Title: What God has given us in order for us to endure tragedy and trials!
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Introduction
As many of you know our church family experienced a great tragedy this week. I know we have many questions about why their son was taken from them. Questions like; “Why did God allow this to happen?” I don’t know the answer to why God allowed this to happen but I want to try and help comfort all of us by reminding us today on what God has given us in order for us to endure tragedy and great trials
Peter speaks of these things in 1 Peter 1:3-9
1. In order for us to endure tragedy and great trial God has given us new birth into a living hope
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
This living hope is; first of all found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.Because Jesus rose from the dead there is now hope for us all. There is now hope that what happened to Jesus can happen to us too.
David was one of the first to believe this and Peter speaks of this in Acts 2:25-31
“For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades,Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.28 You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’[d]29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,[e] 31 “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.
This living hope comes to us through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15
Hope is the opposite of fear. Biblical hope is not a hope-so but it is a know-so. Biblical hope results in praise to God and peace for us
You can’t praise God without peace and you can’t have peace without praising God.
This living hope is birthed in us through the great mercy of God. This living hope; our resurrection from the dead is received through the great mercy of God. Everyone everywhere has received the mercy of God. You and I breath today because of the mercy of God. But here is the question of the hour? Have you and I received the great mercy of God? There is a difference between the mercy of God and the great mercy of God! The mercy of God is that you are born once the great mercy of God is that you are born again. In order to be given birth into living hope you must receive the great mercy of God. The great mercy of God is that Jesus died and rose again from the dead in order to take away our sins. You receive the great mercy of God when you put your faith in Jesus Christ.
2. In order for us to endure tragedy and great trial God has given us an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade
"And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you,"
Define tragedy: you lose someone or something precious.
There is some things a tragedy can never take from you and there are some things only a tragedy can give you!i
What is this inheritance? It’s something that can never perish, spoil, or fade. It is a new body. A new home. A new experience with God
Where is this inheritance kept? It’s kept in heaven for you. It’s waiting for you up in heaven. It will never perish. Never spoil. Never fade. Lay Up Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
3. In order for us to endure tragedy and great trial God has given us His divine power to shield us
"Who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
"Who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (nkjv)"
It’s only through the power of God that we can endure tragedy and great trials.It’s not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord
Its God’s power that shields us until the coming of our salvation. That power is accessed through faith. God gives power to our faith. Salvation from our sins and salvation from our suffering. You are not shielded or kept by God from tragedy –you are shielded or kept by God in the midst of tragedy
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me.When you walk through the fire I will be with you.
God is an ever present help in times of trouble.
4. In order to endure tragedy and great trial God has given us supernatural joy in the midst of our grief.
|In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
What is the joy that God has given us? The knowledge that God is working out his purpose in all things!
The joy of the Lord is my strength. Great joy is born out of great suffering. The greater the suffering the greater the joy. (giving birth)
Believe and you will see rather than see and you will believe.This may be the hardest thing to receive from the Lord
To receive joy in our grief. The joy that those who die in the Lord are in a better place. We don’t rejoice because of the tragedy we rejoice because of the testimony God will give us.
