Tough Times

Introduction

Well, that song certainly does lead in well to the message this morning, as does the invitation song. A good concluding thought to the lesson. I’m going to be running a theme at least today and maybe beyond in the next few lessons that I preach. Of course, I won’t be preaching again for about three weeks. But the idea of the lessons will be the challenges of living as a Christian. And they are real.

There are some very real challenges to living as a Christian. If that were not the case, there would not be nearly so many casualties on the spiritual battlefield. Sometimes when I think about it, I don’t even want to know how many there are.

How many give up on faith? So I want to talk about a question that’s entertained by many.

1. It Is With Difficulty That the Righteous Is Saved

Or who may not choose to enter the fray or enter the race in the first place because they perceive the difficulty of it. The challenges. I mean, we’re talking about words like strive and self control. And those are challenging concepts to folks. And they say, why is it so hard? Has that ever been your thinking? Is that your thinking right now? Yes, there are some tough times that believers must endure as they exercise faith. That’s what’s going on in the context of 1 Peter chapter 4. I want to share this very quickly to just validate this point. And Peter is writing to believers who are going through a fiery ordeal. I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced, and I don’t believe I have, anything close to what he’s describing.

People who are suffering because they have thrown in their lot with the Lord. And they’re experiencing a fiery ordeal of persecution. And what Peter says at the very beginning is don’t think that’s strange. People have opposed the Lord, they put him to death, and they’re going to oppose his people. But he says, rejoice. And I want to tell you that’s that’s a challenge. Here you are suffering, you’re hurting. The very threat against your life is real. And he says, I want you to rejoice in that. And this goes to the whole point that I’m making this morning. Rejoice to the degree that you get to share in the sufferings of Christ. And keep on rejoicing, he says. So, in the morning that’s coming that we’ve just seen about, so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation.

The ultimate thrill awaits. Vindication, basking in the glory of God and the Savior forever. But before I get to the chapter 5 part of this, I also want you to look at verses 16 through 19. I don’t know why in the slides I didn’t include these verses, so I’m adding them. If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God. He says, look, judgment ultimately comes. And it begins with the righteous first. God assesses and notes the condition of his people. And he says, but know this. You don’t want to be found as a godless man or sinner when that day comes. What will be the outcome for him? And then he says in verse 18, and this is our experience, I don’t know how you leave this verse out.

Verse 18. It is with difficulty that the righteous is saved. Difficulty. It’s part of the territory. So let me tell you this if you signed on to being a Christian or you’re contemplating it, yes, there are difficulties. And the difficulty in the context is persecution, challenges to your faith, people who don’t understand, people who will oppose and mistreat and misrepresent. But what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Or in the previous verse, the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of our God. Yes, obedience to the gospel is required. And that’s a challenge. Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. What a verse. And then the chapter 5 part, humble yourselves.

Under the mighty hand of God. Don’t ever lose sight of the mighty hand of God. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time. Casting all your anxiety. You concerned about your physical circumstances? He says, cast all of that upon the Lord because he cares for you. And you have an adversary. That’s one of the reasons why these challenges are there, because the devil’s opposing you. He walks about as a roaring lion, and that’s a picture that presents a scary foe. A roaring lion, and he’s wanting to eat you for lunch. Understand that about you being a Christian. The devil is opposed to your choice and decision. And he wants to devour you. But he is not so ferocious and powerful that you cannot defeat him.

But resist him. Firm in your faith. Knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the Word. You’re not alone. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace. See, a lot of times it’s hard for people to reconcile their suffering and their pain with the God of all grace. But that’s what this text does for us. Ultimately, the God of all grace who called you. Look, yes, it’s painful now. But he is called you to his eternal glory. And that’s good. He has called you to his eternal glory in Christ. He will himself. Look what he’s going to do for you. You who persevere by faith. He will himself perfect. Man, I need that.

