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May I turn in your Bibles to 
1 Peter chapter 4? 1 Peter chapter 4. This is a bit of extended application 
from our message this morning. We remember that Jesus describes 
the narrow way as being a difficult way. We noted that the difficulty 
lies in applying the ethical imperatives of the Sermon on 
the Mount along the narrow way. In other words, obeying the Lord 
Jesus as we pursue discipleship. Certainly, it's a difficulty 
and we require the constant aid of the Holy Spirit. but also 
that word difficulty that Jesus uses in Matthew 7, verse 14, 
speaks of tribulation, speaks of trial, speaks of difficulty, 
speaks of hardship, opposition, persecution, all those things 
that are part and parcel of the Christian life. As Paul the Apostle 
says in 2 Timothy 3, all who desire to live godly in Christ 
Jesus will suffer persecution. So by way of reminder, I know 
that those who've been here for any amount of time have heard 
an exposition of 1 Peter 4, verses 12 to 19. I offer this up as 
a reminder, a Petrine perspective on persecution, for the alliteratively positioned among us, the alliteration, 
a Petrine perspective on persecution. In other words, what Peter says 
about persecution, about trial, and there are four specifics 
that I want to look at here in 1 Peter chapter 4, verses 12 
to 19. I feel like Pastor Kim saying 
a Petrine perspective on persecution. Something like piggery, I think, 
is the last time I said something like Pastor Kim. Anyways, I'll 
just pick up reading in 1 Peter chapter 4. We'll read verses 
12 to 19. Beloved, do not think it strange 
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some 
strange thing happened to you. But rejoice to the extent that 
you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, 
you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for 
the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the spirit of glory 
and of God rests upon you. On their part he is blasphemed, 
but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as 
a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's 
matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, 
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, 
what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of 
God? Now, if the righteous one is 
scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? 
Therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God 
commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful 
Creator. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we just ask now for the ministry of Your Spirit. We pray 
that You give us a proper perspective on these issues. And Lord God 
in heaven, as we are on the narrow way, and it is a difficult way, 
may we indeed be instructed on a proper attitude toward persecution, 
toward suffering, toward trial. We just ask now that you would 
forgive us of our sins as we approach the Holy Word. We pray 
that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lamb and cause 
us to receive with thanksgiving the things that you would have 
for us tonight. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, the Lord Jesus 
says the narrow way is difficult and the Word is from the idea 
or has the idea of tribulation or what we find in John 16, 33. 
In this world, you will have tribulation. It is part and parcel. It is a feature of Christianity. One man has said in a particular 
book, faithful witness leads to martyrdom, to suffering, even 
unto death at the hands of an unreceptive, unrepentant, hostile 
world. It ought not to come as a surprise 
when you encounter various trials and difficulties. And that's 
the first perspective we want to uncover. We are to expect 
tribulation according to Peter in chapter 4 verse 12. He says, 
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which 
is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. 
The Christian life is punctuated. It is highlighted, it is filled 
with this sort of persecution for the blood-bought child of 
God. The emphasis in this section 
is on our union, our solidarity with Christ. Verse 13, rejoice 
to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings. Verse 
14, if you are reproached for the name of Christ. The idea 
is simple, that when we follow the master, if the master was 
persecuted, if the master was opposed, if the master was a 
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, then we as his followers 
ought to expect, perhaps not to the same degree, but to a 
certain degree, we ought to expect trial. We ought to expect tribulation. We ought to expect difficulty. Interesting that in that section 
in Matthew 7, Jesus just assumes that the narrow way is difficult. The narrow way is one of trial. The narrow way is one of tribulation 
and suffering. You can turn to John 15 to see 
how our Lord prepared His disciples with reference to this perspective. They were to expect tribulation. They were to expect difficulty. They were to expect it at the 
hands of an unreceptive, unrepentant, and hostile world. In John 15, 
beginning in verse 18. John 15, beginning in verse 18. If the world hates you, you know 
that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, 
the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the 
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world 
hates you. Remember the context here in 
the upper room. What is Jesus doing? He is equipping 
his followers. This is a seminary course, or 
the end of their seminary course. They're about to go out into 
the world. Christ will die, he will be buried, he will be with 
them for a short time, but then he will be exalted to the right 
hand of the majesty on high, and so he is equipping them for 
battle in this world. He's not lying to them. He's 
not suggesting that wherever they go, they're going to be 
warmly received. Wherever they go, the people 
are going to make tea and serve cookies and just embrace them 
with open arms. It is just the opposite. In fact, 
if we know nothing of persecution, we really ought to examine our 
walk before the Lord. Again, we don't want to abuse 
that idea. We don't want to abuse that mindset 
and go out and try to get stoned or or beat up or anything like 
that. But there is a sense that when 
we live and move and have our being in a world that is in active 
opposition to the living and true God, there ought to be some 
sense in which we partner with the Lord Jesus and we know something 
of the enmity of this world directed toward us. I've already cited 
John 16, 33. Again, this is the way he ends 
the upper room discourse prior to his high priestly prayer. 
