1 Peter: Trials (Refiners Fire)

What do I believe God wants them to know? Trials purify us, prepare us, and give us a voice to preach

Why? It gives us a hopeful perspective on trials

What do I believe God wants them to do? Trust God in the trial

Why? It purifies us, prepares us, and prepares

ME/WE

A little over two months ago I gave a sermon about many us have a PREFERRED FUTURE...

Where we are is not where we want to be.

Some of have this with our health and body “anybody”

Where you are is not where you would like to be

Some of us have this with our finances

How many of us want more money in our bank accounts or less in debt?

We also have this in our spiritual life.

Where we are is not where we want to be

ANYBODY

ANYBODY REMEMBER WHAT I SAID HOW WE GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE?

TO GET TO THERE WE NEED TO LIVE HERE

WE NEED TO LEAVE EGYPT TO GET TO THE PROMISELAND

THE PROMISELAND DOESN’T HAPPEN IN EGYPT

THOUGH WE LIKE IT, LOVE IT, RIGHT??

WE NEED TO LEAVE THE COUCH TO GO THE GYM

we need to leave fast food and get real food

WE NEED TO GET OFF OR AMAZON OR SHOPPING AT STORE AND MORE TIME DOING OTHER THINGS SUCH AS BEING IN THE GOOD BOOK OR HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS

What about IN SPIRITUAL LIFE HOW DO WE MOVE FROM HERE TO THERE? How do we move from here to there

Some GENERAL....more time with Him…be involved in church community…use your gifts

Unique…there are unique to you…that are not specifically writting in the Bible in first Sue 8:2

HOW DO WE KNOW THE UNIQUE AND GENERAL WAYS to GET US FROM HERE TO THERE???? H

To GET TO FROM HERE TO THERE WE are going to need TWO needed blessings to HELP us in two different yet similar ways

One of the blessings ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED UNDERSTAND TO FROM HERE TO THERE WE NEED PEOPLE TO HELP US GET FROM HERE TO THERE…WE WILL NEVER GET THERE THERE ALONE.

I have tried in my own life

I have talked to people who feel called to go there but they continue to do it alone

We have been adopted into a family

We see this through out scripture

MOSES NEEDED AARON

NAOMI NEEDED RUTH

ADAM NEEDED EVE

When Jesus sends out the 12 disciples…does He send them out one by one? no 2 by 2

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We need each other

We will not arrive anywhere with signification by ourselves

IS THIS NOT TRUE IN OUR LIFE?

Many of us are marked by someone else or someone elses getting us from HERE TO THERE

(We not only need each other: PEOPLE....we need the PRESENCE OF GOD)

SECOND BLESSING

PRESENCE of GOD…Why? Why do we need His presense to go from here to there?

GOD’s PRESENE LIGHTS THE PATH…this is how you should GO

This is what the nation of Israel need in Egypt…they had pillar of fire of night and a cloud during the day

HOW DOES GOD LIGHT THE PATH IN OUR LIFE?

SPIRIT....

John 14:26 ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Listen to His voice

His voice

God’s lights the path

Genesis 12:1 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

TO GO FROM HERE TO THERE WE NEED GOD’S SPIRIT TO LIGHT UP OUR PATH

NOT ONLY DO WE NEED GOD TO LIGHT UP OUR PATH AND FOR PEOPLE TO HELP US TO GO FROM HERE TO THERE...

WE NEED GOD AND PEOPLE TO HELP US PASS THROUGH THE TRIALS THAT OFTEN COMES FROM GOING FROM HERE TO THERE

TRIALS??

Many times when we go from here to there TRIALS come our way…a wilderness ensures.

ANYBODY

GOD CALL YOU LEAVE HERE BUT TO GO THERE AND THERE WAS A TRIAL

TO GO FROM HERE (EGYPT) TO THEIR (PROMISELAND) THERE IS WAHT BETWEEN?

WILDERNESS

AND MANY TIMES IN THE WILDERNESS WE FACE TRIALS

PAUSE

WHY DO MANY TRIALS COME?

Why are Carla, Trish, Jamie, and Antia going through a trial??

Is it because God is punishing them?

No, trials often fit into one of two cataogories

FALL OF MAN: GENERAL AFFECTS

RESULT OF THE FALL OF MAN AND SIN IN THE WORLD

We see this with Carla and Trish

Some people have a bad theology that says God is doing this

Romans 8:1 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

They are in a trial right now that God is taking them from where they are to a new place.

FALL of MAN: A PERSONS SIN (Pharaoh, 1 Peter)

Anybody in this room face a trial because of the sin actions someone had towards you?

You are in a trial, you have been living good, but someone else doesn’t like it?

You are in a trial

Maybe it is a friend, boss, co-worker, family member

Israel faced this with Egypt with Pharaoh

1 Peter facing it declaring Jesus is Lord

Paul

Paul

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 ESV

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Look what Paul writes about this

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Paul’s eyes are on Jesus

TRIALS BECAUSE OF THE FALL

FLESH:

We got ourselves in the mess

We did that thing

Chose that thing

And we are in the trial because of our flesh

ANYBODY....all the fingers point back to us

BUT THE GOD NEWS IS GOD IS THE GOD OF THE TURN AROUND

God is the good of deliverance and redemption

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

bad to good

good things not taken away

best is yet to come

AMEN!!

THIS WHAT APOSTLE PETER WANTS TO PREACH TO THE to Christians of the Disaspora who are facing a huge trial

WHY are they facing a trial? Because they proclaim Jesus is Lord!…Fall of mankind is putting them in a trial

they have lost their

Land

Jobs

Families separated

No class citizen

Oppressed

Peter wants to remind them though they are in a trial..GOD WORKS ALL THINGS FOR GOOD…listen to what Peter says

1 Peter 1:6–9 ESV

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

James writes something similar to start his letter out

James 1:3–5 ESV

for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

JOY? HOW IS IT JOYFUL???

What PETER wants to show us is that THIS TRIAL IS GOING TO TO TURN TO GOOD

The enemy may be trying to crush you, but God is the God of working all things for good.

What this trial meant to do is crush you but instead it is purifiying you

PURIFY YOU LIKE GOLD IS PURFIED IN FIRE

What trials do is put you in the refiners fire…like gold…what it is seeking to do is to make you more and more like Christ

The enemy tries to use the trial to break you down…God uses it to build you up and purify you…there are things that need to go.

Peter uses the anaolgy of Gold

Is purified a 10k pice of gold has 14k of gold and 10k of impurities

How does it purify us and

What trials do is they start to strip the things off of you that you didn’t need.

Trial of depression and anxiety....that was brought on by the fall and my flesh…had to strip off my false belief of the gospel, God loved me when I obeyed..not true Gospel

younger man stripped me from going after lustful desires

Superman mentality

ANYBODY

THE TRIAL MAD YOU STRONGER AND THAT IS WHY IT IS JOYFUL

WE SEE THROUGH THOUGH OUT SCRIPTURE TRIALS PREPARES YOU FOR THE PLACE YOU ARE GOING

YOU COULDN’T GET TO THE PROMISELAND BEING 14K YOU NEEDED TO BE 20K

TRIALS GIVE YOU THE ABILITY TO PREACH

-YOUR GREATEST TRIAL YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH IS ONE OF THE PLACES GOD WANTS TO USE YOU THE MOST

ANXIETY

ADDICITON

JESUS WENT THROUGH THE TRIAL

IN THE DESSERT

ON THE CROSS

By his stripes we are healed

Isaiah 53:5–6 ESV

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.