"For a Little While" - 1 Peter 1:6-9 (Larry Malament)

Sermon Quotes:

1 Peter 4:19 - “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator.” 

Acts 14:21-22 - “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” 

Romans 5:3-5 - “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” 

1. Joy in trials because God has saved us:

William Blake:

“Joy and woe are woven fine

A clothing for the soul divine

Under every grief and pine

Runs a joy with silken twine

It is right it should be so

Man was made for joy and woe

And when this we rightly know

Through the world we safely go”

2. Joy in testing because God is proving and refining our faith:

A.M. Stibbs: “Since faith is in God’s sight so much more precious, and has, when genuine, imperishable value, it is understandable that God should similarly use the fires of trial to discover and demonstrate where true faith exists. So, the trials of our earthly experience are not to be regarded as strange or surprising, but as providentially ordered for divine and eternal ends.” 

Wayne Grudem: “Peter reminds Christians that God’s purposes in present grief may not be fully known in a week, in a year, or even in a lifetime. Indeed, some of God’s purposes will not even be known when believers die and go to be with the Lord. Some will only be discovered at the day of final judgment when the Lord reveals the secrets of all hearts and commends with special honor those who trusted him in hardship even though they could not see the reason for it: they trusted him simply because he was their God and they knew him to be worthy of trust. It is in time when the reason for hardship cannot be seen that trust in God alone seems to become most pure and precious in his sight. Such faith he will not forget, but will store up as a jewel of great value and beauty to be displayed and delighted in on the day of judgment.”

John 20:29 - “Jesus said to him, have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Edmond Hiebert:“Jesus is now spiritually present with his church. The revelation of Jesus Christ will simply be the moment he becomes visible to his church – he’s been with us all along – one day we will see him. Now the faith of Peter’s readers was being rewarded with scoffing, ridicule, slander, hatred, rejection, persecution, and for some even death, but when Jesus returns the reverse will dramatically happen and God’s people will receive his praise, honor, and glory for their faith in face of trials.  Trials that tested their faith to prove it was genuine. And the very same is true for us.”

3. Joy in our outcome because God will finish what he began:

Philippians 1:6 - “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at they of Jesus Christ.” 

1 Peter 2:20-21 - “But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

Hebrews 12:2 - “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” 

James 1:2-3 - “Count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” 

A.M. Stibbs: “If, while living in a non-Christian culture, we face no opposition, we are probably too interested in fitting in and getting along.”  

Matthew 5:10-12 - “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”