I need to get to the ultimate good place. He will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you to him be the dominion. And oh it is. To him be the dominion forever. And ever. So I want to talk to you about these challenges and why people think it’s so hard to be a Christian. I’m not sure. Not sure if I can sign on to that or stay with that. Again, is that where you are presently? Is that what you’re thinking? Maybe you wouldn’t verbalize it. Maybe you wouldn’t tell anybody. I just think it’s too hard to be a Christian. I’m really struggling here. Your tough times may not be exactly like their tough times, but there’s some other passages that deal with the kind of tough times you may be dealing with.

2. It's Really Hard to Be Lost

More on that in just a second. So hard to be a Christian. It was almost six years ago, as we explore this thought that people have. This is the title, by the way. Sometimes people start calling my sermon something else. So I’m going to tell you, that’s the title right there. Solves that problem, doesn’t it? Preached a sermon here six years ago. I can’t believe it’s been six years. Almost to the day. April 4th, six years ago. I preached something different than what I just said, seemingly. A sermon entitled, It’s Really Hard to Be a Lost. Now, I’ve taken this one on the road. I’ve preached it in a lot of places. People seem to respond to it. In fact, Sister Cheryl Dickerson, who worships in Crosby with my son and daughter-in-law, Bretton Reagan, she’s heard this sermon more times than I’ve preached it.

She would listen to it in her car on the way to work and listen to the last part of it on the way home. It was just right, she said, for the whole journey. She needed this lesson. And what I talked about six years ago, some of you weren’t here then. All the things that the Hebrew writer says that are going on our behalf as Christians. There is the ministry of angels, ministering spirits sent out to serve the elect. We have so great a salvation, Paul describes in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3. We have a sympathizing high priest, and I talk about this all the time. He is able to save forever those who draw near to him. He’s able to come to the aid of the tempted, and he knows about our struggles with sin.

And that’s 7, 2, and 4 in that order. I don’t know why I did that. Alright. And there is a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. People who have blazed the trail before us. Hebrews chapter 11 and that great hall of faith, encompassing chapters 10, 11, and 12, who are urging us on to victory. We have so much going for us. But really, it’s hard to be lost. Okay. So how do we how do we navigate from one to the other? It’s really hard to be a Christian to it’s really hard to be lost. I want to talk to you about so tough times. It may be just simply the key to this puzzle, maybe just simply the way we look at things. And that’s really what’s going on in 1 Peter chapter 4.

3. My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts

How are you going to regard this suffering? We’re going to look at three passages. I’m going to show you a connection in these three passages. We’re not going to be able to look into all the context of these chapters, though I wish we had I talk about these chapters all the time. But there’s a thread that runs the same through all three of them. So write these down. If you have a pen at this point, you’re going to have to write furiously as we go through this. Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and Colossians 3. I want to share some thoughts here. But before we do that, I want to go back to an Old Testament passage that is really the essence of what I’m telling you today.

It is the solution that we need in regard to the challenges of living as a Christian. Have you heard this one before? I remember as a little boy hearing this passage all the time, Don Truex, who was the preacher where I was growing up when I was a teenager, would emphasize Isaiah 55, 8 and 9 all the time. And I see why. A great little nugget in Isaiah, which you really need to see in the entire context of the book, as they’re struggling with idolatry, Babylonian persecution is forthcoming for the sinfulness of the nation. And by the end of the book, he’s talking about hope for the future of what God is planning and the suffering servant that’s coming and all of that. And in the midst of that, he says something very important about the way you have to regard things.

And he says, My thoughts are not your thoughts. This is so important. Neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. That is so central to all of this. Getting from it’s really hard to be a Christian to it’s really hard to be lost. You’ve got to see this. God says, his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways aren’t your ways and my ways. And we get that. But what I think we struggle to see is to what degree that is true. How much disparity is there? How much difference is there in the way that men generally think and the way that God thinks? Well, the disparity is this as the heavens are higher than the earth. Okay, how could you describe this vast difference to an audience in 700 B.C.

How could you describe this vast difference that exists between God’s thoughts and man’s thoughts? It’s from here to the moon and beyond. How far is it? They never dreamed about going into space. And listen, we haven’t gotten very far. The moon is not very far. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways to your ways and my thoughts to your thoughts. This is going, this should fundamentally affect the way you view Scripture when we’re talking about God’s thoughts and his ways. And so often, Mr. Big in his britches. That’s me, that’s you. Big in our bridges come along and think we know so much better than God about how life ought to be lived and choices we ought to make and what’s best for us.

