Suffering church talk - 1 Peter 4

I am of course deeply indebted to Barnabas Fund for all their resources on the suffering church. I didn't end up having time to give this whole message.

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Talk – Persevering Under Pressure

Play part of song, Under Pressure? (2:54-end)

Talk - persevering under pressure

I'm sure we all know what it's like to be under pressure. Pressure to study, to do well in exams. Pressure to get a job, to work hard. Pressure to be a good son or daughter, a good husband or wife, a good mother or father. Pressure from our friends to hang out and to do things. Pressure from our society to achieve, to buy, to succeed, to look after number one, to fit in. And as Christians, especially those who come from a non-Christian background, work in a non-Christian environment, study at a non-Christian school or university, or socialise with non-Christian friends, there can often be pressure from friends, workmates and even family for us to put aside our Christian way of life when it is uncomfortable, or different, or seems unnecessary to them.

For many of us in Australia, that's about as much pressure as we feel for our Christian faith. We may still feel the pain of it sometimes, but when we think about all that we've heard today, about the extent of Christian persecution around the globe, it's hard for us not to feel that we have it pretty good. In fact, after hearing what we have heard today, we might ask questions like, “What should we think of these Christians who are persecuted so harshly? What are our responsibilities to them? Why does this suffering occur?”

They're not easy questions, and to find the answers to them we need to see what God has to say about it, which we will find in the Bible. In his letter to a group of Christians who found themselves being persecuted for their faith, Peter seeks to help them understand their situation and put it in the context of God's plan. By reading 1 Peter chapter 4, we can see that God's plan hasn't changed, and it helps us to understand the nature of persecution, and what our response should be today. The chapter starts by looking at the godly attitudes that grow from suffering persecution. In verse 1, we see that find that those who suffer persecution are done with sin. This isn't a promise that once you have suffered for your faith, you will never sin again. If only it were so easy. But the truth is that suffering often winnows out the faithful from the fairweather. Jesus himself talks of those who accept the gospel and receive it with joy, but fall away because of trouble or persecution for of it. They are the second type of seed in the parable of the sower, which we learned about earlier in the year. Those who have a strong love for God tested in the fire of persecution realise that the demands for a holy life pale in comparison to the demands for that life's sacrifice. When we look at these individuals, we see where the Christian's focus really should be – wholly and totally on serving God.

As verses 2 and 3 tell us, it is all too easy to be suckered in by the lifestyle of the non-Christians around us. Indeed, anyone who has lived a large portion of their life as a non-Christian can tell you exactly what it's like. Whether it's a life of self-gratification and pleasure, as it is for most Australians, or a life of denial and self-deprecation, as exists in many other religious cultures, the truth of it is that if you are not living a Christian life, you are not living for God - you have missed the mark, and you are not doing God's will. The problem is that when Christians go against the culture around them, people notice. They notice, and as we are told in verse 4, they are surprised, and they will heap abuse on you. Christians are persecuted because they are not the same, because following God is more important than fitting in with those around them. In Australia, this cause people to ignore you, think you are stupid, make fun of you, or not be your friend any more. For some, the results can be more grave.

Nissar Hussein is a hospital nurse. Born a Muslim, he and his wife converted to Christianity. They and their children have been jostled, abused, attacked, told loudly to move out of the area and given death threats in the street. His wife was held hostage inside their home by a mob. Their property has been daubed in graffiti and their car rammed and torched. Bricks have been thrown through their windows and the steps to their home strewn with rubbish. Nissar was told that his house would be burnt down if he did not repent and return to Islam. All this happened in Bradford in the UK. Now that simply won't happen to most of us. Our families or communities wouldn't see the conversion of one of their members to another religion as a shame that must be cleansed and put right. And yet we can look to the Nissar Husseins of the world, those who have put up with violence, discrimination and suppression, and in the lives of those Christians who are standing up under the pressure of persecution, we see that God has given us a gift of exemplary people who can teach us valuable lessons about what it means to live with faith in Christ. For those of us who aren't called to suffer to the point of death, the persecuted church is a gift from God – an example of the strength of God shown in the weakness of humanity, setting out for us that the most important thing is living a life for God in Christ, and that it can be done even in the most harshest of circumstances. Christianity is worth any cost – and we can know that when we see Christians who are actually paying that cost. Because they know the truth that Peter sets out in verse 5 – that judgement is coming, and everyone is going to have to give an account – and they are living their lives in the assurance that they will not be found wanting on that day.

As Peter says in verse 7, “The end of all things is near.” This is the attitude with which we must all live – not just those who are suffering from the strongest persecution, but also those of us who find our situation less strained. Because if God gave us the gift of the persecuted church, then he has just as much given us in our wealth and freedom as a gift to those who have little and are under pressure. Just what are our responsibilities toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, according to Peter? How can we be a gift to them. Read with me, from verse 7. “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” This is our first responsibility, the first gift we can be to the suffering church. Not only will it be of great encouragement for them to know that their brothers and sisters are thinking of them, but it is only by acknowledging and relying on the power of God that we can hope to make any difference. And we must pray intelligently. We must be alert of what is happening, and sober in our minds – we must understand what the situation is. We should use the well informed and constructed prayer materials that are available to us, like those presented by organisations like Barnabas Fund.

