Praising God Amidst my Problems, Part 5a

I would like to begin by telling you that you are going to be so glad you came this evening, but I better not say that because every time I do my wife says I say it too much. But so I won't say it this evening but just as a preliminary note to what we want to say I want you to turn in your Bible with me to the book of Isaiah the 43rd chapter. We are slowly but surely making our way through Peter's first epistle.

And I just want to begin tonight by sharing with you a couple of verses that will help set the tone for our discussion in verses 8 and 9 of 1st Peter. Isaiah 43 verse number 1 reads as follows, but now thus says the Lord your Creator O Jacob and he who formed you O Israel do not fear for I have redeemed you I have called you by name you are mine when you pass through the waters I will be with you and through the rivers they will not overflow you when you walk through the fire you will not be scorched nor will the flame burn you for I am the Lord your God the Holy One of Israel your Savior.

Now this verse, verse particularly 2 is a verse that opens up to us many riches concerning trials and tribulations. And I want to point four of them out to you this evening just as a introduction to what we want to talk about. The Lord tells us two things off from the beginning about trials. One is they are inevitable and not only are they inevitable they are insurmountable. He says number one when you pass through the waters and when you walk through the fire.

It doesn't say if you walk through them it says when you walk through them. The same thing James says in James chapter 1 when he says consider it all joy my brethren when you fall into various trials. Not if you fall into them but when. It speaks of the fact that trials are inevitable. It says that you will pass through and you will walk through the water and the fire. Notice what it doesn't say.

It doesn't say you have the opportunity to take a bridge or walk over the bridge or take a boat through the waters. It doesn't say in any way shape or form that there is a tunnel that you can dig under the water. No it says you will pass through the waters and you will walk through the fire. So the Lord helps us understand that the trials are inevitable and not only that they are insurmountable. We're talking waters. We're talking raging floods. We're talking running rivers. We're talking blazing fires.

We're talking flames. It talks about the fact that they are sometimes so great, so powerful, so fast that they set to ruin and destroy you. They're insurmountable. I don't know if you've ever been in one of those kind of trials or not but they seem to sometimes take you by surprise. Almost as if to crush you. Almost as if to squelch every bit of life that you have. And yet, and yet, even though they are inevitable and even though they are insurmountable, listen very carefully, they are incapable of two things.

They are incapable, number one, of separating me from my God. And number two, they are incapable of stopping me from continuing on with my God.

But this is really good. Listen to what it says. It says very clearly, I will be with you. That little phrase, I will be with you, tells me that no matter how insurmountable my trial, no matter how overwhelming my tribulation, God says, I will be with you.

So no matter how bad you think it is, always know that I am with you. That's what the psalmist said. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. So the trials are incapable of separating me from my God. Nothing can. But notice this, they are also incapable of stopping me from walking with God.

The text tells us very clearly that you will pass through the waters and you will walk through the fire. You're going to make it to the other side. And therefore, no matter how insurmountable that trial, it will be incapable of stopping your walk with God. Because you will be able to go through. That's why Paul was able to say in Romans 8 verse number 29, whom he did for know he predestined to be conformed to his image. God has a purpose. Those in whom he called, he justified. And those in whom he justified, he will glorify.

That is the promise from God that says the believer will always continue to walk with me no matter what. They will not apostatize the faith. They will not defrock the faith. They will not turn their back on God. Yes, there will be times of doubt. Yes, there will be times of difficulty. But you will get through them because God is with you. You see, because God's with you, you can get through them. If you can't get through them, it's because God is not with you. That's the conclusion. So, trials, although they may be inevitable, and although they may be insurmountable, they are incapable of separating me from my God.

Paul said, what can separate us from the love of God? Nothing. Nothing. And they are incapable of stopping me from walking with God. And yet, there's one more. They are invaluable. Invaluable. You know how you know that? Listen, this is so good. Because you walk through the fire, you don't run through the fire. You're walking through it. You're not making haste to get out of it, but you're walking through it. You see, those who walk are not in a hurry. Right? You ever been to the mall? I'm sure you have.

When I'm in the mall, I like to walk fast. I talk fast. I eat fast. I walk fast. I drive fast. I wish I ran fast. I don't, but I do everything fast. And so, I don't like to be behind people who just kind of like to stroll through the mall. See, they're kind of in my way. So, I go as fast as I can around them, because I'm in a hurry. But I want you to notice something that these people are going to walk through the fire.

The Bible says in Isaiah 29 16, he that believeth shall not make haste. He that believes shall not be in a hurry. You see, the trial is invaluable, and the child of God begins to recognize the value of the furnace. So much so that while they are in the furnace and being purified to be used by their God, they are able to realize the value of the insurmountable and inevitable trial they are facing. Knowing for certain that that trial is incapable of separating them from their God, and incapable of stopping them from walking with God.

Now, the readers of 1st Peter would know the book of Isaiah, and they would know what God said to the prophet Isaiah. And what Peter says in verses 8 and 9 of 1st Peter helps even shed more light on the fact that those trials and those difficulties are completely incapable of separating them from their God, and stopping them from walking with God. It was Hudson Taylor who through his great missionary efforts to China, went through great hardship as a servant of the Lord. He would write these words.

He says, It does not matter where he, that is God, places me or how, that is rather for him to consider than for me. For the easiest positions he must give grace, and in the most difficult his grace is sufficient. So if God places me in great perplexity, must he not give me much guidance? In positions of great difficulty, much grace? In circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength? As to work, mine was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult. But the weight and strain are all gone, his resources are mine.

Listen, for he, he says, is mine. God is mine. His resources are mine. God said to the nation of Israel, very succinctly, I called you by name, you are mine. You're mine. The child of God is owned by God. Not only are we his, but he is ours. We are a part of him. He indwells us. We have him. He is our resource. He with that relationship is the key to us being able to make it through the fire and the flood. To walk through the fire. Having said that I would invite you to turn back with me to 1st Peter chapter 1.

Because Peter is talking to those who, who are in the furnace. And are presently walking through the fire. Christians, listen, who just like us have never met Jesus face to face. So we have that in common with them. While our trials aren't nearly as difficult as theirs were, and we have gone to great lengths to explain to you the difficulty that they were going through. We have this same perspective. We have not seen Jesus face to face. And this is what Peter says to them in verse number 8. And this is where we left off last week.

And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Peter saves the best for last. Meaning this, he is giving us the crucial principles that will help us understand how to praise God amidst my problems. He began by talking about the provision given to us by God. And that is that wonderful provision of salvation. He moves then to talk in verse number 4 about that wonderful possession we have, that inheritance that we have that's undefiled, that's never going to fade away, that's reserved in heaven for us.

To talk about that wonderful, powerful protection that only God can give. We are kept by the power of God. Those are the theological positions. And then he gives the practical perspective. He says, yet there is a preparation. There is a careful preparation because God is using trials because he talks about the fact that they are necessary for a little while. And you are rejoicing. And yet, he says, on top of all that, there is something else. There is a joyful participation. There is a relationship.

There is an association you have with the living God of the universe that transcends any other relationship, that goes way beyond anything you can ever imagine, that causes you to rejoice with a joy that is completely inexpressible, that is completely unable to be defined in human terms. That is why the believer can praise God amidst their problems. And so he says, it's because of this participation you have with the living God of the universe, it causes you to rejoice inexpressibly. And I want to talk to you about that relationship this evening in two very simple, or three very simple points.

And they're not even alliterated. Believe that. You love him, you believe him, and you'll be delivered by him. That's it. First of all, Peter says, you love him.

And you've never even seen him. And you love him. You see, that is what makes, listen, the child of God walk through the fire. Because of the relationship, the partnership, the participation he has with the living God of the universe. We've never seen him. And yet we love him. Agapao is the word. It's the love of choice. It's the love of the will. It's the way you love somebody because that's what you want to do. It's like when your wife says, honey, do you love me? And you say, of course I love you, honey.

And she says, well, why do you love me? Any answer you give is going to be wrong except one. If you say you love them because of the way they cook or the way they look or the way they smell or the way they act, it's all wrong because all that's going to change one day. The only answer that's legit is because I choose to. I want to. That's why. That's that unconditional kind of love. And Peter is saying that you have chosen, you have willed to love your God. And you've never even seen him. Can you imagine that?

Can you imagine, you know, you know, meeting for the first time your bride to be having never seen her before, but having to walk down the aisle with her and marry her.

I would never want to do that. I got to see what I'm going to marry. I'm not going to take that by faith. I don't have that much faith. I got to be able to see that thing or that, that individual. I shouldn't say it that way. Sorry about that. It didn't come out. Oh, I'm glad my wife's not here tonight. I'd be sleeping out with Jack, my dog. But you want to be able to see the one you're going to marry. And Peter says you haven't even seen him yet. You love him. Now you've got to realize this has got to mean so much to Peter because Peter saw him.

Peter was with him. Peter ministered alongside of him. Peter saw everything that he did. And it was Peter that was asked three times, Peter, do you love me? Turn back with me to John chapter 21 for a moment. You know, that very familiar passage of scripture, John chapter 21, chapter of the resurrection of Christ, Peter swam to the shore. They've had some breakfast together, which lets you know that even a glorified body can eat. So people have asked, will we eat in heaven? Sure. Why not? There's a tree of life that you partake of.

Revelation chapter 21 talks about that. But if you want to know more about that, you're going to have to get the tape on Revelation 21. But it says in verse number 15, so when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon, Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Now these could be the other disciples. These could be the nets, his occupation, his fishing expeditions. Peter, do you love me more than these? The point Christ is getting at is this, Peter, am I the priority? He uses the same word, agapao.

Peter, do you love me unconditionally? Do you want to love me? Do you will to love me, Peter? Peter responds by saying, yes, Lord, you know that I love you, but he doesn't use the same word. He uses a different word, phileo, which means I have a tender affection for you. And Christ says to him, tend my lands.

He said to him again a second time and how long between the first and the second, we don't know. It might've been a few seconds, a few minutes, 10 minutes. He says a second time, do you love me?

Same word, agapao. Do you love me, Peter, from your innermost being? And Peter says, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And Peter responds with the same word, phileo, which means to have a tender affection for. And Christ says to him, shepherd my sheep.

And they said to him a third time, Simon said to John, do you really phileo me? Do you really have a tender affection toward me, Peter? And the text says, Peter was grieved. Why was Peter grieved? Because God questioned the love that Peter thought he could get away with. That's why he was grieved. Peter, do you really have that kind of affection for me? And Peter was grieved. He said to him a third time, do you love me?

And he said to him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus said to him, tend my sheep. You see, the Lord is looking to see whether or not we really love him or not. And Peter could see Jesus. He saw Christ in his own incarnation. He saw him in the mount of transfiguration. He saw him when he was glorified after the resurrection. He saw him at the ascension. He was able to see Jesus and Jesus would question the kind of love that Peter had for him. And yet Peter now comes to these people in first Peter who have not seen him and are going through all kinds of trials and tribulation and says, even though you haven't seen him, you will to love him.

That is amazing. Christ says, Peter, if you truly love me, you need to obey me. You got to tend my sheep. You got to shepherd my lambs. You got to take care of them. And then of course he goes on in verse number 18, truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wish. But when you grew old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you and bring you where you do not wish to go. Now this, he said, signifying about what kind of death he would glorify God.

Christ says, you're going to die for me, Peter. You're going to die for me. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, follow me. And Peter turning around saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, that is John, following them. The one who also had leaned back on his breasts at the supper and said, Lord, who was the one who betrays you? Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what about this man? What about John? Does he love you? Ask him if he loves you. Ask him if he's going to follow you.

Talk to him about his impending death. Talk to him about what he's going to sacrifice for you. And Jesus said, if I want him to remain until I come, what does that to you? You follow me. Forget about John, Peter. Forget about him. I'm talking to you, Peter. So the Lord is saying tonight, do you love me? And you might be in the audience saying, well, you know, I don't know if I do or not, but I'm sure that guy over there, he doesn't. And the Lord says to you, I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about you.

Have he not seen me? Do you love me? If the Lord was to ask you, do you love me? What would you say? How would you respond? Peter said, Lord, you know all things. You know everything, Lord. I can't pull the wool over your eyes because you are God. So Lord knows your heart.