“WHEN
THE SAINTS SUFFER” (2 Tim 2:1-12)
Feb
7th, 2010
Int.
I. AS
SAINTS WE SHOULD CONSIDER OURSELVES AS
STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS. (1 Pet 2:11)
A. TODAY’S CHURCH
GOERS WANT TO BE ACCEPTED
BY THE WORLD.
1. C. H. S. in his May 3, Morning and
Evening (Jn 16:33) said: " As mosquitoes are said to
bite strangers more than natives, so will the trials of earth be sharpest to
you"
2. Again on (Gen 46:3-4), May 12, Evening,
he said: "Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the
land of his father’s sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a
new scene, and likely to be a trying one: who shall venture among couriers of a
foreign monarch without anxiety? Yet the way was evidently appointed for him,
and therefore he resolved to go."
3. "STRANGERS": (Jer
51:51) "We are confounded, because we have heard reproach:
shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the
sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.
a. C. H. S. M & E. pg. 462 Aug
18, A. M. In this account the faces of the Lord’s people were covered
with shame, for it was a terrible thing that men should intrude into the
4. Morning and Evening, (Oct 11, Evening) “Unless thou art a stranger here,
and heaven thy home, thou hast not been called with a heavenly calling; for those
who have been so called, declare that they look for a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they themselves are
strangers and pilgrims upon the earth.”
5. Pulpit Commentary says:
"This word is the equivalent to the classical Greek word, meaning
"Foreign settlers, dwellers in a strange land.or the second meaning is:
" 'Visitors' who tarry for a time in a foreign country, not
permanently settling in it."
B. AS SAINTS, SHOULD CONSIDER
OURSELVES AS PILGRIMS. (Heb 11:13) “.....They confessed
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
1. Bunyan, John, in The Pilgrim’s
Progress,
a. "Where am I now? Is this the love and
care
Of Jesus, for the men that pilgrims are,
Thus to provide that I should be forgiven,
And dwell already the next door to heaven!"
2. John Bunyan in his apology
quaintly wrote:
a. Go, now, my little Book, to every place
Where my first Pilgrim has but shown his face:
Call at their door: if any say, Who’s there?
Then answer thou, Christiana is here.
If they bid thee come in, then enter thou,
With all thy boys; and then, as thou know’st how,
Tell who they are, also from whence they came;
Perhaps they’ll know them by their looks, or name:
But if they should not, ask them yet again,
If formerly they did not entertain
One Christian, a Pilgrim? If they say
They did, and were delighted in his way;
Then let them know that these related were
Unto him; yea, his wife and children are.
Tell them, that they have left their house and home;
Are turned Pilgrims; seek a world to come;
C. AS SAINTS, WE
SHOULD AVOID SOME THINGS FOR GOD’S GLORY AND OUR GOOD.
1. "Abstain from fleshly lusts,"
This phrase is only found one time..
a. (1
Pet 2:11) “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
b. This verse is not in N. I.
V. They must approve of it.
2. Pulpit Commentary:
"As strangers and Pilgrims should remember their distant
home, and not follow the practices of the strange land in which they
sojourn"
3. Pulpit Commentary:
"The lusts of the flesh are all those desires which issue out of our
corrupt nature.
a. (Gal 4:15-32)
b Bishop Leighton:
"If you were citizens of this world, you might drive the same trade with
the men of this world, and follow the same lusts;"
D. AS SAINTS, WE SHOULD MAINTAIN GOOD
CONVERSATION.
1. (James 3:13) "Who is
a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."
1. Pulpit C. says: "The
conversation or mode of life or behaviour of the unconverted is described as "Vain”
a. (1
Pet 1:18) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers;"
2. The conversation (behaviour) of the
Christian is to exhibit the beauty of holiness.
a. The
early Christians were falsely accused of setting slaves against their
masters, wives against their husbands, etc.
E. AS SAINTS, WE SHOULD
REMEMBER BEFORE WHOM WE WALK. (The
unsaved world)
1. Pulpit Commentary:
"The Churches to which Peter wrote were in Gentile countries; they must be
careful for the honour of their religion."
a. (1
Pet 2:12) "Having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they
(Gentiles) may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the
day of visitation."
2. The heathen had accused them of "turning
the world upside down.”
a. (Acts 17:6-7) "And when they found them not, they drew Jason
and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have
turned the world upside down are come hither also; {7} Whom Jason hath
received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there
is another king, one Jesus."
II. AS SAINTS,
WE ARE OFTEN FALSELY
ACCUSED OF SIN.
