 You know the study we're going to be looking at today. I have to start out right from the beginning. It's a tough one It's one of those studies that I just assume not give But because we go through the word of God verse by verse It's it's necessary for us to look at this passage. I don't want to bring it down or to it frankly, but It's just like I Well, you'll see when we get into it There are some things that the Lord has laid on my heart to share today, and I pray that it will make sense once I've communicated these things to you So we'll begin reading we'll begin reading at 1st Peter chapter 4 verses 1 through 6 The Apostle Peter writes in 1st Peter chapter 4 beginning at verse 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 is seized from sin 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 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked in licentiousness lusts drunkenness revelries drinking parties and abominable idolatries in regard to these they think it's strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation speaking evil of you They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead That they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit so in chapter 4 the apostle Peter is giving counsel and he's giving counsel to saints to believers who are suffering and He's reminding them that Jesus died for them He had already stated that In chapter 3 He had made it very very clear to them that they had that Jesus Christ had died for them He said in verse 18 Christ also suffered once for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put To death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit so Jesus died for them And so he reminds him of that but he says because Jesus died for you you ought to live for him And that's what he's speaking about when we look into this passage here Christ suffered for us is the point. He's making and that's that's something that Jesus did Jesus ransomed us and And as he did so he suffered for us And he and he suffered for us as no man ever suffered when you read the Bible Especially look at the writings of the prophet Isaiah You see that Isaiah makes it very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ suffered as no other ever did You can look at a few passages. Let me read to you out of Isaiah chapter 50 verse 6 Where it says they're concerning Messiah. I offered my back to those who beat me my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting or Isaiah 52 verses 13 through 15 See my servant will act wisely. He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted Just as there were many who were appalled at him his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness So will he sprinkle many nations and kings will shut their mouths because of him for what they were not told they will see and What they have not heard they will understand or Isaiah 53 verses 3 and 4 He was despised rejected by men a man of sorrows familiar with suffering Like one from whom men hide their face faces. He was despised and we esteemed him not Surely he took up our infirmities carried our sorrows yet. We considered him stricken by God smitten by him and Afflicted so he's saying Jesus ransomed you and in doing so he suffered for you seeing that Jesus died for you Be willing to do whatever is necessary For him and that's what we're seeing here now. What is my attitude to be like? Well, let me touch on verse 7 for a moment because it clarifies that it says in verse 7 The end of all things is at hand therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers So my attitude ought to be that as I'm going through hard times I go through suffering that I hot I ought to have a sober-minded watchfulness the time is short and Therefore people should be living righteously Now this idea that the time is short the end of all things is at hand is something that you find in the scripture That is a constant theme it refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is returning returning soon Jesus had made the promise that he would do so he had said I go and prepare a place for you if I go and prepare a place For you I'll come again to receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also So from the beginning of his ministry Jesus Christ was preparing the people for his return and So that's a common theme that you find in scripture. The time is short be ready It's like what James said in chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 where he said you too be patient Stand firm because the Lord's coming is near don't rumble against each other brothers or you'll be judged The judge is standing at the door or Philippians 4 5 let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand or 1st John 3 2 and 3 Beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be But we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him For we shall see him as he is and everyone who has his hope in him purifies himself Just as he is pure sober minded watchfulness the end of all things is at hand be ready Be serious because Jesus is returning and therefore going through the suffering and the times of pain that you go through those times need to be weighed against eternity because In eternity you will find your joy in the Lord even though you may temporarily have hard times here on earth And so the Apostle is speaking concerning that and so he says if you believe that the Lord is returning prepare yourself You see you have a personal responsibility to be prepared for warfare as well as for suffering And so what are you to do? Well? He says in verse 1 he says arm yourselves with the same mind When he speaks concerning arming yourself with the same mind. He's simply saying equip your mental attitude Have the right kind of attitude Have a willingness to do whatever God says