Take Up Your Cross

Coming up next on Renewing Your Mind. Naturally we are so quick to take suffering. To mean that God is against us to be none life. Often we think it's because God doesn't love me. Lisa got me. Somehow, we can and is cast for us is that as Christians we are not to be surprised by suffering.

We live in a world that is at enmity with God, we should expect trials we should expect difficulty simply knowing that doesn't relieve the pain. When those trials come suffering is never fun. Is there relief. Can we find comfort Dr. Michael Reed, would you come with me to one Peter chapter 4 from verse 12 loved. Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you know I love the ESV is so natural.

Here the fiery trial, and that's important because you know just where pizzas rising from chapter 5 verse 13.

He's in Babylon differently its speed is way of saying the church is in exile in a hostile well just as Israel was in Babylon but I think he's in Babylon talking about a fiery trial muscle not Scripture said my defense is going to make us think of Daniel three, Shadrach me shack and Abednego in the fiery furnace in Babylon and rub it, Nebuchadnezzar froze in the three saints, and he looks into the blaze and he sees the force they got is the old King James version puts it looking like the son of God as the untested's full figure like the son of God is with in the blanks and Peterson's do not be surprised, beloved of the fiery trial when it comes upon you, but verse 13.

Is this because to margin as possible. Rejoice, rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, the son of God came to be with those saints and the fire in Babylon, but now Peter says he's already with his saints in the fiery trial. He's already gone before us to the place of suffering and he invites his saints showing him in the file to have fellowship with him that in the place of trial thanks is why pizza can say ring choice in your sufferings, but it's not because he's a loopy religious masochist because he knows Christ is the firstborn. He is out of forerunner and where he goes. We go is the head, as in the book the ability to follow where the head goes through suffering to glory, and so Peter says rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you might also rejoice and be glad when his glory is if you are insulted for the name of Christ. You are blessed because the spirits of glory and of God rests upon the to present assistant don't push him a little bit less of a look of the first time the sufferings of Christ are mentioned in Scripture anything when it is is Genesis 315 Genesis 315 the Lord says to the serpent, I will put enmity between you and the woman between your offspring and her offspring and he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

That course is a promise telling us about the offspring of the seed, the son Christ.

Christ, the promised one is the interesting thing pull pics. Genesis 315 and he says it can also apply to Christians in Romans 1620, he writes to the Roman church saying called peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. If you oppose, don't you think believers are taken into Christ, the promise seemed what is true of him becomes true of us and him with voltage of the one who is bruised and bruising. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. It speaks that of the special bruising Christ's people must go through being united to the bruise. One see where once we were at peace with the God of this world where once we loved how he blinded us. We love how he covered us with darkness and shame. We liked it, but not always been opened and we come out from under his talk to many in and out old monster is angry with us, so his offspring still following the prince of the power of the turning to love Christ, friends, family, think a weird fanatical fries. A wall has begun. We file small bones sin, which once was so purely sweet to us is lost its sweetness of shapes and we long to be original of what once we loved right of the Christian experience of the sin that remains the world, the flesh, the devil is, of course, Christians are going to suffer look at the wage of how it is pull rights College of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet find believers we are brought into Christ bruised and bruising. Yes, we will get bruised as we follow Christ.

But what bruising we will and that is the perspective all of Scripture wants to give us is never triumphalist stick, waiting properly through life in pure triumphant no pain never triumphalist stick, but definitely triumphant. Don't be naïve definitely be jubilant Satan nipples at our feet.

We crush his head. We heading to glory, but no… You being faithful in pain if you're going through it now, even as we bruised now without great firstborn brother. We do some bruising on Satan and his kingdom.

Just think, when you suffer patiently like Christ as your content between old world is so unsatisfied when you walk away from the glittering rubbish of the world then you show how Satan has been stripped of his power. Every time you rejoice in Christ resist sin proclaim him show his love. You do something completely unnatural. You show your freedom from the serpent's chains and you stomp on the old dragons had we begin the crushing of him now before we get to see just how secure and super his glory.

We need to see a little bit more how we can rejoice as Peter says in the sufferings will face some of you are going through right trial and temptation. Even now I will Peter is rushing is not something that should frustrate you as you think, possibly could. I would choice when I'm going through face right now. Lisa suffered and he's not writing a first rate income bond but here is hope the street. If you are insulted for the name of Christ. Verse 14, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests on the just thing, what if you are insulted for Christ. It proves still standing with Christ unit without taxing, but let none of you suffer as a merger or a fee for an evildoer or a medley of the good work that you can't simply dress up suffering because you said no because you been in it. It got a hangover. I got a speeding ticket suffering for Christ's yet. If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed.

Let it glorify God in that name for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God, and if it begins with us will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God. If the righteous is scarcely saved what will become of the ungodly and the sinner. Therefore, those who suffer according to God's will and trust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good and that phrase it is time for judgment to begin of the household of God. The point is this wonderful phone is all about removing what is foul and evil from his world – sin, wickedness. He began the process of the cross and one day the fire of his Roth will envelop the entire world and he will cleanse it completely from now the fire of his judgment bones mostly among his people. Who is baptized with the spirit on file. He does his winnowing work among his people. Now for those who love sin and you don't love Christ that fire of God's judgment is purely an awesomely terrible, the friends who love Christ, it is entirely different sinful identity and status was put to death of the cross, sin is no longer our identity and so when we have had through the fire its own costs were consumed, but he put it in chapter 1 verse seven we were like gold refined when we go through the file crosses consumed.

The gold is refined loss, but sin is burned up some comfortable while that's not comfortable.

Isn't that what we want to be free of our sin. When you think on Christ human.

