Joyful Trials

HBI - Even with Jesus as our living hope we should not be surprised when trials come our way but rather rejoice that we are doing God’s will so then lead others by example in what this should look like.

Jesus is our living Hope, which means that our hope is eternal. In the midst of all the troubles we are facing, the cares and concerns of this world we need to remember our hope is alive and well waiting for us to trust in Him. we need this understanding in the hope of eternity with Jesus. We need this because of the promise of suffering and trials that is coming our way.

We are reminded again and again that fiery trials are promised to us it is just a matter of what we are going to do with them. We do not like the idea of trials and often run from them. We often hate the idea of suffering and ask God to heal the trials we go through, maybe heal us from our pains, take us out of them all together. Now I am not saying that God does not heal but rather it is all about our perspective when we go through fiery trials. One thing we can remember when going through Fiery trials is this:

“There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

This is the phrase that Corrie ten Boom is most famous for speaking. These words have resonated with many because of the hope they convey to anyone who has experienced pain or loss. They have even more of an impact coming from Corrie because of the immense suffering she faced in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

But these words weren’t originally spoken by Corrie. In Ravensbrück, a brutal death camp in the heart of Germany, her sister, Betsie, whispered this to Corrie just before dying from the extreme winter conditions: “We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here.”

Corrie spent the next 33 years of her life telling her story to millions, conveying an unwavering message of hope in Jesus Christ. Even after her death in 1983, thousands have come to Christ after hearing her powerful testimony. Through many years of speaking and writing, Corrie said much about the human condition and how God’s love overcomes all things:“In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.” “If God has shown us bad times ahead, it’s enough for me that He knows about them. That’s why He sometimes shows us things, you know – to tell us that this too is in His hands.”

If someone like Corrie who went to a death camp, was viewed as less than human and see the joy and glory of God amidst the lice and fleas then why Cant we. We are told that Jesus is our Living Hope in the midst of this chaotic world. and that as a result of our living for the Lord in His living Hope we should expect to go through suffering. and not only should we expect to go through fiery trials but we can do it with Joy. As we pattern our lives after Jesus trials will come our way to test us and we can go through it with Joy.

What we are going to delve into further today is that as we live in our living Hope and experience trials, How should that change our attitude. But not only that We are to lead by example as to what this should look like. As we rejoice in suffering we should be mentoring others in what it looks like to have Jesus as our Living Hope.

12-14 - Suffer for God with Joy

Suffer Joyfully, who even like to hear those words come out of anyone's mouth. I dont like the idea any more than you guys probably do.

1 Peter 4:12 (CSB) 12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.

Dear Friends - what a way to start an address like this. Dear beloved is what this translates to. It is essentially Peter saying this is to you guys in the church, you guys are all very dear to me. I love you all. It is also a start to a new thought. Peter is now moving towards future thoughts again.

fiery ordeal - I am going to lay it all out for you, as a follower of Jesus it does not mean that you will never go through hard times. more faith does not mean less trials. Is that shocking or surprising to you? Well it shouldn't be. Peter reminds us that it should not surprise us when trials come our way.

But he describes them as fiery ordeals. Well that sounds like fun doesn't it? The word used here comes from the Greek word Pyrosis (poo'-ro-sis). This is that is used for the phrase “the fiery ordeal”. It is the same word that is used in the refining or smelting process of metals.

it is a noun and the phrase is related to a few different ideas that helps it make more sense in this context. It is related to words for suffering/burning. It comes down to the evidence for our faith which is seen in trials and the refining process.

I like going through stuff like this to try and figure out more of the meaning behind stuff. It might put some of you to sleep but it should add meaning. It reminds me of The book of Daniel and the fiery furnace. The idea of suffering trials is that it is not going to be easy, and sometimes it is going to hurt a little bit or maybe even a lot. Suffering/burning used to describe the meaning doesn't give a pleasant image.

I have spent some time on this because we forget sometimes that our trials are going to suck sometimes, they are going to hurt but through it all we have learned we can find joy and hope in the midst of it.

To Test You - As the refining process gets rid of the impurities so God uses the temptations and trials we go through to test us. Satan tempts us to fall and God allows it to test our faith to make sure we are relying on Him. It burns away the impurities in our life.

Dont be surprised my dear friends when suffering ordeals come your way, but when they do allow them to draw you closer to the Lord God. Instead rejoice

1 Peter 4:13 (CSB) 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.

Instead we are to rejoice when these trials happen. we can do this because Jesus is our living Hope, the pattern which we are to live by.

Jesus suffered and died for our sin so that we might have freedom. People hated and reviled Him for what He was and who He claimed to be, they missed the point. He knows what we are going through and has gone through worse then we have. He understands.

