HALLELUJAH ANYHOW

BIG IDEA: ALTHOUGH WE ARE GOING THROUGH, WE STILL OUGHT TO PRAISE HIM!

BELOVED, I DID IT! I ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED TO HAVE MY VERY OWN - INVITATION ONLY - PITY PARTY! AS PASTOR, I’VE RECENTLY BEEN DEALING WITH DEATH, SICKNESS AND PAIN - IN AN ALMOST UNENDING FASHION...

EVEN AS I’VE DEALT WITH OUR HOLINESS IS COOL SUB-SERIES, THE MESSAGES JUST SEEMED TO FALL ON DEAF EARS...

PEOPLE ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN, THAT THEIR SINS ARE BECOMING THEIR FRIENDS!

SO, STACK THE RESISTANCE TO BELIEVERS BECOMING HOLY… ON TOP OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CHALLENGES, AND WELL YES, I WAS ABOUT TO HAVE MY OWN - INVITATION ONLY - PITY PARTY!

WHAT ABOUT YOU? HAS THIS SEASON PUSHED YOU TO THE LIMITS OF PITY PARTIES?

GOD ALLOWED YOU TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING SO UNTHINKABLE THAT YOUR ONLY RESPONSE WAS TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF...

WHY ME?

AND BELOVED, BEFORE I COULD ADD SOME BLUES TO THIS MELODY IN MY SPIRIT, 1 PETER 1:6-7 MADE LANDFALL:

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (1 Pe 1:6–7). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

LET ME POSE SOME QUESTIONS:

IS IT PAINFUL TO LET GO OF CERTAIN SIN IN YOUR LIFE?

IS YOUR CURRENT SEASON ALMOST UNBEARABLE?

HAVE YOU BEEN TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL?

PASTOR BROWN - HOW CAN I GIVE A HALLELUJAH ANYHOW? CAUSE THE WORD SAYS SO:

VS. 6 - YOU REJOICE IN THIS.....YOU SUFFER GRIEF IN VARIOUS TRIALS (7) SO THAT THE PROVEN CHARACTER OF YOUR FAITH - MAY RESULT IN PRAISE, GLORY, AND HONOR AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

WE REJOICE NOW - BECAUSE PAINFUL PROCESSES PERFECT OUR FAITH! (GOD USES PAIN TO GROW US UP)!

WE ARE COMMANDED TO REJOICE, NOT PITY, WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH PAIN!

NOTICE THE MOVEMENT OF THE TEXT: REJOICE IN THIS (HE’S GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING) - YOU SUFFER GRIEF IN VARIOUS TRIALS....SO THAT!

YOUR REJOICING NOW IS CONNECTED WITH THE “SO THAT!”

OUR FAITH IS BEING MEASURED AND INCREASED! OUR FAITH IS BEING EXPANDED! OUR FAITH IS BEING GROWN!

THE SAME CAN BE SAID FOR HOW WE HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN: FAITH! WHEN CONFRONTED WITH SIN, WE FAITHFULLY AVOID - OVERCOME - BYPASS - BELIEVING THAT GOD HAS EMPOWERED US TO OVERCOME...

NOW IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE TRIALS IN 1 PETER ARE LIKELY PERSECUTION FROM BEING A BELIEVER. HOWEVER, VARIOUS TRIALS ARE VARYING!

TROUBLES DON’T LAST ALWAYS

TROUBLES HAVE A DESIGNATED TASK

TO MAKE US BETTER

WE REJOICE NOW - BECAUSE PAINFUL PROCESSES PERFECT OUR FAITH! (GOD USES PAIN TO GROW US UP)!

WE REJOICE NOW - BECAUSE OUR FAITH HAS VALUE!

THE VERSE SAYS: 7 SO THAT THE PRIVEN CHARACTER OF YOUR FAITH - MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD WHICH, THOUGH PERISHABLE, IS REFINED BY FIRE...

OUR FAITH HAS VALUE...

AND IT IS FURTHER INCREASED IN VALUE WHEN IT HAS BEEN REFINED - TESTED!

THINK BACK OVER 2020!

YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD FAITH, DIDN’T YOU?

BUT LOOK AT YOU NOW...

DON’T YOU FEEL LIKE GOD CAN GET YOU THROUGH ANYTHING (I KNOW WE’RE NOT ASKING FOR NOTHING ELSE)...

BUT AS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE REFINING OF OUR VALUABLE FAITH, WE’VE GOTTEN SOME SPIRITUAL MUSCLES...

(EXERCISE HURTS BECAUSE IT WORKS)!

FAITH INCREASES AS IT ENDURES

WE REJOICE NOW, BECAUSE WE’RE PRACTICING OUR PRAISE FOR CHRIST’S RETURN!

MAY RESULT IN PRAISE, GLORY, AND HONOR AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST!

OH CHILD OF GOD: REJOICE NOW!

I KNOW IT HURTS, BUT REJOICE NOW.

IT AIN’T CRAZY; IT’S PRACTICE!

OUR POSTURE OF REJOICING HELPS US TO KEEP OUR FOCUS...

JESUS IS COMING BACK....AND WHEN HE DOES, ALL OF THIS PALE IN COMPARISON TO HIS GLORY ((IT’S LIKE WHEN A MOTHER GIVES BIRTH: THE BABY ECLIPSES THE PAIN OF CHILD-BIRTH))!