1. Faith in the Furnace
(1 Peter 1:6-9)

2. Faith in the Furnace
(1 Peter 1:6-9) (pt. 2)

3. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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. 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, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:6-9

4. True or False?
For the Christian, happiness is never a goal to be pursued. It is always the unexpected surprise of a life of obedient service.

5. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,
1 Peter 1:6

6. Christians Will Experience Life in the Furnace
Faith Fact 1
Christians Will Experience Life in the Furnace

7. Jesus promised the disciples three things–that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.
Chesterton

8. Lies we embrace…
Evil, ungodly people deserve suffering more than we (believers) do.
2. God’s Will is for all believers to live healthy, wealthy, comfortable lives on earth.
3. If we are Faithful to Him…He owes us a trouble-free, pain-free life.

9. so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:7

10. Why? The Furnace PROVES Genuine Faith
The Furnace PURIFIES Genuine Faith

11. Faith Fact 2
The Fire of the Furnace of Suffering Exposes the True Condition of our Faith

12. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials…Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
1 Peter 1:6,8

13. There are but two lessons for the Christian to learn: the one is to enjoy God in everything; the other is to enjoy everything in God
C. Simeon

14. How Could These People Be Joyful?
They Valued the Right Things
Their Eyes are on Christ, not the Fire
Their Eyes are on what they are Gaining, NOT what they are losing

15. so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:7

16. Dance and game are frivolous, unimportant down here; for ‘down here’ is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment’s rest from the life we are placed here to live. But in this world everything is upside down. That which, if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest (most like) that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of heaven
C.S. Lewis

17. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore
Psalm 16:11

18. Effects of Joyless Christianity
Ineffective Evangelism
Dead Worship
Constant Conflict Among Believers

19. "Satan's aim is to destroy our joy and trust and delight in God, and to make God look worthless in the world's eyes. Every time someone forsakes God for the world, gets angry at God when part of the world is taken away from them, they highlight the world as valuable....and every time someone stays with God, when the world is taken away, and praises God, they highlight the value and glory of God".
John Piper

20. "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart…therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things…
Deut. 28:47-48

21. Serve the LORD with gladness!
Psalm 100:2

22. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:11-12

23. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your
joy may be full.
John 15:11

24. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
James 1:2

25. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Philippians 4:4

26. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:13

27. Faith Fact 3
Joy is not an optional, potential side-effect of obedience…it is a Part of It!

28. It is the Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can
C.S. Lewis

29. Faith Fact 4
God is not nearly as interested in our acts of obedience, as He is with our enjoyment of obeying.

30. Radical Implication
The Christian life is NOT primarily the pursuit of Obeying God…but rather, The Pursuit of Joy & Happiness & Satisfaction in Him which overflows in Obedience.

31. The most obvious fact about praise – whether of God or anything—strangely escaped me…I had never noticed that ALL ENJOYMENT SPONTANEOUSLY OVERFLOWS IN PRAISE…lovers praising their mistress, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside…I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment”
C.S. Lewis

32. How to Cultivate Joy
Refuse to be satisfied with only Intellectual Knowledge/Belief
Learn to Value Christ above all other things, for He is Infinitely Valuable
Refuse to settle for Stoic Worship
Battle against Self-Centeredness

33. We should strive for holiness, but holiness is a flood, not an absence
We should strive for holiness, but holiness is a flood, not an absence. Are you the kind of parent who can create joys for your children that they never imagined wanting? Does your sun shine, warming the faces of others? Does your rain green the world around you? Do you end your days with anything resembling a sunset? Do you begin with a dawn?..
Wilson

34. We say that we would like to be more like God
We say that we would like to be more like God. So be more thrilled with moonlight. And babies. And what makes them. And holding on to one lover until you’ve both been aged to wine, ready to pour. Holiness is nothing like a building code. Holiness is 80-year-old hands crafting an apple pie for others, again. It is aspen trees in a backlit breeze. It is fire on the mountain.
Wilson