YOUR FAITH—OF GREATER WORTH THAN GOLD

1 Peter 1:1-12

Key Verse 1:7

7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Introduction

Who is Peter? – v1a

Read v1a.

Early days, a paradox: Eternally strong, internally weak.

Jesus was well aware of this paradox and gave Simon the name Peter 

(Mark 3:16) These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter)

Loved the idea of the Kingdom of God but hated the idea of enduring persecutions/suffering for it.

Example 1: Peter Rebuking Jesus About Persecution

(Mark 8:31-32) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Example 2: Peter’s Denial of Knowing Jesus 3 Times

(Mark 14:66-72) “…71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about…"

Eventually overcame himself through Christ

Example: Boldly stood up to the persecution of the Sanhedrin

(Acts 4:1-22) 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Example: Was writing this letter from Rome the seat of persecutions

(1 Peter 5:13) She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peter’s failures and successes made him uniquely qualified to write this letter to churches undergoing worldly trials and persecutions

What Churches? What Persecutions? v1b-2

Read v1b

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 

Churches being addressed: Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia

These churches were in modern day Turkey. (Show Map)

The time was about ~62-64AD. Persecution from the Roman government was either ramping up or in full swing.

Nero persecutions, other social ostracizing.

The believers in these churches were distressed, anxious, troubled, embarrassed, fearful and emotional.

Peter was the perfect person to help them.

How Did Peter Help the Believers in these Churches?

Read v1b

“To God’s elect, strangers in the world…”

A: Reminded them of their relationship with God & with World

“God’s elect” — special, chosen, object of investment, love and care

“Stranger’s in the World” — How do people feel about strangers, how to people treat strangers? Don’t be surprised, it’s natural.

Trials are unavoidable. “Anyone who wants to live a Godly life will be persecuted.”

Read v2

2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

A: As “God’s elect” focusing on the work of God

Peter reminds them that the Trinity, (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) were all active in their lives.

God the Father had chosen them according to his foreknowledge.

Hagar: God knows us, “I have now seen the one who sees me.”

Everyone wants to be known. It feels good to be understood. Some people insist on it but only God has had foreknowledge of us. Even before our birth he knew us and chose us.

The Spirit had been doing sanctifying work!

In the Bible a dove and fire are just a couple metaphor for the Holy Spirit.

When the Spirit takes up resistance it works to cleanse a man or woman from the inside out. After some time someone may wonder how they were every like their former self.

New king to serve and obey, Jesus Christ, who sprinkled them by his blood—making them holy and pleasing to God, like purified priests.

New allegiance and direction of life.

When external trials trouble us we need to focus on the work God more than we focus on the difficulties. When we help someone in great distress we can remind them of God’s working and how he will continue to work in the same way.

To what point do we need to focus on the work of God?

Entirely. We should keep our focus on it until “Grace and peace be ours in abundance.”

Focusing on God’s work has universal application to any inner distress.

Example: Fasting, praying and reading the Bible are all ways we focus on God and his work until we are filled with Grace and peace. God’s holy work in us (past/present/future) moves our hearts with grace and peace.

How Else Did Peter Help Them?

How can you amplify grace and peace in the midst of trials?

A: Add Praise and Rejoicing.

Read v.3-6

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade —kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

God’s Abundance

Peter gives us a list of all the things God has “given us” in his “great mercy”.

New Birth

A lot can be said about the “new birth”, Peter emphasis: living hope through the resurrection. 

Inheritance

“never perish, spoil or fade”, “kept in heaven for you”

Peter emphasizes the eternal, everlasting nature of the inheritance. An inheritance that God can’t give us now because it is not of this world.

Shielding

Peter’s emphasis is on God’s protection until we actually receive these things.

Emphasis on the eternal, invisible, non-perishing, not-of-this-world, nature of all God has given us.

My greatest weakness. Needing to see, experience now.

To overcome the world today, we must “rejoice” in what God has “given us”. We can praise him through faith, though we haven’t received it fully.

Praising God is like a vaccine to keep one from being wiped out by “suffering grief in all kinds of trials”.

The Importance of Trials

Read v.7-9

7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Trials are good for us

Stress Tests

Cardiac Stress Test. Shows us what is really going on inside. We might feel like we are doing well but the stress tests always shows the reality.

Example 1: Abram and Isaac going through famines.

Example 2: Peter, (previously mentioned)

Example 3: Joseph being betrayed by his brothers. Joseph’s life in Potiphar s house, Joseph’s life in prison, Joseph’s life as governor of Egypt.

Trials help us to develop real faith (not theoretical faith)

Gold example

Results of Trials

When we pass through trials the “result” is “praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed”.

For us in the moment we are “receiving” the tangible benefits of “inexpressible and glorious joy” which is actually the salvation of our souls.

Proof of Blessing, Proof of Value

Read v.10-12

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Prophets

This salvation and grace was familiar to the prophets. They looked carefully into the time and circumstances of this great work, “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow”.

Prophets were serving (blessing) the body of believers who came about after Jesus’ work.

Angels

Probably hard to get an angel’s attention but this gospel and the value of the riches for those who believe made angels sit-up and pay attention. They even long to look into these things.

Summary

Trials are good and are necessary.

They make us focus on God’s work in us (past, present, future)

They help us appreciate what God has given us—the things which do not fade or spoil.

They refine our faith so that we bring glory to Christ and bring us the tangible “receiving of our salvation”, that is “inexpressible and glorious joy”.