The Silver Lining Inthe Storm Clouds Of Life! Series

INTRODUCTION

• Slide #1

• Have you heard the idiom, “Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining?” I wonder why the cloud does not have a gold lining!

• We may have a bit of a hard time relating to this idiom here in Sierra Vista since when we see clouds we kind of like it because we so rarely get rain and we do not get to see storms too often.

• For those of us from the Midwest, we can relate to this because it seems like it is cloudy all the time and that storms are frequent.

• There are many times in life where we have to face the storms of life and those storms can range from small quick rains, to hurricanes and tornados.

• When we face the storms of life, we need to be able to find the silver lining, we need to have something to hold on to, something to hope for so that we do not end up allowing ourselves to blow away in the storm.

• Many of the readers of Peter’s letter were in the midst of some terrible storms in their lives. These were the type of storms that had the potential to shake their faith at its core.

• In the passage we will explore together this morning, we are going to examine the various veins of the silver lining we can find during the storms or trials of life.

• We are all facing some storms of life in one form or another. The question we have to answer as a follow of Jesus is are we going to rely on Jesus or will we let the storm make sport of us and destroy our lives and our faith?

• This letter came at a good time for those to whom Peter addressed the letter. I hope that this message is coming to you at a good time also.

• Let’s turn to 1 Peter 1:6-9 together.

• SLIDE #2

• 1 Peter 1:6-9(ESV) 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

One vein of the silver lining is:

I. The momentary storms of life can invoke true joy.

• This can sound a bit crazy when you look at it on the surface.

• HOW in the WORLD can I experience JOY during the various storms in my life?

• I wonder how the recipients of this letter reacted when they got to this part of the letter. You know that many of them were being persecuted at the writing of this.

• Look at verse 6 again.

• SLIDE #4

• 1 Peter 1:6(ESV) 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,

• How can we find joy in trials? Who wants to go through trials in life? I am not sure too many of us WANT to experience trials, BUT sometimes it is just part of living in a sinful world.

• WE are told that we can be grieved by various trials. Grief is not the affliction of pain but rather an inner feeling of distress caused by trials.

• The various trials can serve as temptation to leave our faith because the trials are not just the ordinary trials of life. These are difficult issues like false accusations, abuse and persecutions.

• So how can we find the silver lining of joy?

• Notice verse six starts, “IN THIS”.

• WE can find joy because the “IN THIS” refers to verse 3-5 which talk about our inheritance found in Jesus that is waiting for us!

• WE know that God is the central part of our life. Knowing this helps us to understand that God will not let us utterly fail.

• WE KNOW whom be believe in, and we KNOW who we serve. WE KNOW what is awaiting us.

• Since we KNOW what God has in store for us we can rejoice because we know the trials are MOMENTARY, or for just a little while. I know when we are in the midst of the storm it seems as though it will never end.

• If we understand that no matter what the issue is we are dealing with that in the big picture it is momentary we can rejoice.