WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:03.350 Would you take your Bible and turn with me, please, 00:00:03.450 --> 00:00:08.710 to the fifth chapter of the book of Romans. We're 00:00:08.710 --> 00:00:11.050 looking at the blessings that justification by 00:00:11.050 --> 00:00:15.669 faith brings to us. Last week in verses 1 and 00:00:15.669 --> 00:00:19.050 2, we noted three of the blessings that we enjoy 00:00:19.050 --> 00:00:21.989 because we are rightly related to God by faith. 00:00:23.329 --> 00:00:26.789 To be justified simply means to be declared righteous 00:00:26.789 --> 00:00:31.510 in God's sight. because of our faith in Jesus 00:00:31.510 --> 00:00:34.969 Christ. It's a legal position that we enjoy. 00:00:35.929 --> 00:00:38.149 It's not one that we have earned or deserved, 00:00:38.289 --> 00:00:42.329 but it's one that we receive as a gift. We receive 00:00:42.329 --> 00:00:46.130 it when, by faith, we trust Jesus Christ as our 00:00:46.130 --> 00:00:49.909 Savior. We turn to him alone for the salvation 00:00:49.909 --> 00:00:52.469 and the keeping of our souls for all of eternity. 00:00:54.130 --> 00:00:56.729 The first three blessings of justification that 00:00:56.729 --> 00:01:01.820 we've noted are peace, with God, access to God, 00:01:02.100 --> 00:01:06.239 and the glory of God. Now beginning in verse 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:09.019 3, we're going to read down through verse 8, 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:12.379 and we'll note two more blessings which the Holy 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:15.879 Spirit unfolds to us through the Apostle Paul. 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:21.519 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:25.739 knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. 00:01:26.920 --> 00:01:30.340 and perseverance, proven character, and proven 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:34.140 character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:38.840 because the love of God has been poured out within 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:41.439 our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.519 to us. But while we were still helpless, at the 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:49.939 right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For 00:01:49.939 --> 00:01:53.099 one will hardly die for a righteous man, though 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:56.319 perhaps for the good man someone We'll dare even 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:00.659 to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward 00:02:00.659 --> 00:02:05.000 us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:10.360 died for us. Now, Father, we pray that the Spirit 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:14.699 of God who inspired these words and has preserved 00:02:14.699 --> 00:02:19.379 them for us inerrantly will now teach us and 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:21.520 illuminate our hearts so that we may understand 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.919 what has been written. and so that it may be 00:02:24.919 --> 00:02:29.360 applied to our lives practically today. We commit 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.840 these minutes to you as we wait upon you alone 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:39.219 to be our teacher. In Jesus' name, amen. The 00:02:39.219 --> 00:02:42.219 first blessing of justification that we see in 00:02:42.219 --> 00:02:45.599 our text today might be phrased this way, the 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:50.460 working of God in our lives. I can hear someone 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:52.960 say, oh, that's great, because I want to know 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.319 God's working in my life. That means miracles 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:00.659 and success and prosperity and good health and 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:04.500 all those fun things. Well, as a matter of fact, 00:03:04.500 --> 00:03:07.500 it may mean some of those things, but that is 00:03:07.500 --> 00:03:11.699 not what our text says. The Bible says there's 00:03:11.699 --> 00:03:13.939 one thing we can count on, and that is that when 00:03:13.939 --> 00:03:16.719 we are justified by faith, God is going to work 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:21.300 in our lives. Through troubles and tribulations. 