1 Peter 1:6-9 Rejoicing in the Mist of trials
TPC 28
Intro: A young college girl had two
problems common to many students: low grades and no money. She was forced to communicate both problems
to her parents, whom she knew would have trouble understanding. After considerable thought she used a
creative approach to soften the blow of reality and
wrote: Dear Mom and Dad,
Just thought I'd drop you a
note to clue you in on my plans. I've
fallen in love with a guy named Jim. He
quit high school after grade eleven to get married. About a year ago he got a divorce.
We've been going steady for two months and plan to get married in
the fall. Until then, I've decided to
move into his apartment (I think I might be pregnant).
At any rate, I dropped out of school last week, although I'd
like to finish college sometime in the future. On the next page, she
continued:
Mom and Dad, I just want you to know that everything I've written
so far in this letter is false. NONE of it is true.
But Mom and Dad, it IS true
that I got a C in French and flunked Math.
It IS true that I'm going to need some more money for my tuition
payments.
Even bad news can sound like
good news if it is seen from a certain vantage point.
Well Peter is writing to believers who are engaged in a
Tremendous Trial- Persecution – Writing
to encourage them
A)But He doesn’t lie to do it / But reminds them of some great truths
Who’s they are v.2 / Where going
v.3,4 / Who’s watching out for you v.5
B) Now
Having a clear perspective on those 3 things will help us in the mist of the
trials that we find ourselves going thru.
C) Sometimes in the mist of trials people say – I can’t see any good thing coming out of this trial
1)
But
the thing that we need to remember is that the Bible doesn’t say we see all things working together for Good – It says we
know that …..
D) We might not see it but we know it – Might not see it this week / month / year / or even in this lifetime – but doesn’t say we will see it
1)
It says that we KNOW – God is using it for that it is working out for
God’s Good – we can rejoice in the mist of it
That is exactly what Peter is saying here – In the mist of
the Trial you can Choose to Rejoice – why ? 2 things
A)1st These trials strengthen our faith in the Lord / 2nd
These trials Deepen our love for the Lord / FIRST Strengthen our faith in the
Lord
A) Trials can even reveal just how true our faith
really is – True faith or just lip service – seen in how we respond in the mist
of Trials
B) Jesus made light of this in Matt. 13 in the
Parable of the sower – the seed sown among the stones – shallow soil
1)
Even
though there was rejoicing initially in the receiving of the word – once the
Sun comes out – which represents trials – plant dies –
C) Because it had no root system – describes a
person who’s faith is more of an emotional response not rooted in the Lord – Not Genuine faith –
D)So the Fire – reveals the Genuineness of our faith
– also reveals the
areas where we still
need to be refined !!
Here Peter likens our faith to gold
that is tried by fire /
A) Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
B)When gold is placed in intense heat – all the impurities rise to the surface
1)
Scrapped
off – put back in the fire – more impurities are revealed
C) Trials have a way of causing the impurities in our lives to be revealed
1)
What
comes to the surface in the mist of trials often times is not pretty but in
reality can be very ugly
D) Sometimes
anger and Bitterness / - poor speech surface / all revealing the areas where we still need to be Refined by the
fire.
1) Back in
the fire we go!!!
When
does the goldsmith know that the Gold is pure ? when he can see His reflection
in the gold
E)The same is true of us – the Lord knows when we
are thru – when He sees His reflection in us . ( We
just start to reflect Him all that we do)
1)
That
guy / that Gal – looks a lot like Jesus
Wiersbe
insight. They do not last forever; they are “for a season.” When
God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. If we rebel, He may
have to reset the clock; but if we submit, He will not permit us to suffer one
minute too long. The important thing is that we learn the lesson He wants to
teach us and that we bring glory to Him alone.
So Jesus allow us to go thru the fire
because He knows that it is going to Strengthen our Faith – Purify our Lives /
A)They
are not meant to take the strength out of us -But to put strength in us
/ It produces in us a Staying power –
B)
Basketball in
High school running team - preseason conditioning camp
was brutal - coach ran us hard - guys throw up
1)
1st
year I experienced excruciating leg cramps - come on me at night while I was
doing home work - scream throw myself back in chair
C)
It was a very difficult time - but it resulted in
me being in the best
shape of my life .
1) When Basketball was over -
and went into Baseball which was my main sport
- I was stronger, quicker, faster.
Incredible
D)The following fall when
Basket ball conditioning camp came around I actually looked forward to it
because I knew what the results would
be
1)
New
freshmen coming in didn’t enjoy it / because they didn’t realize
what it
was producing / but I did
E) That is what Peter is getting at here / and Paul makes this very Clear in Rom. Ch. 5:1-5 – TURN
Paul
says we can glory in Tribulation. Because we know that it is producing 3
important Qualities in our Lives / First trials Produce Perseverance
A) In some versions the word is
patience. The Greek word literally means "to abide under, to stay under the pressure."
B) Pressure is something we
want to get out from under, but suffering teaches us to stay Under, to stick in
there and hang with it.
