The Reality of Trials

Intro:

Well, we’ve made it to October… I don’t know about you, but this year just seems to be flying by…

This year has had all kinds of days—busy days, exciting days, ordinary days, and yes, even a few lazy days as well...

But if we’re honest, it’s also had its fair share of rough days—those days that test our patience, stretch our faith, and remind us that life isn’t always easy.

Just these past 4-6 weeks, we’ve had families of our church…

Affected by some sort of wedge that has come between them and close family members

Affected by the struggle to get a head as the cost of everything seems to get higher everyday

Affected by the death of a loved one

Affected by the report of cancer returning, or treatments that are no longer working as they once were.

Affected by the need for, and undergoing, surgical procedures

Affected by the progression of their dementia and having to be moved to assisted living

Affected by their own heart, or the heart of a loved one, that struggles to keep beating and the uncertainty of whether or not they will pull through after their recent medical emergency…

And these are just some of the ones that I know about…

I spent most of the day Friday, alone in my vehicle, fulfilling a commitment I had made to… help a brother out… … and even though the traffic during the second half of the trip was less than desirable, it was still nice to have an opportunity to TRY (emphasis on try) and process, not just the events of this past week, but those of the past 4-6 weeks.

One of the main things that continues to replay over and over in my mind, especially during rough days, is the fact that God is Sovereign… He is in complete control of everything…

And in knowing that, I thought I sounded pretty Pastoral as I would pray “Lord please work out these things in accordance to Your will”… and then it hit me… I don’t have to pray for that… because it will… … I was praying for something that was already going to happen…

What I needed to be praying for… … what we all need to be praying for… … is the “patience to wait for Him to bring His Sovereign will to fruition”… and … … “that our relationship with Him will be strengthened for having gone through whatever trial we are currently facing”… so that even through whatever it is... we can bring Honor and Glory to His Name…

I am not gonna to lie… I needed a reminder this week… and I got to thinking… If I needed a reminder, then maybe some of you do as well…

And so this morning, we are not going to be in 1 John… Lord willing, we will pick that up again next next week… but today I want to take you back to 1 Peter… Which isn’t very far away from 1 John, so we are in the vicinity…

Some of you weren’t here 3 years ago when we went through 1 Peter and so this will be brand new for you… For some that were here 3 years ago, due to lack of memory or the lack of listening, this may be brand new for you as well,… and for those who remember every single sermon I preach, I am sure this will serve as a wonderful reminder…

That being said…

Lets take a look at what Peter has to say… (Read 1 Peter 1:6-9)...

Meat:

Since the beginning of the Christian church, Christ's followers have suffered. As a result of their devotion to Christ many in the early church were Beaten, Exiled, Beheaded, Crucified, Stoned, Pierced with spears, Burned alive and faced many other violent forms of persecution. And there are born again children of God suffering and dying all over the world today.

Now, the “various trials” that the early churched faced are vastly different from the "various trials" that the Church in America faces today… at least for now… I do believe that the longer the Lord tarries, the more Satan will attack the Bride of Christ (that’s us, the Church).

And yes, even here in America, we as the Church, as followers of Christ, do indeed face various trials.… This life is filled with trouble… and as Christians, we may be tempted to say " I am a child of God, why is this happening to me?" Many times I have heard people say, there is just no answer to that question!… But that is not the case!… In fact there are several answers:

1. We live in a fallen, sinful world. One of the consequences of man's sin in the Garden is the suffering that the entire world encounters.

2. Troubles and suffering also come as a result of sin in the life of the Christian. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to discipline us when we get out of alignment with His will.…

If you look to the life of King David (A man after God's own heart) you will see great suffering as a result of his sinful choices and actions… and if there is sin in your life, as a child of God, you can expect the same result.

3. Finally, and perhaps the most common reason for suffering, is the fact that God is using suffering and trouble to strengthen your faith…

And that is what I would like to give a reminder of today… I hope that you will find some encouragement as we look at some...

Truths About Trials

The first truth that I want you to take note of is the fact that…

1. Trials are Inevitable

Like it or not… they are going to happen.

Peter says in v. 6… 1 Peter 1 6 “6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”

We like the part about “greatly rejoicing,” “In this you greatly rejoice...” Peter is talking about our Salvation, our relationship with Christ… “In this you greatly rejoice…” … but we don’t always like the part that follows — “you have been grieved.”

Those two phrases sitting side by side remind us that joy and trials often live in the same house. You can have real joy in Christ and yet still face real pain in life.

And I’m here to tell you, that you are not alone in feeling this way at times…

Peter is speaking to believers who were scattered, persecuted, and hurting. They were trying to live faithfully in a world that didn’t understand or accept their faith… … and we are still living in that same world…

Now, Peter is like John in the fact that … he’s not one to beat around the bush when he has something to say… “In this (Your Salvation) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while,...” then he says “if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”…

The NASB translates it this way… “, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials”

Which means… that Trials in the Christian life are inevitable, because…

1.1 They Are Necessary

As hard of a pill that is to swallow… Sometimes, the trials that we face are necessary.

There is a common misconception that once you are saved you are shielded from trouble. This idea is spread around by the many health and wealth preachers today.

However, I can tell you from personal experience and Biblical truth that Christians FACE GREAT TROUBLES!!

Christians have bills that they can't pay.

Christians face marriage troubles and even divorce.

Christians have strokes and heart attacks.

Christians get cancer.

Christians deal with diabetes and arthritis.

Christians have rebellious children.

Christians have to stand at the grave of a child, a spouse or a parent and say goodbye.

Sometimes troubles, trials and tragedy hit us out of nowhere.

Job came to understand this and he worded it this way…

Job 14:1 NASB95

1 “Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

Maybe you are dealing with a circumstance or situation that you never could have expected. I want you to know that, even though it may have taken you by surprise... God was not surprised!

He knew about it before it happened. And He sees your pain… He sees your struggles… But He also sees the end result and He knows the benefit that this particular “trial" will have on your life!

But know this, Trials are Necessary… and …

1.2 They Are Diverse

Peter is talking about much more that just having a bad day. He is not referring to those times when things just don't go your way. Notice the words that he uses: “if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”

Grieved means distressed, or saddened... saddened by, what Peter calls, various trials…

In the Greek, it means “many-colored” or “multifaceted.”…

In other words, trials come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are physical — health issues, exhaustion, financial stress.

Some are emotional — grief, fear, disappointment…

And others are spiritual — seasons of doubt, dryness, or feeling like God is far away.

They are diverse, they are different for everyone and everyone will experience different ones over the course of time.

Peter is portraying trouble on every side, coming from every direction… and he’s also eluding to the devastating consequences that come with said trouble…

Have you ever noticed that when trouble comes it just keeps on coming. When you think things can't get any worse… Then they do… ???

Have you ever felt like you’ve hit rock bottom and then the bottom falls out?… … That my friends is what Peter means when he says "Various Trials"…

Some of you have been there before,

some are headed there now

and some of you are there as we speak…

Which leads us to our second truth about these trials… and that is…

2. They Have A Purpose

If trials are necessary… then they must have a purpose.

Warren Wiersbe says that “...there are special times when God knows that we need to go through trials. Sometimes trials discipline us when we have disobeyed God’s will. At other times, trials prepare us for spiritual growth, or even help to prevent us from sinning. We do not always know the need being met, but we can trust God to know and to do what is best.”

Look at the reasons for our trials that Peter mentions in v.7 1 Peter 1:7 “7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”

Again, I like how the NASB words this verse… “so 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”

This verse answers the age old question of... "WHY??"… “Why is this happening to me, when I am a Christian, when I am a follower of Christ, when I am a born again Child of God… Why is this happening to me?”… first of all…

2.1 Trials Prove Us

The trials that we go through are there to prove “the genuineness of our faith”…

Warren Wiersbe said, “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.”

God allows trials not to destroy your faith, but to prove it’s genuine.

Think about that word “tested.” It means to prove the worth of something through trial or heat.

