WEBVTT 00:00:02.833 --> 00:00:11.032 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. 00:00:11.032 --> 00:00:21.365 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 00:00:29.500 --> 00:00:32.765 Well, good morning, Valley View. 00:00:32.899 --> 00:00:36.832 It's great to be with you today as we continue in our study of the Book of First Peter. 00:00:36.832 --> 00:00:39.299 So if you have a Bible, go ahead, turn there. 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:43.000 We're going to be reading in verses six through nine in the first chapter. 00:00:43.000 --> 00:00:48.232 And if you have a church Bible, those pages should be up on the screen telling you what page to find that on. 00:00:48.232 --> 00:00:52.832 If you don't have a Bible, you can grab one anytime out in the connection corner. 00:00:52.832 --> 00:00:55.899 And those are free for you, free for you to keep. 00:00:55.899 --> 00:00:57.633 But we want you turning in God's Word. 00:00:57.633 --> 00:01:00.365 That'll be on page 953 in the Church Bible. 00:01:00.365 --> 00:01:03.265 We want you to turn in there as we read along together. 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:12.465 One thing I remember as I thought about this week's passage, was a story I heard from my brother, one of my brothers. 00:01:12.465 --> 00:01:15.865 His wife had been out at Whole Foods with a few of their kids. 00:01:15.865 --> 00:01:18.799 I think she had all the kids with her and, you know, Whole Foods. 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:22.665 There was a few things there they needed to get that they couldn't get at their local grocery store. 00:01:22.665 --> 00:01:29.033 And it was, you know, probably 30 minutes away from them 30 minute drive, but they're there in the store. 00:01:29.033 --> 00:01:35.066 And as this happens with young kids in the store, the one of their daughters sees something she has to have. 00:01:35.066 --> 00:01:36.933 There's a stuffed animal there. 00:01:36.933 --> 00:01:38.000 I think it was a raccoon. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.900 I don't remember exactly what it was, but she had to have it. 00:01:40.900 --> 00:01:42.832 Her life would not be complete until she got it. 00:01:42.832 --> 00:01:45.365 So mom, will you give me that stuffed animal? 00:01:45.365 --> 00:01:48.533 And it was one of those gigantic ones and probably the size of her at the time. 00:01:48.533 --> 00:01:49.900 She's probably seven years old. 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:52.700 And of course, you know how that goes. 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:55.965 Any parent has had that happen, or especially you have multiple kids. 00:01:55.965 --> 00:01:59.533 If you give one kids something, you're not leaving there for under a couple thousand dollars. 00:01:59.533 --> 00:02:01.500 After you've doled out stuff to everyone. 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:02.299 You can't just. 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:03.733 Yeah, sure. No problem. 00:02:03.733 --> 00:02:06.632 Even if you wanted to give it to them. 00:02:06.632 --> 00:02:08.900 And so she says, no, sorry, I can't. 00:02:08.900 --> 00:02:13.133 Well, sometimes in that situation, what will a kid do? 00:02:13.866 --> 00:02:16.866 Would you say, pray? 00:02:17.332 --> 00:02:21.866 Yeah, maybe your kids, other kids might throw a fit at other churches. 00:02:21.866 --> 00:02:24.500 Not our church, but they might throw a fit to try to get their way. 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:25.066 Don't give in. 00:02:25.066 --> 00:02:27.500 Parents stand firm even if you want to. 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:28.800 Maybe later not. 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:31.133 Then she didn't do any of that. 00:02:32.165 --> 00:02:40.432 She kind of just took it into herself because she knew, she just decided in that moment I will have that raccoon. 00:02:40.432 --> 00:02:41.765 Nothing will stop me. 00:02:41.765 --> 00:02:43.699 I will not be complete until I get it. 00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:45.400 And she just started to plot. 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:47.199 How am I going to get that? 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:57.832 So they get home and she packs a little backpack with some snacks, bottle of water, and she waits for the right moment and she just slips out the back door. 00:02:57.832 --> 00:03:00.300 While she's going out, she grabs her younger sister. 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:02.765 Hey, do you want to go for a walk with me? 00:03:02.765 --> 00:03:03.332 Sure. 00:03:03.332 --> 00:03:03.966 No problem. 00:03:03.966 --> 00:03:09.800 You know, she's 4 or 5 and they go outside, put on their shoes, they're walking down the block. 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.099 She is going to walk the Whole Foods and get that animal. 00:03:13.165 --> 00:03:15.633 and it's probably, you know, who knows how many hours. 00:03:15.633 --> 00:03:27.366 It's probably ten miles away, but she's going and bringing along her little sister with her and they get a, you know, block down the road and her sister's like, does mom know about this? 00:03:27.532 --> 00:03:28.233 No worries. 00:03:28.233 --> 00:03:29.733 It's okay. 00:03:29.733 --> 00:03:30.199 All right. 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:34.265 They get a little further and her sister is like, I don't know, I'm not comfortable with this. 00:03:34.265 --> 00:03:35.032 I'm kind of scared. 00:03:35.032 --> 00:03:36.199 I think I want to go back. 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:39.699 She's like, fine, you can go back, but you're going by yourself. 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:41.733 And so she's like, well, I guess I'm in. 00:03:41.733 --> 00:03:43.633 So they keep walking. 00:03:43.633 --> 00:03:46.432 And of course, you know, they're only a couple of blocks away from the house. 00:03:46.432 --> 00:03:49.765 But mom finally realizes, where are these two girls? 00:03:49.765 --> 00:03:52.832 She's got other kids to deal with, finally realizes what has happened. 00:03:52.832 --> 00:03:55.265 She's freaking out, gets friends to help. 00:03:55.265 --> 00:03:56.633 They find them. It's no problem. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:01.566 Of course she didn't make it the Whole foods and get the animal, but I heard that story. 00:04:01.566 --> 00:04:21.966 I love her resolve and her determination in that story, and I think how interesting it is at times, the lengths we're willing to go to, the hardships we're willing to endure, the challenges we're willing to embrace, the difficulties will even drag other people into it to accomplish our own purposes. 00:04:22.565 --> 00:04:32.266 But what about when God brings hardship, challenges, trials, difficulties? 00:04:32.266 --> 00:04:35.266 He brings them not not the ones we chose. 00:04:36.132 --> 00:04:39.065 He brings them for his purposes. 00:04:39.065 --> 00:04:41.033 What do we do with that? 00:04:41.033 --> 00:04:44.300 It's okay when I've chosen it for my purposes. 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:48.132 What about when he does that for his purposes? 00:04:48.132 --> 00:04:50.632 On first Peter chapter one, we're going to look at that today. 00:04:50.632 --> 00:04:57.266 In fact, we're going to see a number of different purposes that he has with some of the trials, challenges, hardships. 00:04:57.266 --> 00:04:59.500 He brings our way. 00:04:59.500 --> 00:05:03.565 In fact, we're going to see three different purposes for trials here in this passage. 00:05:03.565 --> 00:05:05.800 And let's start by looking at verse six. 00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:07.500 We'll read that one together. 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:11.665 First Peter one, verse six. 00:05:11.665 --> 00:05:17.733 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary. 00:05:17.733 --> 00:05:20.766 You have been grieved by various trials. 00:05:21.833 --> 00:05:29.500 So that first phrase there in this you rejoice that this points back to verses three through five that we looked at last week. 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:32.333 All the realities of our salvation in Christ. 00:05:32.333 --> 00:05:42.432 He talked about how we were born again into a new hope, that we have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, unfading. 00:05:43.132 --> 00:05:46.333 And when we meditate on those realities of our salvation, we rejoice. 00:05:46.333 --> 00:05:48.565 That should bring tremendous joy. 00:05:48.565 --> 00:05:53.365 The Christian life has this overwhelming element of joy to it. 00:05:54.165 --> 00:06:14.600 And if you think back to before you knew Christ, yes, there were moments of joy and happiness and delight, but that was always overshadowed by this this foreboding sense of angst and worry and anxiousness and purposelessness and wondering where is my life headed and what's going to happen, and how's it all going to shake out? 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:19.632 That was that was always in the background, overshadowing any joy. 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:23.565 But when you come to know Christ, it flips upside down. 00:06:23.565 --> 00:06:24.833 There is this abiding joy. 00:06:24.833 --> 00:06:26.932 And yes, hard times come. 00:06:26.932 --> 00:06:29.665 Yes, without a doubt. 00:06:29.665 --> 00:06:35.365 But there's that joy in Christ that is ever present in the background. 