1)
Perseverance could be translated "steadiness." It is a word that speaks of being
focused & immovable
C) David is a good example of this / at some where between the ages of 13& 15 David was anointed King of Israel.
1)The Spirit & anointing of God had
left Saul & was residing on David !
But it would be another 15 yrs until
David assumed the throne
D)Yet
David showed great patience & perseverance in waiting on God’s timing /
suffering THRU Saul’s Jealousy -
E)I would have bailed
the first time Saul threw a spear at me. Yet David continued to serve Saul.
1) And only left when it reached the point where it was no
longer safe to continue in that situation.
F)David lived for close to 15 yrs as a fugitive running from
Saul /
1)
yet
even though he had numerous chances to take Saul’s life / didn’t
/waited on God/ Perseverance is the opposite of panic, of
bailing out.
During that time that He wrote some beautiful
Psalms in which he glorifies the Lord & spoke of his dependence upon the Lord !
A) Spoke of the Lord as being
his Refuge / his strength / his strong tower
B) Alan Redpath – Psa.59 – “David commences
this Psalm by casting Himself upon God for deliverance. He prays Himself out of
His sense of helplessness and into a quiet confidence, and then into a burst of
Victorious song, although the
situation hasn’t changed & the enemy is still there.
He begins down in the depths crying out to God- and then he
moves into a calm quiet assurance that God is in Control before bursting into a
song of Triumph.”
2nd
thing Paul says is that the suffering not only produces steadiness but
steadiness produces Character !
A) The Word Character carries
w/ it the idea of being put to the test & approved .
B)
During 15 year period God was doing a
work in David heart that I’m sure that David didn’t
realize at the time .
1) David was anointed at 15 to
be the King & yet - he wasn’t physically or spiritually ready for the task
–
Another
good example of this is seen in the life of Joseph who spent 13 yrs in &
out of Prison & Slavery – Unjustly – Never complained
A)Finally
after 13 yrs the Plan of God unfolds for His life – as He is appointed 2nd
in command over all of Egypt
B) The Character that God Built
into His life is seen in the way He responds to His Brothers – who started the
whole thing – selling him into slavery
1) When the whole thing unfolded & Joseph
understood what the Lord
had done / He told his bros You meant evil - God meant good !
C)The Lord does the same thing in our lives
thru trials we encounter
1)Producing a steadiness & a maturity
in our lives ! – Building Character
People
might think – Isn’t there an easier way
!
A) I think that is sometimes
our problem we are always looking for the easy way out ! / short cuts to spiritual growth & maturity
B) Cliff notes or
fast food spirituality ! / But there are times when we
have to go thru the fire / It is the only way
Now
the 3rd thing that Paul mentions is that Character - which could
also be translated experience - produces Hope = assurance or confidence
A) The reason is this when you go thru a trial & see the Lord’s
faithfulness in the trial
B) That EXPERIENCE produces an assurance & a confidence in your life
C) So that when a new trial
comes along you are able to look back on the trial that you just went thru
1)
& realize that God will bring me thru this one AS WELL!!!!
D) That is why Paul says that
in Hope doesn’t disappoint or it doesn’t make me ashamed
1)
So in the mist of the trial – I can rejoice / instead of being
disappointed and depressed / I can glory in it – instead
of feeling ashamed
Now I can look back at times in my life when I didn’t have
hope in the mist of my trial – so ashamed – acted like a Baby
Pastor
Brian told me – Best staff he ever had.
B)
I
thought great – for most of my time in OR. I didn’t have a staff really just one guy – and
some great Volunteers
C) So I was excited about having a staff – a group of
guys to partner in ministry w/. ( Fact that it was Brian’s best staff ever – really
excited)
1) But it didn’t last that long / the Lord started moving guys on –Brian asked 5 guys to come over to London to work w/ Him.
D) A couple of other guys
– moved on to work in other ministries / John Randle moved to Florida to Start
a Church.
1) Do you realize that we went thru – 11 staff changes in the course of a
year and a half.
E) We lost our High school pastor / College Pastor/ our Assoc. pastor and Children’s ministry director – all in a two month period
1) Most Churches don’t survive that type of Transition – But God was doing a work /
Now When all of that was going on / at times -I was bummed –
depressed – panic / I was complaining to the Lord
A)I thought the Church is going
to fall apart ––because I couldn’t see what He was doing
B) All
the while the Lord was saying to me Trust me Rob /
Keep your eyes on me / Keep the people’s eyes on me / It is my Church
C) What was God doing ? Well – God established a Great work in London
1) Ken Sutton is in Stockport / John doing great Florida / Chris is in NC
Tony Smith / Linns/ Lyolds/ Gaylord now w/ Brian at CM/
God was doing a Work in all of our Lives in Preparing us –
for the next step in His Plan for us – ( For some it was – Serve in London)
A) That was their Training ground for where they are at now
B) At the same time –God was developing this Awesome Staff that we have here Now – Great group of guys
1) Tremendous what the Lord has done – United our hearts / AWESOME STAFF.