4. You Have to Develop a Spiritual Mind

We come along, just cast all of that aside because we want our idols. That’s what was going on in the days of Isaiah. So now, with that thought in mind, and we’ll come back to this in a minute. I want to go back to those texts because something very interesting here. How hard is it really to be a Christian? Or it’s really hard to be lost. How are we going to navigate between those two? These passages all have something in common, and I’ve given you the specific verses now. It has to do simply with this. This is the lesson in a nutshell. So hard to be a Christian. Let me tell you how you get through that. Simple.

That’s it, plain and simple. You have to develop a spiritual mind. And that’s hard. Because we live in a carnal world. I want to help you with that. Let’s look at these passages quickly. Some of you know that’s the living sacrifice passage in Romans 12 and verse 1 that Paul beseeches his audience to present themselves as the Lord was their sacrifice as was so eloquently talked about in regards to the Lord’s Supper this morning. He said, Now I beseech you to give yourself as living sacrifices, holy and accessible to God, and do not be conformed to this world, but what? Be transformed, be changed by the renewing of your mind. That’s making God’s thoughts and God’s ways yours. Being transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Now here’s what’s interesting about this how often this gets repeated. Throughout the New Testament, Paul’s talking about this all the time. This must be pretty important and a key to the whole thing. Let me tell you how you learned Christ. It was not walking in the futility and vanity of your mind and darkness and ignorance, your former lifestyle. He says that in verses 17 through 19. He says, But you did not learn Christ in this way. But how did you learn Christ. In Ephesians 4, verse 21. You’ve heard him and you’ve been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus. And here’s that truth. You’ve got to lay aside the former self. You lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and then this, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

And you put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Like to break down all of those phrases, but understand this.

In either of these texts. Oh, there’s an application to those who are carnal and sold under sin that they need to develop this mind also. But he’s writing to Christians here first. That’s the first audience. And he’s saying, I know you obeyed the gospel in the past, but you’ve got to keep setting yourself to this. Not being conformed to the world, but be transformed in the renewing of your mind. He said it in both passages. Well, he’s not done. In the companion letter to Ephesians, Colossians chapter 3, as he said, you’ve got to lay aside the old self. And he describes that in the earlier verses, and we’re going to come back to this context and the first part of it in just a second, verses 1 through 4.

He says, basically, watch your lusts and watch your mouth. In Colossians chapter 3. On a route of, and on account of these things, the wrath of God is going to come. God has expectations about the passions that we have and controlling them. And he has expectations about how we use our tongue. And he says, You’ve got to lay aside the old self. And he says, put on the new self. There it is again. Put on the new self. Who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him? A renewal, he says in verse 11, that doesn’t have to do with your background, Jew or Greek or whatever. But Christ is all in all. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness.

5. A Spiritual Perspective Versus a Carnal Perspective

This is the new self, bearing with one another, on down through the rest of this context, which again we’ll get to a verse here shortly. So, what do all these passages have in common? What is the key to navigating through tough times? Again, it’s simply this. You’ve got to have a spiritual perspective versus a carnal perspective. And when we are struggling, when it seems impossible, when we’re feeling like throwing in the towel, every single case of that is somebody is looking at things through a carnal perspective. Rather than a spiritual perspective. Oh man, I wish I had time this morning. 2 Corinthians 4 and 5. Paul says, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, the surpassing greatness of the power, maybe of God and not of ourselves.

And he goes on in that context to talk about himself as an earthen vessel. And he says, I look like death. I’m carrying about in my body the dying of Jesus. And you see his persecution later in 2 Corinthians, the how many times he’s been beaten, how many times the rods have been laid to him and the stripes on his back, and even stoned once. He says, I am a picture of death. In fact, apparently he’s looking pretty ghastly at this point from a physical point of view because the Corinthians are talking about his physical presence as weak and contemptible. He says, but this is producing the life that I’m living, the sacrifice that I’m making, the death that I’m dying, is for the purpose of generating life in you.

