Supernatural Joy and Genuine Love

Exactly sprung, although just a fraction of the pain of Jesus Christ. Suffering is separation from his father which we cannot even begin to understand what he was drenched with sin. 22 and it says for the joy set before him toward the cross. Aren't you glad he door the cross accepted shame so that you and I are today even has a sermon from first Peter that he's calling supernatural joy and genuine love.

The reason that we as Christians can experience true joy is because of what Christ suffered for us trials change our perspective things that seem so important when times are pleasant seem completely insignificant.

During times of trial, trials actually help us focus on what's really important in working to learn how next those Peter is writing to these scattered believers.

I like to your attention back to his first letter, it's becoming perilous to be a Christian. This is why Peter's letter.

By the way doesn't deal with any theological heresy or error. He doesn't get on the body, the church, the local church doesn't do any of that and what he does instead is merely write a letter to encourage the believer he was facing growing public ridicule and opposition and scorn and financial loss and physical loss and all the stress and suffering that is sort of mounting out there being profiled incorrectly and tragically. So far we've covered in chapter 1 what we can turnaround out sort of view without perspective of what ought to be the profile that our world sees in us as Christians, we are verse two says basically people who want to be marked by graciousness. We are people who should be no for this internal spirit of peace. First two were people that always seem to be grateful for something grateful for all we have first three were people who talk to our founder and talk about our leader as somebody was a dead but is alive. Verse three were were people of certainty about our our future destiny verse three were more people who are anticipating this incredible inheritance which comes at the revelation of Christ. Verse four were people who talk often of that other world were always seem to be really interested in that interested in this one, but we can't wait for the next one. Verse five.

This is the true and accurate description of the Christian that we should measure ourselves against. Now that's four versus Peter's going to give us two more characteristics add to the profile of the believer is the first were people who rejoice in the midst of difficulty with people who rejoice in the midst of difficult women secondly will get to that later were people who follow an invisible deity. Those are the two points and other stuff about 30 points in between. Okay verse six in this you greatly rejoice that we do have to stop for just a moment.

This opening phrase in this ties back to the previous description of our living Lord and are living hope in the inheritance he says in those thing you greatly rejoice, you greatly rejoice in intense expressive term and when you think about what is talked about when he talks about trials and really seem to fit here but it it really does not. Peter uses that expression to greatly rejoice as bookend 500 companies versus and if you see in verse 6 He Could Cir. that in the draw line done a Mercedes you talk about greatly rejoicing in verse six that is a B is a wrap up his thoughts in verse eight, is to refer again to Christians you greatly rejoice.

The service sort of bookends to his thoughts and and let me just add here that this idea of greatly rejoicing does not exist in secular Greek non-secular Greek author that we know if the date is ever used that phrase. I think about it people in the world don't talk about joy.

I have such joy. Talk about happiness. Why is happiness is dependent on happenings with happenings are good were happy that joy fact I you think about the fact that our world still thought I joy is going to happen is a longtime United States Declaration of Independence that other cars July 4, 1776 that we all have the right to pursue life, liberty, and what the pursuit happiness which I think is rather ironically written because since that time with all Americans officially in pursuing happiness, but nobody's been able to catch it right.

You can't catch it because what happens in life is always happy, never really quite hold onto happiness is externally generated joy is internally generated joy is a glad and settled conviction of God's sovereign control Galatians 520 60 happiness then is natural. We experience it. Happy things that were happening. Joy is supernatural and it can only come by means of our submission to the Holy Spirit.

No matter what happens.

The reason the believers glad contentment has to be internally produced is because of the hard realities. The harsh realities of life and it doesn't matter who you are.

There are harsh realities in your life and we just passed the microphone down the aisle. Everybody has a story of some hard experience or harsh reality right now to sell. Realistically, Peter writes about that in verse six look there again in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary. You've been distressed by various trials. That is a loaded statement, but I'm so glad for Peter's realism. I get so tired of Christian Pietism don't you with its fakery and its shallowness. Peter writing down worth sort of upfronts authentic no pie-in-the-sky reality of the Christian experience what he does here, we can break down this phrases give us for realities about proselytes is the little sidebar living before realities he provides are for us about trust first trials are not eternal notice. Even though now for a little while fact, it can last a lifetime, but just keep in mind that a lifetime compared to eternity is nothing. It's a little while. Right. So keep that in mind Peter has already told us that our inheritance glory.

