1 Peter 4:12-13 – Rejoicing in Pain – Bible study

1Peter 4:12-13 Rejoicing in Pain 1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. The word TRIALS is a strange word. For most Christians, a negative image forms in the mind. We think PROBLEM or PAIN or HURT or SUFFERING. However, in the Bible, whenever the word TRIAL is used, a positive is most often portrayed. For example, after Jesus described being persecuted for the cause of Christ, He commanded: Mt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Paul in describing the suffering inflicted upon the churches of Macedonia went on to say: 2 Corinthians 8:2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. And of course in this text and throughout this letter, Peter told the brethren to rejoice in their sufferings. In fact, Peter called the trials of our faith, precious: 1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: How is this possible? Trials are bad things arent they? It does mean the same thing in the Bible that it means to us, doesnt it? Yes. It does mean the same thing; but in order for Christians to find the joy in trials, we must realize that God never sends the trials alone. He always sends other things with them. Let me show you some of what God sends. I. God sends His presence in the trials. A. God has promised His presence in several 1. God promised to hear the cry of His people in trouble. a. God has a history of hearing His people. 1. In your darkest days, God is watching, and God is listening. 2. Few days were darker for Israel than their Egyptian bondage. 3. Even in the days of Roman, Greek, Assyrian, and Babylonians conquests, captivities, and occupations, the Jews were not forced to kill their own children. 4. But take note: Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; b. Notice in that verse, God specifically refers to hearing and seeing His people. Psalms 22:24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. c. I dont mean to imply God is not watching and listening to His people in the good times because we know He is; but He promises special attention to His people in the difficult times. 2. God promised power to His Word when His people are in trouble. Psalms 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. Psalms 119:143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights. a. Again, Gods Word is always powerful; but we have all read a Bible verse in times of trouble, perhaps a verse we know quite well, and found it speak to us like it has never spoken before. b. That is Gods extra anointing on the Word during times of trials. 3. God promised a real presence to His people in trouble. Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. B. But I cannot help but to notice that there are times when trial are around Gods people, but His presence does not seem to be there. 1. I believe all America is in a trial right now. a. Have we forgotten what was going on BEFORE COVID? b. Sometimes I believe our news media focuses on one problem to divert our attention from something far more serious. c. For the last 18 months, COVID has been the news maker, but lets remember what was going on before COVID. d. America was already in trouble: (1) Abortions, baby murdering, has been going on for a long time in this country. (2) Perversions of all kinds. (a) Men marrying men; women marrying woman; laws being changed to make that possible. (b) Surgeries being performed on kids in a perverted attempt to change their gender. (c) Kidnapping, violence, sex slavery, and more! (3) Then came along a seemingly undefeatable virus, a run-away inflation rate, an incompetent President, a liberal court system, a corrupt Congress, and our country seems to be jumping into to socialism. 2. Yet it does not appear that most Christians have not drawn any closer to God than they were 2 or three years ago. a. In fact, it seems like we have cooled off and backed away from God. b. That is not just true for Christians in general. (1) Here for the last few months, our sanctuary has only been about half full. One might think it is COVID but attendance is way down in the parking lot and on Facebook too. (2) This is a time when we should be seeking Gods presence. (3) These are the trials but it does not seem to be drawing our people nearer to God; in fact, the opposite seems to be true. c. COVID is much worse around here than it was a year ago. A year ago, I could honestly say that I did not know of anyone who had even gotten severely sick from COVID; but this year, I have known of several very sick and some who have died; yet, neither our people, our church, our community, or our neighborhoods seem to be experiencing the presence of God. My daughter and her family are suffering from COVID. I learned just a few minutes ago that my son-in-law is on oxygen. This is definitely a time of trials. d. I talked to a pastor last week who said his church has almost split in the last months due to COVID. He did not mean to start a problem. All he said was that he did not understand why people were staying away from church when he sees them out shopping on a regular basis. He made the point that if it is safe enough to shop, it is safe enough to go to church; and the people got upset with him. Rumors started flying. It appears some have left the church. That is definitely not getting close to God. e. Then it comes to me: All Christians have trials but not all Christians have the presence of God. 3. All of this confuses me for I see the trials but I do not see the presence of God and so I am left to think that not only are trials required to have the presence of God, but we must want the presence of God as well. a. Heres a fact: Needy people will find God when they cant live without Him. b. Most American Christians are just