to do including Having a willingness to suffer if that need be Have this understanding because Christ suffered for us and therefore if Jesus suffered for us in the flesh We ought to have the same attitude as he did Jesus voluntarily suffered and Jesus died We are to be willing to suffer alongside of him that word suffer means to endure It speaks of abiding under misfortunes and trials. It speaks of holding fast to your faith in Jesus Christ But there's a blessing to that there's a reward to that and that is Like it says in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 Where he says it's a faithful saying if we be dead with him We shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with him And so the Apostle Peter would simply be saying that whatever it is that we as believers go through Ultimately will be worth it because we'll be ruling and reigning with the Lord Jesus Christ Now I want you to notice something here in verse 1 Notice how he says for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin He's not saying that we become perfect There's only one perfect person in the church and that's me the rest now. No It's only one perfect person and that's Jesus Christ Jesus is perfect. So he's not saying to us that we are going to be perfect When it says that the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin What is pointing to is the practical outcome of enduring hardship the practical fruit of suffering and Part of the process of suffering is that it refines us It also causes us to grow as believers and So when we go through tough times It's so that the Lord may refine our faith and strengthen us and we actually become stronger It's been said we fail to see the place of suffering in the broader scheme of things We fail to see that suffering is an inevitable dimension of life Because we have lost perspective We fail to see that unless one is willing to accept suffering properly He or she is really refusing to continue in the quest for maturity To refuse suffering is to refuse personal growth Suffering with Christ is to put an end to our connection with sin because we are now dead to sin and If we're dead to sin, that's another way of saying we are no longer to be stirred by sin seductions by its incitements When you're dead to sin then the temptations of the flesh are actually ceasing It's like what it says in Romans chapter 6 verses 5 through 7 if we have been united with him like this in his death We will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin because Anyone who has died has been freed from sin Romans 6 14 says sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law, but under grace and Colossians 3 3 says you are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God So we speaking concerning the fact that in Christ we can be dead to the seductions and enticements of sin and So we at one time might have been drawn by them, but in Christ we can have victory over those things He says in verse 2 he no longer should live the rest of his his time in the flesh for the loss of men But for the will of God Christians armed themselves with an attitude in order that we might cease satisfying our fleshly lusts That's because there's an inner battle against fleshly loss. That's part of the warfare of the believer Just because I'm born again doesn't mean that I lose the inclinations I simply need to begin to reckon myself to be dead in order that I might find myself to really be alive But I'm telling you You know, that's That's not that's not an easy thing as I was reading this I was thinking oh lord It isn't an easy thing to die to to self is it it isn't easy It isn't easy and it doesn't matter where you're at or what you're doing There are still these the natural inclinations To actually just act out the sinful impulses of your life Some of you notice I wasn't here for a while we went to vacation Marie and I for Several months have been preparing and planning for a week Vacation and so we went to to the big island and and Greg Laurie was doing a Get-together and so we got a real good deal and and Several months ago. I told her I'd like to go take off for a little while and so we did and so we went to Kona and Don't go but anyway How many of you have been to Hawaii I want to know who I'm talking to okay Some of you got how many of you've gone to to Kona you're gonna go back There you go What can I say here I go Confession time so there we are and I have to be honest with you I Was and I know that some people love Kona and and and all and that's good For me it's it's so slow It's a little difficult and I've never been there and so we arrived went to our room It was real nice the place we stayed was real nice. Everything was good and But I'm one of these people who I'd like to do something And when there's not a whole lot to do I get bored very easily. I just do Before people started talking about ADD You know I have to do something I can't just I let's do something and when there's very little to do I get bored very easily bless the Lord I had dear friends my and my son Joseph and and My daughter-in-law Karina had their anniversary there their second anniversary It was very nice to be with my kids and had a chance to visit with Greg and things and all of that It was all good in that way, but I was ready to come home And so we get on the you know We we actually get out of our hotel at noon But our plane isn't going to leave until 955 that night And so I've already been there for several days and there's really nothing to do So you have to find things to do for several hours, which you know we did and so but I'm ready to go And so we get to the airport around 730 and the plane is supposed to leave at 1055 we go through the line We go and sit down as we're seated there waiting for our plane We finally board after sitting