When Trials Come

Back in May of 2015, A Charlotte, North Carolina, pastor and his wife had been hit by an unthinkable tragedy, losing their 2-year-old son and newborn child in just matter of days. Gentry and Hadley Eddings were driving home to Charlotte as part of a caravan when a truck struck the vehicle transporting Hadley and the couple’s son, Dobbs.

Hadley Eddings, was eight months pregnant, (and she) survived, but needed an emergency C-section. Dobbs (their 2 year old son) did not survive the crash, and the newborn baby, Reed, passed away due to complications as well.

In the comments section of this article someone asked the question "How could a loving God allow this to happen to one of His own servants?" To that I would say... the same way He allowed His only Son to go to a rugged cross and die for the sins of the world.

But there is another question that has persisted throughout the course of time. A Question that most likely each person here has asked at one time or another.... and that question is… "Why do bad things happen to good people"?

Someone wrote to a letter to Pastor and Bible Commentator, J. Vernon McGee, and asked him that very question… "Why do bad things happen to good people"? He responded… " The answer is simple, there are no good people. For the Bible tells us in Romans 3:12 “12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.””

Perhaps a better way to ask the question would be "why do the righteous suffer?" That is the question that was asked of C.S. Lewis, to which He replied… "Why not?... They're the only ones who can take it."

If you spend any amount of time reading and studying the Scriptures, it will not take you very long at all to run into someone, or a group of people that are suffering in some way, shape, or form…

The Book of Job spends 42 Chapters on the subject. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk and other Old Testament books spend a great deal of time considering human suffering. We read in depth of the struggles that the Children of Israel faced in the wilderness. We read of their captivity and slavery.

About 1/3 of the Psalms speak of doubt, frustration, disappointment and pain. In the New Testament we see the intense sufferings of our Savior. Jesus faced more pain and suffering than anyone in history. And if God would allow that to happen to His only Son, then why should we expect to be exempt?

In every other series that we’ve gone through, Philippians, James, Ruth, Thessalonians… we’ve had at least one sermon that has touched on going through various trials… It’s not because I am a doom and gloom preacher, but because trials are a part of the Christian life…

Lets take a look at what Peter has to say… (Read 1 Peter 1:6-9)...

Meat:

Since the beginning of the Christian church, Christ's followers have suffered. As a result of their devotion to Christ many in the early church were Beaten, Exiled, Beheaded, Crucified, Stoned, Pierced with spears, Burned alive and faced many other violent forms of persecution. And there are born again children of God suffering and dying all over the world today.

Though we may not have faced physical persecution or death, many of us here know about the "various trials" that Peter is speaking of in our passage. This life is filled with trouble and as Christians, we may be tempted to say " I am a child of God, why is this happening to me?" Many times I have heard people say, there is just no answer to that question!… But that is not the case!… In fact there are several answers:

1. We live in a fallen, sinful world. One of the consequences of man's sin in the Garden is the suffering that the entire world encounters.

2. Troubles and suffering also come as a result of sin in the life of the Christian. Our Father loves us enough to discipline and chastise us. If you look to the life of King David (A man after God's own heart) you will see great suffering as a result of his sinful choices and actions. If there is sin in your life, you can expect the same result.

3. Perhaps most common reason for suffering, is the fact that God is using suffering and trouble to strengthen your faith.

And that is what I would like to look at today… I hope that you will find some encouragement as we look at some...

Truths About Trials

The first truth that I want you to take note of is the fact that…

1. Trials are Inevitable

Like it or not… they are going to happen.

Peter says in v. 6… 1 Peter 1 6 “6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”

Last week we talked about “Gifts of Hope”… Gifts that we receive from God. The most important one being, the free gift of Salvation… Peter says… “In this you greatly rejoice...” We are able to greatly rejoice in our Salvation…

Remember though, Peter is a “straight and to the point type of fella”… he’s not one to beat around the bush when he has something to say… “In this (Your Salvation) you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while,...” then he says “if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,”… The NASB translates it this way… “, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials”

Folks, Trials in the Christian life are inevitable, because…

1.1 They Are Necessary

We will talk about that more in a few minutes… but yes, as hard of a pill that is to swallow… Sometimes, the trials that we face are necessary.

There is a common misconception that once you are saved you are shielded from trouble. This idea is propagated by many health and wealth preachers in our day. However, I can tell you from personal experience and Biblical truth that Christians FACE GREAT TROUBLES!!

Christians have bills that they can't pay. Christians face marriage troubles and even divorce. Christians have strokes and heart attacks. Christians get cancer. Christians deal with diabetes and arthritis. Christians have rebellious children. Christians have to stand at the grave of a child, spouse or parent and say goodbye.

Sometimes troubles, trials and tragedy hit us out of nowhere. Maybe you are dealing with a circumstance or situation that you never could have expected. I want you to know that, even though it may have taken you by surprise... God was not surprised! He knew about it before it happened. And He sees your pain… He sees your struggles… But He also sees the end result and He knows the benefit that this particular “trial" will have on your life!

Like I said, we will touch on this again in a few minutes… But know this, Trials are Necessary… and …

1.2 They Are Diverse

Peter is talking about much more that just having a bad day. He is not referring to those times when things just don't go your way. Notice the words that he uses: “if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,” Grieved means distressed, or saddened... saddened by various trials… They are diverse, they are different for everyone and everyone will experience different ones over the course of time.