A. THE LOST CALLED
THEM EVIL DOERS.
1. (1 Pet 2:12) "Having
your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."
2. Homiletic Commentary:
"The heathen, because of their ignorance of the Lord's supper in the 2nd
Centrury, imagined all sorts of horrors in connection with the Christian faith.
a. They imagined that the Christians killed
their babes and drank their blood.
b. The Christians met before day and after
dark in order to avoid persecution and therefore to some extent operated in
secret.
c, Imagine how this charge would fit this
generation of preachers and church members.
B. CONSIDER SOME
WAYS TO SILENCE THE OPPOSITION
1. (1
Pet 2:12) "Having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your
good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of
visitation."
2. (Mat 5:16) "Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven."
3. (Psa
39:1) "To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of
David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I
will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me."
4. (Neh 5:9) "Also I
said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God
because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?"
5. (Titus 2:7-8) "In
all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing
uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, {8} Sound speech, that cannot be condemned;
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to
say of you."
C. PETER SHOWS ANOTHER WAY TO SILENCE THE
OPPOSITION.
1. (1 Pet 2:13-14) "Submit
yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be
to the king, as supreme; {14} Or unto governors, as unto them that are
sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them
that do well."
a. (Rom 13:1) “Let
every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:
the powers[1] that be are ordained of God.
2. Notice how the world usually sees us.
a. (Acts 17:7) "Whom
Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar,
saying that there is another king, one Jesus."
3. Peter says: “Do it for the Lord’s sake.”
(Vr. 13)
a. "For the Lord's sake" found
only twice..Here and (Dan 9:17)
4. Pulpit Commentary: (1
Pet 2:13) By King is meant the Roman Emperor,
who was frequently referred to as the king, supreme.
a. Nero was emperor when Peter
wrote.
b. Christians were to obey even him,
wicked tyrant as he was; for his power was given him from above, as the
Lord had said of Pilate. (Jn 19:11)
c.
(John
19:11)
"Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it
were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the
greater sin."
5. OR TO GOVERNORS. (1 Pet 2:14)
a. Pulpit Commentary: As unto
governors sent by the King.
6. “And for the praise of them that do
well.” (1 Pet 2:14)
a. Pulpit Commentary:
At first the Jews were the persecutors of the Christians; the Roman magistrates
were their protectors.
b. Peter wrote before the great outbreak of
Roman persecution; he was himself to suffer under that emperor whose
authority he upheld.
7. Notice the fruit of “well doing” (Vr.
15)
a. The Greek for silence
is “to muzzle.” (Vr. 15)
b. (Mt. 22:22)
"When they had heard these words, they marvelled, (became
silent) and left him, and went their way."
8. “Silencing ignorance”
(1 Pet 2:15)
a. Pulpit
Commentary:
"The word for "Ignorance"
is only found here and in (1 Cor. 15:34), where it
means "Culpable, self-caused ignorance"
III. NOTICE SOME RULES THAT ACCOMPANY
OUR FREEDOM. (1 Pet 2:16)
A.
1. The truest liberty is that of the servants of
God.
2. (Rom
6:16-17) "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience unto righteousness? {17} But God be thanked, that ye
were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of
doctrine which was delivered you."
3. Homiletical Commentary:
"Oh, liberty! what crimes are committed in thy name!" And we
may say, "Oh, liberty! what deeds of philanthropy and heroism have been
wrought under thy inspiration!"
4. The religion of our Lord Jesus Christ
has as its chief end "to set at liberty them that are bruised."
a. (Luke 4:18) "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance
to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised,"
3. It proclaims "deliverance to the
captives." (Lk 4:18)
5. The hope of "
a. And in seeking freedom they became one
of the foremost nations of the earth.
6. The hope of
7. The hope of
8. The hope of liberty to
worship God sent the Pilgrim Fathers over the then almost trackless
9. The hope for freedom set
the “Negros” of
B. SOME USE THIS
1. The word cloak is rendered "Covering"
for the tabernacle in the Septuagint of (Ex
26:14)
2. Pulpit Commentary:
The pretense of Christian Liberty must not be a covering or a
concealment, of wickedness."
C. CONSIDER SOME INSTRUCTIONS FOR GOOD CHRISTIAN
LIVING. (1 Pet 2:17-18)
1. HONOR ALL MEN: (1 Pet
2:17)
a. This phrase is to be connected with "Do
well" in(1 Pet 2:14) and "well
doing" in (1 Pet 2:15)
b. Respect for all men is to be held, in
varying degrees of course, that is "respect the office, if we can't
respect the man."
