Unfazed by the Fire [Part 1]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright.

When you're in the lead, don't be surprised if a long shot adversity sneaks up on you. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, The Elect Exiles, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. Now, if you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries.

So as you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org. Or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program, but right now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. Are you ready for some good news? Struggles and adversity do not dethrone God or defeat you, but by God's grace can make you stronger, give you a deeper fellowship with Christ, and in many mysterious ways convey the very presence of God, the Spirit of glory, Peter says, to rest upon you. We're in 1 Peter. Today we come to chapter 4, 1 Peter chapter 4, where we're going to hear Peter say some important things about the sufferings of life, the trials that we face.

Not the kind of text that I just go and pick out all the time, but I find more and more texts that you might gloss over are the ones that might be most important to dig into and see something that's absolutely powerful for your life. 1 Peter 4, verse 12. 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 suffering that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you're blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer or as a meddler, yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. I can't seem to stop watching the 2022 Kentucky Derby, the 148th running of the Derby. Twenty horses earned the right to be at the Kentucky Derby. The forerunners were Epicenter and a horse named Zandon. Epicenter was a 3 to 1 favorite this year. In six lifetime races, Epicenter had won four of them. There was also a fluke that was in the race. The longest shot, 80 to 1 odds, is a horse named Rich Strike, who only got into the race literally with 30 seconds left to register for the race because another horse had to scratch. And so it was that Rich Strike gets into the race in the outside. Nobody's thinking about Rich Strike, this chestnut colt that was bought by its owner in September of 2021 for a mere $30,000, which is just pennies, which is just nothing for a racehorse.

And so nobody's thinking about Rich Strike at all. The jockey who's riding Rich Strike, Sonny Leone, had never won a graded stakes event. And when they start the mile and a quarter race, the lead is a horse named Sumriss Tomorrow, takes the early lead and sets on the first quarter mile a Derby record. So it's a real fast pace that gets set for this race. And then a horse named Crown Pride started keeping pace with Sumriss Tomorrow. So this first half mile is just lightning fast. And Rich Strike, the long shot, with a mile to go, I mean with a mile already run and only one quarter mile left, Rich Strike is in the back of the pack at 15th.

If you never have watched it or heard the call from Larry Calmus, who was calling the race, you got to go look it up, but I'll give it my best imitation for you. Here we go. It's Messier, Crown Pride, and Epicenter is coming up on the outside. Epicenter has taken the lead as they come to the last fair long. Zandon is coming after him.

Epicenter and Zandon, these two, simplification on the outside is next. It's coming down to the wire, Epicenter and Zandon, and Rich Strike is coming up on the inside. Oh my goodness, the longest shot has won the Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike has done it in a stunning, unbelievable upset.

I've always wanted to do that. And the thing that's so funny about it, you got to watch it, you've never seen it, is that the commentator, the caller, he never mentions Rich Strike until the last second. Rich Strike is never mentioned. There's never like Rich Strike is sneaking up from the middle.

Rich Strike, it's not even, I've been fascinated to not just watch this thing over and over, but to watch the interviews of the owner, the trainer, the jockey, all of it. And the neatest of all is the trainer's daughter moments after the race who is just weeping, just weeping. And she just, she's just honest, and she just said, I just, it's unreal, I can't even believe it. She said, honestly, I was just hoping we wouldn't be last. I was telling my friends, pray for middle of the pack, maybe nine, something like that. And she said, and then in the middle of the race, I couldn't find him.

I'd lost him because I couldn't find him because he was at the front. It just is the, they say it's the second biggest upset ever, but it was just incredible to watch. And so for the last couple of months, I just, I'd still watch it.

I can't get Rich Strike off of my mind. But this week I was, I was thinking more about Epicenter, who was a three to one odds favorite to win it. And afterwards the, the trainer said, I can't believe we didn't win. He said, we were going to win. We're supposed to win. I thought we were going to win. And we just got beat by an 81 odds horse. There's been a lot of discussion about why Rich Strike won, the early fast pace, the lagging back, but getting that position on the inside at the end.

