God orchestrates the circumstances in our lives so that, as we go through life, we are perfected, so that when we see Jesus we will be like Him. Life is a constant discovery of the love of God and His goodness to us; it is trials that reveal this to us.
If you can imagine the Great Fire of London which destroyed about 90 churches and displaced hundreds of people. The scapegoat for that fire was the fact that it was put out that French Catholics had started it. A similar effect of a fire was felt in Rome in the year 64 AD. The Roman Emperor, Nero, was blamed for it because he had said that he wanted to rebuild many of the buildings in Rome. He in turn passed the blame of the fire to the Christians. It was this that started the persecution of the Christians. It was incredibly barbaric. When news of what Nero was doing percolated out throughout the Roman Empire it reached areas of what we now call Turkey. Peter wrote this letter about this time, so at the very time that there was the news of the persecution of the Christians, Peter’s letter was written that was going to include messages that would be of incredible value for that time.
1 Peter 1:1
1 Peter 5:12
We have here a time when things were really happening as far as being a Christian was concerned. That’s why in these twelve verse Peter refers to a trial of your faith.
1 Peter 1:1-2
There’s a wonderful explanation there, in verse two, of who does what in the Trinity. When we did the series on Acts it was to do with the fact that God the Spirit was very active when the church was first launched.
1 Peter 1:3-5
He establishes right at the start where those people stood in Jesus Christ, what it was that Jesus had done for them, what it was that the gift of the spirit was still doing in them. In these verses eleven things are confirmed that they can be thankful for. In the midst of difficult circumstances it’s good to remember the foundation on which you stand and what God has done for you.
Peter had walked with Jesus; he was an apostle. Here this apostle gives thanks to the Father for Jesus Christ. We are thankful for his mercy, for the fact that He has caused us to be born from above. It is His mercy that has reached out to you and me. What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean for God to reach out to an individual to draw them to His love? It is His mercy that does that. God is interested in us. Our hope is this: when we see Him we will be like Him. This means that as we go through life we are being perfected through the circumstances that we’re going through. Peter had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and had also talked with Him. As Jesus took out that guilt of when Peter denied Him, gently withdrew, and Peter could look up. Now, via the letter of Peter, he in turn is communicating to people who are going to encounter things they would never have imagined. We have an incorruptible inheritance, undefiled, that is kept in heaven for us. Our hope is built on certainty. It is built on the confirmed faith that God has given to you and me that as we go through life, when we see Him we shall be like Him. That does not make life a drudgery. The things that God has prepared for those who love Him are wonderful. We are shielded by faith for that salvation to be revealed in the last time. We are talking about the ultimate salvation, when we will see Him.
He paints the picture of their picture in God, and then in verse 3 – 5 he states all the things we can be grateful for.
1 Peter 1:6-7
The circumstances of life right now have relevance. The outworking of the trial is specifically marked for me when I am to presented before God at the end of my life. There is going to be praise, honour, glory to God from you, as it were, as you’ve witnessed how God has brought you through the trial that you are now in. We must consider how we are approaching the circumstances in our life? We must be in the situation where we are confirming what He has done for us, and are resting on that foundation. We must not look at the circumstances; this will only bring fear. The trial of your faith is more precious than gold.
1 Peter 1:8-9
John 20:24-28
God reaches people in different ways. Rather than try and shoehorn into an experience like we had, what God does is come to an individual in such a way that they know Him. When Thomas said that he probably was ridiculed slightly by the other disciples. When he spoke he didn’t know that Jesus had heard him. A week went by and Jesus came to him. He didn’t chide Thomas for not believing, He simply told him to thrust his hand in his side. There was a tailor-made encounter with the living God. In your life when God is moving it isn’t that He’s trying to make you into an experience of someone else. He is meeting you at your point inside exactly. The fact that you have that awareness of emptiness within is God working in you. You think that way because God is working in you. Woe betide us if we try to make everyone have the same experience.
John 20:29
Peter knew that he was writing to people who had not seen Jesus physically. He knew the love in Jesus’ words that He spoke to Thomas: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
1 Peter 1:9-12
I am confirming to you tonight that the circumstances you are going through are tailor-made so that you can encounter the love of God. Through the circumstances that we go through it is a constant discovery, more and more, despite all the pressure and seeming impossibilities, a constant discovery of God’s love for you. You are in the palm of His hand; no man can take you from the palm of His hand. He is a wonderful, living God.
Friday, 13 March 2009
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