Peter uses the picture of gold being refined in fire. When gold is heated, all the impurities rise to the surface so the refiner can skim them off. What’s left behind is pure, strong, valuable gold.

In the same way, God allows the fires of life to test our faith — not to burn us up, but to bring something better out of us.

He’s refining us, shaping us, strengthening our trust in Him.

And notice the result Peter points to — “… that your faith may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

In other words, when Jesus returns, your tested faith will shine like refined gold. It’ll be clear to everyone — including you — that your faith was real.

Here’s something interesting to think about… God already knows whether or not our faith is genuine! We do not have to prove it to Him…

So that means that the benefit of this "proving" or testing our "faith" is actually... for us! When we come through a trial and still trust the Lord we are assured that our faith is genuine.

Not only do trials and suffering have the purpose to "prove us"… We also see that:

2.2 Trials Reveal Our Love For Christ

v.8 says…

1 Peter 1:8 “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”

Now, remember — Peter had seen Jesus. He walked with Him, talked with Him, even failed Him… But the people Peter was writing to hadn’t seen Jesus face-to-face like he had. Yet they still loved Him deeply.

And that’s where trials become so revealing — they test not just the strength of our faith, but the depth of our love.

When life is easy, it’s easy to say, “Yeah, I love Jesus… I am a follower of His”… But when the bottom falls out — when prayers seemingly go unanswered, when life doesn’t make any sense — … that’s when our love for Christ is really proven.

To quote Warren Wiersbe again, he said “The trials of life test not only the strength of our faith but also the sincerity of our love” (repeat)

You see, trials have a way of peeling back all the surface stuff … the routine, the religion, the Sunday smiles … and showing what’s really in our hearts.

Peter says, “… Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

These believers were going through painful persecution … scattered, mistreated, and severely misunderstood… yet they still had a joy that couldn’t be explained.

I think I’ve used this quote recently, but…

A.W. Tozer once said, “The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One.” That’s the secret of these believers… their love for Christ was greater than their pain.

Let’s be honest … trials have a way of revealing what we truly treasure. When everything is stripped away, what’s left?… … If your heart still says, “Lord, I love You,”… even through all the tears… … that’s genuine love.

And then v.9 shares the final purpose…

1 Peter 1:9 “receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

2.3 Trials Strengthen Our Hope

Peter has talked about rejoicing in trials, about faith being tested, and about loving Christ even when we can’t see Him.

And now he points us to the outcome — “the end of your faith,” which he says is “the salvation of your souls.”

Every trial we face in this life is leading us toward a greater purpose … … toward the ultimate reward of our faith, our eternal salvation.

In other words, when you’re walking through the fire, remember… this isn’t the end of your story… God is using these trials to get you ready for glory.

We may not see the benefit of our suffering today… but when we stand before the Lord in Heaven, and we are rewarded for our walk with Him and for the sufferings we endured here on earth, it will be worth it all… “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ!”

We may not understand every trial right now, but one day we will — and on that day, it will all make sense.

Closing:

As we get ready to close… I know that anytime someone is dealing with various trials, the main go to verse… which don’t get me wrong, is an amazing verse and holds a lot of encouragement… Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

I have quoted that verse many times… and several of those times I have gotten a response that sounds like this.... “Yeah, yeah, I know”… or “Yep, I know that one too, even have the t-shirt”… There are times when people use and view this verse as a cliche’… and I am guilty of it myself…

But may I encourage you today with another passage… I’ve included this on your outline in hopes that it helps you to remember where you can find it…

2 Corinthians 4:15-18

(Read Slowly) 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 “15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

For those of you who are in the midst of one of these "various trials" ....never forget that these trials are inevitable, but they also have a purpose.

God is working out His plan to prove you, to reveal your love for Him, and to strengthen the hope of your salvation.

And when we remember that, we can face trials differently. We can say, “Lord, I may not understand this right now, but I know where this is leading. I know that one day, my faith will end in sight, and I’ll see You face to face.”

And don’t forget to pray for the "patience to wait for Him to bring His Sovereign will to fruition”… and … … “that your relationship with Him will be strengthened for having gone through whatever trial you are currently facing.

Prayer: