WEBVTT 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:11.419 I'm going to read the entirety of the psalm. 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.439 The focus of our exposition today will be in 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:21.039 verse 4. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:25.199 want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:29.920 He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.679 my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness. 00:00:33.979 --> 00:00:39.000 For his namesake. Even though I walk through 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.399 the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no 00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:49.359 evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.859 staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before 00:00:53.859 --> 00:00:57.439 me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:02.799 my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely goodness 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:07.359 and loving kindness will follow me. All the days 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.000 of my life. And I will dwell in the house of 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:14.079 the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.579 Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father, 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:24.719 we recognize our desperate, desperate need for 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:30.340 you to work through your word. Lord, we ask at 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:33.799 this time. that you would bless the ministry 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:37.840 of the Word of God that you have ordained. Lord, 00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:41.719 we ask that your Spirit would accompany the ministry 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:44.239 of the Word and work mightily in the hearts and 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:47.920 minds of your people. Father, your Word is described 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:53.680 in the Scriptures as fire, as a hammer, and as 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.939 a sword. Lord, we ask that you would use your 00:01:56.939 --> 00:02:01.120 Word to warm the hearts of your people. Father, 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.700 we ask that you would use the word to smash sin 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:08.340 to pieces in our lives. And Father, we ask that 00:02:08.340 --> 00:02:10.960 you would use the word to pierce through the 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:15.240 soul that doesn't know Christ. Lord, be with 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:20.819 us. Help me to hide behind the word of God, that 00:02:20.819 --> 00:02:24.439 it may accomplish its work, that your spirit 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:30.319 may bear witness to its truth. We ask these realities, 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:33.860 we ask these things, Lord, in the name of our 00:02:33.860 --> 00:02:37.659 precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. 00:02:37.979 --> 00:02:45.979 You may be seated. How a person goes through 00:02:45.979 --> 00:02:55.699 suffering is very revealing regarding their faith. 00:02:57.129 --> 00:03:01.689 Their spiritual maturity and their character. 00:03:02.569 --> 00:03:10.509 In many ways, suffering manifests the inner spiritual 00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:17.330 life of an individual. What is present within 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:24.110 their soul. How active and how strong the justifying 00:03:24.110 --> 00:03:28.319 faith that God has given to them. How vibrant 00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.860 the inner man and the inner life is in their 00:03:32.860 --> 00:03:37.599 lives. We forget, because of the nature of suffering, 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:44.120 that times of trial are supposed to be meaningful 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:50.099 in our lives. Many times we get so wrapped up 00:03:50.099 --> 00:03:54.379 in the issues of life, the issues at hand, that 00:03:54.379 --> 00:04:00.710 we forget that times of hardship ought to be 00:04:00.710 --> 00:04:06.629 meaningful for us as God's people and for those 00:04:06.629 --> 00:04:13.550 around us as God's people and even for unbelieving 00:04:13.550 --> 00:04:19.610 men and unbelieving women who observe and see 00:04:19.610 --> 00:04:26.829 the believer suffering. It speaks volumes to 00:04:26.829 --> 00:04:33.350 those that are around the sufferer. Now today, 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:37.129 we're going to speak about how the believer ought 00:04:37.129 --> 00:04:44.769 to suffer from Psalm 23, verse 4. David says 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:50.769 this, he says, Even though I walk through the 00:04:50.769 --> 00:04:55.949 valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, 00:04:56.089 --> 00:05:02.449 for you are with me. Last week we talked about 00:05:02.449 --> 00:05:06.990 the reality of suffering and hardship that's 00:05:06.990 --> 00:05:12.110 universal, without exception. The fact that it's 00:05:12.110 --> 00:05:15.550 inevitable in the life of every single believer. 00:05:16.689 --> 00:05:20.290 But we haven't talked too much about in Psalm 00:05:20.290 --> 00:05:28.920 23. about the manner, the fashion, or how a believer 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:35.620 is to go through suffering and trials. We know 00:05:35.620 --> 00:05:37.740 that they're inevitable. That's clear by the 00:05:37.740 --> 00:05:40.319 way the world works. That's clear from Scripture. 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:45.540 So how, brothers and sisters, ought the believer 00:05:45.540 --> 00:05:49.500 to suffer when those inevitable circumstances 00:05:50.269 --> 00:05:55.670 come into their lives? That's the question that 00:05:55.670 --> 00:05:59.310 we will talk about today that we'll address in 00:05:59.310 --> 00:06:03.709 this message, how believers ought to suffer. 00:06:03.949 --> 00:06:08.269 Now, I speak primarily and almost exclusively 00:06:08.269 --> 00:06:13.449 to believers today. And the reason I say that 00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:18.819 is because believers, because of the work of 00:06:18.819 --> 00:06:21.819 grace, because they are God's covenant people, 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.480 because the Spirit of God dwells within them 00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:28.839 and they have a new nature by the grace of God, 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.540 because they've been enabled to respond by grace, 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:40.639 to grace, and in grace, they can and they have 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:46.139 the ability to suffer. in a distinctly different 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:54.899 way from the unbeliever. The Christian can and 00:06:54.899 --> 00:07:01.139 should suffer differently than the unbelieving 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:05.579 man and the unbelieving woman, the unbelieving 00:07:05.579 --> 00:07:11.339 world around them. So I speak to believers today. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:16.720 This morning, we have to consider three things. 00:07:17.379 --> 00:07:22.040 We must consider the believer's acceptance or 00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:28.040 willingness to suffer. We have to consider the 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:34.959 believer's composure in suffering. But we also 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:41.949 must consider the believer's determination. In 00:07:41.949 --> 00:07:45.089 the midst of hardship. When they go through the 00:07:45.089 --> 00:07:48.329 valleys and the shadows of life. Starting with 00:07:48.329 --> 00:07:52.430 the first. The believers acceptance of hardship 00:07:52.430 --> 00:07:57.009 in their life. Or their willingness to go through 00:07:57.009 --> 00:08:00.790 hardship in their life. Notice in the text in 00:08:00.790 --> 00:08:08.050 verse 4 David says this. He says I walk through. 00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:13.339 the valley of the shadow of death. That is a 00:08:13.339 --> 00:08:20.019 personal, volitional activity on David's part. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:23.240 When suffering comes, when hardship comes, when 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:26.899 the darkness comes, David says, I walk through 00:08:26.899 --> 00:08:33.039 it. It's something that he himself does. In a 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:37.659 sense, we could say he submits to the suffering. 00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:44.220 He receives it. He accepts it. That's the card 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:47.899 he has been dealt by the sovereign hand of God. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.360 Therefore, he submits to that providence in his 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:59.679 life. He walks through it himself, using his 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:04.580 own mind, his own will. He's the one that takes 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:07.169 the step. to put his one foot in front of the 00:09:07.169 --> 00:09:11.110 other foot to get through it. Not somebody else. 00:09:11.809 --> 00:09:16.629 David. So it's a personal volitional activity 00:09:16.629 --> 00:09:21.610 on the part of David. Now, it's important that 00:09:21.610 --> 00:09:24.750 we understand that we're not talking about being 00:09:24.750 --> 00:09:29.590 a masochist. Someone who seeks out and enjoys 00:09:29.590 --> 00:09:34.460 displeasure, pain, and suffering. That's not 00:09:34.460 --> 00:09:38.379 what we're talking about. We're talking about 00:09:38.379 --> 00:09:41.940 the fact that as a believer, we believe that 00:09:41.940 --> 00:09:44.960 God is sovereign. He is good. He is faithful. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:49.220 He is just. It is the Lord, capital L, capital 00:09:49.220 --> 00:09:53.320 O, capital R, capital D, that is our shepherd. 00:09:53.419 --> 00:09:55.659 And he is the one that leads us to the valley, 00:09:55.820 --> 00:09:59.720 through the valley, and out of the valley. So, 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:03.620 we're not going around looking for it. We don't 00:10:03.620 --> 00:10:08.559 go, oh, pain, whoo! Brothers and sisters, that's 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.620 not what we do as believers. No, we recognize 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:15.539 the seriousness of the situation. We recognize 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:20.379 that God is sovereign. And we humbly accept and 00:10:20.379 --> 00:10:24.720 receive the circumstances of life that God has 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:29.960 given to us in and out of that sovereignty. That's 00:10:29.960 --> 00:10:33.000 what David is doing. It might help us to understand 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:41.200 if we think about someone who is unwilling to 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:45.679 suffer or somebody who believes that suffering 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:52.340 is unacceptable in their life. I imagine that 00:10:52.340 --> 00:10:55.899 you already kind of have ideas in your mind about 00:10:55.899 --> 00:11:01.309 what I mean by that. There are times when suffering 00:11:01.309 --> 00:11:03.570 comes into an individual's life, and what does 00:11:03.570 --> 00:11:06.750 it do, brothers and sisters? It creates a squirming, 00:11:06.889 --> 00:11:12.330 a wiggling, a flailing in a person's life where 00:11:12.330 --> 00:11:15.289 they want to get out from under it. Get rid of 00:11:15.289 --> 00:11:18.889 this. Let go of this. Do away with this. I don't 00:11:18.889 --> 00:11:23.409 want this. Lord, take it back. They're unwilling 00:11:23.409 --> 00:11:29.210 to suffer. If we think about our own lives with 00:11:29.210 --> 00:11:33.110 that reality in mind, there are several symptoms 00:11:33.110 --> 00:11:40.549 that show us why we personally are unwilling 00:11:40.549 --> 00:11:45.289 to suffer at times. Think in your own mind, in 00:11:45.289 --> 00:11:48.210 your own heart, for just a brief moment. What 00:11:48.210 --> 00:11:52.190 are some reasons? Or what are some things in 00:11:52.190 --> 00:11:56.370 your life, in your heart, that show you don't 00:11:56.370 --> 00:12:00.100 want, What are some symptoms of the underlying 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:05.600 causes? Well, we could think about bitterness, 00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:15.440 resentment, being cranky, frustrated, persistent 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:20.360 anger, which you don't know, you don't quite 00:12:20.360 --> 00:12:27.139 seem to know the cause of. Hopelessness. Or despair. 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:33.279 Now, those are the symptoms of a person that 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:36.139 doesn't want to go through suffering. Now, what 00:12:36.139 --> 00:12:38.700 are the underlying causes of those symptoms? 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:51.279 Pride. Vanity. Self -righteousness. Wrong thinking. 00:12:52.580 --> 00:12:58.090 And lack of faith. And a person's soul. Now, 00:12:58.090 --> 00:13:03.610 how is that so? What exactly do I mean by that? 00:13:04.970 --> 00:13:07.970 Well, when a person says, I'm unwilling to go 00:13:07.970 --> 00:13:10.509 through this. I'm mad. I'm angry. I'm frustrated 00:13:10.509 --> 00:13:13.250 at the Lord. And I'm mad and I'm frustrated and 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:16.370 I'm angry at people around me because of my circumstances. 00:13:16.730 --> 00:13:19.529 What are we saying? I don't deserve to be here. 00:13:20.929 --> 00:13:26.049 I'm better than this. This shouldn't be my life. 00:13:27.210 --> 00:13:31.350 I'm a good person. I do good. I'm a righteous 00:13:31.350 --> 00:13:34.649 person. I help other people. I should not be 00:13:34.649 --> 00:13:39.970 in these circumstances. I'm above these circumstances. 