Praising God Amidst My Problems, Part 3a

Turn with me in your Bible, if you would, to Peter's first epistle, first chapter. And we want to continue our looking at what it means to praise God amidst our our problems. One of my favorite hymns is is how firm a foundation and throughout the week I realized that it was the favorite hymn of some of our leaders in the past here in America. People like Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, and Robert E. Lee also claimed how firm a foundation as their favorite hymn. In fact, it was Robert E. Lee who said that he wanted how firm a foundation sung at his funeral, and I quote, as an expression of his full trust in the ways of his Heavenly Father.

The third stanza of that well-known hymn goes as follows, when through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace all sufficient shall be thy supply.

The flame shall not hurt thee, my only design, thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. It's important for us to understand that that God in his sovereignty uses hardship, difficulties, crisis, conflict, tribulation, persecution in our lives for our own design. Ultimately for his glory, but to make us into the kind of people he wants us to be. We gather together on a night like tonight and and we get praise requests and we praise God for what he's doing and then we hear about people and some of the difficulties they're going through and we tend to to look at situations that way.

It's good for us to give testimony. It's good for us to to know what's happening and to be able to look at people's lives and begin to pray for them and ask God to to do a mighty work in their lives and to partner with them as they are looking for God's direction in their lives.

Helps us gain perspective on our situation and yet in our own time, in our own situation, when we go through a hardship, to us, it's it's a big deal. It's a monumental experience for us and therefore Peter would would write to those who go through various kinds of trials and help them understand that in the midst of them we are to praise our God. And we have been looking at the theological issues surrounding that and tonight we're going to move to the practical issues. We looked at the fact in the first couple of verses in verses 3 to 5 in 1st Peter chapter 1, how God has given us a provision, a wonderful provision.

It's because of his great mercy that we are to bless his holy name. You see, when you get what you deserve, you can't bless God. And because of God's mercy, which Peter emphasizes in verse number 3, we didn't receive what we deserve. Therefore, we have no excuse not to praise our God. That's Peter's emphasis. He helps us see God's wonderful provision of grace in our lives and how we have been born again to a living hope. And he moved from from that wonderful provision to help us understand the possession we have in him, that he's given us an inheritance that's incorruptible, undefiled, that never fades away, reserved in heaven for us.

And he goes beyond that to talk specifically about our protection because we are kept by the power of God. And so he sums that up in in verse number 6 when he says these words in chapter 1. In this you greatly rejoice. Now that's very interesting because the word he uses is not the normal word used throughout the New Testament for rejoice. It's a word that means, as the text has said, you greatly rejoice. There is an exceeding abundant abundance of joy in your life. Because of what God has done, because of his provision, because of your possession, because of his protection, you rejoice with exceeding great joy.

Same word used over in Matthew chapter 5, verse number 12, what talks about when you go through difficult times, we rejoice and are exceedingly glad. You will note what it says down in verse number 8. You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Then over in chapter 4 of 1st Peter, he says in verse number 13, but to the degree that you share the separation of Christ, keep on rejoicing. Peter emphasizes the joy in our lives because of what God has done and because of who he is. You see, the reason there is joy in our lives is because of the relationship we have with Christ and the realization of what Christ wants to do in light of those tribulations and in light of those difficulties.

Note this, turn back with me if you would to the Gospel of John the 16th chapter. Listen to what Christ says to his men on the eve of the crucifixion.

He says this, verse number 20, truly truly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. Speaking of his crucifixion, he says you are going to be sorrowful, you're going to lament. The world though will be excited, they will rejoice, but you will be sorrowful, but it won't last forever because your sorrow will be turned into joy. He says this, verse 21, whenever a woman is in travail, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she gives birth to the child, she remembers the anguish no more, for joy that a child has been born into the world.

Therefore, you too now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you. You see, Christ is trying to emphasize to his men that they will have joy because of who he is. You're not going to see me, why? Because I'm going to die. But don't worry, you will see me again, and when you see me again, your joy will be rich, it will be great, it will be exceeding, it will be way beyond what you can ever imagine. You might lament today, but tomorrow there will be joy, and the reason you'll have joy is because of me.

And that's what Peter's emphasis is. You see, that's why he comes back in chapter 1, because Peter heard the words of Christ in John chapter 16. He understood that his whole life was to be wrapped up in Jesus Christ himself. You see, one of the reasons we don't experience joy in our lives is because Jesus doesn't mean that much to us. And not only that, what he did for us really isn't paramount in our minds. And yet the believer has joy because of the Christ. You say, well, wait a minute, you know, I have Christ in my heart, and I love the Lord, but I don't experience joy.

Well, two ways. Number one, two things. One of you know is that sin robs us of our joy. Does it not? Sure it does. If we live in sin, it will rob us of any kind of joy that Jesus Christ can give. If our relationship with Christ is the premise for our joy, if I do anything to to hinder that relationship, then my joy will be robbed. It will be gone. That's why David said in Psalm 51, restore to me the joy of my salvation. You see, David knew that his sin with Bathsheba had robbed him of joy. He knew that his sin with Bathsheba had kept him from experiencing that wonderful relationship with the living God of the universe, and he wanted that to be restored.

And when he came to a point of repentance, and when he came to realize the seriousness of a sin, what happened was that God would restore that joy to David. So we need to realize that in our lives, if we don't experience joy in our relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord, one of two things is happening. One is we are involved in sin some way, somehow, and that sin is keeping us from experiencing that wonderful communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ our Lord. Here's another avenue, and that is we might be going through suffering, difficult times.

And when we do, that too robs us of our joy, because our focus is on what is happening to us. It's easy to preach on the sovereignty of God. We want to teach it, we want to preach it, but to live the sovereignty of God is a whole nother universe. Think about it. Think about your life and your situations. We believe that God is sovereign, that God rules over all, that nothing happens without God involved in the most intricate details of my life, even the very hairs of my head are numbered. All my days have been written in his book before there was even yet one of them.

He's involved in everything. God is sovereign, God rules over all, and yet when a difficult thing comes my way, I go bonkers. It's almost as if there is no God in control. And yet we realize that when we look at situations from an earthly perspective, we can become bitter, angry, depressed, anxiety-ridden, because our perspective is wrong.

So Peter wants us to have the right perspective. That's why he is he is writing his epistle for these people who are going through severe turmoil. You're gonna be surprised at what he says. But what he says is so crucial for us today, the relevancy of the Word of God for our lives. And I've told you before, you know, you need to to make sure you understand these things so that you can help others who go through difficult times. That you can counsel them with with scriptural wisdom to show them what God wants to do in and through their lives.

So we move on to our our fourth main point in terms of helping us understand how it is we can praise God amidst our problems. He says, in this you greatly rejoice. Why do you rejoice? Why are you exceedingly glad? It's because of who God is and what God has done. Now Peter moves from what we call the theological position to the practical perspective. He says this, not only do you praise God for his wonderful provision, for his trustful possession, and for his powerful protection, but you praise him for his careful preparation.

For his careful preparation. God is preparing you. God is working in your life, and you need to learn to praise him because of that. God makes no mistakes. God's plans are perfect. He shapes our lives and trials become the tools God uses to shape and to mold us into people that best represent him. Listen to what Peter says, 1st Peter chapter 1 verse number 6, in this you greatly rejoice. Even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What I want to do first of all in terms of God's careful preparation is look at number one the reality of trials.

The reality of trials and then we're going to look at the reason for trials. The reality and then the reason. Job said it this way, Job 5 verse number 7, for man was born unto trouble as sparks fly upward. He would go on to say in chapter 14 verse number 1, man who is born of a woman is short-lived and full of trouble. A man's life is short-lived and full of trouble. Psalm 22 verse 11, David said be not far from me for trouble is near. David knew that he needed the assistance of his God in order for him to make it through difficult times.

The Apostle Paul in the book of Second Corinthians would say these words to us about his life. He said we are afflicted in every way, but we're not crushed. We are perplexed, but not despairing. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. Always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus. That the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus's sake. The life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Paul would talk about his difficulties. He would give us a perspective from from a missionary's viewpoint. Now, you must remember, you must remember that it was Paul upon his conversion, Ananias was told in Acts chapter 9, Go tell Paul how much he must suffer for my name's sake. Now you think about that. And this man who wrote 13 epistles in the New Testament, whose life was characterized by trouble after trouble after trouble after trouble once he was converted to Jesus Christ. This man went through all kinds of turmoil.