He says, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you 
may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. It is a given. That is an assumption. That is a fundamental operating 
presupposition. It cannot be the case that you 
will live a carefree, on-trial-having, life of singing zippity-doo-dah 
on your way to heaven. You will not be attended by bluebirds. You will not be walking a path 
of rose petals. You will not have the angelic 
hosts pick you up and carry you into that particular place. You 
will have tribulation. You will have suffering. You 
will be tried. You will have persecution. You 
will have the pressure that goes along with serving the Lord of 
glory in a world that is at enmity with Him. He doesn't stop there, 
though. In this world, you will have 
tribulation. But don't be distressed. Don't 
walk around like a whiner. You see, that's one of the extremes 
that we fall prey to. Well, the Christian life is one 
of persecution. The Christian life is one of 
trial. The Christian life is one of difficulty. So we're going 
to walk around with a frown on our face. No! Be of good cheer, 
he says. I have overcome the world. So 
it is possible for the Christian, as he or she is going through 
tribulation, as he or she is suffering persecution and trial 
on behalf of the Lord, they are able to do so with good cheer, 
realizing and understanding and recognizing the truth that Jesus 
Christ Himself has overcome the world. We see this in the book 
of Acts. We've reflected on this recently 
in our scripture reading in the first missionary journey in Acts 
13, 42 to 52. We see the apostle Paul opposed 
in Pisidian Antioch. We see an alliance of unbelieving 
Jews gathering together and doggedly following Paul into the various 
cities he would go preaching. And then in Acts chapter 14, 
specifically at verse 19, we read, Then Jews from Antioch 
and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they 
stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to 
be dead. However, when the disciples gathered 
around him, he rose up and went into the city, and the next day 
he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached 
the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned 
to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the 
disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, 
we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. Paul, 
the apostle, embraced this reality. He understood the truth. He expected 
tribulation. He realized that living in a 
world opposed to God Most High would certainly mean opposition 
to those who represented God Most High. And it's an interesting 
phenomena, because in the life and ministry of the Apostle, 
notice that not only is he being stoned here, but in Acts 14.1, 
he's one of the men who so spoke that a great multitude believed. 
So on the one hand, there is good reception, and on the other 
hand, there is harsh opposition. The antithesis goes all the way 
back to Genesis 3.15. when God promised that the seed 
of the woman would crush the head of the seed of the serpent. When God made that promise, it's 
as if He split the world into two camps. You have the seed 
of the woman, the righteous, the godly line, and you have 
those of the serpent, of the devil himself, and there is a 
stark opposition and a contrast and there is an antithesis. And 
what we see in redemption is that this, in fact, is played 
out by the enemies of the Lord God Almighty. So the first principle 
that Peter tells us is that we are to expect tribulation. Beloved, do not think it strange 
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some 
strange thing happened to you. One other passage that needs 
to be read is in Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, just 
something of what the people in the Old Testament faced in 
terms of their service to God Most High. Hebrews 11, that great 
hall of faith. Verse 32, he says, What more 
shall I say for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and 
Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and 
the prophets? who through faith subdued kingdoms, 
worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths 
of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of 
the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in 
battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens, women received 
their dead, raised to life again." That section is very encouraging, 
isn't it? To see the triumph of God's people. Isn't that beautiful? By faith, 
this is what they did. By faith, they subdued kingdoms. By faith, they worked righteousness. By faith, they obtained promises. They stopped the mouths of lions. 