The picture that Peter paints is one of trouble on every side and the devastating consequences that come with the trouble…

Have you ever noticed that when trouble comes it just keeps on coming. When you think things can't get any worse… Then they do… Have you ever hit rock bottom and then the bottom falls out? That my friends is what Peter means when he says "Various Trials"…

Some of you have been there before, some are headed there now and some are there as we speak… You have either just gotten through a major trial, or you are about to go through one (whether you realize it or not), or maybe you are currently going through one…

Which leads us to our second truth about these trials… and that is…

2. They Have A Purpose

Like I said before, trials are necessary… they have a purpose.

Warren Wiersbe says that “...there are special times when God knows that we need to go through trials. Sometimes trials discipline us when we have disobeyed God’s will. At other times, trials prepare us for spiritual growth, or even help to prevent us from sinning. We do not always know the need being met, but we can trust God to know and to do what is best.”

Look at the reasons for our trials that Peter mentions in v.7 1 Peter 1:7 “7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”

Again, I like how the NASB words this verse… “so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ”

This verse answers the age old question of... "WHY??"… “Why is this happening to me, when I am a Christian”… first of all…

2.1 Trials Prove Us

The trials that we go through are there to prove “the genuineness of our faith”… Remember the time in which this Letter was written and remember who it was written to… Those in the early church often were faced with the choice to either renounce Jesus and live or to cleave to Him and die. ----

This was the choice that Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, had to make… He was scheduled to be burned at the stake and was carried before the proconsul, and told that if he would renounce Christ he would be released… Polycarp answered, “86 years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?”

These early Christians lived with the very real possibility of being martyred for their faith. And this still happens all over the world today… and it will continue to get worse as Satan’s time on earth continues to dwindle.

Peter uses the illustration of Gold… Gold is proved to be Gold by being put to the fire. If the matter is put to the fire and it does not lose its nature, weight or color then it is the real deal.

So to is the Christian who is put to the fire of suffering and trials. Genuine faith is proved by adversities… Here’s something interesting to think about… God already knows whether or not our faith is genuine! We do not have to prove it to Him…

So that means that the benefit of this "proving" or testing our "faith" is actually... for us! When we come through a trial and still trust the Lord we are assured that our faith is genuine.

Secondly… Not only do trials and suffering "prove us"… We also see that:

2.2 Trials Purify Us

Trials are designed to "test our faith". When these various trials come our way we may start to question the reality of God. Maybe we start to wonder… if He is really there... We may even feel, at times, that He doesn't care.

Unfortunately, there are many who have walked away in the midst of these "trial by fire" moments… But it is in these times of intense suffering and trouble that we see God at work. When we are in the valley God makes His presence known in a mighty way.

We can use this very letter that we are studying as an example…

We are reading words of a man who knows first hand about Christian suffering. He is not talking about experiences that others had gone through, he is able to relate to the “various trials” because of his own personal Christian walk.

Last week I mentioned that In Acts chapter 4 Peter was seized and imprisoned for preaching the Name of Jesus… But later on... in Acts 12 Herod had him arrested with the full intention of beheading him just as he had done to James. Even as he wrote this letter he knew that the day was coming when he would give his life for the cause of Christ.

Peter knew what he was talking about and his faith was in God’s plan. He understood that the trials that God allowed him to face were there to purify his relationship with his Heavenly Father…

Again, going back to the illustration of Gold…

Gold is refined by fire… The intense heat melts the metal. When this happens the impurities comes to the top. Those impurities are skimmed off… and this results in a gold that is a more pure and valuable metal than it was before going into the furnace.

The same process is used for silver… A silversmith will place raw silver in the furnace and leave it in the fire until he can see his own image reflected on the surface of the silver. That is what God does, He puts us in the fire and He will leave us there until He can see His reflection in our lives!!!

These "various trials" will remove the impurities from our lives. And this will bring us into a closer more pure relationship with our Lord... We may not see the benefit of our suffering today… but when we stand before the Lord in Heaven, and we are rewarded for our walk with Him and for the sufferings we endured here on earth, it will be worth it all… “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus, Life’s trials will seem so small, when we see Christ!”

Closing:

As we get ready to close… I know that anytime someone is dealing with various trials, the main go to verse… which don’t get me wrong, is an amazing verse and holds a lot of encouragement… Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

I have quoted that verse many times… and several of those times I have gotten a response that sounds like this.... “Yeah, yeah, I know”… or “Yep, I know that one too, even have the t-shirt”… There are times when people use and view this verse as a cliche’… and I am guilty of it myself…

But may I encourage you today with another passage… I’ve included this on your outline in hopes that it helps you to remember where you can find it…

2 Corinthians 4:15-18

(Read Slowly) 2 Corinthians 4:15-18 “15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

For those of you who are in the midst of one of these "various trials" ....never forget that these trials are inevitable, but they also have a purpose. God is working out His plan to prove you and to purify you.

I pray that through these verses you see God's plan and that even in the midst of various trials, you are able to stay focused on “Our Living Hope”… Jesus Christ…