Sunday Morning Sermon Series - The Purpose of Trials

The Purpose of Trials in 1 Peter

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't the hurt their military side. Would you please turn with me to the book of first Peter chapter 1? That's first Peter chapter 1. The title of this sermon is the purpose of trials.

I Preached this sermon in September in Puerto Rico when we did our advance trip. That's where we're taking our mission team of 48 people this year when I say trials. Some of us all of us at some point have probably Referred to trials as really just a result of our sin.

Well, that's not really trials. That's you touching a hot stove and getting burned. That's not what we're talking about today. We're talking about actual trials. Actual trials not as a direct result of your sin, but trials nonetheless.

That's what we have in mind today. And that's what Peter has a mind when he wrote this. Thank you, brother Jeremiah, so When we say the purpose of trials, I want you to think about that sentence. That is implying That there actually is a purpose to them.

It's amazing. How probably everyone in this room would say everything happens for a reason. But the moment we cite specific examples that everything gets limited a little bit but when I say when the Bible says that Everything happens for a reason it actually means Everything.

Yes, even the one that just popped in your head when I said that everything first. Peter chapter 1 verse 1 through 9. Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus and Galatia and Cappadocia and Asia and Bithynia.

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father in the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood. May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy.

He has caused us to be born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead into an inheritance that is imperishable Undefiled and unfading and it is kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded Through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in this you rejoice though now for a little while if necessary.

You've been grieved by various trials verse 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 the praise and the glory and the honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Through excuse me, though. You have not seen him. You love him. They don't now see him. You believe in him and rejoice with joy. That is inexpressible and filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Trials Reveal Our Need for God and His Mercy

God has a purpose for these types of trials. That purpose is to teach us. To teach us to rely on him. To refine our lives through him and to rejoice in any and all circumstances. First point That Peter is trying to make here is that the purpose of trials is for you to realize your necessity of God and rely On him all the more read with me again.

In verse 1 it calls them the elect exiles, what does elect mean it means? Chosen, thank you. It means chosen the chosen exiles in all these places. Who are there? Verse 2 according to the foreknowledge of God.

There aren't all these places because of persecution both past and present. When Babylon sieged Jerusalem and Scattered the Jews across the world. To which they were never collected again. Until about 80 years ago, by the way, because God said they would by the way.

They were scattered everywhere at the same time. Peter writes this in about 63 AD and persecution has begun in the city of Rome where Peter is writing from and they have been scattered. You know what happens in church history.

Anytime persecution hits the church two things one it spreads like wildfire and It becomes all the more refined. All the more refined in the past two years we've seen Some persecution in the church and great persecution worldwide.

Great. First Peter 4 tells us judgment begins in the house of God. When God judges the nation, you know, the first people he judges us. Isn't it amazing that anyone else find it hilarious. That during the heights of Kovac.

These TV faith healers close their services the ones that can With a handkerchief heal a cripple and make people's arms and legs grow back. Cancelled services for Kovac. Then that make you wonder you know, what's amazing a lot of those prosperity folks haven't reopened and praise God.

Because judgment begins in the house of God. When God when God judges the nation he begins with his house. Did Jesus not do the same? He judges his own first. Judgment begins in the house of God and yet Peter writes to encourage.

These exiles elect and chosen by God, you know, what would have happened? Had persecution Not happen in Rome. Even though Jesus told them to go to all the world, you know what the Christians would have done they would have stayed right there and.

And We would not see our brothers and sisters in heaven from Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, but you know why we will because Persecution hit the church and the gospel spread. And that amazing there was always a purpose to trials always.

Verse 2. Excuse me. Verse 3 says this. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy. He has caused us to be born again. Why great mercy do you truly understand the mercy that it took to save you.

Do you understand that the mercy that it took that I can tell you you don't but to try to help a little bit. I need you to understand something. And I've said this before. Mercy is not The fact that you don't go to hell when you die.

Mercy is that you're not there right now. The Bible says he gives life and breath to every creature on planet Earth. Every creature it is by the mercy of God that we don't perish now. Often brother Jeff says what?

