1 Peter 1:10-12 The Blessing of Now

Introduction:
There is a movie I would recommend, and that doesn’t happen too often; it’s called “Time Changer.” It is about a man traveling ahead in time to see how the liberal teaching of his day would actually affect society. He returns bent on returning to strong biblical doctrine.

We seem to have a fascination with time travel and most of you can probably think of a movie/book or two that have that as part of the storyline.  Well, God has never permitted men to travel forward or backward in time, but He has permitted a few to at least see the future including Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul, John, and a few others.

Our passage for today is 1 Peter 1:10-12, it says the prophets of old inquired and searched, longing to see the Messiah who would come, and see that future come in their lifetimes.

O what great salvation has come to us who trust in Jesus, the Son of God, but do we appreciate it? Being the recipients of so much grace have we lost the awe?  Perhaps we are guilty of taking our salvation and our Saviour for granted.

The Blessing of Now:

I would ask you to now read 1 Peter 1:1-12. We cannot just jump right into our text without having the opening verses fresh in our minds.

“This salvation” refers back to the salvation of our souls discussed in 1:3-9, the prophets of old searched for the Messiah.  You see they understood, at least in part, that the Messiah would come and that He would suffer, not for Himself but for others; Isaiah 53 makes that very clear. They also knew He would restore the Kingdom. The Israelites longed for the Messiah/King to restore glory to the nation of Israel. I think that along the way, especially during the 400 years of silence between the OT and the NT, most Jews focused on the Messiah’s restoration of the Kingdom.  Consider Mark 11, The Triumphal Entry, where the masses, stirred by Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, usher Jesus into the city (see Mk 11:7-10). Then look at Mark 11:10, the people expected an immediate restoration of David’s Kingdom when Messiah came. Also very telling is the disciples question in Acts 1:6; at least with them Jesus had already suffered and rose to life, so it’s a legitimate question. Yet you still see great emphasis on the Kingdom restored to Israel.

This focus on the Kingdom led many Jews to walk away from Jesus; because He was not meeting their expectations. They expected the Messiah to come and lead them into military, political, and economic independence from Rome. That seemed to be the average person’s expectation, basically a what’s-in-it-for-me attitude. Sounds like many people today, many who “come to Christ” because they just want a better life for themselves. That’s not what “this salvation” is all about as plainly indicated by 1 Peter 1:6-9.

The prophets longed for the salvation, the grace, and the glorification of God.  Read any of the prophets and you will see that they understood their sinfulness (their own and that of the nation of Israel). Consider Isaiah 6:1-5 for instance.  Isaiah understood that he and the nation were unclean. That chapter goes on to tell of God’s judgment upon Israel. The prophets understood our need for salvation due to our wickedness and rebellion. They understood that no one deserves God’s forgiveness or mercy, but His grace gives those in abundance.

I fear that most people already think they are good enough to go to Heaven; according to God they’re dead wrong.  Few understand/believe their sin will send them to Hell.  After all, “God is love, He wouldn’t send me to Hell, I haven’t done anything that bad.”  Without an understanding of personal guilt, a deep regret for personal sin, and a decision to repent (to turn away from sin), there is no salvation. Second Corinthians 7:10 says, “for godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.” Understanding the penalty of sin, the prophets inquired of God and searched the Scriptures, and told of the grace that God would send in the person of the Messiah.  They longed to see the Messiah come because He alone could bring that grace and salvation.

The Spirit of Christ (a name used here of the Holy Spirit) revealed to the prophets that the Messiah, the Christ, would come. Let me remind you that “Messiah” is a Hebrew word meaning “anointed one,” “divinely appointed King of Israel,” and “High Priest of Israel.” Christ is the Greek word for Messiah/Anointed One. Let’s consider for a moment just one passage the Spirit revealed to David, who is called a prophet in Acts 1 and 2. Let’s look at Psalm 22, portions of which are quoted in Hebrews and applied to Jesus…

Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?” That statement was quoted by Jesus as He hung on the cross (see Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). Psalm 22:6-8 says, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ‘He  trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!’” This is true of Jesus as He hung on the Cross (see Matthew 27:35-43; Luke 23:35). Psalm 22:16-18 says, “For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots” (see Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34, John 19:24, 20:25). Hebrews 2:12 applies to Jesus Psalm 22:22 which says, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.” This is one example of what the OT prophets had and searched trying to find out who the Messiah would be, and when He would come. They sought to know about Him. They longed for His coming. That was Then.