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:25.659 That is the working of God. Now do you want the 00:03:25.659 --> 00:03:28.340 working of God? Well, if you're saved, you've 00:03:28.340 --> 00:03:31.860 got it anyway. And God is using your troubles 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:35.180 and tribulations to accomplish something. It's 00:03:35.180 --> 00:03:37.580 interesting that three times the apostle says 00:03:37.580 --> 00:03:41.439 in these first verses of chapter 5, we boast 00:03:41.439 --> 00:03:45.780 in something or we exalt. In verse 2, he says, 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.659 we exalt and we boast in hope of the glory of 00:03:49.659 --> 00:03:53.379 God. That means the consummation of our faith, 00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:56.860 our salvation, when Jesus comes again. And we 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:00.900 are completely transformed to be like him in 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:04.939 the body as well as soul and spirit. In verse 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:10.120 11, he says, we boast in God. But here in our 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:15.520 text in verse 3, he says, we exalt. In our tribulations, 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:20.439 as well as in the hope of the glory of God. What 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:24.839 are tribulations? A word very simply means pressure. 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:31.819 It refers to anything which burdens. It can be 00:04:31.819 --> 00:04:34.680 the pressure of circumstances, or it may refer 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:39.959 to the antagonism of individuals. The apostle 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:44.160 himself suffered tribulations. And he testifies 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.220 of that a number of times in his writings. For 00:04:47.220 --> 00:04:49.399 example, in Philippians chapter 1, verse 17, 00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:52.959 he honestly testifies to this. He writes about 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:56.899 those who proclaimed Christ out of selfish ambition, 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:00.939 and he says their motive was thinking to cause 00:05:00.939 --> 00:05:05.660 me distress in my imprisonment. The apostle knew, 00:05:05.779 --> 00:05:09.540 as all of us who are believers know, pressures 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:13.389 from both individuals who oppose us, as well 00:05:13.389 --> 00:05:17.250 as from circumstances in life. Warren Worsby 00:05:17.250 --> 00:05:22.329 has pointed out in his book on Romans, our English 00:05:22.329 --> 00:05:25.490 word tribulation comes from the Latin word tribulum. 00:05:26.209 --> 00:05:29.430 In Paul's day, a tribulum was a heavy piece of 00:05:29.430 --> 00:05:33.870 timber with spikes in it, used for threshing 00:05:33.870 --> 00:05:37.509 the grain. The tribulum was drawn over the grain, 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:42.199 and it separated the wheat from the chaff. And 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:45.639 so it's that kind of a rake that is in mind here 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:50.379 as we think of tribulations. This same word is 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:52.819 used elsewhere by the Apostle Paul in referring 00:05:52.819 --> 00:05:56.699 to the future punishment or retribution of the 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:59.560 wicked. It was used that way back in chapter 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:01.899 2, verse 9, if you want to look at it with me. 00:06:02.819 --> 00:06:07.500 It says, There will be tribulation and distress 00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:11.569 for every soul of man who does evil. of the Jew 00:06:11.569 --> 00:06:15.569 first and also of the Greek. So he says there's 00:06:15.569 --> 00:06:17.970 a day coming for those who are evil when there 00:06:17.970 --> 00:06:21.149 will be tribulation and distress. And he has 00:06:21.149 --> 00:06:25.689 in view there that future punishment of the wicked. 00:06:25.889 --> 00:06:30.069 He uses the same word in the same way in 2 Thessalonians 00:06:30.069 --> 00:06:33.389 1 .6 when he says God is a just God and he is 00:06:33.389 --> 00:06:36.730 going to send tribulation to those who are troubling 00:06:36.730 --> 00:06:41.550 you. Referring to their future. eternal distress 00:06:41.550 --> 00:06:45.129 and pressure when they are separated from God 00:06:45.129 --> 00:06:49.350 for all of eternity in hell. He uses this term 00:06:49.350 --> 00:06:54.990 also to express the want or the need that he 00:06:54.990 --> 00:06:58.970 had in his ministry. He writes to the Philippians 00:06:58.970 --> 00:07:03.910 to thank them for supplying in this time of distress 00:07:03.910 --> 00:07:08.329 or tribulation in his life, Philippians 4 .14. 00:07:09.290 --> 00:07:12.589 The same word is used elsewhere by the Apostle 00:07:12.589 --> 00:07:17.269 John, for example, to refer to that time to come 00:07:17.269 --> 00:07:20.009 at the end of this age, which is referred to 00:07:20.009 --> 00:07:25.269 as the Tribulation. Those last seven years on 00:07:25.269 --> 00:07:27.870 the clock of Israel, which are waiting to be 00:07:27.870 --> 00:07:32.350 ticked off. That period of time known as Jacob's 00:07:32.350 --> 00:07:36.259 Trouble, the Tribulation. The last half of that 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:39.959 is referred to in Revelation 7 .14 as the great 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:45.040 or the intense tribulation. Same word as the 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:49.120 apostle uses here. That does not mean that you 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:51.519 and I are going through the tribulation now, 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.519 but we are going through tribulation in the general 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:58.139 sense. And Jesus told us that this would happen. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:03.480 He said, in the world you shall have what? Tribulation. 00:08:04.999 --> 00:08:11.079 pressures, distress, troubles, trials, John 16 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:16.759 .33. Again, in 1 Thessalonians 3, in fact, it 00:08:16.759 --> 00:08:18.459 would be good for us to turn there to see the 00:08:18.459 --> 00:08:22.319 Apostle's words. He reminds us that we are appointed 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.399 to these things. Now, how much rather we would 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:33.610 be appointed to pleasant things. to joys, and 00:08:33.610 --> 00:08:37.230 we do have appointment to those things. But we're 00:08:37.230 --> 00:08:40.909 reminded here in 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 3, 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:43.570 that we have appointment to afflictions as well. 00:08:44.370 --> 00:08:48.210 He says, I'm writing so that no man may be disturbed 00:08:48.210 --> 00:08:51.789 by these afflictions, for you yourselves know 00:08:51.789 --> 00:08:56.470 that we have been destined for this. For indeed, 00:08:56.809 --> 00:08:59.549 when we were with you, we kept telling you in 00:08:59.549 --> 00:09:02.980 advance, that we were going to suffer affliction, 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:08.259 and so it came to pass as you know. Verse 7, 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:11.559 for this reason, brethren, in all our distress 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:15.139 and afflictions, we were comforted about you 00:09:15.139 --> 00:09:18.919 through your faith. So the apostle says, we've 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:21.879 been going through it, folks, and I know you've 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:24.299 been going through it there. Just keep in mind 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:29.480 that we are appointed to tribulation. Now let's 00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:31.879 be honest about it. Sometimes you and I bring 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:35.799 troubles on ourselves. We do that through our 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:40.899 own disobedience or foolishness. The Christian 00:09:40.899 --> 00:09:43.539 who goes down the road speeding at 75 miles an 00:09:43.539 --> 00:09:45.720 hour and he gets pulled over and fined 50 bucks 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.600 for doing that can't say, well, I'm rejoicing 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:52.419 in the tribulations. God is sending my way. You 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:55.120 see, that tribulation, that trouble was the making 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.179 of his own disobedience. And we can't blame anyone 00:09:58.179 --> 00:10:00.480 for those kinds of tribulations but ourselves. 00:10:01.580 --> 00:10:04.340 But you know the blessed thing? God even uses 00:10:04.340 --> 00:10:09.259 those to bring about good in our lives. God is 00:10:09.259 --> 00:10:11.759 so great that he can take our stupid mistakes 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:15.080 and work them out for good. That's the promise 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:17.559 in Romans 8 .28 in part. For we know that all 00:10:17.559 --> 00:10:20.799 things work together for good to them that love 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.799 God, to those who are called according to his 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:28.250 purpose. God takes the foolish, disobedient things 00:10:28.250 --> 00:10:31.809 that we do, that we may suffer trouble for them. 00:10:32.169 --> 00:10:34.629 He will bring them out for good, and he'll teach 00:10:34.629 --> 00:10:37.330 us something by them. You get a ticket for 50 00:10:37.330 --> 00:10:39.370 bucks, I'll bet you God's teaching you something. 00:10:40.230 --> 00:10:44.309 Forbade a speed limit, if nothing else. Tribulations, 00:10:44.429 --> 00:10:48.370 keep in mind, cannot separate us from the love 00:10:48.370 --> 00:10:52.710 of God. Over in Romans 8 .35, he says, What shall 00:10:52.710 --> 00:10:56.000 separate us from the love of Christ? He says, 00:10:56.039 --> 00:10:59.360 shall tribulations or distress, and it goes on. 