But this is very clear. If you watch the race, not only did the announcer not even think about Rich Strike, not only had the trainer's daughter lost him in the pack, but nobody was thinking about Rich Strike. And so Epicenter and Zandon are thinking about each other and nobody's paying attention to what's happening on the inside track. And so he sneaks up, a competitor who sneaks up out of nowhere and then takes it.

They were, in other words, too surprised by the longest shot. We come to this text in which Peter says, do not be surprised by the fiery trials that test you. You have to imagine Peter is talking here to Christians in the first century, many of whom have not been Christians that long. He's trying to explain to them what the life of a Christian is really like. He addressed them as the elect exiles, those that are elect, those that are the chosen, those that are co-heirs with Christ. And all of these things that we've been learning from 1 Peter are true of the Christian.

All of this is listed in the first four chapters. Your chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession. You've been born again to a living hope. You have an inheritance that's imperishable though you do not see Him.

You know Him. You have inexpressible joy. You've received good news that even the angels have longed to look into. You're like living stones being built up into the house of God. By His wounds you have been healed.

Love that's in you covers a multitude of sin. You have spiritual gifts. Some of you have prophetic gifts and can speak the very oracles of God.

All of that is in the first four chapters of 1 Peter. And I like to think of my Christian life along that line and I like to tell you over and over who you are in Christ. You are the elect. And so there's a part of us that goes, yeah, but wait a minute. That's who I am.

What do you mean? I shouldn't be surprised by fiery trials that come along. I thought I was elect. I thought I was the royalty. I thought I was the priest. I thought I was the chosen. I thought I was more than a conqueror. Yes, you are. But also Peter says, just don't be surprised.

Don't be surprised if some long shot is sneaking up on you and next thing you know you're facing a surprising trial. Don't be disillusioned by that. That's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. With so much worry about yesterday's failures and so much hurry getting ready for tomorrow's tasks, sometimes it's hard to focus on the moment that matters most right now in a hurried worried season. God invites you into the present.

Modern day life coaches call it mindfulness, but it isn't a new psychological program and it isn't rooted in Eastern religion. Mindfulness living in the present is God's idea and the Bible unveils the way Pastor Alan Wright invites you to savor life each day. When you make your gift today, we'll send you Pastor Alan's eight messages in an attractive CD album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership.

Make your gift today and learn how to savor the textures and flavors of God's grace each moment in the moment every day of your life. The Gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. Now we are in our final days of offering this special product. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Today's teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. So I just want to answer two questions. One, why shouldn't we be surprised when we face these fiery trials? And two, how could we possibly do what Peter says here, what God says, what Jesus said in the Gospels, and that's rejoice even in the middle of persecution. Now why should we not be surprised and how could we possibly rejoice?

Let me start with this first. What it doesn't mean to say do not be surprised. In the first place, it most certainly does not mean that God is saying quit being a positive thinker. You know, I like positive thinking. I consider myself an optimist. I try to build into all the message that goes forth from our church that we are the kind of people that want to think on whatever is true and right and noble and pure and lovely and admirable.

I want to be a positive thinker. Maybe think of my favorite joke of the optimist is the psychologist who gets a boy who's a pessimist and he gets a boy who's an optimist. He takes the pessimistic boy, puts him in a room with nothing but brand new toys and leaves him there. And he takes the optimistic boy, puts him out in a yard that's fenced in with this huge pile of manure and a shovel.

And he just wants to observe what they do. An hour later, he comes back and the boy, the pessimist who's sitting in this room full of new toys is just sitting in the corner, hadn't done anything. And the psychologist said, so you didn't play with the toys?

The little boy said, nah, I was afraid I'd break it. So he goes out into the yard to look and see what did the boy do there with this giant pile of manure and the thing. And the boy's in there just shoveling this stuff. He's just shoveling it.

