But we're going to continue on
in first peter so turn with me to first peter one first peter
one I have not intended to go through
the whole book of peter, but I don't know we'll see And this week we're going to
read verses six through twelve First peter one six through twelve. Let me see if I am in first peter
this time I'm in 1 Peter. Verse 6, wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through
manifold temptations. that the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than a gold that perisheth, though
it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, that last day that
Joe was talking about. Whom having not seen ye love,
in whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory. receiving the end of
your faith, even the salvation of your souls, of which salvation
the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied
of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what
manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did
signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glory that should follow. unto whom it was revealed that
not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things
which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven,
which things the angels have desired to look into." We kind of start off here in
the middle of a thought. And if you remember last week,
we talked about that salvation ready to be revealed, which is
the life that is in Christ Jesus. As some were talking last week
as we ate dinner, there's gonna be, that time will come when
we will drop this body. We won't no longer have this
body of flesh, and we'll be given a new body likened to our Lord's.
We will know even as we are known, That is certainly something we
will rejoice in, even though for now, if it is needed, that
we are in heaviness, and that is distress, sadness, or grief. It is needed that we be in this
state, this temptation, here meaning a putting to proof. This
is not to see if you will do something wrong. We will do something
wrong, there is no doubt about that. This is a proving of the
faith you have been given and it will produce what it is proved
for. That is obeying the truth. These
trials are not for God to be mean to us. There is a purpose
behind what he does and it is in love causing us to look to
him. But it is a putting to proof
that faith, which he has given for the purpose of praising Jesus
Christ, who will return. We will praise him now, and when
he returns, that faith will be sight. It will yield what God
has intended of that, and that is the praise to his dear son
when he returns. It makes us desire to see him. It makes us do this, Philippians
3.13 says, brethren, I count not myself to apprehended, but
this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forth unto those things which are before. We move
on. We ready ourselves for the next
trial, knowing he keeps us looking to him by trying this faith that
he has given. It will be like those Israelites,
if you remember, when they were told, stand still and see the
salvation of the Lord, and move forward. That's what Paul's saying
right there. I keep moving forward, looking
to Christ, who is my salvation. It makes us desire to see him,
and that's a good thing. Last week, the first part of
this passage shows us what we rejoice in. And in those verses,
we can see that this is done by God in grace and peace toward
us. He does this lovingly. That is,
he causes us to long for that day when we shall see him who
is our salvation. Now in our text, we get into
some of the how he does this. Here we see that the trial of
our faith is done by God and it is tried through many fold
or many different putting to proofs. If you remember, God
tried Abraham's faith in telling him to kill his son. He did so,
Abraham did so, believing God that he, that is God, would raise
his son up from the dead. Now God is not going to give
us that specific trial. If someone comes to me and says,
God wants me to kill somebody, I'm gonna tell him you need to
go to the doctor. But he may instruct us from his word to
stop being around some people, even if that people is family.
He may put you in the midst of God haters to the point that
all you can do is run to Christ. In so doing, you will leave them
and let them alone. and find a place where you can
gather together with those who honor God and God's son, who
was given for his people. We are told this is what happens
when our faith is tried. If you do not have faith, then
everything you do is a sin against God. God is not pleased with
you. God tells us this in Hebrews
11, six, but without faith, it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He that cometh to God
must believe that he is. And it is he that will reward
them that diligently seek him. This you can only do by faith,
and that's faith that's given by God. We hear that this faith
will be tried by many fold temptations. When this happens, it will fill
us with joy. So let's talk about today the
precious faith that is tried, joy unspeakable, and where do
we find this joy? the precious faith that is tried.
We read here that the faith you have been given is more precious
than gold. It is not the trials that are
precious, it is the faith that is precious. The way it says
it here, it almost seems like it's saying that the trial is
precious. And I say this because it says we go through manifold
trials. These trials though, they come
and go. Faith never leaves us because
God's gifts are forever. That faith which we are given
is the faith of Jesus Christ, and you can be certain that His
faith is precious. But it says here, we greatly
rejoice. And this is certainly true when
He returns. But in these trials, it says
we are in heaviness. Now it is certain that we will
rejoice when He returns. After all, He is our hope. It
is also we will be in heaviness because we will see and have
to endure many trials. To many people who say they are
Christians, they talk about how happy it is to do things for
Jesus Christ. But they are never heavy in trials. If they are heavy, they are heavy
because they got caught doing something that they said they
do not do. But God's people, when they are tried, will be
in heaviness. Because one, it causes them to
long for Him who they long to see, but also they realize or
shown what they have done to cause Him to have to die for
them. We are in heaviness, but it is also equally true that
we will both in this trial and after every trial will have joy
unspeakable and full of glory because that's what it says. Glory that I'm holding forth
myself in this trial? Or that I got myself through
the trial? No. I don't do anything to even deserve
to think about myself, so why would I glory in myself? Joy
unspeakable that he has brought me through yet another trial,
and certain he will bring us through all other trials. What
do these trials cause us to do? Because remember, it is the trial
of our faith. It causes us to believe God. That faith, certainly, that Christ
will return, so that I might be with him.