But of course he is better than the shriveling ways of my sin. Of course he is. When I remember pure and loving ways.

They'll life and freedom when I remember that I think you'll hands me because I want to be like you shriveled by sin interpersonally. My inexperience is the suffering is always towards me for more than comfort for more than these, and I rarely understand why I am going through what I'm going through during a point of struggle.

Very rarely does it make any sense, but I am glad as I look back at those times of trial. I'm grateful to the Lord for them because it's left me less attached to old addictions. It's left me more contented with joyful more free sorrows throwing me onto the Lord. Fair tribulation.

They they make me cling to him. Worse times of comfort. I can feel self-sufficient and not feel a need to cling to him so that they push me on him when I lose things losses. They can also do something good to me. They revealed the insufficiency of everything around me so that I can appreciate all sufficiency of Christ.

More it's a bit like you enjoy the stalls better when it's darker when things are dark in your life you really do enjoy heavenly glory. Small silver there any better but you appreciate them somehow couldn't see them better to Hebrews 12 put it famously, my son, do not lose heart. When he rebukes you because the Lord disciplines those he loves. If we are the brothers and sisters of the one who is made perfect through suffering that our father will you suffering to perfect us to make us like Jesus to know I if you list one that I think it's this naturally.

We are so quick to take suffering to mean that God is against us to be none life.

Often we think it's because God doesn't love me. Lisa got me somehow we can in his care for us friends that is not so. We should therefore not be too easily dismayed by all troubles in a failing world friends will fail you.

We will hurt.

We will feel off frailty and emptiness and corruption, but not enough. That is any indication that our father has forgotten us or failed us know that we might no longer be useful.

Receipt is the difference in other religions called will give these to the goods and health to the working he's not like that in Christianity because in Christianity goodness is Christ himself and conformity to him and said God is not simply going to reward believers with ease in this life, because that would make these rather than Christ, the great price. What is the great price he wants to give us no lease but Christ suffering friends is therefore a covenant mark a proof but Gault is our fault and cares enough about us to do everything necessary to mold and flip us into the likeness of his happily hungry son might seem like bad news for the believer of troll who wants to hurt Bob. Those who never have to push through waves of difficulty in their life they never grow in strength and maturity, like those who do those who never experienced the discipline of tend always to be more frail and feeble in the face and the other thing about being Christ centered here is this Christ is not just the one who is powerful to bring us beyond our sufferings.

He is also the one who is going through suffering to suffering friends. Christ understand's. He has compassion right now is breezing hearts on the throne of heaven is filled with compassion for his beloved ones was struggling. He groaned with pacing of the letter, he was moved is his very bowels. It is God's. And when he saw the rest of the helpless groaned with Patsy over them and just so easy now in heaven.

He sympathizes with our weaknesses. Hebrews 2 tells us Christ was made like his way. Contempt of brothers in order that he may help those who are being tempted and in the same way. Now you know it is the weak and struggling who minister best to the weak and struggling God could've used angels of Superman to minister to his people that very strength would mark our weakness and therefore Mark's the gospel. So God normally minister to his people. He ministers through those who been humbled, and he ministers through those who suffered normally because suffering enables us to share the compunction of the man of sorrows, if you haven't suffered. It's hard to show compassion and sympathy for someone who struggling but impossible, but is harder to see when people are going through trials. You can't just vomit out a set of technically correct theological allowances. You will struggling look to Jesus, your mom's got cancer share up glory is coming.

You need to have compassion is Christ us. You can say some true things in a heartless way. Yes, Christ does offer a glory that outweighs yes, he is the resurrection of the life.

But first he weeps at his friends gravesite. Even as he is the resurrection and the life he weeps. So friends if you would lift up the suffering and encourage the Saints to gently direction like him was moved to Pizzi when you stumble letter hurting the struggling no she casts you care and when they come to church they come to a supportive family of brothers and sisters of a fake smile club blind to the reality of struggle, our Savior has compression on us and is powerful finally to removal suffering will be with him in glory. And like him right friends, rejoice in your sufferings and share this and try new things, fix your findings on four-run who for the joy set before him endured the cross, since it now. The right is Dr. Michael Reeves with a message titled, take up your cross you're listening to Renewing Your Mind on this Thursday I'm Lee Webb, thank you for being with us today.

Dr. Reeves message is taken from a conference that we can or ministries hosted in London. Our first ever conference there are theme was the light of the world. When Jesus claimed to be the light. He also promised that those who follow them would not walk in darkness, each of the speakers at this conference should is a different aspect of what it means to follow Jesus would like for you have all seven messages and will provide a digital download the videos when you give a donation of any about Tlingit or ministries will also send you a paperback copy of John Calvin's a little book on the Christian life that it's a great companion to this conference series would provide you with a practical insight of what it means to walk with Christ daily give your gift online when you go to Renewing Your Mind.org or call us at 800-435-4343.

Christianity is not simply an experiential faith.

The interface based on knowledge.

Once God has called us to be his own. We want to know more about him. That's what Paul meant in Romans chapter 12 where he said do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, were called to study and apply Scripture as we pursue Christ as your gifts, Tlingit or ministries that help believers around the world put this into practice thousands of teaching resources are available online on our applicant on the radio because of friends like you who receive the value of this kind of ministry. So on behalf of everyone here is legit or ministries, let me thank you all tomorrow we'll wrap up our highlights of the London conference with a message by Dr. Burk Parsons on what it means to go and make disciples of all nations.

Jesus saying you will be my witnesses not you should try to be my witnesses but you will be my witnesses by virtue of being united to Christ by virtue of being his disciples. You will be my witnesses here and throughout the world. I hope you'll join us Friday for another edition of Renewing Your Mind