That when it comes to the holiness of God you and a street-walking whore on the same level. Yes, and we all say amen. Let's put that a little more clearly and I bet I won't get as many amens. You and me and the racist bigot.

Yeah. On the same level of need of mercy for God right. Is that a little more culturally appropriate today there is no human being Through any merit of their own that can get one inch closer to God's holiness not one.

The Bible says that our Righteous acts are as filthy rags in the sight of God. What do you think your sin looks like? It is a great mercy needed to save our souls a great mercy in That what he caused us to be born again.

He caused us to be born again. Was Lazarus calling out for Jesus. No, you know why? He was dead. That is our spiritual condition before Jesus and look. We went from dead and orphaned to alive and adopted.

That's your spiritual transformation. Dead and orphaned to alive and adopted. The book of Ezekiel says. Then only were you dead and orphaned you were in a pool of blood. That's how Ezekiel calls it. You are laying in a pool of blood with no heartbeat and orphaned and God said live.

That is how you got saved. That is a great mercy and it goes more than that. It wasn't just made you alive and left you to yourself. He adopted you as his child and look what it says into a living hope.

Through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead see our hope is living because Jesus is also living. Through a living hope. Reminder. Biblical hope is not like saying I hope the Titans make the Super Bowl next year.

Biblical hope is not saying I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. Biblical hope is a Awaiting an expected outcome. It is the bride the months before her wedding. It's coming. She is awaiting an expected outcome.

And so are we we are the bride of Christ. Our groom is coming to get us. He is. He's coming to get us his bride. We have been adopted into that family by the king of the universe. By the king of the universe and Then it's more that that King who adopted us because remember there are no children of God by natural birth.

We've all been adopted. What does it say verse 4? Into an inheritance. You see if you're not understanding the point of why trials help you rely on God. It's because you didn't recognize your need for him in the first place.

Do you not see this you went from dead and orphaned? Now you're alive and adopted and the king of the universe has an inheritance for you and let's read about that inheritance. It is imperishable. That means it can't die.

It is undefiled. It's pure and it is Unfading. It's just as strong as it was on day one. And where is this inheritance it is? Kept in heaven for you. Who are being protected by God's power? Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't recognize.

If you don't recognize that your salvation does not hang upon your good works that your salvation does not hang in your hands as Much as your children are your children no matter what they do. So you are a child of God bought by God and your inheritance is in heaven.

It is imperishable undefiled and unfading. Does that not give you a living hope? Does that not give you a living hope. Our trials should demonstrate our utter need for God? And our total reliance on him, but our trials do something else point to.

They refine us. How is gold refined? Isn't it amazing? We have a substance that becomes of more value when we set fire to it. By allowing the impurities to be burned away again and again and again and again.

It becomes more valuable doesn't it more useful doesn't it? What happens to a tree? When it's properly pruned. Grows back stronger. The storm came yesterday. I got out. Finally and I chopped up a bunch of limbs.

With my saw from my yard and some of my neighbor's yards. This has happened two or three times in my neighborhood and the trees keep on growing stronger. Even though the dead limbs came off. Made a great mess and and messed up a bunch of stuff the tree actually got stronger.

Why? Because the impurity the dead weight was cut away. So that the alive Can garner all those nutrients. Gold is refined by fire. Trees are pruned and those are the analogies God decided to use for how our Christian life looks like.

Are you resisting God's refining of your life? Are you resisting God's pruning of your life? And by the way, what's amazing we'll read this passage in a minute in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 it says something amazing this.

This was a crucial verse for my understanding of my Christian life. And I hope it is for someone in here as well. Hebrew 12 2 says this. Let us lay aside every sin and weight. That ensnares us so that we can run the race.

Did you hear that every sin and weight? That means there are things weighing you down that in and of themselves are not sinful that still need to be cut away. You hear that every sin and weight if You are one of those people who in your brain when you decide to make a decision you say the following sentence.