He just shoveling it. And the psychologist goes, what are you doing? And the little boy says, well, I figured if all of this is serious, there's got to be a pony in here somewhere. I think God likes it when we're positive. I mean, one of the things I just love, especially if you're new in this church, you know, one of the things I want you to know, just like get to know some of the people, the older people in this church that are just so full of the Spirit.

It is amazing. It's been one of the great privileges of my life for those last 25 years to know so many saints that were just in their aging years just so full of positive faith and joy. And I just think of so many of them. I was thinking of this little lady that, if you don't know her, I wish you'd known her. Her name was Pauline, Pauline Pegram. And she was an identical twin, her sister Kathleen. They were the most precious, godly, sweetest little sisters.

And they both lived long. But Pauline, I remember Pauline, she's with the Lord now. She's been some years. But Pauline was so positive that she literally like couldn't understand mean people or why there would be bad things in the world. I mean, she'd say things to me like, Pastor Alan, I just don't understand, like if there'd be some bad news in the world or something. She's like, I just don't understand how people could be like that.

I'm like, yeah, Pauline. And then she got, in her last closing year, she had a real bad pain in her shoulder and it couldn't get fixed. And I remember she'd walk out of church and she'd say, Pastor Alan, I said, how you doing, Pauline?

How's your life? She said, well, and she never complained, but she just said, it still hurts. And she looked at me just as she said, Pastor Alan, I just, I don't know why, why is it still hurting? And I wanted to say to her, but I didn't. I wanted to say, well, Pauline, I know, you know, you still live in your own house, you still drive your car, you're still sharp, you know, mentally sharp, but you are 94 now. And sometimes when you're 94, things, you know, get a little stiff, you know, but she wasn't thinking like that at all.

I mean, there's something about when you get a lot of God inside of you, his spirit is full of that kind of hope. And so this doesn't mean that say, not be surprised by the fiery trouble that come along. It doesn't mean you're supposed to become negative.

Not at all, not at all, not at all. And it certainly doesn't mean you should start worrying. I mean, it doesn't mean we should start expecting bad things to happen with thinking about bad things that can happen, worrying about bad things that can happen. I mean, in the first place, Jesus said, do not be anxious about anything, but also it's just not an effective life. It's not a good life to be expecting bad things to happen, right? I mean, what employer wants to have a salesman who comes in the morning and says, well, I'm going to go try to sell something, but I'm pretty sure nobody will buy it. What kind of athlete is it that would get into the huddle before the game and say, well, I don't know why we're even going to lose.

I'm sure we're going to lose. To not be surprised is not an invitation to become negative. And it also, let me say one other thing it's not before we talk about the two questions we want to answer. It is not ever possible that because you're going through something difficult, that it means that God loves you less. Look again at verse 12.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes to test you as though something strange were happening. In the New Testament, there is a word, agape, which is a word for love that is unlike any other word for love. It is not, it is talking about something that transcends romantic love or friendship love. It is the love of God that is covenantal and steadfast and has no strings attached at all. That's agape. And this word that is used here for beloved in verse 12 is agapetos. So in the New Testament, it took the word agape and turned it into this word agapetos, which means one who is loved with this sort of love. It's Paul's favorite way to address Christians. It's Peter's way of addressing Christians.

It's the way I think of you. It's my favorite term for you, for the body of Christ, for any Christian beloved, beloved. And it doesn't just mean that I love you, though I love you so much. It means that the definition of who you are as a Christian is that you are loved. The most important thing to know about who you are as God's child is that you are loved by God. Everything else about you that's wonderful, you're beautiful, you're skilled, you're gifted, you have a servant's heart, you're a good leader, you're a—anything that you might say about who you are, these are things that in some way are intrinsic to you. But to say that you are the beloved is to say that you are defined by someone else's affection for you. That's a powerful thing, that the definition of your life is that you're the ones that are loved by God. That's who you are. And I've noticed, especially in Paul, that oftentimes when he gives an exhortation, a challenge, a difficult assignment, something that Christians need to do, he'll often start with beloved.