there for a couple of hours get on the plane then well on the plane It's supposed to take off at 955 we sit on the tarmac for two and a half hours as we sit on the tarmac for two and a half Hours the pilot finally comes on and says we're not going to be able to leave There's a problem with one of the engines and we're going to have to get the part from the mainland And so you're going to be staying an extra night here, and so I'm thinking okay I've already been ready to go since noon And now it's like 1230 so we get off the plane we go to get our luggage Well, Marie's luggage doesn't come off until almost the very end there are 260 people who are now standing in line and we're waiting for four vehicles to take us to a hotel They didn't even tell us where we were going so as we're standing out there We don't get on to this little vehicle to take us to the hotel till after two in the morning And so I've been ready to go since noon, and so I am not happy I'm not happy and so as I'm there we don't get in to our room until 230 in the morning my son Joseph took another carrier and he was already home when I called him up and said We're just now getting to our hotel. Oh dad. You're kidding. No, I'm not shut up, you know I'm not happy right, but We climb on the vehicle that's going to take us to the hotel that we're going to stay in and And I am not happy. I I don't say anything when I'm angry by the way I just kind of look out the window when I talk to the Lord and I explained to him why I'm not happy like he doesn't know his son and I'm going, you know, Jesus I miss my kids. I miss you know everything my home. I'd like to go home Could you please make it possible? He didn't make it possible and I'm just Lord and I'm having a heart-to-heart with him I think as Marie sits down and then a lady comes in is seated next to Marie and Marie always makes friends with people and so she turns. Hi. How are you and I'm looking out the window and I'm saying she's so Sweet Lord, why can't you make me like her because at this moment? I'm really I mean, I'm really angry I am not happy Jesus and so the lady says oh, what are you doing? Oh, Marie says we came for a Weeks vacation the lady said well, I came to hear Pastor Greg and Marie goes. Oh really? So did we and she says oh, oh you're Christian and Marie goes Yes, I am and I'm still looking out the window and Lord. I just really want to go home the here's Marie and The lady goes what church do you go to and Marie goes I go to Calvary Chapel Chino Valley. Oh The lady says I heard David Rosales was here and Marie And we go it really gets quiet. You know, she and then she laughs and goes. Yeah, like that And since she goes he's right here and she busts me She points me out and I'm still looking out the window going Jesus I'm gonna get out of here and then I then I turn hello, you know, oh I have to tell you the Lord has us. He has a sense of humor. He really does He knows how to get me he knows how to get me like you talk about your love for me And and you're complaining and this woman thinks you're sweet She listens to you on k wave all the time and you're here going like the Tasmanian devil look at you Look at you We all have to die to the flesh. We all do it's not pleasant. I mean the next day We're in a nice place my son calls and says dad. What's going on? I said we're here in in a hotel. It's a nice hotel. I said, oh, you got trouble in paradise. I said paradise nothing. I Said I'm in jail, man And he thought I was literally in jail. You're in what I said. No, I'm not really in jail I just feel like that son when you can't go where you want to go and somebody tells you when you can You're in jail. I said and right now I have to be honest with you. I just want to come home See my grandkids see my children. That's really what I want to do, you know And the Lord is really been working on me And so I thought I'd share that with you because I know that he works on all of us He works on all of us Dying to myself is not easy My my my old flesh my old what the scripture calls old man, which is literally true with me now might my You know, it comes to the fore. It's not that difficult for it to come out And and so the Apostle Peter is saying listen you lived long enough as the Gentiles do In the fleshliness of your minds and the way that you normally lived without Christ And he says you need to understand that God has done a working you and and and now what God is calling you to do is to Die to yourself and and do that which is pleasing to him, but there is this inner battle So what am I to do? I had to die to myself I had to die and say Lord, you know, whatever it's you want me to do Forgive me for this attitude that I can have even in a nice place where so many people would love to be Forgive me for this attitude that I can have and so that's just something we deal with. It's not a good thing It's a bad thing, but it's something we all deal with we don't want to live for the flesh of men anymore We want to live for the will of God notice how he says in verse 3 We have we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles when we walked In licentiousness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties and abominable idolatries And so he begins to speak of what it's like when when we didn't live for the will of God We lived a lifetime doing what he called the will of the Gentiles Now when he uses the phrase Doing the will of the Gentiles you need to know That when that phrase is used speaking of those who do not know God The Jews had a relationship we got through a scripture the prophets miracles, etc They they knew God though they didn't always follow God But the Gentiles having no revelation like that are spoken of in the New Testament as those who do not know God It's like Galatians 4-8 when it says when