Well, there's nothing wrong with I am speaking to you. I'm speaking to you lay aside every sin and Weight. That's so easily ensnares us so that we can run so we can run and This is not a sprint ladies and gentlemen.

It's a marathon, but Hebrews chapter 12 says the course has been laid out for you laid out. That's the race. We're running. That's the race. We're running and God Is pruning away the stuff that you don't need to serve him.

That which is weighing you down that may or may not in and of itself be sinful. But holding you back from being more obedient. God is pruning that away. Are you fighting that? Are you fighting that pruning?

The Bible has one word to describe how you submit to that and that's the word humility. Read with me it says Humble yourself therefore in the sight of God and He will lift you up in due time at his proper time humble yourselves.

Therefore in the sight of God the Bible says he opposes the proud. Do you really want God as your enemy. He opposes the proud. But he gives grace to the humble not to the worthy one time. An adult in here was Contemplating whether or not to go as a chaperone on a youth trip.

This was years ago. She said to me Josiah I don't feel worthy to go. My answer may surprise you. I said You're not. That's why it's called grace and that's all they need to see. The beauty of it is that you're not worthy.

God makes you worthy. The beauty of it is that you can just be one beggar showing another beggar where the bread's at. That in and of yourself you're not but God is and is refining you to be that. That level of humility is all that's needed to make a difference in someone else's life.

And if you say if you say that's God's job to develop them. That's right. And guess what? He decided to use you to do it. That's what he decided. He decided to use you to do it. Are we resisting? God's refining because let me tell you something.

It can be uncomfortable having those branches pruned away. Can't it? It can be uncomfortable being refined by fire. But the end result is a purified alive tree that can produce fruit. Sometimes trials Are used as an opportunity to burn away the impurities that are keeping us from obeying God.

Read again in verse 6 In this. That is that inheritance right in this you rejoice. Though now for a little while if necessary and yes for some of us sometimes it's necessary if necessary. You have been grieved by various trials.

I Could look around this room. And see many examples of that the most important question on Planet Earth the most important question, excuse me question. When you read the Bible, there's a little Bible study tip for you is to ask the question why?

Who what when and where can be answered by a Wikipedia page? Why it's what's important and in verse 7 If my Sunday night Bible study crew does not get this I'm gonna cry in verse 7 it says so that. What Greek word is that?

Hannah everyone say Hannah. It's my favorite word in the Bible. So that it answers the question of why? Why so that so read again verse 6. In this you rejoice though for a little while necessary you've been grieved by various trials why why.

So that The tested genuineness of your faith. More precious than gold though. It's refined by fire may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at The revelation of Jesus Christ. Look again when at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

This is a marathon not a sprint. It's not all gonna be revealed now. When does it say at the revelation of Jesus Christ a Little side note for you wake up. Listen a little something for you for later.

Write it down Revelation 15 verse 3 and 4 if you ever want to know what it's gonna look like when God finally reveals What he's been doing all along. I pray that you read those two verses. They helped me a lot revelation 15 3 4 but In summary, it says this.

That one day We will see All that God has been doing since the creation of the world and We'll agree that his righteous acts have been revealed. That every one of his ways were righteous, even if we couldn't see it at that time.

These elect exiles. Peter's writing to for many of them. They probably did not get the answer to why? They were in persecution at that time. They probably did not get the answer but Look at that second city right there or second region.

Province I should say Galatia. Hey, we have a book of the Bible written to them. Don't we to that region of churches there. It's called Galatians. It was a group of churches. It's the only letter in the New Testament of Paul's that was written not to one specific local body.

But to a group of churches, you know, it's amazing. You know why there's Christians there for Paul to write to? The dispersion. They took the gospel with them. Now they may not have had the opportunity to see what God was doing all along.

But we can now look back and see what he's doing and one day that will be the case for every one of us. One day we will be able to look back and see the symphony. He's been orchestrating all along. Our job in this meantime is to trust that he has a plan and he will reveal it in his time not ours.

Trials Call Believers to Rejoice in the Lord

The purpose of trials is not Simply to learn to rely on him. Or even only to be refined by him. But it's to learn to rejoice in any and all circumstances. The Bible does not say be happy in the Lord always again.

