An Awesome Power Part 1
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Introduction
Introduction
We continue our study of the book of 1 Peter…For the last several weeks, we have been in the first five verses looking at four messages concerning “An Amazing Salvation”…
Tonight, we are moving forward to the next set of verses and begin to look at the thought of “An Amazing Power”.
When it comes to making it through the trials and tribulation that life brings us, the fire, so to speak…we must realize the amazing salvation we have been given as a child of God, but that’s not the only thing we’ve been given to make it through life, we’ve been given an amazing power also!
As a child of God, you have something that is greater than anything that this world can throw at you.
We can take comfort in knowing that whatever life throws at us, we are never alone.
The bigger your God, the smaller your problems, the smaller your God, the bigger your problems.
Our power is limited, and every single day, you’re going to reach the limit of what you can do as a person, but God’s power is unlimited!
Gen. 18:14 “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?...”
Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”
Matt. 19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
We often wonder why God often brings us to the end of ourselves before He steps in and makes His power known...
Here’s why though: Because that’s the way He can receive all the glory. Think about this, if we, for even a moment, think that the victory over that battle in our lives has anything to do with us, we are robbing God of the glory that belongs only to Him!
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord: that is my name: And my glory will I not give to another, Neither my praise to graven images.”
You might be thinking, well, I just don’t understand that, I can’t wrap my head around that…We’re not supposed to understand everything about God, we aren’t supposed to be able to figure out everything about God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
So, yeah, God tells us that He does things the opposite of what we naturally think, and that if we glory of anything, it should be in Him!
With all this in mind, let’s look at the first part in this thought of “An Awesome Power” - Tonight, we will be focusing on:
I-The Possibility of Rejoicing in Trials
I-The Possibility of Rejoicing in Trials
Humanly speaking, it’s not possible to rejoice in trials.
It’s not…In our flesh, when trials and trouble come our way, we just want to sit down and cry, and sometimes we do!
Nobody likes disappointment, difficulty, demotion, or deficiency.
When these things come our way, we must look to the One Who is greater than we are!
I know we finished up last week in verse 5 of 1 Peter 1, but we’re going to begin there and see that rejoicing in trials is a possibility because:
A-We are content in God’s defense.
A-We are content in God’s defense.
1 Pet. 1:5 “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Peter’s readers may have been anxious about whether they would have strength to remain faithful to Christ if persecution or suffering became more intense. He assures them that they are people who by God’s power are kept through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Trouble will always be present in the absence of trust.
Notice what the verse says, God’s power continually works through our faith in Jesus Christ! Do you wonder if God is keeping you? or guarding you? The answer is, if you trust God through faith in Christ, then you can be content that God is working and defending you!
J. H. Howett wrote, “I am ‘guarded.’ The ‘power of God’ defends me, hems me in, and secures me from every assault. My Father’s power is my garrison. He surrounds me, like a defensive army occupying a city wall, and makes me invincible against the menace and attacks of the devil.”
I get it though, it is difficult to feel safe and secure in this world.
Wars are raging around the world. People are dying and their lives are under constant threat. The United States is one of, if not, the most powerful country in the whole world. With our powerful military, hardworking intelligence agencies, and the tools, and the weapons and the power backing us we still cannot be assured of safety and security. Terrorists are planning attacks, our borders are not safe, and the world is in constant turmoil. This reminded us again of the real threat and danger that we all face.
There may be no real, consistent, and guaranteed security down here, but for the child of God we are “…kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation...”
• No terrorist organization, no master mind, nothing seen or unseen can take what God has given and what God is guarding. Amen!
We are kept by the awesome power of God! And we can be content in a world that knows nothing of contentment, we can have peace in a world that knows nothing of peace!
Ps. 59:9 “Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: For God is my defence.”
The city of Jerusalem has a natural defense system in that it’s surrounded by on all sides by mountains. In this way, God has protected this chosen city from attack.
We find David writing about this, and God gives us a wonderful promise as well.
1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion,
Which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem,
So the Lord is round about his people
From henceforth even for ever.
What a promise we have!
We are content in God’s defense, but something else concerning this awesome power that allows us to rejoice in trials...
B-We are confident in God’s deliverance.
B-We are confident in God’s deliverance.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
One thing we are to remember concerning trials is, as this verse says, they are “…for a season...”
Ps. 30:5 “...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
All trials are temporary! Some last longer than others, but they are all temporary, and our hope in God is eternal!
Annie Johnson Flint wrote,
“God hath not promised skies always blue, flower strewn pathways all our life through;
God hath not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
God hath not promised we shall not know, toil and temptation trouble and woe; He hath not told us we shall not bear, many a burden many a care.
But God hath promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trails, help from above, unfailing strength, undying love.”
The saints of God would have needed a good word of coming relief.
Peter knew that the saints scattered through the five provinces of Asia Minor would be persecuted for their faith, but he also knew that it would be only for a little while. They were going through a season of trial because of their faith.
Genuine faith in the Lord Jesus will bring opposition, isolation, and persecution from a world that is hostile towards Jesus. When we face trials we can rest assured that God is in control and He will bring deliverance in His time and He will sustain us in and through the trials.
Warren Wiersbe said, “When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
It may be extremely difficult to rejoice in the present, but the Christian can always rejoice in the future!
We are just visiting this planet! We are just passing through! Peter writes later that we are just pilgrims and strangers in this world!
Any moment now, in the twinkling of an eye, all that we endure now will be eternally past, never to be faced again.
We will be with Him who will make all things new!
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.