Let me give you just four examples so I could give you probably a dozen. But Romans 12 and 19, beloved, do not avenge yourself, Paul says. Or in 1 Corinthians, therefore my beloved, flee from idolatry. Or in 1 Corinthians 15, therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, unmovable.

Or 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness. What he's doing is he's saying, before I talk to you about something that's challenging or an exhortation or a command about holy living in the Christian life, let me first remind you who you are. You're beloved. And it does not have to do with your performance or your ability to live out a righteous life at all.

I want to tell you first who you are and let you remember who you are. So never, ever, ever forget that. So what this means, beloved, is that you must never assume that because you're going through a struggle that God loves you less. Whatever struggle or trial or persecution that you face, it cannot, it will not, it must not ever, ever make you think that God's love for you can change. God's love is from everlasting to everlasting. His love is perfect.

His love is endless. It is, it is the surest thing in our lives. And you can count on this because you, as a Christian, you are, Paul says, in Christ. It's one of the dominant images in the New Testament. Jesus says, I abide in you, you abide in me. There is a way in which we are so connected to Christ that Paul says that it's like we're one body and Christ is the head and we're, we're the members of that same body.

We're, we are, we're the hands and the feet and, and, and, but He's the head. We're one, so you're in Christ. And Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher, said something so beautiful about this that I want to just read the full, a full paragraph to you. He said the Father's election chose the whole Christ, both the head and the members too. You're in Christ. He's chosen, we believe in a triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So the love, you do believe the love between the Father and the Son and this mystical triune nature of a God who's one but three, that the Father's love is perfect for the Son. And he says, Spurgeon preached that same register that includes Christ, talking about the book of life, that same register that includes Christ as firstborn includes all the brothers and sisters. And until the flames of hell can consume the record, which certifies Christ as the Son of God, our sonship in Christ towards God must remain safe from all the attacks of satanic craft. I just love that.

Allen Wright. Yeah, you are the beloved. Our good news message today, unfazed by the fire. We're placing a bookmark here, but coming back with more with Pastor Alan in just a moment, our parting good news thought for the day, as we continue our series, The Elect Exiles. Unlock the power of blessing your life. Discover God's grace filled vision for your life by signing up for Allen Wright's free daily blessing. If you want to fill your heart with grace and encouragement, get Allen Wright's daily blessing.

It's free and just a click away at PastorAllen.org. With so much worry about yesterday's failures and so much hurry getting ready for tomorrow's tasks, sometimes it's hard to focus on the moment that matters most right now in a hurried, worried season. God invites you into the present.

Modern day life coaches call it mindfulness, but it isn't a new psychological program and it isn't rooted in Eastern religion. Mindfulness living in the present is God's idea and the Bible unveils the way. Pastor Alan Wright invites you to savor life each day. When you make your gift today, we'll send you Pastor Alan's eight messages in an attractive CD album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. Make your gift today and learn how to savor the textures and flavors of God's grace each moment in the moment every day of your life. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. Now we are in our final days of offering this special product. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries.

Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860 or come to our website, PastorAllen.org. Back here now with Pastor Alan and what is our good news parting thought for everyone today? It doesn't matter how much you ever suffer in this world that could in no way ever, ever mean that you're less loved by God. To say that we should be unfazed by the fiery trials of the world, not being surprised by the trials that we face, it doesn't mean we should go around expecting bad things to happen. That's not what Peter means here.

But what it means is that when challenges come and difficulties and adversities and hardships and disappointments and loss and grief, when it all comes, never, ever, ever assume that it means that you're less loved. You are the beloved. That's Paul's word, Peter's word.

That's my favorite word for you, the agape toy. You are the beloved of God. So beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you. You're beloved and you face fiery trials. You're elect and you're exiled. That's what we've been learning about in 1 Peter and we're going deeper in that today. We can live in a way that we're unfazed by the fires. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.