Standing Firm in the Midst of Trials

Things get out of proportion when we are suffering, and it takes a vision of something bigger than ourselves to get life's dimensions adjusted again. Note that he says we need to recover our lost perspective on life. And what I would like to try to do with you here this morning is to give to you a perspective that we can sink our teeth into when we are undergoing personal trials, a perspective for us when we're in the midst of trials. So I'm gonna ask you to turn in your Bibles with me, please, to 1 Peter chapter 4.

If you would turn in your Bibles to First Peter chapter 4 and just by way of backdrop, the receivers of this message, Peter's audience are scattered believers. They are scattered because of persecution. They are on the receiving end of persecution and so therefore these believers are suffering. These are believers who have been sinned against, if you will.

Some of these believers haven't done anything wrong at all. To deserve the ill treatment that they are receiving, and there may be some believers, however, who unfortunately because of their own wrongdoing may be on the receiving end of attack as well. But for all intents and purposes, what Peter is seeking to do is to encourage them in the midst of their trials, to encourage them in the midst of their suffering, and he wants to give to them, I submit to you a gospel-infused perspective in relation to their trials in life.

There's a number of places in First Peter where he addresses this issue of trials and suffering.

But what I want us to do, this morning is to focus our attention in 1 Peter 4:12. 1st Peter 4:12, and I believe that this passage, verses 12 and 13 will help us to answer the question, how can one stand in the midst of suffering? How can one stand in the midst of suffering? Look at the passage with me, please, as I read aloud.

First Peter 4:12, it begins, beloved, Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exaltation. Would you pray with me, please, Heavenly Father. As we come before you this morning, We would ask that you might infuse us with your perspective, that you would give us perspective that we can sink our teeth into, so that when difficulties come our way, when persecution in forms come our way, that Lord, we might be able to stand firm in the faith.

I pray that you might reveal yourself to us here this morning, that you would open the eyes. eyes of our understanding to your word. This is your word, it is living, it is active, it is sharper than a two-edged sword, it is sufficient for life and godliness. It is living, Lord, and we pray that you would impart to us through your word, life, that Lord, you would help us to, to hear what you have to say to us as you speak your word to us here this morning.

And Lord, I would ask that you would use me. As an instrument of your grace to minister to your people. We, we depend upon you and your spirit to be at work in and through us. So we invite you, God, during this moment to glorify Yourself and to sanctify us through Your word.

Your word is truth, and we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ. The message this morning is entitled Standing firm. In the midst of suffering, standing firm in the midst of suffering, a perspective on suffering that will help you to stand firm when it comes your way, a perspective on suffering. The first point then that I would like to make is this in reference to suffering.

1, suffering does not mean that you are not loved. Suffering does not mean that you are not loved. Notice that Peter begins the address with beloved. He wants his suffering readers, he wants his readers, many of them who are undergoing persecution, they're suffering for righteousness' sake.

He wants them to understand what. That they are beloved. Now, no doubt this is a reference to Peter's love for them and so, implicit in this is the fact that Peter loves them and the readers would know that Peter in a sense is saying that he loves them, but please note that ultimately the love that Peter has for his readers is a love that is rooted in God Himself and no doubt in part two, what he is trying to say is that God loves you. In the midst.

Of your suffering as you are undergoing a fiery ordeal, I want you all to know that you are beloved. And so don't be asking yourself the question, why God, why are you allowing this to happen to me? Because at the end of the day, God is allowing it to happen to you in part because he does love you. He's referring to them as beloved and immediately they should be arrested with the thought that they are loved.

By God, they are loved by God. I like what Peter Marshall has to say, and I quote, It is a fact of Christian experience that life is a series of troughs and peaks. In his efforts to get permanent possession of a soul, God relies on the troughs more than the peaks, and some of his special favorites have gone through longer. And deeper troughs than anyone else.

And so you see what Peter Marshall is saying here is that just because you are going through difficulties, just because you're going through trifle, trials, and just because you are suffering for righteousness' sake, though you have done nothing wrong, yet you are suffering, that does not mean to say that you are not loved by God. He says some of his special favorites have gone through longer and deeper troughs than anyone else. And so when going through trials, when suffering unjustly, be reminded of the fact that you are loved.

By God.

Going through difficulties and being loved by God are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it can be argued that they do go hand in glove. Let's move to the next point. Number 2, suffering is not abnormal.

Notice what Peter says, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. As though some strange thing, some bizarre, some outlandish thing were happening to you. Don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal. Don't take it as if it were something that is bizarre that is happening to you.

This is a command from Peter. He is telling them, do not be surprised. Now when you begin to think about it, suffering should not surprise us and even suffering for the sake of righteousness should not surprise us. Going through trials and being sinned against as we venture through life should not be something that catches us by surprise.

We should not be shocked by these things. Suffering has been around ever since the time of the fall. After, after the fall, God declared to the devil. He says in Genesis 3:15, I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your seed and between her seed.

So God is saying upfront, there is going to be enmity and strife and animosity that does exist between these two seeds, and we see that fleshing itself out throughout the course of human history. We see it in their own family. Abel was killed by his brother Cain. why did Cain kill his brother Abel?

The answer to the question is provided in First John 3:12. It says, because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous. And so Abel was a guy that did nothing wrong at all. He worshiped the Lord in a way that was honoring to the Lord, and his brother rises up and he kills him.

Because of his jealousy over him, because his deeds were righteous and his own were not righteous, we see in the scripture that Job was a righteous man. And nevertheless, this righteous man was on the receiving end of intense pain and suffering. This was a man who was righteous and yet Satan was given permission by Almighty God to go on the attack. Again, suffering should not surprise us.

Moses, the scripture tells us, was a righteous man who it says in Hebrews chapter 11, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God. And, when you consider the ministry of Jesus Christ himself, he taught in no uncertain words that those who would follow him would experience persecution. Those who would follow him would suffer for their faith. Peter himself is going to draw attention to the sufferings of Jesus earlier in this epistle.

In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 21, you can look there if you would like. In 1 Peter chapter 2, beginning in verse 21, Peter is going to give to us the example of Jesus and notice what he says beginning in verse 21, for you have been called for this purpose. To suffer unjustly, that's the purpose he's talking about. You have been called for this purpose to suffer unjustly, and he says, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, and then he puts forth the example of Jesus.

He says, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth, and while being reviled, He did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but he kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously, and he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross. And so Peter is providing for his suffering readers, the example of Christ who suffered in an effort to get them to consider the example. to embrace the example of Jesus and to follow in the very footsteps of Jesus Christ Himself, who suffered.

And so you see, brothers and sisters, suffering is not abnormal. When God allows difficulties to come your way, when God allows you to be on the receiving end of sin for no other reason than you have been living for the glory of God, do not be surprised as though something strange were happening to you. When such ordeals come your way. Want us to move then to the next point here.

number 3, suffering can be difficult. Suffering can be difficult. In 1 Peter 4:12, again, he says, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. Take note of the words fiery ordeal and the word testing.

Peter describes the trial that they are enduring as a fiery ordeal. The experience of this trial that the readers were, were Facing is one that is comparable to pain caused by fire. It is not just a hard ordeal or a difficult ordeal. It is a fiery ordeal.

And so imagine with me for a second being trapped in a burning house and all of the windows are barred and the doors are locked shut and they're sealed from the outside and you cannot get out of the house and here you. are in the midst of a burning house and slowly but surely as the smoke finds its way to your nostrils and as the flames get closer and closer and as you find yourself completely surrounded by flames and the hairs on your skin begin to singe and you smell the burnt flesh as it's coming to your nostrils, there's, there is a lot of pain associated with such an experience.

OK? And so the trial that they were experiencing is a painful, fiery ordeal.

And he's not taking away from them the fact that it is indeed difficult. It is indeed difficult. This fiery ordeal is designed to be a test. And scripture never presents being tested as easy.

