Our Living Hope is Our Antidote for Trials

Understanding Adversity Series  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  33:52
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Introduction

1 Peter 1:3–9 NIV
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1. Trials defined:

Trials are various undeserved and unexplainable external negative events that may cause mental, emotional or spiritual pain, that all Christians need to occasionally experience. 
Trials are different from the inward spiritual attacks from the world, the flesh, and Satan.

2. Trials are necessary.

εἰ δέον - first class condition, "since it is necessary"
A. Jesus had to suffer Mark 8:31
Mark 8:31 NIV
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
B. Paul said it we must experience tribulations Acts 14:19-22
Acts 14:19–22 NIV
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
C. Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal 1 Peter 4:12
1 Peter 4:12 NIV
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

3. Trials may cause pain.

A. not just grief 1 Peter 1:6
1 Peter 1:6 NIV
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
λυπησέντες refers not so much to grief, as when a person grieves for a lost friend, but to the actual pain or suffering of persecution. 
B. Trials may be mentally, emotionally, and spiritually painful.

4. Trials show our faith to be genuine.

1 Peter 1:7 NIV
7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Like gold is refined through fire and because purer, more valuable
Our faith is refined, made purer, and shown to be genuine by trials
Louw-Nida "genuineness on the basis of having been tested—‘genuineness, genuine.’​

5. Trials result in praise, glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus.

A. Praise to God for our faith
B. Praise to us by God for our faith
We will celebrate that our faith got us through all the hard stuff!

6. Trials don't have to steal our joy.

A. Are you rejoicing when the trial comes? Always rejoice in our favored status with God because of your living hope. 1 Peter 1:3-6
B. Continue in inexpressible joy because of the living hope which will result in the salvation of your soul. 1 Peter 1:8-9
C. Our living hope is the powerful antidote for trials!
Discussion questions:
Why is it some trials seem harder than others?
Why do you think some people handle trials better than others?
What have you learned that helps you to get through trials and to rejoice in them?
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