Suffering has a purpose and is limited in time
Category: Suffering, Trials & Burdens
Key Passage: 1 Peter 5:8-10
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: May 26, 2025
Turn your Bible to First Peter chapter number five. First Peter chapter number five in God’s word tonight. Praise the Lord, we have the Bible. I mean, I would have been out of sermons about 30 minutes after my first one. You know, okay, maybe three minutes after my first one got started. I’d been out, but the word of God is just never ending. It’s awesome. And praise the Lord for the Bible. I’m so thrilled we have it. By the way, I had visitors this morning from Soul Winners, one of our Soul Winners that stopped by and invited him to come. And I don’t think Saturday before. And praise the Lord for that. God uses that. Had a man come a couple Wednesday nights, Sunday nights ago, and from somebody. I was about a couple months ago from Soul Winner, he came, got saved. And praise Lord for that. That’s the blessing. And God’s still using that in our day and time.
1 Peter chapter 5. The theme of the book of Peter is really suffering. You’ll find that word often in this book, and I kind of like it that the Bible doesn’t um sugarcoat it. If you’re just, it’s suffering. It just, it’s just, it’s suffering. It just as well. That’s the Bible word. It’s suffering. And uh, it’s not fun, and it’s not like, oh, it’s wonderful. It’s just, it’s suffering.
But God has a purpose for it. And God has a time limit to it. And suffering, just for a bit tonight, 1 Peter chapter 5. He’s winding this book down, last chapter here. And right really towards the end of it before he starts giving the, “I’ll tell so-and-so said hi,” and “so-and-so,” that type of thing, you know.
And so we’re in verse number eight, chapter number five, 1 Peter 5 and verse number 8. And would you please stand if you’re able to just to show the word of God respect, 1 Peter 5 and verse number 8 of God’s word tonight? “Be sober.” Now that doesn’t just mean absence of alcohol. It means be serious about this thing. Don’t be playing games in Christianity. Be serious. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be aware there’s a battle going on. You’re stuck in the middle of a battlefield. Somebody recently mentioned old Lesteroloff. He used to say that it’s a battlefield, brother, not a recreation room. It’s a fight and not a game. He’d sing that song. I think one of our missionaries, Patrick Reddy, Wednesday, I mentioned it.
“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour,” whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. He’s not talking about the world, he’s not talking about the world; he’s talking about Christians all around the world. They have suffering too. Sometimes I can get sucking my thumb and, “Oh, woe is me,” and think, “I, nobody knows. Nobody’s going through what I’m going through.” And God said, “No, there’s people around the world going through.” Like in Peter, there’s a lot of persecution. We’re not having persecution like that in America today. But he says one thing, sometimes it’s just kind of good to know you’re not in the final loan. There’s 7,000 hat and bowed the knee. And they got battles and struggles. We’re not alone.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.” And that’s the thought here. He said, it’s all around the world among the brothers. Watch this, verse number 10, our text verse: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered—there it is—after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” The hymn of glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. That’s really in some ways the end of the book. Then he, then he’s talking about these other folk and whatnot, but um, that verse number 10, right? Would you do this? Would you read that verse number 10 with me out loud, please? Here we go: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, established, strengthened, set up.”
Father, would you bless tonight, Lord, please? Would you just bring life to your people? Lord, through Your Word, through Your Spirit, Lord, through Your preacher, Lord, would You just bring life, life? Only You can. You’re the vine. Lord, just branches. Help us to draw from You tonight. And thank You, You’ve got all the life we need. And we praise You for it, Lord. We ask for this, Father, in Your Son, Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. We’re just kind of going through that verse number 10 very quickly tonight. Ask Him, very text verse.
Watch, I start with all. Verse number 10, he says, “But the God of all grace.” It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, God’s going to have the grace you need to go through it. Don’t say, “Well, I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Hey, friend, I know what you’re going to do when it time comes. God will have the grace available. That’s what you’re going to do. It’s always there. Now, here’s an interesting thing. Hold your finger there. Look over in Hebrews chapter number four. Hebrews chapter four. And that last verse, verse number 16. I sometimes will show this to family members, whatnot, when their loved one is passing, just tough times. Miss Linda yesterday, or maybe Friday, she was very good. She wanted to listen. And she listened to this thing here. And I want you to see it. I want you to see it. Let me write that down. And I don’t want you to see it what it says here. Hebrews 4, verse number 16, a very familiar verse. I want you to watch something here. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may…” What’s the next two words? Obtain mercy. Watch this. “And what? And what’s the next two words? Find grace.” Wow. “To help in time of need.” Now you obtain mercy, but the Bible says you find grace. Grace.
But here’s the thing: when we’re going through suffering, a lot of times, you know where our eyes are? Our eyes are not looking for the grace. By the way, if you’re going to find something, you got to look for it.
How many of you husbands, be honest, you look for 15 minutes high and low and low and high, then you ask your wife where it is, and she says, “It’s right over there,” and it’s right there. How many? Come on now, be honest. Yeah. How many of you husbands said, “Praise the Lord for a wonderful wife?” Well, yeah, after you said such, you said, “Well, I’m looking for it for 15.” Come on now, yeah. All of us. Amen. But you got to look for it. Hey.
Here’s the thing: when you’re going through suffering, if you’re not careful, you will not be looking for grace. You’ll be looking for, “Oh, how bad it is,” and “How bad I have,” and “What so-and-so is doing,” and “What so-and-so is doing,” and they think they got it bad. They don’t know what in the world they’re talking about. All the rest of that—hey, you’ve got to look for grace. It’ll be there. But the God of all grace, He’ll have it there. It’ll be there just in the nick of time. God is a refuge, a very present, very present help in time of trouble. He’s not there before; he’s not there ever after. A very present help in time of trouble. Psalm 46. Boom, right at the nick of time. Yeah, it’ll be there. But the God of all—well, I like the God of all grace. We mentioned that verse already.
Brother Frank, last time I was over there visiting with him, mentioned this verse. Wow, what a testament. He mentioned 1 Corinthians 10:13. Look over there, if you would, please. Since we’re just, we’re turned a little bit tonight, it’s a wonderful verse. I thought, “Wow, he’s claiming that promise. He’s looking for grace. He’s got his eyes right.” And this is a verse he mentioned. Amazing. 1 Corinthians 10:13. You’ll know it, but I want you to notice something here. 1 Corinthians 10:13. You’re there tonight, amen? “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also show you a way to escape.” Is that what it says? Does it say also show you a way of escape that you may be able to bear? Notice what he says. He’ll make a way. When there is no way, He makes a way. He’ll make a way of escape that you may be able to bear. When you’re walking to the wall and you say, “Lord, my nose is about to hit that wall. I cannot go on. Lord, I have no more strength. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m at my wits’ end.” That’s when He makes a way by His grace. He always does. The grace will be there. But the God of all grace, it’ll come in about a million different forms and fashions, that grace. But, friend, I promise you, it’ll always be there. And find it. Look for it. Get that throne room bowling, and you start looking for the grace. It’ll be there all over the place. It’s a throne of grace. Boy, I like that. Peter here is talking about all the suffering, and he says, “Hey, but the God of all grace, He’ll always be there.”
Let’s keep going over here in 1 Peter 5. Let’s keep going back down that verse number 10 right there, 1 Peter 5 and verse number 10: “But the God of all grace who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” And I think there’s a whole lot of that. One thing, He’s called us to Him—we’ll be with Him one day. But also it shows that there’s a purpose to the suffering you’re going through.
God just didn’t say, “Well, I’m going to, I’m going to put Bill and Patty through it, and I’m going to have fun, just watch them go through it. I’m going to, let me, let me pick on them a little. It’s pick on the Johanin Senior Day,” you know. I mean, they got that—you never did that in school, you know, put the tape on the paper, and, you know, it said, “Kick me,” and put it on. You never did that. I know you never did those things, you know. But it’s Bill and Patty’s Day. No. If you’re going through suffering, God’s got a purpose to it. There’s a reason for it. Here’s the main reason for that: you be conformed to the image of a Son. He’s making you more like Jesus for Him. That I may know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering. Part of that, He’s calling it is eternal glory: to be more like Him. He’s refining us. He has a purpose in it. Can I say this? The more you’re like Jesus, the more He can use you?
How many men and ladies—yours might be a little bit different, ladies—but there’s a special tool, there’s a special utensil that, you know, I’m not a good cook. I like to cook on the grill, but I’m not good at it. A couple of years ago, my wife got me a smoker—and cigars, you smoke them? No, it’s a smoker. And I wanted—I’m going to do it. I want to do it right, you know, and I’ve soaked it in that brine and all that, but I wanted to inject it. And so I had to go out and get one of those food needles, you know, inject it. Man, I tell you what, makes it nice and juicy. Come on now, amen. Anybody going to smoke some meat on Memorial Day? Anybody? You don’t want to admit it because we’ll come to your house tomorrow if you are. That’s the best, man. I tell you what.