00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:47.750 I don't deserve this. Brothers and sisters, what's 00:13:47.750 --> 00:13:52.049 the root cause of that? Self -righteousness and 00:13:52.049 --> 00:13:57.019 pride. Maybe other people should be here, but 00:13:57.019 --> 00:14:04.419 not me. What about squirming and flailing in 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:07.620 circumstances and being unwilling and unaccepting 00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:11.379 of loss, grief, mourning, hardship, and pain 00:14:11.379 --> 00:14:16.600 in our lives as a result of wrong thinking or 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:23.159 lack of faith? are you frustrated with the circumstances 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.779 that come upon you? Why do you like the good 00:14:26.779 --> 00:14:29.679 circumstances from God, but not the difficult, 00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:33.659 hard circumstances from God? Why can we rejoice 00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:36.879 so easily in these, but we cast our joy aside 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:41.320 so easily in these? Why does our faith seem so 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:44.000 vibrant in the pleasant, good times? but then 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:46.139 all of a sudden it sinks down and it becomes 00:14:46.139 --> 00:14:50.000 a drag and difficult and heavy and almost evaporates 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:53.519 in the hard times. It could very well be not 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.820 self -righteousness, not pride, not vanity, but 00:14:56.820 --> 00:14:59.279 the fact that you don't understand who God is. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.100 It could be the fact that you are ignorant of 00:15:05.100 --> 00:15:07.860 the sovereign character of the living God, that 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:12.200 He isn't just a God. who is over the good, pleasant 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:14.759 circumstances of life, but he is a God that is 00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:17.740 sovereign over every circumstance in this life. 00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:22.779 Every single one of them. Wrong thinking down 00:15:22.779 --> 00:15:26.820 deep can result in misery in one's life when 00:15:26.820 --> 00:15:33.539 suffering comes. Or it could simply be a lack 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:39.759 of faith. You know who God is. I know that God 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:44.840 is sovereign. I know that He's good. I know what 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.500 the Bible teaches. He superintends and He works 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:52.480 out all things for the good of His people. But 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:56.759 you find your heart despairing anyways. You find 00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:59.519 your heart sinking over and over. You feel as 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.120 though you're being downcast, cast down over 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:07.980 and over. It's not your understanding in this 00:16:07.980 --> 00:16:11.860 issue. It's the strength or the vitality or the 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:17.899 vibrancy of your faith. You know the truth, but 00:16:17.899 --> 00:16:24.340 do you believe the truth? There's all kinds of 00:16:24.340 --> 00:16:28.799 reasons, many, many beyond what we've mentioned 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:33.279 here, that can cause a person to be unwilling 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:38.960 to say, I walk through. the valley of the shadow 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:43.480 of death. There are many underlying things that 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.519 make a person say, if I'm going through this, 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:47.919 you're going to drag me through this, Lord. I'm 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:52.960 not walking through it. Somebody's going to have 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:56.559 to push me, shove me, pull me through. But I 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:04.839 refuse to accept this reality in my life. Brothers 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:09.829 and sisters, we need to learn. From Job. We need 00:17:09.829 --> 00:17:13.269 to have the same attitude, the same faith as 00:17:13.269 --> 00:17:19.069 our forefather Job. We read in Job chapter 2. 00:17:21.970 --> 00:17:25.950 The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? 00:17:26.630 --> 00:17:30.750 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From roaming 00:17:30.750 --> 00:17:33.390 about on the earth and walking around on it. 00:17:34.150 --> 00:17:38.420 The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my 00:17:38.420 --> 00:17:42.059 servant Job? For there is no one like him on 00:17:42.059 --> 00:17:44.940 earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:50.380 and turning away from evil. And he still holds 00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:53.759 fast his integrity, although you incited me against 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:57.880 him to ruin him without cause. Satan answered 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:06.299 the Lord and said, He will give for yes. I apologize. 00:18:06.380 --> 00:18:10.740 Verse 4. Satan answered the Lord and said, Skin 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:15.660 for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give 00:18:15.660 --> 00:18:21.160 for his life. However, put forth your hand now 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.579 and touch his bone and his flesh and he will 00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:28.559 curse you to your face. So the Lord said to Satan, 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:32.440 Behold, he is in your power. Only spare his life. 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:35.759 Then Satan went out from the presence of the 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:39.980 Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:42.480 of his foot to the crown of his head. And he 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.759 took potsherd to scrape himself while he was 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:48.380 sitting among the ashes. And then listen to what 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:52.980 his wife says to Job. Listen to how she encourages 00:18:52.980 --> 00:19:00.539 Job. Then his wife said to him, Do you still 00:19:00.539 --> 00:19:04.559 hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die. 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:08.140 But he said to her, you speak as one of the foolish 00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:12.660 women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from 00:19:12.660 --> 00:19:18.839 God and not accept adversity? And all this Job 00:19:18.839 --> 00:19:23.200 did not sin with his lips. What can we learn 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:28.940 from Job, brothers and sisters? That yes, we 00:19:28.940 --> 00:19:31.279 need to walk with the shepherd and the green 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:37.789 pastures. We need to follow the lead of the shepherd 00:19:37.789 --> 00:19:40.349 in the green pastures and the paths of righteousness. 00:19:40.990 --> 00:19:45.309 But brothers and sisters, when the shepherd leads 00:19:45.309 --> 00:19:49.410 us in the valleys, we need to willingly follow 00:19:49.410 --> 00:19:54.930 him. Has God all of a sudden fallen off the throne 00:19:54.930 --> 00:19:59.789 when things get hard? Was he on the throne on 00:19:59.789 --> 00:20:02.170 Monday and then Thursday he's off the throne? 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:06.759 Is He sovereign when things are good, but He's 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.000 not sovereign when things are hard and difficult? 00:20:10.019 --> 00:20:13.079 Is He sovereign when your life is going well 00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:15.420 and you're prosperous, and then all of a sudden 00:20:15.420 --> 00:20:18.019 His sovereignty is stripped from Him whenever 00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:22.779 your life is miserable and hard? Brothers and 00:20:22.779 --> 00:20:25.079 sisters, the Lord is sovereign in all circumstances. 00:20:26.140 --> 00:20:31.740 He's always the Lord. The eternal, self -existent, 00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:36.950 all -sufficient, God who is redemptive. And he 00:20:36.950 --> 00:20:43.009 is his people's shepherd. The believer must accept 00:20:43.009 --> 00:20:48.230 and be willing to endure suffering. That's one 00:20:48.230 --> 00:20:51.410 of the initial things that a person must come 00:20:51.410 --> 00:20:56.549 to and they must wrestle with when life gets 00:20:56.549 --> 00:21:03.200 difficult. You have to get with God. and wrestle 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.859 with him until you're in submission to his will 00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:12.480 and his purposes. Where you submit your desires 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:14.900 and your affections and your longings and even 00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:21.640 your life to him. We must be able to say, I walk 00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:26.799 through the valley of the shadow of death. We 00:21:26.799 --> 00:21:35.210 also, as believers, ought to have a certain composure 00:21:35.210 --> 00:21:41.390 about ourselves as we go through hardship. David 00:21:41.390 --> 00:21:47.029 doesn't just say, I, but he says, I walk through 00:21:47.029 --> 00:21:52.190 the valley of the shadow of death. Now, normally, 00:21:52.390 --> 00:21:56.730 when we think about this term walk, it wouldn't 00:21:56.730 --> 00:22:00.230 be abnormal or that unique. It's used. All the 00:22:00.230 --> 00:22:03.309 time throughout the scriptures. It's a very common 00:22:03.309 --> 00:22:08.470 word that's used regularly. It occurs over and 00:22:08.470 --> 00:22:11.670 over and over. But it's interesting and it's 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:16.750 unique in that it's used in this context. Think 00:22:16.750 --> 00:22:20.930 about it. He faces evil. Evil is in front of 00:22:20.930 --> 00:22:23.109 him. Darkness is approaching. He's in the valley. 00:22:23.230 --> 00:22:25.950 He can't get out. Brothers and sisters, it's 00:22:25.950 --> 00:22:32.230 tumultuous. It's trying. Yet, he says, I walk 00:22:32.230 --> 00:22:36.470 through the valley of the shadow of death. He 00:22:36.470 --> 00:22:39.130 has enemies. We know that from verse 5 and verse 00:22:39.130 --> 00:22:43.150 6. People who oppose him, people who hate him, 00:22:43.190 --> 00:22:45.809 people who most likely want to take his life 00:22:45.809 --> 00:22:49.509 and remove him from the kingdom. But he says, 00:22:49.609 --> 00:22:55.029 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.299 Now, there are several uses we can look at to 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:04.440 understand this word a little bit better. When 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:13.099 we go back to Genesis chapter 6, we'll look at 00:23:13.099 --> 00:23:22.779 Genesis chapter 6 verse 9. These are the records 00:23:22.779 --> 00:23:26.970 of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous 00:23:26.970 --> 00:23:32.769 man. Blameless in his time, Noah walked with 00:23:32.769 --> 00:23:39.829 God. He continued to walk with God. He stayed 00:23:39.829 --> 00:23:43.650 with God. He remained with God. We also read 00:23:43.650 --> 00:23:46.970 the same thing about Enoch, who walked with God 00:23:46.970 --> 00:23:51.470 for 300 years. This idea of continually, steadfastly, 00:23:51.490 --> 00:23:57.529 persistently. Walking with the Lord. We can also 00:23:57.529 --> 00:24:04.089 look at Genesis chapter 8 verse 3. And the water 00:24:04.089 --> 00:24:10.430 receded steadily from the earth. And at the end 00:24:10.430 --> 00:24:15.990 of 150 days the water decreased. The words receded 00:24:15.990 --> 00:24:24.059 steadily. It's the same word for walk. It's a 00:24:24.059 --> 00:24:30.240 gradual, yet a consistent decrease in the water 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:35.839 levels on the earth. It's a gradual, steady, 00:24:36.099 --> 00:24:42.980 slow receding of the waters as they covered the 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:47.200 world. We could read in chapter 9, verse 23. 00:24:55.119 --> 00:24:59.460 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid 00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:04.859 it upon both their shoulders and walked backward 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:09.380 and covered the nakedness of their father. And 00:25:09.380 --> 00:25:11.500 their faces were turned away so that they did 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:15.319 not see their father's nakedness. There's a caution. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:21.859 There's an intentionality with how they are walking 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:25.000 in this situation. because they don't want to 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.000 bring shame or partake of shame upon their father. 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:33.759 There's an intentionality with regards to how 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:39.200 they walk, not forward, but backwards. So when 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:42.700 we think about this idea of walking through the 00:25:42.700 --> 00:25:47.660 valley of the shadow of death, we should think 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:51.599 about the fact that David's speaking of a calmness. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:26:00.180 A control. A caution. A slowness and an intentionality. 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:05.299 As he walks through this grave danger, this grave 00:26:05.299 --> 00:26:08.599 trouble in his life, there's an evenness, a balance, 00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:13.259 a consistency, a steadfastness that is in his 00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:16.920 life as he goes through the trials and the hardships 00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:21.789 and the difficulties. Now, we hear this and we 00:26:21.789 --> 00:26:25.130 can understand very clearly why it's vitally 00:26:25.130 --> 00:26:28.730 important that we think about this word walk 00:26:28.730 --> 00:26:34.430 in this context. As we saw last week, trials 00:26:34.430 --> 00:26:39.329 have a unique way of bringing seemingly generous 00:26:39.329 --> 00:26:43.630 people to be selfish and inward focused. What 00:26:43.630 --> 00:26:48.569 else can trials do in a person's life? What can 00:26:48.569 --> 00:26:50.670 they bring about in a person's heart, in a person's 00:26:50.670 --> 00:26:53.730 mind, in a person's world, brothers and sisters? 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:57.230 When the darkness comes and the valleys come 00:26:57.230 --> 00:27:00.970 and the difficulties arrive, it has a tendency 00:27:00.970 --> 00:27:07.650 to produce confusion in the heart. Corruption 00:27:07.650 --> 00:27:13.150 to be stirred up in the flesh. And chaos to ensue 00:27:13.150 --> 00:27:18.519 in an individual's life. Don't... and trials 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:22.680 have that unique ability, that special superpower 00:27:22.680 --> 00:27:31.319 to turn your world upside down. And isn't it 00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:34.660 during this time that we need to make sure we 00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:38.559 check ourselves? Isn't it during this time we 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:42.460 need to rein ourselves in? We need to calm ourselves? 00:27:43.529 --> 00:27:45.910 Isn't it at this time, more than any other in 00:27:45.910 --> 00:27:48.890 our life, brothers and sisters, that we need 00:27:48.890 --> 00:27:57.750 to walk slowly, steadily, consistently, cautiously, 00:27:57.789 --> 00:28:04.690 and intentionally in our lives? Because there's 00:28:04.690 --> 00:28:09.289 darkness all around us. The visibility in the 00:28:09.289 --> 00:28:12.930 valley is not great. Especially when it's this 00:28:12.930 --> 00:28:18.670 deep darkness. The view of the sheep is constricted. 00:28:18.670 --> 00:28:21.750 It's limited. They can't see very far in front 00:28:21.750 --> 00:28:23.690 of them. They can't see to the left, the right. 00:28:23.769 --> 00:28:27.829 They can't see to the left. So it's important 00:28:27.829 --> 00:28:36.549 that the people of God slow down in hardship. 00:28:37.829 --> 00:28:42.809 They take a moment to breathe. and to think deeply 00:28:42.809 --> 00:28:47.289 about what God is doing in their lives. Now, 00:28:47.309 --> 00:28:49.069 I think we need to add a little bit of nuance 00:28:49.069 --> 00:28:56.910 to this. Composure is relative. That's a relative 00:28:56.910 --> 00:29:01.049 term, brothers and sisters, that will be uniquely 00:29:01.049 --> 00:29:07.869 displayed in every single individual. Now, it's 00:29:07.869 --> 00:29:11.319 important that we understand. When we go through 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:14.640 trials, the Bible does not teach, and I am not 00:29:14.640 --> 00:29:20.839 teaching, that you should have no emotions. That's 00:29:20.839 --> 00:29:22.799 not what I'm saying. That's not what the Word 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:25.140 of God is saying. That you should feel nothing 00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:30.140 and that you should suppress everything. We are 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:34.640 parts and we are pieces. We are made up of parts, 00:29:34.759 --> 00:29:39.200 brothers and sisters. God is simple and God alone 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:44.460 is simple. He is a spirit. We are body and soul. 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:48.200 So we will have emotions. But what this text 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:53.819 is teaching us is that as those who know the 00:29:53.819 --> 00:29:56.700 grace of God, as those who have been transformed 00:29:56.700 --> 00:30:01.740 and changed by the grace of God, we ought to 00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:07.640 check our emotions with regards to the truth. 00:30:09.710 --> 00:30:12.309 With regards to what the Word of God says regarding 00:30:12.309 --> 00:30:18.670 self -restraint, holiness, godliness, what the 00:30:18.670 --> 00:30:26.069 truth of the Scriptures are. So we shouldn't 00:30:26.069 --> 00:30:31.650 expect that we'll be emotionless, that we won't 00:30:31.650 --> 00:30:35.089 have any feelings. Brothers and sisters, we're 00:30:35.089 --> 00:30:42.119 people. But we want... sanctified emotions in 00:30:42.119 --> 00:30:48.819 suffering. We want sanctified feelings in the 00:30:48.819 --> 00:30:53.640 midst of trials. We want sanctified speech when 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:57.500 things are difficult. We want a sanctified heart 00:30:57.500 --> 00:31:02.059 when trials come upon us. Christians are not 00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:06.380 those who let it run wild. Christians are not 00:31:06.380 --> 00:31:10.700 those who set it free and let loose. We are those 00:31:10.700 --> 00:31:16.980 when trials come, we walk through them. Because 00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:21.720 we know the unique dangers that can come upon 00:31:21.720 --> 00:31:28.119 us in a valley when we can't see very well. So 00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:31.880 when we think about this, during trials, brothers 00:31:31.880 --> 00:31:38.039 and sisters, it's a good time to slow down. And 00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:41.940 consider your life before the living God. And 00:31:41.940 --> 00:31:46.160 consider your own heart and your own mind and 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:51.180 your own longings, your own actions. It's a good 00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:54.619 time to bring other faithful believers around 00:31:54.619 --> 00:31:57.960 you and alongside of you to seek them out and 00:31:57.960 --> 00:32:02.900 pursue them because it is dark and you can't 00:32:02.900 --> 00:32:08.700 see that well. It is not the time. to make life 00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:12.900 -changing decisions. It is not the time to make 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:19.579 big moves, big changes in your life because you're 00:32:19.579 --> 00:32:29.819 in a valley. You're in a trial. We need to seek 00:32:29.819 --> 00:32:36.420 out and pursue consistency, steadfastness. and 00:32:36.420 --> 00:32:40.640 constancy in our lives as believers, especially 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:47.980 when things get difficult. Now, that makes us 00:32:47.980 --> 00:32:51.880 think, and that provides us with this picture 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:54.900 of when the trials come, the hardship comes, 00:32:55.019 --> 00:32:57.700 it's almost as though we fall back on something. 