Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you.Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:
7 sermons cite this verse
… The promised land includes hills and valleys. 1 Peter 4.12 says this, don't be surprised when you are tested by troubles or painful suffering as if something unusual has happened to you. Don't be surprised. They are a part of life. They are inevitable. He says it's gonna happen. So you don't say, why me? You say, why not me? I'm alive. you have problems in your life not because you're a bad human you have problems in your life because you're a human even the even the promised land has hills and valleys don't be surprised by troubles as if something unusual is happening to you second thing we know is that valleys happen to everybody valleys happen to everybody there's no way you can avoid them uh they're part of life they're inevitable, but not only are they inevitable, they're impartial. Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. Valleys are impartial. Psalm 34 verse 19 says this, the good man does not escape all troubles. He has them too, but the Lord helps him in each and every one. A lot of people think, I got problems in my life. God's punishing me. No, no, God's not punishing me. This is part of being part of the human race. You're in a world that is broken and it's fallen. So we have problems. Nobody's immune. Nobody's insulated from pain. Nobody is isolated from sorrow. We all go through life with problems. Nobody sails through life problem free. This is not news to you. Bad things do happen in life. And being a Christian, being a …
… Peter wrote this way, 1 Peter 4, 12. Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you. Don't think it strange. Since our lives are full of trials, there are more to come. Here's the second. This is not just for the wives. This is for all of us. But I draw it from the story of the wife. Since our world has fallen, we need to understand that there are those who love us but will give us wrong advice. Since our world has fallen, those who love us may give us wrong advice. I lived my life these 65 plus years having received wrong advice on a number of occasions from people who love me greatly. They were just simply wrong. They didn't mean to be wrong, but they were. So don't be fooled. There's the advice. Don't be fooled. Just because he is your husband and advises you of such and such doesn't mean that advice is good to follow. …
… have joy and peace unlimited. Now over time, Peter came to understand this very well and even experientially. And he would say this, 1 Peter 4.12, he finally got the lesson. And he would say this, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happen to you. That first word strange, it means to be emotionally impacted. Peter said, hey, when life hits, when the trial comes against you, when the world hates you, don't be emotionally impacted. Don't think it's strange. This is what Jesus taught us, and this is how it's supposed to be. Well, as we study a very famous but underutilized verse today, we will find Jesus giving his disciples a balanced preparation so that they would not only expect opposition in this world, but also know how to conduct themselves in it with balance. While they would be sent out truly as sheep among wolves, they were to strike the balance of being wise as serpents and harmless as doves. You know, much of the Christian life really is about balance. The balance between speaking the truth but doing it in love. The balance between being confident and yet dependent. The balance between working hard and resting well. …
… and fifthly this is what God gave me 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 12 and 13 says we are partakers with Christ oh Lord hold my mules Jesus King James Version says beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you but Y'all missed it, but... When you're going through, learn how to. why do I rejoice Peter in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy then the message Bible comes along I want y'all to see it in the message Bible read again, read again, read again friends, when life gets really difficult don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on his job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual with just around. I wish some black folk came to have church. I came to prophesy over your life. …
… no they're going to persecute you also he goes no servant is greater than his master this is what you're signing up for and that's why peter says in in in first peter 4 12 he continues and he says beloved don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you but rejoice insofar as you share in christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed if you are insulted for the name of christ you are blessed because the glory of god because the spirit of glory and of god rests upon you he says don't be surprised don't be surprised when the fiery trial comes upon you to test you man people say that this was written during the time of emperor nero who literally took christians doused them with fuel and lit them on fire and peter's writing to them maybe even the sight of believers being torched to death and saying don't be surprised by that don't be surprised by the fiery trial as though something strange were happening to you but rejoice in so far as you share christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed this is heavy stuff. …
… Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. I'm just gonna close with that. Okay? Don't miss these verses. Verse 12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you. What's he saying? Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised when the trial comes. And when this was written, scholars say this was during the time of Emperor Nero when he was taking Christians, dousing them with gas, and lighting them on fire, and that's how he lit up his garden that night. And so the believers are looking, and they're freaking out. Man, that's my brother. That's my uncle. Look what they did. And Peter is saying, hey, don't be surprised by that. Remember what our Lord says. Don't be surprised at the fiery trial as though something strange were happening. …
… coming to you again rather than confessing yourself, being cleansed from us, showing self-control for the sake of your prayers. Then finally, if you jump to verse 12, look at this. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. I'm just going to close with that. Okay? Don't miss these verses. Verse 12, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you. What's he saying? Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised when the trial comes. And when this was written, scholars say this was during the time of Emperor Nero when he was taking Christians, dousing them with gas and lighting them on fire. And that's how he lit up his garden that night. And so the believers are looking and they're freaking out, man, that's my brother. …