1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,080 Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly. 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:17,600 We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life. 3 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,640 Enjoy the message. 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:26,720 When Chantel was just sharing there before, that was just so good Chantel because that's 5 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,200 what I'm preaching on today. 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,200 Count it all joy. 7 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:33,840 That's the title. 8 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:35,340 Count it all joy. 9 00:00:35,340 --> 00:00:37,840 Who's here today? 10 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:40,800 Well, you're all here today of course. 11 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:48,640 Who of you that are here today have had, you're facing things that are big things in your 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:49,720 life. 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,440 Come on, be honest. 14 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,320 Yeah, big things. 15 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,920 Now who's facing some little things? 16 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,080 Yeah. 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:05,160 You see, you can't escape it. 18 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,600 You might say, well, hang on, but God's on my side. 19 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:14,280 So therefore, no, you can't escape trials and tribulations in the Christian life. 20 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,160 It sort of comes with the territory. 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:23,560 We don't want them, but it sort of comes with the territory, you know, and I've been a Christian 22 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:30,640 for 60-something years now and I could count it on all my fingers and toes and everything 23 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,920 else that I could think of, trials and tribulations. 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:34,920 They're there. 25 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:36,840 They're there. 26 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:38,800 It's what we do with them that makes a difference. 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,800 It's how we handle them that makes a difference. 28 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:47,960 And as Chantel was saying this morning and just so good, you know, just trusting God. 29 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:49,040 Just trusting God. 30 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:50,240 He's our deliverer. 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:51,240 He cares. 32 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,680 He cares, he cares, he cares. 33 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:59,080 I want to read to you some scripture. 34 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Before we get started, I'll just take my text from James chapter one. 35 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:12,440 It says, James, a bond servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12th tribes 36 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,280 that are scattered abroad. 37 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:19,440 Now if you were in those days and you got that letter, you'd be thinking, this is good. 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:25,600 This is going to be good, this letter, because he's greeting us, calling us bond servants 39 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,760 of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. 40 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,000 And you know, there's just, you can get that feeling that it's really good. 41 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,040 Then the bombshell drops. 42 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:40,760 My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials. 43 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,560 You wouldn't have thought that would have been the next thing. 44 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,680 It would have been more greetings and all those sorts of things. 45 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:48,600 But it wasn't like that. 46 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:54,120 And so we find that right there and then, you know, James gets into really what he wants 47 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:55,120 to say. 48 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:00,040 Yes, the greeting is good and all that, but hey friends, count it all joy. 49 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:10,280 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. 50 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,480 Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect 51 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,520 work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 52 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:26,080 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally without 53 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,720 reproach and it will be given to him. 54 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:34,520 But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,120 driven and tossed by the wind. 56 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:44,000 For let not that man receive that, suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:50,480 There's a double minded man unstable in all his ways. 58 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:58,400 As I said, there's no escape from trials and tribulations in the Christian life. 59 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:04,120 Wouldn't it be good if that were not true? 60 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:05,240 It would be good. 61 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:10,040 But friend, let me tell you, it wouldn't be good for us. 62 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:14,200 It would just be good. 63 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,600 And I just want to share some thoughts about this this morning. 64 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:23,000 Now this is not the only place in the Scripture that this is mentioned. 65 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,920 Psalm 34 verse 19, many of the reflections of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us 66 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,920 out of them all. 67 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:36,080 1 Peter 4 12, beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try 68 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,800 you as though some strange thing is happening to you. 69 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:49,600 Psalm 13 2, how long shall I take counsel in my soul having sorrow in my heart daily? 70 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:56,520 Psalm 23 4, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. 71 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:02,960 2 Corinthians 12 9 and 10, the apostle Paul said, therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, 72 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:08,320 reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses for Christ's sake. 73 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:14,520 For when I am weak, then I am strong. 74 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:21,840 You see they can't be avoided, but if we make better decisions in our life, we most likely 75 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:28,000 would probably avoid some of the adversity, because sometimes we just get ourselves into 76 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:29,400 trouble. 77 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,680 Because we make wrong decisions. 78 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,280 We choose to do something and it's a wrong choice. 79 00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:40,160 Friends, I've been in the boat, I know what I'm saying here. 80 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,680 We have prayed, we have asked God about situations and we've gone ahead and done those things 81 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,880 and they went pear shaped like I can't believe. 82 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:50,760 I thought it was God. 83 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:55,880 I felt comfortable about some of these decisions and I thought, this is really good. 84 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,960 I've got confirmation from God and yet it didn't happen that way. 85 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:00,960 Do I understand that? 86 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,320 No, I don't understand that. 87 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,480 Do I stop asking God and seeking God for direction? 88 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:08,720 No, I don't, because He'll give it to me. 89 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,600 He said, through us wisdom, He'll give us wisdom. 90 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,960 God, should I do this or do that? 91 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,560 But the Bible says, count it all joy. 92 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:22,440 Count it all joy. 93 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,960 Well, even when it's not joyful, when it's really heavy on me, when my life is falling 94 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:33,840 apart as it were or the situation is worsening, count it all joy. 95 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:35,880 Yes. 96 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,800 Why? 97 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:45,080 Why would God say, count it all joy? 98 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,200 You see, God made you and me. 99 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:53,280 He knows how we function and we know how we function but that's not how we think that 100 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:56,240 it should be. 101 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,840 But God knows. 