Tonight we're going to be continuing to study from 1 Peter chapter 1. The last couple of times I've had an opportunity to preach in an evening service, I just started going through the first chapter of 1 Peter. And I want to be honest with you about something before we get started. We're talking about a lot of things and the title in the bulletin kind of gives you a heads up where we're going. Rejoice even when times are hard, the gist of it. And I can tell you the honesty is that I'd rather teach you those things through other people's experiences than through my own. What I mean by that is I'd rather my life not be hard. I think we all could say that if we're honest. And the Lord has a way of constantly reminding us that the truth of God's Word is not just something to study, it's something to apply. So even as I'm getting into the text, the Lord gave me an opportunity to apply that this week. Because as I was teaching and preparing to teach so I could help you all understand how to rejoice when times are hard, the Lord changed our circumstance a little bit. On Wednesday night, a truck was driving down Sunset Point Road in and of itself, nothing remarkable about that. My wife was also driving on Sunset Point Road. The difference was my wife was on the correct side and the truck wasn't. So she's fine, she's back there, everything is okay. But Wednesday night, after she had dropped Christine off at Youth Group, a wrong-way driver plowed into her on Sunset Point Road. Her car is smashed up, not quite in an accordion, but pretty close on all sides. Right before Christmas, certainly we weren't thinking about that. I thought that car had a lot of years left. It's paid for. It's always one of the best things about a car. And yet, here we were, the few days before Christmas, supposed to be teaching in the morning, preaching on Sunday night, and the Lord brought something into our lives that I wasn't expecting. At those times, it can be challenging for us. It can be challenging for me. I know what I'm going to teach y'all and I know what the Word of God says. The challenge for us is to elevate our thinking beyond the details of life. My trials are not anything extraordinary. All of us have trials. Some of them are far more serious than an auto accident like Debbie experienced. The challenge for us is that those things can become so consuming that they take all of our energy and all of our focus. The Apostle Paul said a few things that I think get to the gist of what we're going to be studying tonight. Certainly, it's the idea that I'm trying to convey that I'm going to show you in 1 Peter. In Colossians 3, 1 and 2, the Apostle Paul said, If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." Of course, Paul's not saying that we don't live. Of course we do. What he's saying is our paramount focus should always be, even as we're living, on the Lord. That's a challenge for us. That's not the way our minds are hardwired to think. We're falling creatures. That's why we have to work hard to control our thinking, to control our minds. The Apostle Paul also in Romans 12 too said, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. How we think, that process of renewing our mind, that process of setting our minds on things above is critical to how we live as believers. Particularly when we have trials and difficulties. Particularly when things come our way in a sin-filled world that we didn't expect. Because the reality is, we understand living in a sin-filled world is hard. And we don't have any other world to live in. This is where we are. It's hard physically, it's hard emotionally. And the book of 1 Peter was written to encourage believers who were experiencing the hardships of life. Some were dealing with persecution, but some also were just dealing with other forms of difficulties. There are troubles in this world that come and find us. Yet as Christians, even then, we're not supposed to be self-focused, devoting all of our energies to our problems. We're supposed to be focused on the Lord, even when times are hard. Last week in the service, we looked at 1 Peter 1, verses 3 to 5, and my outline was very simple. It was three reasons to praise God when life is hard. God has shown us mercy we don't deserve. God has given us a perfect inheritance in heaven, and God is protecting us with His power. All those are great truths to help us praise God when life is hard. And yet Peter goes on and doesn't just talk about praising God, he talks about our heart attitude. Again, Peter has a lot of practical things to say in this book. He's got a lot of things where he'll say, do this, do that. But in these introductory words, he's just giving them encouragement that he understands them, he knows what they're going through. And his words of encouragement here help us because we see an example of praising God even in the midst of difficulties. Now, praising God when life is good, of course, isn't a problem. It's when life is hard that we need to take a step back and challenge ourselves. Are our minds renewed? Are we setting our minds on things above? And I think 1 Peter 1, verses 6 through 9 are going to help us with that tonight. Still dealing with heavenly realities is going to build off of what we talked about last week, but Peter is going to talk to us about rejoicing. And not rejoicing just because we got everything we wanted, but rejoicing no matter the circumstances. It's rejoicing because of the truths of what we have in heaven. It's rejoicing because of the love that we have for Jesus Christ, even when things are difficult. So follow along with me as I read 1 Peter 1, verses 6-9. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 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. And though you have not seen him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. Borrowing and almost mirroring the outline from last week, but with slight changes in the wording, tonight we're going to see three reasons to rejoice when life is hard. Three reasons to rejoice when life is hard. And the first reason is this, our inheritance in heaven far surpasses our temporary pain. Our inheritance in heaven far surpasses our temporary pain. Verse 6, Peter says, in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. When he says in this, he's referring directly back to the inheritance we have. In fact, I'm going to go back and reread the verses from last week, starting at verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Our merciful salvation by God has secured for us an inheritance that is certain. God Himself is using His power to ensure that we receive everything. An inheritance that can't decay, can't be contaminated by sin, it will never lessen in its splendor. In light of this kind of inheritance waiting for us, protected and reserved for us, which is another way of saying, in light of the incredible salvation that we have by the mercy of God, Peter expects us to have a certain reaction. He says, in this you greatly rejoice. It's interesting, this isn't a command by Peter for us to rejoice. He's writing to believers that were suffering, they were enduring trials, but they were already rejoicing. Peter is writing this and his expectation is that should be the normal state for any believers, regardless of your circumstances. If you think about who you are, meaning what do you deserve, the wages of sin is death, and you think about what God has done for you anyway, even though He knew who you were, and you think about the heavenly inheritance reserved for you, how can we not rejoice? The picture here is of exaltation. It's of great joy, exceeding joy. And the way Peter expresses it, the language he uses makes it clear this is not an isolated instance. This is just supposed to be the way we live life. living in joy, living in rejoicing. Now, it goes without saying that this is challenging. It doesn't have to be. At the moment we're saved, God gives us His Spirit, and if we're walking by the Spirit, one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. God enables us to do this But our experience tells us it's very easy to take our eyes off of the truth and be overwhelmed by our circumstances. Now what's interesting is the way Peter talks about this, he's not suggesting that the trials don't matter. What he's saying is that rejoicing coincides with, can exist right alongside the sorrows and the sufferings of the trials. He says this, "...and this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials." There's a lot in these few words. These believers though were really hurting. You have been distressed by various trials. It's just reflecting the variety of the trials that any of us face. If we went around the room right now and shared prayer requests, I'm not the only one that had something bad happen this week. Our family is not the only ones impacted. Every one of us has serious trials that come our way. Quite often they're trials that we weren't expecting, we didn't know about. That's what makes some of them trials, because they catch us off guard. Every believer's trials are different, but every believer experiences them, and they do cause distress. Some translations use the word grief or grieved. This is a real hurting of the heart. Emotional hurt. It's very real pain, even if it's not necessarily of a physical nature. One particular commentator I read, just talking about the expansiveness of the language and how broad it can be, said it includes sadness, sorrow, disappointment, anxiety, and could just keep going on and on and on. And if I ask you, every one of us this week experienced some of that. Some of us experienced all of it. What's interesting is that in the midst of this, Peter knew they were going through all these various types of trials. He knew they had very real heavy hearts, but he also knew that they were greatly rejoicing because they were fixing their minds on the inheritance, on their salvation. They were thinking heavenly thoughts even in the midst of earthly sorrows. That's what we need to train our minds to do. I think the fact that these believers were suffering and greatly rejoicing at the same time should help us if we take a step back and think about it for a moment. Because I think at times it's easy to misunderstand what Christian joy actually is. Christian joy isn't the absence of problems. Certainly, we're happier when there's not problems. Christian joy, Christian rejoicing isn't always laughing and smiling. Sometimes you can rejoice through tears. If we borrow human language and the vernacular, sometimes the details of life stink. Praise the Lord that God is sovereign and we're not left to fend for ourselves, but cancer is hard when it ravages the body. The death of loved ones is real pain that many are experiencing at this time of year as they remember people that aren't with us. Illnesses are draining and they sap your energy and you wonder, am I ever going to feel normal again? For some people it's, I forgot what normal feels like. There are financial struggles again at this time of year that are magnified because the world seems to be throwing money around and for some people they're struggling to make their bills be paid. That's real suffering and the pain is real and you don't have to pretend that it's not real. But what Peter I think is showing us And what we have to remember is that if we keep an eternal perspective even in the midst of the trials, we can rejoice because we understand these trials are just temporary. They are not forever. He uses this terminology even though now for a little while. He's describing the trials and he's making it clear these aren't eternal trials. These aren't forever. It's one of the reasons I can say that the reward, the inheritance in heaven far surpasses any trial on earth, in part because the trials on earth eventually will end. And the inheritance in heaven never will. We'll enjoy it forever. However long life is, eternity is incomprehensibly longer. Whatever you're enduring, it will end. Sometimes it's good to take stock, not to depress yourself, but just to look through all the trials the Lord's already brought you through. Because you can say, it ended. It ended. Thank you, Lord, it ended. These trials are only for a little while. But there's an important aspect that Peter qualifies, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials. Here's the key. He's actually phrasing that. It's not really, maybe it will be, maybe it won't be. He's making a statement. These trials are necessary. From God's perspective, God is sovereignly bringing every trial your way. He knows you need to endure the trial in front of you. He knows better than you what you need to become the man or woman of God that He desires. I would have promised you with all my heart that I didn't need to see our car wrecked and my wife almost get killed this week. God thought otherwise. God knew what was best for our family. I can't always fathom it. You can't always fathom it. We don't always understand. But when God sends trials our way, they're not mistakes. They're not just accidental things. They're not, oops, I wish I could have controlled the world, but it got away from me. Sorry, Joe. Sorry, Debbie. Not at all. The eternal perspective is what we need to always be rejoicing, even when we are really hurting. My mind was drawn, as I was teaching through this, as I was studying this, to a scripture from Hebrews 12.2, not shocking, from Hebrews. But in Hebrews 12.2, and I taught on this not long ago, it says, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I mean, did Jesus have fun on the cross? Of course not. It was agony. We can't comprehend what it was to bear the full wrath of God against all the sins of all those who would ever believe. That's why Jesus the night before said, Lord, if it's possible, let this cup pass. But not my will, your will be done. Yet the writer of Hebrew makes it clear, even in the midst of the struggle and the anguish from his human side, he could see The joy that was in front of him. He could understand that God's plan was perfect. He knew the cup of wrath that he was about to have poured out on him would be incomprehensibly awful. Yet he didn't flinch. He was willing to do it. Because he could see beyond the temporary pain and agony, a pain and agony that we can't even comprehend. We need to be able to do in our lesser trials the same thing. Keep pressing forward, but even in the midst of keeping pressing forward, rejoicing even while we're there. How do we do that? We've got to constantly renew our minds. We've got to constantly go to the Word. We've got to constantly remind ourselves of what we have for all eternity and inheritance that's coming our way. Our pains are real, but they're just temporary. But our inheritance in heaven is eternal. That inheritance far surpasses any temporary pain. Paul describes something of this tug. In 2 Corinthians 4, verses 16 to 18, he said this, Therefore we do not lose heart. but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." So the first reason to rejoice when life is hard is that our inheritance in heaven far surpasses our temporary pain. The second reason is that our trials allow our faith to be proven real. Our trials allow our faith to be proven real. Peter explains all of that with a so that, verse 7. 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." The word so that is just saying the purpose of what he's just said. He's explaining that it's why it's necessary at times to endure these trials that are only for a little while, But it is necessary. And the so that is explaining to us one of the reasons for those trials. The temporary trials ordained by God have a very specific purpose. Trials, and I'll explain this from the text, trials show that our faith is genuine. He says, so that the proof of your faith. This is simply a way of saying the testing proves the genuineness. The ESV version states it this way, so that the tested genuineness of your faith. Our testing shows what we're really made of. And Peter illustrated this with an example from a very precious metal, gold. Gold was very precious then, it's still precious now. And I'm going to lead into my last point at some point, but the idea here, and I'm going to explain it a little bit more, but the idea here, by the analogy, is that gold, even though it is valuable, is nothing compared to our faith. He says, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire. He's making an analogy based on what was then the common practice of how you purify gold. Now, he's acknowledging that even precious gold was not eternal. It could be destroyed. But at that time, if you wanted to purify gold, you would just heat it up and melt it because the impurities would float and then you could skim off the impurities