not needy enough to need God. c. We have too much. (1) Too much in possessions. (2) Too much in resources. (3) Too much in pride. (4) Too much trust in credit scores, in government, in "the way things have always been," and in unproven science. d. Must the shelves are empty, the churches be closed, the dollar be worthless, and the police be coming before we will realize that we cannot live without Him? e. Apparently we are still so well insulated by our bounty and blinded by our enemies, that we do not see our need for God. II. God grows stronger character with the trials. A. For most, character is not grown on the spiritual mountain peaks but in the spiritual valleys. James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Rom 5:3 but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; B. We need more character for our service in this life. 1. Character is not what we think we are. (vanity) 2. Character is not what others thing we are. (reputation) 3. Character is what God knows we are. 4. There is grace that comes with trials with build character. C. I love the GPBC but our church lacks character. This is nothing new. I have seen it before, but it is much more noticable since there are less people joining in to do the work. 1. The characteristic that I see that we seem to need the most is easy to define. a. I have come up with six terms to describe: commitment, drive, determination, steadfastness, consistency, dedication. b. The characteristic that we need is to take old of a what needs to be done and stick with it. c. Most of the people in our church have the character, "If I dont have anything else to do, Ill do it." d. That kind of character may be okay for having a good time, but you cannot build a church with. e. Our character must be one that says I will put my ministry ahead of my luxery and comfort. 2. I am not the only one who has seen this. In fact, it is prophesied. If Revelation is a book of end times and if chapters 2-3 are describing the various church ages until the end of the church age, then the Church of the Laodiceans would be this church age. Now we are a good church, but that does not mean we are not slipping. Listen to the character of the church of the last age: Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. D. But I think we are also being shaped for eternity in this life. 1. I do not know the secrets of eternity, but I believe much of our future is being determined by our present. (a) I believe our future responsibilities are being determined now. That is how we serve today will determine what we do for Him in eternity. (b) I wonder if it is also possible that much of who we will start out as in heaven is being determined right now. 2. Most have the concept that we will be transformed into a perfect person when we get to heaven. (a) That is possible, and I will agree, it seems logical and even necessary. (b) However from what I see God do on earth, it may also be that even in heaven character, God will have us learn and earn our character instead of it just being claimed and delivered. (c) I have noticed that this is the way God does it on earth. (d) If that happens to be so, many Christiansmyself includedmay find themselves limited for our first few centuries in heaven while we learn some important lessons we should have learned down here. 3. I certainly do not know but I think we should take advantage of every opportunity to get all of the character God wants us to have while on earth; and one way to get character is to let God built it during the trials. III. God gives a greater ministry with our trials. A. Again, God knows our character. B. But people know us by our reputation. 1. That makes our reputation important. 2. Some people say they dont care what people think about them. a. I do. b. I may not be able to do anything about what they think of me, but I do care. C. Did you know there is a report being written about us. Acts 22:12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, HAVING A GOOD REPORT OF ALL THE JEWS which dwelt there, Acts 16:2 (Timothy) Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you SEVEN MEN OF HONEST REPORT, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 1. The report being discussed here is what we call our reputation. 2. And did you notice that in all three of those Bible passages, some were looking at others reputation report as they decided how much they would participate in their ministry? a. Our reputation determines how many doors God will open and close for you. b. A large part of our reputation is how we respond to to our trials. 2Cor 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. IV. God gives eternal rewards with our trials. A. This was Peters point in our text. 1Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. B. But it is also is a theme throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; C. Some are earning some great rewards in this life because of the way they carry their trials. 1. Lois Whites name was mentioned just a little while ago. a. I think of her often too. b. I think of how she must have hurt, how lonely she must have been, how frustrating it must have been to have the problems that she had; but I also remember you would never know it by how she carried herself. c. She had a ministry of encouraging. d. All she had to do was show up. 2. Others in this church do that too. 3. Some wonder what mega-church preacher/pastor will get the largest crown when we get to heaven. It may not be a preacher/pastor. It may be a Lazarus that has had to sit his whole life outside of the rich mans gate, but did so to please God. Can we have joy and rejoicing in trials? Yes, we can; but only if we will accept the other things that God sends with the trials. I pray we all will.