00:32:58.740 --> 00:33:02.359 We have something built in to fall back, a steady 00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:06.960 foundation, a base. And that's why it's important, 00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:11.480 brothers and sisters, that we cultivate and we 00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:16.140 nourish and we work towards having consistency 00:33:16.140 --> 00:33:20.759 and steadfastness and a settled heart in the 00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:27.720 disciplines of grace in our lives before suffering 00:33:27.720 --> 00:33:33.799 comes. So that when it arrives, we can fall back 00:33:33.799 --> 00:33:38.519 on those blessed, gracious, spiritual disciplines 00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:41.940 and our hearts are already trained to be tethered 00:33:41.940 --> 00:33:45.460 to the Word of God. Our hearts are already trained 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:48.720 to be tethered to prayer and seeking the face 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:55.480 of God. We ought to seek out regularity in those 00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:59.740 realities before the trial becomes because when 00:33:59.740 --> 00:34:02.759 it and when it comes upon you, the temptation 00:34:02.759 --> 00:34:09.300 will be irregular in everything. And in that 00:34:09.300 --> 00:34:11.460 time when you need to walk, the time when you 00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:15.159 need to walk more than any other time, we need 00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:18.920 something consistent, steady, and settled to 00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:21.460 fall back on. And what must that be, brothers 00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:25.760 and sisters? The Word of God, prayer, and the 00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:30.360 Christian church. That when you are cast down, 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:33.780 that when you are knocked off your horse temporarily, 00:34:34.099 --> 00:34:41.179 you fall under grace. So believers must have 00:34:41.179 --> 00:34:45.480 a godly composure. And they ought to seek a godly 00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:49.980 composure as they go through trials and difficulties. 00:34:51.099 --> 00:34:55.239 But we also see that believers ought to have 00:34:55.239 --> 00:35:01.369 a determination. In the hardships of life. Now, 00:35:01.389 --> 00:35:05.469 listen to what David says. He says, even though 00:35:05.469 --> 00:35:07.610 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 00:35:07.969 --> 00:35:15.329 I fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod 00:35:15.329 --> 00:35:19.949 and your staff, they comfort me. Now, there's 00:35:19.949 --> 00:35:22.409 other translations which say, they don't say, 00:35:22.550 --> 00:35:25.969 I fear no evil. There's other translations which 00:35:25.969 --> 00:35:31.389 say, I will. Fear no evil, meaning now or in 00:35:31.389 --> 00:35:36.510 the future. Listen to what John Calvin says on 00:35:36.510 --> 00:35:42.849 this text. He says, David did not mean he was 00:35:42.849 --> 00:35:48.829 devoid of all fear, but that he would overcome 00:35:48.829 --> 00:35:55.110 it so as to go without fear wherever his shepherd 00:35:55.110 --> 00:36:00.460 may lead him. So what is David saying? He's not 00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:04.500 saying, oh, I have no fear in this situation. 00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:08.340 Fear is absent. Fear does not exist to me. That 00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:10.059 is not what he's saying, brothers and sisters. 00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:15.199 It is an unwillingness. It's a statement of determination. 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:19.940 It is an unwillingness to be overcome by fearfulness 00:36:19.940 --> 00:36:23.179 in our lives. And it is a positive statement 00:36:23.179 --> 00:36:26.880 in that he's saying, I will subdue fear in my 00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:31.800 life. I will overcome it. I will get over it. 00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:35.380 It will not dominate me. I will dominate the 00:36:35.380 --> 00:36:40.840 fear in my life. This is very similar to what 00:36:40.840 --> 00:36:50.619 we find in Psalm 42. We read these words. The 00:36:50.619 --> 00:36:54.119 psalmist says, My tears have been my food day 00:36:54.119 --> 00:36:58.559 and night. While they say to me all day long, 00:36:58.780 --> 00:37:06.639 where is your God? What are his tears saying 00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:09.699 to him, brothers and sisters? Where is God at 00:37:09.699 --> 00:37:13.440 in this situation? Where is your Lord? Where 00:37:13.440 --> 00:37:19.420 is your shepherd? Fear. Be afraid. Be anxious. 00:37:19.719 --> 00:37:24.679 Be worried. Notice that David's own soul is talking. 00:37:25.469 --> 00:37:30.869 To David himself, or the psalmist. He's talking 00:37:30.869 --> 00:37:35.070 to himself. His soul is speaking to him. Now 00:37:35.070 --> 00:37:39.429 every single one of us knows exactly what the 00:37:39.429 --> 00:37:43.130 psalmist is dealing with. Do you ever hear yourself 00:37:43.130 --> 00:37:51.369 talk to yourself? All the time. But the problem 00:37:51.369 --> 00:37:59.309 comes. When we are talking to ourselves, or we're 00:37:59.309 --> 00:38:03.889 listening to ourselves talk, and that speech, 00:38:04.230 --> 00:38:09.010 that communication, that talk is bringing up 00:38:09.010 --> 00:38:15.409 the worries from yesterday. It's bringing up 00:38:15.409 --> 00:38:18.989 and recalling all the issues that went wrong 00:38:18.989 --> 00:38:24.030 two weeks ago. Or, that talk is telling you, 00:38:24.440 --> 00:38:30.019 to anticipate the troubles of tomorrow. Now, 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:34.440 what do we do? Well, oftentimes we hear ourselves 00:38:34.440 --> 00:38:39.440 speak, we receive it, and we submit to it. We 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:43.059 allow it. But what does the psalmist do, brothers 00:38:43.059 --> 00:38:47.920 and sisters? Here's what the psalm says in verse 00:38:47.920 --> 00:38:53.800 5. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why 00:38:53.800 --> 00:38:57.699 have you become disturbed within me? So yes, 00:38:57.940 --> 00:39:01.400 the psalmist is hearing himself speak. But what 00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:03.900 does the psalmist do? He starts talking to himself. 