When Daniel was in that den, what one man calls the angel's 
den, Daniel was operating by faith. We love to see our heroes 
triumphant. We love to see this sort of thing. We love to see them quench the 
violence of fire. Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego 
in that fiery furnace. And the men looked in and they 
saw one like the Son of God in there with them. That's great, 
isn't it? Don't you read your Old Testament 
and your heart is doing one of these? Yay! All right! This is 
awesome! It's great! It's wonderful to 
be counted among the people of God. You see great and glorious 
exploits undertaken by the people of God. It certainly ought to 
thrill our hearts. But you see, the Old Testament 
isn't just about triumphant heroes. It is about suffering saints. 
In other words, those same sorts of men faced these types of things 
in verse 35b. Others were tortured, not accepting 
deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still 
others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains 
and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn 
in two, they were tempted, excuse me, they were sawn in two, were 
tempted, were slain with the sword. Remember in our studies 
in the book of Hebrews, who was it, according to tradition, that 
was sawn in two? Isaiah the prophet. You've got 
to just imagine what I know of Isaiah. Hell must be really hot 
for whoever took a saw to him and cut him in half. And you 
just don't do that to an Isaiah the prophet. You can do that 
to a Jim Butler, but you don't do that to an Isaiah the prophet. 
It's a man of God, and he's sawn in two. You see, we rejoice in 
the triumphant heroes. We need to rejoice in the suffering 
saints. You see, as much as God was with 
Daniel in the angels' den, as much as He was present with Shadrach, 
Meshach, and Abednego, He is present with the prophet who 
is being sawn in two. He never leaves us, He never 
forsakes us, He never abandons His children. As much as God 
is there in the triumphant heroes, He is present in the midst of 
His suffering saints, and our hearts ought to root for that 
as well. They wandered about in sheepskins 
and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom 
the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and 
mountains and dens and caves of the earth. Again, what we 
find in this passage is the death blow to the health, wealth, and 
prosperity gospel. This is the portion and lot of 
God's people in this lower world. We are to expect tribulation. 
If a man like Isaiah is sawn in two, if a man like the Apostle 
Paul is stoned, We ought not to think it strange, brethren, 
when somebody would dare roll their eyes at us if we take a 
position that is not popular in a generation that is in opposition 
to the living and true God. We need to expect it. But Peter 
doesn't stop there. The second thing he says is we 
are to exult in it. And exult here is E-X-U-L-T, 
and it means to rejoice. Could just say rejoice, but we've 
got some alliteration going. We've got expect tribulation. 
We have secondly, exult in tribulation. Rejoice in it. Now this takes 
God's grace. This takes God's mercy. This 
takes God's spirit. Remember the words of our Lord 
Jesus. He says, blessed are those who 
are persecuted for righteousness sake. Blessed means happy. Joyful. Jesus is describing the 
kingdom citizen. He says they're poor in spirit. 
He says they mourn. He says they're meek. He says 
they hunger and thirst for righteousness. He says they're merciful. He 
says they're pure in heart. He says they're peacemakers. 
And he says that they're happy sufferers for the cause of Jesus 
Christ. So you see, we're not supposed 
to just expect tribulation, but when it comes, we're to rejoice 
in it. Again, not in some sick, demented, 
strange way. Yeah, I just got beat up for 
Jesus. That's just not psychologically possible. The idea is, is that 
as we recognize that union between us and the Master, we are like 
those apostles in Acts 5. When the whip or the scourge 
was laid to their back, they left from that place and they 
went rejoicing. Why? Because they were counted 
worthy to suffer shame for His name. Rejoice in the midst of 
trial. Rejoice in the midst of persecution. Jesus says, blessed are those 
who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom 
of heaven. He expands on this, or He amplifies 
this. This is the only of the Beatitudes 
that He amplifies. He says in verse 11, blessed 
are you when they revile and persecute you. and say all kinds 
of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly 
glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted 
the prophets who were before you." I've read where Mrs. Spurgeon had this put on a big 
plaque, picture board. I don't know if they had plaques 
in the 1800s. I'm sure they did. She put it 
right above their bed. You know, we think of Spurgeon 
as the prince of preachers. You know, we think of him wearing 
that big top hat and walking with his cane and looking all 
dapper and filling up the metropolitan tabernacle with, you know, scads 
of people. He was persecuted for the kingdom's 
sake. It's about everybody hated Spurgeon 
that was doctrinally informed. The hypers thought he was an 
Arminian. The Arminians thought he was a hyper. was something 
called the downgrade controversy, was similar to theological liberalism, 
so he took a stand against that. He was battled, embattled in 
his Christian life. He didn't just stand up and preach 
in this metropolitan tabernacle and millions of people came to 
know the Lord Jesus. Now a lot of people did come 
to know the Lord Jesus. He was wildly successful because 
God blessed him. But he had a life that was very 
difficult and marked by a great deal of persecution. I mean, 
the secular press would drop caricatures of him. in their 
papers. They would make fun of him. They 
would make sport of Charles Spurgeon. So Susie, his wife, put that 
above their bed so that when he put his shoes on in the morning, 
he could reflect on Jesus' words in the Beatitudes. Blessed are 
you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil 
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, delight, exult Already 
alluded to Acts chapter 5 and verse 41, they left from that 
place rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer 
shame for the name of Christ. Philippians chapter 3 gives us 
an indication of this. Philippians chapter 3 after the 
apostle makes this great statement. and be found in him, not having 
my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which 
is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God 
by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, 
and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death." 
You see, that's wherein the joy lies. It's not in the sense that 
somebody is physically delivering a blow to your head. It's hard 
to be happy about such an occasion. It's also not a joy that comes 
when all the people of God say, what a great guy you are. You 
were smacked in the head for Jesus. No, the joy comes in identifying 
in that blessed union with the Lord Jesus, that I may know Him 
and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. Peter says, currently, presently, 
rejoice. Verse 13 of chapter 4. Rejoice 
to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings. And then 
he points us to the future, that when his glory is revealed, you 
may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for 
the name of Christ, Blessed are you, for the spirit of glory 
and of God rests upon you. On their party is blaspheme, 
but on your party is glorified. You see, you expect it and you 
exult in it and you realize that in this God is glorified and 
praised and honored. So those are the first two. Expect 
it, exult in it. Thirdly, evaluate its cause. evaluate its cause. There are 
sufferings and difficulties in the Christian life that happens 
to Christian people, not necessarily because they're Christian. Let 
me just say that again. There are sufferings, there are 
difficulties, there are trials that happen to Christians in 
the Christian life which are not necessarily associated with 
the fact that they are Christians. In other words, if you're obnoxious, 
and you're offensive, and you're abusive, and you're caustic, 
and you're rude, and you're an irritant, and you're arrogant, 
you follow the train of thought here, and you offend people because 
of that, don't pat yourself on the back that it's because you're 
a Christian. I don't know if you've ever met 
people like this, but they're out there. You know, they're 
the kinds of guys that go to a church called Westboro Baptist. 
They hold up signs that say, God hates fags. They rejoice 
outside of cemeteries because people are dead. For them to rejoice that they're 
suffering for the cause of Christ, flies contrary to what Peter 
is telling us in this passage. I don't mean to be offensive. 
I don't mean to sound crass. This is really and legitimately 
what these people do. They think they're serving Jesus. Look at what Peter says. But, 
verse 15, let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, 
or as a busybody in other people's matters. If you're a busybody 
in other people's matters and you suffer, don't pat yourself 
on the back for Christian suffering. Don't say, blessed am I for having 
been persecuted. Don't say, how great am I because 
I'm suffering for the cause of Jesus Christ. You see, Peter 
says evaluate its cause. If you are obnoxious and you're 
an irritant to people, don't rejoice in suffering for Jesus. 
If you're a thief or a murderer, you deserve to suffer. If you're 
a busybody, you deserve to suffer. That's what Peter's saying. If you had a bullhorn and you 
screamed in somebody's ear, repent, for the kingdom of God is near, 
and you shatter their eardrums, and you send them to the hospital, 
and they say, man, stop it. Don't say I'm being persecuted 
for the cause. No, you're not. Don't shout in 
somebody's ear with a bullhorn. Right? That's what he's saying. But let none of you suffer as 
a murderer. I suspect there were people in 
the churches that Peter was familiar with that were suffering in the 
Roman Empire and blaming it upon their Christian profession. Peter 
says, no! If you're a murderer, if you're 
a thief, if you're a busybody and you're suffering for that, 
don't blame Jesus for that. That's not the last beatitude. 
That doesn't cover you. at this particular point and 
this particular juncture. A juncture. If you're a murderer, 
a thief, an evildoer, or a busybody, and you are suffering as a result 
of that, this isn't Christian persecution. It means you need 
to repent and don't murder people. Don't steal from people. Don't 
be an evildoer. And don't be a busybody. That's 
what it means. Don't blame Christ that you have 
somehow entered into the fellowship of his sufferings because you 
blast people's eardrums out with a megaphone and you send them 
to the hospital. It's not what Jesus calls you 
to do. We're not supposed to be irritating. 
We're not supposed to be arrogant. We're not supposed to be proud. 
We're not supposed to be wicked. We're not supposed to advance 
the cause of Christ without a Christian ethic. Evaluate the cause of suffering. Verse 16, yet he says, if anyone 
suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify 
God in this matter. You've been faithful. You're 
living in a godly manner. You are witnessing. You are testifying. You are shining as a light in 
a crooked and perverse generation. You're holding forth the word 
of truth. You're weaving it through the needle or the thread of love. 
You are seeking to be compassionate. You are seeking to be like your 
Savior. You are winsome. You're a friend. You're all the 
things that the Bible says we ought to be. And if there's suffering 
connected with that, then he says if anyone suffers as a Christian, 
not as a murderer, not as a thief, not as an evildoer, and I don't 
think those are the three we are susceptible to, but certainly 
All of us fall prey to being a busy body in other people's 
matters. If we are being faithful and 
we're not busy bodies, Peter says, let him not be ashamed, 
but let him glorify God in this matter. It's a blessed reality, 
a blessed statement. We are to evaluate its cause. And then fourthly and finally, 
we are to entrust ourselves to God. entrust ourselves to God, 
notice in verse 19, therefore let those who suffer, note the 
next phrase or the next clause, according to the will of God. That probably takes a whole sermon 
on its own just to realize and recognize that the sufferings 
we endure are ordained by a sovereign God for the good of His children. You see, if there's no suffering 
and there's no hardship, we forget God. If there's no suffering 
and no hardship, we don't pray. If there's no suffering and no 
hardship, we don't search our scriptures. If there's no suffering 
and no hardship, we don't read Puritans. If there's no suffering 
and no hardship, we live as if there is no God. So God sends 
these things. This is why James says, count 
it all joy when you fall into various trials. Why? Because 
there's something beautiful about trials in and of themselves? 
No. James explains, knowing that 
the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have 
its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking 
nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let 
him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 
and it will be given to him." James tells us, count it all 
joy when you fall into various trials. God is using this for 
your good. God is using this as a means 
whereby patience will come. I would love it to be the case 
that you sat on a beach somewhere and drank iced tea, and you learned 
patience. I'd choose that route. Would 
you like door number one or door number two? Door number one, 
you go sit on a beach, and you drink iced tea, and you just 
get patient. Door number two, there's a lot of suffering, a 
lot of trial, a lot of tribulation, a lot of difficulty, and a lot 
of hardship, and you learn patience. Well, I'll take door number one, 
please. Isn't that our default position? 
I'd rather sit on the beach and drink tea and learn patience, 
or read a book on patience, the Puritans on patience. That's 
how we pursue patience. That's not how God pursues patience. 
God puts us in the woodshed. God sends trial. God sends struggle. God sends difficulty. Remember 
what is said of our Lord Jesus. He learned obedience through 
what? Suffering. Not sipping iced tea on a beach. 
He learned obedience through suffering, according to Hebrews 
5. Are we going to learn obedience in any other way? No. Therefore, let those who suffer 
according to the will of Your issues, your trials, your difficulties, 
your perplexities, your tribulations, your persecutions, your opposition 
is according to the will of God. He then says, commit their souls 
to Him in doing good as to a faithful creator. I love the fact that 
Peter uses the statement faithful creator. Not that God isn't our 
Redeemer, but Creator bespeaks of the majesty, the glory, the 
power, and the excellency of God. Not that Redeemer doesn't, 
but when you think Creator, you think of creation. Where do we 
have our troubles? In the creation. Where do we 
have our troubles? Among the creatures. Well, God 
is sovereign. He is the faithful creator. You 
are to entrust your soul to Him. You are to realize that you have 
committed yourself to a faithful creator. And notice, commit their 
souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful creator. So in 
the midst of trial, in the midst of tribulation, in the midst 
of persecution and opposition and difficulty and perplexity, 
it doesn't change the marching orders. You are still supposed 
to do what is good. It's an amazing thing. Commit 
their souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful creator. And we need to realize in light 
of this passage that there is a day coming when God will indeed 
vindicate His elect. That's legit to remember. It's 
not always going to be the case where Christians are persecuted. 