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:02.879 Then he says, in all of these things we are over 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:07.659 -conquerors through him that loved us. There 00:11:07.659 --> 00:11:09.620 are some people who have the idea that when troubles 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:14.179 come, it's a red flag in the king, God is angry 00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:18.740 with me. And we go into depression or we feel 00:11:18.740 --> 00:11:23.750 guilty saying, why has God mad at me? Why am 00:11:23.750 --> 00:11:28.909 I going through this pressure? No. Tribulations 00:11:28.909 --> 00:11:31.950 are not evidence that God is angry with us. Nothing 00:11:31.950 --> 00:11:35.649 can separate us from the love of Christ. When 00:11:35.649 --> 00:11:37.710 you and I are going through a tough time, God 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:41.269 is just as real and just as concerned and just 00:11:41.269 --> 00:11:44.590 as loving toward us as he is when we're going 00:11:44.590 --> 00:11:50.990 through the mountaintop experience. We are overcomers. 00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:55.320 Or actually he says over -conquerors through 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:59.980 him that loved us. How can we be over -conquerors 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:06.620 in our troubles? I think the answer to that is 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:10.279 that we become over -conquerors in our troubles 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:15.080 by focusing on God's purpose in our troubles. 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:20.220 To realize that he in fact is working in us as 00:12:20.220 --> 00:12:26.190 our text. says that he is. It says tribulation 00:12:26.190 --> 00:12:32.330 works or brings about certain things. That phrase 00:12:32.330 --> 00:12:36.710 or that verb brings about means to work out or 00:12:36.710 --> 00:12:42.210 to achieve or to effect something. It's talking 00:12:42.210 --> 00:12:45.570 about maturing or developing or even purifying 00:12:45.570 --> 00:12:50.980 that tribulum that those ancient Romans used 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:55.019 in their threshing process purified the crop. 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:58.740 It separated the chaff from the wheat. And you 00:12:58.740 --> 00:13:01.120 see, sometimes tribulation does that to us. It 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:03.899 purifies us. It gets the chaff out of our lives. 00:13:04.259 --> 00:13:09.279 It serves to mature and to develop us. You and 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.179 I can be over -conquers in our troubles and our 00:13:13.179 --> 00:13:17.299 trials when we realize what God's ultimate end 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:23.429 is. His ultimate end is that you and I may realize 00:13:23.429 --> 00:13:26.730 our hope of being like the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:13:27.629 --> 00:13:32.129 I believe that God uses our tribulations to cause 00:13:32.129 --> 00:13:37.149 us to focus on the world to come, on what our 00:13:37.149 --> 00:13:41.610 real hope is, so that we don't tend to focus 00:13:41.610 --> 00:13:45.529 upon the things of this world. But we do that 00:13:45.529 --> 00:13:49.720 naturally, don't we? It's easier for us to set 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:53.299 our affection on things below, not on things 00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:57.539 above, because we see these things below. They're 00:13:57.539 --> 00:14:00.580 very real to us, and so we set our goals and 00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:04.940 our hopes and our visions in this world. You 00:14:04.940 --> 00:14:07.840 see, through our tribulations and our sufferings, 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:11.980 our troubles here, God causes us to refocus our 00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:16.480 faith so that our faith and our vision is focused 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:19.620 upon the world, the things which are to come. 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:23.379 Now there's a certain process involved. He explains 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:28.139 what that is. He says, tribulation, pressures 00:14:28.139 --> 00:14:33.700 that is, bring about perseverance or patience. 00:14:34.659 --> 00:14:39.500 The word here means to abide under. When I think 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:44.419 of this word, I think of an ox. Or perhaps a 00:14:44.419 --> 00:14:49.000 donkey. A beast of burden of some kind that carries 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:54.379 on its back a load. That beast is equipped to 00:14:54.379 --> 00:14:58.299 do that. God has developed that beast. So it 00:14:58.299 --> 00:15:02.659 is a beast of burden. It is able to bear up under 00:15:02.659 --> 00:15:06.559 the load that is on it. You see, God uses our 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.720 tribulations to make us stronger so that we can 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:15.340 bear up. Abide under our troubles. That is the 00:15:15.340 --> 00:15:18.899 patience that is in view. It refers to a brave 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:24.799 perseverance in attitude and in works. And it 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:27.759 