But it also believes all of his promises. And what I'm trying
to point out is this, it's not just a joy for when he returns. That is certainly true, but we
can joy right now in what he has done for us and is doing
for us. He will never leave us, even
in these trials, and even if we miserably fall on these trials,
and I shouldn't say if, I just say when. The faith will not fail, although
we might fall miserably. But he will be with us, so much
so that we are told in Psalm 37, 23, and 24, the steps of
a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his
way. Though he fall, he shall not
be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. The scripture also tells us in
Ephesians 3.20, now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the
power that worketh in us. We are even told he will give
us what we ask for. The problem is not with God giving,
the problem is with our asking. We ask amiss that we may consume
it upon our own lust. But the fact is, he is with us,
and that by promise. He said that when he went away,
he would send a comforter, and he did. When that faith is tried,
the comforter comforts us in his gospel. That tells us he
is with us, and we will one day see him. So what about that does
not cause joy unspeakable and full of glory? We know these
trials are fleeting, even though we know another might be right
around the corner. But listen what God tells us
through the Apostle Paul in his scripture. So turn with me to
Colossians 1. Colossians 1. Colossians 1 verses 24 is where
I'm gonna start. Colossians 1 verse 24, who now
rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is
behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's
sake, which is the church. whereof I am made a minister
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for
you to fulfill the word of God. Even the mystery which hath been
hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his
saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory, whom we preach warning every man and
teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man
perfect in Christ Jesus, whereunto I also labor, striving according
to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Think about it. We have this
one who is our salvation, and one day he will be right in front
of us. We know this from scripture because
this one is with us now by his spirit. His spirit testifying
of those things we hear in the gospel by those who proclaim
it. This is not something that happens
all the time, but there have been those who have leaped for
joy in their mother's womb. But let's look at this leaping
for joy and what it is about. And I will give this to show
his spirit at work when it hears the glory of that one. When God's
spirit hears that gospel being proclaimed, what it does to a
believer, it's what I'm trying to get at. This passage I will
read was to come at that time, but now he has come. So turn
with me to Luke 1. Luke 1. Luke 1 and verse 39. Luke 1 verse 39, and Mary arose
in those days and went into the hill country with haste into
a city of Judah and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted
Elizabeth. And it came to pass that when
Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her
womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she
spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among
women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this
to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo,
as soon as the voice of the salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe
leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed,
for there shall be a performance of those things which were told
her from the Lord. It says she, that is Mary, went
to Judah. That means he will be praised.
When Mary went to Elizabeth, she evidently told her about
the angel coming to her and that she was with child of the Holy
Ghost. When this was done, the child
leapt for joy in her womb. And it says it here twice. And
this was John the Baptist that's talking about in his mother's
womb. But then look at what it says
in verse 45, verse 45. And blessed is she that believeth,
for there shall be a performance of those things which were told
her, told her from the Lord. There shall be a performance
of those things spoken to her from the Lord. The words means
completion or perfection. What the Lord told Mary in a
nutshell was this. He shall save his people from
their sins. That ought to cause a lot of
leaping for joy in our hearts. And it does. And that's what
our text is talking about. When these trials come, we are
reminded again and again who it is we must put our trust in. These trials of this God-given
faith causes us in our God-given new heart to leap for joy unspeakable
and full of glory. So next, joy unspeakable. We've
already said it before, but I think it's okay to say it again. Seeing
our salvation, that is seeing Jesus Christ, is what causes
the joy. We know we are nothing in and
of ourselves, and it is especially true when these trials come.
You start to not only just know it, you start to feel it. but
you start to feel it in your bones because of what we still
have with us, and that is this flesh. But when that faith is
tried and it works in us to begin to see Him who is our salvation,
that is we believe, as it says here in our text, yet believing
ye rejoice. And you know what that word means,
don't you? That word rejoice? To jump for
joy, to leap. What is it exactly though that
makes us sleep? It certainly is not the trial.
None of us are certainly praying for God to give us another trial,
but he will. It says here believing we rejoice. So that believing has to have
something to believe, correct? We believe when God sends someone
to us with the gospel. Even if we are in heaviness,
our heart leaps for joy when we hear what God has done for
us. We cannot even utter words to
express what it means, because we see the glory of God in it.
That this mighty God would do something for a sinner like me.
God does whatever he is pleased to do, but yet it pleased him
to come down and be murdered by man. Do you think it hurt when those
men buffeted him? What about when they put the
crown of thorns on his head? Do you think he felt that? What
about those nails? Jesus Christ, the God-man, was
and is no less of a man than you or I, and yet it pleased
him to come down to do this for those who he loved. He did this for sinners, those
who were his enemies, those who hated him. There was one more
thing where we see that the faith he had, and this hurt more than
anything else, because he is the God man. When God the Father
forsook the Son, he was left there all by himself with no
help, none. Turn with me to Psalm 22, Psalm
22. Now I'm just gonna read 10 through
22, Psalm 22. 10 through 22. Psalm 22 and 10. I was cast upon thee from the
womb. Thou art my God from my mother's
belly. Be not far from me, for trouble
is near, for there is none to help. Many bulls have come past
me, strong bulls of Bashan have beset me around. They gaped upon
me with their mouths as a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured
out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is
like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength
is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws.
And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have
come past me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me.
They pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones
they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them
and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me,
O Lord, O my strength haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from
the sword, my darling, from the power of the dog. Save me from
the lion's mouth, for thou hast heard me from the horns of the
unicorns. I will declare thy name unto
my brethren in the midst of the congregation, will I praise thee. I just want to stop right there. He was forsaken of God the Father. And it says right there in the
Psalms, there was none to help. None to help because only God
can help. We have no power at all to do
anything. But even God the Father forsook
the Son. And this because He ordained
it to be so. Because He loved us so. So where do we find this joy?
Where do we find it? And we've already said it. We
find that joy in Jesus Christ and we see Jesus Christ in the
gospel. But I want to be more specific
here. The last verse in our text says, which things the angels
desire to look into. What is it that the angels desire
to look into, but they cannot? They are desiring, is it that
they're desiring to preach the gospel themselves, per se? They
desire to look into these things because of the fact that there
is a gospel at all. The angels know nothing of redemption. If they were to fall, there would
be no redeeming them. But being in this unfallen state,
they know nothing about having failed. Nor do they know anything
about a gracious God coming down to die for those fallen ones
to redeem them from the curse of the law. I do just want to say though,
angels are kept by God as well. They are not greater than God.
As Satan, that old serpent Lucifer found out. He thought he was
better than God and tried to ascend the throne. But God put
him and his angels down. This is why they desire and what
they desire to look into, and it is also that they, that which
we should desire to look into. Because as I've already went
through, because of what he ordained to do, to love sinners. Turn over with me to Ephesians
1. Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1, I'm going to start
in verse 6. To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself,
that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven
and which are on earth, even in him, in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will. That faith he has given, when
it is tried, will glorify the Son, and it will continue to
do so until Christ returns. Because the faith that he gives,
it does not fail. What did he tell Peter? He said,
Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. This I can say with all assurance.
His faith did not fail. Although he failed miserably.
But those who are His and even the angels desire to look into
these things and those things that are desired are brought
to us by the gospel. These trials testing this faith
given by God causes us to look to Him. If we had no trials,
this flesh would start glorying in itself. We would not look
to God if we didn't have these trials. This flesh would rise
up and say, look how good you're doing. How many of us find ourselves
praising and giving God the glory when all things are going well?
We can and we do sometimes. I'm not saying we don't or we
cannot. But these trials causes us to serve God. It causes us
to obey the gospel. I know it's talking about the
gospel here in our text. I know it's the gospel that causes
us to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory because in
verse 12 it says, which are now reported unto you by them that
have preached the gospel. If God would put us in trials
and never send us the gospel in those trials or after those
trials, there would be nothing to believe. And in not believing,
we would not rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Because we rejoice when we hear the gospel and we believe it,
what this gospel causes us to do, and we have to Do this constantly. It has to be done to us constantly.
So count on the trials. They will come. But what do these
trials cause? Listen to Psalm 123 too. Behold, as the eyes of servants
look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto
the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our
God until that he have mercy. His gospel causes us, it forces
us to look to him, the author and finisher of our faith. Amen. Dear Lord God, thank you
for allowing us to be here, dear Lord, and be with all those assemblies
out there, Lord, that are trying to hold forth your gospel to
give glory and honor to your son because you deserve all the
glory. Be with those that are among
us, dear Lord, if they have sickness and illness, just look to them
as only you know how, dear Lord. You have all the power, but you
have love, grace, mercy toward us, dear Lord, and we thank you
for that. We can't thank you enough, but we thank you, dear
Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's name, amen.