Throughout the centuries, the relation between Islam and Christianity has been a challenge. Within a hundred years after the prophet’s death, Muslim armies had conquered Spain and penetrated into France, only to be stopped at the battle of Tours in 732. We think also of the Crusades to win the Holy Land back from the Muslims. In Martin Luther’s day the Turkish Muslims menaced Europe from the east. In the original German of the hymn “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast In Thy Word,” the Reformer prayed, “put a stop to the murder by the pope and Turk.”
Today the struggle continues. It is not to be won with weapons or money. Rather, victory is in the Word of God and prayer, as Christians are urged to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3) and “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). We as Christians should also know something about Islam in order to refute some of their beliefs. We might even read the Qur’an so that we better understand their teachings.
The Qur’an urges Mohammad himself, “ask forgiveness of thy sin” (Sura 40:55). Yet nowhere does it mention sin in connection with Jesus. The Qur’an offers a fallible prophet who lies buried in Arabia. The Bible presents a sinless Savior who has conquered death. The Bible presents an eternal home that is given to us wholly through the merits of Christ Jesus. As the thirteenth century scholar Riccoldo da Montecroce wrote in his refutation of the Qur’an (Confutatio Alcorani, which Luther translated into German and which is now available in English), “The fact is: Christ lives, Mohammad is dead.” A former Muslim from Iraq put it this way, “Allah calls on Muslims to sacrifice their sons so that they can go to paradise; God sacrificed His Son so that we can go to heaven.”
Is there anyone here who doesn’t ask the question why there is suffering in our world? Why does the Christian suffer? When we see problem after problem pile on our Christian friends and loved ones or even upon us we begin to wonder what God is thinking. What is the plan?
We can tell our kids all the reasons in the world why they need a shot but it doesn’t make the pain in their face any easier. But who do they look to for comfort? Dad and mom. Comfort comes not in knowing the reason why. Comfort comes in knowing the comforter.
We have that Comforter when we suffer. He helps us to glorify His name even as we deal with the rough patches in front of us. This morning we examine . .
“CHRISTIAN SUFFERING”
The text begins, “If anyone suffers as a Christian…” (v. 16a) We make this distinction. All people suffer in this fallen, sinful world. This is suffering because of our Christ connection. Our text focuses on this type.
Do we suffer because of our Christ connection? Yes, in some ways it is getting worse each day. But no, when I think of the martyrs around the world. We still have our freedom to worship and come together to hear God’s Word. We are not meeting in secret. But maybe just maybe in our school or workplace we have to downplay our Christianity. Dan Harman wrote it correctly, “So long as Jesus was misunderstood He was followed by the crowd. When they came to really understand Him, they crucified Him.” After all, why did He die on the cross? It wasn’t bad timing or a bunch of nuts with a vendetta. He died for our awful, God-hating sin.
Without the knowledge of sin there is no understanding of Jesus. Without the constant reminder we grow complacent and self-righteous. The Christian claims the Christ of Calvary, the empty tomb, and all that means.
So Peter speaks specifically to the Christians. “Let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” (v. 16b) The Lord said in Matthew we are blessed when people insult and persecute and speak falsely against us because of our Christian faith.
Dr. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “The world hates Christian people, that is, if it sees Christ in them. The measure in which the world agrees with us and says we are really a fine type of Christian…is the measure in which we are unlike Christ.” Doesn’t that disturb you? The Lord isn’t asking us to be offensive or to go out and harass people – He simply calls us to take a stand and make a commitment.
Peter tells us not to be ashamed but glorify God that we have that name. The love of the world is great and overpowering – the desire to maintain intimate friendships with the pagan so alluring – that the willingness to take the heat for Jesus causes shame. If that’s the case, then prepare yourselves for the next thought from the Apostle.
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (v. 17)
Judgment begins with the family of God? You bet. Right now…here, on earth. The church’s suffering is not blind chance – suffering as a Christian pulls us ever upward and upward focuses our attention on the things above. As the Proverb says, “If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and sinner!” (Prov. 11:31)
We are going to have trials and tribulations. But our Lord is not going to leave us alone. He comforts our valleys with his eternal Word. In our despair, our baptism reminds us we are children of God. In our weakness when we want to chuck it all away because we think we can’t handle anymore, he comes in bread and wine, body and blood and provides strength for the days ahead. This is why we gather on a weekly basis. We need these means of grace because they let us face a world that is at each other’s throats. A populace that wants to do everything politically correct except stand with the Christian soul. One of the beautiful things the Lord provides is life experience. Any amount of time on earth and you been through the valley, taken on the coaster ride or been in the depths. But you have come out on the other side because of your faith in a Savior that loves you and will never, ever leave you.
Recently when Andy Benjamin was in the hospital in Peoria I made my way there on I-74 westbound. As I approached East Peoria a truck in the eastbound lanes was on fire. Traffic was starting to back up. I went and saw Andy and left about two hours later thinking the lanes had been cleared. As I approached the accident, the police were directing cars off of the interstate into East Peoria.
Now at this point I could have been completely lost. But over the years our boys had ballgames in East Peoria and Morton. I knew I could get on highway 150 to Morton and safely back on the interstate. This is what I did and I was back in Bloomington in a reasonable amount of time. This was the Lord’s doing. He gave me a previous life experience, which allowed me to get through the challenge.
Our lives are like that. We meet our Christian suffering because we know there is a God-ordained route that will lead us home. An eternal home where there will be no more suffering or pain. We experience a splash of suffering across our all too often colorful, worldly lives because it draws us back to the Cross of Jesus. Reminds us that that we are Heaven’s people. God’s own even in suffering.
In 4th and 5th century B.C. the Greek city of Athens was considered to be the greatest city in the world. When Paul arrived it wasn’t as prosperous but was still known for its culture and education. Today people still visit the city to see its ruins, which stand as a testimony to its greatness. “While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.” (v. 16) Paul sees through the blurriness of culture and education and gets a clearer picture of what is happening in this city. They had statues, and temples and shrines and altars throughout the public places to various gods. They had heathen festivals and all their temples to the false gods had priests. Do we see today in our society what Paul saw then? How many gods are worshipped in and around us? More importantly and to get more personal, how many gods are getting in front of the one, true God for us? Let’s take a peek into your life by asking the question . . . “WHERE IS YOUR UNKNOWN GOD HIDING?” The example of Paul raises some questions. How do we look at society? Is our eyesight blurred by our technology and our abundance and our wealth? These are gifts from God but they should never take away from the reality of our sin and the need for salvation. The Athenians were prosperous and they relished in the latest ideas – as long as the latest ideas conformed to their wishes. They connected these two – prosperity and the latest ideas – to their false gods. What did Paul do? “He reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” (v. 17) He didn’t ignore the issues. He was compelled to speak of their sin and to tell them the good news of Jesus and His resurrection. What do we do with the false gods of our day? Be passive. After all, doesn’t everyone have a right to believe what they want? We walk along with head in cloud and then notice one day, “hey, our world seems to have changed.” Really? Where have you been? To be a Christian we must confront the lie with the truth. The truth flows from our lips, strengthened through the means of grace and the Holy Spirit. What about you and I? Where are our unknown gods hiding? The god of money. The god of fame. The god of technology. The god of sports. The god of family. The god of work. The god of confrontation. The god of passivity. The god of time. The god of good times – “ain’t we lucky we got ‘em – good times!” Maybe, just maybe our unknown gods aren’t hiding at all. When I read that list did they jump out of the closet or were they comfortably a part of your mindset? To the Athenians they knew nothing about their unknown god – no name, power, or work. This altar was only one among hundreds and did not draw worshippers away from other gods and altars. The pagans had to build temples and altars to their gods to “live in.” The God of creation transcends earth and any structure on it. Do the gods we struggle with just live in our mind or are they working to overtake our heart? Can faith falter when we worship at an altar of our own making? Sure, it can. Here we have a whole city struggling. Don’t you think the devil can work on you? Paul tells the citizens of Athens and us. “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (v. 30) Like Paul in our text, God works through His Word to help us see our need to let go of our gods. All of the gods that I listed above – money, fame, technology, sports, family, work, confrontation, passivity, time and even good times have a timeframe where they must end. The God of life and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ has no time restrictions. He is Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End. He is eternal and so will we be as we put our trust in our Savior from sin. He obliterates our gods with His cross. He promises a permanent temple of glory with His resurrection. Stop hiding and believe! John F. MacArthur Jr. rightly comments, “Note the tact with which Paul confronts them. Having noticed the altar to an unknown god, Paul used that to make the very powerful point that their religion was unable to give them certain knowledge of any god, much less the true God. He gently implied that the existence of such an altar was plain admission that they did not know the truth about god at all. He clearly regarded the inscription on the altar as their own testimony of spiritual ignorance.” This is how we go about our business today. Gently and with tact, but with truth on our side. They may call us “babblers” like they did Paul, but don’t let the personal attacks get in the way of the argument. Scripture is powerful. A Christian with the Holy Spirit on their side can win against the philosophers of our day. You can speak in the marketplace. You know the struggle but you have overcome. Share that. Share the love and forgiveness of this known God. We have the assurance because Christ has been raised from the dead. Hello? You are hiding no more. Thanks be to the one true God! Amen.
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