00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:08.739 He starts telling his own soul what is right 00:39:08.739 --> 00:39:13.159 and what is wrong. So when thoughts of fear, 00:39:13.260 --> 00:39:16.739 anxiety, worry, and stress, and it's tempting 00:39:16.739 --> 00:39:19.340 to overwhelm you and overcome you and bring you 00:39:19.340 --> 00:39:21.889 to a place of despair. What do you need to do, 00:39:21.929 --> 00:39:26.789 brothers and sisters? You need to say, come here. 00:39:28.090 --> 00:39:31.369 And pull that self -talk up a little bit closer. 00:39:31.570 --> 00:39:36.409 You say, put a sock in it and sit down. Stop 00:39:36.409 --> 00:39:41.909 talking. I'm in charge. That is wrong. That is 00:39:41.909 --> 00:39:45.550 false thinking. That is erroneous. That is not 00:39:45.550 --> 00:39:49.119 what God is like. That is not true. God has said 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:52.199 he is with me, he is for me, and he is sovereign 00:39:52.199 --> 00:39:55.400 and he is good. You preach the gospel to your 00:39:55.400 --> 00:40:01.739 own soul. Now, when trials come, this is going 00:40:01.739 --> 00:40:06.300 to be a battle, brothers and sisters. The stimulus 00:40:06.300 --> 00:40:09.639 in your life is going to heighten that talk to 00:40:09.639 --> 00:40:12.739 a point where it can seem overwhelming and it 00:40:12.739 --> 00:40:17.119 can seem crushing. I am sure there are individuals 00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:19.420 in this room who know exactly what I'm talking 00:40:19.420 --> 00:40:25.460 about. What do you do when you are listening 00:40:25.460 --> 00:40:30.159 to yourself? You tell it, come here, put a sock 00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:35.280 in it, and sit down. That's not true. That's 00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:40.519 wrong. That's false. Here's what is true. Here's 00:40:40.519 --> 00:40:45.170 what is right. This is what the truth says. You 00:40:45.170 --> 00:40:51.369 tell yourself what you will think. Believers 00:40:51.369 --> 00:40:55.070 are not those who simply listen to themselves, 00:40:55.429 --> 00:40:58.090 talk, brothers and sisters. Those with a new 00:40:58.090 --> 00:41:00.769 nature, the covenant people of God, those born 00:41:00.769 --> 00:41:02.889 again, those who have been made new creatures 00:41:02.889 --> 00:41:05.769 in Christ, are those who tell themselves what 00:41:05.769 --> 00:41:10.250 they believe. They are those who lead their emotions. 00:41:10.710 --> 00:41:12.989 They are those who lead their hearts and lead 00:41:12.989 --> 00:41:19.110 their minds. As those who have been born again 00:41:19.110 --> 00:41:23.710 to a living hope and have a vital ruling principle 00:41:23.710 --> 00:41:30.949 in their own soul. Now, why do you have to win 00:41:30.949 --> 00:41:36.289 this battle? Why do I say it's going to be extremely 00:41:36.289 --> 00:41:39.150 hard and why is it so important that you persist 00:41:39.150 --> 00:41:46.570 and you overcome that voice? Because Your hope? 00:41:48.050 --> 00:41:55.849 Your joy? Your power? Your vitality? Your contentment? 00:41:55.849 --> 00:41:58.809 Your satisfaction? Your peace? Listen, brothers 00:41:58.809 --> 00:42:03.389 and sisters, your life, your usefulness, it depends 00:42:03.389 --> 00:42:07.889 on you defeating that voice which tempts you 00:42:07.889 --> 00:42:13.550 to be overwhelmed by fearfulness. Fight for your 00:42:13.550 --> 00:42:19.699 life. Persist. Press on. Keep on. Go on. Overtake 00:42:19.699 --> 00:42:23.280 it. Subdue it. Don't let it drag you around. 00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:28.119 Pick up the chain and say, get behind me. That's 00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:33.400 what the believer does. The believer leads themselves, 00:42:33.619 --> 00:42:37.940 even their thinking, their heart, their mind, 00:42:37.980 --> 00:42:42.880 their affections, their emotions, through the 00:42:42.880 --> 00:42:47.980 trials and through the difficulties. Turn to 00:42:47.980 --> 00:43:07.699 Psalm 27. We think about how David is going through 00:43:07.699 --> 00:43:12.619 the valley. We think about his acceptance and 00:43:12.619 --> 00:43:16.760 his willingness. We think about his composure. 00:43:17.539 --> 00:43:21.719 We think about his holy determination. Not to 00:43:21.719 --> 00:43:23.900 be overwhelmed by fearfulness, but to overcome 00:43:23.900 --> 00:43:34.280 it. What is it that is informing David's conduct 00:43:34.280 --> 00:43:39.019 and David's behavior and David's thinking? What 00:43:39.019 --> 00:43:43.980 is it that is informing how he walks through 00:43:43.980 --> 00:43:49.679 the valley of the shadow of death? Well, stay 00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:55.280 there in Psalm 27. It's these words. For you 00:43:55.280 --> 00:44:03.300 are with me. It's David's faith that God is with 00:44:03.300 --> 00:44:09.099 him that is informing his conduct. his thinking, 00:44:09.099 --> 00:44:14.219 and his behavior in the suffering. So we read 00:44:14.219 --> 00:44:19.440 in Psalm 27, The Lord is my light and my salvation, 00:44:19.639 --> 00:44:25.800 and consequently, whom shall I fear? The Lord 00:44:25.800 --> 00:44:29.760 is the defense of my life, and consequently, 00:44:29.900 --> 00:44:36.679 whom shall I dread? When evildoers come upon 00:44:36.679 --> 00:44:41.409 me, To devour my flesh, my adversaries, and my 00:44:41.409 --> 00:44:45.289 enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host 00:44:45.289 --> 00:44:49.329 encamp against me, my heart will not fear. There 00:44:49.329 --> 00:44:53.090 it is again. Though war arise against me, in 00:44:53.090 --> 00:45:01.449 spite of all of this, I shall be confident. David's 00:45:01.449 --> 00:45:05.800 conduct, the manner in which he suffers, His 00:45:05.800 --> 00:45:09.320 willingness and acceptance of the trial. His 00:45:09.320 --> 00:45:12.820 composure in the midst of it. And his determination. 00:45:12.920 --> 00:45:17.659 All is informed and built on the reality that 00:45:17.659 --> 00:45:25.400 God is with him. We can make several conclusions. 00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:31.900 Or we can draw some conclusions from this. Believers 00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:39.889 must conclude. That they ought to conduct themselves 00:45:39.889 --> 00:45:46.730 in suffering in a manner consistent with faith. 00:45:48.889 --> 00:45:52.510 If we want to know how we ought to suffer in 00:45:52.510 --> 00:45:56.050 a particular trial, we have to ask ourselves, 00:45:56.469 --> 00:46:02.110 what does faith require of me? And what is it 00:46:02.110 --> 00:46:06.190 that we believe? The truth of the Word of God. 00:46:07.730 --> 00:46:10.650 David can't see, can't feel that the Lord is 00:46:10.650 --> 00:46:16.769 present, can he? The rod and the staff? It's 00:46:16.769 --> 00:46:19.389 not a tangible, physical rod and staff. He's 00:46:19.389 --> 00:46:21.730 using metaphorical language to convey truth. 00:46:22.289 --> 00:46:26.789 But he knows God is with him. How, brothers and 00:46:26.789 --> 00:46:31.889 sisters? Because he believes it. He believes 00:46:31.889 --> 00:46:34.989 the promises of God. He believes the truth of 00:46:34.989 --> 00:46:37.960 the word of God. He believes that God, just as 00:46:37.960 --> 00:46:40.420 he was with Israel all those 40 years and led 00:46:40.420 --> 00:46:42.380 them in the wilderness wonderings, God will be 00:46:42.380 --> 00:46:47.360 with him as he was a shepherd to Israel. He believes 00:46:47.360 --> 00:46:51.360 that God is with him and this informs his behavior. 