you did not know God You served those which by nature are not gods and he was speaking to a Galatian or a Gentile church You didn't know God you're not like the Jews who had revelation who had the word of God You were those who didn't know him and so he describes the the inner motivations of passions of someone who doesn't know God And he says this is the way you used to walk This is the way you used to order your life you used to order your life according to your your internal motivations your fleshly desires These are some of the things that that Gentiles did we who knew not God did And he speaks concerning licentiousness. That's not a word that we use today It speaks of an excess or a lasciviousness. It speaks of shamelessness and impurity It speaks of lust the word lusts are desires or cravings longings. It's the desire for what is forbidden He speaks of drunkenness. It means to be inflamed with wine living in continual debauchery He speaks of revelries now that term revelry in this context is a Nocturnal riotous procession of half drunken people who after supper paraded through the streets with torches and music in honor of Bacchus or some other deity. It's what we call Mardi Gras today People who are drunk and partying and doing crazy things. He said that's how you lived That's the way you ordered your life. He speaks of drinking parties These are literally drinking matches. He speaks of abominable idolatries When he speaks of abominable idolatries The abominations that were practiced at their idol fees Where they not only worshiped an idol, but they did the most impure Obscene and abominable rights and he's saying this is a general state of the Gentile world This is the cultural climate that the church was birthed in Now how does the world view the Christian? Well, he says in verse 4 in regard to these they think it's strange That you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation speaking evil of you You're not partying with me and therefore you're weird. You're crazy. You guys you're unbalanced How come you're not doing the things that we do? How come you don't party like we do? How come you're not doing the drugs like we do? How come you're not going out on your wives or your husbands like we do? How come you're not abandoning your children like we do so that we can have a good time? How come you don't do those things? They speak evil of you They think that we Who actually follow Christ and desire to live sober and godly lives are strange Because that's how we how we live and he says they speak evil of you And they do it because they don't like the way you live and they don't like the way that you Believe and they think you're crazy Because you don't do what they do and again. I want you to notice how he says they speak Evil of you Here's something that is current that perhaps will help to illustrate The point I Want to be sensitive and delicate how I put this because I realize that it's a painful thing for some to hear I preface this by saying God's grace Abounds and his love abounds and his forgiveness abounds So forgive me if I if I might open a wound in some in this room as I share this illiteration But it's a current event that bears at least a few words Concerning they speak evil of you and So if you've been reading your newspaper or watching news broadcasts a particular political candidate in Missouri Makes a statement that has found its way on to all kinds of major news Broadcasting stations because He stated something in a way that I believe was Was not the wisest way to say what he said and Some of you heard how this individual said something related to Abortion and he's used the phrase legitimate rape Well the term legitimate rape Just struck a chord with so many women and I understand that I understand that it's struck a chord an angry chord and Naturally the press jumps on that Because the press I believe is in the tank for the Democratic Party. That's my opinion forgive me if it offends you But I I believe that Very strongly Biden made a comment the other day that I thought was horrible when he was in Virginia and he spoke to a Mainly African-American audience and all of us have heard this comment and he said they want to put y'all back in chains That was a horribly ignorant thing to say in any way. I don't care if it's Republican independent Democrat it was just an ignorant thing to say but this comment legitimate rape got four times the press four times the press Because there is a no doubt There's no doubt that there is a campaign that it the undercurrent is part of its theme is there's a war against women And so naturally this is going to be used as fodder to build up that argument. No, I'm saying all of that to make a point Why why? Would somebody use a term legitimate rape? Where did that come from? How come you did that? Well, that was an ignorant thing to say and I am not in any way saying it was a correct thing at all So nobody please misunderstand this It was an ignorant thing to say of which this person is made an apology But I often wonder what was he intending to say. I don't know how many in this room. I'm I'm assuming that Most of us know this but I'm I'm wondering if all of us know what I'm about to share if all of us know that the way that abortion was legalized in the United States Was through a false claim of rape How many of you knew that raise your hand so I know Okay, then I'm sharing with you something that overwhelmingly the majority here did not know Roe v. Roe v. Wade Roe v. Wade is based the decision to legalize abortion was was made on a false claim of rape Ultimately, we have abortion on demand because of a claim about rape The whole premise of Roe v. Wade was that the plaintiff in the case Jane Roe who we now know was Norma McCorvey Was supposedly gang raped But years later Norma McCorvey revealed that she had lied She said I initially had told Sarah Weddington the ACLU attorney for Roe that I had been raped and I was not raped In the mid-1990s Norma had a come-to-Jesus moment and changed from being the poster child for abortion To being an avid opponent of it. She said in an interview on Christian TV I was a hippie of sorts and I sold drugs and that's what got me into so much trouble I didn't know how to respond to people and their problems since 1995 I've been walking with Jesus Christ and I tell you you can't find a better life It has been stated if abortion were made illegal with the exception of rape or incest it would be reduced 98% So when this candidate makes a statement and an Unfortunate way of saying it legitimate rape. I Cannot help but believe that he was referring to or at least I'm inferring that he was referring to The way that abortion became legalized here in the United States But the interesting thing is is nobody brings up the fact that that it was actually legalized due to a lie That never occurred. She never had been raped and yet When this is stated Instantly it's reported this man's an idiot and this is the whole point of telling you that story the man who made The statement is a brother in the Lord he's a Christian and They're saying well if that's what the Bible makes you think like then who needs to read the Bible and That's what's coming up and this is simply an illustration of what the Apostle Peter was saying when he said they speak evil of you It does happen Go on to your work site ladies share that you are pro-life and What's going to happen in the office with all the women? You tell me if they're going to say you know That's a there's there's a growing number of pro-life people in the United States the majority now is pro-life But there's still a real sensitivity to that and As you as a Christian say I believe that life begins at conception that we're not potentially a life we are alive at Conception some 139 seems to indicate that I have been fearfully and wonderfully made in my mother's womb and John the Baptist left at the greeting of Mary when she was speaking to Elizabeth and he was yet to be born But but by Elizabeth says the I felt the babe leap in my womb when you heard your greeting There's a life in the womb and it's not potential you see and we as believers have been teaching that but when you stand up and Make that statement and and this individual the way he said it was wrong. I'm certain of it Yet the argument is you are evil and the things that you're saying are stupid and you're ignorant and and I'm Telling you they speak evil of you they do they speak evil of you The Bible makes it clear that this takes place and when you stand up and say but this is what I believe You can expect it and so I'm not surprised that people write things about me I'm not surprised that people say things about me I I had people on some blog because I was going to give my testimony on tbn who said he's only going on it for fame and money You know, please what a joke and and and that's what people say, you know, he's not a real pastor I mean I get this all the time. They say things evil concerning you. That's just what they do and Don't be surprised Don't be surprised when people say things concerning you and and he's making it very clear He said they think it's strange that you do not run with them in the same flooded dissipation and speak evil of you But he goes on in verse 5. They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living in the dead Ultimately, they're gonna have to give an account to Jesus Christ Our present life will show its worth on the day of judgment Ecclesiastes 11 9 says rejoice. Oh young man in your youth Let your heart cheer you in the day of your youth walk in the ways of your heart and in the side of your eyes But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment and the judges Jesus Christ The one rejected by men The one who is stated to be unnecessary, but he is the one who is the final judge It says in Romans 14 10 we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh But live according to God in the spirit Using outside appearances as a standard Christians can look worse off than unbelievers But there's more to life than initially meets the eye because we live our lives with eternity in view Ecclesiastes 12 13 and 14 says it like this now all has been heard Here is the conclusion of the matter fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man For God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing whether it is good or it is evil So when he says the gospel is preached also to those who are dead He's speaking of those who have died after hearing the gospel they heard they believed they were saved and they have the gift of eternal life and Ultimately it is God who brings final judgment and God's standard will always be righteous It will always be just and at his judgment believers receive Vendication because believers receive what is called resurrection life And so as he's speaking concerning this he's simply saying you are going through hard times Christ also suffered no one ever suffered like Jesus Christ So when men say evil concerning you and think it's strange that you don't live like them Continue living faithfully for Christ because ultimately he will vindicate you and we're standing before The Lord and he says well done my good and faithful servant when he says enter into the joy of thy Lord Which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world when he says that to you then all that you went through Will be forgotten it will all be regarded as worth it because you get an opportunity to be there with him and Enjoy eternity with him and in that rejoice no matter what the world may say rejoice because he will say well done