Our responsibilities extend further. Verse 8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” These are not just members of a club with whom we are somehow obligated to help. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the family of God. Although we may be blessed by learning through their experiences of suffering, this does not mean that we should desire them to suffer. Instead, we should love them, and seek to be helping them in whatever ways we can.

Verse 9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” It's not often that we might get the opportunity to open our homes to a Christian who is in real need, who is suffering because of their faith in Christ. We might think that we'd be certain to do so if we needed to. But what if someone was to turn up on our shores, trying to flee persecution for the sake of their lives and their families, seeking to share something of the freedom and security as Christians that we already have here? Would we share our country with them? Australians have shown that we aren't as hospitable as we might like to think we are, and undoubtedly that attitude exists within the church as well as the general populace. Peter says that our hospitality is to be without grumbling – so let us extend a welcome to those who suffer for Christ's name, and do it cheerfully.

Verses 10 and 11 tell us that no matter what gift we have, we should use it to serve each other. One problem that many converts to Christianity face in situations of persecution is that they lose so much of their support structure – family, friends, work, religious institutions like mosques or temples – that they can feel abandoned when they come to faith. We may not be able to replace the closeness that exists between parent and child, sibling to sibling, but we can offer as much support as possible. Just think of all the things that someone without family misses out on – someone to talk to about relationships, someone to teach you to drive, someone to celebrate birthdays and Christmas with, grandparents to look after grandchildren, even networks that help you find work. We might not be able to offer all these things, but even for those whose situations aren't that accessible to us, we can still be a family to them in some ways. We can offer them protection from danger, by helping support shelters for converts who find themselves out of work, out of family, and often in danger. We can help them afford their first house, where they might have normally had their family help them out, or help send their kids to school. It's a difficult situation – many people would argue that doing such things creates 'rice Christians' – who will convert just for the financial benefits and support. But if they have lost their family, their friends, their job, sometimes even their spouses and children through becoming a Christian, how can we not help them? We cannot replace those things, and I doubt there are many people who would sacrifice their own families and marriages for the sake of some simple financial help. Still, these decisions are best made where they are happening. We can trust the leadership of such churches who are used to helping new converts, to deal with these situations.

But we can do more. We can be heard on their account. We can speak out against the persecution of those who choose to leave other religions for Christ, and suffer because of it. We can break the silence that so often covers the persecution of Christians happening around the world. 50 churches get burned down in Indonesia, and it's called an 'ethnic conflict'. 300 Christians are killed in India, and it's called 'political turmoil.' The west doesn't want to hear that Christians suffer for their faith, that they are persecuted because of Jesus. But for the sake of our persecuted brethren, and for the sake of Christ himself, we must speak out, and we must act. Peter tells us in v11, “If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

You may not even know, but our church is already a gift to the persecuted church, as it regularly supports the work of Barnabas Fund in assisting suffering Christians. But I would encourage you to get a hold of some of Barnabas Funds' reading material, to pray for the suffering church, and to consider what service you could provide to them. We often focus on evangelism and the growing of God's kingdom, and that is very good. But we also have a responsibility to partner with those who already know Christ, and who are our spiritual brothers and sisters.

We have seen that the suffering church is a gift to us, giving us examples of godly men and women and even children who make the decision to follow Christ and suffer, who teach us the value of our faith and show us that our hope should be in Christ's return. We have seen how we can be a gift to those Christians, through giving them love, hospitality, service, and through prayer. But now we see another gift God gives, to all Christians – we learn that suffering itself is a gift from God. Peter tells us that persecution for our faith is not strange. We should not be surprised that we suffer for being Christians. After all, in our Christian lives we are to copy the life of Christ, and Christ himself suffered. Paul agreed with Peter. In 2 Timothy he said, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” and in Romans 8 he said that if we share in Christ's sufferings, we will also share in his glory. Peter tells us that suffering for Christ shows that the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Being willing to suffer for Christ, being ready to suffer for Christ, actually suffering for Christ, is a mark of our faith.

The fact of the matter is that a time is coming when the world will be judged for its disobedience to God. To make that clear, God has started his judgement with his own people, as an example to the rest of the world. But we will come out clean and refined on the other side, because we don't suffer for doing wrong – for being murderers, or thieves, or any other kind of criminal or troublemaker. Instead, we suffer for doing right, for following Christ. We are an example to the world that we know the truth, and the truth is God, and the truth is Christ, and the truth is worth living for, and the truth is worth dying for. When judgement comes on the whole of humanity, it will not be so mild, because they will be found wanting. Peter ends with an exhortation and an encouragement. Keep doing good, and remain committed to your creator, and know that the suffering of this age will pass, and eternal life will come in its fullness.

How afraid are we of suffering – not for doing wrong, for things we might deserve to be punished for, but for following Christ? We might like to think that if we were threatened with death, we would stand up and be counted for Christ. But we're so unlikely to be put in that situation, it's hard to know. But many of our Christian family are in that position, facing death, or deprivation, or suppression, or discrimination. Let us stand with them in prayer, and in encouragement.