and what you'd be left with was pure gold, the true value. You could get rid of all the junk, all the extraneous materials, minerals, everything else, and what you'd have left is the real thing. I watch a few different shows where people are out finding gold. They're on, I think, the Discovery Channel. People are still dreaming of striking it rich, but what's remarkable to me is that the process for purifying gold hasn't changed. Maybe you start the fire differently, but at the end of the day, when they show those guys bringing the gold they dug out of the ground, they take it to a broker, what does the broker do? The broker melts it down. Because he doesn't want to pay them for the junk, he wants to purify it. Peter's analogy is just picturing our faith that way. That God uses the various trials that come our way to refine us, to purify us. The trials will get rid of the pretending. and the hypocrisy. What could be referred to as the easy believism of just being here because it's a social club. What's left at the end of the trial is proven faith. It's real. Several different scriptures jumped to my mind when I was thinking through this. I'm going to read a couple of them. And it goes back to the teaching of Jesus. And it's a warning to us, I believe. Now, it's an encouragement to us in one sense in that in the midst of our trials, God's giving us a chance to see that our faith is real, that we have true hope. But it also tells us that the trials are going to reveal what you really are. One of the things that jumps out at me when I look at the New Testament and I read about the church is that over and over we're warned about dangers within the church. Paul, talking to the Ephesian elders, said that wolves would rise up from among the leadership. And Jesus gave an interesting parable that talks about this type of thing. In Matthew 13, verses 24 to 30, and I'm going to read this just to give the feel for it. But he's giving a parable that's very familiar to us. And he says this, beginning Matthew 13, verse 24. Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares? And he said to them, An enemy has done this. The slave said to him, Do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, No, for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat also. Allow both to grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn." Now Jesus explained this. He explained what he meant by all of this, beginning in verse 36 of the same chapter, Matthew 13. Then he left the crowds and went into the house, and his disciples came to him and said, Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field. And he said, The one who sows the good seed is the son of man, and the field is the world. And as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place they'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Now, I read an extended portion of Scripture that doesn't probably jump out at you immediately why I'm even talking about this. But one of the things that always strikes me about that parable is the statement where it said, the slave said to him, do you want us to go then and gather them up? And he said, no, for while you're gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Here's the point, there's at least at some point in the growing cycle where the tares and wheat look close enough alike to get confused, which one's real, which one's bad. I think that happens in churches. I think that happens all over. People who are children of God and people who are still slaves of their sins can populate the same pews. They can be in the same building. And trials is one of the things God uses to show the difference. Jesus, I think, illustrated the same thing in Mark chapter 4 when He talked about seed falling on various types of soil. And I think the seed that is described in Mark 4 verses 16 and 17, I'll read in a moment, describes a lot of the American church. In a similar way, these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places who, when they hear the Word, immediately receive it with joy. In a lot of churches, that's just counted up as a conversion, another number. He came to faith. Verse 17, and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary. And when affliction or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately they fall away. That's one of the marks of an unbeliever. When the trials come, they turn away from the faith. Well, that looked like fun, but it ain't fun anymore. I'm going to try something else. Here's the point. All of this, for genuine believers, is an encouragement. Because as we endure the trials and as we get through it, we can rejoice because God's proving this is real. This is true. The very existence of the various trials, even though they cause us real sorrow, should also be a cause of hope and joy, because the Lord is refining us. And He's showing us what He's truly done in our hearts. He's giving us an opportunity to see that our faith is real. Peter wasn't commanding, Peter was describing, but James was commanding. Familiar words in James 1, 2. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect results, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. God uses the trials to mature us, to refine us, to enable us to be proved genuine. I don't like to use myself as an illustration all the time because I don't want to set myself up as something that I'm not. But several years ago, when Debbie had cancer, obviously, before we told anyone else, it was just Debbie and I that knew what was going on. She had shared with me her concerns. I went with her to the doctor, and the doctor, before the biopsy results were back, said, I'm pretty certain it's cancer. And it was not what we were expecting. But Debbie and I, we were praying, we were talking, and I was convinced the first person I wanted to tell, the first people I wanted to tell were our girls. Now Christine was a little girl, she wouldn't really fully understand, so that wasn't my focus, she was only four. But Rachel and Heather were old enough to understand what was going on. And the Lord gave Debbie and I some clarity. that I can't take credit for. And I can only explain it because the Spirit of God indwells us and God saved two sinners like us that didn't deserve it. But we truly did thank the Lord for Debbie's cancer. Not because we wanted it. I didn't want my wife to go through that. My dad had died of cancer. That was not a good word for me. But what I knew was that the Lord was giving Debbie and I the opportunity to show, particularly Rachel and Heather, that we really believed what we said we believed. At a pivotal point in their young life, the Lord was going to use a trial to allow us to show them that this isn't just a game. The Lord may be giving you the same opportunity. Maybe not with your kids. Maybe it's with a co-worker. Maybe it's with your spouse. Maybe it's with your parents. I don't know. But you should rejoice when life is hard. Because our trials allow our faith to be proven real. It's the third reason to rejoice when life is hard. Our inheritance in heaven far surpasses our temporary pain. Our trials allow our faith to be proven real. And third, and finally, our faith in Jesus will be rewarded. Our faith in Jesus will be rewarded. Now, it's easy in our theological circles to misunderstand and feel almost guilty about looking forward to a reward. There is so much heretical teaching going on in the name of Christ, promising people that you'll have it all. God wants you healthy. God wants you wealthy. Remarkably, it's always funneled through, you send me money and you'll be healthy and wealthy. Such that we rightly recoil at the idea that God is engaged in some transaction with us. God will give you a little, you give us a little. That's not what I'm talking about. But the Bible makes clear that we will be rewarded for our faith. Our faith in God, which enables us to rejoice even when life is hard, is noticed by God. And God will acknowledge it for us. I'm going to go back to the beginning of verse 7 and read through. 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. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. Now, obviously, since I read a portion of that scripture in my prior point, there's a connection here. But the connection has to do with what happens when our faith is proven real. What happens when we are rejoicing even in the midst of a hard life, He says that the proof of your faith, again, it's more precious than gold, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. I can tell you the first time I read this, the first time I started studying, I missed what was being said here. And not because I didn't understand the words praise and honor and glory. Praise refers to recognition or the approval of someone. We give them praise. Glory and honor, really, they're like attributes of God. They are attributes of God. They go beyond that. God's glory, His radiance. Honor, the position of distinction. We think of Christ at the right hand of the Father. So the testing of our faith results in these things, in praise and glory and honor. And it's going to come at the revelation of Jesus Christ. At some point, the Lord's going to return. At some point, it's all going to unfold. The reality of everything will be there, and there'll be praise and honor and glory when our faith is proven real. And when I read about praise and honor and glory, I immediately think of giving praise and honor and glory to God. Revelation 4.11 pictures what jumps into my mind Worthy are you, O our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created." Yet from the context, Peter is saying something different. He's using these words, praise and glory and honor, and he's not talking about those things going to God. He's not saying that when you rejoice in the midst of your trials, that there's going to be praise and honor and glory for God. What he's saying is that when Jesus returns with the culmination of history, the revelation of Jesus Christ, believers, you and me, will receive praise and glory and honor from God Himself. That's hard to fathom, but it's true. Again, we know God alone is worthy. We still see ourselves as we are, but God declares us worthy because of what Christ has done. And when we've rejoiced even in the midst of trials, God will, and it sounds crazy, God will sing our praises. He's not worshiping us, don't misunderstand, but He's patting us on the back in a heavenly way saying, well done. Peter's holding this up to these believers who are rejoicing. And this is all supposed to be a picture of encouragement even in the midst of these trials. God's proving the genuineness of your faith. He's working in you. He's through you. He's making you shown to be real. And one day, He's going to praise you because of it. We look forward to that reward even though now things are tough. Again, it's hard to fathom God spending any time saying anything to us, but we see this over and over. For example, in 1 Corinthians 4-5, Therefore do not go on passing judgment for the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God. 1 Peter 5, 4. Peter is going to say this in the future. And when the chief shepherd appears, our