MIND OF SUFFERING

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. – 1 Pet 5.10”

In this world, we have many battles. But our battles are not with flesh and blood, but with the principalities and power. Paul gives us a list of weapons for us to use against these powers and principalities in Ephesians 6.

But today I want to share a battle which is against flesh and blood, not with spirits, not with the principalities and powers. I want to tell you all about the battle we are going to face with humans, and the battle we are facing with humans. And I believe until now you have been under the impression, that when people rise against you, torment you, torture you, you grit your teeth and you bear it. But today I want to share with you another gospel. People are rising against us; we also need a weapon to fight this battle. I am going to introduce you all to a weapon today and we are going to fight this battle, and again it’s not the spiritual weapon or spiritual enemies, this is against human beings who rise against us. Till now we kept quiet, but now it’s time we should do something and fight against this battle. We are going to take weapons and fight. We should arm ourselves with that weapon.

“For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;” - 1 Pet 4.1

Here Peter says, arm yourselves with the mind to suffer, and that’s the mind of Christ. We need this mind, but we are scared to suffer. But is it possible for a person who is terrified to suffer to want to suffer? Possible and it has happened in Peter’s life.

From glimpses of peter in the first 4 gospels in the New Testament are all about Jesus and his ministry with his disciples. The Acts of apostles is about the ministry of the disciples after Jesus went away. In the Gospels, we find that Peter was a very scared man, very timid, easily frightened; he had a lot of bold words, he would scream aloud, but when the time came he would get scared. We find peter when Jesus said I am going to suffer, he said no, you don’t suffer. When Jesus was suffering, when a little girl came to him, he immediately denied it. Peter was the bold man outside but he was terrified inside. This was peter, but this peter was transformed on the day of Pentecost. We know how he preached, the man who denied Jesus before but it was also a little girl before a crowd of 3000 he said you crucified a the Jesus. Hew fact, the people marveled at his boldness. But the beauty is the very peter who told Jesus it’s not good for you to die, mentions the death of Jesus in every chapter of the Book Peter 

"But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"- 1 Pet 1.19

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" - 1 Pet 2.21

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" - 1 Pet 3.18

"But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" - 1 Pet 4.13

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you." - 1 Pet 5.10

In all 5 chapters, Peter speaks of the suffering. The man who told, Jesus please don’t suffer, now he is teaching about it. And interestingly the very man who himself didn’t want to suffer, in every chapter of this book encourages us to suffer. The theme of Peter’s book is Suffering. The man who is afraid of suffering is completely transformed by the time he finishes his life. And it was not only Peter, but it was also the whole early church, armed themselves to suffer.

Now today God is speaking to us through this verse because something has happened. We are all following the same Jesus, but something has gone wrong; we are all afraid to suffer. We have food to eat, cloth to wear, and houses to live in; everything is provided, but we know when everything is provided, our mind is taken off, and instead, another mind is given to us. That is the opposite of suffering and that is a loving pleasure. And today the state of the church is something radically different from that former church. In every way, the doctrines were the same but the mind was different. Their mind is not in this world because they do not expect to see the end of the day. If that is the way they are living, obviously they will not even have a great plan for the next day, but instead, their minds would on life beyond death and that is why they were a spiritual church. And what is happening today, we are completely different. Although we have the same doctrines, we have to accept one truth that the mind of suffering has left the church. Why? What happens? We have taken arise of the early church. A terrible change took place in the church. Worldliness has entered the church. It’s a great privilege to be a part of that group of early Christians who are chosen to suffer. Moses chose to suffer but actually, Christ chose Moses to suffer. To suffer for the lord is a great privilege. We regret suffering but the early church rejoices in suffering. So we can see something radically has changed in our mind. If God is not choosing to suffer we must be sad.

Today I want to share 3 persecutions that took place in the early church and how they didn’t just tell that they follow Christ, they did it. Let’s not think we can somehow become part of that group without using a little finger to suffer for him in our flesh. Let’s arm ourselves into with mind when we go into that suffering.