But he says look, we might be persecuted, but we are not crushed. We are not being broken. We carry about in our bodies the death of Jesus Christ. We carry about in our bodies the scars of God. But by his grace and by his mercy we live from day to day. This man knew about the difficulties that would come. He didn't know the details of them, but he knew they were going to come. Job knew that man's life was full of trouble. We as Christians must look at life and say, you know what, we understand that life is full of trouble.

So when it comes, we are not caught off guard. We are aware that it's going to come. We are aware that difficulties will come our way. Tragedies will sometimes overwhelm us. But we are not exempt from trials and difficulties. That's the reality of trials. So Peter says in 1st Peter chapter 1, in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while. The first reality about trials you need to see is that trials are temporary.

Trials are temporary. He says for a little while. Trouble is only for a short time. Trouble is temporary. It's, it's transient. They are relegated to this life. Now I understand that when you go through painful circumstances, it seems like it's for an eternity. It seems like they're never going to go away. And for some of you, and maybe you know others, that they go through a difficult time and it lasts for years. The pressure never is released. It's always there. The pain is always surrounding us.

And yet Peter says they're only for a little while. Paul, back in 2nd Corinthians in chapter 4, which I was reading earlier, said this, We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day. Having talking about his, his difficulties, he says we know that the outer man is, is decaying. I mean you could look at each other and realize that we all are decaying.

We're not getting better. We're getting worse. Our bodies are getting older. They're, they're, they're, they're unable to function like they used to. But the inner man, the inner man, though, is different. It's being renewed day by day, Paul says. He says, for momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison. Now, here's a man with a great perspective. He says outwardly we are decaying, outwardly things are bad, but inwardly things are being renewed.

And therefore, that what is happening on the outside is considered a momentary light affliction. It's for a short time. But what is happening on the inside is producing something that will last for eternity. That's the right perspective. Paul had that. He would go on to say, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Now, here's a man who understood that God was using those things on the outside.

Here was a man who was rejected. Here was a man who was isolated. Here was a man who was left all alone, who all of his friends deserted him at his first defense, no one stood with him.

Here was a man who was thrown in the prison. Here was a man who was beaten time and time again. Here was a man who was shipwrecked. Here was a man who was snake-bitten. Here was a man who went through all kinds of difficulties. He says, you know what? These are all momentary light affliction kind of things. Because what they're doing is producing something great on the inside that's going to last forever. Therefore, my perspective has got to be inward, not outward. That is, it's got to be looking on what God is doing to me inwardly that is going to produce for me something for eternity.

That's the proper perspective. And so Peter says, in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, just a little while. Go over to chapter 5. It's almost like he brackets his book with this. Verse 10, and after you have suffered for a what? Little while. Little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you to him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. Peter's emphasis was on the little while, the little while.

You know, that's something you need to think about. Whatever it is you're facing today is not going to last forever. It's only going to last a little while. It was Warren Weirsbe, who said that it's God who keeps his eye on the clock and his hand on the thermostat. God's in charge. God's in control. And Peter emphasizes it's but a temporary thing. It's for a little while. Number two, not only are they temporary, they are timely.

Timely. Peter says, even though now for a little while, if necessary, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. Emphasizing the fact that the trial you're experiencing is in a specific time frame. That is God's time frame. And you know what? It's never the right time for us, is it? It's never the right time. It's always the wrong time. And so we say, oh, if this just would not happen now, why today, God? Why not tomorrow? Because they are timely, if necessary. They come from God's point of view.

It stresses a divine purpose. It's consoling to know that God's people are never needlessly afflicted. Psalm 119 75, in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. Don't think for one moment that the affliction that comes your way is because God is unfaithful. No, quite the opposite. Because God is faithful, because God is trustworthy, because you can depend on him, because he is so reliable, he will afflict you at times. If necessary, Peter says. He firmly believed in the reality of God's sovereign presence in the lives of his people.

His tender words assure us that God not only holds out for a future release, but he also sympathizes with our present struggles. Isaiah 45 verse number 7 tells us that God himself is the one who forms light and creates darkness. He causes well-being and creates calamity. God is the author of calamity. Now we don't like to look at it that way.

We would think that that doesn't seem like a loving God, a kind God, a gracious God, but quite the opposite. Because God uses something, as Paul would say in 2nd Corinthians 4, that what is happening on the outside of me is it's only temporary. It's a light momentary affliction as compared to what's happening on the inside of me.