Sermon Title: "Suffer Well and Bless Others"  (Jim Womer)

Summary: 

In this passage of Scripture Peter is writing to the persecuted church in Asia Minor and lists qualities that should characterize the way they lived their lives as they suffered. In the midst of their suffering, they were to have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Peter’s instructions to the church are foreign to a world that believes that we should take it upon ourself to right the wrongs that have been done to us. The world says that if you get hit, you have to hit back harder to make sure it doesn’t happen again. How can Christians bless those who persecute us? We are to remember that the eyes of the Lord are on his people and his ears are open to our cries. When we trust that the Lord sees our suffering and hears our petitions, we are free to let him right the wrongs done to us. The gospel not only transforms our relationship to the world, but also those in the church. If we are able to bless those who persecute us, how much more so should we be able to bless our brothers and sisters in our church family when they hurt us.