Redeemer Modesto Sermon Audio

Key Thought: If you know the gospel, going into the refiners fire (suffering) doesn’t turn you into ashes, it turns your faith into something more precious than pure gold.

Have you noticed that everyone in this world suffers? Suffering is relative to each individual, but no one escapes it. I remember watching the Bill Gates documentary “Inside Bill’s Brain” and wondering if a billionaire suffers. Sure enough, you hear the story of his broken relationship with his partner Paul Allen that never got set right, even while Paul was dying of cancer. You can’t escape suffering, and Peter knows it – it is a constant theme mentioned over 15 times.

But what Peter reveals is that suffering is a like a fire that either turns you into ashes or refines you into something more precious than gold. Like an athlete that sacrifices and suffers in training (the dietary restrictions, the muscle cramps, the time and energy), yet turns that suffering into a gold medal.

Unlike the athlete, the suffering that the scattered church went through due to persecution of Rome…it wasn’t voluntary. But what made this suffering to turn their faith into something more precious than gold instead of into ashes? What makes the difference?

It was their relationship with Jesus…their understanding of the gospel. Here’s the key thought today: If you know the gospel, going into the refiners fire (suffering) doesn’t turn you into ashes, it turns your faith into something more precious than pure gold.

Key Thought: Hold fast in circumstances by holding fast to the identity God gave.

No doubt as Peter writes this letter to the scattered churches that he is cognizant of their circumstances. Peter refers to the recipients as scattered (exiles) and mentions suffering at least fifteen times in this letter making it the major theme. Peter is also known as the Apostle of hope; while John predominantly wrote about love and Paul wrote predominantly about faith, Peter writes about hope. The circumstances that the church was in because of the Romans persecution of the Christians was of great concern, but as you notice with a reading of the letter, it is not the main theme. While he validated their suffering, he didn’t focus on the circumstances. The main theme is the hope that is found in Jesus and the new identity that Christians have been given in him.

As we look at these next few verses we will see the identity given, the identity lived out, and the identity looking forward. The identity refers to the person who the Christian has become because of faith in Jesus – a total transformation of who they are.

11/15/2020
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-2
Title: The Circumstances of 1 Peter

Key Thought: Jesus is not surprised about the circumstances you are in, but predestined them for his glory, your joy, and the edification of the community.

Tap the link at the .pdf for teaching notes!

Matthew 4:18-20 | Orphan Sunday | Danny Conner

Eddie Martin | Redeemer Modesto | Matthew 9:27-34

Redeemer Modesto | Dan Howard | 2 Cor. 3:3

Key thought: When we engage in partnerships, we should first remember that God engages in a partnership with us.

Four questions to ask when engaging in partnerships:
1. Do we remember our truest identity as ‘child of God’?
2. Do we remember our endgame?
3. Who will influence who?
4. Do we remember that God engages in partnership with people like us?

Key Thought: Living out our faith full of compassion and conviction leads to Christ-likeness.

Scripture: Exodus, Matthew, Ephesians, Judges 17-21, Luke 15, John 1:14