Peter's readers were undergoing a fiery ordeal. they were being tested. Now think about a test. A test is designed to show us what we are made of.

When God allows tests in our life, when he gives to us trials as a test in our life, part of what he wants to do is to show us what it is that we are made out of. He wants to reveal to us what it is that we are made out of. And sometimes when these difficulties come our way, we, we come up lacking, we come up short. We find that we don't quite have the faith that we should have because the trials are getting the better of us.

But oftentimes God allows these trials to come our way. He tests us and what he does in the midst of the test is he proves to us His Faithfulness to us. He shows us what he is able to do in and through us. He shows us that we can withstand the test.

We can withstand the temptation. We can rise up and bless God even in the midst of a fiery ordeal. And this is what God wants from us when we undergo the test. He wants to see that we pass the test.

Suffering can be difficult. This is implied in the use of fiery ordeal and testing. Now brothers and sisters, there are those in other parts of the world today who are experiencing a fiery ordeal. There are those who are suffering intensely, and I would like for you to consider for a moment with me some of these examples.

I got these examples from the Voice of the Martyr website and I gave, I, I came up with just a few of them. There's a whole list of them, but here's a few just to wrap your minds around. In Uzbekistan, authorities in Karakakalspan. An autonomous region of Uzbekistan have renewed a crackdown on Protestant Christians in recent weeks, according to Forum 18 News.

On July 18th, 2 Christians were sentenced to 10 days in prison for religious activities. One of the imprisoned believers, Lethus Omarov, had previously faced opposition for his Christian activities. According to Form 18, only State registered Muslim communities and one Russian Orthodox parish are allowed to operate in Karakak Karak Karakalakistan. All other religious activity in the area is illegal.

In May and early July, police raided the homes of many Protestants, confiscating Christian books, DVDs, and computers. In Pakistan, Two Christian men were shot to death as they left a courthouse on Monday, July 19th, just a few weeks ago in Faisalabad, Pakistan. According to VOM sources, Rashid Emmanuel, 32, and his brother Saheed, 30, were facing blasphemy charges after allegedly distributing papers that denigrated Muhammad. And then in Iran, Ali Gulchin, an Iranian Christian, has been held in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison since he was arrested in his hometown of Veramin, according to Farsi Christian News Network.

After appealing to authorities for weeks, Ali's father was finally allowed to visit him on June. 17 Ali's father shared that he was distressed to find his son crying uncontrollably and in obvious pain. FCNN reported sources believe Ali has been treated harshly during interrogations because he is suffering from weakness and severe stomach aches. The Iranian government has not filed criminal charges against Ali.

And no lawyers have been appointed for his defense. Ali's wife has been warned not to attend church and told that she will only be able to negotiate with the authorities about Ali's release if she converts to Islam, according to FCNN July 23, 2010. That's a week ago, basically. And then in Iraq here we read that on July 5th, Bennamabbhi, a Christian, died instantly when a bomb exploded under his car in Mosul, Iraq, according to VOM Canada and Asia News.

According to local reports, Bennaam was killed because of his religious identity. In recent months, Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq have faced violence because of their beliefs. And so we have just a few examples here of those who in the world today are suffering for the sake of righteousness. This is just a very small sampling.

There is much more here that could be said, but suffice it to say, brothers and sisters, that we have. Brothers and sisters in Christ, people for whom Jesus shed his blood, who are suffering for the sake of righteousness in other parts of the world. Fortunately for us, we do not undergo such sufferings. That doesn't mean to say, however, that we as believers, as we seek to follow Christ, that we do not experience a degree of suffering.

Last year, my son was playing baseball and during one of the practices, I believe it was, he was trying to witness to a couple of the boys on this team and trying to tell them about God and about Jesus Christ and the boys responded to him by basically telling him that he is stupid. You're stupid because of your belief in God. that is a minor form of persecution, very minor if you will, but that's an example of the type of things that people in America today might say to us as we seek to stand firm in the faith and to proclaim the truth of the gospel.

