Sermon Tone Analysis

*Know the Truth About Trials and Temptations*

* *

*1 Peter 1:6-9 (NIV) * \\ 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

\\ 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

\\ 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, \\ 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

(1:6-9) *Introduction*: this passage is one of the great passages dealing with the trials and temptations of believers.

1.

Know the fact: life is full of trials and temptations (v.6).

2.  Know the purpose for trials and temptations (v.7).

3.  Know how to conquer trials and temptations (v.8-9).

* **1.

**(**1:6) Know the fact—life is full of trials and temptations.

*

Any thinking person can look around and see that life is bombarded with all kinds of trials and temptations.

*There are all kinds of trials, such as...*

| ·  sickness·  disease·  suffering·  sorrows·  criticism·  loneliness | ·  ridicule·  abuse·  loss·  disappointment·  emptiness |

*There are also all kinds of temptations such as...*

| ·  greed·  selfishness·  hoarding·  drunkenness·  deceit·  strife·  drugs·  anger·  gluttony | ·  immorality·  sorcery·  indulgence·  backbiting·  whispering·  revellings·  envy·  jealousy·  uncleanness |

The list of trials and temptations in the world are as unlimited as acts of behavior.

For every act there can be the sin of too much or the sin of too little, the sins of commission or the sins of omission.

Life is fraught with trials and temptations.

This is especially true with genuine believers, for believers stand in opposition to the selfish, immmoral, greedy, and unjust ways of the world.

*1.

Trials and temptations are only for a season; they are only for a little while, for a short time.

*The idea is that our salvation is at hand; we shall soon be delivered from the sufferings of this earth.

Therefore, we can stand up under whatever suffering is attacking us.

*2.

Trials and temptations cause a heaviness within us.

The word "heaviness" (/lupēthentes/ PWS: 1917) means to be grieving; to suffer sorrow, stress, pressure, and mental anguish.*

We all know what it is to feel heavy and weighed down with grief; to suffer stress and pressure; to be mentally in anguish, wondering, questioning, and suffering under the weight of trial or temptation.

*Thought 1*.

This is a dark picture of the world and of life, a picture of all kinds of trials and temptations.

But we must face reality; it is a fact.

As we walk throughout life, we are bombarded with all kinds of trials and temptations.

Our human experience proves it.

But why face it?

Why think about it?

Why not ignore the fact, think positively, and look at only the good and move on?

There is one reason: facts cannot be handled unless they are dealt with.

Ignoring and denying trials and temptations will not conquer them, not permanently and not eternally.

The only way we can ever conquer anything—no matter the trial or temptation—is to squarely face it and fight against it.

The way to conquer the trials and temptations of life is the subject of this great passage.

*Acts 14:22 (KJV) *Confirming the souls of the disciples, /and/ exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

*Romans 5:3 (KJV) *And not only /so/, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

*1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) *There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God /is/ faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear /it/.

*2 Corinthians 4:8 (KJV) */We are/ troubled on every side, yet not distressed; /we are/ perplexed, but not in despair;

*1 Thessalonians 3:4 (KJV) *For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

*Revelation 2:9-10 (KJV) 9 *I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and /I know/ the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but /are/ the synagogue of Satan.

*10 *Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast /some/ of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

*Job 14:1 (KJV) *Man /that is/ born of a woman /is/ of few days, and full of trouble.

*Psalms 119:143 (KJV) *Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: /yet/ thy commandments /are/ my delights.

*2.

*(1:7) Know the purpose for trials and temptations.

When a believer is saved, why does God not just go ahead and give him a trouble-free, perfect life?

Sometimes it would seem that God should do this.

If God loves us and really cares for us then He should not let terrible things happen to us.

Why does God let them happen?

Why do the trials and temptations of life fall upon us, especially with such heaviness and sorrow?

Scripture says there are two reasons why the believer is tried and tempted.

*1.

The believer's faith must be tried.

The word "tried" (/dokimion/ PWS: 4057) means to prove; to test; to strengthen; to show that your faith is genuine (*A.T. Robertson.

Word Pictures In The New Testament, Vol.6.

Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933, p.83).

It is just like gold.

Gold has to be put to the fire in order to clean out all the impurities and dross and to make it pure and clean.

Now note what this verse says: we are much more precious than gold.

Gold perishes, but not believers.

Believers are to live forever.

Therefore, if gold has to be put to the fire to be made clean and pure, how much more do we?

*The point is striking: God uses the fire of trials and temptations for a good purpose.

*He uses them to make us clean and pure and to make us trust Him more and more.

Þ  *When we are faced with some trial or temptation, we draw nearer to God.

We cry out to God more than when things go well.*

We even tend to clean up our lives in order to secure His help us as we go through the trial.

We just live more pure, clean, and righteous lives.

In fact, *the greater the trial and temptation, the more we see that we need God.

*And the more we see our need for God, the closer we usually draw to Him; and the closer we draw to Him, the cleaner we live.

The fire of trials causes us to live more pure and clean lives and to learn to trust God more and more.

This is a most wonderful point: our trials and temptations are purposeful.

God uses them to make us much more pure and to stir us to draw closer and closer to Him and to trust Him more and more.

We become a stronger person through trials—much stronger, much more stedfast, persevering, and enduring.

There is another fact that should be noted as well.

When our faith is tried and proven, when we walk strongly through the trials and temptations of life, the world sees it.

They see the power of Christ in our lives and the rejoicing of our hearts in Him.

Some are attracted and want to know Christ for themselves.

Standing fast through the trials and temptations of life wins people to Christ.

God uses the trials and sufferings of life to pour His strength into us and to attract the lost to want Him in their lives.

*Isaiah 48:10 (NIV) *See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

*Isaiah 63:9 (NIV) *In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them.

In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

*Luke 6:49 (NIV) *But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.

The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

*1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NIV) 12 *If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, *13 *his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.

It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.

*14 *If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.

*15 *If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

*Psalms 119:67 (KJV) *Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

*Hebrews 12:11 (KJV) *Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

*1 Peter 4:12 (KJV) *Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

*2.

The believer's faith is tried in order to show forth the praise, honor, and glory of Jesus Christ and of the believer.*

When Jesus Christ appears—when He returns to earth—two things are going to be seen.

Þ  *First, Jesus Christ is going to be seen exalted higher than the heavens themselves; **He is going to be seen in all the honor and glory of the universe.*

*Þ  Second, believers are going to be seen exalted higher than anyone could ever ask or even think; they are going to be exalted in the very same honor and glory of Christ Himself*.

They are going to be seen as joint-heirs with Christ in receiving all the inheritance that God Himself possesses.

Just imagine!

All the honor and glory that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself possesses shall be poured out upon believers.

*Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV) 11 *Blessed are ye, when /men/ shall revile you, and persecute /you/, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.