LIVINGTODAYFORTOMORROW…ASGOD’SPERSECUTEDPEOPLE
“DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY”
1Peter4:12-19
Series#7
KEYCONCEPT
GodblessesthosewhoarepersecutedforboldlylivingouttheirfaithinChrist.
MEMORYVERSE
“SoifyouaresufferinginamannerthatpleasesGod,keepondoingwhatis
right,entrustyourlivestotheGodwhocreatedyou,forhewillneverfailyou.”
1Peter4:19.
CONTEXT
Peteriswri:ngtoChris:ansbeingpersecutedbecauseoftheirfaith.
Peteraffirmsthatpersecu:on…
1.Maybeinevitablebecauseofthewaytheylive.
2.CanbeatestthatcanprovethegenuinenessoftheirChris:anity.
3.WillbringspecialblessingsastheysufferandwhenChristcomes.
I.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…
YOUAREPARTNERSWITHCHRIST
v12-13“Dearfriends,don’tbesurprisedatthefierytrialsyouaregoingthrough,asif
somethingstrangewerehappeningtoyou.Instead,beveryglad—forthesetrialsmake
youpartnerswithChristinhissuffering,”
2.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…YOUWILLSEECHRIST’SGLORY
v13b“…sothatyouwillhavethewonderfuljoyofseeinghisglorywhenitisrevealedto
4.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…
YOUAREPRIVILEGEDTOBECALLEDBYHISNAME
v16“ButitisnoshametosufferforbeingaChrisSan.PraiseGodfortheprivilegeof
beingcalledbyhisname!“
5.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…YOUWILLBEJUDGED
v17“FortheSmehascomeforjudgment,anditmustbeginwithGod’shousehold.And
ifjudgmentbeginswithus,whatterriblefateawaitsthosewhohaveneverobeyed
God’sGoodNews?”
6.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…GODWILLNEVERFAILYOU
v19“SoifyouaresufferinginamannerthatpleasesGod,keepondoingwhatisright,
andtrustyourlivestotheGodwhocreatedyou,forhewillneverfailyou.”
APPLICATION/HOMEGROUPDISCUSSION
• Taketurnsreading4:12-19
• How,ifatall,areChris:anspersecutedspecificallyfortheirfaithinAustralia?
• Cananyoneshareanexperiencewhentheysufferedpersecu:onbecause
theywereacommiQedChris:an?
• WhatwaysdoesPetersuggestourresponseshouldbeduringpersecu:on?
• Whataresomeother(posi:veornega:ve)waysforustorespondwhen
persecuted?
• When,ifever,shouldaChris:anresistbeingpersecutedandfightback?
• Debatethisstatement,“Chris:answhoaren’tpersecutedforbeingChris:an
arenotlivingarecognisableChris:anlife.”
alltheworld.”
3.PERSECUTED?…DON’TWORRY,BEHAPPY…
YOUHAVETHESPIRITOFGODONYOU
v14-15Sobehappy(blessed/countyourselffortunate)whenyouareinsultedforbeing
aChrisSan,forthenthegloriousSpiritofGodrestsuponyou.Ifyousuffer,however,it
mustnotbeformurder,stealing,makingtrouble,orpryingintootherpeople’saffairs.”
FORNEXTWEEK
• Readnextweek’ssermontext1Peter5:1-6
• Discusswhatyou’dpreachaboutifyouwerepreachingonthispassage.
PRAYER…Lord,whatinmylifedemonstratestotheworldthatIamyour
ChrisSan?IfIamtobepersecutedforbeingyourChrisSan,helpmetocelebrate
theblessingsmenSonedbyPeter.IwanttobemoreconcernedwithYourglory
thanmysuffering.Amen!