We live in a culture that is not friendly per se to what it is that we.

Believe and thus suffering can be difficult, but even when it is relatively mild, as is the case with most of us, it is helpful to consider the following point. Number 4, number 4, suffering serves a purpose in life. Suffering is never without purpose. It serves a purpose in life.

Notice again that Peter says, do not be surprised. surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. Now again, the fiery ordeal, fire is used to denote the difficulty of the ordeal, but it also speaks of a process of purification. Precious metals were exposed to fiery flames in order to remove impurities, and so God uses the trials in our life.

in order to purify us, in order to rid us of impurities so that we might become conformed more and more into the image of Jesus Christ, and then he says it comes upon you for your testing. Testing is used here in a positive sense. Of a trial or a test expected to have a positive outcome. Tests are designed to show us what we are made of.

In this case, Peter is writing to believers who he fully expects to come forth through the refiner's fire as pure gold. Listen to this quote by John Bevere. He says this, I say that trials and tests locate a person. In other words, they determine where you are spiritually.

They reveal the true condition of your heart. How you react under pressure is how the real you reacts. And so you see, God will use trials in our life to show us what we are made of. He will show us where there is lack.

And he will give us reason to repent as we struggle in our faith in Him. He will also use trials in our life to demonstrate to us his faithfulness and to show us that he is faithful to us, that he will see to it that the work he began will continue. It will be brought to completion. He will use trials in our lives to reveal his greatness to us.

And so we need to consider this, and on the basis of this, we need to be encouraged that suffering serves a purpose. The purpose of suffering is our sanctification. Since trials can be understood to be a test, it follows then that suffering is never by chance. 0.5.

Suffering is never by chance. Look at the verse with me, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. As though some strange thing were happening to you. The word happening here means to fall by chance.

He says, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were falling upon you by chance. You see, trials and difficulties of life are never by chance. They are always filtered through the loving and. Sovereign hands of a mighty God.

God is sovereign over all of the details of our life, and the fiery trials that we go through, the difficulties of life that we experience are used by God for His glory and for our good. God's word tells us that He causes everything, and underneath the banner. Everything you can tuck fiery trials inside of there. You can tuck, unjust suffering inside of there, underneath there.

He causes everything, the, the trials of life, the fiery trials, the unjust suffering, he causes these things to work together for good to those who love Him and to those who are called according to His purpose. Nothing is by chance. And I don't know what you might be going through today, and I don't know what you might have to face tomorrow, but I can tell you that based upon the authority of God's word, that there is nothing that comes your way. By way of mere chance.

It is ultimately part of his divine design. God in His sovereignty allows difficulties of life to come our way, to test us. I like what Burdell Davis says. Listen to this quote.

God is doing a greater work in us, and that can only come as we learn to trust Him no matter how dark the days and sleepless the nights. And it is only as we have been through the darkness with Him. That what we know with our heads slides down. Into our hearts and our hearts no longer demand answers.

The why becomes unimportant when we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and His glory. When I put sovereignty of God besides His unfailing love. My heart can rest, and is this not what Peter has done for his readers? He has put the love of God aside the sovereignty of God.

Beloved, this has not come upon you by chance. This is part of God's ultimate plan. This is by divine design. And so when trials come your way, you must embrace the fact that such difficulties are filtered through the sovereignty of God.

He causes all things to work together for good. It is also helpful to note the next point. Number 6. Suffering is limited in scope.

Brothers and sisters, suffering is limited in scope. Notice what he says, but now this is a contrasting conjunction. In other words, this is in contrast to what he has just said and the essence of what he has just said is this, don't be surprised. Don't be surprised.

But instead of being surprised in place of that, he says, keep on rejoicing. But before he gets to the command, keep on rejoicing, he has a few points to make. He says, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, to the degree, to the degree, suffering is always to a degree. And when you stop to think about with me for a minute, the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, no one will ever suffer to the extent that Christ suffered.