00:06:35.365 --> 00:06:39.165 Shining light on top of it all. 00:06:39.165 --> 00:06:46.399 So he starts by saying, in this you rejoice in the relationship you have in Christ, and knowing him that brings joy. 00:06:46.899 --> 00:06:50.132 But look at the next word, very next word that follows on that. 00:06:50.132 --> 00:06:54.000 In this you rejoice, though now. 00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:04.266 A bit of and yet, although just a little bit of pumping of the brakes here. 00:07:04.266 --> 00:07:06.766 Yes, there is joy, without a doubt. 00:07:06.766 --> 00:07:07.733 There is joy. 00:07:07.733 --> 00:07:09.800 Overwhelming joy. 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:13.665 And yet there are various trials. 00:07:13.665 --> 00:07:16.065 There are challenges. 00:07:16.065 --> 00:07:23.399 One of the things I love about Scripture is it it doesn't shy away from hard realities of life. 00:07:23.399 --> 00:07:32.899 The Bible doesn't pretend that hard things don't happen, that there aren't challenges and trials that come at you in life. 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:34.899 Bible never shies away from that. 00:07:34.899 --> 00:07:39.899 In fact, Paul Tripp says it this way in his book on suffering, which I mentioned last week. 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:50.333 Week before that I've been reading over that book randomly, not even in intentional preparation for this series for the months leading up to us going through First Peter. 00:07:50.333 --> 00:07:52.132 But here's what he has to say about trials. 00:07:52.132 --> 00:08:03.365 In his book, he says the Bible never treats suffering as anything other than real, significant, and often life changing human experience. 00:08:03.533 --> 00:08:09.932 The Bible is not afraid to acknowledge the reality that we face trials. 00:08:10.365 --> 00:08:32.832 God doesn't hope that you just ignore that part of the Bible. In fact, if anyone is teaching a version of Christianity that says you should not have any trials, that you should not have any suffering, that you should never have any challenges, I'm not going to try to understand their motives for that or what their intentions are, but that's a misunderstanding. 00:08:32.832 --> 00:08:35.666 That's a gross misunderstanding of Scripture. 00:08:35.666 --> 00:08:40.133 You have to cast aside huge portions of Scripture to come up with that. 00:08:40.133 --> 00:08:42.100 You got to get rid of the book of job entirely. 00:08:42.100 --> 00:08:48.466 You got to throw out at least a third of the Psalms, you know, at least over a third of the Psalms. 00:08:48.466 --> 00:08:53.732 They're titled the Lament Psalms, meaning they're there for Lamentations. 00:08:53.732 --> 00:08:56.966 They're there because they express the grief and sorrow of the author. 00:08:58.265 --> 00:09:00.633 God wasn't afraid for that to show up in Scripture. 00:09:00.633 --> 00:09:03.533 I'll just point out one of them turned to Psalm 13. 00:09:03.533 --> 00:09:09.765 Psalms is kind of in the middle of your Bible, and if you have a church Bible, page number should be up on the screen. 00:09:09.765 --> 00:09:12.765 Psalm 13 page 423. 00:09:14.932 --> 00:09:17.133 This is just one example. 00:09:17.133 --> 00:09:20.033 There's something, I think 67 different Psalms. 00:09:20.033 --> 00:09:29.166 I think it is 66, 67 that are called them in Psalms, where the author is very real about what they're feeling and experiencing. 00:09:29.166 --> 00:09:30.100 Psalm 13. 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:37.100 Look at verse one, how long, O Lord, will you forget me forever? 00:09:37.865 --> 00:09:40.133 Who hasn't felt that way? 00:09:40.133 --> 00:09:40.700 Where? 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:42.500 Where are you, Lord? 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:46.432 How long are you going to go on ignoring my pain, my challenge, my suffering? 00:09:46.432 --> 00:09:48.100 Have you forgotten me completely? 00:09:49.899 --> 00:09:53.432 The Bible doesn't shy away from that reality. 00:09:53.432 --> 00:09:54.399 Look at how it continues. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.633 How long will you hide your face from me? 00:09:56.633 --> 00:10:01.633 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? 00:10:01.633 --> 00:10:07.232 How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 00:10:08.066 --> 00:10:08.966 Trials. 00:10:08.966 --> 00:10:11.466 Challenges, difficulties. 00:10:11.466 --> 00:10:13.633 They're real. 00:10:13.633 --> 00:10:15.432 Consider and answer me, O Lord. 00:10:15.432 --> 00:10:24.600 Light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemies say, I have prevailed over him, lest my foe rejoice, because I am shaken. 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:31.000 This person is in a deep, difficult moment of despair. 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:33.466 And so often in the lament Psalms. 00:10:33.466 --> 00:10:37.033 I love how this one ends, and so often you see this. 00:10:37.033 --> 00:10:38.533 Let me get this out there. 00:10:38.533 --> 00:10:40.732 Let me share what I'm feeling. 00:10:40.732 --> 00:10:42.732 Let me be real about where I am. 00:10:44.633 --> 00:10:45.166 Verse five. 00:10:45.166 --> 00:10:48.832 But I have trusted in your steadfast love. 00:10:48.865 --> 00:10:50.932 My heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 00:10:50.932 --> 00:10:54.899 I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. 00:10:55.133 --> 00:10:56.232 Lord, this is how I'm feeling. 00:10:56.232 --> 00:10:59.432 I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I'm trusting you. 00:10:59.432 --> 00:11:02.432 I'm going to depend on you through this. 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:09.700 What all of this is pointing to here, in this first purpose of trials, is just the reality of trials. 00:11:09.700 --> 00:11:10.732 And this is our first point. 00:11:10.732 --> 00:11:16.966 There's three main purposes of trials I'm going to draw out here in this chapter in this section of reading. 00:11:16.966 --> 00:11:19.232 But this would be the reality of trials. 00:11:19.232 --> 00:11:31.332 The reality of trials is, is that they are real, that they do come, that we will experience challenges in this life. And Scripture doesn't shy away from that reality. 00:11:31.332 --> 00:11:37.299 Yes, there's rejoicing, but Christianity is not only joy, there are still hard times. 00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:42.432 And if you've been a Christian, any amount of time, you know this. 00:11:42.432 --> 00:11:48.232 So there are the reality trials, challenges, hardships. 00:11:48.332 --> 00:11:50.033 But there's more. 00:11:50.033 --> 00:11:50.832 Look at the next verse. 00:11:50.832 --> 00:11:53.332 Turn back to first Peter. 00:11:53.332 --> 00:11:55.332 First Peter six. 00:11:55.332 --> 00:11:57.033 Let's look at verse seven. 00:11:57.033 --> 00:12:00.966 In this you rejoice now for a little while you've been grieved by various trials. 00:12:00.966 --> 00:12:03.966 That's the reality of trials. 00:12:04.066 --> 00:12:22.466 Look at verse seven, so 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, glory, honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:12:23.133 --> 00:12:25.432 So first we talked about the reality of trials. 00:12:25.432 --> 00:12:27.466 But now this section is going to get into. 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:32.432 The result of trials. 00:12:32.432 --> 00:12:35.365 What are the result of trials? 00:12:35.365 --> 00:12:52.932 In fact, this phrase that starts the verse so that that really is a purpose clause pointing to the purpose of the previous verse, pointing to the purpose of trials and the fact that trials have a purpose. 00:12:53.166 --> 00:13:01.666 That kind of has a maybe a contradictory or a dual sense to it, where you feel two different things at the same time. 00:13:01.666 --> 00:13:05.533 You're meaning to tell me that God has a purpose to those trials. 00:13:05.533 --> 00:13:09.533 When I hear that, sometimes I feel like that's confusing. 00:13:10.166 --> 00:13:11.399 He's got he's going to you. 00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:12.332 He brought this in. 00:13:12.332 --> 00:13:13.732 He allowed this into my life. 00:13:13.732 --> 00:13:15.066 He knows it's here. 00:13:15.066 --> 00:13:16.633 And he lets this continue. 00:13:16.633 --> 00:13:17.633 Couldn't he stop it? 00:13:17.633 --> 00:13:20.432 Why does he allow this horrible thing into my life? 00:13:20.432 --> 00:13:22.200 Or even maybe it's not horrible even. 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:27.365 It's just an annoyance that's confusing. 00:13:27.365 --> 00:13:36.666 And yet it's also at the same time can be very comforting to know he knows he is still in control. 00:13:36.666 --> 00:13:40.666 It's not like this thing entered my life apart from him. 00:13:41.633 --> 00:13:44.265 And it's comforting to know he's still in control. 00:13:44.265 --> 00:13:48.232 He's still sovereign over the entire universe. 00:13:48.232 --> 00:13:51.232 This doesn't unravel his whole plan. 00:13:53.265 --> 00:13:55.466 He has a purpose. 00:13:55.466 --> 00:13:58.466 Now, how does he accomplish that purpose? 00:13:59.033 --> 00:14:00.232 It says here in verse seven. 00:14:00.232 --> 00:14:09.533 So that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold, though it perishes, is tested by fire. 00:14:11.332 --> 00:14:19.732 One of the things he's going to highlight here, and he's going to compare and contrast our faith to gold in two interesting ways. 00:14:20.332 --> 00:14:24.865 The first way here is it talks about the way our faith is similar to gold. 00:14:24.865 --> 00:14:39.299 One of the ways our faith is similar to gold is that it is refined by fire, and gold is made more valuable by fire, by the refining, by burning off the things you don't want or need. 00:14:39.299 --> 00:14:43.966 You get rid of those things and it makes it more valuable, more precious. 00:14:43.966 --> 00:14:45.200 Our faith is that way. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.732 It's through the trials, through the challenges. 00:14:47.732 --> 00:14:54.633 God uses those things to burn off, to purify, to refine our faith. 00:14:55.865 --> 00:15:00.332 I've mentioned the book a couple times now already by Paul Trip on suffering. 00:15:00.832 --> 00:15:03.832 Why did he write a book about suffering? 00:15:04.232 --> 00:15:08.732 You know, a guy I used to work with in ministry wrote a book on marriage. 00:15:08.732 --> 00:15:10.633 He's like, don't write a book on marriage. 00:15:10.633 --> 00:15:17.765 Like, don't act like you have it all figured out, because then you'll realize big time that you don't. 00:15:17.932 --> 00:15:20.832 But why would you write a book on suffering? 00:15:22.432 --> 00:15:24.865 Well, one day he was traveling and teacher. 00:15:24.865 --> 00:15:31.732 He's written a bunch of different books, and he and the bulk of his ministry is traveling, going around teaching about the book's various topics. 00:15:31.732 --> 00:15:37.466 People invite him doing seminars, and he was set to travel, but he wasn't feeling good. 00:15:37.466 --> 00:15:40.666 He hadn't been feeling good for many days and so finally decided to go to the doctor. 00:15:40.666 --> 00:15:45.466 The doctor sends him to the hospital and immediately shows up at the hospital. 00:15:45.466 --> 00:15:51.399 They do some tests and they said, if you would have come here one day later, you would have lost both your kidneys. 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:54.700 You're you are on the edge of complete kidney failure. 00:15:54.700 --> 00:16:02.633 And he thought, what I feel okay, I mean, I felt a little down, but he's in the best shape of his life, the best health. 00:16:02.633 --> 00:16:03.666 He had lost weight. 00:16:03.666 --> 00:16:07.066 He exercise regularly, he's being careful with his food and managing is stress. 00:16:08.466 --> 00:16:11.666 And that led to a season of just chronic illness. 00:16:11.666 --> 00:16:17.600 Surgery after surgery after surgery, months after months, after months of just depleted. 00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:25.133 And he thought, what I learned in this season, I need to share with others to help them in the midst of suffering. 00:16:25.133 --> 00:16:28.265 Let me just read you one of the quotes from his book. 00:16:28.265 --> 00:16:29.033 It's a great book. 00:16:29.033 --> 00:16:34.600 This is a compilation of a number of different phrases in the book, but this should be on screen here. 00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:35.365 Suffering. 00:16:35.365 --> 00:16:37.066 And you can read long as I follow along. 00:16:37.066 --> 00:16:37.432 As I read. 00:16:37.432 --> 00:16:43.765 Suffering has the power to expose what you have been trusting in all along. 00:16:44.232 --> 00:16:50.633 It was humbling to confess that what I thought was faith was actually self-reliance. 00:16:50.966 --> 00:16:54.799 Weakness is not what you and I should be afraid of. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:16:58.500 What we should fear is our delusion of strength. 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:05.000 Hardship has the power to burst the bubble of self sovereignty. 00:17:06.932 --> 00:17:07.465 That's a. 00:17:07.465 --> 00:17:10.066 There's a lot in that. 00:17:10.066 --> 00:17:12.532 There's a ton there. 00:17:12.532 --> 00:17:15.700 And what he's pointing out that happened for him. 00:17:15.700 --> 00:17:18.900 I thought I was trusting God for so many things in my life. 00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:26.465 But when the suffering came, I realized I was just doing a really good job of trusting me and my strength and my abilities. 00:17:26.465 --> 00:17:33.200 And it was the suffering that burned all that away could no longer trust in himself. 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:37.665 I'm not saying that's what we're doing when we're not suffering is that we're all trusting on ourselves. 00:17:37.665 --> 00:17:39.333 But for him, that was the reality. 00:17:39.333 --> 00:17:43.465 That's one of the roles that suffering challenges, trials brings. 00:17:44.833 --> 00:17:50.732 In fact, one thing he said in another part of his book is that it exposes our idols very, very quickly. 00:17:53.566 --> 00:18:05.665 God uses that for his purposes to refine us, to make our faith better, to make it more valuable in ways that honestly, I wouldn't personally choose. 00:18:05.665 --> 00:18:07.500 That's for sure. 00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:13.566 In fact, one of the songs we sing up here sometimes it's called the title is refiner. 00:18:14.432 --> 00:18:21.700 Some of the words in it I want to be tried by fire. 00:18:23.032 --> 00:18:25.232 Lord, heal my life. 00:18:25.232 --> 00:18:27.432 I want to be used by you. 00:18:27.432 --> 00:18:30.165 Refine me. 00:18:30.165 --> 00:18:33.232 And as I'm as I'm singing the song, I'm going. 00:18:33.232 --> 00:18:35.965 Actually, Lord, no, I don't really want that. 00:18:35.965 --> 00:18:38.965 I don't want to be tried by fire. 00:18:39.133 --> 00:18:42.665 But, Lord, I'm going to sing this by faith. 00:18:42.665 --> 00:18:44.865 And my prayer is that when trials do come. 00:18:44.865 --> 00:18:46.500 Because they will. 00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:48.633 They definitely will. 00:18:48.633 --> 00:18:57.266 Lord would you give me the strength to stand firm in the midst of those two, to lean more on you, to watch you grow me through that? 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:02.900 I would never choose that wrath. 00:19:02.900 --> 00:19:03.965 I don't invite that. 00:19:03.965 --> 00:19:10.865 But he uses that for his purposes, for his glory to refine us, to grow us. 00:19:10.865 --> 00:19:16.133 Now, the result of that here, look at what he says. 00:19:16.133 --> 00:19:30.700 When you have been refined, the tested genuineness of your faith may be found a result. Three things praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ praise, glory and honor. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:38.032 My hope is that I turn to praise when I have gone through trials. 00:19:38.032 --> 00:19:50.133 You know, it's interesting, one of the phrases he says earlier, though now for a little while back in verse six, you rejoice, though now for a little while you endure trials. 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:56.099 One of the maddening dynamics of trials is that in the midst of them, it feels like it will never end. 00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:57.865 It feels like this will never end. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:12.900 And yet later, sometimes we can look back and see that phrase for a little while at play, and the hope is the result is praise, and we would be able to praise him. 00:20:12.900 --> 00:20:15.000 I don't want to go back there, but I praise you for that. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.532 Thank you for what you've done in my life. 00:20:16.532 --> 00:20:17.665 I don't want to ever do that again. 00:20:17.665 --> 00:20:20.665 Thank you for what you did in my life. 00:20:21.465 --> 00:20:22.365 There's praise. 00:20:22.365 --> 00:20:24.833 There's honor. 00:20:24.833 --> 00:20:25.400 I'm about you. 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:30.333 But the people I honor are those I've watched you go through hardship and do it well. 00:20:30.333 --> 00:20:34.833 Those are the people I say I want to be like, how did they do that? 00:20:34.833 --> 00:20:36.266 How strong their faith was. 00:20:36.266 --> 00:20:36.833 Must be. 00:20:36.833 --> 00:20:40.932 Tell me what you leaned on in the midst of that trial. 00:20:40.932 --> 00:20:45.900 There's praise. There's honor and there's glory. 00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:56.232 And, you know, we watched for the last two weeks at the Olympics people who intentionally choose hardship, challenges, restrictions, sacrifice. 00:20:56.232 --> 00:20:56.732 Nice. 00:20:56.732 --> 00:21:10.400 They say no to the rest of regular life in order to see the glory of gold, to pursue the glory of gold. 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.799 But our hope here is a different glory. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:17.865 And not that that's wrong, but our ultimate hope is a different glory. 00:21:17.865 --> 00:21:21.400 When the Bible speaks of the glory of God, it's the glory of his presence. 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:28.133 It's the overwhelming nature of his radiance and his presence shining down on everything. 00:21:28.732 --> 00:21:32.732 It's like when Moses was in his presence, just being near God. 00:21:32.732 --> 00:21:35.732 His own face gave off light. 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:38.665 I want to have that kind of glory. 00:21:38.665 --> 00:21:41.566 I want to shine that kind of light on other people. 00:21:41.566 --> 00:21:43.633 I want to have known his glory on me. 00:21:43.633 --> 00:21:44.532 His radiance. 00:21:47.066 --> 00:21:49.766 That's one of the results. 00:21:49.766 --> 00:21:54.000 Praise, honor, glory. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:22:00.833 Some of the results of the things none of us want, but that God uses to refine us. 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:06.665 But now there's a third purpose here in this passage. 00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:12.266 Look at verse eight, tested genuineness in verse seven, praise, glory, honor. 00:22:12.266 --> 00:22:35.932 Verse eight, though 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, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 00:22:36.633 --> 00:22:41.066 We saw in the book of John chapter 20. 00:22:41.066 --> 00:22:53.432 Thomas, when he's told that Jesus is alive, says, until I see the holes in his hands, until I can put my fingers in his side, I'll never believe. 00:22:54.833 --> 00:22:58.732 And Jesus shows up and says, here you go. 00:22:59.532 --> 00:23:04.965 And Thomas worships, falls on his face. 00:23:04.965 --> 00:23:07.965 My Lord, my God. 00:23:08.333 --> 00:23:11.599 But Jesus says something interesting to him after that. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:14.599 He doesn't praise Thomas's faith. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:18.000 What he says is, you see and you believe. 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:19.700 Good for you. 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:22.299 I don't think that's the original language. 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:23.333 Good for you. 00:23:23.333 --> 00:23:25.599 That's great. What about those? 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:38.299 Blessed are those who do not see, and yet they believe the reward of having been tested and refined here we see love for him. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:42.566 For those who have never seen him, none of us have ever seen him in the flesh. 00:23:42.566 --> 00:23:47.532 None of us have had the opportunities to do what Thomas said he wanted to do. 00:23:48.165 --> 00:23:52.232 And yet you love him. 00:23:52.232 --> 00:23:52.732 You. 00:23:52.732 --> 00:23:57.766 You love him for what he has done in your life, even in the midst of the challenges. 00:23:57.766 --> 00:23:58.599 You love him. 00:23:59.900 --> 00:24:00.599 You also. 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:03.599 It says you believe in him. 00:24:04.532 --> 00:24:07.465 Belief means not just mental assent. 00:24:07.465 --> 00:24:11.633 I know some stuff about him, but I trust him. 00:24:11.633 --> 00:24:13.500 I trust him for everything. 00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:16.500 I trust him completely. 00:24:16.633 --> 00:24:26.633 And then it says, you rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:28.500 That word outcome is interesting. 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:37.032 It's often translated as the end of something, often referring to something out in the distance. 00:24:37.032 --> 00:24:44.532 And what's even more odd is that same word is translated as taxes, taxes or death. 00:24:44.532 --> 00:24:47.865 Or they kind of go together, I guess, the two inevitable things. 00:24:47.865 --> 00:24:55.599 But the outcome, the end goal, the thing off in the distance that I know that I'm assured will happen here. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:57.665 It's the salvation of your souls. 00:25:00.232 --> 00:25:05.333 And when we think back to verse seven, I said, there's a way our faith is compared to gold. 00:25:05.333 --> 00:25:08.500 It's like gold in the reality that it is improved. 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:10.799 It is made more valuable through refining. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:14.633 But there's a there's a way it's drastically different. 00:25:16.133 --> 00:25:19.032 Because what it said in verse seven is that gold is perishable. 00:25:19.032 --> 00:25:21.932 Gold will pass away. 00:25:21.932 --> 00:25:22.532 And you know what? 00:25:22.532 --> 00:25:37.732 It's shocking to me how in our world how much value for all of humanity, as long as it has been discovered, how much incredible value we put on small pieces of shiny metal. 00:25:38.532 --> 00:25:41.532 I mean, people will will steal for it. 00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:44.965 People will murder for it. 00:25:44.965 --> 00:25:52.865 If you go back to World War Two and Nazi Germany, they would dig it out of the teeth of the people they were preparing to murder. 00:25:55.333 --> 00:26:00.099 All of that for shiny pieces of metal. 00:26:00.133 --> 00:26:06.165 We put so much value on something that will pass away. 00:26:06.165 --> 00:26:14.932 It doesn't matter how much gold you have stacked up it, it will be of no value to you in the next world. 00:26:14.932 --> 00:26:15.500 Zero. 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:17.032 Even if you could take it with you. 00:26:17.032 --> 00:26:24.266 By the way, even if there was some way to bring it all with you, you know how much value gold has in heaven. 00:26:24.432 --> 00:26:25.665 They pave the streets with it. 00:26:25.665 --> 00:26:28.032 They're. 00:26:28.032 --> 00:26:31.032 It has no value. 00:26:31.833 --> 00:26:34.833 Something we put so much value on here. 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:39.400 But here's what will be of great value. 00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:44.965 The work that Christ has done in your life to make you new. 00:26:45.365 --> 00:26:55.032 The salvation of your souls comes from one thing only from knowing him, from depending on him, from trusting him. 00:26:58.665 --> 00:27:08.432 In fact, I think this morning one of the things I think would be valuable for us to do, and Andrew's going to come up and lead us in singing. 00:27:09.700 --> 00:27:16.766 Is for us to sing that song by faith that is so hard for me to sing, and I'm guessing that some others may feel the same way. 00:27:16.766 --> 00:27:18.032 I want to be tried by fire. 00:27:18.032 --> 00:27:20.700 Do I really know? 00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:23.200 I don't? 00:27:23.200 --> 00:27:24.165 Lord, here's my life. 00:27:24.165 --> 00:27:27.032 Take whatever you desire. 00:27:27.032 --> 00:27:29.133 Refine me. 00:27:29.133 --> 00:27:32.133 Purify my faith. 00:27:32.333 --> 00:27:33.766 I don't know what he has planned in your life. 00:27:33.766 --> 00:27:37.066 I don't even know what he has planned in my life. 00:27:37.066 --> 00:27:40.432 But my prayer is that we could sing that by faith. 00:27:40.432 --> 00:27:41.865 We could lean on him. 00:27:41.865 --> 00:27:59.633 Because at the end of the day, the salvation of your souls comes through faith, not through the accumulation of gold, not through having accomplished something in ministry or having led a certain number of people to Christ, or given a certain amount to the church. 00:28:01.066 --> 00:28:06.932 Comes from one simple thing just trusting him, loving him, believing in him. 00:28:07.432 --> 00:28:12.700 Let's all stand and Andrew is going to lead us and just sing in a portion of that song together. 00:28:15.133 --> 00:28:23.066 I want to be tried by purified. 00:28:23.066 --> 00:28:34.032 Take whatever you decide, Lord, here's my life who want to be tried by. 00:28:34.032 --> 00:28:42.465 If I purify you, take whatever you desire. 00:28:43.566 --> 00:28:47.700 Lord, here's my life. 00:28:49.032 --> 00:28:52.032 Give me my hands. 00:28:52.500 --> 00:29:10.532 Purify my heart I want to work for you and me for you see, my life as a sacrifice. 00:29:10.833 --> 00:29:18.465 I want a girl for you and me for you. 00:29:19.032 --> 00:29:20.833 Who? My yours. 00:29:20.833 --> 00:29:24.700 Purify, purify my heart. 00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:31.099 I want to burn for you and hold me. 00:29:31.165 --> 00:29:35.266 Take my life and save my life. 00:29:36.633 --> 00:29:43.700 That's a sacrifice I want to give you. 00:29:44.032 --> 00:29:47.833 And all me for you to. 00:29:50.766 --> 00:29:51.066 Put. 00:29:51.066 --> 00:29:55.032 If I knew, how would I be consumed. 00:29:55.732 --> 00:29:57.532 You are the fire. 00:29:57.532 --> 00:29:59.900 The refiner knew. 00:29:59.900 --> 00:30:02.833 How would I be consumed? 00:30:02.833 --> 00:30:06.865 How would I be tried by fire? 00:30:08.165 --> 00:30:11.032 Purify. 00:30:11.032 --> 00:30:16.900 Take whatever you desire, Lord. 00:30:16.900 --> 00:30:20.700 He is my light. 00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:36.032 Lord, we thank you that in the midst of the trials, as Scripture says for a little while, you have a purpose. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:38.000 What seems to have no purpose? 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:41.000 You have a purpose. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:49.465 And I'm guessing a number of us today are wondering, Lord, what is your purpose? 00:30:49.465 --> 00:30:51.932 What in the world is your purpose? 00:30:51.932 --> 00:30:56.532 There's this thing I'm enduring and I have no idea what you're doing. 00:30:56.532 --> 00:30:58.566 How would you bring clarity today? 00:30:58.566 --> 00:31:02.032 Would you at least bring peace and hope in the midst of that? 00:31:03.865 --> 00:31:06.865 Would you give us the strength to endure? 00:31:07.032 --> 00:31:11.965 And like the psalmist said in Psalm 13, how long? 00:31:11.965 --> 00:31:15.400 But I'm trusting in your steadfast love. 00:31:17.932 --> 00:31:32.032 Help us to depend on you, to lean on you more and more as we watch the reward of that testing become love, belief, rejoicing. 00:31:32.633 --> 00:31:34.066 Love you Jesus. 00:31:34.066 --> 00:31:36.566 Amen. Before