I say be happy. The Bible does not say this is the day the Lord has made. I will be happy. The Bible says this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice. And be glad in it. The Bible says rejoice in the Lord always again.

I say rejoice. Philippians 4. What's the difference between joy and happiness real quick? Joy is Based on a foundation. Happiness is based on a circumstance. Your mood can change based on what happens, but your joy should not be shaken.

Joy is based on a foundation. Jesus says to put that foundation on a rock. So that no matter what wind and waves do that that foundation remains secure. Happiness is based on a circumstance. There are many things that happen that don't make me happy.

Don't make me happy. But it should not shake my joy. Because my joy is based on a foundation that is greater than whatever circumstance. I'm going through. Y 'all hear what I'm saying to you. We can count it all joy as James says when we go through various trials because those trials don't shake our foundation.

That don't shake our foundation. Look again in verse 8. Though you have not seen him you love him and though you don't now see him you believe in him. And look at this next phrase rejoice with joy. Rejoice with joy.

It's an amazing little phrase isn't it? To rejoice with joy. That is Indescribable, it's amazing. The Bible says that this joy is indescribable, but it's my job to try to describe it to you. So I'm gonna give it my best shot.

You know what this looks like some of you may have never experienced this and maybe. If you've never experienced this maybe there's a reason for that. But you know the type of person I'm talking about.

Not someone. I'm not talking about a bubbly happiness. I'm talking about a genuine joy that you can see in their eyes. That fills their spirit that makes a difference when they walk in the room. You know that type of person a joy.

The Bible says to rejoice with joy. The word rejoice means to leap or overflow in other words to let other people see it. Let me tell you something most encouraging thing in the world. Most encouraging thing in the world.

It's when somebody else's joy is not shaken by a circumstance and encourages you doesn't it? How about maybe just once? If you haven't tried. Be that for somebody else, but listen, that's not a fake it till you make it.

That's a recognition that your current circumstance is not the be-all end-all of the universe as hard as it may be. There is something bigger and greater and if your joy can be based in something other than your circumstance.

That you're not living the life. You're not living life event to event. But you're living it day by day in the joy of the Lord, even when you can't be happy you can remain joyful,. I Think of no better example than Jesus.

I'll read what I was quoting earlier. This is actually on your paper. Hebrews chapter 12 says this verse 1 and 2. After speaking about all those who God has used their faith in many ways. This is what the author the writer of Hebrews says therefore.

Since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely. We already talked about that. Let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us.

Verse 2. Looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith. Now watch this next part. Who for the joy. That lay before him endured the cross. Who for the joy? That lay before him endured the cross.

Despising the same and is now seated at the right hand of God. Jesus was not happy on the cross. I promise you he was not happy on the cross. But for the joy. The lay before him the joy of pleasing his father the joy of collecting his scattered.

The joy of calling his sheep for the joy that lay before him. He endured the cross for that joy He endured the cross. I am not an arborist. I don't know anything about trees. Sometimes I ask Martian because I don't know anything about it.

I can't other people can look at a tree and say oh, that's a blobbity blobbity blobbity oak. I don't know trees. But I'll tell you what if out in that Field out there. Well out in that little area right there behind the trailer.

If there was an apple tree and an orange tree. And I saw in August a bunch of apples coming off a tree. I don't need a degree to tell you that's an apple tree. You could get I don't care I don't care who in this room tried to convince me that that was an orange tree.

If I see apples on it. Ain't nobody in this room that convinced me. That's not an apple tree. You could get any doctor you wanted anyone with a PhD. I don't care. There is no one on planet Earth that can convince me that that is not an apple tree.

Why? Because I don't have to know all that scientific stuff. I see the fruit. I know what it is and you can't convince me. Otherwise. That is the exact analogy the Bible uses to describe Christians. That's the analogy it uses.

The fruit of the Spirit is love joy. You know, what's beautiful about that though? If a tree is out there and it's producing fruit, but not as much as it could. You know, it's got a lot of Empty stems a lot of empty branches not producing as much as it could.