Is it? Not always going to be the case 
where Christians are beaten. There's not going to be prayer 
and persecution alerts in the Eschaton. When we're in the new 
Jerusalem, when we're in the new heavens and the new earth, 
we're not going to hear about 14-year-old mentally handicapped 
girls being brought up on blasphemy charges. This is not going to 
happen. There is a day coming wherein 
the Lord God most high will usher in righteousness, where there 
will be no more pain, there will be no more sorrow, there will 
be no more tears, no more hunger, no more thirst. The things that 
we take for granted in this Western world, the ability right now 
to walk up those stairs and to turn on a faucet and to get that 
water, there are many places in this world where they don't 
have that blessed privilege. Well, in the eschaton, in the 
age to come, it is going to be the case that the elect of God 
are vindicated. The apostle uses this piece of 
information to encourage the church in Thessalonica. We're 
going to end here, so I want you to turn to 2 Thessalonians 
chapter 1. We've seen that we are to expect 
tribulation, exult in tribulation, evaluate its cause, and entrust 
ourselves to God, recognize His sovereignty in our suffering, 
the necessity of doing good or continuing to do good while we 
are in the midst of perplexity, to realize his character as a 
faithful creator and under that particular heading or that idea 
of God as creator realize that he will vindicate the cause of 
his own name and of his own people. This ought to inspire the people 
of God to persevere in the midst of this lower world, realizing 
that ultimately God will be glorified, the enemies of Christ will be 
judged, and therein will be righteousness forever and ever. Notice in 2 
Thessalonians 1 at verse 3. We are bound to thank God always 
for you, brethren, as it is fitting because your faith grows exceedingly, 
and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 
so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God, 
for your patience and faith, and all your persecutions and 
tribulations that you endure." What a great statement, this 
church in Thessalonica. They had patience, they had faith 
in all their persecutions and the tribulations that they endured. Notice, excuse me, what Paul 
says in verse 5, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment 
of God that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God 
for which you also suffer. Now notice in verse 6, Paul alerts 
them to this reality that vindication is coming. God the Creator, God 
the Judge, God the Redeemer will indeed pay back those who afflict 
His people. Verse 6, since it is a righteous 
thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble 
you. and to give you who are troubled 
rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with 
his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those 
who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with 
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and 
from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified 
in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe. 
because our testimony among you was believed. There is a day 
of reckoning coming. There is a day of recompense 
coming, a day of retribution, when God the Lord will pay back 
those who have afflicted his church. It's not ungodly to keep 
this in your mind. Doesn't mean if somebody cuts 
you off on the road, you say, God's going to get you when Jesus 
comes and you can sign them to hellfire for that particular 
activity. But you realize and you understand 
that God the Lord is a righteous and a just judge. We mustn't 
forget that. Well, those are some perspectives 
from Peter on persecution. consistent with what our Lord 
taught concerning the narrow way. The way is difficult, but 
as we had cause to remind ourselves the morning, that difficult way 
is a most blessed way. It ends in life. Life everlasting. The broad road leads to destruction. The narrow way leads to life. If you have not found life, if 
you have not entered in at that narrow gate, then believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him and Him alone for 
salvation. And you will know the joy of 
being found in Christ. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your word, and we thank you for these perspectives, 
and I pray that they would be in our hearts and in our minds, 
and that, God, we would not count it a strange thing when there 
are trials, when there are difficulties, when there is opposition in this 
lower world. We know the world hated Jesus. 
It will certainly hate Jesus' followers. and we just pray for 
your grace to be upon us that we may persevere that we may 
honor you that in the midst of trial we would do good and we 
would entrust our souls to a faithful creator realizing that you are 
there for your people and you will ultimately bring all things 
to your glory and for the vindication of your saints. Go with us now 
in this coming week. Grant us boldness and grace, 
Father, to live as you would have us to do in this world. 
And we pray through Christ the Lord.