Introduction

1 Peter 4:12 states, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you…” The troubles that we experience should never surprise us, although we tend to be in the face of trials. When things go awry as a result of our faith, we sometimes complain to God about not being sufficiently warned about the cost of discipleship. We become resentful because of the scorn surrounding us. Hebrews 11:35-38 states, however, that early Christians “were mocked and scourged, yes, also enduring chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword… men of whom the world was not worthy.” If men and women of such great spiritual caliber experienced these things, should we not count ourselves blessed with good company when we do too? Should any degree of suffering surprise us? Should we allow mockery to leave us flabbergasted and questioning our faith?

To be sure, the life of a Christian has been completely enumerated in the Bible so that nothing should shock us. As Christ-like people, we are told to live as our Savior lived, and participate in His suffering without question. It is not as though we are all required to die on a cross – for it was Jesus Christ’s lot to suffer that ultimate shame so that we might not have to die in our sins – but that we should take up our own figurative crosses and follow Christ without question. In His life, Christ was called a drunkard (Matthew 11:19), a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65), a devil (Matthew 10:25), and He promised His followers the same. “It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household.”

With this in mind, how do we find the silver lining in our suffering? Because we expect it, should we live in misery, depression, anger, frustration, or bitterness? Or should we do all that we can to find the good news in the bad news?

The Church In Decline?

Given the news that conservative religion is in “decline” it becomes tempting for some Christians to become discouraged. Churches are not growing as fast as national or world population. Our children are becoming disinterested in God. Even in a broad sense, “Christianity” is growing at a pace slower than its alternatives. Have we been outstripped? Has our time passed? Is the church of Christ a product of the nineteenth century with no appeal to those living in the twenty-first century? Even before the 1950’s, voices in our world had been ridiculing the church and “organized religion.” In spite of that, C.S. Lewis argued that we should not be discouraged when people talk about the decline of religion. The question we must ask is whether or not is true Christianity that is declining. “Lewis reminded his contemporaries in Europe during his lifetime that what was declining in his day was not Christianity but a ‘vague theism where churchgoing was merely as matter of loyalty, good manners and respectability.’ In other words, a decline in numbers at times may only mean on thing… what one is seeing is the separating of the true believers from the half-hearted” (“The Good News About the Bad News”, Mark Dunagan, www.beavertchurchofchrist.net). Take note of Jesus’ attitude in John 6:66-69, when many of his disciples began to leave Him. “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore. Jesus said, therefore, to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’” While it may have disappointed Jesus to see people abandon Him, it certainly did not dishearten Him, or slow Him down. We need to remember one thing, friends: we have work to do for the Lord, no matter what size our church is! Whether we have one hundred members or ten, our mission does not change.

C.S. Lewis adds, “Once no one goes to church except to seek Christ, then the number of actual believers can be discovered” (God in the Dock, pp.219-220). We may find that, although the number of churches or overall members is falling, the number of more faithful church members is rising. Instead of allowing these statistics to discourage us, we should be encouraged by the fact that difficult times produce more devoted Christians. It becomes easier “when the going gets tough” to identify who is being faithful and who is lukewarm. We should not pity our children for living in a time such as this – rather, we should be grateful that they have the opportunity to have their faith tested and tempered. “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 5:10-11, Matthew 24:13).

Are we the only ones left?

Like Christians throughout the centuries, it is easy for us to feel isolated, as if we are the only faithful Christians left in this modern world. But we need to keep in mind the fact that God does count His righteous ones by quantity – only quality. If there had been only ten righteous people in Sodom, the city would have been spared (Genesis 18:32). The same is true of Elijah’s time, when he complained to God that he was the only person left who refused to bow down to idols. We read about this in Romans 11:2-5. Elijah says, “Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” The divine response is one of calmness and composure. God assures the prophet that He has found 7,000 people in Israel who were faithful. Consider the following points:

God does not judge the value of these 7,000 based on their numbers, but on their refusal to bow down to idols. In the same way, do we think that God considers a church of 20 less valuable than a church of 120? Or 1,200? He judges us righteously based on our deeds (Romans 14:12).
God did not say, “Yeah, Elijah, times are pretty rough, and I only have 7,000.” God was not discouraged by them; He was proud of them.
He did not see Elijah as a failure, even though the prophet felt he had let God down (1 Kings 19:4). As long as we do what we can, we will not be judged harshly for every person who does not convert (Ezekiel 3:19).
We might think that 7,000 is a large number, but compared to the total population, it was probably minuscule.
This small number only served to emphasize the overall unrighteousness of the nation as a whole. In stark contrast to the evils of idolatry, these 7,000 were especially righteous – even noteworthy to God Himself. In the same way, if our church is small in number, it helps us recognize and weed out those who are unfaithful. Our uniqueness acts as a black backdrop, exposing those who are fake and making evident those who are true. “For there must be no divisions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you” (1 Corinthians 11:19).
The reason why God praises the few faithful in the Bible is because they stand as shining examples of courage and fortitude. Would we think so highly of Elijah if he had had no trouble in life? Would we admire Joseph as much if the story had gone, “And his father gave him a coat of many colors and he never had any trouble for his entire life. The end”? We tend to forget that the people who inspire us most never got a “Lived happily ever after” in their earthly lives.
What will future generations think about us? Will they applaud us for standing for the truth in a time of postmodernism, amoralism, liberalism, and blatant sin? Will they admire our courage for being so small in the face of such enormous odds? What does history say about David and Goliath?

Peaks and Valleys

We are told by Paul not to be ignorant of how Satan attempts to derail us spiritually (2 Corinthians 2:11). He is a wily and crafty being, and one of the most common ways he defeats us is by taking advantage of the peaks and valleys that happen to us on a regular basis.

The peaks are the joyful experiences, or the arrival of perceived blessings. We are on an emotional high, feeling like we own the world. This could be a new job, new home, a raise, a new baby, or any other time when our minds are focused on anything but sorrow.
Satan takes advantage of the peaks by distracting us, and making us feel invincible. We start to feel secure and less dependent on God.
Just as we begin to feel secure in life, though, things fall apart and go into a valley. We lose a job, find out our spouse is cheating, become ill, etc. Often the valleys are magnified when they are preceded by a high peak.
When the low point hits, we are tempted to lose faith in God, give up on others or the church, and become bitter or introverted.
The best advice is to not let any state in life affect you too greatly. Remember to temper your joyful times with Christian sobriety. There is nothing wrong with rejoicing over a blessing (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20), but keep God in mind always. In the same way, do everything you can to keep tragedy in perspective. It is only a house, only a job, only your body, etc.
Do not let Satan run your emotions!

Disillusioned With “Church”

When we look at how small the churches of Christ are, even, perhaps, how small our own congregation is, it is tempting to become disillusioned with the entire idea of “church” or organized religion. We feel like we are not accomplishing anything, or butting our heads against a wall. Not only that, but we have to deal with each other’s faults as much as the world’s problems! We see hypocrites at church and become cynical and disheartened. And while sin should never be downplayed or excused, there are some lessons that we can learn about the faults of a congregation:

It proves that even people trying their hardest in life still need Christ.
Sin is not imaginary. It is not a vague, mysterious concept that the preacher harps on every Sunday. Rather, it is real and we all deal with it. Instead of becoming disillusioned with church, we need to see the faults and sins of others as something that we can help them with. We are not here at church for nothing!
It proves that everybody at church needs everybody else (Hebrews 10:24). It takes a selfish person to give up on everybody who disappoints him! Instead, forgive and forget. Move on. Go to church and make a difference. Instead of abandoning church, be the one who makes it better.

The Trouble Are Opportunities…

Instead of always viewing our troubles as failures, the number of people as a benchmark of disappointment, and the faults of our brethren as reasons for disillusionment, we need to see them as opportunities. Remember, take all of the fiery ordeals amongst us and use them as a chance to grow (1 Peter 4:12). The good news about bad news is that it gives us opportunities to:

Display courage and bravery. If nobody else in the world will be righteous, respect God’s authority, and cling to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), then you should!

· Demonstrate to the younger generation how genuine our faith is.

Remind ourselves that in the struggle between good and evil, we are on the winning side.
Be aware that the devil is always near.
Pass on the valuable lesson of longsuffering to our children.
Be an example to new Christians.
Demonstrate that Christianity actually works, even when it does not seem to by the world’s standards.
Flex our spiritual muscles and be like Christ!