The name of this message is Real
Trials. Real Trials. In the book of 1
Peter, Peter is writing to saints, people of God who are suffering
for their faith. They've been scattered from Jerusalem
due to persecution. And now, Peter says, they're
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. And then he says this, who are
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification
of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ. Then he says to them, grace and
peace be multiplied. And they're in the midst of real
trials, beloved. Let us remember that these are
real people that we're reading about, going through real trials,
just like we do. There's much instruction here
for us, we who are the people of God. And it's wonderful, actually,
because we realize then that the things that we go through
are similar with each other. And these trials of their faith
were real. And they suffered through them. Real trials. We
see in chapter 4 of verse 12 of 1st Peter that the Holy Spirit
has Peter penned these words. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you. Sometimes when we go through
trials we think, I'm the only one going through this. But little
do we know that our brothers and sisters in Christ are also
suffering through trials. And some may be going through
the same trial as you and I are going through. In James chapter 1 verses 2 and
3, James writes this, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into different trials, knowing this, that the trial of your
faith worketh patience. It's divers in the King James,
so different, different trials that we go through. David said, It is good for me
that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statues. Martin Luther said, I never knew
the true meaning of God's word until I came into afflictions.
I've always found trials to be the best schoolmaster. Because
as we've said before, and as we've looked at even in our study
in the books of Acts, as the church is being persecuted, it
drives them closer together and it drives us to Christ. And trials
really do wean us from this world. Now, here's four things. I'm
gonna give us four things for every born-again, blood-washed
child of God to consider, to think upon about the trials that
we go through in this life. Number one, the first point,
real trials touch us personally. They touch us personally. They
touch our flesh, they touch our hearts, they touch our homes,
they touch our children, they touch our friends, they touch
our families, and they touch us. Paul, when comforting the saints
at Antioch and others in Acts 14.22, he exhorted them to continue
in the faith. and that we must through much
tribulation, that's trials, beloved, enter into the kingdom of God.
Again, these trials are sent from our great God for us. They
draw us closer to him. My oh my. And now trial will come and trials
are real. and they personally touch each
one of us, men and women. Men and women will revile, curse,
and ridicule us. And when they do, we are to bless
them when we're persecuted for Christ's sake. We take it patiently. Listen to these words from 1
Corinthians 4, verses 11 and 12. Even unto this present hour,
we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted,
and have no certain dwelling place. In labor, working with
our own hands, being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we
suffer it. Real trials are not just something
the born-again blood-washed believer reads about. Something we experience,
beloved. Something each one of us experience.
The second point for us to consider about real trials is this. Real
trials go to the root of the matter and reveals the truth
of our nature. Real trials show whether repentance,
faith, love for Christ, and confidence in His purpose and providence
are realities, or whether they're pretense. My, oh, my. You know what real
trials do? The Holy Spirit uses them to
produce fruit in us. And it's His working in us. But for the false professor,
when trials come, it reveals that their faith was a sham,
hypocrisy, false faith. Listen to what Peter wrote. Listen
to this. Turn, if you would, to 1 Peter. Oh my. And remember, these saints
are suffering for their faith, beloved. They are being persecuted
for trusting and resting in Christ in Him alone. Remember, their culture of that
time, there's many gods. Many gods. False gods. But we know there's only one
true living God, and his name is Jesus Christ, our Lord. He
came to this world to save his people from their sins. And so
Peter writes this in chapter one by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit of God. Listen to what he writes to these
suffering saints. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto a lively hope. We have a living hope,
beloved. In his name is Jesus Christ our
Lord. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to
an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved for us in heaven. Who are kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice now
for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold
temptations. Trials. That the trial of your faith.
Now we looked at this in Wednesday. Look at this. Vicki and I were
talking about it after the message. The most precious medal to people
in this world is gold. Look at this. Do you know what's
more valuable than gold? God putting his people through
trials. Look at this. That the trial
of your faith, being much more precious than of gold, that perishes,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Whom, having
not seen, ye love. Isn't that amazing? We've not
seen him face to face with these eyes. But by the eye of faith,
God-given faith, we've seen him, haven't we? He's our Savior.