Back in 1 Peter, the Spirit tells the readers that it was to them the prophets ministered. The prophets ministered to us so we would know that Jesus was the Messiah. They inquired and searched diligently, never seeing the promise realized. Like those we read about in Hebrews 11, they did not see the Messiah before they died.          But we know who the Messiah is, His name is Jesus Christ. Consider Matthew 13:14-17 which says, “And in them (the multitude gathered around Jesus) the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your (Jesus’ disciples) eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” The OT prophets longed to know, to see, and to hear what we know, have seen, and have heard through the pages of the New Testament. Do you understand the incredible blessing you have been given, to have the record and witness of Jesus Christ? I fear that like most of the Jews in Jesus’ day, we are too worried about ourselves and how to make our lives better. We are not so impressed with the amazing grace and the salvation through Jesus. Are you in awe at the grace given to you, those of you who believe?

How awe inspiring is it, look at the end of 1:12, these are things angels desire to look into (experience). The Spirit states something similar in Ephesians 3:8-12 through the Apostle Paul, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” That salvation is for all who believe. This is now.

Conclusion:

We cannot travel through time and that is a good thing. As a follower of Christ, the grace and salvation you have received is more than the prophets of old knew and that angels can know. Be thankful and give praise. In this time of viruses, lockdowns, economic and political chaos, what we need is unity with God, and through Him unity with each other. We need to trust what He is doing and we need to put off the anxiety, idolatry, and grief through praise and worship of Almighty God. We are now recipients of God’s grace, having record of Jesus Messiah's sacrificial death, burial and glorious resurrection. That should fill us with awe, thankfulness, joy, and dedication to Him. There is no reason to go back in time, and great reason to look forward to the future.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mark

1 Peter 1:8-9 Love and Rejoice

Introduction:
I remember the song in its original form and by the original artist, but if I think about it my mind immediately goes to the episode of the “Carol Burnett Show” when she did a skit singing this song on the “Gong Show.” Do you know the song I’m talking about? Let me give you a line from the chorus, “Feelings, wo-o-o feelings, wo-o-o, feel you, again in my arms.” Feelings was released in 1974 and nominated for the Grammy Award Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. It was also nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Song. Morris Albert wrote the lyrics and music (though he was later successfully sued over the music) and he performed the song as well. It was Carol Burnett, however, who made the song truly memorable to me… memorable in a, “oh please get this song out of my head” kind of way.

This post is a continuation of the series of posts on 1 Peter 1. We are up to verse 8 which comes in the midst of a long thought running from 1:6-9. Let’s get started right by reading 1:3-9, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Love and Rejoice:

The Spirit tells us in 1 Peter that we can greatly rejoice in our union with God and eternal inheritance even when grievous trials come upon us and that such testing provides a realistic understanding how strong our faith is, and that a faith standing the fiery trials will praise, honor and glory Christ when He returns. In a continuation of that thought, 1 Peter 1:8 considers the One in whom our trust is placed. Speaking of Jesus, it says, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.”

Though we don’t see Jesus Christ we love Him. Do you love Jesus?  Each of you right now consider for a moment what you DO that shows your love for Jesus and obviously you cannot count being in church. What does the Word of God say about how we know if we love Jesus? In John 14-15, Jesus and the disciples are in the upper room and Jesus repeatedly says to them, “If you love Me you will keep My commandments” (see John 14:15-24 and 1 John 5:2-3). What we need to understand is that love is not a feeling; it is action. 

Ladies you know this right?  Suppose a good friend of yours confides to you that she is really struggling in her marriage.  She says that her husband tells her that he loves her, but he doesn’t spend time with her, doesn’t talk to her, doesn’t care after her emotional needs; she says, “I don’t really think he loves me.” Do you agree, ladies? Guys, suppose you discover that the woman you love is unfaithful, yet when you confront her she says, “Oh, but he means nothing to me, I love you!” Would you believe that?