2.
LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD. (1 Pet 2:17)
a. This word is peculiar to Peter; it stands for
the family of Christian brethren regarded as one body in Christ.
b. Jesus commands that we even "love
our enemies" (Mt. 5:44)
3. FEAR GOD...(Vr. 17) (This
one goes without necessity of comment.)
4. HONOR THE KING. (Vr. 17)
a. Pulpit Commentary: "The Fear
of God as the King of Kings will lead us to give honor to earthly
princes, who rule by His controlling providence."
b. It was especially necessary to urge "the
fear of God" as a motive, when the King to be honored was such as
Nero.
c. (Prov 24:21) "My
son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them
that are given to change:"
5. HONOR AND FEAR THE KING. (1 Pet 2:17)
a. The New Bible
Dictionary, "It was Nero to whose superior
justice Paul appealed against the vacillations of his deputy, Festus (Acts
25:10-11),
1. (Acts
25:10-11) "Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment
seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou
very well knowest. {11} For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing
worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things
whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto
Caesar."
b. And Nero whose God given authority he
had studiously supported in writing to the Romans" (
c. In A. D. 64, much of the city of
d. Having forced a conviction for arson
against certain Christians he conducted mass arrests, and among other tortures burnt
his victims alive in public.
e.
The important things about this were that Christians were clearly
distinguished from Jews .
f.
(Nero’s wife Poppaea was pro-Jewish), and that it was plausible to accuse them
of such crimes.
g. (Prov
8:15) “By me kings reign, and princes decree
justice."
6. SIMON PETER NOW
INSTRUCTS THOSE THAT WERE SLAVES. (1 Pet 2:18).
1. Sixty percent of the Roman world was in
slavery at this time and there was no color barrier. Black, white, red;
all were subject to bondage.
2. Pulpit Commentary: "The
word is not "Slaves", but household servants,
domestics.
a. Peter may have used it as a less harsh term,
in Christian kindliness and courtesy; or he may have chosen it purposely to
include the large class of freedmen and other dependents who were to be
found in the houses of the great.
3 The frequent mention of slaves in
the Epistles shows that many of the first Christians must have been in a
condition of servitude. (Compare the following:
4. (1 Cor 7:21-23) "Art
thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be
made free, use it rather. {22} For he that is called in the Lord, being a
servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is
Christ's servant. {23} Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of
men."
5. (Eph 6:5-8) "Servants,
be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with
fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; {6} Not with
eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of
God from the heart; {7} With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not
to men: {8} Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."
6. (
7. (1 Tim 6:1-2) "Let
as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all
honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. {2}
And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they
are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and
beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort."
IV. NOTICE THE REWARD FOR
SUFFERING AS A CHRISTIAN. (1 Pet 2:19)
A. AS CHRISTIANS,
WE ARE TO SUFFER
FOR CHRIST SAKE. (1 Pet 2:19)
1. To be “thankworthy” is
all of grace. (Vr. 19)
a. . (Compare(Lk 6:32) "What thank
have we?"
b (Mt 5:46) "For
if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even
the publicans the same?"
2. SPURGEON:
"Suffering is meant not only to burn out the dross, but to burn in the
promises."
B. CONSIDER THE
EXCEPTION TO THE RULE IN
OBEYING EARTHLY RULERS. (If a man for
conscience sake toward God endure. (1 Pet 2:19)
1. Pulpit
C. says: "That is, conscious
of God's presence".
2. Peter echoes our Lord's teaching in the
sermon on the mount. (Mt 5:39)
3. There is an exception to "Honoring
the King"...
a. (Acts 4:19-20) “But
Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of
God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. {20} For we cannot
but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
4. Notice he uses that little word “Endure”
(1 Pet 2:19) \
CONCLUSION:
1. Homiletic C.
says: "Jesus on the cross! Why is He there? Hell and earth had
conspired against Him. Every evil power on earth played a part in His
crucifixion. Why is He there? Answer: "The cup which the
Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"
2. George
Macdonald: "The Son of God suffered unto
the death, not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might
be like His."
3. Thomas Hawkes,
being desired to give a sign whether the fire was tolerable to be borne,
promised it to his friends; and, after all expectation was past, he lift up his
hands half burned and being on fire, with great rejoicing struck
them together three times.
4. The three Hebrew
Children suffered in the fire, but they had the Lord there with them.
E. W. Lucas
Website: www.friendship-baptistchurch.com