At Calvary, no one will ever experience what he experienced at the cross when through all of this pain, his physical pain, he had to cry out to the Father, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Christ experienced pain beyond our imagination. He had had perfect fellowship with the Father throughout eternity past, and here he is at the cross, separated. From his father.

Experiencing pain beyond our imagination. We will never experience pain to that degree. We cannot because Christ died on the cross for us to ensure that we would never be separated from him. Paul says that there is nothing, nothing can separate us from the love of God, and what a blessing to know in the midst of trials, these things.

Suffering is limited. In scope, God will never give a believer more than he can handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul himself says, no temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also. God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.

God will not bring into your life something that's going to cause you to completely crack. He's not going to do that. He is not in the business of breaking us down to the place where we can't handle it at all any longer. He will give us trials.

He will send difficulties our way, but not to the place where we can't handle it by His grace, no matter what he sends our way, is manageable. We can rise up in the midst of the trials and we can rejoice in Him. And so suffering is limited. God will not give you more than you can handle, and this should serve as an encouragement whenever you undergo trials.

The next point provides further encouragement. Point number 7, suffering is a privilege. Suffering is a privilege. Notice he says, but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ.

Peter describes this as a sharing. It is a fellowshipping in the sufferings of Christ. This is a good thing. Elsewhere, the The apostle Paul refers to unjust suffering as a privilege and something that he personally wanted.

In Philippians 1:29, Paul himself says, for to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, it has been granted to you. It has been given to you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him. That's a good thing, right? It's a blessing to granted for Christ's sake to believe in him.

Belief in him is a prerequisite for salvation. That is a good thing, but it has been granted to you for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Paul says to his Philippian audience, it has been granted to you to suffer for his sake. Brothers and sisters, this is a privilege.

The apostle Paul later in that same epistle, in Philippians 3:7, he says, whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted loss for the sake of Christ. A few verses later, he goes on to say that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. I want to join him in his sufferings. I want to experience suffering for righteous.

sake, I want to be on the receiving end of being sinned against for the glory of God. I want to make up that which is lacking in reference to the sufferings of Christ. He says that the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Interestingly, Paul is connecting, attaining to the resurrection from the dead to the experience of suffering for the sake of righteousness.

And so, brothers and sisters, I would submit to you this morning. That we need to have a perspective that tells us that suffering is actually a privilege. It is a blessing. It is something that we ought to rejoice in and what, this is a tough pill to swallow in our Western Christianity because we are so used to comfort and the luxuries of life, and we don't quite fully understand the experience of suffering for righteousness' sake in the way that some of our blessed brothers and sisters in the world experience.

But God's word, I think makes it clear that we can view suffering as a privilege. And Peter wishes to direct the attention of his suffering readers now to the sufferings of Christ. That's gonna bring us to the next point. And he wants them to view their suffering in light of that.

0.8 suffering is to be viewed in light of the crucifixion of Christ. You see, he says, but to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, I believe that Peter is being very intentional. He wants his readers' attention to be directed to the sufferings of Christ himself because he knows that as he direct their attention to the sufferings of Christ therein is power for them to be able to withstand the fiery trial. And so he is making a direct connection to the sufferings of Christ.

He wants them to meditate upon what Christ has done for them. He wants them to focus on the fact that Christ gave his life at the cross and bloody death for them, and he wants them to think about the fact that while on the cross, he uttered no threats. But he prayed to the Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing. You see, when we go through difficult times in life, the temptation is to focus inwardly.

The temptation is to focus on our hardships. And what Peter is saying is don't focus on your fiery trial. I want to direct your attention to the sufferings of Christ and allow fiery trial that you are going through to minister to you in such a way that you can find yourselves more identifying with who Christ is and what He has done so that the net effect of all of that is that you rejoice in Him, the one who suffered for you. Listen to AW Pink.

In reference to the sufferings of our Savior. Man had done his worst. The one by whom the world was made had come into it, but the world knew him not. The Lord of glory had tabernacle among men.

But he was not wanted. The eyes which sin had blinded saw in him no beauty that he should be desired. At his birth, there was no room at the inn which foreshadowed the treatment he was to receive at the hands of men. Shortly after his birth, Herod sought to slay him.

And this intimated the hostility his person evoked and forecast the cross as the climax of man's enmity. Again and again his enemies attempted his destruction, and now their vile desires are granted them. The Son of God has yielded Himself up into their hands. A mock trial had been gone through, and though his judges found no fault in him, nevertheless they had yielded to the insistent clamoring of those who hated him as they cried again and again and again, Crucify him, crucify him.

The fell deed had been done. No ordinary death would suffice his implacable foes. A death of intense suffering and shame was decided upon. A cross had been secured.

The savior had been nailed to it, and there he hangs silent. But presently his pallid lips are seen to move. Is he crying for pity? No.

What then? Is he pronouncing malediction upon his crucifiers? No, he is praying, praying for his enemies. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them.

For they know not what they do. I think it's interesting that Peter In his reference to the sufferings of Christ, is setting the stage for his readers to be able to heed the command that is about to follow. This brings us to the next point. Suffering can and should be accompanied by rejoicing.

He says to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing. This is a, a command. It is an imperative, present tense, active voice. You rejoice in the midst of your fiery ordeal, you rejoice.

What's interesting is that Peter places this command immediately on the other side of his reference to the sufferings of Christ. Right, Christ was crucified. You rejoice. And so the gospel is provided as a solid basis for rejoicing in the midst of suffering.

When you are suffering, when you are going through trials, direct your attention to Christ and rejoice. This is what Peter does for them earlier in the epistle. If you look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 6, go ahead and look there if you would like, but in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 6, We read this. Peter says, in this, you greatly rejoice.

In this, you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. Well, the million dollar question is this, what is the this that they are rejoicing in? He says, in this, you greatly rejoice. Well, the answer to that question is found in verses 3 through 5.

Listen to what he says. blessed, oh blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be. revealed in the last time. And so he says in this, in your salvation, in the fact that according to his great mercy, you have been born again to a living hope that can never perish, spoil or fade in this, in your salvation, in the person and work of Christ on your behalf in this greatly rejoice.

And so Peter clearly provides the gospel as the basis for salvation, and he does it again in this passage where he says to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, the sufferings of Christ, the crucifixion of Christ. Keep on rejoicing. And what is cool here is he moves from a past look and he takes us to a future look. Keep on rejoicing so that here is the purpose, here is the reason why you are to, to not be surprised and to rejoice.

You are to rejoice so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. So do you see what he is doing? He is telling us to rejoice, but he is telling us to rejoice. This command is sandwiched between the cross and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing us to 0.10 suffering, therefore is to be viewed in light of the return of Christ.

We are to view suffering in light of the fact that Christ is going to return, so that also at the revelation of His glory, at his apocalypse, when the Lord returns, What is implied in this is the fact that he didn't just suffer and die. But he was raised bodily from the dead, and he is indeed seated at the right hand of God the Father, and he will, as a matter of fact, return again someday. He will come at a day and hour that we do not know, but he will come as a thief in the night and allow this to encourage you.

As you undergo the fiery ordeal, as you undergo trials of life, think about the fact that he did not just die for you, but he was raised and he is returning again someday, and you are going to see your Maker face to face someday.

At the revelation of His glory. Horatio Stafford writes the song, It is well with my soul, and many of the story, his wife and his children died on a boating accident, I believe it was. And so here he is just totally shattered by the experience of it all. And he pens the words to this song amidst the trial of life, he says, When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control. That Christ has regarded my helpless estate and hath shed His own blood for my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, oh my soul. And here we have the future, and Lord, Hate the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul. He was able to wrap his mind around gospel truth and on the basis of gospel truth, he was able to be encouraged in the midst of his trials and sufferings.

And so we ought to do the same as well. This brings me to the final point, number 11. Suffering provides an opportunity for increased rejoicing when Christ returns. Suffering provides an opportunity for increased rejoicing when Christ returns.

Again, read with me, he says, beloved, do not be surprised that the. ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. So you see, brothers and sisters, the difficulties in life that come our way now are designed by God as an opportunity for us, so that as we, as we walk through those difficulties and as we rejoice in the Lord in the midst of the difficulties of life, that the reward of that is that when we see the Lord face to face, we will have a greater capacity to exalt in Him, to rejoice in Him with great exaltation.

How many of you, don't raise your hand, but how many of you would love on the day that he returns to be able to exult in him, to rejoice in him with great exaltation, way beyond what you thought possible.

How many of you want to be able to exult in him greatly upon his return? Well, how many of you want a fiery trial to come your way and to test you and to challenge you and to see if in the midst of the trial you will in the midst of it rejoice in him because if you want to rejoice in him with a great sense of exaltation. part of that is going to happen as a result of you rejoicing in him now when the difficulties of life come your way, but when those difficulties come, note this, it's an opportunity.

It sets you, it sets you up for an excellent ending.

And so we've considered a perspective on suffering that will help us to stand firm when it comes our way. Suffering does not mean That you are not loved. It is not abnormal. Yeah, it can be very difficult.

It does serve a purpose. In our lives it is never by chance. Suffering is limited in scope. It is a privilege.

It is to be viewed in light of the crucifixion of Christ. It can and should be accompanied by rejoicing in the midst of the suffering. We are to rejoice. Suffering is to be viewed in light of the return of Christ, and suffering provides an opportunity for increased rejoicing when Christ.

Returns. I would like to direct your attention to a verse at the very end of 1 Peter, 1 Peter 5:12. 1 Peter 5:12. Peter, as he concludes the letter to these people who are undergoing fiery trials whom he is concerned about, who he gives counsel to, who he gives to them gospel truth to encourage them amid their suffering.

Peter pens these words through Sylvanus, our faithful brother, for so I regard him. I have written to you briefly. What you have received in the form of this epistle is the writings that I have given to you. I have written these things to you briefly.

Briefly, there's more that I could say, but I've been pretty brief in terms of what I have said, but I have written these things to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. This is the true grace of God. That the trials that God brings your way and the opportunities that it presents yourself and the gospel by which you stand and the fact that he has caused you to be born again, this is all part of the package. This is God in His grace ministering to you.

This is the true grace of God. This is the true grace. You may be tempted to think this is not gracious, but no, it is gracious. And I want to alert you to the fact that this is the true grace of God.

Stand firm in it. Don't flee, don't run, don't hide, but stand firm in the midst of the difficulties of life and stand firm on the foundation of the gospel itself and rejoice in the Lord and know this, that God allows this by divine design. This is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

And for those of us who have been born again, who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, who are walking with Christ, this makes a lot of sense. There may be someone with us here this morning who has yet to place their faith in Christ. I would ask you the question, do you have a relationship with Jesus? Are you born again?

Have you been born again into this living hope? And if not, I want to encourage you to consider. Putting your faith in Christ, repenting of your sin, acknowledging that you need Jesus, that you have sinned against God and your sins separate you from God, yet God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for you so that you, through his sacrifice, through his death for you, you might, as you repent of your sin and believe in Jesus, you might receive everlasting life. If you are here this morning and you have yet to put your trust and your faith in Jesus, let me encourage you.

To do so. And then again for those of us who are born again. What a blessing That amid the difficulties of life, God in His grace offers to us such a perspective. So that he might be glorified.

And we might be sanctified. As the ushers come forward to take the offering. I want to ask if you guys would pray with me, please. Lord, we just thank you so much for your word.

We thank you for the encouragement that comes to us through it, and we pray, Lord, that you would receive our offering. This, if you will, is a form of sacrifice. Though it's not a huge one, but we give to you a portion of what you in the first place have given to us, and we ask that you would bless, put your hand of blessing upon the offering, and that Lord, you would accomplish much in this church and beyond this church through the offering. And I pray, Lord, that you might encourage us as well through the message preached and as we sing this song to you, may our hearts rejoice in you.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.