True love is not empty words or a feeling, it is action. Do you love your Saviour Jesus Christ? The Spirit through Peter says in 1:8, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” Look, there are two main verbs in this verse and a bunch of participles.  Let me highlight the two verbs: “whom [Jesus] having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” There is a connection here between loving Jesus and rejoicing.  You cannot have one without the other. When you love Jesus (which means you are keeping His Word) you will rejoice regardless of any trial or trouble because your full attention is upon the Glorious Saviour who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I’m not talking about life being “happy,” I’m talking about a deep rejoicing in God. Jesus doesn’t take all your troubles and pain away, but in a relationship with Him, He goes with you through the hardship and pain. The love of Christ and rejoicing go hand in hand, you don’t have one without the other.

Do you love Jesus? “Believing, you rejoice…receiving the completion of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8b-9).  A relationship with Christ will get you through any trial that comes because you are clinging to Him, and He to you. God doesn’t prevent trials, He uses them for His purposes and for your good. My grandparents on by dad’s side were married for seventy years. That is a long time! Over those seventy years there were many ups and downs in their marriage but they got through them together by clinging to one another, and to Jesus. I highly regard both of them, but neither was perfect. That means they had to be patient, give the benefit of any doubt, forgive each other, sacrifice for each other and support and encourage one another to name a few things. It is similar in our relationship with God, the difference is that He is perfect and always does the right thing. Still, you and I need to be patient and trusting when we don’t know or understand what He is doing. We need to ask forgiveness when we sin and forgive others who sin against us. We need to love Him and those He loves (and that is a big job and includes loving people we might not like), and that’s just getting started. It’s not about feelings because feelings are fickle, changing like the winds. The love of God is based upon the unchanging character, unwavering commitment and purely motivated actions of God. Our love for Him, through belief in Jesus Christ, should be the same as His Spirit indwells us.

Conclusion:

I haven’t heard the song Feelings for decades, but it still comes to mind when someone mentions the word and next thing I know, I hear Carol Burnett singing that song in the “Gong Show” skit. Yikes! Love is not some song about feelings. Rejoicing is not some fluctuating sense of happiness. Love and rejoicing are actions based upon a deep rooted belief and commitment. God loves you enough to send His Son Jesus to die in your place and because of that, God loves you enough to forgive you and enter into close communion with you. Love Him back and rejoice.

Next week we’ll continue with 1 Peter.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark

1 Peter 1:7 Genuineness of Your Faith

Introduction:
This post is a continuation of last week’s titled, “Grieved by Various Trials.” I hope you will read it first if you haven’t already because I’m just going to pick up where it left off.

When trials, difficulties, and tragedies come, the most frequently asked question is, “Why did this happen?” Often we will not know that answer. There are countless possibilities as to why any particular trial comes upon us. Trials and hardship come sooner or later, we’re all pretty aware of that right now, right? Things are just going along fine and all of a sudden life can be turned upside down.

Genuineness of Your Faith:

Let me start by quoting the text of 1 Peter 1:3-8 which says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,” and verse 7 continues, “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Spirit’s point, through Peter’s pen, is that trials come so that the genuineness / realness of your faith may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  So that your perseverance in the Faith and your and trust in Him, will result in God honoring you when Christ returns; You know that in His sovereign authority of all things, He always does the right thing. Remember, Peter just told us about our future inheritance, encouraging us to keep an eternal focus. The reward that comes during this life includes peace between us and God through the Blood of Christ, unity with God through faith in Jesus Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and partaking in the Body of Christ which is the global Church. It does not include peace in general since Jesus said, “if the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). The entire book of 1 Peter talks much about our suffering as followers of Christ in this life, which is why we are studying it now. The biggest part of our inheritance is reserved for us in Heaven. So too is the reward for real faith, faith that has been purified by God’s fire. That reward is to be given glory, honor and praise by God.

That sounds a little odd doesn’t it, that God would give us glory, honor and praise, but consider Romans 2:8-11 which says, “to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness comes indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” Also Romans 2:29 “but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” These verses in 1 Peter and Romans are not talking about seeking self-glorification and honor, they speak of a glory and honor given by God to those who faithfully endure while striving to do God’s will in this life. Such glory, honor and praise will be given by God when Jesus Christ returns. This is not our motivation for being faithful, our love for Him is what motivates us, but they are a result.

The trials God sends are opportunities to both build our faith so that we learn to trust Him more and to demonstrate our trust in Him. Your kids don’t like iodine, but they learn to trust that what you are doing is in their best interests. As the bumps and scrapes turn to more difficult trials, they learn to trust you, and you delight in that right?  God delights in being trusted. 

As a Christian your life is on parade whether you like it or not.  The world is watching you to see the realness of your faith. Job’s wife told him to just curse God and die (Job 2:9). But he refused to do it saying, “Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble?” Think about this, what do your words and actions say about God when trouble comes? Anxiety and fear suggest you don’t trust the Almighty God who loves you, anger and resentment suggest you are dissatisfied with God, and taking matters into your own hands suggests you think you know better how things should be than God does.

Covid19 and all the related circumstances may just be the beginning of troubles, there may be difficult days ahead. However, in Christ we are more than conquerors who seek to know, love and serve Jesus Christ, the King of Kings in this life, knowing we have an incorruptible inheritance waiting in Heaven.

What are your words and actions going to say about God when trouble comes to you? Some trouble comes because we sin (that’s the topic of other posts). It’s also true that God has designed certain trials for your life so that your faith in Him is strengthened and can be demonstrated as a testimony to the world.  God will reward your faithfulness and trust in Him.

Conclusion:

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that one thing is true of all trials and hardships. That one thing is that they all have purpose. In God’s sovereign will, there is a reason we face various trials. We may not know what that purpose is and that is why we need to trust Him. In many cases, learning to trust Him IS the purpose. Is your faith been tested? Trust Him. He always does the right thing.

Next week we’ll continue with 1 Peter.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mark

Mother's Day

Introduction:
My dilemma today is that there are too many things to talk about in this post. First of all, it is Mother’s Day and that deserves our full attention. Second of all, our recent study of 1 Peter fits perfectly with the current situation the global Church is facing. The answer is that I will post a Mother’s Day message today, and one on 1 Peter tomorrow, Monday, May 11.

Moms, this is your day off.  This is not a message on how to be a better mom. This is a message for the rest of us and how we are to honor you! It is staggering the amount of pressure our society places on mom’s these days. The expectations set by cultural influences tell us that mom must have a successful career, look like a model (even as soon as she gets out of bed), raise children who are geniuses and sports stars, be a master chef, keep the house looking like the show houses on those popular fix up shows, and all the while be a charming hostess and brilliant conversationalist…and that’s just to name a few. That is a ridiculously impossible task and for us who are sons and daughters and husbands, we need to get a grip on reality.

Let’s turn those kind of crazy expectations around for a moment and see what they would like for children. So, if you  are still living at home with your mother: you need to have a good paying job that will support anything beyond what your parents must supply which is simply basic food, shelter and clothing (they are not responsible to supply you with cell phones or other electronic gadgets, not required to give you money to go out with your friends, not required to buy you $100 jeans, shoes or other extravagant clothing), children would have to look well-groomed and proper at all times and behave like responsible adults, you would have to be a genius and a sports star, rave about every meal set before you (and it would be lean meat and veggies, not chicken nuggets and mac n cheese), you would keep your own room spotless at all times and none of your stuff would be boogerin’ up any other part of the house, and you would be constantly charming and brilliant, never defiant or even disagreeable. Yeah, how’s that working out?

Did you get a good laugh out of that husbands and baby daddies? You’re next! Let’s see, to compare with the standards set for moms in our culture, you need to be pulling down a bare minimum of six-figures, look like a stud (as defined by the ladies, not by you, and it includes being built like a pro weight-lifter with a glorious head of hair). You are directly involved in grooming your kids into geniuses and star athletes (and you might as well add in musical prodigies also), you take your turn as a master chef several days a week and have a delicious meal on the table ready for her when she comes home (and not just a slab of meet on the grill), your stuff in the bedroom, garage, shed and elsewhere on the property are always neatly stored and you clean every mess you ever make, you would be an amazing conversationalist on subjects that have nothing to do with sports, and you would perfectly understand her feelings and needs. Crash and burn, dude.