C) Talking to Brain the
other day –he was Commenting on the–
Great group of Guys / Other Churches asking for some of our guys
D) That which has DEVASTED many other Churches – only Caused us to Grow and be Strengthened -
So when I see how the Lord has brought us through the past
trials it gives me a Confidence that he is going to bring us thru the Present
A)Reminded that it is His
Church – using these things to build in us
Perseverance / Character & Hope
B) James gives a similar
teaching : James Ch. 1
2My brethren, count
it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the
testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its
perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
1) The Greek literally means many-colored.- The trials that we go thru come in many different colors / Shapes & Sizes
D) Now Peter uses that word only one other time and it is to describe the grace of God (1Pet 4:10). ( Manifold – many colored Grace of God)
1) The Connection presents an awesome truth !!!
Our
troubles may be many-colored, but so is the grace of God; there is no color in
the human situation which that grace cannot match.
A)There is a grace to match every trial and there is no trial without its grace.
B)As we go thru the Trial – the Lord reveals that
His Grace is Sufficient. His power is made perfect in our times of weakness
1)
Paul says therefore I will glory in my
infirmity – for when I am weak then I am strong – His power working in my
weakness
Which
leads to 2nd reason glory – Deepens our love v.8
A)Whom having not seen
YOU LOVE – their faith wasn’t built upon sight – they hadn’t
seen Jesus like Peter had –
B)But they believed in Him because of the Resurrection. – Empty tomb – They embraced the Gospel Message /
1) They had experienced His Love & Forgiveness in their
Lives / they were Cleansed
C) God had done a work in their Lives & they were ready to die for the Lord they Loved Him so much / and thru the Trial their love was deepening –why
1)
Many
of You have experienced it – In the mist of the trial – God’s Presence is so
Powerful – that even though can’t see Him/ sense Him
D)Peter called it a Joy that
is inexpressible & full of Glory – Paul called it a Peace that surpasses understanding – Guards our hearts
1) Can’t
explain it – really – overwhelming Peace & Joy
When we grasp what God is doing in the mist of these Trials
in Building Perseverance & Character & Hope / Showing Many colored
Grace
A)He Reveals Himself to us – in way that just causes
us to Fall in love w/ Him even more –
B)You kind of feel like saying at times -Lord just keep me in
the fire – so you can do what you need to do in my life
C) Rather be in the
Fire experiencing the Presence of God / than on easy street – not see the Lord
working or experiencing His Presence
1)
Wiersbe
– How is the Battle going ? IT IS GOING – not something is wrong
D) Talking to my wife the other day – Haven’t really had a season of rest here at Vista sense we have come back
1)
What
I meant by that – is although being here is incredibly refreshing and I just
love being a part of this Church family
E) There is always something – major happening – some area of Attack or
Conflict – Some Crisis – stuff that – we as a staff deal w/
1) So I was complaining to
Denise about that – she said – Yea and we didn’t
have any seasons of rest in OR.
F) What she was really saying – was Grow up – Part of the territory – part of the ministry / especially in a Church this size
But I can honestly say that my love for the Lord is
deepening because in each trial – I know that He is working / sense His
Presence
A)Afterwards I so often say – Lord I had no idea what you where doing back there but
– I see now it was EXCELLENT Bring on the Next one !!!!
TEXT BOOK – ( Not just learning theological pts of Ref.)
1)
But
it is about EXPERIENCING GOD
1
Peter 1:9 can be translated, “For you are
receiving the consummation of your faith, that is, the final salvation of your
souls.”
A)In other words, we can experience today some of that
future glory.
B)Charles
Spurgeon used to say, “Little faith will take
your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your
soul.”
D) It is not enough that we
long for heaven during times of suffering, for anybody can do that.
1)
What
Peter urged his readers to do was exercise love, faith, and rejoicing, so that
they might experience some of the glory of heaven now in the midst of their suffering
V.10-12
The amazing thing is that this “salvation” we are
awaiting—the return of Christ—was a part of God’s great plan for us from
eternity.
A)The
Old Testament prophets wrote about this salvation and studied closely what God
revealed to them.
B) They saw the sufferings of
the Messiah,& also the glory that would follow;
but they could not fully understand the connection between the
two.
C) The Old Testament believers looked ahead by faith
and saw, as it were, two mountain peaks: Mount
Calvary, where Messiah suffered and
1)and Mount Olivet, where He will
return in glory (Zech. 14:4).
D)What
they couldn’t see was the “valley” in
between, the present age of
the church. (
at least a 2000 yr. Gap)
1) They didn’t understand it /
but we do – We see God’s Plan – Before Glory came / the suffering for our sins
was needed – ( Partakers)
First Coming – suffering
Savior / 2nd Coming Conquering King
A)He
is our living Hope – Risen like He said – He will return like He said – Thru
Him we are saved – Waiting –take us to glory
B)
When we trusted Christ, we were born for glory. We are being kept for glory.
1)
As
we obey Him and experience trials, we are being prepared for glory.
C)And
When we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, we experience the glory here
and now.
1) Joy
unspeakable and full of glory!