Have Hope your Pain has a Purpose

1 Peter 2.18-25

18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.  23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.He left his case in the hands of God,who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross

so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.

 

Thesis: The tests God brings may seem unreasonable and inexplicable, but they have their reasons.

http://www.persecution.com/

Maybe our problems are small potatoes?

Do not give into to your painful problems – they hold a purpose – we can become tempted to let our pain turn us bitter, and unforgiving – but the Father has a different plan.

Reasons why your Pain has a Purpose

Reason #1 – Expands your Faith (19-20)

There are only 2 reasons believers suffer

1) Sin; 2) our Savior

Psalm 11.4 - But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

 James 1.2-4 - 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

1 Peter 1:7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

 (Hebrews 11.6; 23-27)

For faith to be trusted it has to be tested.

(Rubber band is only being what it is made to be when it is stretched)

Result of an expanded faith – favor with God (20)

“To many times we want a blessing

 but God wants to make you a blessing.”

           

Reason # 2 – Encounters your Calling (21)

Ex: you are called to be a Christ - follower

Look at our calling - 1 Peter 2.9; yes, but this is salvation

Okay - 1 Peter 3.9; 1 Peter 5.10 Here’s suffering for Christ

We have not developed a theology of suffering in our generation

We want to go to the happy boys and hear a happy word

Hosea 6:1

"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.

             

You need a Guide in Life

 Ever try to figure things out without a map? Ever try to succeed without a mentor? We need mentors and guide, the greatest of which is Jesus. Hear his words and consider these thoughts on listening to him.

“…the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

John 14: 26

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. John 8: 31

The way we are guided is marked by Listening

I have to choose to listen to the voice of the Lord. Consider for a minute these thoughts about learning to listen to him.

1.       God speaks in my innermost spirit.

2.       God tends to speak with gentle leadings.

3.       God’s voice produces freedom.

4.       God tends to speak when I am seeking him.

5.       When God is speaking, there is a sense that everything is under control.

6.       God gives specific directions.

7.       God convicts of specific sins.

8.       God speaks with 100% truth that can be tested by the Word of God.

9.       God’s voice always leads to a deep, abiding sense of peace.       

He is speaking to you. The question is are you listening?

Have Hope you are Precious

Have Hope your Personality is Precious

1 Peter 1.6-7

Consider this fact: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29.11 (NIV)

A large part of God’s plan for our lives is our personal development. Therefore, we can see a purpose to the troubles we face in a fallen sinful world. The Lord is strong enough to use our trials to strengthen us.

GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH HE HAS ASSURED THAT…

Our trials will meet personal needs (v 6 – if need be)

AP: God is so intimately aware of our nature, character, tendencies, strengths, & weaknesses, that he tailors our troubles.

Trials are needed for Discipline

When we disobey God’s will

Psalm 119.67 ­- Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

Proverbs 3:10 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction;

Pr 10:17 People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. (NLT)

Proverbs 15:10 - Harsh discipline [is] for him who forsakes the way, [And] he who hates correction will die.

Hab 1:12 - O LORD my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal— surely you do not plan to wipe us out? O LORD, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins. (NLT)

We must have discipline in our life when we disobey God’s will – teaching us to OWN sins, mistakes, and fumbles.

Discipline is also punitive!

Discipline is not just after the fact it is a preventative!

Discipline is also a progress!

When we Grow in God’s will

1 Timothy 4. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers…. 16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

Chuck Swindoll – “I find in my own life it’s in the crucible, in the valley, in the times of failure, pain, misery and heartache, that I grow strong and deep. Those times of suffering build us and mold us more and more into conformity to Jesus Christ.”

Trials are needed for Dependence (on God) (Mark 4.35-41)

Where is your dependency today? Is it in yourself? Family? A Friend?

GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH HE HAS ASSURED THAT…

Our trials will meet personal needs

This is personal!

How will you respond to this personal time in your life?

Invest Life

We exist to ignite passion for God, inspire life, and invest life because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

What does this look like?

Invest Life

The key to INVEST is SERVICE

·         Serving the church body through encouragement, care, and compassion. 

John 13:1b – “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”

o   Starts with an attitude of service

o   A maturing follower of Jesus must express his gifts through serving in the church.

o   Each follower has a spiritual gift that is given in order to build up other followers

o   We must discover our spiritual gift combined with our personality and personal life experiences and then make these available to Jesus for his use in the church

o   Each follower is to experience the joy of using their gifts in the church – we become alive to the things of Jesus through the expression of our gifts to others.

·         Serving the community through projects, bridge events, volunteering, and involvement

o   Investing a life means we recognize that we are to make a difference in our local community for Jesus.

o   Invest in projects that will improve the local community – volunteer time to mentor children in public schools; serve meals in a shelter; visit the elderly in a care facility; the list of opportunities is endless

o   Invest in bridge events that invite and encourage the un-church to try out Jesus – public concerts; hosting walk up movie-nights; community block parties; and VBS for children; again the list of opportunities is only as short as our imaginations

·         Serving the world through mission projects, trips, and gifts

o   Investing in mission causes around the world through financial gifts; participating in national and international mission trips (Building improvement projects, VBS in a struggling area, sports camps, minister in an orphanage, prayer walking and scripture distribution, etc.)

o   Investing in church planting – the goal of our ministry is to plant daughter churches with the same passion and vision for Jesus. We need new churches to be born in order to reach people for Jesus that may not come to an existing church or ministry.

Ignite – Inspire – Invest

Inspire Life Transformation

We exist to ignite passion for God, inspire life, and invest life because Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)

 What does this look like?

Inspire Life Transformation

·         Bible study through small groups

o   Small Group Bible study is the means through which our lives our transformed by Jesus

o   Followers of Jesus are grown in groups not in isolation

§  We need encouragement

§  We need accountability

§  We need challenge

§  We need care and compassion

o   SG can be accomplished through the use of two strategies traditional Sunday school and Home Groups

§  Traditional Sunday School is an effective tool to connect, care, and cover biblical material – the drawback is that time is limited and real life issues are limited in discussion

§  Traditional Sunday School is effective because we have become comfortable with how to use this ministry in an age graded approach to Bible study

§  Home Groups is an effective tool toward real long lasting spiritual transformation for connecting with relaxed environment (living rooms), digging into real life issues for a biblical perspective, and the freedom of time and availability of days of the week  

§  Home Groups is effective as a bridge to the un-churched who may more readily attend a Bible study in the home of a friend or neighbor before they will come to church – it also offers the opportunity for a serious in depth questioning and examination of Christianity by the un-churched

§  Both strategies need to have qualified teachers/facilitators, leadership/support, and communication with the Leadership of the church concerning all aspects of the Class/HG

 

·         Mentoring Relationships

o   MR are valuable in encouraging followers of Jesus in a one on one setting

o   MR offers the opportunity to question, challenge, wrestle, and discover key aspects of the practical ways to implement Christianity in our lives.

o   MR needs a seasoned Follower of Jesus to be available to a less seasoned Follower

o   MR offers a way to grow in Jesus through personal guided relationship

o   MR is a great strategy of growth that is flexible depending on the personal schedule of the partnership

·         Meaningful Fellowship

o   Followers of Jesus need fellowship that stems from friendships

o   Fellowship is more than meeting and eating together – it is a purposeful way for followers to discover natural friendship in the church

o   Fellowship will stem from TSS and HG as a natural outgrowth of people walking together through triumphs, tragedies, and even the humdrum of life. Through every season of life we need fellowship of other followers to encourage, challenge, and love us.

John 13: 34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Lives will not change without sincerity – fake never made a transformation – we desire to make more than an impact we are called for transformation.