Such standards and descriptions work for no one because they are all equally impossible and if you try to hold someone to them, you will be miserable to live with and you’ll most likely ruin those relationships. I’m not saying to have no standard, but our expectations must be realistic and the only place to get a realistic and fair view of things is from the Word of God. Thus, today we take a moment to consider how God blesses us through our mothers and how He expects us to honor them.

Honor Your Mother

Let’s begin by looking at some ways God blessed you through your mother. Proverbs 1:8-9 says, “My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother, for they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck.” Why does mom do all the things she does? I mean she is the family counselor, nurse, fashion consultant, dietician, chauffeur, laundry service, entertainer, and these days she is often the provider and right nowin particular, she is the teacher. And by the way, she almost never gets any downtime. Why does she do all of that stuff? Is it because she is power hungry and just wants to control your life? Hardly. Is it because she loves running herself ragged for people who show little appreciation? Doubtful. It’s because she loves you, even when you act unlovable. Love is her primary motivation, it’s what keeps her going and makes her sacrifice her own wants and sometimes needs for the sake of her family.

Think about it, there is a special bond created in a mother for her baby from the moment she realizes she is with child. That bond continues throughout the mother’s life even if she outlives her child. There is an account in the Old Testament about two women coming before King Solomon, each saying a child belonged to her. It is found in 1 Kings 3:23-27 which happens to be part of our Bible reading this past week. Basically, Solomon sought the truth about who the child belonged to by commanding the child be divided in two with a sword. The woman who was not the mother said something like, “Go for it, neither of us will have the child!” The real mom said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” Solomon knew the real mom because she was willing to sacrifice in order to save him. So Solomon gave the child to his real mother. A mother’s love is not selfish. Now again, this is not a perfect world and even the best moms are sometimes a little selfish; we are all human. But a mom is characterized by doing what is right and for the good of her child. So cut her some slack and appreciation!

Interestingly enough, God also says that mom will be greatly blessed in bearing and raising her child. In 1 Timothy 2:15 the Spirit, through the Apostle Paul wrote, “a women will be saved in childbearing…” Now, some grossly misinterpret this verse in many ways. Mom is not “saved” like we always talk about in church – saved from sin; that only occurs by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The “saved” in 2:15 is a passive Greek verb with idea of “prosper or thrive.” So we can read this as, “a woman will thrive in childbearing,” Let me make an important side note here; God is the giver of life and every child is a gift from Him. God in His infinite wisdom may choose to not give a child, or to take a child Home early. In such cases, God will provide for the faithful woman. Psalm 113:9 says, “He (God) grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children.  Praise the Lord!” In motherhood, her truest delight is raising God-fearing children. Part of our blessing from God in our mom is her submitting to God’s design, in it she will thrive. But if we forsake her Godly teaching, we bring her much grief.

Which brings me to the next point. We are blessed by our mother because of her labor of love, her submission to God’s design, and also by her Godly wisdom. Again Proverbs 1:8-9 says, “My son, hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother, for they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck.” One great thing about young children is that they believe their parents are the best, the best at everything and they know everything too. Then they become teens and suddenly they are convinced their parents know nothing, right? It takes another 10-15 years for them to figure out that mom and dad are pretty wise after all. I don’t need to get all fancy and philosophical, God says to listen to your mom’s instructions and do not forsake her law. God commands you to listen to your mom! He says, her instruction is like a graceful ornament on your head – like a crown. Moreover that her law is like chains around your neck – not a noose, but a beautiful necklace. He also says, if you don’t listen and follow her instruction… Well, let’s put it this way; Proverbs 3:7-8 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones.”

Your mom is a blessing to you from God.  Granted, some mom’s are better than others. Certainly a godly mother is priceless, but moms bless us with love, submission to Him, and wisdom. You were given to your mom by God, and He commands you to honor her. “‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the Earth’” (Ephesians 6:2; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16).