goes on to say that this patience or this perseverance 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:33.679 affects proven character or experience, as it 00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:38.899 is in the King James, or a provenness. In other 00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:41.879 words, as we go through our troubles and as we 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:46.879 learn patience and perseverance, it develops 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:53.559 in us a proved character. It gives evidence to 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:59.100 the fact that we pass the test. The mark of genuineness 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:03.679 is about us as children of God as trouble brings 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:08.070 about its work in our lives. And then he says 00:16:08.070 --> 00:16:13.610 that this proven character brings about hope. 00:16:15.149 --> 00:16:18.690 That the approveness of our character, the passing 00:16:18.690 --> 00:16:23.029 of the test, is ground for our hope. And he says 00:16:23.029 --> 00:16:26.690 nothing can rob us of our hope. He says that 00:16:26.690 --> 00:16:32.769 our hope will not disappoint us. He says in verse 00:16:32.769 --> 00:16:36.820 5, hope does not disappoint. In other words, 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:39.740 all the trouble we're going through is simply 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:44.220 developing patience in us. And that patience 00:16:44.220 --> 00:16:47.639 is causing us to pass the test. We are approved 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:51.860 by God. It enables us to focus on the hope. And 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:54.980 that hope that is coming, he says, will not disappoint 00:16:54.980 --> 00:16:58.580 us. It will be brought to pass. It will be realized 00:16:58.580 --> 00:17:06.940 in its glorious fullness. We go through some 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:10.019 trials that seem small and some that seem big. 00:17:11.180 --> 00:17:15.019 I want us as a church to remember the family 00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:18.980 of Pastor Ron Bolt over at Calvary Baptist down 00:17:18.980 --> 00:17:22.619 the road from us. Their son Jeff was prepared 00:17:22.619 --> 00:17:25.079 to go to college this last week, just a young 00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:30.299 man, I suppose 18 years of age, and had some 00:17:30.299 --> 00:17:32.460 symptoms of some problems. They took him into 00:17:32.460 --> 00:17:36.380 the hospital. And as a result of the test that 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:38.759 he was given, they have discovered multiple tumors 00:17:38.759 --> 00:17:42.920 of the brain and a tumor on the lung as well. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:48.700 Can you imagine the pressure that that brings 00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:53.319 to a young man expecting to go to college this 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:57.519 last Friday and instead in the hospital? And 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:01.720 the outlook, initially at least, very, very grim 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:06.680 for his life. What kind of pressure would that 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:14.680 bring to a mother and father? Tribulation, pressures 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:21.480 in this life, produce in us perseverance. That 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:26.039 perseverance causes us to pass God's test so 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:30.819 that we are approved, we are experienced. And 00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:33.619 as we go through that, then our focus is on the 00:18:33.619 --> 00:18:37.519 hope more and more. and less and less on this 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:42.240 life. I think the Apostle Paul himself testifies 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:46.000 to this process in 2 Timothy. Would you turn 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:58.319 back there with me? In 2 Timothy chapter 4, keep 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:03.869 in mind that the Apostle Paul is in prison. He 00:19:03.869 --> 00:19:06.289 was imprisoned once before under house arrest, 00:19:06.369 --> 00:19:09.690 essentially, chained under guard, but had freedoms. 