1 Peter 1:1-12
Intro Questions
Title: Refined by Fire
Opening Thoughts:
Citizenship - Philippians 3:20 “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Instinct to defend our place or declare the kingdom of God.
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-12 (CSB)
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Reflections:
1 Peter 2:11 “as foreigners and exiles”
Your perspective influences your actions.
As exiles gain perspective on their temporary home, they long more and more for their true Home.
Tough times can either break you or build you into something that begins to reflect Jesus.
James 1:2-4 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
Digging Questions:
Where or what is your identity?
What do you want in life--happiness or true holiness?
Story of refining fire. Romans 8
Take Away Challenges
Our perspective influences our actions.
4 Reasons God Tests Our Faith
“Never put a question mark where God
has put a period.” – John R. Rice
Purifying Our Faith
Just
as gold is refined by fire, our faith is refined by trials, as Peter writes, “In this you rejoice, though now for
a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that
the tested genuineness of your faith—more
precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to
result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”
(1 Pet. 1:6-7). When gold is refined, the fire burns away the impurities until
only the purest of gold remains. So it is with our faith.
Establishing Our Faith
The
author of Hebrews wrote that “… we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but of those who have faith and preserve their souls”
(Heb. 10:39). Paul was sure that this faith was anchored in the work of Jesus
Christ, as he wrote in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work
in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God does
not begin anything that He does not finish, and that includes the work He is
doing in you.
Refining Our Faith
Did
you know “… that
the testing of your faith produces steadfastness”
(James 1:3)? A faith that is tested creates more confidence; however, our
confidence is not in ourselves but in God. We all look forward to hearing our
Master’s words: “… well done, good and faithful
servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter
into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21). Our faith is only
as strong as the Object of our faith; of course, that is in Jesus Christ.
Sharing Our Faith
It
is not easy to share our faith with the lost, is it? Even so, aren’t
we commanded to share this hope that we have within us? Paul wrote to Philemon
that he prayed “… that the sharing of your faith may become effective for
the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ”
(Philem. 1:6). Paul was always “testifying
both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21), even though he
didn’t know what was to become of him (Acts 20:22).
Conclusion
God
never wants us to put a question mark in our tests of faith but a period. God
never wastes any test of faith, but He is always interested in the final
product, which forces us to trust Him in all things because a faith that’s
never been tested can never be trusted.
Read more: http://www.christianquotes.info/images/4-reasons-god-tests-our-faith/#ixzz3mZdi3sqI
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3 Signs God Is Trying To Tell You Something
Here are three signs that God might be trying to tell you something very important.
Unraveling
A few years
before I came to saving faith in Christ, things started to unravel for me. I
wasn’t married, and it
seemed every girl I thought I loved, loved someone else, and those few that
loved me I could do nothing about, since I didn’t love them. If I could not return
my love, I would not marry, so when I began to let it get to me, I was reminded
that no marriage is better than a bad marriage. If I didn’t love her and she
didn’t love me, no one would win. I didn’t want to hurt anyone or be hurt by
someone, so I stopped dating altogether, but of course, that’s when I met be
beloved wife. That’s when I realized that God alone truly satisfies. Until I
found my satisfaction in God, then nothing would satisfy me. Only God satisfies
us in Christ. He is enough. Infinitely more than enough! Only then did I
understand that no human relationship can fill that void. Eventually, I fell
flat on my face from brokenness and loneliness. I thought I was alone by not
having a wife, but what God was trying to tell me was if I didn’t find my
satisfaction in Him, then I would never find it. What a great lesson I learned.
Only by breaking my heart God could enter in. God cannot fix what is first not
broken, and only when I emptied myself, of myself, was God able to fill me. But
first, like the Prodigal Son, I had to come to my senses (Luke 15:7). Unless
the Prodigal was humbled and broken, he would have never gone home to his
father.
In the Fire
You probably
know that gold becomes more valuable the more it’s passed through the fire. That’s
why 24 carat gold is more valuable than 14 carat gold. Twenty-four carat gold
is more pure than 14 carat because it’s been put to the heat more. Fire is a
great purifier because it burns away everything that is not gold, and so in the
same way, God may be allowing us to pass through a fiery trial in order that
we’ll see how strong or weak our faith in Him. It’s not that He needs to know
how strong or weak our faith is, but so we’ll know. Trials can often strengthen
our need for God and make us suddenly, prayer warriors. I’m sure that’s what
God wants, so don’t take trials the wrong way. It’s not that He needs to know
more about our faith because He is omniscient (knows all), but it’s possible
that He wants to reveal how strong or weak our faith is. The reality is, coming
through a trial can strengthen our faith in Him, and it can deepen our
dependence on Him…both of which are great. God allows the fire “so that the
tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though
it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at
the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1st Pet
1:7). It’s not meant to harm you but help you and strengthen your trust in Him,
because when you come out of the fiery furnace, you’ll see how God is purifying
you and growing you. When did the ancient gold refiners know when the gold was
finally purified? When they saw their own reflection, so when God has purified
us, it is intended to reflect more of what Christ is like.
The Voice of Others
I am so thankful
we have the Word of God, so that we can know the will of God, and I’m also thankful
for the Holy Spirit speaks to us and illuminates Scripture, but often God may
use the voice of other believers to speak to you and to me. That’s what the
primary role of the prophet was in the Old Testament was. They spoke for God
and spoke the Words of God. It was, “Thus says the Lord,” and not “Thus says
Jeremiah,” so your friends might not be speaking the Word of God or a word from
God, but they might be speaking the wisdom of God as revealed in Scripture. We
should love our friends so much that we’re willing to offend them when we see
the living in serious sin. The most unloving thing we can do is remain silent.
On the other hand, if they see something in our life that troubles them, God
may use them to speak some sense into us. It is absolutely true that “Faithful are the
wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov 27:6). If we ignore godly advice from those brothers and
sisters around us, we do so to our own harm. Before we shrug off a fellow
believer’s comment, think about it…they might be right. If they are, confess it
to God and admit it to your friend, and say, “Thank you enough to tell me the
truth.” God’s Word comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. That’s
what friends do too. Let those wounds from your friend be seen as an act of
love, which it is, because “Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more
favor than he who flatters with his tongue” (Prov
28:23). That too is a true and faithful saying.
Conclusion
I must admit
that I am a little (or a lot?) thick headed because God has had to really get
my attention by using some very extreme circumstances, however, even this is
done in love. What parent wouldn’t discipline their child for playing too close to
the street? God may take us through some hard times or the fires of
tribulation, or He might try to use the voice of a friend who loves us enough
to speak the truth, just as Nathan the Prophet did to King David… and I’m
pretty sure Nathan didn’t look forward to that, but God may use others to get
our attention. Whatever means God uses, the clearest voice of God is in the
outer Word, the Bible, illuminated by the inner Word, the Holy Spirit, and
these always point to the Living Word, Jesus Christ. God already tells us a lot
through the written Word of God.
May God richly
bless you
Pastor Jack
Wellman
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