1 Peter 1:6-12 How to have Inexpressible Joy in Trials
Introduction: Last Week we saw that Christians should bless (Eulogetos, “to speak well of”,
“to praise” God because: He has saved us (v.3).
He gives us a living Hope (v.3b).
He give us an inheritance (v.4).
He guards us (v.5).
So in verses 3-5 Peter tell us to bless God and gives us reasons why we should.
Now, in verses 6-12, Peter tells us we should have Inexpressible Joy and tells us
how we can. Did Peter practice what he preached? Oh yes, Act 5:41 “And they
[Peter and the Apostles] departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
The trials Peter is speaking of is suffering for the cause of Christ and
Righteousness. Not suffering because some dumb thing you did….
Proposition: Every Christian can have inexpressible joy in the midst of trials.
How? By
Text: 1 Peter 1:6-12
1. You can have joy if you see trials from the correct Perspective (v.6).
A. God has been and will be good to you.
“Wherein” = may refer back to preceding verse and the contemplation of complete salvation,
or May refer back to all of verses 3-5 and thus speaking of the fact that:
1) God has saved us (past) 2) God gives us a living Hope (present)
3) God gives us an inheritance 4) God guards us until complete salvation
#3 & #4 have both Present and Future aspects to them.
These past, present and future blessings of God on our lives, should result in Joy.
B. The trials will not last forever.
“Now for a season”, the trials may seem long, but in light of eternity they are brief…
C. The trials have to be (If need be)
God in His sovereignty is allowing it: God has a purpose in all of this (Rom. 8:28)
2. You can have joy if you see that trials have a Purpose (v.7).
“That” = “so that” & reveals purpose
A. One Purpose is to Purify the Christian: Gold isn’t destroyed by fire, but refined by it. Fire refines, purifies and brings out the very best in Gold. Likewise, a Christian’s faith is purified in trials. They help to make on mature…
James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
Trials should not destroy our faith, but make our faith stronger and more valuable…
B. Another Purpose of trials is give God glory (1 Peter 4:16)
To glorify God means to show Him as being big, as being good, as being magnificent & beautiful
3. You can have joy if you see that trials produce a product (v.7).
A. The product is God giving praise, honor and glory to the faithful Christian.
Ill.: It is like a coach telling his athlete he did a good job…
It is God telling us “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).
4. You can have joy if you realize you don’t have to rely on sight (v.8-9).
These are Asian Christians who have not seen Jesus. Their knowledge of Him comes through the reports of others. This is important because as time goes by and as time gets farther from the time of Christ walking on this earth, fewer and fewer people had direct knowledge.
John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
2 Cor. 5:7 “7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight”
Just because we don’t see something or someone with our eyes doesn’t mean that it isn’t there or they aren’t there.
Ill: Daniel shot me before I knew it in Paintball…
Can’t see wind…
We can’t see Christ now, except how He changes lives, but some day we will…
This confidence in the unseen Christ results in great joy…
5. You can have joy if you see your Privileged Position (10-12).
A. You have the privilege of living in which the O.T. prophets wanted to know about:
They wanted to know when the Messiah would finally come…
They wanted to know what it would be like seeing and speaking to the Messiah…
They wanted to know about Christ’s sufferings and the glory that would follow (11)
B. You have the privilege of living when the Holy Spirit would indwell permanently (12)
In O.T. times the Holy Spirit only stayed temporarily for a special job
Ps. 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me”
C. You have the privilege of living in a time that when even angels were curious about (12)
We indeed have a privileged position and we live in a privileged time…
Our Time = The “Church Age” Our Position = “The Bride of Christ”
Summary: Peter tells us Every Christian can have inexpressible joy in the midst of trials if
they:
1. see trials from the correct Perspective (v.6).
2. see that trials have a Purpose (v.7).
3. see that trials produce a product (v.7).
4. you realize you don’t have to rely on sight (v.8-9).
5. see yourself in a Privileged Position (10-12).
Invitation:
