1 Peter 4:12:19

Introduction: It seems like trials are always knocking on our door! Of course they show up in different forms and sizes. Knock, knock, knock…..who’s there? Another trial. Ready or not here they come. What do you do? How should we respond? Why would our Lord Jesus allow us to be tested so much? Can anything good come out of all these problems?

***A Friendly Reminder***

God had only one Son (Jesus) without sin; but He never had a son without trials. Speaking of trials, I just came from a dear CHRISTian lady’s house who is suffering with pain and getting ready to depart from this life into the life to come. Peter who went thru various TRIALS wrote about suffering and gives us (3) reasons to rejoice:

1. Our Faith in the God of the Bible is going to be TRIED by the FIRE! (1 Pet 4:12)

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice…”

{“Think it not strange”- the word “strange” Xenid means – to be surprised, astonished, shocked.}

{“Fiery” is poorosis, which means refiners Fire, test character.}

{“Trial” is the word pirasmos, which means putting to proof by adversity.}

   • Fires are meant to try us

   • Fiery trials are meant to refine us

2. Our Faith in the God of the Bible can be TRAINED by the Fire! (1 Pet 4:13, 14)

“But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you…”

    • Will you Rejoice in suffering with Jesus? (v 13)

    • Will you Rejoice when Jesus is revealed? (v 13, 14)

3. Our Faith in the God of the Bible can be TRUSTED in the FIRE! (1 Pet 4:15-19)

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men’s matters….Yet if any man suffer as a CHRISTian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God….and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit through keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as into a faithful Creator.”

    • The Fire of God’s judgment (v 15)

    • The Fire of God’s chastisement (v 17)

    • The Fire of God’s alignment (v 19)

Conclusion: I love the story of the Christian man who was ship-wrecked on a deserted island by himself. So with much sweat and hard work, he finally succeeded in building a nice home. After weeks and months of being hopeless of ever being rescued, one day while he was fishing out in the ocean he noticed a cloud of smoke billowing up on the horizon. To his utter horror, he discovered it was his home going up in flames! Saddened and angry over why God would allow such a tragedy, he cried out to God in disbelief. While he was praying, he heard a funny sound overhead. It was a helicopter coming to rescue him……they had spotted the smoke and flew to the island with hope and help. What seemed like life’s worse trial at the time was a BLESSING in disguise!

**Remember **