Praising God Amidst my Problems, Part 4a

Turn with me in your Bible to 1st Peter chapter 1. It's been a while So I just want to briefly review with you this evening and we're gonna pick up where we left off verses 6 7 & 8 1st Peter chapter 1 It says in 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 Peter says in this you greatly rejoice in What do we greatly rejoice?

We rejoice in three things one God's wonderful provision to God's trustful possession and three God's powerful protection those are the Theological positions the child of God finds himself in Peter says in these things you rejoice He says in verse number three blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ We are to bless God.

We are to praise God. We are to honor God why because of what God has done You see it's hard to to bless God when you get what you deserve But you see God gave us what we didn't deserve. He saved our lives from hell and The Bible tells us that we have been Born again in verse 3 to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that is our wonderful provision God saved us Not only did God save us but God has guaranteed us a reservation in glory He says in verse number four to obtain an inheritance Which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you.

That is God's trustful possession He has given us eternal life he has given us a place in glory and it's a ironclad assurance that we will one day be with him and Thirdly God's powerful protection verse number five We are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time This is your position in Christ and Peter says in these things you greatly rejoice Why do we greatly rejoice in these things?

It's simply this listen the unbeliever has no hope We as the believers have hope So no matter what is happening around us we rejoice Greatly, there is exceeding great joy in our lives. Why because of what God's done We know we're born again We know we're going to heaven and we know that we're kept by the power of God The unbeliever can't rejoice because he doesn't possess any of that stuff. He doesn't understand any of that stuff, but we do So that is the basis for our rejoicing that's why we can praise God and it's all of our problems because of what God has done and what God guarantees his children and Peter moves from that theological position to that practical perspective the practical perspective Because of who we are in Christ.

We have a different perspective So he says this in verse number six in this because of these things you greatly rejoice Because of your provision because of your possession because of your protection you greatly rejoice Even though now for a little while if necessary you have been distressed by various trials You see now you bring everything into perspective practically speaking And he gives us this point he says you can rejoice and praise God amidst your trials because of God's careful preparation God is carefully preparing you for something Preparing you for something greater than you can ever imagine and So even though now for a little while you have been Taxed you have been distressed you have been under great Difficulty Know this That you alone can praise God when no one else can Because God is carefully preparing you for something beyond anything you can ever imagine So we talked about last time the reality of trials the reality of Difficulties the reality of hardship.

It's a very real thing. You know it I know it some of us know it a little bit more than others know it because we're right in the midst of a of a very excruciating painful experience that God has allowed to come into our lives and Peter reminds us of the reality of trials when he tells us very simply They're temporary They're just for a little while That's good to know isn't it? They don't last forever There is a Time element to them There they are they are limited in their duration They are relegated to this life in this life only and they're now for just a little while he talks about the fact that Trials are a temporary knowing that they're timely if necessary he says and and if you have them They are necessary because God's behind them No, no, no understand this this is so so important This stresses the divine purpose in the trial.

It stresses the divine involvement of God in each individual's life And let me give it to you from this perspective Last time we talked about the fact of of Job and what what God had allowed Satan to do in Job's life Having reflected upon that this past week.

I've been reminded of this That so many times so many times we adopt a wrong theology of Satan a bad theology And you can watch TV and you can read books and there are all kinds of books on spiritual warfare and they talk about binding Satan and and binding demons and casting demons out and and and Rebuking Satan, I will let you know something The Bible never says and never gives you the authority to do that. Did you know that? Never does but boy people have made millions on videos and books about those kinds of things But the Bible tells you to resist Satan and he will flee Who says Resist him Stand fast in the faith and he will flee Do you know that in Jude chapter 9 Michael the Archangel would not even rebuke Satan Because he had no authority to do so.

So he said the Lord rebuke you If Michael the Archangel has no authority to rebuke Satan neither do we And yet when we get ourselves in difficult situations, we want to attribute what has happened to Satan Well, Satan has allowed this to happen and Satan is really on me and Satan is doing it. Let me tell you something maybe God Wants Satan to do that to you.

Do you ever think about that? I Mean Joe Job was a perfect illustration Satan came to Job and the Lord offered Job up to Satan. Have you considered my servant Job? Check him out Go after him On top of that there was Peter in Luke 22 where Christ is Simon Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat And Peter probably was thinking well, you didn't give him permission. Did you Lord and The Lord said what but I rebuked him No But I'm gonna cast him out No I'm gonna bind them. No, what do you say?