We can rejoice through fiery ordeals because in the end when Jesus is finally glorified as the king of kings we will be seen as faithful and all pain will end. We will here the Lord say well done.

1 Peter 4:14 (CSB) 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Being ridiculed for the name of Christ. We are told we are blessed when this happens. Think about it for a second, is Satan going to tempt and attack someone who is doing nothing for God? He is happy with the Christian who keeps his faith to himself.

Rather consider it an honer to be attacked for the name of Jesus, for living according to the word of God. For that might just mean that you are having an impact and doing something right, for the glory of God. Imagine being counted as someone worthy enough to warrant the devil and his minions trying to stop.

Jesus is our living hope and we will go through trials and can go through trials with hope as ones counted worthy to suffer for His name. Ask God to give you the strength to withstand as you glorify His name through them.

15-19 - Suffer without shame

1 Peter 4:15–16 (CSB) 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler. 16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed but let him glorify God in having that name.

Christians are not the only ones that suffer in this world. That is not what this is saying. but if we are to go through ordeals, let it be for the name of Jesus.

what we are told to do is suffer not for bad things, for doing evil. But as we go through fiery ordeals for the name of Jesus ask God to allow Himself to be glorified through them. This comes down to sometimes asking God why He does not heal us or take the ordeals from us altogether.

He can do that, and will do that in His own timing, which is sometimes heaven. But rather we need to learn to ask God to use us in spite of the trials we face and give us the strength to do it. Just see How God uses you while suffering for His name. To see others who wonder how on earth you can find joy in the midst of pain.

1 Peter 4:17–19 (CSB) 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with God’s household, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God? 18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good.

we must do this for the day of the Lord is near, the time of Judgement for our sin will come sooner than you might think. and if God allows His children to be tested through trials the way that they are, how much more will those who do not know be judged.

The testing of faith is a serious thing, the fires that we face will weed out those who are truly committed from those that are not and are just going through the motions. If this where not the case we would not have been warned so much about the testing of our faith. and the fact that through it all we have a God that strengthens and understands.

Peter quotes from Proverbs 11:31 to prove his point. We are warned that the testing of our faith is like the refiners fire. We will go through trials but it is all about our attitude through it all. We will be tested and in it we can become closer to God. If this is what we go through how much more those that do not know Jesus. Count it joy then to be considered worthy to suffer for Jesus name

5:1-5 - show what this looks like by example.

I can do to much justice to this next little bit but it fits in here so well I will touch on it a bit.

1 Peter 5:1–5 (CSB) 1 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

an exhortation to the Elders in the church, not the older people but the leaders in the church. It starts with you. Willingly lead but do so as an example to those around you as to what this looks like. As fiery ordeals happen you need to lead by example as to what this looks like. Not that you are to be perfect but to show others how to lean on God through it all with Joy.

I will touch on this more next week. But what I wanted to draw out is as leaders you are to willingly lead out of Joy in the calling God has given you. lead by example. It starts with you.

SO what?

Thank you Jesus for the lice and the fleas. This is one thing in Corrie Ten Boom’s story that she mentioned. When her and her sister where in the concentration camp one of the dorms they where in where so infested with fleas and lice that no guards wanted to go in. It was obviously horrible. It is like saying thank you Jesus for the blood sucking mosquitoes, or the wasp infestation in my roof. They thanked Jesus for the fleas and lice because the guards left them alone and that gave them the opportunity to lead the other ladies in the dorm to Jesus.

Dont be shocked, there will be trials.

there will be fiery ordeals that come our way. Not just trials and problems but suffering and burning ordeals. The root of the word means that evidence of our faith can be seen in the way that the trials we go through and how they draw us closer to Jesus. Count it joy when we go through trials for we are considered worthy By Satan to warrant trying to bring us down. imagine the impact this can have on others life as we live like this.

you have been warned, you will be refined but there will be healing in God’s timing, in heaven. et this bring you joy as well.

Don’t be ashamed

The testing of our faith is a serious thing. We pray and sing that God would refine us and teach us and purify our hearts but we often do not like the process we have to go through to do it. I used to sing as a kid at camp “purify my heart let me be as gold”, do you remember that song? It is a winnowing process that will weed out the serious from the ones playing at faith in Jesus.

And remember if God allows this to happen to His children, He will give us the strength and joy to go through it. If He allows this to happen, how much more will the people face that refuse to follow Jesus.

Be an example

the exhortation was for the elders but I send the exhortation out to you all. As a church our mission and vision say that we are here to make disciples. Part of that is leading by example. You more mature in your faith, lead others by example as to what this looks like. we need examples of faith in the church and in leadership.

Now you know there will be Fiery ordeals in this life. Ask God to use you through these trials to draw people to God. Allow people to see the Joy you have in God alone through the trying times so they will want to know more about the joy you have in eternity.