A Proper Perspective in Trouble

Welcome to the index podcast with her family for Thursday, July 14. Today's lesson continues the study of first Peter chapter 1 God's purpose as we learn how to maintain the proper perspective trouble yields on the first leader and the we want to begin at the life of the six grossing over the line verse and that is were able to live triumphantly throughout trials when we keep our perspective right so let's begin with verse one justice or get ourselves back up to where we were at Peter's writing to those Christians who been scattered all over Asia which is now Turkey wants to read that I just recall verse 23415 because I want to begin in those verses again. He says Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who reside as aliens scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the father, by the sanctifying work of the spirit that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood by grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, that is for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Now in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed about various trials that the proof of your faith, being much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Now the key is not how do you and I look at trials and tribulations and heartaches in our life.

But the truth is what we have to ask as a believer is how do we respond to letters. How do we react when things don't go our way. That is when we are facing opposition and trials and heartaches and all kinds of disappointments and dissolutions in life and sometimes it may be persecution, but sometimes it may be just that part of life. It just doesn't seem to be going our way, how do we respond in order to keep the right perspective when the bottoms dropping out the sides are caving in and we don't know what to do next. The key to keeping the right perspective is.

He says this passage is first of all we need to reaffirm our position of security in him.

Whenever you and I are facing hardship. The first thing we need to do is the reaffirm that we are secure in him. While we secure. We unsecured on the basis of our performance or conduct or behavior. We aren't secure on the basis of how we respond the trials and heartaches we are secure in the person of Jesus Christ on the basis of his sacrificial all sufficient substitutionary death at Calvary and the moment we received him, having been chosen by him.

New birth experience took place in our life and God listen God and assume the responsibility of protecting us. The second thing we need listen, reaffirming our position in him. Secondly, reaffirming that our trials will be profitable now. First of all, he describes the nature of these trials that we face now these people undergoing not only persecution but the word he uses for trials here, not the words you normally use the tribulation and persecution is the same word for trials that is found turnbuckle review of the James chapter 1 promote your memo uses the Greek word, his Paros boss which is the word for testings and temptations. He says in verse two, count it all joy when you encounter various trials, listen, count it all joy when you encounter when you run into when all of a sudden you confronted with these various trials will go back over to first Peter chapter 1 verse six.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so he says first all talking about the nature of the trials because of the same kinds we face pieces.

First of all their various and that word is many fold.

That is, they come from all directions. They come from all sorts kinds of sources they had is when we expected when we don't expect it. There's no way to foretell the kind of troubles and heartaches and tribulations, and trials that will face in life. Sometimes they come, their private sometimes that family. Sometimes there finance. Sometimes the relationships of the people some found their vocational doesn't make a difference where they come from.

That's not the issue. The issue is.

He says when you encounter various various kinds. Many colored many sources many avenues of trials.

He says so you can look for him in every direction. Secondly he says they're greedy is listen. He says in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed that is. You are listed you a you you are grieved about what's going on you feeling the burden of it. He says even though right now you are undergoing the heaviness of it is sometimes we face situations and circumstances that become very heavy. It's one thing for us to go through something a day or a few hours, but you see, the longer you undergo, and the longer you walk through the tunnel and through the valley. Oftentimes the heavier and heavier and heavier the weight of the burden is. That's why believers need to be sensitive to one another and to be able to discern each other's life when we are going through troubles and heartaches in trial and he says oftentimes they are distressing, they bring great great. We weep over them we cry about.

Sometimes we plead before God. God deliver us from these things now that he says if necessary. Some of these things you and I go through unnecessary.

Haven't you said to the Lord, Lord, is this necessary and oftentimes God would probably say yes it is simply like the site will God tell me why God says you don't have to know why and so all of us think sometimes the things we go through could be avoided when it could be avoided, but you know oftentimes the things we like to avoid of the most profitable circumstances we go through so he says here in this passage, he says, if necessary. Some of these trials are necessary. This is what is it necessary, it is not necessary to my convenience.

All my pleasure all my comfort, but necessary to our spiritual growth and the building of Godlike character in our life when we respond properly we grow. Now listen God can have you over here and want you over here and sell right down to the Valley and if you manipulate Ron and blame and cry and weep and blame someone else for your troubles and don't respond right you know what happens. Listen, you know what happens when you do that you get the banner treatment without hitting the reward.

If you don't respond right got I don't like it is his fault her for a lot of know why my life is this way we blame, blame, blame, blame, blame someone else. Whatever were you spending all the time that it would've taken you to get over here over here same amount of time and when it's all over, and God lets up the pressure. You don't have anything, but oftentimes a guilty conscience and you deeper in the rut and feeling worse about everything when it Cunard could reaffirm our position in him I'm chosen by him. I'm born again. I am protected by him and I want to reaffirm that through these days of trial.

I'm going to profit from this.

He said sometimes it's necessary. Their various sometimes they're very distressful. Listen to what he says and this is the part I like don't always get it that way in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a watt little while. Against the background of eternity. What is 30 minutes of suffering 30 days 30 weeks 30 months or 30 years against the background of eternity and Peter is saying in this passage, he says in this you have a right to rejoice that he says greatly rejoice that is with great jubilance and confidence and assurance and rejoicing and happiness in your heart.

He says rejoice, even though now for a little while that is a little seasonal time in your life because of necessity you are going to be and have been under distress and great burdens because of these manifold trials. These heartaches these times of temptation suffering that you're undergoing now. He says what is the outcome of this.

He says that he is the reason you and I have a right to rejoice rib right there. Expect anticipate every trial to be profitable.

That is, I'm going to be better off as a result of this wellness and what he says in verse seven he says. First of all hear the results that you can expect what's this you the results you can expect in your faith. There several things are going to happen your faith. First of all, he says, your faith is going to be proven. Listen that the proof of your faith, and that word is the Greek word document so which means the put something to the test. Anticipating that it will come through victoriously. That is, anticipating that that which is being tested is going to prove trustworthy and worthy and responsible and reliable. He says that the proof of your faith. That is the testing of your faith, he says being much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire.

He says, for example, how do you purify goal but with fireplaces. Your faith tested by fire is much more valuable than gold.

He says now the key.

The key to growing our Christian life and the key to facing trials is responding correctly and how I can respond directly when I reaffirm in my mind in the middle of this trial.

On the other son coming out a winner in this deal. I am going to profit from this period of suffering and he says. First of all, the proving of our faith. That's the first result. Now when he produces. He strengthens our faith. So here's what God does is how God operates in our faith. The Lord takes your little faith will be here where it is and his goal is to ever increase the strength of your faith. As long as you have breath within your body. God will never be satisfied with you being able to leave a little bit and believe more listen.

He wants you to believe more and more and more and more and more and more so that we are literally doing what we say, walking in faith and walking by faith as I was looking at that passive script. I was thinking about the things in my own life that God has used the lift and the bill my faith well I don't have time to give you all of those the night, but I can look back in my life and and every single time the test got harder opposition to overcoming. It seemed to be greater, and each time the end result. Two things, but one of them was stronger faith now gather the same thing you like the contact that is what he's doing and if you look back in your life that you could count some things to and back on the when you thought all got have I don't handle this. Now you think. My goodness minutes for kids back there but be careful. He may bring another one of those up on your blindside check you out because you see God wants to strengthen our faith is just interested in us being where we are.

He's interested in is becoming who he is because of his life within us. The first voices, our faith is proven. Secondly, notice what he says. He says it is purified that the proving of your faith, being much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by five is when I discovered my own life.

When the task comes not only is my faith strengthened when I respond correctly but there's a purifying process that you face. Because what happens when you face something you can handle. What happens is you think all God and you own your bended knee. You are crying out to God searching your heart searching your life checking up on your life.

Repenting of sin getting things cleaned up so that you know absolute outer shell of a doubt got. I want to be sure that I'm hearing you are not hearing anything this is my personal opinion and not being influenced by somebody else got this is a view, humble myself before you search my life cleanse my life purify my life got whatever is necessary to do it. I want to be sure I am ready for what I'm in the middle of that is a purifying process that goes on this while the psalmist says that it was good for him to undergo suffering and trial.

Because suffering and trial has a purifying effect upon our faith unanswered question. When are you able to believe God for the most when you living in sin when you living in obedience medicine rebellion against God and disobedience to God. You know what it does just pull the plug on your faith. It's very difficult to believe God in times of trial, when you not living obediently to him so that the trials not only proven tests and strengthen our faith purifies our faith well the something else interesting that he says here tested pieces tested by far may be found to result in praise and glory and honor the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is it proven that owes it purified, but he says our faith is going to be praise. Listen, he says, the result may be not only the proving of our faith and the purifying of it with the praising of it may be found to result in praise and glory and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen, you know that God is excited when you are not obedient to him and he gives us these big tasks and we plunged through trusting him and come out on the other side. What stronger in our faith pure and our faith. God wants them as he is ready to bless. He listened. He anticipates the blessing of his children. So one of the results of focusing my attention properly anticipating that my faith is going to grow stronger and I'm going to come out a winner in the situation as a second result. Besides, what happens to my faith. That's what happens. The my relationship with Jesus Christ missing this verse eight and though you've not seen him and this is what Peter didn't say Peardon say that we've not seen in he was writing the people who had not seen the Lord Jesus Christ because he had pieces and though you have not seen him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.

Listen when you and I go through difficulties and heartaches and trials. We respond correctly and God whose soul is over here and takes us through the valley on the hardship and the trial and the heartache and the difficulty and brings us out over here. Not only is my faith proven and found trustworthy.

Not only is it purified and not only is there praise from God for but not personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Listen, there's no way to go through heartaches and trial tribulations and all the rest without loving Jesus more and believing in more listen being contented with them and rejoicing.

So what is that the major loving more make you believe in more what else it just makes you get more and more satisfied with just him. Listen, the more you love Jesus Christ, unless you love this world you know what because you don't need it, the more you fall in love with him. The less you need of everything else in life. That doesn't mean the judicial folks out.

It means that things don't have their place in your life. God is a naturally other people will because he's living in them. So when you think about it. Trials really aren't so bad after all.

That is when we count the end result was the end result. My faith is going to be proven and stronger.

It is going to be purified. That makes it more powerful is going to have the praise worthiness of Jesus Christ. My love for Jesus is going to be greater. My belief in him is going to be stronger and my joy and contentment and happiness over him is going to make me contented in life with the Lord Jesus Christ bringing all.

Amen.

Let me ask a question, how do you respond troubles come your fight, blame, accuse Ron escape give up quit get in the spare disillusionment since hopeless blame God get angry God or my friend. Do you want the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful privilege of taking a big giant in your faith in your growth in your loving devotion to Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to a proper perspective and travel. If you like to know more about trial for intense ministry in TextEdit lighting typecast as a presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia