Lesson 9 - 1 Peter 1:3-9, Problems, Proof & Praise

As I left the office that day, for the last time, I exclaimed out loud in my car "Oh no Lord, not another trial. This was to be THE answer, THE job, YOUR provision after a season of challenge and confusion. How can this be? What did I do wrong? Why are You punishing me?"

With that, my work life changed, again, with no real idea of what was next.

That is a tough place to be, and not to be made light of in the moment. But, and this is critical, there IS hope, and there WAS a purpose, a clear reason, a point to the madness. In fact, I see at least TWO great points, and 1 Peter 1:3-9 says it all far better than I am able:

^{3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.}

Point 1 - Problems prove our genuine faith. As we experience the vagaries of life, to varying degrees in different seasons, our faith is proven genuine again and again.

Now, make no mistake, if the faith that is tested is false, or superficial, it will be revealed through life's trials. You see it there in the middle of the verse - even gold refined by fire perishes. Faith, refined in the fire and found wanting, perishes. But, a faith that is real, substantial, of the Holy Spirit, that type of genuine faith is evidenced IN the trials, time and time again.

Point 2 - Proven genuine faith, tossed about and tested, results in Praise. This is the reason for all of it, and, in fact, all of our lives with and by God. Over and over throughout Scriptures God reminds us that He is working in us and through us FOR HIS GLORY and FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. God, in His perfect wisdom and grace, brings about faith which is proven genuine in problems and then results in praise of His glorious Name!

In the midst of a trial yourself today? Rest in this truth and praise the Name of Him who is endlessly worthy to be praised!
  

Lesson 8 - Applying our Beliefs

Today I want to challenge you about beliefs.  Beliefs as followers of Jesus Christ.  Your beliefs, my beliefs, our beliefs.  Discussable yes, but yet non-negotiable points of our faith upon which we stand, and for which we stand and must be ready to die.

These beliefs are vitally important and applying them day to day in our lives makes us different from the rest of the world. Did you get that? The daily living out of our beliefs makes us DIFFERENT from the rest of all other people on earth! Let that sink in for a minute. We live by a faith that no one can see, yet, one of which we are absolutely certain. "Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12

It is why the author of Hebrews writes in 1:13 "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth."

So, let's look at some of our primary beliefs; those things that make us uniquely different from the rest of the people on the earth. Among other things, we believe

• In the full humanity and deity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, sinless life, death on the cross for our sins, bodily resurrection and ascension, present ministry of intercession for believers, and his personal and visible return in power and glory – Jesus WILL COME BACK
• That the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God and as 2 Timothy says is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, so that the man of God will be equipped for service
• That salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not by works, and that Jesus is THE way and THE truth and THE life and no one comes to the Father except through Him
• The Holy Spirit is a person and is God, and He illuminates so that we can see and know, and then He indwells us so that we can live holy lives
• The church is a body of believers, baptized in the name of the Father,
  Son and Holy Spirit, and gifted to do the work God has called each of us to do, going and telling, proclaiming His salvation and teaching until He comes again

Let me offer up this passage from 1 Thessalonians 4 and then comment a bit about these beliefs and why they are important.

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

VERSE 13

 

Have you ever been to the funeral of someone who staked everything they were and all that they had on things in this life? How about a funeral for someone who believed as surely as they lived that the best part of life was still to come? Did you notice any difference?

In the first instance, where there was no hope of things to come, sadness and even bitterness or anger prevail, with things heard like "oh how sad", "what a tragedy", "this is a great loss", and there is much weeping, wailing, blaming others or even God. There is lamenting, crying out, questions of why, or may be even just resignation. In other words, NO HOPE.

But, when someone dies with a certain hope of things to come it is much different. To be sure there is sadness, but the difference is palpable. Comments heard are often counter-intuitive, such as "now they stand before Jesus" and "oh what joy must they have now". There is mourning and tears and sadness, BUT also a related joy, fond memories, stories of faith and courage. In other words HOPE.

Romans 8 tells us – “it is in this hope that we were saved.  And this is not hope that is seen for who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience”

LESSON – we do not mourn as without hope.  We know that we will see them again on that day when the Lord takes us home too or returns in glory.  We rest in and believe and apply this truth in our own lives.

VERSE 14

Do you see it?  Paul states it for us, but if you or I do not believe what it says then the rest means nothing and is senseless – “since we believe that Jesus died and rose again” – so I have to ask right here, do you believe that?

If not, go in a quiet room, by yourself, and ask God to make it clear, to open your eyes, to illuminate your spirit, and then confess your unworthiness, repent of your ways and believe!

Once that is settled, now we know, Paul says, that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep, or died already.

LESSON – know what you believe and believe what you know, and LIVE IT!

VERSES 15 – 17

This word from Paul is even more specifically important because he says “this we declare to you by a word from the Lord” – now ALL of Paul’s written words to these churches and people are from the Lord, so if he goes out of his way to say it, this must be important, and in this case he DECLARES it!

Then we have the most long awaited event in all of Christianity – the announcing and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in victory.

By the way, in case anyone ever tries to tell you differently, or even that Jesus has returned but secretly as some will try to do, this second coming will not be some simple, regional or local announcement with a bit of a blast on the horn and then news will spread.  This will be SPECTACULAR and loud and visible and known world wide all at once without any mistake.  Jesus Himself affirms this when he says in Matthew 24 – “…as the lightening comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

And then at the end, a key for us – the dead IN CHRIST will rise first and those of us who are alive will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and then always be with Him!!!!!!!!

LESSON - Let this glorious, amazing truth season every day as you face the ups and downs of life.

VERSE 18

Paul calls on us all, as I am doing right now tonight, to encourage each other with these especially privileged words. I leave you with these open ended questions -

Do you believe these things?
If so, what difference is it making?