00:19:11.710 --> 00:19:13.930 Apparently, he was then released for a period 00:19:13.930 --> 00:19:17.509 of time, two, maybe three years, and then was 00:19:17.509 --> 00:19:20.109 thrown back into prison, but this time in the 00:19:20.109 --> 00:19:23.730 dungeon prison, the Mamertine prison, which was 00:19:23.730 --> 00:19:28.049 a hole in the ground, literally. There was a 00:19:28.049 --> 00:19:31.809 small opening to this prison, and people were 00:19:31.809 --> 00:19:37.759 dropped. into a pit in which they were kept until 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:43.599 the time of their trial or their execution. It 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.160 is that place that the Apostle Paul was as he 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:50.359 wrote the book of 2 Timothy. It is the last inspired 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:54.779 letter that he penned. In this letter we see 00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:58.339 Paul looking over his life and looking to the 00:19:58.339 --> 00:20:02.400 future. In the fourth chapter, amidst some very 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:06.619 personal remarks, he says in verse 16, At my 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:11.740 first defense, that is at his trial, no one supported 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:16.859 me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted 00:20:16.859 --> 00:20:22.000 against them. But the Lord stood with me and 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.440 strengthened me in order that through me the 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:29.660 proclamation might be fully accomplished. and 00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:33.779 that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered 00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:38.059 out of the lion's mouth. Did he mean that literally? 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:42.319 Possibly, but probably metaphorically, the lion 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:48.400 being the mouth of the woman government. And 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:51.299 he says in verse 18, The Lord will deliver me 00:20:51.299 --> 00:20:55.180 from every evil deed and will bring me safely 00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:58.480 to his heavenly kingdom. to him be the glory 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.920 forever and ever. Does that sound like a man 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.740 who has been sentenced to death? A man who says 00:21:05.740 --> 00:21:08.400 a few verses before, I'm just about to finish 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:12.380 my course? Does this sound like a man who, according 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:17.299 to tradition, was about to face the sword of 00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:21.079 the executioner to be beheaded? But here's a 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:23.339 man who's gone through life walking with God. 00:21:24.140 --> 00:21:26.859 He has been through tribulation, and here at 00:21:26.859 --> 00:21:30.160 the end of his life, after leading countless 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:32.880 thousands of people to faith in Jesus Christ, 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.140 after nurturing and discipling who knows how 00:21:36.140 --> 00:21:42.180 many personally, when it comes to his trial, 00:21:42.599 --> 00:21:46.279 when his life is on the line, everybody leaves 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:52.829 him. And he was left alone, humanly speaking, 00:21:52.930 --> 00:21:57.490 to stand before the judge to defend himself. 00:21:58.390 --> 00:22:01.670 Not one disciple, not one convert dared to come 00:22:01.670 --> 00:22:07.369 with Paul into the court. That was pressure, 00:22:07.410 --> 00:22:10.250 don't you think? Do you suppose there may have 00:22:10.250 --> 00:22:12.990 been the temptation to say, well, God, here I 00:22:12.990 --> 00:22:15.049 have served you all my life, and this is the 00:22:15.049 --> 00:22:19.529 way it's going to end? I have poured out my life 00:22:19.529 --> 00:22:23.930 in service as a sacrifice upon an altar for these 00:22:23.930 --> 00:22:31.890 people, and they're not here. I'm alone. I am 00:22:31.890 --> 00:22:34.329 sure Paul went through tribulation and pressure 00:22:34.329 --> 00:22:39.309 on that occasion. But you see, that pressure 00:22:39.309 --> 00:22:42.369 worked additional perseverance in him, patience. 00:22:42.490 --> 00:22:45.630 He says, but I don't want this to be held against 00:22:45.630 --> 00:22:49.809 them. He says, my testimony is that nonetheless, 00:22:50.210 --> 00:22:52.849 though no man stood with me, the Lord stood with 00:22:52.849 --> 00:22:57.829 me, and he strengthened me so that I was able 00:22:57.829 --> 00:23:05.690 to abide under the load. And what else did that 00:23:05.690 --> 00:23:08.170 do? Well, it caused him to have an approved character. 00:23:08.210 --> 00:23:11.269 Instead of being bitter and resentful, he was 00:23:11.269 --> 00:23:14.589 forgiving of those who failed him in this test. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:19.099 I thought that the result of all of this process, 00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:22.339 it was the fact that he was focusing his eyes 00:23:22.339 --> 00:23:25.519 on what was to come. He says, the Lord's going 00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:28.319 to deliver me from every evil deed and will bring 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:33.859 me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Tribulation 00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:36.660 worked patience, and patience approved character, 00:23:36.980 --> 00:23:40.019 and that approved character hope, and Paul knew 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:42.299 that that hope was not going to disappoint him. 