We are going to receive it. It is on diminished civil it's on the file it's indestructible. It can never be taken away. It's going to be eternal, last forever, but trials don't last forever temporary. They will be eventually replaced with eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison's agreements for 17th pain 1 Day Will Give Way to unhindered uninterrupted praise Peter just got a fast forwarding the tape for the believer. For these struggling believers is reminding what they're experiencing is not the last forever. That's exactly the expression, although just a fraction of the pain of Jesus Christ is suffering his separation from his father which we cannot even begin to understand what he was drenched with the sin of the world.

First John 22 and it says for the joy set before him. He endured the cross are to glad that he endured the cross, accepted the shame so that you and I could be more again like pain and suffering is not eternal.

Secondly, trials are never wasteful. Even though now for a little while necessary now you need to understand English is lacking a little bit there.

This is a conditional fund that assumes the reality of the condition so I could read translated for you and sort of put that condition in there like it. It's nuanced, Peter is saying this, even though now for a little while, if necessary, and it is in this necessary to Peter. Dennis is pointing to a divine purpose behind each event of pain. Each trial you ransacked the New Testament by the way, if you're older and the faith you know this.

If you're if you're younger in the faith. As you read through, especially the letters of the apostles to the church we discover that God uses trials in our lives for number reasons… Take another side step one to give you several of them okay especially with the younger of the faith is over faith leave the rehearsal for starters. Trials remind believers of our dependency on Christ. They remind us of our dependency on Christ child had all the can stand this painful environment.

So he's now Send her the chapter 12 is a reference to write down verses 7 to 10 Paul writes I was given a thorn in the flesh, so I would not exalt myself and now I would rather glory in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Trials have a way of reminding us of how weak we are. There's nothing that brings you to your knees like a trial is nothing that reminds you of how frail you are, but something deep sorrow. Secondly, they reduce the attraction of worldly things they reduce the attraction worldly things later on in first Peter chapter 4 will take a closer look at the Peter talks about this very thing, but there's nothing that weans us away from the world like sorrow and suffering. Listen when you're going through a trial you don't care what namebrand you're wearing when you're suffering you don't care what's parked in the driveway. You don't care how many spare bedrooms you have bigger garages. What your name is on the title or how much money you have in the bank that trial just sort of clears the fog it close you away the world that sometimes clutches us in God's grace brings us to our knees further trials enable us to comfort others who suffer. Paul writes a God comforts us in all our affliction, so that were able to comfort those who are in affliction, with the comfort with which we been comforted. Comfort is always managed by God to be passed handed down so much more. Wire trials never wasted.

But let me talk about one more. That's the reality of the trials developed in the believer deeper and wiser character. You don't sign up for it, or elective deeper character.

So would you bring me some suffering but we know as believers that happens, don't get from Peter's perspective in the New Testament. Those things are just left and there they are written and thereby the providence of God.

Peter's effectively informing us that trials are moments that are not wasted if they are moments that are infested by God into the life of his children so that they develop endurance when pastor and author rather humorously referred to this problem with parenting. He says I'm a member you admitted of young adults and he says I call us all never heard this term for probably never forget it. I call assault helicopter parents were constantly trying to swoop down and our kids educational life relational life sports life to make sure no one is mistreating them. No one is disappointing, then no one is giving a low grade or failing them so that they can experience one smooth transition one success after another highly vacant cut from the team you're going to go talk to the coach they get along great. You're going to call the teacher at this generation coming in my generation item is good for me if I got in trouble at school my parents assume the teacher was always right. Corrupt is that if I got a spanking at school. They assume the teacher was right and I deserved it effective.

I didn't tell my parents I got a spanking at school and they found out I got to spanking one for my mother one for my father. How corrupt is that Charlie work to address that. He writes this this helicopter parents rights.

He says here's a great illustration. One Halloween amount came to our door to trick-or-treat. Mother asked to work. It was well the weather is bad, she said. So I'm driving around in the neighborhoods we got to walk in the misty rain Hill and I are in my driveway why these in the door. Well, he fell asleep in the car didn't want to wake him up kit does not deserve candy she's missing all points let it sit. The missive for one year using Stephen are you condoning a pagan Halloween. No, I'm not but I am condoning free candy back to the point, God knows perfectly how to raise his children. Guess what he doesn't do swoop down and save us from every disappointment, every hurt so Becky knows the character is going to require hard knocks tough times and breaks sweat blood and tears and he is not a race is written it in none of it is wasted. Third, trials are always painful. Peter's just tell you like it is. Verse six he been distressed by various trials that were very multicolored comes in every shade, every shade into our little plastic smile and and and and you know fake anything.

He admits they come in all shapes and sizes and colors. They are literally multicolored and he says here's what they do to us. They distressed us distressed sauce were distress refers not only physical pain but emotional and mental pain. It refers to anguish refers the heart ache tears in anxious and fearful thoughts. Anybody who says you know if you're really following God like you audio.

Never fear you never feel any sorrow and stress will just take them to Gethsemane.

Would you and show them our Savior so overwhelmed with the distress as a man.

Both man and God is a man deeply distressed. Luke 22. Same word Peter uses her so distressed, so overwhelmed, as it were, that the corpuscles beneath his skin first and his sweat mixed with what was in the apostle Paul so distressed over the Corinthian church in their failure in tolerating immorality in the assembly suddenly change your came with this last same word. I was in anguish. Later in the letter. Peter's and remind the believer that for every color of trial, God's grace is multi colored is a color that matches Slater Peter is on add another fact the primary purpose for trials before trials reveal and refine genuine faith, but is for seven so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire maybe found a result of praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Getting all these believers for big distress by the trials. He's just attempting to give them this longer viewpoint. There's coming a day when Jesus will be revealed with reference to the coming of Christ establishes can and in the meantime, God becomes a goldsmith.

That's the analogy now uses the goldsmith and in Paul's day would take that gold nor put it into a smelting furnace and heated up in the impurities.

The cheap impurities with rising skimming off the top and then eventually pour out that a warrant of molds and create from that exquisite and precious articles of value. I've read and in ancient times the Eastern goldsmith would keep that metal in the heat and skim off those impurities until he could see his reflection clearly Peter uses that analogy here to inform the believer. Figure say is put in to the furnace, not to destroy it, but to refine it.

Notice to refine it so that was gotta get a new pour out your life is gonna pour out your testimony of faith is to make of your life. Articles of exquisite and and failure and it will reflect the face of Christ. The point to our profound Christian. Here's what the profile should include.

This is what we should be showing to our world, where people who rejoice in the midst of difficulty. Why, because we realize that trials are temporary or not eternal, that is, we realize that there never wasteful.

We admit their distressful and there always used to refine and grow our genuine faith where people who rejoice in the midst of difficulty. Let me add one very quickly were people who love and follow an invisible deity. Verse eight Peter that commends them. By the way these encouraging words and though you have not seen him and this is the Peter encourages them, but you love. I want to commend you for, and though you do not see him now but you still believe in them and I want to commend you still believe even though you do not see him now, you still believe in you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Another what you just can't drive that settled conviction that he but there is sweetness even in sorrow because of all that it does your life find joy in loving him and knowing him.

Many reflect the glory of his face when he do Peter writes and all expand verse nine you obtain as the outcome of your faith that is this kind of faith that loves an invisible Lord. This kind of faith that believes in God. You cannot see as he leads you through unexplainable things that kind of faith gives evidence of the salvation of your if you love them and you've never seen him you believe in him and haven't seen him when you do see all around you are trials and tribulations experience difficulties in sorrow, in spite of all I want to follow on you believe his best is for you and is sovereignly controlling your world at that prove you really do believe in nothing else but explain it. We put it this way, if you love Jesus. Only when he gives you the good life that actually prove you really do love him you just love the good life. Imagine being in a situation where your following love is young lady and she loves you. You fall in love and earn your your your your becoming deeply attached dirty thing is probably a good time is probably the tell her that that life could change dramatically in a few months because you are inheriting a multimillion dollar trust.

She response to you at that's great. That doesn't matter because I love you for who you are and dispose just before the wedding the day before the wedding.

You find out that that something is happening. Somebody else gets in the way or whatever and you're not getting that multimillion dollar trust fund and so you tell your bride-to-be and she responds with anger as she says in that case, the wedding is off. With that prove about her love proved she really love what you would give her and offer her. She really did love you. That's what Peter saying fact that the New Testament refers to the believer as the bride of Christ. Ephesians chapter 5. So why do you want to be married to me that when we give the commercial below don't know my vanity. If you just if you if you marry him if you like.

Is it ever going to be one of telling the truth is worse than it's ever say they will level. Here's the proving sea level, we can see we see pressure distress so we believe profile of genuine believer rejoices in the midst of difficulty is willing to love and follow an invisible deity's are nothing more than to reflect the glory. Thanks for joining us today here on wisdom for the heart. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey and you can learn more about us. If you visit our website which is wisdom online.org. Once you go there, you'll be able to access the complete archive of Stephen's Bible teaching ministry. We post each day's broadcast. So if you ever miss one of these lessons, you can go to our website and keep caught up with our daily Bible teaching ministry.

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