Instead of cutting it down and throwing it away, you know what we can do. I could call Marsha. And we could just cut away some of those dead limbs and guess what happened the next year and the year after that and the Year after that see instead of cutting it down and chopping up as firewood and burning it.

With a little bit of pruning a little bit of care. It can become a more productive fruitful tree, can it not ladies and gentlemen. If you are in this room, and you are not Where you need to be with Jesus?

That's not good. But instead of kicking yourself and wallowing in the mud and saying I'm so worthless. I can't do anything, right? Submit to God. Be pruned a little bit. Be pruned a little bit and let me tell you something when you tear away some of that unnecessary dead weight.

Your joy will start returning. Your joy will start returning. I promise you it will. When you get rid of that. You are refined and some of the impurities are burned away. You quit worrying about all that stuff.

That doesn't matter all of a sudden. What really matters comes to the forefront? And your joy is returned to you. David said restore unto me the joy of my salvation. The joy of my salvation, you know how David got there.

Repentance. Repentance and ladies and gentlemen if you think. That can only be done inwardly. In other words Through a prayer forgiveness and nothing changes on the outside. You need to relook at our examples in the Bible of David of Peter, that's not what happens.

There is an outward sign of that ladies and gentlemen that pruning Though painful for a little while Produces more fruit and If you allow others to help you get there. They'll be able to see it too. In other words God is the one who does the pruning but this last part may hit some of us between the eyes.

Most of the time he uses other believers to do it. That's what he decided to do. We're sitting here reading first Peter. You know why we're reading first Peter. Because Jesus and later Paul rebuked Peter.

Peter Repented and became more mature because of it. Were any of y 'all encouraged? When we read verse 4 and 5 about our inheritance being imperishable and undefiled was anyone in this room encouraged?

You know why you were encouraged? Because Jesus and moreover Paul had the gumption. The courage to correct a brother that brother took to repentance and we are sitting in a room 2 ,000 years later. Encouraged because somebody was held accountable.

Now some of us may bucket that accountability. Let me tell you something. That's how God decided for the most part to do his pruning. It's through the hands of other people just like you and me. That's how God decided to do it in that be humble ladies and gentlemen.

The Kingdom of Heaven Is a Treasure Worth Everything

Because the accountability you may be forsaking may just be the hand of God trying to prune your soul lastly brother Andrew lastly. What I pray Is as we go through various trials that teach us to rely on God to be refined by God and to rejoice in God.

This is what I pray and we mentioned this Wednesday night there brother John's lesson. That every one of us Can grow more mature at God till we can all pray and live out. Matthew 13 44. And this is my last passage for today.

If you would turn there with me Matthew 13 44 This is what it says. This is Jesus speaking in a parable a parable. Jennifer. You see that he wanted you to think critically. You didn't just always say it out loud.

You got that. I Love you. Yeah, but I mean it Matthew 13 44. This is what Jesus says. The kingdom of heaven is Like treasure hidden in a field. Which a man found and covered it up then in his joy He goes and sells everything he has and he bought it.

He bought the whole field. This man Found the treasure finally worth having the kingdom of heaven. And he sold everything he had and did it with joy because it was a good trade. Because that's a good trade.

It's a good trade. The best lies that you can ever tell is this. That if you submit to God, you will be unhappy. The point about pruning and refining Is the more refined and prune you become the less you care about the dead weight that's now gone.

And not only will you do it you'll do it with joy. Because all the other stuff that doesn't matter is cut away. And when you resist that pruning you are cutting away your potential and future joy. That could be shared with somebody else in this room that needs it.

For the joy that lay before him he forsook everything else and he did it with a smile because it was a good trade. What I pray is that every one of us as We submit and allow God and God's people to cut away those dead branches.

That we realize and do it with joy because it's a good trade. It's a good trade. If you don't know what I'm talking about, if you don't know that joy, I swear to you. There's someone in here that does Do not leave this place Without hearing about that joy because it will change your life forever.