West Shore Community Church Message Outline
Sunday, November 7, 2021 – Communion Sunday
Prepared by Charles B. Lutz
Suffering for Being a Christian (1 Peter 4:12-19)
i. Review of our last message:
I. In the same way as Christ, let us submit to the Father’s will (3:1-14)
A. without retaliation, threats, disobedience
II. Are you prepared to share Christ with others (3:15)
A. What is your reason for hope? Can you share it gently and respectfully?
III. No matter what God asks of me, or what happens to me – it will result in blessing
A. Remember Christ who prayed the Father’s will be done, and ultimately rejoiced after being crucified
I. Do you like surprises?
A. Birthdays, Christmas presents, spontaneous ones
B. God has surprised me many times
1. The God Anonymous tells of many of these times
a. Is anyone rejoicing now? Let us praise… (see Romans 12:15)
2. Sometimes God’s surprises are difficult to swallow
a. Unemployment, Illness, injury, even death
d. Is anyone in mourning now? Let us pray…
C. Guess what – we are NOT to let painful trials of suffering surprise us! (vs. 12)
1. It’s no surprise to God
a. it’s part of His plan, not a strange happening
2. It is a participation in the sufferings of Christ (vs. 13)
a. this is a cause for rejoicing (see Romans 8:17)
b. it brings blessing with the Spirit of God and glory (vs. 14)
3. Insults are likely to be the most common form this takes (vs. 14)
a. The “counter-cultural” beatitudes (see Matthew 5:11-12)
1. “Beautiful attitudes” and “be-at-it-dudes!”
b. The world seeks just the opposite: wealth, happiness, power, sin, war
c. Why rejoice? – there is reward! Heaven, eternity, co-heirs with Christ
D. What is the cause of the suffering you experience? (vss. 15-16)
1. Because of specific sin or sins? – shame, repentance, discipline from God and man
2. or as a Christian? – no shame, praise God!
3. God does judge our sin:
a. Christ bore it all on the cross
b. He is a disciplinarian and a rewarder both
E. God’s will includes suffering (vs. 19)
1. Why is this so?
A. Original sin, yes, but even more so as believers remember vs. 1:7!
B. This is a special verse for me personally…
F. Final remarks…