I've prayed for you Peter Well, thanks a lot Lord I've prayed for you Peter For what that Satan wouldn't harm him. No But that your faith would not fail Peter And then in so doing what's gonna happen is that when you return? You're going to be able to strengthen your brethren and that's what Peter's doing in first Peter and in second Peter See that You see the reason we don't Rebuke Satan the reason we don't bind Satan is because maybe God sent Satan to you and We should never go against God's sovereign plan Does that make sense?

We need to understand that That is so crucial for us as believers to realize That God is sovereign Satan can't do anything to a child of the Living God without asking permission of God himself And so We know that Satan is not going to be bound until when Revelation chapter 20. I Mean you can do all the binding you want, but let me tell you something He's not gonna be bound to Revelation chapter 20.

That's what it happens And God himself will do the binding and then God will let him loose after a thousand years To finally get rid of him altogether But in the meantime God has a plan for Satan And we'll use Satan to accomplish his God's purposes That is so important for us to understand and Peter I'd tell you he denied the Lord He did exactly what Christ said it was gonna happen and he felt the pressure but boy when he returned He was a new man and God used him in a powerful way.

He was great in the book of Acts He's greater in first Peter and second Peter Because God used that man through a trial that God says was necessary and so Peter says Though you're being for a little while Distressed It's necessary Because God is involved You see we need to understand that God is never not involved in our lives God is never asleep when it comes to us God never ignores us.

God never turns a cold shoulder to us. God never says, you know what? I'm gonna let you on your own for a while because you're bugging me God doesn't do that God is involved and he is actively involved in the lives of his children because he has something he wants to do in their lives and when that Trial comes Peter says I'm gonna tell you something number one.

They're temporary and number two. They are Timely, it's almost as if he's saying you know what? I want to tell you something about time I know something about God's time better than any of you know about God's time because God had time for me to endure a great an incredible test And what did I say I said no not me Satan can't get to me I'll never deny you and I did Here was the one someone same one who had said humble yourself under the mighty hand of God's destiny We'll learn about that in the fifth chapter of 1st Peter And Peter goes on to say not only are they temporary and timely they're taxing.

He says you have been distressed You have been weighed down. You have have been disappointed you you have been anxiety ridden These things are weighing on you and he says I know that no matter what the trial is for each individual They are extremely taxing but notice he says by various trials You know, he doesn't give you a specific trial.

He doesn't name a specific one. He says they are The manifold trials the the the varying kind of trials meaning that they come in different shapes and sizes Porculos is the word we get the English word polka dot and they come in different shapes and different sizes but there are a manifold number of them, but Peter would go on to say in in chapter 4 verse number 10 about the manifold grace of God the Multi-faceted grace of God to give you the strength for every single situation every single trial that comes your way because that's how God works They come in all different shapes and sizes But they are necessary but the only for a little while even though they weigh you down heavily That's the reality of trials and then he says let me give you the reasons for the trials And I'm gonna give you ten of them out of first Peter tonight.

Okay Ten am I gonna cover them all I pray I do Ten of them okay, we covered the first one last time and that is it verifies your faith a Trial will verify your faith Peter says this verse 7 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 He says number one it verifies your faith.

Your faith has been proven Genuine, it's a genuine faith And we told you last time that you know What good is your faith if it doesn't work at the time you need it the most right? That's when you really need it It's like, you know your credit card when you really need it and you put it down the guy says, I'm sorry Your credit cards been canceled. You said well, what do you mean? Doesn't work. It's no good But I need it, sorry doesn't work but The faith that you need during a difficult time Is proven genuine we talked about that as in Matthew 13 the parable the sow in the soil with a man and a great affliction just Digs his roots deep into the ground and is able to be Solidified and strengthened because of the trial where the unbeliever this defrocks the faith gives up on God and runs away And the genuineness of their faith has been proven false but the believer Their faith is strengthened.

You ever met those people. Sure. You have they go through a hardship and you say men They're stronger. They're more stable. They are they are incredible to be around It's almost as if the trial Strengthened them the trial made them a better person it does That's what happens in the life of the believer Their faith is verified. It's been proven. Genuine. Everybody can see it And that's why this is God's careful preparation He carefully prepares each of his people through the multifaceted multicolored trials that are necessary from the divine point of view for a very temporary time during your stay on earth Because God wants to Verify your faith not because he doesn't know whether or not your faith is genuine.

It's because you need to know your faith is genuine You need to know that you're a child of God. You need to know what it means to trust your God And that's all review from last time All right, you with me so far you cut the speed good number two The second reason there are trials to purify your life It verifies your faith and purifies your life he says The proof of your faith being more precious than gold which is perishable even though tested by fire You see each of us needs to be purified, right?