Conclusion:

No matter who your mother is, the command is the same. Honor your mother. We live in a culture where everyone is a victim and that includes blaming parents for our own problems and sins. God does not follow our culture.  God will hold every person accountable for how we treat our mothers, no matter how godly or ungodly they were, no matter how caring or selfish they were, no matter how nurturing or neglectful they were. Honor your mother, be thankful as God made you to be her child and her to be your mother – hand picked for His greater purposes. To dishonor her, to bring shame to her, to be unthankful for her is to dishonor God, act shamefully before God, and to be unthankful to God.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark

1 Peter 1:6 Grieved by Various Trials

Introduction:
Remember how scary the dark of night could feel when you were little?  I’m sure there have been times in all of our lives, whether sixty years ago or maybe six hours ago when the night seemed frightening. I remember one particular night at my dad’s mobile home; I don’t remember how old I was but I must have been eleven or twelve. It was the middle of the night and it was storming when North Sewickley’s fire whistle went off. Immediately I heard my dad, who was a fireman, spring out of bed, put on his fire suit, rush out the door, and speed away to the fire. He was a first-responder, not only as a fireman for twenty years, but also as a medic with the local ambulance service for over thirty years. Many people, including me, know my dad as a hero. But on that night when he headed out to a house fire, there was total silence and complete darkness; I was alone. I curled up in the blankets and tried to go back to sleep. I almost had when… BANG!… the screen door slammed against the side of the trailer. Now, right here today, we all understand that thieves and murderers don’t slam doors on the way in; they come quietly. We also know that monsters and wild man-eating beasts generally don’t use the front door (they live under beds and in closets). But to a young boy who is alone in a dark house and already on edge, such comforting thoughts don’t come to mind. I laid there stiff as a board watching my bedroom door with no idea what I would do if it started to open.

Job 23 is a fascinating passage. Job is lamenting his terrible situation but at the same time proclaiming that God is just in all He does. Job certainly expresses that he knows God is sovereign over all of life. I encourage you to read Job 23 now. I will wait.

Let me point out Job 23:16-17 which say, “For God made my heart weak and the Almighty terrifies me because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness and He did not hide deep darkness from my face.” The darkness that Job was talking about was that terrible trial he was enduring. For me as a young boy it was actual darkness and the fear of what was in the darkness. It was terrifying to me and I needed one of two things to happen to relieve my fear; I needed to either hear my dad pull back into the driveway, or I needed the sun to come up. We’ve all seen the beauty of a sunrise, but I can tell you that on that morning, the sunrise was a most glorious miracle. We don’t typically appreciate sunrise unless we have struggled through the long dark night. Think about how often you miss, ignore, and take the daily sunrise for granted. The sun rises every single day, but how often does its breaking over the horizon fill you with joy? Most likely, thousands upon thousands of sunrises have burst forth without you ever giving them a thought. Still, there may be one or two of those that had your full attention because of the dark night you endured.

The people Peter was writing to where enduring a long dark night. The Holy Spirit, through Peter, addressing the letter to those “the pilgrims of the dispersion,” or we have said, “strangers in a strange land.” In the opening statements they are reminded that God is always worthy of praise because of who He is and what He does. They are reminded that God gives those who trust in His Son, Jesus, new life now and an everlasting inheritance. Moreover, Almighty God guards that inheritance and guards us with His power. Because of all that, believers are encouraged to trust God and be obedient in any hardship they face.

When trials, difficulties, and tragedies come, the most frequently asked question is, “Why did this happen?” Often we will not know that answer. There are countless possibilities as to why any particular trial comes upon us. But one thing is true of all trials, and that is what we will consider today. We all know that trials and hardship come sooner or later, we’re all pretty aware of that right now, right? Things are just going along fine and all of a sudden life can be turned upside down. This passage from God’s Word can help.

Grieved by Various Trials:

I encourage you to take a minute and read 1 Peter 1:1-9 before continuing with this post.