1.    1.  In AD 161, Marcus Aurelius persecuted the Christians for fear they would destroy the state. It was during this period that, Polycarp of Smyrna was martyred. The martyrdom of Polycarp was the earliest detailed account of a martyr outside of the scriptures on record. When hearing that people were seeking him, he escaped but was discovered by a child. After feasting the guards who apprehended him, granted him an hour in prayer. His prayer was so powerful that the guards repented that they were instrumental in his capture. When brought before the proconsul, they urged him saying swear, and I will release thee;- reproach Christ. But Polycarp answered, 86 years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me? When he was burned at the stake, the fire surrounded him like an arch, not touching him. Upon seeing this, the executioner was ordered to pierce him with a sword. When he was pierced a great quantity of blood came out and extinguished the flames. It was then that Polycarp went to his King and Savior. Polycarp was the pastor of Smyrna, one of the seven churches of Revelation. Christ had found no fault with them but encouraged them about their tribulations. Polycarp was a disciple of the apostle John and the last survivor of those who knew the apostles.

2.  2.  In AD 249 Decius persecuted people because he hated the Predecessor Phillip, a Christian, and partly by the jealousy concerning the amazing increase of Christianity. Heathen temples began to be forsaken, And the Christian churches grew. During this time, error crept into the church. The heathen were taking the law into their own hands and were killing Christians and considered its merit.

Some Christians were to sacrifice to false gods or be tortured to death; some did recant after being tortured only to die soon after. Most of the errors that crept into the church at this time arose from placing human reason in completion with God’s word.

3.   3.  A few years ago an Evangelist, a man, and his wife who is 7 months pregnant went into a tribal country, both of them had a burden for this tribal nation. They were walking up the mountain, as they were walking suddenly there was a terrible sound and the wife fell; he found an arrow had hit her chest, it was a poisoned arrow and he just didn’t know what to do, he dragged up and he took her and found a settlement there. He found a group of people there; he looked at them, not knowing if they were the ones who shot his wife. When he looked at them, they realized that he is in trouble and gave him the place. So he went there and he just using gestures he told them that he is going to find some help out there. He left his wife there in a room and covered her with sheets and he went all the way and brought a doctor to help. When he came back, a little girl was there in the room, and when he was trying to get into that place, she was saying, no! But then he said I want to see my wife and he just pulled the curtains apart, she was still there thankful sleeping under the sheets. Finally, the people of the tribe brought him a bowl of soup, it was a meat soup and they were asking him to drink and eat it. Every time he went to eat it, the little girl whispered no! And he couldn’t understand why. And the doctor said shall we go and have a look at your wife? So he said okay we’ll go and he went, he pulled the sheet apart and he finds that only her head was on the pillow, the rest of her was in that soup. And what was his reaction? He said God if there is a group of people in this world; who is so barbarous, who could do this to me, Lord I want them to know you. Because of this you know what happened, 800 people were saved. 

What I shared here is not going to be pleasant for you, but I want us to face the truth. Instead of being so sophisticated that we rather stay in our cozy corner finds our way to heaven, let’s take a glimpse into the early church and see what they went through and their mind of suffering. Now coming back to where we are. What is our state today? Here I am not saying we have to stone, we should go and seek people to kill us, and therefore go and do something foolish things, etc, I am just telling you that mind! That mind to suffer has left the church. Imagine life there, thousands of Christians were killed every day. How is it that they didn’t deny Jesus? That is the mind of suffering they had for the Lord. 

Remember all that I have listed; they are all going to the same place where we are going. Are we there to somehow stand enough? You see all around the people who died for Jesus, people who suffered for him, and we can’t just stand there the way we are. Put on the mind to suffer. Those who choose not to suffer, you can escape this suffering but greater suffering awaits you after the coming of the Lord, if you choose not to suffer again then you can take the mark and escape that suffering but then for all eternity, you will suffer in the lake of fire. Make you’re calling sure and arm your selves with the mind to suffer.