00:46:52.099 --> 00:46:56.980 Now, when a believer suffers in a manner that 00:46:56.980 --> 00:47:04.480 is consistent with faith, this will always appear. 00:47:05.639 --> 00:47:11.500 and be irrational and nonsensical to the unbelieving 00:47:11.500 --> 00:47:15.380 world around us. Now, what do I mean by that? 00:47:16.639 --> 00:47:19.900 Well, if we live by faith and we suffer by faith, 00:47:20.059 --> 00:47:23.860 and our conduct and our thinking and our actions 00:47:23.860 --> 00:47:26.320 and the manner in which we suffer is consistent 00:47:26.320 --> 00:47:30.260 with faith, then the unbelieving man without 00:47:30.260 --> 00:47:33.880 faith will look upon the life of the believer 00:47:33.880 --> 00:47:41.139 in the midst of suffering and say, how do they 00:47:41.139 --> 00:47:46.760 suffer like that? What is it about them? What 00:47:46.760 --> 00:47:50.099 do they have that I don't have that enables them 00:47:50.099 --> 00:47:52.380 to suffer? This doesn't make sense. Their whole 00:47:52.380 --> 00:47:55.059 world has fallen apart. They're not grumbling. 00:47:55.280 --> 00:47:57.599 They're not complaining. They're not moaning. 00:47:57.679 --> 00:47:59.320 They're not groaning. They're not getting angry. 00:47:59.460 --> 00:48:01.119 They're not getting mean. They're still joyful. 00:48:01.300 --> 00:48:03.829 They're still... They're still satisfied. They're 00:48:03.829 --> 00:48:08.329 still content. How can they do this? When this 00:48:08.329 --> 00:48:14.210 comes upon me, my life shatters. When this happens 00:48:14.210 --> 00:48:19.230 to me, I feel as though my world is over. How 00:48:19.230 --> 00:48:21.889 is it possible that they do this? It's irrational 00:48:21.889 --> 00:48:28.190 to the unbelieving man. It's nonsensical to the 00:48:28.190 --> 00:48:35.659 one without faith. But it's perfectly rational 00:48:35.659 --> 00:48:41.260 and makes perfect sense to those who believe 00:48:41.260 --> 00:48:45.780 the divine promises of God when God says, I will 00:48:45.780 --> 00:48:56.280 be with you. Are you suffering in a manner that's 00:48:56.280 --> 00:49:01.360 consistent with faith? What does your suffering 00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:06.739 say about your faith? About your spiritual maturity 00:49:06.739 --> 00:49:20.679 and your character? Your inner life? Now, how 00:49:20.679 --> 00:49:25.500 a professing believer suffers, as we mentioned 00:49:25.500 --> 00:49:31.780 at the beginning, reveals a great It shows a 00:49:31.780 --> 00:49:36.980 great deal about their inner person. And we have 00:49:36.980 --> 00:49:42.639 to ask ourselves, what is it revealing to those 00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:48.360 around me, the believers and unbelievers? But 00:49:48.360 --> 00:49:53.739 what have you learned about yourself and your 00:49:53.739 --> 00:50:00.579 hardships? What is your suffering revealed about 00:50:00.579 --> 00:50:07.480 your own heart? Your own faith? Where is your 00:50:07.480 --> 00:50:17.239 faith? What is your hope built on? We have to 00:50:17.239 --> 00:50:22.699 take time to slow down and think about what the 00:50:22.699 --> 00:50:25.639 Lord is doing in our lives, brothers and sisters. 00:50:28.440 --> 00:50:33.519 suffering be meaningless. Don't let it be useless 00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:39.320 and vain in your life. If you have faith, slow 00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:44.000 down and consider, what is God doing in my life, 00:50:44.039 --> 00:50:47.440 in my heart, through this, yes, this terribly 00:50:47.440 --> 00:50:49.719 difficult situation, but through this situation 00:50:49.719 --> 00:50:57.860 nonetheless. It is meant to reveal Our hearts 00:50:57.860 --> 00:51:04.320 affections. To show us what's inside of us. I 00:51:04.320 --> 00:51:10.840 believe it's Deuteronomy 8. Where Israel is being 00:51:10.840 --> 00:51:14.619 treated as a son. And it talks about the testing 00:51:14.619 --> 00:51:17.460 of the Lord. And God tested them and tried them. 00:51:18.239 --> 00:51:22.900 To show what was in their hearts. To prove what 00:51:22.900 --> 00:51:26.960 was in them. What is your suffering? What is 00:51:26.960 --> 00:51:30.500 your trial? What is your hardship? Showing you, 00:51:30.739 --> 00:51:36.320 Christian, to the unbelievers here, those who 00:51:36.320 --> 00:51:41.059 don't know Christ, look to the believers that 00:51:41.059 --> 00:51:49.420 are suffering well. Consider their life. Consider 00:51:49.420 --> 00:51:55.070 their faith. And ask yourself, what do they have 00:51:55.070 --> 00:52:01.269 that I don't? What are they in possession of 00:52:01.269 --> 00:52:08.150 that enables them to act in such a way in such 00:52:08.150 --> 00:52:13.909 a time? That's a challenging thing for the believer 00:52:13.909 --> 00:52:19.369 and unbeliever, isn't it? Christian, does the 00:52:19.369 --> 00:52:26.119 way you suffer offer Anything to the unbeliever? 00:52:27.860 --> 00:52:34.699 Or do they say, they suffer just like me? Unbeliever. 00:52:35.360 --> 00:52:40.300 Look to the one. Look to the believers, the professing 00:52:40.300 --> 00:52:44.639 Christians, who are trusting in the Lord, who 00:52:44.639 --> 00:52:46.800 are walking in the midst of hardship and ask, 00:52:47.019 --> 00:52:51.840 what am I lacking? Let me tell you what you don't 00:52:51.840 --> 00:52:56.460 have. And what the believer has. You don't have 00:52:56.460 --> 00:53:03.440 saving faith. If you are here today. And you 00:53:03.440 --> 00:53:05.519 are controlled. And you are dominated by the 00:53:05.519 --> 00:53:08.880 flesh. You are controlled. And you are dominated 00:53:08.880 --> 00:53:12.780 by your affections. Your love. Your lust. Your 00:53:12.780 --> 00:53:19.179 immoral desires. Or even your emotions. And your 00:53:19.179 --> 00:53:22.329 sin drags you around. And you have never been 00:53:22.329 --> 00:53:24.849 born again to a living hope. You have never been 00:53:24.849 --> 00:53:27.389 given a new nature in Christ. You have never 00:53:27.389 --> 00:53:30.090 been made alive together with Christ. You have 00:53:30.090 --> 00:53:33.510 never been given faith. That's what this means. 00:53:34.250 --> 00:53:38.130 You have no faith to believe in the promise that 00:53:38.130 --> 00:53:43.530 God is with you. You don't have a shepherd. You 00:53:43.530 --> 00:53:46.909 don't have a new nature. You have not been made 00:53:46.909 --> 00:53:55.880 new. If you turn from your sins and you trust 00:53:55.880 --> 00:54:02.940 in Christ, then God will be with you in every 00:54:02.940 --> 00:54:08.780 single pasture and He will be with you in every 00:54:08.780 --> 00:54:14.239 single valley. You will possess the most glorious 00:54:14.239 --> 00:54:20.179 promises of the cosmos. You will have the promise 00:54:20.179 --> 00:54:23.239 of the new heavens and the new earth. You will 00:54:23.239 --> 00:54:28.559 be given all of Christ for all of life. And you 00:54:28.559 --> 00:54:31.179 will be able to say, as David said, even though 00:54:31.179 --> 00:54:33.280 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 00:54:33.559 --> 00:54:40.300 I fear no evil, for you are with me.