102 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:04,760 He knows why we should count it all joy when these situations are there in front of us 103 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,920 and we're in the middle of it and things are going wrong. 104 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,840 And it could be a situation with family, it could be finances, it could be relationships, 105 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:21,360 it could be anything, sickness in your body, whatever it might be. 106 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,360 Why? 107 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:38,600 If we understand the process and see what God is doing, then we can rejoice. 108 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,840 If we understand the process. 109 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:51,040 In verse 3 of James 1, the very next verse after he said, count it all joy when you fall 110 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:58,720 into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 111 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:08,960 Something is produced in trials that is not produced when things are going good. 112 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,800 Think about that. 113 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:17,040 Something is produced when you're facing a situation, when you're facing a trial, when 114 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:32,840 everything is going wrong, that cannot be produced when everything is going right. 115 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,320 I read that verse again. 116 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:43,920 It says knowing, understanding that the testing of your faith produces patience, endurance, 117 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:53,080 perseverance, steadfastness, unswervingness, patient enduringness, if you like. 118 00:08:53,080 --> 00:09:03,440 You see, it's producing something that helps us to stand strong, endurance, a patient endurance 119 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:11,360 waiting while God is doing, whatever God is doing, that we don't give up but we endure. 120 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:17,520 If it endures to the end, she'll be saved, God says. 121 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,520 A steadfastness. 122 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:23,520 What is steadfastness? 123 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:38,520 Well, steadfastness to me is remaining steadfast, remaining unwavering, remaining stable, remaining 124 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:46,520 strong, remaining, having it together if you could put it that way. 125 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:52,200 We grew up in church when we were from little kids, both Claire and I. 126 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:56,040 There were senior men in the church, they're probably my age now but boy, when I was a little 127 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:58,960 one they were ancient men. 128 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:04,840 They were old and some of them were probably only 40 or 50. 129 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:13,720 But they demonstrated to me, even as a young man growing up in the church, they demonstrated 130 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:22,040 to me this steadfastness in their faith, their steadfastness in their Christian walk. 131 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,920 It seemed like they didn't fluctuate from one thing to the other or fall in a heap when 132 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:32,240 things go wrong or whatever like we tended to do as young people when things are not 133 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:33,240 going right. 134 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:34,240 Well, what's going wrong? 135 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:37,160 The world is ending, you know. 136 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,240 But they remain strong. 137 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:44,240 Now that doesn't mean to say that they weren't facing problems. 138 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:50,520 But the steadfastness about them showed that they were standing strong in the midst of 139 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:58,280 that. 140 00:10:58,280 --> 00:10:59,920 What is patience? 141 00:10:59,920 --> 00:11:05,080 It says, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 142 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:10,440 Well, I said it was endurance, perseverance, steadfastness, unswervingness, patience, enduring, 143 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:11,440 etc. 144 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:16,840 Thayelus Lecticon says, in the New Testament it is the characteristic of a man or a woman 145 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:25,280 who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even 146 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:31,400 the greatest trials and sufferings. 147 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,520 Am I holding myself up here today and standing in front of you and saying, look at me because 148 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,400 I've got it all together and just follow my example? 149 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:44,520 No, certainly I am not. 150 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:49,080 As fellow travelers in the world and on our journey with the Lord, all I'm saying is that 151 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:53,480 this is what the Bible says and it says that we can count it all joy when this stuff happens 152 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:58,080 because God's doing a good thing in us and that thing can't be done in us unless we're 153 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:03,960 facing some trials because when things are going wrong, it just doesn't happen that way. 154 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:08,040 So don't look at me as an example. 155 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,240 However, I'm working on it. 156 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:11,680 I'm working on it. 157 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:15,200 I'm better than I was 30 years ago, you ask Claire. 158 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:21,800 I'm better than I was probably a couple of years ago. 159 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:34,920 In Romans chapter five, verse three, it says, verse one, I'll read it there, therefore we 160 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:36,920 have just been justified by faith. 161 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:43,040 We have peace through God, with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, whom you have accessed 162 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:48,160 by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope and the glory of God. 163 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,640 And not only that, I like chapter five of Romans because there's a lot more, there's 164 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:57,920 a lot of and much more and not only that and weight, there's more. 165 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,440 You read the chapter, it's in there. 166 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:06,760 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations. 167 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,480 And see, when we read that, I mean, the mind just says, hang on, that can't be right. 168 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,000 It must be a mistranslation. 169 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,000 God got it wrong. 170 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,600 The translators messed it up or something. 171 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,600 No, it's not wrong. 172 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:25,200 And not only that, but we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, 173 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,920 perseverance character and character hope. 174 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:30,520 And hope does not disappoint. 175 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:31,520 That's what it says. 176 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:37,320 So there's a process there of that when we face these things, these tribulations, when 177 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:44,240 they come as they do, and we face them with a right attitude and with the help of God 178 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,680 and God does something good in you. 179 00:13:48,680 --> 00:13:51,880 God does something good in me. 180 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,440 And don't we need God to do something good in us? 181 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:01,920 Because goodness is not in us. 182 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:07,000 If we're left to our own devices, we take the easy road and we slip down a slippery slope. 183 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,920 May not know it at first, but friend, we veer away from God. 184 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,560 Goodness is in God and He is in us. 185 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:22,840 But as we allow Him to be God in us, that's when things start to work in a different way 186 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:27,360 for us that brings a good result. 187 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:33,320 You see faith, triumphs in times of trouble. 188 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:34,720 This is when we need faith. 189 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:41,840 If you only need faith when you've got something to believe God for. 190 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:47,880 If everything is going good, totally healthy, I've got plenty of money, I've got no problems 191 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:58,680 financially, I've got great relationships with everybody, I don't need faith. 192 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,840 You're looking at me like stun mullet. 193 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:07,480 But at that point, I don't need faith. 194 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,640 Because faith is just, can I say, it's just idling in me at that point. 195 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,920 Doesn't mean to say I haven't got faith. 196 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:15,160 It's just idling there. 197 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,560 It's just there. 198 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:23,640 And it's like your car, you know, when it's just idling along, you know. 199 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,160 But if you've got a problem, oh God, Lord, I need to believe you. 200 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:29,480 Lord, I believe you, I trust you, and we start to get it. 201 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:34,160 And faith starts to rev up in us. 202 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:35,400 You know what I'm talking about. 203 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:39,080 I know you know what I'm talking about because we've all done it. 204 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,440 That's the way it works. 205 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:47,320 Now wonder God said, rejoice then when your tribulations and trials come your way. 206 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:49,480 Opportunity to use faith. 207 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:51,440 Opportunity to grow. 208 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:56,280 Opportunity to do it all. 209 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,320 Run out of words. 210 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:06,680 You see your faith is tested and proved by passing a test. 211 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:11,440 How do you know your faith is going to be any good to you unless you put into operation 212 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,680 and see the results of your faith? 213 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:16,680 It's just there. 214 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,760 Yes, I've got faith. 215 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:21,760 Like a motor car. 216 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,840 We've all got them. 217 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,600 And what does it cost us every week? 218 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,560 80 bucks or whatever to fill the tank. 219 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:34,600 But if you don't fill the tank, all you've got is a car that'll do nothing. 220 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:35,600 It can't do anything. 221 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:37,920 God, it hasn't got the gas in it. 222 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,960 It hasn't got the fuel. 223 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:45,320 It hasn't got the get up and go in it. 224 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:50,280 So then you put the fuel in and then you turn the ignition and away she goes. 225 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,280 She comes to life. 226 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,280 Don't you love it? 227 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,480 I'll rev it here, but you get that throbbing V8 sound. 228 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:05,000 Yeah, a couple of four cylinders. 229 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,520 Any of them. 230 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,040 But it comes to life and it feels good. 231 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,080 This thing's living, but you've got to put it in gear. 232 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,120 Then you've got to give it a bit of go in it and then it starts to move and the more 233 00:17:18,120 --> 00:17:22,000 you give it the right foot, the faster it goes. 234 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:23,000 It's the same with faith. 235 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:34,280 Now that might be a lousy analogy, but friend, I tell you, it's still true. 236 00:17:34,280 --> 00:17:41,520 Our faith is tested and proved by passing the test. 237 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:47,800 If you've never had a problem, you wouldn't grow and be strong and mature. 238 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:56,040 But you would remain a weak and useless baby Christian. 239 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,640 We've all seen them. 240 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,040 I don't believe there's any here today. 241 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:05,200 I don't know you all, but you know what I mean by a Christian that's been a Christian 242 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:10,520 a long time, but they're still baby Christians. 243 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:15,680 They still want the milk of the word, not the meat of the word, can't handle the meat. 244 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:19,160 They're still on the milk. 245 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:28,880 And so if you take a normal baby, we get the baby and we nurse the baby and we us men, 246 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:34,120 we give it the bottle and they look so cute and all that, and they're absolutely useless, 247 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:35,360 aren't they? 248 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,120 Little babies are useless. 249 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:43,000 They cannot do a thing for themselves. 250 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:47,560 Yet they know that if they cry and bellow and make a noise, they'll get your attention 251 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:52,440 and you'll, oh dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, pattern. 252 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:57,280 Some Christians are like that. 253 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,760 Anyhow. 254 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:03,960 So we've got this little baby Christian, this little baby there, you know, and we kuchy, 255 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:08,040 kuchy, koo, and oh, look at you, so cute. 256 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:14,400 Friends, when you're an adult and you still need to be kuchy, kuchy, kooed and told you're 257 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:20,640 so cute, that's not a really, that's not a really good look. 258 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:27,000 If you're an adult and you still want the TD bottle, oh, that is not a good look. 259 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,360 Nobody here has the TD bottle. 260 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:33,280 You see, we have to grow. 261 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:40,600 And we grow by facing tribulations and passing the test as it were, so that things start 262 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,200 to make a difference in our lives. 263 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,120 Just remember this. 264 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:50,240 Smooth seas never made a good sailor. 265 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:56,040 Smooth seas never made a good sailor. 266 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:57,680 I'm not a sailing person. 267 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:03,320 I know a bit about boats and all that, but I'm not a sailor. 268 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,600 They get out there and the whole seas are going up and down and up and down. 269 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,160 They're the sailors. 270 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:13,040 Not the ones that just putt around in the bay. 271 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,880 They're only pleasure seekers in a boat. 272 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,120 Not disparaging those people. 273 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:24,800 But smooth seas never made a good sailor. 274 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:32,560 And neither does no problems in your life make a mature Christian. 275 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:40,520 James 1.4 says, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect. 276 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:52,240 Means mature and complete, whole, entire, lacking nothing, meaning having what you need. 277 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,200 Just let patience have its perfect work. 278 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,200 We said what patience is. 279 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,160 Now we're saying the Bible says, let patience have its perfect work in you. 280 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:05,880 Let patience work in you. 281 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:10,520 Let it work in you that you may be mature, that you may grow. 282 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,600 If when the problem comes, all we're going to do is belly ache and whinge and say, why 283 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:15,760 is this happening to me? 284 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:16,760 Why didn't it happen to her? 285 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:18,480 She's a worse person than I am. 286 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:19,480 Why didn't it happen to him? 287 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:20,480 He's a drunkard. 288 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:21,480 Why didn't they get it? 289 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:29,440 And we're battling against this thing and wanting it to go away, we're getting nowhere. 290 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:42,600 But as we start to face it, deal with it, with God, that's when things happen. 291 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,680 1 Peter 1.7, I read it before. 292 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:45,680 I think I did. 293 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:51,680 We're in great rejoice though now for a season if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold 294 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,200 temptations, adversities. 295 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:59,440 That the trial of your faith, the testing and the proving and the genuineness of your 296 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:06,520 faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes even though it be tried by fire 297 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:13,840 might be found under praise and honor and the glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 298 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:21,000 The testing of your faith is much more precious than of the testing of gold that perishes. 299 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:29,240 When they test gold, they heat it up and the heating process, if you've ever seen the heating 300 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:35,880 process, it's in a forge and it's heated up and all the impurities come to the top and 301 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:41,600 the goldsmith scoops that off, heats it again, scoops off the impurities, heats it again, 302 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:49,520 scoops off the impurities until it becomes pure gold. 303 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:57,280 The fiery trials that we face, maybe that you're facing even today, it's heating you 304 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:00,720 up so that the impurities can come to the top. 305 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,320 Why is this happening to me? 306 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:07,880 It's coming to the top, you've got to scoop it off. 307 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,320 Let God scoop it off, let the Holy Spirit scoop that off. 308 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:17,160 You know the reward for hard work, more hard work. 309 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:21,920 You know the reward for passing exams at school in grade five? 310 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:26,720 You go to grade six and it's harder in grade six. 311 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,240 Then when you get up into high school and you pass all the exams in high school and 312 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,760 you go to university, it gets harder and harder and harder and harder and then you come into 313 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:40,280 the reality of life and you have tests in life which are harder than all those tests, 314 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:41,280 I reckon. 315 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:47,840 But you see, they heat us up, they bring the impurities to the surface so that they can 316 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,920 be dealt with, so that not only God can deal with it, but you can deal with it because 317 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,520 you recognize, hey, that's not what I want to be like, not what God says I should be 318 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:57,520 like. 319 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:02,280 It's not what the Scripture says I should be like, I get rid of that. 320 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,800 God help me, get rid of those things, change my attitude, renew my mind, all those sorts 321 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,040 of things that we talk about. 322 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,240 Here's the key. 323 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:17,280 When you truly know and understand that the testing of your faith will produce endurance 324 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:23,280 and perseverance in your life and that when you work with God in the midst of it all, 325 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,160 you will become mature and whole having what you need. 326 00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:28,920 Isn't that what you want? 327 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,880 That's certainly what I want. 328 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,040 I want to become more mature. 329 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:34,560 Am I totally perfect? 330 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:38,400 No, who asked the lady? 331 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,040 Is she totally perfect? 332 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:44,280 No, asked the man. 333 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,600 Let's be honest here. 334 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,840 None of us are perfect. 335 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:55,520 But Jesus is our perfect example and here's the one that we follow. 336 00:24:55,520 --> 00:25:00,120 So again, I don't stand here saying I've got it all together. 337 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:06,240 The friend, I know my God and I know as Chantel said, he is faithful. 338 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:11,920 He is faithful, always faithful. 339 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:13,520 He'll never let you down. 340 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:19,880 But God, I remember that time, this situation, you know, and it didn't work out like that. 341 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:21,760 He is faithful. 342 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:24,440 He'll never let you down. 343 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,600 But God, you know, it didn't work out the way he is faithful. 344 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,200 He'll never let you down. 345 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:39,400 Friends, we've been in situations, personal situations, without going into those things. 346 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,280 We really just did not know which way to turn. 347 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:44,120 Everything was going wrong. 348 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:54,040 You know, the financial burden was horrendous, etc., etc. 349 00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,000 I still don't know how God got us out of it. 350 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,560 But we're here. 351 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,160 He is faithful, ever faithful, ever faithful. 352 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,480 But I want to tell you, we believe God. 353 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:06,840 We trusted Him. 354 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,040 We said, God, we might have made a mess. 355 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,720 We might have made the wrong decision, Lord. 356 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,880 And matter of fact, we thought we were doing the right thing. 357 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:19,720 But God, we trust You to move us through this thing. 358 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,880 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death or the valley of the shadow of any 359 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:29,320 problem that I'm facing, I walk through it with God. 360 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:39,640 Isaiah says, though you walk through the fire, you'll not be burned. 361 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,160 You see, God is interested in you. 362 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,440 He's interested in me. 363 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,040 He loves you and me. 364 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:47,040 He loves us. 365 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:52,680 He loves those that follow Him and desire to do His will and desire to obey His word 366 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,480 and do our best though we make mistakes. 367 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:56,480 He still loves us. 368 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:58,480 He doesn't cast us aside. 369 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:00,720 And so what does He do because He loves us? 370 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,200 He gives us some trials and tribulations. 371 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,680 It doesn't sort of make sense. 372 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,800 And we blame in the devil. 373 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,920 Maybe it's not the devil. 374 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:14,440 I know, I know. 375 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,400 You're going to say, yes, every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord above. 376 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,320 That's true. 377 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,360 But God uses situations. 378 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:32,680 He uses those situations in a way that only He can for His glory, for my benefit, for your 379 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:33,760 benefit. 380 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:42,880 So, though the devil might instigate something against you, God can turn that around and 381 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,680 make it work for you. 382 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:52,680 Friends, if the situation that you face, the trial, the tribulation you face, if it never 383 00:27:52,680 --> 00:28:03,520 changes, if it never changes, if it never goes away, what then? 384 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:08,360 If I am doing what I'm sharing that the Scripture says that we should do but count it all joy, 385 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:16,240 that that impatient endurance is going to work a good thing in me, then I'm a winner. 386 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:21,960 It really doesn't matter if the situation doesn't change. 387 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,120 We like it too. 388 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:25,120 Yes. 389 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:31,680 But friend, if it doesn't, where does that leave you? 390 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:37,280 But if we follow the process, if we allow God to do what God wants to do, friend, I want 391 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:44,360 to tell you that it's a better ending to the story, that we become mature in the midst of 392 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:45,360 it all. 393 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:53,680 Okay, so we're just going through these verses down to verse 5 and it says then, ask God 394 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:54,680 for wisdom. 395 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:58,680 Verse 5, if any of you lack wisdom, right in the middle of this, when he's talking about 396 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:02,960 these tribulations and let it have its perfect work and everything there, he says, if any 397 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:09,120 of you lack wisdom, let him ask God who gives to all liberally and without reproach and 398 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,040 it will be given to him. 399 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:17,600 You see, wisdom, the Bible says in Proverbs, wisdom is the principal thing. 400 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:27,240 Without wisdom, without that godly wisdom, we tend to make mistakes, flip and flop around, 401 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:28,240 go nowhere. 402 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:34,800 So right in the middle of it here, God's saying, if you want wisdom, ask me for wisdom and 403 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:36,920 how we need his wisdom, friends. 404 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:39,040 How we need his wisdom. 405 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:44,720 How we need his wisdom to deal with the wokeness that's foisted upon us today. 406 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:47,880 How we need that wisdom. 407 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:48,880 It is so subtle. 408 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:59,200 It is so infiltrating in such a subtle way into our society. 409 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:00,200 We need wisdom. 410 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:01,360 We need that godly wisdom. 411 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,120 How to deal with that. 412 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:06,120 Wokeness. 413 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:14,840 I don't know where the word came from and all that, but I think it's a good word in here. 414 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:15,840 Wokeness. 415 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:23,200 But it says, let him ask of wisdom from God. 416 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,640 And in verse six it says, but let him ask in faith. 417 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:31,840 You see, you can't get away from faith. 418 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:37,360 It all comes, whatever we do and whatever is preached from the pulpits in churches and 419 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:41,800 in this church, you've got to take it and apply faith to that word that it becomes active 420 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,080 in your life. 421 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,600 So it always comes back to faith. 422 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:51,480 And right here, he said ask of wisdom, but let him ask in faith, the Bible says, without 423 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,640 doubting. 424 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,840 Because faith in God is essential for every Christian. 425 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,680 Because faith releases the power of God into the situation and it pleases God when we ask 426 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:03,680 him. 427 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:10,720 Because Hebrews 116 says without faith it's impossible to please him. 428 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:15,880 You see, faith changes things. 429 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:18,840 Faith changes things. 430 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,480 Faith comes by hearing the word of God. 431 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,800 We know that. 432 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:30,560 Faith is not just knowing God can do it, but knowing that He will do it for you. 433 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:37,080 There's a big difference there. 434 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:46,400 I remember years ago hearing the preaching of faith, probably not for the first time, 435 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:51,200 but some really anointed preaching on faith. 436 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:57,200 And I would say, yeah, I know that. 437 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:58,200 I know. 438 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,520 Yeah, I've heard that. 439 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,760 It was my response. 440 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:03,760 I've heard that. 441 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:05,840 Yeah, God can do that. 442 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:06,840 God can do that. 443 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:07,840 God can do anything. 444 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:12,760 Well, yes, God can do anything. 445 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:16,520 But will He do it when I believe Him in my circumstances? 446 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:25,720 That was the challenge for me. 447 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:30,920 You see, until you have a revelation that God will do whatever you're asking Him to 448 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:43,360 do, you only have head knowledge or theological knowledge, if you like, of the word. 449 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:48,680 You see, you've got to get it in your spirit for that particular need. 450 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:51,520 It has to take root in your spirit. 451 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:53,520 It has to be a revelation to you. 452 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:59,320 It's a knowing that He will do it and He birthed something in you. 453 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:12,120 I remember when we were in Warwick, we were meeting in an old school hall. 454 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:13,680 And in winter, it was rather cold. 455 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,360 But anyhow, we had some great meetings there. 456 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:22,160 We had great miracles, and the church was moving forward. 457 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:38,880 And one day I was out in the yard, I think it was, and the Lord spoke to me. 458 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,840 Now I had been praying about what we should do. 459 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:48,880 I had been praying about maybe another building, maybe another place we could meet. 460 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:55,280 But God spoke to me and said, by this time next year, you'll be in your own building. 461 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:59,320 And there was not a thing, well, God really, was that you? 462 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:02,040 It was that clear. 463 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,560 I came inside and I said to Claire, I said, the Lord's spoken to me about next year being 464 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,200 in our own building. 465 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:11,920 Now we had been praying about this, yes. 466 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:19,720 But this word that God spoke into my spirit, it activated me, it activated me. 467 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:22,360 And 12 months later, we were in our own building. 468 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,240 Financially, how was that going to work? 469 00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:27,080 That was the initial thing. 470 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:31,000 Whoa, how's this going to be? 471 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,640 I didn't know. 472 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:39,800 But without going into it all, there it is. 473 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,720 The building was there. 474 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:48,120 You see, I believe actually in that instance, that God gave me a gift of faith. 475 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,920 And I think it's a different thing, but I don't want to confuse the issue, but it was 476 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:52,920 a gift of faith. 477 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:57,080 There was nothing in the wide world that would have convinced me that we were not going to 478 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:02,280 be in that building next year. 479 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:07,960 And to go through the process and maintain that, and to carry the church through that, 480 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:14,840 to carry the leaders through that, who were not, they were new in this thing. 481 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,560 They were new in this faith area and all that sort of thing. 482 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:22,840 And to carry them through, I never doubted. 483 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:24,240 How it was going to work, I didn't know. 484 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:26,320 Did I plan too far ahead? 485 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:28,520 How could I? 486 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:36,120 But we went ahead and God did it. 487 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:40,640 You see, when it's birthed in you, and Rob mentioned this the other week about it being 488 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:47,560 birthed in us, when it's birthed in there, it grows and it's like a pregnant woman. 489 00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:55,120 She's impregnated, but then it grows in there and comes to fruition. 490 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:56,120 Baby is born. 491 00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:00,040 And you see, that's what faith does. 492 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:02,680 God births it in us. 493 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:06,720 And it's not because we just, I know that God says faith comes while hearing the Word 494 00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:09,200 of God, so I read the Word of God and whatever. 495 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:16,800 But the Word of God to me, I heard that. 496 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,160 You see, as I said, you've got to get it in your spirit. 497 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,840 Look, if you're believing God for healing, if you're believing God for any situation, 498 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:28,560 whatever it might be, it's not just because the Bible says, by His stripes I am healed, 499 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:30,240 1 Peter 2, 24. 500 00:36:30,240 --> 00:36:32,440 It's not just because of that. 501 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,800 It's as I meditate on that and let that just germinate in my spirit. 502 00:36:37,800 --> 00:36:42,680 That's when it becomes a faith word to me. 503 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:57,680 That's when it becomes a faith word to you. 504 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:07,560 I said before about God being with us in the times of trial and tribulation. 505 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:13,680 Now, who believes that God abandons us when tribulations come? 506 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,240 Anybody here believe that? 507 00:37:15,240 --> 00:37:18,000 Good, because He doesn't. 508 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:20,800 He's saying, now we're going to see some results. 509 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:25,320 Now we're going to see some good things happening. 510 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:32,080 And He picks us up because we probably dropped our bundle for two seconds. 511 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,000 But He picks us up and He says, come on, you can make it. 512 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:37,000 You can do it. 513 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:38,000 Trust me. 514 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,000 Trust me. 515 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:40,000 Trust me. 516 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:41,000 Trust me. 517 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:42,000 Believe me. 518 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,120 Friend, I want to say to you, believe God. 519 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:47,120 In every situation, believe God. 520 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:48,920 Trust God. 521 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,280 He will make a way where there is no way. 522 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:53,520 He can do that. 523 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:54,680 Will He do that for you? 524 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:59,840 He wants to, will He allow Him to? 525 00:37:59,840 --> 00:38:00,840 Trust Him. 526 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:01,840 Trust Him. 527 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:05,800 You see, God is in the midst. 528 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:11,440 God is in the midst when God is not in the midst, in the midst. 529 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:12,440 He's with us. 530 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:13,880 He's in the midst of us. 531 00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:16,520 You see, God is here, isn't He? 532 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:23,840 God in all His glory is here this morning. 533 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:31,200 Friends, we come to church, come in, sing the thing, hear the sermon, go out and God 534 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:32,440 is in the midst, friend. 535 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:36,800 We need to realise that He is in the midst. 536 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:37,800 Zephaniah 3.17. 537 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,640 It's an old song we used to sing actually. 538 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:44,200 One of the Scripture choruses from years ago. 539 00:38:44,200 --> 00:38:48,000 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. 540 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:53,760 He will save, He'll rejoice over you with joy and gladness and singing. 541 00:38:53,760 --> 00:39:00,600 We will rest in His love and then He had the rest of the song goes on. 542 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:06,880 But He is in the midst and the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty. 543 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:08,720 He is a mighty God. 544 00:39:08,720 --> 00:39:09,720 He's a wonderful God. 545 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:11,320 He's a powerful God. 546 00:39:11,320 --> 00:39:12,960 Friends He made the heaven and the earth. 547 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,400 He hung the stars in space. 548 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:19,800 He made the whole thing that we see, the whole universe that our scientists now are only just 549 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,440 discovering, oh, there's a bit more out there. 550 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:26,280 He's its vast and God made it. 551 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:27,640 Your God made it. 552 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,160 My God made it. 553 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,200 He's a powerful God. 554 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:37,120 He's a God who is well able to sort out my problems, to sort out your problems, to help 555 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:41,880 us to go through the circumstances that we're facing and bring us out in a better condition 556 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,160 than when we first started with it. 557 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:45,240 Because He's a mighty God. 558 00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:46,560 He's a powerful God. 559 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:49,360 Do we believe that? 560 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:51,760 Or do you just give head ascent to that? 561 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:54,200 Is that just theological knowledge to you? 562 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:58,200 Oh, yeah, God's a mighty God. 563 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:06,520 The more you meditate on that, the more you dwell on that, the more you think about that. 564 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:10,880 As Peter said this morning about, you know, what a wonderful thing to think about our 565 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:14,960 salvation that Jesus has won for us at Calvary. 566 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,040 Thank you for that communion message, Peter. 567 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:18,480 It was beautiful. 568 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:21,920 And the more we think about it, it's a wonderful thing to think about. 569 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:22,960 And what does it do? 570 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:29,920 It produces something in me that helps me to love God even more and more and more. 571 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:31,920 Wonderful. 572 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:38,280 He's in the midst. 573 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:41,280 Daniel 3.25. 574 00:40:41,280 --> 00:40:49,080 Because Nebuchadnezzar just said, I see four men loose and walking in the midst of the 575 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:53,880 fire and they have no hurt. 576 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,200 And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 577 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:01,800 God Jesus was in the midst with Daniel and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. 578 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,040 He was, they were there. 579 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:07,160 He was there right in the midst. 580 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:09,800 God doesn't abandon you when things go wrong. 581 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,960 God comes closer to you if you allow Him to. 582 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:15,880 But He is there. 583 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:18,480 He is there. 584 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,000 Hosea 11. 585 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:25,120 It says the Holy One is in the midst of thee. 586 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:26,760 Matthew 18.20. 587 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:33,920 I am in the midst of thee, it says. 588 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:34,920 Hebrews 13.5. 589 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:37,760 He said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 590 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:38,760 That means He's there. 591 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:40,880 He's in the midst. 592 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:44,040 When you lie down in your bed at night, friend, He's there. 593 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:46,480 When you get up in the morning, He's there. 594 00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:47,760 When you go to work, He's there. 595 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,320 When you come home, He's there. 596 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,560 When you're on your own in the car, He's there. 597 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:57,280 What an opportunity it is to pray and worship the Lord when you're driving. 598 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:58,640 No one else knows what's going on. 599 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:04,120 You just know what's going on if you're on your own. 600 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:12,000 You see, when God is in the midst, as He is, things can change because He's God, if we 601 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:13,280 believe Him. 602 00:42:13,280 --> 00:42:19,040 When you know that God has spoken to you about something that He wants you to do or spoken 603 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:25,400 to you about how to handle the situation or whatever it was, you can confidently do whatever 604 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:31,320 it is He has spoken to you. 605 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:37,280 You can confidently do whatever it is He has spoken to you. 606 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:38,280 Why is it? 607 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:43,360 No, I'll leave that. 608 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,680 So when trials and troubles come, He's right there. 609 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:48,640 Trust Him. 610 00:42:48,640 --> 00:42:52,480 Trust Him. 611 00:42:52,480 --> 00:42:59,160 As I said before, faith will make a way where there is no way. 612 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:03,400 And that's why He births faith in your heart through His Word. 613 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:11,160 Now, I said before in James 1.6-8, it says, but let Him ask in faith with no doubting, 614 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:14,800 for He who doubts is like the wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 615 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:20,640 For let that not man, let not that man suppose that he received anything from the Lord. 616 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:27,480 He's a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 617 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:33,400 Let Him ask in faith, nothing wavering, no doubting. 618 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,800 It might be that when you first start to pray about a situation and you say, I'm going to 619 00:43:38,800 --> 00:43:44,560 believe God in this, your confession will bring you through to the place where you are 620 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:49,120 believing. 621 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:52,160 Might start off with a little bit of doubt around. 622 00:43:52,160 --> 00:44:00,240 But friend, the more you believe, the less the doubt is there until you can have faith 623 00:44:00,240 --> 00:44:01,680 without doubting. 624 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:05,800 For He that doubts is like a wave driven by the wind and tossed. 625 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:06,800 You've seen it. 626 00:44:06,800 --> 00:44:07,880 You've seen pictures of it. 627 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:11,320 You've seen pictures of the ships and what happens in the ship and everything getting 628 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,680 thrown around. 629 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:21,000 If we're double-minded in our thinking, that's what happens. 630 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:33,880 Oh, and then there's no stability at all. 631 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:35,920 I said before, what is it to be double-minded? 632 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:38,360 It's to be in two minds. 633 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:40,720 Will He or won't He? 634 00:44:40,720 --> 00:44:41,720 Will He do it for me? 635 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:46,640 I say He will, but will He get to the place and He will. 636 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:51,320 God, I'm believing you to do this. 637 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:56,160 You see, to waver from one to the other, it's like a restaurant menu. 638 00:44:56,160 --> 00:45:05,400 You've ever been out with someone, you go to a restaurant and there's the menu there. 639 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:09,840 And it takes 20 minutes for them to decide what they're going to eat. 640 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,680 You're starving. 641 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:14,560 You know what you want. 642 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:17,120 But the person is saying, oh, that's nice. 643 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:19,080 I might have some of that. 644 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:20,600 And oh, the steak is good. 645 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:22,200 Well, I might have some of this calamat. 646 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:23,640 No, no, that wouldn't. 647 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:28,320 And it'll just be one side of the other, one side of the other unstable. 648 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:33,920 And you go hungry if you don't eat. 649 00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:36,920 God doesn't want us to be like that. 650 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:38,320 He doesn't want us to be like that. 651 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:42,280 You've got to decide or you won't get anything to eat. 652 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:45,960 You've got to decide what you're going to believe God for. 653 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:50,400 Well, you've got to decide that you're going to believe God. 654 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:52,440 Come hell or high water, I'm going to believe God. 655 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:54,160 I'm going to trust God. 656 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:58,520 I'm going to trust God and I'm going to trust God till I've got something inside of me that 657 00:45:58,520 --> 00:46:00,600 is more than what I've got now. 658 00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:10,080 And as that grows in me, then that becomes that faith that will move mountains for me. 659 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:16,760 As I said before, you've got to have more than just He will do it. 660 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:22,040 He can do it or He could do it, but will He do it? 661 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:26,360 You see, faith is an inner knowing and this inner knowing comes about when your spirit 662 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:30,440 and your mind are in agreement with God. 663 00:46:30,440 --> 00:46:39,000 You see, the spirit man, your spirit man, the real you on the inside, the real you believes 664 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,360 God. 665 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:47,760 Your mind just says, hang on, hang on a minute, wait, hold everything. 666 00:46:47,760 --> 00:46:54,120 And the disagreement comes or the wavering comes with what your spirit is believing and what 667 00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:57,320 your mind is believing. 668 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:03,120 And because you are the spirit, you are a spirit, you have a mind, so you control your mind 669 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:12,560 as the spirit man on the inside and you say, mind, shut up, mind, take a back seat. 670 00:47:12,560 --> 00:47:15,040 I'm believing God. 671 00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:18,000 And you tell your mind that you believe in God. 672 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:22,600 I tell you, well, that settles the waters quite quickly. 673 00:47:22,600 --> 00:47:30,400 It's an inner knowing, as I said, and it comes when your mind and your spirit are in agreement. 674 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,720 In other words, there's no battle on the inside of you. 675 00:47:33,720 --> 00:47:40,800 Now, mind you, that's not a pun, but anyhow, mind you. 676 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:45,640 There have been times when I have said and I announced to the church actually in the 677 00:47:45,640 --> 00:47:51,400 beginning about the God spoke to me and, you know, we're going to build this church next 678 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:57,120 year, by next year and whatever, and you can just see mouths dropping and whatever. 679 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:00,960 But when you're anointed, it's easy and when you go home and you're just laying around 680 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:04,480 in your shorts and whatever, you only think, did I say that? 681 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:07,320 Oh, Lord, did I say that? 682 00:48:07,320 --> 00:48:09,480 Yes, well, that's what you spoke to me. 683 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:14,640 And then you had to go through the process again, but you know, because we're normal 684 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:19,680 people, pastors are normal people, you know, whether you think he's normal or not, he's 685 00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:20,680 normal. 686 00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:24,400 Shantel is normal. 687 00:48:24,400 --> 00:48:29,680 That's why she could stand up here this morning and say what she said, she's normal. 688 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:30,680 No shame in that. 689 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:31,680 Good on you. 690 00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:32,680 Good on you. 691 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:41,920 But it's this inner knowing. 692 00:48:41,920 --> 00:48:45,960 When you're anointed, the inner knowing is there when the anointing sort of lifts a bit, 693 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:46,960 you know. 694 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:47,960 Did I say that? 695 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:48,960 Oh my goodness. 696 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:58,080 I just said it a different way that when the anointing is on a preacher and you do things 697 00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:04,240 that you don't normally do anyhow. 698 00:49:04,240 --> 00:49:08,400 Sometimes you've just got to quiet your mind, haven't you, so that you can hear God speaking 699 00:49:08,400 --> 00:49:09,400 to your spirit. 700 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:12,080 And when he speaks to you about it, then you can do it. 701 00:49:12,080 --> 00:49:14,280 And that's when you start to pass the test. 702 00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:16,280 So I'm closing. 703 00:49:16,280 --> 00:49:23,880 In verse 12, it says of James 1, blessed is the man who endures temptation. 704 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:28,200 Blessed is the man who endures temptation for when he has been tried, when he's been 705 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:32,680 tried and approved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to them 706 00:49:32,680 --> 00:49:33,680 that love him. 707 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:42,640 You see, there's a promise here that the trials and temptations that there's a blessing that 708 00:49:42,640 --> 00:49:45,640 comes that's attached to this. 709 00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:50,840 Blessed is the man who endures the temptation. 710 00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:56,760 Could I say blessed is the man who is enduring the temptation. 711 00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:00,520 The blessing comes at the end in a special way but you're still blessed as you go through 712 00:50:00,520 --> 00:50:01,520 it. 713 00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:04,040 And what is the word blessed means? 714 00:50:04,040 --> 00:50:07,240 It means happy. 715 00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:14,320 So happy is the person when you've been endured the trial because there's a maturity that 716 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:15,320 has come. 717 00:50:15,320 --> 00:50:20,960 And I tell you what friend, victory is what we really crave. 718 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:21,960 Victory is what you want. 719 00:50:21,960 --> 00:50:24,920 You don't run out on the football field to lose. 720 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:28,320 You don't face up at the cricket wicket to lose. 721 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:31,720 You don't go on the basketball court to lose. 722 00:50:31,720 --> 00:50:33,000 You go there to win. 723 00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:37,480 And when you have a win, next week we'll do it next week. 724 00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:39,080 We'll kill them next week. 725 00:50:39,080 --> 00:50:43,280 We'll well and truly beat them next week again. 726 00:50:43,280 --> 00:50:46,480 You see it's victory produces something. 727 00:50:46,480 --> 00:50:48,840 It produces victory. 728 00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:50,280 We go from glory to glory. 729 00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,840 We go from victory to victory. 730 00:50:53,840 --> 00:51:03,880 In James 5, 10 and 11, it just says here that we have an example that we can follow. 731 00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:10,920 That it says take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering 732 00:51:10,920 --> 00:51:13,440 and patience. 733 00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:20,520 Our forefathers, our Christian forefathers, we can take them as an example, as an example 734 00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:29,160 of how to face sufferings and trials. 735 00:51:29,160 --> 00:51:36,560 I'm very mindful of the martyrs. 736 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:40,080 They were martyred. 737 00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:45,560 In the end they asked God to relieve them of the situation, take them out of it. 738 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:48,720 I'm sure that they would have. 739 00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:53,240 But in the end they asked God to give them courage and faith to face it. 740 00:51:53,240 --> 00:52:00,880 And they were killed, ripped apart by lions, thrown in ditches, crucified, whatever it 741 00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:01,880 may have been. 742 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:03,960 You say, well God let them down. 743 00:52:03,960 --> 00:52:06,000 No, God didn't let them down. 744 00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:10,440 God doesn't let anybody down. 745 00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:21,160 So it says that they're an example for us of suffering and patience and how to, I'll 746 00:52:21,160 --> 00:52:30,400 read it, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering 747 00:52:30,400 --> 00:52:31,400 and patience. 748 00:52:31,400 --> 00:52:34,720 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. 749 00:52:34,720 --> 00:52:41,720 We count them blessed who endure. 750 00:52:41,720 --> 00:52:54,080 1 Peter 1.7, I read it before, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than 751 00:52:54,080 --> 00:52:59,920 gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire may be found to the praise and honor 752 00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:02,600 and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 753 00:53:02,600 --> 00:53:06,400 Friends, we can count it all joy. 754 00:53:06,400 --> 00:53:07,400 Count it all joy. 755 00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:13,000 Don't think you're an odd bod because the world would think that you are if you counted 756 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:15,120 all joy. 757 00:53:15,120 --> 00:53:17,160 Just in your heart you counted all joy. 758 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:23,400 You don't have to say put an ad in the paper, I'm facing problems and so I'm counting it 759 00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:24,400 all joy. 760 00:53:24,400 --> 00:53:26,400 That'll only get letters to the editor. 761 00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:31,320 It will do no good. 762 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:33,160 You're not odd. 763 00:53:33,160 --> 00:53:39,520 You're being obedient to what God says in this example that He has given us here in James 764 00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:42,120 chapter one. 765 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:45,560 Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 766 00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:50,360 Let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing 767 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:59,840 and if you need wisdom you ask God but ask in faith without any doubting. 768 00:53:59,840 --> 00:54:04,440 Because if you're double minded you're unstable in all your ways. 769 00:54:04,440 --> 00:54:07,040 Let's not be double minded Christians. 770 00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:08,520 Let's trust God. 771 00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:11,400 Do what He says though we don't understand it. 772 00:54:11,400 --> 00:54:13,800 Let me just close by saying this. 773 00:54:13,800 --> 00:54:26,480 I have proved that even when I don't understand but when I obey God and obey His word even 774 00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:33,960 though I don't understand God comes through, God is faithful, God loves you, God cares for 775 00:54:33,960 --> 00:54:42,280 you, He's still faithful, irrespective, He's still faithful, He's still faithful. 776 00:54:42,280 --> 00:54:44,800 Count it all joy. 777 00:54:44,800 --> 00:54:48,000 Count it all joy. 778 00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:50,120 And that's a decision isn't it? 779 00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:54,160 That's a decision that you make at that point in time. 780 00:54:54,160 --> 00:54:55,660 Count it all joy. 781 00:54:55,660 --> 00:54:58,160 I will rejoice. 782 00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:01,480 I will rejoice in the Lord. 783 00:55:01,480 --> 00:55:05,440 He says rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. 784 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:06,880 There's no condition on that. 785 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,080 He just says rejoice in the Lord. 786 00:55:09,080 --> 00:55:11,200 I will rejoice. 787 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:13,280 I will believe God. 788 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:17,520 I will trust God. 789 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:19,600 And I will trust Him to see me through. 790 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:27,400 To lift me up, to carry me if necessary but to bring me to the other side. 791 00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:34,720 Father I thank You this morning for every person that is here. 792 00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:38,520 Those that are listening online. 793 00:55:38,520 --> 00:55:44,480 I pray God that You would touch each and every heart in a very special way Lord for those 794 00:55:44,480 --> 00:55:53,720 that are struggling in circumstances that are difficult as most of us would seem to 795 00:55:53,720 --> 00:55:57,480 be. 796 00:55:57,480 --> 00:56:03,400 Lord we just lift our hearts to You afresh and say yes God I believe You. 797 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:08,480 I don't understand but Lord I understand that I don't understand but I believe You. 798 00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:09,480 I trust You. 799 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:14,200 God I haven't got an answer and Lord You haven't spoken an answer to me and I don't know what 800 00:56:14,200 --> 00:56:19,760 to do Lord but my eyes are upon You like Jehoshaphat said my eyes are on You Lord and You will 801 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:21,480 do what You will do. 802 00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:23,920 I trust You. 803 00:56:23,920 --> 00:56:29,560 So Lord I pray that You would bless every person here under the sound of my voice this 804 00:56:29,560 --> 00:56:31,000 morning. 805 00:56:31,000 --> 00:56:43,960 Strengthen, undergird, mature, encourage, carry us Lord. 806 00:56:43,960 --> 00:56:52,240 Help us to count at all joy when we fall into diver's temptations. 807 00:56:52,240 --> 00:56:55,120 Thank You Father. 808 00:56:55,120 --> 00:56:57,640 Thank You Father. 809 00:56:57,640 --> 00:57:04,680 Now for those of you that are if you would like I could pray for you if you'd like to 810 00:57:04,680 --> 00:57:05,680 come to the front. 811 00:57:05,680 --> 00:57:11,920 Those of you that are you really feel that you just need some a little bit more just to 812 00:57:11,920 --> 00:57:17,040 touch from God as far as helping you in the situations that you're facing. 813 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:20,120 If you'd like to come make a line in the front I'd love to pray for you. 814 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:27,320 If you don't that's fine but if you just feel that you need something like that you can't 815 00:57:27,320 --> 00:57:35,000 and we'll pray for you. 816 00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:36,000 Thank You for joining us. 817 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:38,800 We pray God's richest blessing on your life. 818 00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:43,480 If you haven't already make sure to join us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 819 00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:47,520 You can also find us at LoganCityChristianChurch.com. 820 00:57:47,520 --> 00:58:09,480 See you next week.