Now, let’s begin with the Testing of Our Faith. The Spirit, through Peter, says in the opening verses that because of our inheritance we can rejoice, even if we are grieved by trials. He has just explained the source our joy: being reborn by God to a new life, promised a Heavenly inheritance that He guards for us, and assured that we are guarded by His power. Are we guaranteed that the rest of our lives here will be filled with comfort, enjoyment, and wealth? No, the Spirit says we will be grieved by various trials! Anyone who tells you otherwise ignores the plain teaching in 1 Peter, Job, Psalms and the rest of Scripture. God never promised to remove all trials in this life, but He does promise to lead you through them. Just consider the well known Psalm 23; verse 4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” There is no elimination of troubles and trials in this life when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. In fact, we’ll see later in 1 Peter that we may very well start to suffer persecution because we belong to Christ. In talking about false teachers who warp or deny the truth, the Spirit says through John in 1 John 4:4, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Trials will come, but God will see us through according to His perfect purpose and will. That communion that we have is the peace, joy and unity that helps us endure and give us hope and assurance for what comes when we leave this life.

He says, this suffering is “for a little while.” Little while is a very relative phrase, I mean how long is that…days, months, years…?  In relation to the eternal inheritance that is to come even our entire lives are just “a little while.” We don’t all suffer the same trials either, or the same amount of trials, or the same severity of trials. Why is that? I don’t know. Sometimes we bring grief upon ourselves, like when we sin. If I robbed someone, I am going to experience hardships when the police come and arrest me. Actually I think the trials would start with overwhelming guilt, long before the police ever showed up. I couldn’t blame anyone else, particularly God, for that hardship. It’s not the victim’s fault, not the police officers’ fault, not the judge’s fault; the hardship was caused by my own actions. But what Peter is talking about is the grief and trials brought upon us when we didn’t do anything to cause it, the kind of grief that Job suffered (see Job), or Joseph (see Genesis 37-50), or Daniel (see Daniel). Of course the greatest example is God the Son, Jesus, who suffered persecution, mockery, scourging, and tortuous death on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin. “For He (the Father) made Him (the Son) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), and “Surely He (Jesus) has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Moms, remember a time when your child was running and playing only to fall in some gravel? There was blood and a few pebbles pressed into their skin; they were crying and trembling. You cradled them and brushed the pebbles out. You took them inside and put them through the necessary agony of cleaning the wounds.  Now back when I was a kid, moms used iodine, right? That red stuff every kid hated because it burned. But a loving mom cleaned the wounds so they didn’t become infected, and all the time you were applying that red torture, what did you tell your child?… Yeah, “I know this hurts, honey, but I have to do this. It will only sting for a moment and then everything will be okay.” Meanwhile, the child thinks the world is over and big brother stands there saying, “Shake it off, take it like a man.” Why do parents do things like that? Because it has to be done. The germs and bacteria that cause infection must be removed and the wound must be bandaged. Throughout the episode, mom gives plenty of hugs and you might even catch a tear rolling down her cheek. It breaks her heart that you are hurting, and applying the iodine is one of the hardest things she will do, but it has to be done. Mom does it because she loves you. There is something else too, that little episode with the fall and iodine teaches the child that trials will come and sometimes even the remedy is hard to take, but those who love you will be there to help and comfort you through the process. But understand this, no one, not even mom, loves you more than your Heavenly Father.

The trials that you face are more than scraped knees. Yet your Father in Heaven says to you right here, “It is only for a little while and I am watching over you and will lead you because I love you.” Trust Him, even if He has to apply a little iodine. Take comfort in the fact that God only allows trials that are necessary for His good and perfect will for our lives.  Like your little boy or girl sitting on your knee as you clean their scrapes and cuts, looking up at you with tears in their eyes as the medicine burns causing more pain, you know it’s the best thing, you know it needs to be done. You do it because you love them. Folks, your Heavenly Father knows it hurts, but He loves you, and He is only doing what is best for you even though you don’t understand it.

Conclusion:

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that one thing is true of all trials and hardships. That one thing is that they all have purpose. In God’s sovereign will, there is a reason we face various trials. We may not know what that purpose is and that is why we need to trust Him. In many cases, learning to trust Him IS the purpose.

Next week we’ll continue with 1 Peter 1:7-9. But let me end by saying that I am actually thankful for that scary night long ago, alone in the trailer. It was hard then, but it taught me some things and helped me learn to deal with hardship. The sun did eventually come up. Dad eventually came home. I was alright. In fact, I was a little stronger, not because I fought off an intruder or defeated a monster in the closet, but because God helped me endure and brought me through the trial.

Is your faith been tested? Trust Him. He always does the right thing.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mark