Living Joyfully to bring glory to God
Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:6-9
Title: 1 Peter 1:6-12 – Live joyfully to bring glory to God
Introduction:
Central Idea: Trials should drive us to God not away from Him.
Main Transition: This morning we are going to finish the argument that was really started in verse 2 of this chapter. All of which ties into the main theme of the book, that is to stand firm not because you have false hope, but because you have a living hope guaranteed by the empty tomb. Now Peter turns his attention directly at his audience, those that have been scattered by persecution. He tells them that they must be finding joy in the midst of trials. He then gives them a purpose for enduring those trials and finally he reveals the foretold promise of Salvation that you and I enjoy.
I. Finding joy in the midst of Trials (6)
A. The foundation of joy during trials
1. Peter begins verse 6 by reminding the readers of the last few verses
a. In light of verses 1 and 2 where we are chosen by the Father, sanctified by the Spirit, sprinkled in the blood of Christ in order that we be obedient.
b. In light of verse 3-5 where we realize that it was because of the mercy of God that we moved from enemy of the cross to joint-heirs with Christ Jesus of the kingdom of God, Who caused us to born again into a living hope, guaranteed by the resurrection of Jesus, we were given an inheritance, which is untouchable by any sort of evil, because it is protected by God, and we ourselves are protected by the power of
2. All of this combined is what Peter is referring to when he says, “In this you greatly rejoice.”
Application: I have said it before and I want us to remember that Peter didn’t start out stating his purpose, he carefully crafts his support and evidence that you and I who are not facing intense persecution can stand firm, those that right now and 2000 years ago that do face intense persecution can also stand firm in their faith because we have been specially equipped to handle the trials that come.
B. Our response to trials
1. Peter now tells us how we need to respond to those trials that affect us, especially those trials that the persecuted roman Christians faced scattered to the fringes of the known world.
2. We are to rejoice
a. Did you catch that we are to rejoice. Pay special attention to this word as we are going to consider it more in dept in a moment.
b. Trials are not easy and they rock our world in so many ways but Peter just told us that even in the midst of trials rejoice.
c. Rejoice means to “be glad” Peter is not saying be glad because of the trials, but be glad because of what it was that the Triunity of God has accomplished in your life that is allowing you to survive eternally the trials that you face.
C. The likelihood of trials in your life
1. It is obvious from what we know of the background to this book that Peter is writing to a group of people that has been so affected by trials that it has become part of them.
2. Often times we do not realize that we are living in a world that is not our own. Satan has energized this world against believers, persecutions will not get better for long, in fact they are much worse know then before.
3. It is likely that you or your family will suffer persecution very soon in our own country.
Transition: Peter’s message is one of tremendous lasting hope. He has not built a straw man and said now you can have joy in your trials. He is not promising happiness, and wealth. He is instructing us that we have the chance to be different, we have hope lets prove it. He is now going to squash the health and wealth teaching of this age, which say if you are faithful God will financially bless you for it.
II. The purpose of enduring trails (7-9)
A. To purify your faith (7)
1. Not only will some very godly people endure trials, but there is a purpose as to why God allows us to endure those trials.
Illustration: When gold has been removed from the mountain it doesn’t come out in the form of your wedding ring, or a bracelet, or a necklace. It comes out with all kinds of minerals and impurities attached. In order to remove the impurities the metal is heated until it melts, the slag or impurities rise to the top and the pure gold is all that is left.
a. Peter uses this very illustration to reveal that your faith is much more precious then gold, which is purified by fire but can be destroyed.
b. But in the same way God can use trials and persecutions in our life to purify our faith.
2. Peter new adds another reason that we can rejoice in our trials, to do so reveals that we have a pure faith in Christ.
Application: Does this mean that it is any less difficult to endure those trials? Absolutely not if it was easy to get pure gold out of the gold chunk then it would not have to be brought to the edge of destruction. The trials that you face cannot destroy you eternally, but they do refine your faith, they also prove your faith.
B. To prove your faith (7-9)
1. When you have been run through the refiner’s fire what do you do?
2. Peter says it should produce in us praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. We should be believers who are ever increasingly anxious to see the second coming of Christ. When finally Christ will be on the earthly throne of David to rule righteously.
3. But not dwelling on that peter moves on to almost reiterate what the Lord says to Doubting Thomas.
a. Thomas had to see the risen Christ to believe
b. you and I are not afforded that opportunity, however, that does not mean that we have a wavering faith. Trials serve to reinforce that we are true believers with a pure faith
c. That then builds in us the ability to rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.
4. We arrive at verse 9 soaring even though we maybe facing hard times, we serve an awesome God. David wrote what he could and we can identify with the Psalms, realize that even those do not completely reveal to us the full grandeur of God’s glory, nor our joy.
a. Here in this verse we must realize that have done nothing more than trust in Christ for salvation, having done so we realize only in part what a wonderful possession that we truly do have.
b. Not that we have experienced it fully yet, but we are assured if its presence, and we live in it’s this far revealed protection
C. To produce joy in your faith and glory to God (7-9)
1. We usually believe that we did something to warrant the trials that we face, we blame it on God, or ourselves and beat ourselves up over it.
2. But the trials we face are not only to purify and prove our faith they are to bring joy to us, realizing that what the Triunity of God has done is indeed true. And when we are joyful even in trials God is glorified. No less then five times in these few verse are the words joy, praise, rejoice and glory used.
Illustration: I was reminded this week that we often equate trials with a false understanding that says that God wants me to miserable because I have sinned or he just doesn’t like me. This is a lie that Satan wants us all to believe. Peter has just illustrated that when we are purified and when our faith is proven God is glorified. In other words, God wants us to endure. We are told that God will never test us with more then we can bear, if you believe that allow the trials and persecutions that come your way produce the joy that God intends not the destruction that Satan intends.
Transition: Peter has opened the doors of our hesitancy and revealed that when we do face trials God is using what others meant for evil for his glory and our joy. We do live in a world that is charges against us as believers. But we are eternally protected by the awesome power of God. This is the foretold promise of salvation.
III. The Foretold promise of Salvation (10-12)
A. Salvation foretold in the Word of God (10)
1. Peter again redirects our attention back to the working of God throughout time.
2. He takes us back to the Old Testament and to the Prophets who wrote down the message that the Holy Spirit moved them to write, this is why Peter says in 2 Peter 1:21, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
3. these men did not know fully understand the grace that you are now able to possess.
B. The prophets searched the inspired Word (11)
1. It was not for lack of trying as the prophets searched their own writings to figure out when Christ would come and understand the sufferings that he would face that the Spirit authored through Isaiah chapter 53.
2. But they also searched for understanding concerning the glories that followed the sufferings, no doubt the recipients of this letter desired the glories after their sufferings were completed as well.
C. The prophets and angels marveled at Salvation (12)
1. The Holy spirit revealed to these men that the coming salvation was not for them, but that the road was being prepared by them as they wrote what they did not fully understand, so that you and I may know who Christ is and that He died for our sins and that He rose again enabling us to be partakers in the glories to come.
2. What we can now possess and the redemption that we are given as a gift is not available to the angelic realm, they long to understand what we are given through Christ.
Conclusion: It is easy to blame God for the trials that we