Lord, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Paul describes our life and the outcome for all the various things. And when we do good things in 1 Corinthians 3, starting at verse 10, according to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder, I laid a foundation and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident, for the day will show it, Because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. Colossians 3, be the last verse I read on this. Actually, almost the last verse. But it has the idea, this is all tied up of who we are in Christ. Colossians 3 beginning at verse 1, Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. In various ways, those passages and many, many others are pointing to the real truth that at the final culmination of history, the Lord has been paying attention to what we've been doing. And when you were able to look to the Lord and say thank you, even in the midst of the hard trials, God notices. Our ultimate goal is expressed in familiar words by Jesus in Matthew 25-21. And Jesus was again illustrating truth through a story. He said, His Master said to Him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your Master. That's being held up for us. to help us rejoice in the midst of the trials. And it really is a big contrast. Because on earth, in a fallen world, unbelievers aren't patting us on the back for enduring. In fact, some of the various trials we have are because of hostility from unbelievers, and I think that's going to increase if the Scriptures are accurate, which of course they are. So on the earth, it wouldn't be surprising for a believer to endure scorn and mockings and abuse and contempt and ridicule. Look around the world, you see this happening and it's going to continue. But we can rejoice even in the midst of all of that because we understand one day we're going to receive praise from the Lord. He's watching. The final aspect of the scripture sort of amplifies all of this. And it's adding again to the experience of joy. And he's just pointing out the reality in which these believers operated, but it's also the reality in which we operate. Verse 8 of 1 Peter 1. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory." He's just pointing out the reality of the life of every true believer who wasn't an eyewitness of the Lord. Peter had seen Him, but most believers in history don't see Him. We've never seen Him and we won't see Him until He returns or until we go to be with Him. And yet it didn't lessen their love for the Savior. That's why it's faith. They believed even though they couldn't see. And that was a source of rejoicing. It should be a source of rejoicing for us. It's interesting, Jesus said we have a privilege if we have faith, even though we didn't see him. Recall the account where Thomas was one of the 12 that didn't see Jesus, and they said, we saw him, and he was like, I won't believe it unless I can touch him. John 20, 29, it had all worked out, and Thomas didn't have to touch. But Jesus said to him, Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed." That's us. That's who Peter's talking about in verse 8. And if you know Jesus Christ, you experience that blessing every day. In fact, Peter said that that very fact, that you don't see Jesus yet you still love Him, And you don't see him, but you still believe in him, is a source of great rejoicing in even of itself. Greatly rejoiced with joy inexpressible. You almost can't utter the words. And Peter is saying this was happening even in the midst of those various trials. Which means we can experience the same thing. Each one of us are wired a little bit differently. We're all sinners. But obviously, we have different emotions and different interests. For many of us, music is very moving. Music about the Lord. You always have to be careful, because when I was an unbeliever, secular music could give me goosebumps, so you've got to be careful. But as a believer, when Joel's leading us in worship, and you're thinking of the theology, and you hear the sounds You can get very emotional. Because it's almost unbelievable. Lord, why me? That's true, what we're singing, but I know me. How can that be? It's the best I can approximate of joy inexpressible. Because you know what you deserve and yet you know what you've been given and what is guaranteed to you. Again, the scriptures contain commands to rejoice. Philippians 4.4, rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. First Thessalonians 5.16, rejoice always. So it's clear from scripture, it's a command to rejoice in the midst of trials. But Peter is saying not a command. He's just acknowledging what should be our present reality. They didn't have to be commanded to rejoice even though now for a little while they were because it was necessary enduring various trials that were going to prove their faith was genuine. They didn't have to be commanded to rejoice, they were already rejoicing. That's what we want. That's what I want for me. That's what I want for you. But we can't get there if we're fixated on the here and now. It's easy to get overwhelmed and caught up in the moment of events. It's no secret I used to be a lawyer. I'm still a lawyer. I don't practice law. But one of the things when I sent out a prayer request to the elders and the church staff about Debbie's accident was, pray that the insurance company will go okay. And on Thursday, I made a phone call and I started talking because I had a claim number. And I talked for a while. And the gist of it was, well, you did this, but if you had done that, it would go faster. Well, I've