Sermon26-46Summary 1Pt4&5 "Rejoice in Suffering"

1 Peter 4:12-14, 16, 19; 5:6-11 theme verse 1 Peter 5:10

The praise and honor and glory be to our heavenly Father who seeks true worshipers who worship Him with the Spirit and truth.

On this forty-first Sunday of the year 2026, I pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit may be full in you. Last week we saw that we are invited to the Great Commission; this week, through 1 Peter 4 and 5, we learn that even though sufferings follow in that mission, we will receive His glory in the end.

Gardeners cut flower stems diagonally so they absorb more water, and for weak plants they even burn the cut ends to stop decay and disease. In the same way, to mold us into mature Christians, God sometimes allows the pain of cutting, and even the sharp trial of fire, because afflictions make us stronger. As windsurfing needs waves, today's hardships can be necessary pains for our growth. Peter opens a new perspective on suffering and its benefits.

1) Suffering is a repeated theme in 1 Peter. In 1:3-9, Peter encourages us to endure with living hope, since suffering refines our faith toward the eternal inheritance, and God will protect us until our final salvation. In 2:12-25 and 3:8-22, he exhorts us to endure even unjust suffering from rulers, masters, or unbelieving neighbors, keeping God in mind and doing good, for God repays suffering with blessing. In today's conclusion (4:12-5:11), he goes further: rejoice when you share Christ's sufferings, for suffering purifies the soul and strengthens faith, and God Himself will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us and bring us to glory.

2) The passage has three paragraphs. In 4:12-14, 16, 19, suffering refines us as a fiery furnace refines precious metal, and the Spirit of glory rests upon us, enabling us to entrust our souls to Him and do good. In 5:6-7, 10, Peter teaches our attitude: be humble, for God will exalt us; cast all anxieties on Him, for He cares for us; and after a little while He will restore us. In 5:8-9, he warns us to be sober-minded and watchful and to resist the devil, firm in faith.

3) Peter mentions three types of suffering. Suffering as a Christian (v. 16) comes with living a godly life: "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12), and it makes us cease from sin (1 Peter 4:1). Suffering for the name of Christ (v. 14) is suffering for the kingdom of God and righteousness (Matthew 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:5), including suffering as we join God's mission to restore His creation.

4) Third, what is lacking in Christ's sufferings (v. 13). Jesus finished the suffering for our forgiveness on the cross, yet something is left for us: to suffer as messengers of the gospel (2 Timothy 1:8), and to follow His example of suffering evil with good (1 Peter 2:21). And just as a vaccine brings temporary pain to build antibodies, we need to endure hardships as much as we can bear, so that we stop sinning, our character becomes like the Lord's, and our faith grows strong. That is why Jesus said, "take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

5) There is also the suffering of God. In Jonah 4:11, God pities the 120,000 people of Nineveh and even the cattle. Think of God's pain when His image in every soul is corrupted by sin, or when souls bear disabilities. Whether we recognize it or not, we sometimes share His pain for His creation. When we feel it, we see the behind-the-scenes of His providential care and divine pathos. As Jesus said of the man born blind, "that the works of God might be displayed in him" (John 9).

6) Suffering is not only for a few: "the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world" (5:9). So we must check how we are participating in Jesus' suffering, for "if you are left without discipline… then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Hebrews 12:8).

7) Suffering brings benefits. First, refinement: "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3-4). Second, blessings: eternal rest (2 Thessalonians 1:7), the crown of life (Revelation 2:10), the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:10), and an imperishable inheritance (1 Peter 1:4). Finally, glory: "this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17). As William Penn said, "No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."

8) "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (5:10). To restore is to make whole what we lost through original sin; to confirm is to make us firm by restoring our lost abilities and privileges; to strengthen is to make us strong out of weakness; to establish is to lift us back to the position we lost and make our foundation strong. What a great consolation!

9) God Himself promised this restoration. Since the God who created all things by His word has promised it, it will surely be accomplished, so we keep enduring the suffering assigned to us to finish our race for the victory Jesus has already won. He who called us to His eternal glory in Christ will not leave His work unfinished.

10) Our attitude in suffering: be humble under God's mighty hand, for He will exalt us at the proper time (5:6); cast our anxieties on Him, for He cares for us (5:7); and resist the devil, sober-minded, watchful and firm in faith (5:8-9).

11) We cannot do this by ourselves. When we suffer, the Spirit of glory rests upon us (v. 14) — the present blessing in suffering. Filled with the Spirit, Stephen had the face of an angel even while being stoned (Acts 7). So do not be soaked in the pain; lift your eyes to see the Holy Spirit who rests on you, receive His power, and endure in joy, understanding the deeper meaning behind your suffering.

12) Remember too that Jesus is with us in our pit: "Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:18), and "take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Tim Stafford writes that Jesus suffered every way a person can suffer, so wherever your worst nightmare occurs, "Jesus is waiting to talk to you. He knows."

13) Is anyone suffering? Lift your eyes to heaven, see the Holy Spirit resting upon you, and rise up with His power. Is anyone in pain? Come and meet Jesus, who is waiting for you and will bring you through to the final victory already won in Him. Let us pray together to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus, who will surely lift us up from our pit, so that we may even rejoice in suffering for His glory.

Key Questions as Small Group Activity

Q1 In today's passage, it says that suffering is a refining and strengthening process for us. If you have experienced overcoming sin and gaining strong faith through suffering, it would be wonderful if you could share your experiences and thoughts with each other.

Q2 Generally, when we go through suffering, we often focus solely on the weight and difficulties of the suffering and pour all our attention into getting through it quickly. However, as verse 14 says, the Spirit of glory, the Holy Spirit, rests upon us in the midst of suffering. This means that if we lift our eyes in the midst of suffering and gaze upon the Holy Spirit who is above us, our perspective on suffering can change, and we can experience the grace of the Lord who empowers us, strengthens us, comforts us, and encourages us. I hope that you have experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of suffering and have received comfort and strength through Him. It would be great if you could share with each other the experiences of encountering the presence of the Spirit and the comfort and strength received through Him.

Love you. Thank you. God bless you.

Prayer Note

Dear ( God’s attribute which you found Today ) God!

Thanks for ( something you received through the sermon or even during the week )

Praise, gratitude and glory be to You, Lord!

Today, I realized my sin (pains) that ( the sin God reminded through the sermon ),

please forgive (or heal) me and help me not to repeat ( the sins you recognized ).

I learned that ( something you learned through the sermon )

Please help me to live in that ( learned way of life )

I pray in ( Jesus’ attribute you find ) Jesus’ name. Amen.