REJOICING THROUGH ADVERSITY
1 Pet. 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 1:6-7
In this series, FOLLOWING JESUS, we have been looking at the question, “Why am I persecuted?” Persecutions often come as the hand of God guiding our lives. Persecutions often come to prepare us for our future. And today, Persecutions may be used to temper your faith. Let’s get into it.
READ AND PRAY.
How many of you would describe your life as “heavy, grieving, suffering, stressed?” Listen to God’s word speak to you (read vs 6 again).
“grieved” KJV uses “heaviness” it means to be grieving, to suffer sorrow, stress pressure, and mental anguish.
We all know what it is to feel weighed down with grief, heavily burdened with life, to suffer stress and pressure, to be in mental anguish, to wonder, question, and suffer under the heavy weight of a trial or temptation.
This is a dark picture of the world and of life; a picture of all kinds of trials and temptations. But we must face reality; it is fact! As we walk throughout life, we are bombarded with all kinds of trials, all kinds of temptations. Our human experience proves it! But why face it? Why think about it? Why not ignore it? Why not simply focus on the positives, look on the good, and move on? Sounds good. Sounds a lot like today’s way of thinking. There is one reason: facts or truths cannot be handled unless dealt with. Ignoring them, denying them will not conquer them!
Think of the last time that you swept a temptation under the rug. What happened? What about the last time you ignored a trial? Did it get bigger?
This method does not conquer them permanently, or eternally! The only way we can ever conquer anything is to face it straight on! It’s the first step in a twelve-step program:
ADMITTING THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM!
The comedian Jeff Foxworthy became famous with his routine, "You might be a redneck if . . . " Here are some of my favorites:
You might be a redneck if the directions to your house include the phrase "turn off the paved road".
You might be a redneck if your front porch collapses and four dogs get killed.
You might be a redneck if you took a fishing pole to Sea World.
You might be a redneck if you have to go outside to get something out of the ’fridge.
You might be a redneck if your dad walks you to school because you’re both in the same grade.
You might be a redneck if you have flowers planted in a bathroom fixture in your front yard.
You might be a redneck if you think the last words to the Star Spangled Banner are, "Gentlemen, start your engines."
Likewise, you might be a Pharisee if you spend a more time talking about the sins of others than you do in repenting and confessing your own. TO REJOICE THROUGH ADVERSITY I MUST:
· ADMIT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM!
The September 11, 2002 issues of TIME magazine has a touching article about 31-year old Genelle Guzman. Genelle was the last of just four people caught in the debris of the Twin Towers to be found alive. After the planes hit the World Trade Center, Genelle was descending a stair case from the 64th floor of the North Tower. Steel beams weakend to their breaking point. Solid concrete was pulverized. But somehow her body found an air pocket. Her right leg was pinned under heavy concrete pillars. Her head was caught between stacks of wreckage. But somehow she was still alive. For twenty-seven hours Guzman lay trapped and seriously injured. In recent months before the attacks Genelle had started attending the church called Brooklyn Tabernacle, and wanted to get her life turned around. So while she was stuck in the rubble, she started to pray. She’d trail off into sleep – wake up and pray some more. Shortly after noon on Wednesday the 12th, she heard voices. So she screamed as loud as she could, “I’m here! HEY, I’M RIGHT HERE!” A rescue worker responded, "Do you see the light?" She did not. She took a piece of concrete and banged it against a broken stairway overhead—probably the same structure that had saved her life. The searchers find the noise. Genelle wedged her hand through a crack in the wall, and felt someone grab it. She heard a voice say, "I’ve got you," and Genelle Guzman said, "OH GOD, THANK YOU.” It took 20 long minutes, and then she was saved.
In many ways, Genelle Guzman represents the plight of all people. We are buried under an enormous mess of spiritual black marks – ways we have wronged our perfect God. The Bible calls these things sin. We have no hope of freeing ourselves. We are truly stuck. In need of rescue. But by admitting the need to be forgiven – by reaching out and saying, “God, help me! I can’t get out of this unless you save me,” we can be confident that he hears and helps. That's what we remember that God reached down into the rubble and saved us by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
(READ THEM SEPERATELY) Listen to what 1Jn. 1:8-9 says, “ 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
We must admit that we have a problem! When we admit our problem then God opens our eyes to His answer! The first step to healing, recovery, and rejoicing is ADMITTING! Once we admit it, and proclaim God’s forgiveness then we experience this promise. There will be an escape; there will be an end.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.1 Cor. 10:13
TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, “THIS TOO WILL PASS!”
Some of you are saying, “Ok, I get it. But I don’t have just one problem, I have many! Why so many trials? It’s not just one!
READ VS 6 AGAIN.
Various trials. You are living a Biblical life. This may not excite you. But know that God has forewarned you in His word!
Christians have a real enemy! There is a real spiritual war. It cannot be neglected or denied! It must be acknowledged!
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 1 Pet. 4:12
“tested” vs 7 means to prove, to test, to strengthen, to show that your faith is genuine.
We can blame ourselves! We need trials to draw us near to God. When are we closest to God? When we are enduring a trial or temptation! We cry out to God more then than when things are going well. We even tend to clean up our lives in order to secure His help while we go through or endure the trial. We simply live more pure, cleaner, and righteous lives while we are enduring a trial. In fact, the greater the trial, the greater we see the need for God in our lives! And the more we see our need for Him, the more we draw closer to Him. The more we draw closer to Him, the cleaner, more righteous we become!
TO REJOICE THROUGH ADVERSITY I MUST:
· ACKNOLEDGE THAT THERE IS A MEANS TO THE MADNESS!
Our trials are purposeful! God uses them to make us more pure, and stirs our heart to draw closer to Him.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Rom. 5:1-5
There is another purpose. TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, “HE’S GOT MORE!”
When our faith is tried and proven, when we walk strongly through the trials of life THE WORLD SEES IT. They see the power of Christ in our lives! When they experience the “joy of the Lord is our strength”, then they will want to know more about Jesus. God will use our trials and sufferings to pour His strength into us to show us and our world His power.
Jesus’ words, “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Lk 6:48
TO REJOICE THROUGH ADVERSITY I MUST:
APPRECIATE THE END RESULTS.
“ 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
We must remember, it is all about bringing glory to Christ! It is not about us. When we lose focus of this we become discouraged.
To endure such tribulations, we must understand what will happen in the end! It is about giving Jesus glory, honor, and praise!
Peter thought he was doing this when he said to Jesus, “You are the Son of God.” But when Peter was at his best was after he denied Jesus. Why? Because Peter was humble enough to receive the Holy Spirit and obey Him. Then Peter had God’s power to proclaim His message at Pentecost; and 3000 got saved!
Saul thought he was bringing God glory. Saul was the man among men; the Hebrew among Hebrews. He was the most wise; looked upon. He thought that he was doing God a favor by persecuted and killing those non-believing Christians. Saul THOUGHT he was doing God a favor! He was great in man’s eyes, he was even greater in his own eyes; but not God’s! Then he met Jesus. And Jesus blinded him and changed his name to Paul. Paul who wrote almost all of the letters to the churches in the New Testament. After he met Jesus he said these words, “7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Phil 3
How about Jacob- the deceiver! After wrestling with God; who now walks with a limp but is changed forever. He is now Israel- The Prince of God!
How genuine is your faith? Is God proving you? QUOTE (DON’T READ)
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Heb. 12:11
If God is disciplining you, remember the goal. He is making you like His son!
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 Jn 3:2
PRAY
Father, we know that you love us; and that you know what is best for us. I pray that we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18