He's our Redeemer. He's our Lord. He's our King, praise his mighty
name. Now you see him not, yet believe
and ye rejoice with what? Joy unspeakable and full of glory. receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your souls. The third point about real trials
is real trials test a man or woman's graces. We talk of love for one another,
but not until real trials come can we be sure that we do love. marvel at how the love of God
shed abroad in our hearts brings us to unity. Now we went through an affliction
and a trial here, and look in the last five years how that's
brought us unity and love, beloved. We talk of forgiveness and mercy,
but until forgiveness is needed and mercy is required, can we
be sure that we have it to give? My oh my. You know, some of the
best religious talkers are the poorest doers when it comes to
forgiveness. When it comes to putting theology
into practice, Let us be quick to forgive those
who've wronged us. You know why? Because Christ
forgave us for all our sins. In Hebrews, the scripture declares,
let brotherly love continue. Love covers a multitude of sin,
doesn't it? My oh my. God give us grace to
be this way. The fourth and last point for
us to consider about real trials is real trials give us an opportunity
to minister to others. Our real trials equip us with
the necessary abilities as no one can enter into a brother
or sister's trial or sorrow like one who's actually been through
the same situation. Listen to what Paul writes about
tribulation and trials that believers go through in 2 Corinthians 1,
verses 3 to 5. He says this, Blessed be the
God, blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. My, oh my. He's the God of all comfort.
The word blessed there in that verse means to praise and to
thank. to speak of in the highest adoration,
and to give all the glory to our eternal God. And notice he's
called in verse 3 of 2 Corinthians 1, the father of mercies. Even
as we live and love, all mercies are from God. physical, material,
spiritual, and he is called the God of all comfort, beloved, as there's no comfort nor rest
except from him and in him. The sinner can find no rest,
no comfort outside of Christ, but in Christ, oh, what comfort,
what peace to know that all my sins are forgiven in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ. what comfort believers enjoy,
what comfort they have from the Father, who is their covenant
God, through Christ, who is our Redeemer and our Mediator, and
how the Holy Spirit is our Comforter. God is the God of all comfort,
isn't He? Then, in verse 4 of 2 Corinthians chapter 1, It says,
who comforted us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves
are comforted of God. So there it is. God comforts
us going through certain trials, then we're able to comfort our
brothers and sisters who are going through the same situation
that we went through. Two things are evident in this
verse. The apostle attributed all comfort, strength, and grace
which he experienced in trials and tribulations to God, because
he alone is the fountain of mercy. Number two, the gifts, grace,
and comforts which God bestows upon us are not merely for our
use only, but in order that we may help
and comfort others by the comfort that we have received from the
Lord. And in verse 5 of 2 Corinthians chapter 1, it says, for the sufferings
of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounded by
Christ. The sufferings, Christ, these
are not those which He suffered in our room and place on Calvary's
cross. No. Only He could suffer those. No. But remember, He was persecuted
without a cause. He went through afflictions and
trials. This is the same as what we go through. My, oh my. We have persecution
come for no other cause but that we trust Christ. Remember he
said, marvel not if the world hate you and hate me first. Christ called Saul's persecution. a persecution of himself. Remember?
Remember Saul was out persecuting Christians? He's out persecuting
Christians. The Lord appears to him and says,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? He's persecuting believers. Oh, my. My, oh, my. And God multiplies
comfort for the believer in those times and situations of trials.
The Lord Jesus Christ is ever with us, beloved, no matter what
we're going through, no matter what trial we're going through.
Even as our inflictions increase, so does our comfort from God.
Let us marvel. Let us marvel at God's grace,
mercy, and comfort that he gives to us during trials. And may
we comfort our brothers and sisters in Christ who are going through
the same situation. Amen.