for me and it is good!

It did not come in a moment, but along a journey with Him through many years.  It began as I started teaching Sunday School classes at the “Little House.”  God used the scripture I taught to change me more than those I taught.  I began to see first-hand the power of the gospel message working in my life.  It felt good to give of myself to others and I found called to do so.  In 2005, I began to have this desire to “suffer with Christ” in a more in depth fashion.  God opened a door that I could go with a Christian ministry group to Juarez Mexico on three one-week mission trips.  It cost me vacation time, the comforts I had grown accustomed to and it was hard physical work.  We worked, slept and ate outside in the “dry heat” getting only an occasional shower to cool us off.  I received however a valuable vision of what suffering felt like and the contentment that comes from doing what God has called you to do; faithfully following Jesus down the path He brought me to.  I am not encouraging you to all sign up for a mission trip, but I am calling you to be listening to the call of the Holy Spirit in your life.  He will call you to whatever ministry He has prepared for you.  Yield yourself to God’s calling and be willing to do things that cost you something and suffer with Christ.