got the piece of paper that last night I talked to the other person that told me to do this. So should I do this? Yes. So I can do this and this? Yes. And if I do this and this, am I going to have a problem? After about a half hour, no, you'll be okay. Okay. Then I'll do that. Well then let me transfer you. Perfect. Transferred me. Let me just clarify with you. I was told I did this, right. But I could have done that in addition to this, right. And they said if I do them both at the same time, that's okay, right. And that nothing negative will happen if I do that. Well, wait, I can't say that. Well, hold on a second. She just told me That would be the case. I can't say that. You'd have to talk to your agent. Would you like me to get your local agent on the phone? Okay. Now mind you, I've still got two different teachings to prepare. Okay. So I get on the phone with somebody I've never talked to from the agency. They're being very nice to transfer me to person to person to person. And so I again go over everything. She told me this. Yes. And I need to do this. Yes. Is there anything negative that's going to happen? Well, let me talk to my supervisor. Comes back. Well, since you did this, we can't undo it. I'm like, what are you talking about? Well, you did this. No, no, no, no, no. I didn't do that. I did this. I'm thinking about doing this. Oh, I misunderstood. Let me talk to my supervisor. Oh, well, can't say. Why is that? Well, because your policy renews in February and we just don't know until then. I can't wait till February. My car is crushed in my driveway. I've got to do something. I've been a customer for almost 30 years. Help me. I'm sorry. I understand your frustration. I said in a polite way, no, I don't think you do. Because at this point I've been on the phone for 45 minutes. And you're the fourth person I've talked to and you just keep telling me I'm sorry. Well, let me go talk to my supervisor. Comes back. I'm sorry, and I said, please stop saying that. Because I know you're trying to be nice, but please don't say that again. I said, here's what I need you to do. I need you to arrange a meeting with somebody in your office today to explain to me why I should be a customer of yours. Again, I wasn't yelling, I wasn't using profanity, but I was exasperated. And she said, well, let me talk to my supervisor and I'll call you back. I'd been almost an hour on the phone. I was the fourth person I'd talked to. I'm just trying to get things fixed. And at that moment, it struck me, rejoice. And I literally smiled. And I chuckled to myself, because I was pretty aggravated at that moment. And I realized, this is nothing. Debbie's fine. I'm still going to heaven, it's a car. Yeah, it took an hour, but so what? Maybe it's going to cost me, so what? The Lord owns everything, it's all His anyway. I realized at that moment, applying the truths that are here, yeah, I still got to deal with the insurance company and the supervisor did call me back and we did all that, but I had a much better attitude. And I truly was rejoicing even in the midst of it. I was recognizing the reality of verse 9, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. Not because I was saved at that moment, it just means one day we get to spend our inheritance. We get to enjoy all of that. We enter into the joy of the Master. Let me encourage you. Work on your heart and your thinking. If you find yourself on the fourth insurance agent in a long conversation and you're still no closer, remember that none of that is really the issue that trial's gonna pass. Peter sums it up. The end of his book, 1 Peter 5.10. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Amen. Please join me in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for trials. Lord, at the moment that they're happening, we don't want them. Lord, I don't want them. In my heart of hearts, I'd much rather live by sight than by faith. But that's not what you've called us to do. Lord, I thank you in the midst of my sinful anger this week, you impressed upon me the truths that even in the midst of the frustration, I can rejoice. And I thank you for your word, and I thank you for your promises, and I pray for every one of my brothers and sisters here, Lord, who are facing their own trials. some more severe, some more difficult, some that won't be over quite as quickly as this trial. Lord, I pray for all of us to be able to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Help us, Lord, to remember the inheritance that we have. It's reserved. It's got our name on it, and nobody can take it away. Lord, even as we live our lives and we try and be good stewards and we live the day-to-day example that you want us to live on the earth, help us always keep our eyes fixed on the reward for us in heaven. And Lord, I pray for any here who don't know you. Lord, if trials come their way, it won't prove their faith is real. It would prove that they haven't truly repented and believed. Lord, perhaps some are already thinking that. I pray that you would open their eyes and open their hearts, that you give them a new heart so that they truly could repent, turn away from their sins, and believe that when Jesus died on the cross and said, it is finished, the debt was paid. Lord, we love you. Pray for all of us that we'll be able to gather again tomorrow night. to be reminded and to rejoice at Christmas. And even now, Lord, we thank you that the birth of our Savior and his life and his death enable us to rejoice even when life is hard. Help us go in peace. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.