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:50.039 Let me apply this in a couple of ways that I 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:53.359 think are kind of practical to our lives. In 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:57.440 the first place, you and I need to believe every 00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:02.859 minute that God is at work in our lives. Now 00:24:02.859 --> 00:24:05.240 that's easy to do when we're up on the mountaintop 00:24:05.240 --> 00:24:07.240 or we're sitting in the service and we sense 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:10.900 God feeding us or convicting us. We know God 00:24:10.900 --> 00:24:13.740 is working, but God is equally working in your 00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:15.619 life, friend, when you're going through tribulation. 00:24:17.379 --> 00:24:22.400 God is at work all the time in you. Not just 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:27.200 the good times, the bad times as well. Believe 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:29.559 that God is at work this minute in your life 00:24:29.559 --> 00:24:33.900 because he is. I don't know what the pressure 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:35.880 is in your life right now. Maybe it's the lack 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:40.400 of money for college or perhaps it is a problem 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:44.839 in your marriage. Maybe it's something with your 00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:47.630 children or At work, you're going through a tough 00:24:47.630 --> 00:24:55.509 time. Perhaps it's a matter of a job. You're 00:24:55.509 --> 00:24:58.490 looking to provide for your family. Whatever 00:24:58.490 --> 00:25:00.869 that pressure is in your life, whether it be 00:25:00.869 --> 00:25:05.150 circumstances or people, just believe that God 00:25:05.150 --> 00:25:08.829 is working through it because he is. He has not 00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:13.779 forsaken you. He is with you. He is maturing 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:17.759 you. He is sending you through a process, the 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:20.839 ultimate end of which is to keep your eyes focused 00:25:20.839 --> 00:25:24.500 on the hope that is going to be brought to pass 00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:30.680 when Jesus comes. Second application, specifically 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:35.019 for those who are parents or for those who work 00:25:35.019 --> 00:25:37.019 with others in discipling, and I hope that's 00:25:37.019 --> 00:25:43.049 most of us. Immolate God in helping others to 00:25:43.049 --> 00:25:50.710 mature. Imitate what God is doing in your life 00:25:50.710 --> 00:25:56.329 in helping your disciples to mature, in helping 00:25:56.329 --> 00:25:59.990 your children to mature. How do you do that? 00:26:00.210 --> 00:26:05.210 A couple of suggestions. First, don't overprotect 00:26:05.210 --> 00:26:12.640 them from troubles. There are some people who 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.180 have what they think is a real heart of love, 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:19.099 and out of that love for those they are seeking 00:26:19.099 --> 00:26:24.579 to bring up, they overprotect them. They hate 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:27.839 to see those people that they love under pressure, 00:26:28.019 --> 00:26:33.359 and so they try to intervene in some way. Don't 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:39.230 do that. God loves you too, but he allows you 00:26:39.230 --> 00:26:45.190 to pass through the troubles because he knows 00:26:45.190 --> 00:26:49.690 that's what it takes to mature us. We need to 00:26:49.690 --> 00:26:53.930 learn that for our children or for those that 00:26:53.930 --> 00:26:57.930 we're trying to disciple in the faith. Let them 00:26:57.930 --> 00:27:02.650 pass through the troubles. Stand with them as 00:27:02.650 --> 00:27:06.680 the Lord stood with Paul. Let them know that 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:09.119 you love them, but let them face the pressures 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:15.259 of it so that they will mature and develop. The 00:27:15.259 --> 00:27:22.000 emperor moth hides away in a cocoon that is flask 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:27.039 -shaped. It has a very narrow opening out of 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:34.990 which that moth must come. Through the hours 00:27:34.990 --> 00:27:42.150 and hours of struggle and pressure, the juices 00:27:42.150 --> 00:27:45.890 in that insect are forced out into the wings 00:27:45.890 --> 