"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." — 1 Peter 4:12–13
Two Words That Do Not Belong Together
At first reading, this title is not very exciting. Suffering and Christian feel like two completely opposite words. When you hear Christian, you think of hope, love, peace. Then you see suffering beside it, and something in you sinks.
But here is one thing I am sure of about our world: every one of us is either facing a problem right now, or about to face one. The fact remains that all of us will carry some suffering as Christians. Once we encounter our Lord Jesus Christ, it does not mean nothing difficult will ever come.
And many non-believers actually use this as an attack against Christianity. They tell believers like us: if your God is truly good and loving, why does He allow people to get sick? Why cancer? Why war? Why corrupt politicians and injustice? And if we are not careful, our faith can be shaken by that. We start to wonder ourselves.
So this morning, the Apostle Peter speaks to us about what suffering for being a Christian actually means.
A Lifetime of Preparation
Before the passage, let me introduce a film — one of my favorites. Sully: The Miracle on the Hudson, with Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley Sullenberger. It is a true story.
As they ascended out of LaGuardia in New York, they hit a bird strike — not a normal one, but an entire flock — and both engines failed and caught fire. With one engine an aircraft can still fly, but with both gone they could not make it back to the airport. There was not enough thrust.
So Captain Sully landed on the nearest river — the Hudson. That itself is close to impossible; very few survive water landings. And the water that day was freezing, so even those who survived the landing faced the cold as their next enemy. Yet miraculously, all 155 people on board were safe.
Why bring this into the message? Because of something Sully said in an interview afterward:
"Well, I think many people who have found themselves in such an extraordinary circumstance, they really do feel like their entire lives has been a preparation for that moment. And I think that's especially true in my case, because I remember vividly as a child knowing that I needed to be prepared for whatever might come."
His whole life had been preparation for that exact moment. Years of training, years of flying — all of it converging on those few minutes.
Maybe it is the same for us as Christians. Maybe God is sending something to us — a problem, a trial, a hurdle — as preparation. Preparation for what? Who knows. Perhaps for something ahead that we cannot yet see.
Because here is the difference. Our special occasions — birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations — we prepare for those. But struggles and sufferings? Nobody schedules them. They simply arrive.
So Peter gives us four imperatives.
1. Be Ready
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12).
This is not the ordinary small trouble. This is the kind that squeezes you — that genuinely puts you under pressure.
So let us be spiritually prepared. All of us will have our own portion; we cannot avoid it. But what we can control is how we respond. And if our faith rattles at the first small thing, how will God entrust us with bigger things? Kung sa maliliit na bagay ay hindi tayo mapagkakatiwalaan, paano pa sa malalaki?
And here is the turn. Do you know who should actually be surprised? The non-believers. Peter says it a few verses earlier: "They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you" (1 Peter 4:4).
They are the ones we should be startling. They should be looking at us and thinking: this person has a serious problem and is still trusting God. This person's life has been pulled apart and they are still standing.
We are strangers in this world. We no longer belong to it — the Lord has taken us. So the world will push against us, mock us, question us. "Tara, mag-inom naman tayo. Minsan lang naman." Or: "Friday night — mag-party naman tayo, weekend naman bukas." And you say: I have worship. I have our Friday Devotional. Mas mahalaga si Lord sa akin.
And when you already have a problem, the world's advice is: dapat iniinom na yan, lasingin mo, para makalimot ka. No. The Lord is my solution. Gulatin natin sila. We should not be the ones caught off guard.
Jesus said it plainly in John 16: take heart. Be prepared for whatever this world hands you, because it will challenge you — your anxieties, your uncertainties, your spiritual self.
Even social media does this. You scroll and see someone who is not a Christian being blessed with material things, and something whispers to you. But that is measuring blessing by possessions. It should not be that way. Being blessed is something within you.
Remember the order in Jesus' own life: He suffered first on the cross, and then He was crowned King of Kings. And since we bear the name Christian, we will walk that same road. We will suffer, we will be tested, and then His glory will be revealed.
Why God Tests Us — Gold, and a Glass Frog
Brother Marc always preaches this: we are God's students, and the Lord is our teacher. And a teacher does not hand you the answers during the exam. That is the point of the test. The Lord says: let us see the faith of this child of mine.
Let me show you two pictures.
The first looks like an ordinary stone. But it is actually gold ore — gold still mixed with other minerals, nothing like the shining metal we know. So what do miners do? They put it into a fiery furnace, extremely hot, so that all the impurities burn away and only the pure, shining gold remains.
Sometimes God does exactly that with us. The impurities are in our hearts — bitterness, anger, insecurity, envy, pride. There is so much of it. So the Lord places us into the fire, brings us through immense pressure, allows heavy problems — until what is left is a heart like Jesus. If we are truly followers of Christ, our hearts must mirror His.
The second picture is a glass frog. Its body is literally transparent — you can see its internal organs, its intestines, even its heart. It is an amazing creature.
But we are not glass frogs. People cannot see our hearts. They cannot see how deep our faith is, or what our journey with Jesus has actually been. So how does that faith get revealed? The Lord says: this one has strong faith in me, this one loves me and trusts me — let us show it. And He allows the trial.
Where do we see this? Job. He lost his health, he lost his home — and the purpose was for the faith of Job to be revealed. When our faith is revealed to the people around us, all the glory still goes to the Lord.
So hold on. Be ready. Do not be shocked when God allows a trial to reveal your heart — because He wants your faith to be seen.
2. Be Rejoicing
"But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" (1 Peter 4:13–14).
How can we rejoice in the middle of pain? Think of pregnancy.
Carrying a baby is full of suffering. The joints ache. There are things you cannot control. Conceiving can be difficult in itself. And yet — when a couple receives the news that they are expecting, they are overjoyed. There is a baby shower, a celebration, complete happiness. Even knowing that difficulty and pain are coming, because after nine months there is a bundle of joy.
That is how we treat the obstacles in our lives. Do not let them make you bitter. Do not let them make you sad. Stand firm and keep the joy in your heart, because when the problem finally ends, the gladness will be complete.
And Peter adds something remarkable: if you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed. So if you have friends, neighbors, or acquaintances who give you a headache for your faith, who put doubts in front of you — rejoice. You are on the right track.
But there is a warning attached: "If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler" (1 Peter 4:15).
Be honest — sometimes our problems come from our own doing. Yes, you may be blessed in suffering. But there are also sufferings that serve as punishment. If you steal, if you harm someone, you will face consequences in this world — and you cannot say, "blessed pa rin ako, sabi ni Lord." You stole. Understand the difference.
And sometimes we get it backwards in the other direction: we treat correction as condemnation. Here in the church we correct one another, and it stings. But there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That was a correction, not a condemnation. We are brothers and sisters. So when we hear correction, especially from our leaders, let us not harden our hearts — maybe they are right. Maybe I really am falling short there.
Let us have the wisdom to tell the difference. Not everything that stings is persecution; sometimes it is simply a rebuke, because none of us is perfect.
And Jesus warns: "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you" (Luke 6:26). It is actually not a good sign when all we ever hear about ourselves is praise. Sometimes it is healthy to hear, "Kiev, sumobra ka na," or "Huwag ka nang masyadong maingay." We need that too.
The Church in the Book of Acts
The churches in the book of Acts are among the best in the Bible — the early churches, right after the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. And since we are named Acts 2:42, I want us to mirror them. Look at their marks:
Centered on the Savior. Everything they did was centered on Jesus — He was their direction, their compass.
Filled with the Spirit. They were not easily swept away by problems, because they were filled with the Holy Spirit and fired up for the Lord.
Rooted in the Scriptures. Everything they did came from the Word. They did not invent new commandments.
Faithful in supplications. They prayed for one another vigorously. This is why I encourage you every Friday — we have prayer partners, where you get to pray for someone and be prayed for. Napakamapangyarihan ng panalangin ng isang faithful na servant.
Genuine in sacrifice. Not half-hearted. Even when the apostles themselves had nothing left, they still reached out to those who needed help.
Effective in soul-winning. They went from a few hundred to thousands after the Holy Spirit came upon them.
And joyful in suffering. This is the one I most want to highlight. They faced torture. Roman soldiers ordered them to deny their belief that Jesus rose from the dead. And because they knew the truth and were full of the Holy Spirit, even tortured, even imprisoned, they remained joyful and held on to their hope.
