May 21, 2023
Confirmation Sunday
Easter 7
Pastor Slaughter
Theme: Is It Worth It?
Text: 1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11
I am going to take you back in time. It is around 60 AD. No longer could Christianity be seen as an offshoot of Judaism. It seemed apparent to all that Christianity is viewed as a dangerous movement. They had to be put down. Emperor Nero chose to blame the Christians in Rome for a terrible fire that had destroyed part of the city. According to the historian Tacitus, hundreds of Christians were arrested, convicted for antisocial beliefs because they would not worship their “gods.” Some Christians were fed to different kinds of wild animals. Others were crucified. Some were coated with pitch, and set on fire, so when darkness fell they burned like torches in the night.
Was it worth it? Was the humiliation of being fed to wild animals worth it? Was the pain of crucifixion worth it? Was it worth leaving your family behind as you were used as living torches? Was it worth it? Would you be able to endure the things they suffered? Satan has not stopped with his persecution. I read that more Christians have died in the 20th century for simply being Christians than in the past 19 centuries combined. Is the suffering we face as Christians, worth it?
Confirmands… today you are going to come up and make a promise to the Lord which reads, “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this teaching and to endure all things, even death, rather than fall away from it?” And the promise you are making is, “I do, and I ask God to help me.” Is that a promise worth making?
But you really should not be surprised by this. Christianity is not like some prosperity gospel where you have promises that if you believe then you will become rich, or that everything in your life will be a bed full of roses. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Peter said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that is happening among you to test you, as if something strange were happening to you...” If you bear the name of Christ, you should not be surprised, if you have to suffer for the sake of Christ. It only makes sense too. Jesus our Lord and Savior suffered crucifixion. Now if our Lord and savior suffered, then shouldn’t we expect to suffer for his name’s sake?
Peter gives some paradoxical statements. A paradoxical statement is a statement that seems contradictory like upside down. How can something be up and down? Or the last shall be first. Peter says, “Instead rejoice whenever you are sharing in the suffering of Christ…” Rejoice in suffering for Christ? I mean who here in their right mind would say, “Suffering makes me happy. It brings joy to my heart to experience pain.”
Just think for a moment about the people to whom Peter is writing. Peter, are you telling me to rejoice as I watch my husband being crucified? Peter, are you telling me to rejoice as I am about to be crucified? Is it worth it? Bold words from Peter right?
I thank God that we have religious freedoms here in America and I pray you never have to suffer in that way. But as Christians we still experience suffering. Confirmands…It’s going to come. If you are going to go to a public high school or public university, what you believe about creation, gender identity, what constitutes a sin, will be put to the test. You will probably have someone trying to belittle you because you refuse to participate in sin, or someone ridicule you when you take a stance on God’s Word. It may cause rifts among friends and family.
And let’s face it, how often do we rejoice in suffering for Christ? Yes, I got made fun of in front of my friends. Yes, someone ridiculed me because my beliefs went against the cultural norm. Yes, my faith caused a rift in my family. Instead of rejoicing do we find ourselves dreading it and asking ourselves, “Is being a Christian worth the suffering we endure? Is it worth it?”
Peter not only tells us to rejoice but to praise God when we suffer as a Christian. He says, “But if you suffer for being a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God in connection with this name.” Many of the persecutions that were done seemed to be geared at shaming the one being persecuted. They are nothing more than animals so let’s fed them to animals. Let them serve a purpose by lighting the path at night.
So we are not only to rejoice but we are to praise God for suffering that we endure for the name of Christ? But don’t we find ourselves instead of praising God, being ashamed? Because really that is the nature of persecution to shame the other person. Ashamed because of something someone said about us. Ashamed of what people might think if we speak the truth of Scripture to them. Again, the question comes up, “Is it worth it?”
Later in our lesson we hear, “Be alert. Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for osmose to devour.” Satan uses persecution in our lives to try to get us to fall away from our faith or at the very least to fall into sin. Again, I ask the question is it worth it? Is it worth resisting Satan? There is a part inside each of us that would prefer just to give into the pleasures of sins. There is a part inside each of us that would rather do whatever possible to avoid persecution weather it is hiding our faith, or not taking a stance on God’s Word. Satan does things in order to get us to question “Is it worth being a Christian?” “Is it worth the promise you are making today?”
So how can we rejoice, how do we praise God how do we resist the devil in the midst of suffering from persecution? It is because as Peter says, “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will himself restore, establish, strengthen and support you.” Think about it. Our God is a God of all grace. The grace of God is God’s underserved love for us. By his grace, our God suffered for us. He underwent persecution for us. He was beaten, he was mocked, he was crucified. But that was not even close to suffering he endured on the cross. On the cross he suffered hell for our sins, for every time we felt ashamed to be a Christian, every time we tried to hide our faith to avoid persecution, every time we listened to the devils temptations, he died for it and tells us I forgive you.
So, is it worth it? Because of Jesus paid the price for sins because he rose again, it is worth it. “the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus..” Is it worth it? Yes, because he calls us to his eternal glory in Christ. The joys of eternal life are worth the present sufferings we face. It’s similar to any goal that someone has. You sacrifice in order to achieve one’s goal. If you want to get stronger, you endure the pain of lifting, tearing your muscle so they come back stronger. We as Christians endure persecution, the present suffering because it is worth the eternal glory found in Christ. No more suffering, no more pain, no more sorrow no more sin! Is it worth it YES!
So then maybe the question becomes how we rejoice, how do we praise God when we are during persecution. It’s easier for us to say in the security of this church that our present sufferings is worth the eternal glories of heaven. But when we are caught in that moment of persecution, when push comes to shove, when anxiety kicks in, it’s a lot harder isn’t it? So how do we it? In that moment we need to look ahead to future reward of heaven. And that is what Peter tells us to do.
Peter says, “Instead rejoice whenever you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” Rejoice in the fact that are sharing in Christ’s sufferings, rejoice that you are recipients of his glory. Again, Peter says, “
“But if you suffer for being a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God in connection with this name. For the time has come for judgement to begin with the household of God. Now if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who disobey the gospel of God” We praise God because we know the verdict. We know we are declared not guilty through faith in him. But we also know the verdict of those who reject Christ, eternal punishment. In the face of present sufferings, look ahead to the future glory of heaven.
My dear family in Christ, especially you who are being confirmed today, I heard this illustration on devotion videos from Your Time of Grace. They have very nice little devotional videos that I recommend checking them out on Facebook. Back in 1981 a successful businessman by the name of Eugene Lang was asked to give the commencement graduation address to a group of 61 6th graders. He wanted to do something different just the usual just try hard and you will succeed speech. He stood in front of them and made them a promise. That he would pay for their college education if they would get there. This was a school in East Harlem and this school had less 10% of students who would go to college let alone graduate from high school. Not even one dropped out. Many of them were in the top of their class 58 of them went to college and he paid for all of it. It’s an illustration of the power of knowing that something is going to be worth it.
So, is the suffering we endure worth it? Is it worth making a promise to be faithful to God’s word? YES, it is. How do you know you will receive a reward? Because it cost something. Eugene Lang probably spent quite a bit of money to keep his promise, but it cost Jesus far more. When you enter the streets of heaven you will realize the cost to get you there. His very life. But it cost you nothing. Every morning when you roll out of bed, your future is certain. When you remember this everyday of your life, remember Gods greatest plan is to be with you forever and walk with you every step of the way as you remember this you will be ready for anything that this world might bring. Amen!