Favorite Verses of BBC

#1 (5/6/12am) Bible Bap2st Church, Port Orchard, WA Dr. Al Hughes

Are You Heavy?

1 Peter 1:3-9 (text v. 6)

My message today is Are You Heavy? Im not talking about stepping

onto your bathroom scales. Im talking about spiritual heavinessA
heavy heart A heavy spirit Emotionally heavy. A burden that weighs
you down. A feeling of being overwhelmed by adverse circumstances.

Proverbs 12:25Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop

When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane the Bible says He

was sorrowful and very heavy (Mt. 26:37).
The Psalmist said, My soul melteth for heaviness (Ps. 119:28). I
know this is also the testimony of some church members here at BBC.
Hardly a day goes by that I dont get a note, or phone call, or a text
message, or an email from some church member requesting prayer
for some heavy burden they are dealing with. I feel their heaviness.

Last Tuesday, Barb, Sally, and I visited Brother Blue. His ALS condition is
rapidly taking its toll on his ability to speak, breathe, and eat. He has a
very hard time chewing and swallowing his food because he has no con-
trol of the muscles in his throat. Although he is in good spirits, as we left
I felt a heaviness to see my good friend in such a weakened condition.

1 Peter is the N.T. counterpart to the book of Job in the Old Testament. It
emphasizes the subject of suffering (1:7; 2:20-21; 3:14; 4:16; 5:1, 10).
I. The TEMPTATIONS that are heavy (v. 6).
The PROBLEM of heaviness.

Temptations may come in the form of the devil soliciting us to

sin.
Temptations can also mean troubles, trials, and problems that
weigh on our souls and make us feel heavy.
A. The SEASONS of heaviness (though now for a season cf. 2
Cor. 4:17-18). Trials are temporary. It came to pass it didnt
come to stay!

When we are in the furnace of affliction, God keeps His eye on

the clock and His hand on the thermostat. If we resist the trial,
 2

God may reset the clock. If we are submissive, He will not allow
us to suffer one second too long.

B. The STRAIN of heaviness (...ye are in heaviness through mani-

fold temptations).
Webster defines "manifold" as various in kind or quality; nu-
merous; multiplied or complicated. [manifold mani =
many / fold=folding together of multiple sources.]
Like a manifold of a car exhuast.
1. Manifold temptations come in all shapes and sizes Sick-
ness Financial Family Persecution Disasters Minis-
try Satan
2. Sometimes troubles are relentless and come like a barrage of
artillery fireTroubles that are so diverse and so numerous
that we are left in a state of heaviness. Troubles and difficul-
ties that weigh you down and bend your back.
C. The SUPERVISION of heaviness (...if need be).
1. The PersonGod determines when a trial is needed and
regulates the weight of our heaviness.
2. The PurposeGod allows or sends trials to serve a purpose.
Heaviness is Gods spiritual weight training to make us
grow stronger spiritually.

II. The TRIALS that are precious (v. 7).

The PERSPECTIVE of heaviness.
Notice what is being tested YOUR FAITH
A. The GOLD in trials.
1. Peter uses the word precious in the sense of something ex-
tremely valuable (v. 19), like precious metals or jewels (cf. 2
Sam. 12:30; 1 Kings 10:2; Mk. 14:3; 1 Cor. 3:12).
2. Though difficult, a trial is a precious gift from God. It is dur-
ing the difficult times that we get to know God more inti-
mately. Therefore, a trial should never be regretted or
 3

dreaded, but an opportunity to be learned from. It is part of

the our growing and strengthening process.

An elderly man and his grandson went into the woods to

cut down some hickory trees to make ax handles. They came
upon several young hickory trees. The boy said, "These trees
would make good ax handles. Let's cut them down."
The old man said, "These trees in the lowlands have been
protected from the storms which rage higher up the moun-
tain side. Let's go higher where the trees have been rocked
back and forth by the winds. Those trees have been hardened
by the storms and they will make much stronger ax handles!"
The strongest Christians are those who have weathered
the storms of life.

B. Our GAIN from trials. The believer who endures trials will gain
much blessing from God.
1. WHAT will be gained? "Praise... honor... glory." Today the
praise and honor is given to the people of world. The day is
coming when the suffering saint will be the one receiving
praise and honor FROM GOD.
2. WHEN will we receive it? We will see how our trials worked
for our benefit at the appearing of Jesus Christ At the
Judgment Seat of Christ when we will receive our rewards.
III. The TRUTHS that are strengthening.
The PRESCRIPTION for heaviness. Psalms 119:28My soul mel-
teth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.
Proverbs 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop:
but a good word maketh it glad.

Peter has a good word that should cause us to greatly rejoice

during a season of heaviness.

Note the word wherein referring to what Peter wrote in verses

3-5. It is what we read in verses 3-5 that causes us to greatly
rejoice in verse 6In our heaviness.
 4

When the burdens get heavy when the weight bears down and
you can hardly stand Remember these three wonderful
truths They will bring relief from your heaviness.
A. I have a HOPE that enlivens me (v. 3).
A LIVELY hope because of a resurrected living Savior. Cf. 1 Cor-
inthians 15:12-18.
1. Because it is lively, it grows as time goes on. Time destroys
many hopes; they fade and die. But the passing of time only
makes a Christians hope more blessed (Titus 2:13).
2. Trials and troubles can distract us from the hope we have in a
resurrected Savior. If you lose sight Christs victory over our
greatest problem, the grave, we can lose hope. Our burdens
get heavier and more unbearable when we lose hope.
3. Hope makes trials and difficulties not so bad.
B. I have a HEAVENLY inheritance reserved for me (v. 4).
1. I have a mansion in heaven and the mortgage has been paid
in full. Nothing can take it away.
2. This world is not my home. I must keep my focus on where
Im heading, not where Im at. As Dr. James M. Gray wrote in
one of his songs, Who can mind the journey, when the road
leads home?

C. I am being HELD by a power greater than me (v. 5). No matter

what happens to me, God is keeping me (John 10:28-29).
1. The verb "kept" is in a tense that is continuous. It is 24/7 pro-
tection.
2. Im not kept by the way I feel by how many verses I memo-
rized by how much money I put in the offering by my
ability to endure to the end. Im kept by the power of God,
not by our own power (Phil 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:12; 4:18).
3. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power
that keeps me saved!
 5

SUMMATION: Are you feeling heavy today? Jesus invites you, Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Mt.
11:28).
Remember these truths

Christs RESURRECTION that stimulates HOPE (v. 3).

Your RESERVATION that is settled in HEAVEN (v. 4).

Your REFUGE in the strength of Gods HAND (v. 5).

Remembering these three truths will help you to greatly rejoice during
times of heaviness.
Lets sing BECAUSE HE LIVES!