We must all be like that.
3. Be Resolute
Resolute means you have your resolve. Manindigan tayo.
We will face trials. Doubts will come, and we will question the Lord. But Peter says: do not quit on the Lord. Stay with Him.
"However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name" (1 Peter 4:16).
Do not be ashamed that you bear His name. To be called a Christian, to be called an ambassador of Christ — that is a powerful name to carry. So whether you are at home, at work, or at school, wherever you are, be proud that you are a Christian. And when suffering comes, still stand firm. Do not let a passing problem persuade you, because you have Jesus as your stronghold and your cornerstone.
Just take heart. It is genuinely hard — we are easily swayed when problems come, when we lose something, when things change. But if there is one constant thing in this world, it is our Lord Jesus. When He says I am here, I will not leave you — hold on to that. He will always be there. And He asks the same of us: stay with me too, child. Don't quit on the Lord. Just hold His hand.
Then Peter answers the question many Christians eventually ask — after all this, is it really worth it?
"For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'" (1 Peter 4:17–18).
Let us face it — in this world, things are not fair. Those of us striving to live rightly for the Lord find it genuinely difficult. But think of our brothers and sisters who are non-believers. What will become of them? If it is already this hard for us, with all our trials — how much harder for those without Him?
So I encourage you: reach out to them. Life here is difficult, but it is extra difficult without the Lord. Let us keep Him in our hearts, keep the Holy Spirit in us, and share Him with those who do not yet know Him.
Yes — it will be worth it.
4. Be Relying
"So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good" (1 Peter 4:19).
We must surrender to our Lord, because none of this can be carried alone. Commit yourself to Him: Lord, whatever this suffering is, whatever the problem, whatever doubts and anxieties are in my head right now — I surrender it to You. I cast it on Your cross. Because once we cast it on the cross, our God is a victorious God.
And notice — you may be prepared, you may be rejoicing, you may be resolute. But if you are not relying, if it is only we ourselves acting, we are very limited. We are weak. We are flawed. We fall short in so many ways. But add Jesus to your heart and your life, and we are made complete in Christ.
As Jesus said: my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. The Lord knows we are weak. That is why the Father is there — to remember us, to keep strengthening us, to keep filling us with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Four Wrong Responses
Tomorrow there will be another challenge, another day, another trial. And our flesh is weak and full of flaws. So the first time we meet a new problem, our instinct may be one of four things.
Resent. Lord, ito na naman. Bitterness rising. Reject. Ayoko na nito. Sawang-sawa na ako. Resign. Ayoko na mabuhay sa mundong ito. Retreat. Lord, ako muna. Ayoko na lang.
Peter reminds us that those four must not be our response to suffering. Instead: be ready, be rejoicing, be resolute, and be relying. Do not forget those four.
Because if there is one thing I am certain of, it is that problems will not disappear from this world. There will be sufferings, obstacles, and sometimes even people the Lord allows into our lives who will hurt us or speak against us. There will be calamities, typhoons, floods. But let us keep this teaching in our hearts.
And remember one more thing about how God works: when it comes to breakthroughs and blessings, God is not preparing the blessing for you — He is preparing you for the blessing. He is looking at our hearts to see whether we are ready for the very thing we have been waiting for. So keep holding on to Him. Keep moving forward, even when we do not know the road.
God had one Son on earth without sin — but never one without suffering. Even our Lord Jesus, the Son of the Father, was not exempt. He suffered, and He became victorious, rising on the third day.
So hold on to that hope: our God is a victorious God. Our God is a limitless God.
Challenge
This week, prepare before the moment comes.
Ask yourself honestly: which of the four wrong responses is mine? Resent, reject, resign, or retreat — name it and confess it.
Then take one step in the opposite direction. If you have been retreating, come back to the gathering this Friday and take a prayer partner. If you have been resenting, hand that bitterness to God and cast it on the cross. If you have been resigning, ask for the joy Peter describes — the joy of the expectant mother who knows what is coming.
And do one good thing for someone who has made your faith costly. That is 1 Peter 4:19 lived out.
Remember the gold in the furnace, and remember that no one can see your heart but God — so let Him reveal your faith through the fire.
If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed — but praise God that you bear that name.