But, I mean, to do some of those things, you’ve got to have a special tool. Just that unit. I was doing a little work on the automobile not too long ago, and there’s a special tool. And, man, trying to do it without that special tool drives you crazy. Well, I’m already crazy, but it drives me crazier, you know. And thanks a lot for that amen right there. I heard that, you know. eBay, $9.95 for that special tool. Boom, I’m ordering that baby. Set it on, you know. Because every once in a while there’s a special job that needs to be done, and you’ve got to have that certain tool to get it done.
And that’s what God’s often making you into while you’re going through suffering. It’s amazing how it tenderizes our heart. It’s amazing how you can identify—and maybe, by the way, they don’t need all of our, “Do this, that other.” They don’t need all that. They need someone to help them and kind of identify with them. That’s what they need. Love on them. Encourage them. “I understand a little bit what you’re going through.” That’s what they need. For the most part, they know all that. They just need somebody to love them and encourage them. Yeah. But God, He’s making us so often into that special tool that He can use. So it’s got a purpose.
He’s got a purpose in this same. Here’s another interesting thing about this verse, verse number 10 there, 1 Peter 5, verse number 10: “But the God of all grace hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” After that, He have suffered. What’s the next two words? Now here’s the thing. Well, just kind of, “Oh, wow, it’s not forever.” It’s not an infinite time. A while. Now that a while may mean six months. It may mean six years. It may be 20, 30 years. It may be your lifetime, but I promise you won’t be in heaven. I promise you that. But friend, there’s a set time, and God says, “Hey, it’s just a while.” I don’t know how long, by the way. If it is a lifetime, in comparison to eternity, what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appeared for a little time. In comparison to eternity, that’s not really that long, your lifetime down here. But it’s a while. Sometimes it’s a week. Sometimes it’s a day. Sometimes it’s a month, years. My God says, “I’m allowing this suffering in your life for a time period.” That’s encouraging me, by the way. God turned the captivity of Job. About a year and a half he went through all that, but it wasn’t for a lifetime. It wasn’t forever. The Lord Jesus talking to the church at Smyrna, if you study that out over in Revelation 2—that was Rutherford County Baptist Church in Smyrna. Come on now, you know. That’s Bible there, you know. But He says this, Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.” Notice there was this set time. Set time.
Let me read for this passage here. Let me just read it for you, Malachi 3:3. “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” You know, they say silver… I’ve heard so many different ones, whatnot. But heard another one recently, all of them very similar, but someone that goes to the refiner of silver, and they watch them. And they put that silver in the fire. They’ve got to put it right in the heat of it all. And, boy, it’s so hot. They leave it there. And, boy, they leave it there in the heat. And, boy, they leave it there in the heat. It begins to refine it and bring all the dross and get all the impurities out of there. And they leave it right there just, just, and they sit and watch. Usually they’ll say something like this: “So that’s a refiner. Do you have to watch it all?” They said, “Oh yeah, I can’t leave. You’ve got to watch it all.” Well, why is that? Well, I sat and I watch, and when it gets just right, I’ll know it because I can see the reflection of my face in it. As soon as it is that point, boom, I take it out because if you leave it in there any longer, it’ll burn it. And God watches that we go through the fire, and we get refined. And just getting what He wants where He can see His reflection, God says, “All right, I’m going to pull him out of the fire.” He’s a refiner. He has a purpose. He’s allowing that suffering, and it is suffering. He’s allowing that suffering in your life for a reason. He’s purifying you. He’s making you more usable. He’s making you into the image of His Son. That’s a purpose for it.
Now, He gives a little bit more specific things here in this. Won’t you look back over there? Y’all still with me tonight, amen? Look at verse number 10 again: “But the God of all grace, we have to call us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.” After that, He have suffered a while. Well, it seemed like we’ve got a good number of our people going through suffering right now. My heart goes out to them, but I think also God’s doing something. God’s working. Watch what He does. Watch what He does. After that, you have suffered a while: “make you”—now let’s see his four words—“perfect.” Perfect, mature, full grown. Not a baby Christian, not a mid-size, but a mature Christian. He’s doing something. Strong concordance gives this definition: to complete, thoroughly. Someone said about that, getting closer to perfection. He’s doing something. He’s making you mature, full grown. By the way, that will go on and on and on until the day the second you go home to heaven. It’ll be going on.
