1 Peter 1:6-9 - The Purpose of Trials
Notes
Transcript
Main Point: Suffering reveals the authenticity of your faith.
Recap:
Peter is talking to rejects and outcasts in Asia (modern-day Turkey)
The chain reaction of God’s mercy
The chain reaction starts with God’s mercy
which leads us to being born again,
which stimulates a Living Hope,
which gives us an eternal inheritance
And the inheritance is protected by God
The inheritance is Walking in the cool of the day with God - to fully know God and be fully known by God.
When we accept God’s mercy, we get a relationship with him.
OK, but what about all the suffering - how do we see God’s character in that? And why does God have us go through suffering for him?
Suffering reveals the authenticity of your faith.
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 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. 8 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, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Today I want all of you to see the purpose of trials and suffering.
What kind of suffering are we talking about?
What kind of suffering are we talking about?
3 types of Suffering
1) Dumb Suffering (dumb it down)
What happens to you - flat tier or uncomfortable conditions
Self Inflecting - eating so much sugar you get diabetes
Not what Peter is talking about.
There is other significant pain that Peter is not talking about
2) Sin Suffering
To you / from you -
Death,
Emotional Abuse,
Sex trafficking,
Substance Abuse,
Economic Disparities - all of this pain comes from evil and sin
Very rarely the suffering that Peter is talking about
I don’t disqualify all of this as not suffering - It’s just not what Peter is talking about here - hold on a min.
Peter’s is writing to people who have been rejected and oppressed socially, economically, emotionally
- NOT because:
of a flat tire or cold living room,
or because someone got shot down the street in gang valance or because a loved one is dying from cancer
But because they follow Christ.
3) Suffering because others know you love Christ.
Josh - 2 years no not one foster kid, 0 adoptions
People grieved by various trials.
ESV - You have been grieved by various trials
NASB - You have been distressed by various trials
NIV - Had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials
The trials these people face are vast because they are Suffering because others know you love Jesus
Modern-day example a Muslim who comes to Christ in the Arab world.
no access to family and land
So when you go through Suffering - because others know you love Christ
Peter says - your inheritance (walking with God) gives you hope
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
Food poisoning - feels like forever, but it gives you a point to look forward to
A little while - from new birth to death, but in comparison to all of eternity?
What is The purpose of trials?
What is The purpose of trials?
7 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.
Tails test the genuineness (or authenticity) of your faith.
Genuine means “truly what one is said to be”
Authenticate - your password
We need to understand the type of suffering so that we don’t miss the character of God.
People jump off that bandwagon cause the temperature of the church isn’t just right.
Where the rubber meets the road - you are Suffering because others know you love Jesus.
Someone cuts you out of their life, because you tell them about Jesus
The person who acts immorally with the boss gets the promotion, and wouldn’t because of your love for Jesus
The family member who cheats on the government in some way and keeps pressuring you to do it. you wouldn’t because of your love for Jesus
Because you love Jesus, you won’t take the easy way - you authenticate yourself to him.
We don’t have enough suffering because others know you love Christ - because we don’t say it.
God doesn’t take your Suffering because others know you love Jesus lightly, More precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire.
God cares about you deeply. - God feels what you go through
2 points:
1 - Gold is perishable - you are not 10,000 years from now you will still be around
2 - Like a chunk of rock going through the fire, the gold doesn't get burned up like the other minerals (but gold melts)
Thus enduring suffering for Christ sorts out those who are authentic from those who are false
8 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,
You CAN see the consequences of Suffering because others know you love Jesus. (Pushed down at work or loss of status )
You have not seen Jesus in the flesh, and you still don’t see Jesus in the flesh.
You have to live by faith - that Jesus is who he says - Authenticate
Which gives an abounding joy - that this too will pass away - but if I am with Jesus, I won't.
Faith and Love in Jesus give us joy that cannot be spoken of or told - it's both a sensation and decision that cascades all of life. Unshakeable and steadfast Joy.
9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Thus, going through a difficult time (Suffering because others know you love Jesus) gives us the ultimate outcome of our faith: salvation for our whole selves.
Conclusion
Conclusion
When we know the proper type of suffering, we can see the character of God, which is proof of what we really think.
When we get it wrong, we enter back into the chain reaction of mercy.
When we get it right, we enter back into the chain reaction of mercy - we just have a deeper faith and love for him.
When we suffer because of our love for Jesus, we get a deeper joy because we realize that we are authentic in our relationship with Jesus, which is the only thing that doesn’t ultimately parish.