It's a what God does is he uses suffering he uses hardship He uses trials as a tool to to wipe away the dross to take away those Imperfections to take away those things that keep us from being all that God wants us to be so God keeps his hand on the Thermostat he turns it up just at the right time And as he turns it up those impurities rise to the top of our lives It's like a big spatula God takes it and wipes them away so that when he looks down from glory He can see his image in his children and when he doesn't see it clear enough He turns the heat up just a little bit more so more impurities rise to the top He wipes those impurities away until he can see his face in the life of his children Purifies our lives Job said it.

Well, he knows the way that I take when he has tested me. I shall come forth as gold Job knew Well, it's all said and done I'm gonna be like pure gold and That's the perspective. We need to have as as God's children That God is carefully preparing me. So he wants my faith verified and he wants my life purified And that's the reason behind The trials Isaiah 48 verse number 10. Listen to what God said behold. I have refined you But not a silver I have tested you in the furnace of affliction God says it's in the furnace of affliction Where I'm in charge of how much coal is put in that furnace and how high the heat goes So that I can burn off the dross so I can burn away the impurities so I can see my image in your life So you can reflect me to a lost world so they can clearly see me.

That's what God wants to do in your life and in mine and Peter uses the gold illustration That your faith is more precious than gold Gold is a very valuable commodity. It's precious It's a lasting material possession in this life. And yet your faith is more precious than gold And God wants you to shine for him number three Listen to this The reason for trials number one is because God Verifies our faith number two.

God purifies our lives and number three This is so good. Listen, he solidifies He solidifies Our praise our glory and our honor Listen to what it says Even though tested by fire your faith may be found to result in praise and Glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ Listen carefully God Wants to praise you God wants you to receive glory and God wants you to receive honor Now you think about this with me for a moment Because what are we used to doing praising God honoring God and glorifying God?

We've sang about it early glory and honor and praise belong to God and they do but God says there's something I want to do in your life.

I Want to be able to praise you Can you think about being praised by God You say where do you find that in the Bible? Oh, I'm gonna show you here in a second But listen to this chapter 2 verse number 20 it says For what credit is there if when you sin and are harshly treated you endure it with patience But it but when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it this finds favor excellence With God There's something about our lives that causes God to look at and say yes That's what I want Christ gave that parable in Matthew 25 when he says when the Lord says to him well done now good and faithful servant You were faithful over a few things.

I will make you faithful over many things enter into the joy of the Lord That is the praise of God It says over in Romans chapter 2 turn there with me if you would please Romans chapter 2 verse number 29 I want you to read it with me. I want you to be able to see it in print I want you to know what God said Romans chapter 2 verse number 29 but he is a Jew who has won inwardly and circumcision is that which is of the heart but the spirit not by the letter and his praise is not for men, but from God God wants to praise his people God wants to praise you the reason your faith is tried The reason you go through difficulties is because God wants to sure up He wants to solidify your praise your honor and your glory That's amazing to me Amazing if I look what over over what it says in in verse number of Numbers number five we'll pick up in verse number five as as Paul is is talking about those who who are Going to experience the wrath of God.

He says because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Who were rendered to every man according to his deeds? to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory honor and Immortality eternal life, but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness wrath and indignation there will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil of the Jew first and also of the Greek but glory honor and Peace to every man who does good to the Jew first and also to the Greek There comes praise there comes glory there comes honor there comes peace to those who know God To those who don't know God there is a wrath of God.

There is distress. There is tribulation and Peter says let me tell you something. God wants to praise you he does And when you go through trials and your faith is verified and your life is purified Then your praise your glory and honor is solidified and God wants to do that It's at the revelation of Jesus Christ the apocalypsis the the unveiling of Christ It's it's when he returns and all of his glory. He says the same thing up in verse number 13 He says therefore gird your minds Peter says for action keep sober in spirit fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the Apocalypsis at the at the revelation of Jesus Christ over in chapter 4 verse number 13.

He says that this way but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ keep on rejoicing so that also at the Revelation of his glory you may rejoice with exaltation Why will you rejoice with exaltation at the revelation of his glory because God is going to praise you He's gonna honor you. He's gonna glory glorify you So God's gonna do that's what God wants to do He says no he prays But glory to receive glory from God is to be made like Christ John said it well at first John chapter 3 when we see him will be like him for we'll see him as he is Jesus in John 1 14 was the incarnation of of God's glory And the Romans chapter 2 which we read earlier verses 7 and verse number 10 talks about the reception of of glory That is the glorification of man where he is made like Christ And then of course there's honor the rewards that God will give to those who faithfully serve him He's going to honor us.

It says in Revelation 22 12 behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work first Corinthians 3 8 now He who plants and he waters are one and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor God wants to reward you He wants to honor you and what happens that when your faith is verified your life is purified Your praise and glory and honor are solidified in glory