How Can Trials
Be Worth More Than Gold?
1Peter 1:1-8
Oct 7, 2012 AM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (1Peter 1:7)
A.
The Trials and Troubles of a
Christian’s Life. What a fun subject! Yet THIS is the theme this whole month!
Why?
B.
Because Peter says in verse 7
that ANY TRIAL a Christian experiences is worth more than GOLD itself!
C.
But HOW can that be a good
thing? Because the result of our trials produces something worth more than all
the gold in the world!
1.
FACT: Gold doesn’t decay or
grow dim with time. It is not like silver that needs polishing. YET, the Bible
plainly declares that one day, way out in the future, even gold, as durable as
it is, will perish. But not our faith!!!
2.
What a thought!
D.
This morning, let’s learn…
1.
What IS Your Faith?
2.
What is a Trial of Your Faith?
3.
What is The Refining Process
that God Uses?
4.
What are the Benefits of
Troubles to the Believer?
5.
What are the amazing Results
of our Troubles?
6.
Finally, HOW to Endure
Troubles as a Christian
II.
Background – all this
is amazing!
A.
Peter’s Audience
– The Strangers (1Peter 1:1,2)
1.
He is writing to believers –
not to everyone in the world – not hardly anyone else would be interested in
what he is about to say
2.
He describes WHO we are as
believers
a.
Strangers to the world
b.
Scattered throughout the world
c.
Elect – chosen, special to God
– not rejects, but accepted in the beloved!
d.
Sanctified – cleansed, ready
to be used of God
e.
By obedience, and the blood of
Jesus Christ
3.
Remember, this is who we
are as Christians!
B.
Peter’s Joy
(1Peter 1:3-5)
1.
This is why we get excited and
rejoice about things!
a.
A Christian rejoices IN the
God and Father of Jesus Christ!
b.
We revel in God’s Mercy
c.
Our joy has such hope – a
lively hope
d.
We rejoice in the
resurrection!
e.
In our security
f.
And in our perfect salvation!
2.
Remember, all that is WHY we
can rejoice! Every born again believer HAS all these things from the moment they
asked Jesus Christ to save them!
C.
Peter’s Challenge to Us
(1Peter 1:6-8) – this is the hard part!
1.
A believer… a born again child
of almighty God has all the above (think about it), and should be able to shout
and praise God and rejoice about it all, no matter what…
2.
But there are times when there
is great heaviness – Peter knows it well!
a.
Seasons of temptations
b.
Layers upon layers of
temptations – manifold (many-folded) temptations
c.
Times where your very faith
and confidence is on trial!
3.
It truly is easy to enjoy the
promises and blessings of God
4.
It is much harder to enjoy and
praise God during troubles, and problems, and heartaches that we all experience
5.
So Peter sets out to write
this letter, under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, to encourage believers
a.
First, he PREPARES us for
troubles – by letting us know we are not immune!
b.
Then he shows us the PURPOSE
of our troubles
c.
And then he finishes by
showing us HOW to endure troubles as a Christian
6.
Believe me, he KNOWS what he
is writing about – because he has experienced everything he is about to say!
III.
Message – Let’s
Understand the Trial of Our Faith
A.
What IS Your Faith?
1.
Your faith is what you say you
believe - what we think we believe from the Bible
a.
We may accept something as
true or real
1)
that God exists
2)
that there is a heaven
3)
That God will take care of us
b.
We may even be sure of
what we believe
1)
Because we read about it in
the Bible
2)
Because someone religious told
us so
c.
But if our faith stops there
and never takes deep root in our life… if it never survives troubles and attacks
and disasters, then, it ain’t faith at all!
1)
In other words, an untested
faith is an unreliable faith – and that ain’t faith!
2)
Real, living, working faith
affects more than just your brain – it affects your hands, your feet, your
thoughts, your words, your goals, your purpose, your will,… your entire life!
3)
But if it doesn’t affect any
of that, then it is only words that you have read but don’t really believe, and
the devil will make sure you end up throwing such “rubbish” away as fast as
possible (Heb 10:35,36) – that’s why people “quit” Christianity – what they
thought they believed had no reality in them!
4)
Same as like someone bragging
they are so strong… until arm-wrestling proves they are a wimp!
2.
We all can probably say we
have faith in God, a confidence in Him… but when tested, how does our faith
stand up?
a.
Do we crumble at the first
sign of affliction?
b.
Or, does our faith remain
strong, even when our friends are saying that we're crazy?
c.
Where do you flee when your
faith is tested? To "your mountain of success"? Or to your prayer closet?
3.
David lived a life full of
faith-testings.
a.
As a shepherd, he and his
little flock of sheep were attacked by lions and bears (1 Sam. 17:37) – that
would be scary!
b.
He, in faith, battled Goliath,
alone (1 Sam. 17:45-f) – he had no one encouraging him that day
c.
He was pursued to the death by
the king Saul (1 Sam. 19-31) – for 7 years – no let up either
d.
He was presented with the
temptation to kill-off his arch enemy, king Saul on TWO different occasions and
yet he wisely backed down (1 Sam. 24; 1 Sam. 26).
e.
As king, David faced civil
wars (2 Sam. 3), angry Philistines (2 Sam. 5), and a rebellious son bent on
killing him (2 Sam. 13).
f.
David's faith in his God was
not an easy faith – it was a constantly tested faith. Just as yours and mine is!
4.
What good would an untested
faith be, anyway? As good as an untested used car!!!
a.
An untested faith is an
unproven faith. Many say that they believe in God, that they trust in God, but
mere words mean nothing. Faith, to be discerned, must be tested; and faith, to
be tested, must bear affliction. We learn the extent of our faith by seeing how
well it stands up under affliction. A strictly fair-weather faith is no faith at
all.
b.
When a calm reigns on the sea,
you can spread the sails as you will, but the ship does not move to its harbour.
Yet, let the winds rush and howl, and let the waters lift themselves, and though
the vessel may rock and her deck may be washed with waves and her mast may creak
under the pressure of the full and swelling storm, it is then that she makes her
best headway toward her desired haven.
c.
No stars gleam as brightly as
those that glisten in the darkest midnight sky; no water tastes as sweet as that
which springs up from the deepest desert sand; and no faith is so precious as
that which lives and triumphs in the midst of adversity.
B.
What is a Trial of Your
Faith?
1.
A Trial, in the Bible, is
three things. Something happening in your life that:
a.
Refines you
b.
Reveals you
c.
Proves you
2.
A trial is a REVEALING process
first – exposing what is deep inside – often hidden to outside viewers
a.
Impurities – what we are
naturally
b.
Lies that we hold to that did
not come from God
c.
Hypocrisies in our own life
d.
Whether we are even born again
or just faking it (2Cor 13:5)
e.
Troubles in our life REVEAL
what is going on inside – and we usually don’t like what we see!
3.
A Trial is a REFINING Process
(Psalm 66:10-12; Proverbs 17:3)
a.
A trial is a REFINING process
- perfecting
b.
First exposing what we ARE and
what is IN us – that is the first step
c.
And then removing impurities
(thank God) – we can’t hold onto things that the Lord is trying to take away and
burn away
d.
So that we can be better than
we were, cleaner, stronger – like Jesus
e.
The heat of the trouble
actually Strengthens what remains – bonds all the parts together
1)
As an individual with their
Lord
2)
As a church, bonding together
through the fire
f.
Take heart, that God won’t
leave us alone in the trial (Isa 43:2)
g.
It is actually HE who is in
absolute control of the process
4.
A trial is a PROVING process –
to the world and to the devil that faith works!
a.
Remember Job? (Job 23:10)
1)
Minding his own business,
right with God, worshipping God, faithful to God
2)
Yet the devil questioned if he
was really for real
3)
And the Lord said, Yes he is.
4)
But the devil said he was only
a godly man because he had no problems, and that if pushed, he would crumble and
end up cursing God to His face
5)
God said, have at him
6)
And BOY did the devil work Job
over
7)
And Job PROVED his faith was
working – he had solid faith in God’s work on him (Job 23:10) – obviously his
faith was real!
b.
Remember Jesus?
1)
He was supposed to be the pure
and perfect Son of God right?
2)
Well, he could claim anything,
but the devil came along to see if this Jesus was really for real
3)
And so the devil poured
everything on Jesus – everything
4)
And Jesus was real, through
and through!
c.
Next time you are in a trial,
remember that the Lord might be trying to prove to the devil that you really are
REAL!
d.
If we are Bible believers, if
we are born again Christians, then WHAT we SAY we believe, will always be
tested, put on trial
e.
And it is THAT trial that
reveals just how real our confidence is!
5.
Peter is speaking first hand!
His faith was tested, put on trial!
a.
Jesus foretold the testing of
Peter’s faith (Lk 22:31,32)
b.
Peter experienced it (Mk
16:55-72)
c.
And then Peter’s faith was
tested again when the women came saying that Jesus was actually risen from the
dead just like He had said!
d.
His confidence in Jesus was
tested AGAIN when Jesus asked him to be ready to follow Him no matter where it
led (John 21:21-22)!
e.
Peter’s faith was tested and
proven again when he was forced to stand in front of the same Sanhedrin that had
caused the crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 5:27-29)
f.
His faith was tested AGAIN
when he was captured and imprisoned in preparation for a beheading the next
morning – but by then, his faith is unshakeable (Acts 12:4-6)
C.
There are So Many KINDS
of Trials
1.
There is NO ONE alive who does
not have what they hold to, what they are trusting, tested!
a.
Doesn’t matter if they are a
Born again believer, or a pagan or an atheist
b.
They ALL have times of
testings that force them to evaluate whether they really believe what they say
they believe
2.
There are as many kinds of
trials a person could be going through as there are minutes in a month!
a.
Someone has a health trial
b.
Someone else has family
troubles – marriage, runaway son or daughter
c.
Someone else has financial
testings
d.
Or caught up in national
conflicts like wars – like
e.
Or even natural disasters,
like hurricanes, earthquakes, “acts of God” (Mark 13:7,8)
f.
And then there are emotional
trials – depression, always angry
3.
You may yearn to be free from
whatever trouble you are in right now (Ps 38:6; 34:6) and that is a right thing
to wish and pray for…
4.
But realise that there will be
other troubles
a.
You may wish to not have
financial worries and struggles – but would you rather have the heartache of a
wayward son or daughter?
b.
You may have the burden of an
unsaved husband or loved one – but would you rather have a health trial?
5.
We need to THANK God that he
has given you the troubles you have and not what another person has!
a.
Life is good for a believer,
but it will usually be hard – that’s the honest truth!
b.
Our grandparents understood
this reality – it is OUR generation that thinks we shouldn’t have troubles!
D.
The Intended Results of our
Troubles (1Peter 1:7)
1.
We believe troubles are meant
to ruin us – but they are not meant to destroy us (Gen 50:20). We can let them
ruin us if we want, but God means to use troubles and temptations and trials
a.
Troubles cause us to give the
BEST kind of praise to God – not empty words, or superficial feelings, but deep,
real praise to God!
b.
Trials and tribulations are a
way to bring the HIGHEST form of honour to the Lord Jesus
c.
They are the best means by
which we bring the greatest glory to Jesus Christ at His Second Coming!
2.
But all that only happens when
we let the trial bring out those things, instead of bringing out the old corrupt
man that we used to be!
IV.
Application – How to
Endure Trials as a Christian (1Peter 1:8)
A.
Remember, the theme this whole
month! We need to learn that trials are what make faith more precious than gold!
B.
Peter ends up by showing us
HOW to endure troubles as a Christian
1.
Differently than we used to
handle them – Jesus is worthy of reacting differently than we used to, to our
troubles and trials
a.
No more aggression, or
bitterness, or turning to drink or pills!
b.
But instead, blessing those
that hurt you and use you and persecute you
c.
Praying for God to get the
glory instead of the devil
2.
By loving someone you have
never yet seen – staying in love with HIM!
a.
Every attack of the devil is
intended to drive a wedge between the believer and the Lord
b.
Let it like Paul’s thorn,
drive you to a sweeter, richer walk with Jesus Christ!
3.
By believing Him without
reservation – without hesitation!
a.
We try and believe everything
we are taught – dogma, doctrine
b.
But our strength comes from
trusting Jesus, resting in His mighty arms and in His will
c.
Paul was on a sinking ship in
the middle of the
4.
By going ahead and
rejoicing when you don’t feel like it, when you don’t even WANT to, but you
CHOOSE to!!!
5.
And you endure BY FAITH, going
against all feelings of heaviness!
V.
Conclusion
A.
Peter says in 1Pet 1:7 that
any TRIAL a Christian experiences is worth more than GOLD itself!
B.
How can that be true? How can
our trials, our troubles, our mess-ups and even failures produce something worth
more than all the gold in the world!
1.
Life is so full of heaviness
a.
Seasons of temptations
b.
Layers upon layers of
temptations
c.
Times where your very faith
and confidence is on trial!
2.
So… Life is meant to be lived
by FAITH – REAL faith!
a.
It has to be more than what
you say you believe
b.
It has to have deep root in
our life to survive troubles and attacks and disasters
c.
If our faith doesn’t enable us
to conquer, then, it ain’t faith at all! Only untested faith!
d.
What good would an untested
faith be, anyway? An untested faith is an unproven faith. Many say that they
believe in God, that they trust in God, but mere words mean nothing. Faith, to
be discerned, must be tested; and faith, to be tested, must bear affliction. We
learn the extent of our faith by seeing how well it stands up under affliction.
A strictly fair-weather faith is no faith at all.
3.
So In Comes a Trial of
Your Faith
a.
Revealing – exposing what is
deep inside – often hidden to outside viewers
b.
REFINING - purifying (Psalm
66:10-12; Proverbs 17:3)
c.
PROVING– to the world and to
the devil that faith works!
d.
Next time you are in a trial,
remember that the Lord might be trying to prove to the devil that you really are
REAL!
4.
The Intended Results of our
Troubles (1Peter 1:7)
a.
Troubles cause us to give the
BEST kind of praise to God – not empty words, or superficial feelings, but deep,
real praise to God!
b.
Trials and tribulations are a
way to bring the HIGHEST form of honour to the Lord Jesus
c.
They are the best means by
which we bring the greatest glory to Jesus Christ at His Second Coming!
5.
But all that only happens when
we let the trial bring out those things, instead of bringing out the old corrupt
man that we used to be!
C.
So, How to Endure
Trials as a Christian (1Peter 1:8)
1.
Differently than we used to
handle them
2.
By loving someone you have
never seen – staying in love with HIM!
3.
By believing Him without
reservation
4.
By going ahead and rejoicing
when you don’t feel like, when you don’t even WANT to, but you WANT to act on
who you are believing!!!
5.
By FAITH, going against all
feelings of heaviness!
D.
How Are Your Troubles
Affecting YOU?
1.
Humbled you yet?
2.
Exposed you?
3.
Proved you?
4.
Purified you?
5.
Examine yourselves to see if
there is any substance to your faith? See if you even are born again?
6.
If not, TODAY is the day to
get saved!
7.
The challenge is to right here
and now decide to let the trial come head on and that you, like Shadrach,
Meschach and Abendego, you just go ahead and praise God anyway! Bringing great
praise, and honour and glory to that fourth Man in the fire with you!