There’s a positive result. Death works in me, life in you. And then he goes on to say, our momentary light affliction. Now, you can’t do that unless your perspective has changed. Because he’d been through some very difficult things. Our momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. It’s going to so outweigh what I’m dealing with now. It’s momentary light, eternal weight of glory. And he says, therefore we do not lose heart, though the outer man is decaying the inner man. There it is, the inner man is being renewed. Day by day. I’m just as fresh and new and alive spiritually on the inside, no matter what I look like outwardly. And then he says this, that verse 18, I think it’s one of the keys to the walk of the Christian life.

For we do not look to the things which are seen. But to the things which are unseen. The things that are seen are temporal, they’re temporary, they’re passing, but the unseen things are eternal. And so then he goes on to say, we have a house with God in chapter 5. And he says, We do not walk by sight, we walk by faith.

So we can talk more about that context. But Jesus has already told us these things. You know this one, right? Matthew chapter 6? Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon the earth. Moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. It’s not guaranteed, it’s not permanent. Someone can take it away from you who is more powerful than you. Don’t put your hope in all of that. It’s temporary, short lived. Do not put your trust in that, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Nobody can touch that. Moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, oh, what do you value? For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. These passages are all about perspective.

Keep seeking the things above. Back in that context of Colossians 3, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above. And not on things of this earth. It’s all about the development of a spiritual mind. So come back to this. My thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways, declares the Lord. We get into trouble, the way begins to appear impossible to us in our pain and our struggles and our challenges. Look, we’ve got some opposition. Sometimes it’s forces without who are who are persecuting us. Sometimes it’s just the challenge of bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, because we have a very real adversary who is wanting to eat me for lunch. But resistance.

Sometimes we look at this and we’re judges. We look at this, and we’re going to decide, I’ve got a better way. I know better. This isn’t paying off. And from a physical perspective, it may not look like it is. I’ll grant you that. But you have to have confidence. And that’s what he’s saying in 1 Peter chapter 4, as these brethren are enduring tough times. Our perspective affects the way we view all of our circumstances. And instead of negative complaining, whining, woe is me. Sherry can tell you, I’ve been there. Negative, complaining, whining, woe is me. Nobody cares.

Instead, you see opportunities. You see, I am here to glorify him and be a light to others. Listen to this. This is it. The soul that I, that what I am is not about this tasting of flesh that I have. It’s about my mind. It is about the immaterial, spiritual part of me. And how do I know that my mind is involved? Look, you could perform brain surgery and dissect my brain into a thousand pieces and not know anything about my mind, right? That’s where my mind takes place. My thinking, my thoughts, my affections. But it’s not what I am physically, it’s what I am immaterially. That is who I am. I must constantly keep in view the soul, the spiritual, constantly, not the political, because that will only depress you.

Not the financial. It’s temporary. And not the physical, because all this is going to do is not function like it used to. This inevitably declines. So here’s the key. You have to see your life and your circumstances through a spiritual lens.

And the more you look at life through a carnal lens, the more impossible it will seem to live as a Christian. Until you develop this new way of thinking, this new mind, you’re going to struggle. And that’s why in Colossians 3, he goes on to talk about really this new perspective that you have. He says, and we talk about this all the time. What a verse, Colossians 3 and verse 16. Let the word of Christ richly dwell in you. It’s what develops you and molds you and changes you and gives you this spiritual way of looking at life. You’re taking God’s thoughts and his ways and making them yours. Let them richly dwell. And it’s going to emanate in singing songs to those of a like mind.

Who get it? The kinds of things we sung this morning, that’s really the essence of life. And singing with gratitude in your heart to God. How many passages talk about this? Thy word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against you. And then in Romans chapter 8, and again, time would fail me to go through that whole context, but he says, the mindset on the flesh is death. The mindset on the spirit is eternal life. And all that passage is talking about in Romans chapter 8, when he talks about the Spirit indwelling you and Jesus indwelling you, is that you’ve got to develop a spiritual perspective about your circumstances. So much more that could be said there. The carnal perspective leads you to, it’s really hard to be a Christian.

The spiritual perspective leads you to it’s really hard to be lost. So the question is.

6. Develop the Right Kind of Thinking

When your heart is filled with the word, but when your heart is not filled with the word. So how are you going to develop the right kind of thinking? Let me give you a few things briefly, and we’ll be done. You’ve got to be fully armed in spiritual armor. Ephesians chapter 6. Your heart is filled with the word when you recognize that Christ is in you, and that’s the hope of glory, Colossians 1 and verse 27. You have a spiritual perspective. God’s ways are your ways. You understand then, as Jesse talked about last Sunday night, the Holy Spirit groans on you have heaven’s assistance. Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. Yes, God, the Holy Spirit works through the Word, but He is also interceding on our behalf.

And God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, they are with us, and Christ also is interceding on our behalf. Again, this passage that says the mindset on the Spirit is life eternal. And that’s the context of Romans 8. Jesus Himself intercedes for us, and he is at the right hand of God. We talked last week. He’s always the same. He’s been at the right hand of God, and He’s at the right hand of God right now. So, how can I accomplish these things? Let me give you some ways quickly that we can do that. We need to spend time in the Word. The more time we spend away from the Word, we become carnal in our thinking. Spend time in communication with God, meditate on spiritual things.

That’s why we need all of these opportunities to be together and be grateful, as we saw in Colossians chapter 3 for all that we do have. And you know what? The more time you spend with people who do not have a spiritual perspective, it’s going to affect your perspective. Oh, we can’t go out of the world. Yes, we need to influence others, but we also need the strength and the encouragement that comes from other people who have a spiritual mind. You need to take advantage of being with these people. They’re not perfect. Sometimes the balance between the spiritual mind and the carnal mind, it is an ongoing struggle for all of us. But we need to be with people who are experiencing that struggle. Who can encourage us to develop the spiritual mind that we need?

That’s how we fill our heart with right things. And I know Sundays can be difficult. Making that second service. We don’t have to have that second service. But why are we having it? So we can help develop the spiritual mind. Because if I don’t expose myself to that, is TV going to give it to me? I don’t think so. It’s built in. I need built-in things. It’s built in to give me another opportunity. We’re going to talk about another challenge that presents itself to us tonight that’s appealing to us and tries to draw us in. That works against this spiritual mind. I hope you’ll come back for that. And so again, the essence of all of this is 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17, that context we were in earlier.

Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold, new things have come. You’ve got to stay with those new things. To have that spiritual perspective. To stay focused on the soul and the spiritual realm. That’s the key to it all. Somebody, what are those new things? What do you think? You ever thought about that? What are the new things that have come? Let me give you some things here. Maybe you can add to this list. I just started thinking about it. I have a new status. I’m in Christ. I have a new relationship with God. I have a new purpose as his child. That means new activities for me. Spiritual activities. And I have a new hope.

Conclusion

Just to name a few of the new things that have come. So you may be in our audience this morning and you’re saying. I’m not so sure. Man, there’s some things I like to do that you’re that I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to give up. Somebody has told me I can’t live this way and be Christian. I’m going to have to give up some stuff. I’m not sure about that. Now, whatever that is that you’re not wanting to give up, it doesn’t hold a candle to this. Not in the same league. It’s not worth it. But you have to see this through the right lens. If you’re looking at this from a purely carnal perspective, you’re looking at this and say, man, I don’t think so.

Why should I take this spiritual lens you’re talking about? Seeing my life through ultimately what’s real, the spiritual realm. Why should I take that lens? Because the evidence is overwhelming. Jesus rose from the dead. And he’s the reigning king. And that’s why you better get this lens. Because what’s going to be the outcome for the godless man in the center? The way won’t be a piece of cake. It is with difficulty that the righteous is saved. But the rewards are worth every effort, every investment. And if we can assist you in making the greatest decision you’ll ever make in choosing Christ and being in him, we’re here to assist you. Let’s stand and sing.