Can I put it this way? You cannot have a great captain without sailing through some rough seas for him. That’s just part of it. And God’s—I’m trying to mature you, trying to make you an experienced, well, capable Christian, and the only way to get there—no detours—the only way to get there is through suffering. Fellowship of the Suffer, that’s part of it. He said to make you, first of all, He says this word, “perfect,” mature. By the way, if you see someone going through it, be so careful to point your finger. They may be the only advanced track. God’s really trying to—they’re getting closer. Yeah, perfect.
Then He says, “establish.” The Greek word there has to do with it: to set fast, to fix firmly, to render immovable. I sometimes think of that as concrete. How many of you have seen the sidewalks or something where you can tell they poured it and before it got settled, something stepped in it? Yeah, some critter or some critter called a man or something like that. Somebody stepped in it, whatnot, you know, and yeah, it wasn’t established. Well, after a while, though, that concrete gets firm. Man, it’s hardened. It can take some weight on it. That’s important. It can take some weight on it.
Now as I’m working on you, I’m going to make it perfect, mature, completely. I’m going to establish it. You have some form, unmovableness about you. Always abounding in the work of the Lord, the Bible talks about there. It’s interesting. This may be a little bit of it too. I thought this is interesting: the first time that word “establish” is mentioned in the Bible, it’s David. God’s talking to David about his son Solomon, and God says, 2 Samuel 7:13, “He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” Maybe a little bit of this word here, perfect, establish, has to do a little bit with just longevity. You go through that, after a while, you’ve got strength to be in it for the long haul. You’re not wishy-washy, in and out, and blowing with the waves and the winds and all that. You’ve got some strength and some form about you. You’re going to be a godly Christian, not just for a day or a week or a month or a year, but over the long haul. You’re going to serve the Lord. And He allows that. He’s putting that in us. See, make us perfect, establish. Then He says this. What’s that next word? Perfect, establish. What’s the next word there? “Strengthen.” You ain’t amazing. God’s the one that gives strength. Oh, yeah. Yeah. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Yeah. God gives strength. Psalm 27:14, I love this verse. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage. He shall strengthen thine heart.” Wait, I say, on the Lord. He strengthens your heart. Strengthens your inner man, Ephesians says. Psalm 31:24, “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,” ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm 41:3, “The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing. He will make all his bed in his sickness.” I remember my preacher when I was a teenager, J.B. Buffington. For my Memorial Day, he was a pilot in Wolverton, I think it would be '52, and maybe '17, I can’t remember. Maybe it was a B-17, one of those big bombers. And Dr. J.B. Buffington, and he got real sick. He was out for a while. And I remember he came back, and he had talked about that verse, “God just made my bed on all my sickness.” And God gave me strength. God gives strength.
That’s what He’s saying. He said, “I’ll make you where you’re mature, you’re perfect, when you’re established, I’ll strengthen you.” Also along that line of strength, and can I just say a word about that? How do you get strong? You get strong by sitting in the easy chair. I mean, just watching TV, you know, eating all that, drinking sweet tea and Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper, and eating bonbons and cupcakes and chips and all that. That’s how you get strong, right? Boy, I wish. I’d like that. I’d be real strong, friend. I’ll tell you what. You know how you get strong? Get those stinking weights and, you know. That’s how you get strong? God knows that. God knows that. Hey, I need to get strong. I want to be a strong Christian. Got to go to the gym, friend. God says, putting you in the gym. Nobody likes it. It’s suffering. That’s the Bible word. They can butter it up all they want, make it sound good all they want. We’ll talk about what it means later on right now. Hey, it says suffering, isn’t it? God says, “I got all the grace you need. I’m the God of all grace. Not going to last forever, for a while. And I got a purpose in it.” Oh, pity the world. No purpose of their messed up life. The devil just wrecking havoc in their lives. For us, we’ll go through a hard time just like them, but there’s purpose to it. Make it perfect, established, strength. You find a truly, truly strong Christian? They’ve been to the gym a whole lot. They’ve had to lift a whole lot of burdens. That’s how you get strong. God’s plan.
Then what’s the last word? He used these four words: perfect, established, strength. What’s the next word? And what? “Settle you.” It’s interesting. Just about everything I read about that word, they all have to say kind of like a house is fixed on a foundation. He’s already got the concrete, the slab, if you will. He said, “Now it’s giving you strength, and now I’m going to settle you. I’m going to put that house on the slab. I’m going to fasten it down. It’s going to be anchored down there.” A friend that’s helped us over the new property already, and he had built a house, and there was a tornado that came through, and it literally flipped that house upside down. But the house stayed together—it’s an amazing thing. But the anchors, there’s a little bit of issue. And you go through a tornado. The house stays together, a tornado. That’s pretty amazing. I mean, I wouldn’t fault the builder for that, but he got a lawsuit, whatnot, and it was over these certain type anchors. I actually kind of proven they were stronger than the typical type anchors. But I would sell that to say when God puts that house on the foundation, hey, His anchors, they don’t come loose.
And God says, “And I’ve got to go through some suffering. And I put the house on top of the foundation.” Now here’s the thing about that. Peter’s the one that’s writing this here. And remember, remember what Jesus said: “Peter, but I pray for that the faith failed not. And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” Peter, you’re going to go through it, but when you convert, you come out on the other side. You’re going to be a little bit more mature. You’re going to be established. You’re going to have some hardness and firmness about you. You’re going to be stronger when you come through it. I’m going to have a house on top of it, and a lot of people are going to be able to come in that house and get the peace, the security, the strength they need. Establish you. You can put a house on top of the… You know, people come to a house and get rest, get protection during a storm. And God said, “Look, I’m doing something here. I’m working here. I’m putting these four things in your life,” and that last thing is, “I’m settling you.” I’m building, I’m building on top of what’s, and I’m laying something on top of the foundation. I’m settling. Settling in there. I’ve got a house there. Well, that’s when God can bring a whole lot of people in that house and use you to be a blessing to them. Yeah, God’s got a reason for it all.
I sometimes would stay when I was a young person at Steele’s house in Lake City, Florida. Anyone know where Lake City, Florida is? Actually, Lake City, Florida, and then outside of there’s Live Oak. Anybody know where Live Oak is? Yeah, Live Oak, okay, there’s, yeah. And Live Oak, and they lived out in the country. They had sheep and bulls and cows and all the rest of that. And they lived in a trailer there. And they’re good Christian people, good Christian. He was my youth director when I was young, about 7th grade. I never forget they took us to a youth conference and coming back. I was a 7th grade punk, you know. And Mr. Steele—he was short, about 5 feet tall and about five feet—he was one of those strong as an ox kind of guys. And we stopped at some reserve, some lake somewhere, and we were just out there, had our clothes on but swimming to have a good time. And I thought, “I’m going to get Mr. Steele.” I tried to tackle him. I was quick. He couldn’t get, but once he got a hold of me, oh, my goodness, he held me under. I saw my life flash in front of him 20 times. He pulled me up, got a little air, and he put me back under. He did that about 20 million times. I never messed with him again, friend. Leave him alone, scratch him off my list, you know. Robert Steele, great people. And I’d stay somewhere out there with them. And they lived in that trailer, but they had an old house. It had been there for over a hundred years. And those storms would come. I mean, you get all those storms in Florida and hurricanes and everything else. And they’d say, “Well, that house has withstood a whole lot of storms, over 100 years old.” I remember going to that old house. They used it for storage, a little bit of everything. And we would go up—there’s the second floor. There’s a window there. It didn’t have any glass in, just a window. And we’d watch that storm out that window. Never worried about it a bit. Trees just bowing in that wind, whatnot. That house has stood a lot of storms over 100 years. It’s been fine. And God said, “Have my love on this in your life. I’m trying to mature you. Make you mature, perfect. Establish, I’m putting a foundation down, giving you strength. I’m settling. I’m building a house on top.” And God says, “I can bring a whole lot of people in that house, give them the love and the nourishment, the peace they need in the storms of their life.” Got a purpose to it. Got a purpose to it.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes to that? Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Oh, my friend, He’s got a reason for it. A.J. Gordon used to say, “Lord, be thorough with me.” He’s thorough with me. He’s refining. He’s working. Maybe here tonight, you said, “Preacher, I want to come out. I want to come out of the suffering a little more perfect, a little more established, a little stronger, and a little more just settled.” God build a house. A whole lot of people get help in the house. God spoke my heart about that. That’s you? Not you? Slip in that preacher, that’s me, that’s me. God bless you. Many, many folks. It’s got a reason. Got a purpose. Oh, yeah, yeah. Can’t have an experienced captain without some rough seas. He’s working. He’s got a purpose of it all. Would you please stand? We’ll have just a quick word of prayer. Let’s spend some time. Be obedient. He wants you to come to the old-fashioned altar. You do that. However He leads you, you just be obedient to Him. Father, thank You that we can rest in Your hand. Thank You in the midst of it all, You’re a God of all grace. They got a purpose. Father, help us to be made more like Your Son. Bless the folk tonight in these few minutes. Father, we’ll thank You for what You do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - ＂Suffering Has a Purpose and is Limited in Time＂ - Sunday PM 05⧸25⧸2025 [50gB4d95DOM]