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Sunday's Sermon for Any Who Missed It...
Jun. 5th, 2006 11:59 pmI Peter 1:7 Trials
Christians may be/are distressed by trials. What's important is how we respond (1:6 REJOICE because we have a LIVING HOPE, our complete salvation to be revealed when Jesus comes again). Do we rejoice more or moan and groan more?
Trials need to be understood because there is much erroneous teaching on the subject--like prosperity teaching ("Now I'm Happy All the Day"), causing us to ask invalid questions. Trials and troubles are normal!
1:6 Trial--anything that tests your faith; something you've built your life on is under stress. They're not to tempt us to sin (James 1). We can respond wrongly, but God doesn't send trials to make us sin. They're also not as a result of sin. A bad experience does not necessarily indicate that it's time for some severe soul-searching for a specific sin that might have caused the difficulty. Trials are not to break us; instead, God desires to mature/complete me (persevere under trials --> God's approval --> crown of life). "I believe" must be tried to demonstrate whether our faith is genuine.
1:7 Figure: Gold-refining. Fire would burn out impurities. The burning-out process is not a pleasant experience! Ephesians 2:8-10 We are a faith people...this needs to be genuine or I can't live on it. When trials come, we have to let them come; we can't ask God to get us out of this as fast as possible. James 1--Let patience have its perfect work as it develops maturity in us.
There are several types of trials.
Nature trials--too much rain or not enough
People--doing what they should not or not doing what they should
Personal situations--health, wealth, poverty, illness
Sometimes through Satan--Job; in this case, an instrument used by God
Sometimes from God.
DO I REALLY BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAID I BELIEVED?
Illustrations with Biblical characters--to deal with trials...
Abraham (Heb. 11)-- "Go." "Where?" "I'll tell you when you get there." Then a son was promised...and given twenty-five years later. How long do we wait for God to fulfill His promises to us? Then God told Abraham to kill his son. These things were involved in perfecting Abraham's faith--each step of the way.
Time means a lot to us--and really test us. Time is not so important to God. Our unfulfilled plans that we're sure God has for us...WAITING for them...is a trial of our faith.
Moses--involving Pharaoh...and Israel--murmuring people. Numbers 11--Moses says, "God, I thought you liked me--and You gave me all these people!" Moses had moaners and groaners--why? People can be a trial.
Never in Scripture is genuine faith determined by what God thinks is good! Faith is not outcome-based. In trials, we often try to reverse the process; we attempt to stop the trial. In what area are you being tested? Do you really believe? Do have a life, a future? We will have trials every day, as long as we are here.
Christians may be/are distressed by trials. What's important is how we respond (1:6 REJOICE because we have a LIVING HOPE, our complete salvation to be revealed when Jesus comes again). Do we rejoice more or moan and groan more?
Trials need to be understood because there is much erroneous teaching on the subject--like prosperity teaching ("Now I'm Happy All the Day"), causing us to ask invalid questions. Trials and troubles are normal!
1:6 Trial--anything that tests your faith; something you've built your life on is under stress. They're not to tempt us to sin (James 1). We can respond wrongly, but God doesn't send trials to make us sin. They're also not as a result of sin. A bad experience does not necessarily indicate that it's time for some severe soul-searching for a specific sin that might have caused the difficulty. Trials are not to break us; instead, God desires to mature/complete me (persevere under trials --> God's approval --> crown of life). "I believe" must be tried to demonstrate whether our faith is genuine.
1:7 Figure: Gold-refining. Fire would burn out impurities. The burning-out process is not a pleasant experience! Ephesians 2:8-10 We are a faith people...this needs to be genuine or I can't live on it. When trials come, we have to let them come; we can't ask God to get us out of this as fast as possible. James 1--Let patience have its perfect work as it develops maturity in us.
There are several types of trials.
Nature trials--too much rain or not enough
People--doing what they should not or not doing what they should
Personal situations--health, wealth, poverty, illness
Sometimes through Satan--Job; in this case, an instrument used by God
Sometimes from God.
DO I REALLY BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAID I BELIEVED?
Illustrations with Biblical characters--to deal with trials...
Abraham (Heb. 11)-- "Go." "Where?" "I'll tell you when you get there." Then a son was promised...and given twenty-five years later. How long do we wait for God to fulfill His promises to us? Then God told Abraham to kill his son. These things were involved in perfecting Abraham's faith--each step of the way.
Time means a lot to us--and really test us. Time is not so important to God. Our unfulfilled plans that we're sure God has for us...WAITING for them...is a trial of our faith.
Moses--involving Pharaoh...and Israel--murmuring people. Numbers 11--Moses says, "God, I thought you liked me--and You gave me all these people!" Moses had moaners and groaners--why? People can be a trial.
Never in Scripture is genuine faith determined by what God thinks is good! Faith is not outcome-based. In trials, we often try to reverse the process; we attempt to stop the trial. In what area are you being tested? Do you really believe? Do have a life, a future? We will have trials every day, as long as we are here.