00:27:51.710 so that when that moth emerges, it is able to 00:27:51.710 --> 00:27:57.769 fly. There was a man one time who was watching 00:27:57.769 --> 00:28:01.789 this process and out of what he thought was compassion, 00:28:02.700 --> 00:28:07.700 for the moth. He took a pair of very sharp snippers 00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:14.359 and he snipped the opening to that cocoon so 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:16.920 that the moth would not have to struggle so hard 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:22.180 to get out. But the tragic result was that the 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:27.140 moth quickly died because that pressure did not 00:28:27.140 --> 00:28:32.470 become great enough. so that his wings were developed 00:28:32.470 --> 00:28:37.269 and he was able to fly. Instead of flying through 00:28:37.269 --> 00:28:41.650 the air like a rainbow, he was condemned to crawl 00:28:41.650 --> 00:28:48.069 through his brief existence. The application 00:28:48.069 --> 00:28:52.289 is obvious, isn't it? There are times that you 00:28:52.289 --> 00:28:57.569 and I try to reduce the pressures. But in so 00:28:57.569 --> 00:29:00.690 doing, we are short -circuiting God's full purpose 00:29:00.690 --> 00:29:09.529 in that time of tribulation. A second suggestion. 00:29:11.150 --> 00:29:13.529 As you are working with people who are going 00:29:13.529 --> 00:29:16.509 through trials, help them to keep their focus 00:29:16.509 --> 00:29:25.950 on the long view of things. That helps. I suppose, 00:29:26.809 --> 00:29:29.450 that that moth is encouraged by the fact that 00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:31.569 up ahead of him he sees a little bit of daylight. 00:29:33.089 --> 00:29:36.190 And perhaps it is that which keeps him struggling 00:29:36.190 --> 00:29:40.890 so that he finally emerges from that cocoon. 00:29:42.930 --> 00:29:45.650 As you and I are going through trials, it helps 00:29:45.650 --> 00:29:48.829 if we keep our focus on the long -range view 00:29:48.829 --> 00:29:52.009 of things instead of focusing on the immediate 00:29:52.009 --> 00:29:56.180 circumstances. If we can do that, it will strengthen 00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:58.740 us in the time of trial. As you work with your 00:29:58.740 --> 00:30:01.880 children, that's good for them. As they're going 00:30:01.880 --> 00:30:04.700 through the pressure perhaps of learning to have 00:30:04.700 --> 00:30:08.019 new friends after a move or starting school, 00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:11.420 which is a frightening experience, especially 00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:17.740 for parents. As they go through those kinds of 00:30:17.740 --> 00:30:22.900 pressures and expansions in life, and they come 00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:27.390 crying, or complaining because of the circumstances, 00:30:27.630 --> 00:30:30.190 the troubles, which are very, very real, and 00:30:30.190 --> 00:30:33.410 we should take them that way. With our comfort 00:30:33.410 --> 00:30:37.549 and our love, we need to help them to keep their 00:30:37.549 --> 00:30:40.950 focus on the long -term results. Honey, it's 00:30:40.950 --> 00:30:42.650 tough right now, but you know that's going to 00:30:42.650 --> 00:30:46.369 help you grow up so that you can get along better 00:30:46.369 --> 00:30:48.569 with people and appreciate different kinds of 00:30:48.569 --> 00:30:53.640 people. Find out what that long -range purpose 00:30:53.640 --> 00:30:56.380 would be in the trial and help them to focus 00:30:56.380 --> 00:31:00.819 on it. And that way we'll be emulating what God 00:31:00.819 --> 00:31:03.279 does as he helps us mature through our trials. 00:31:04.259 --> 00:31:07.160 Part of growing up is learning through experience 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:10.599 the kind of character and actions which God approves. 00:31:11.480 --> 00:31:14.900 That's what trials do for us. There's a terrific 00:31:14.900 --> 00:31:17.819 parallel passage to all of this over in James. 00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:22.440 Would you turn there with me? James chapter 1. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:31.319 Let's see, James is still after Hebrews, isn't 00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:35.759 it? Yes, here it is. James chapter 1, verse 2. 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:41.559 We have another writer with a different perspective. 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:45.779 But he says essentially the same things about 00:31:45.779 --> 00:31:48.920 trials. He says in verse 2, Consider it all joy, 00:31:49.140 --> 00:31:52.670 my brethren, When you encounter various trials, 00:31:53.309 --> 00:31:56.430 this is a different word than tribulations, but 00:31:56.430 --> 00:32:02.650 the end result is the same. They say, why count 00:32:02.650 --> 00:32:05.910 it joy? Because in verse 3 we know that the testing 00:32:05.910 --> 00:32:10.170 of your faith produces endurance. And there is 00:32:10.170 --> 00:32:14.869 the same word as Romans 5. Patience. And let 00:32:14.869 --> 00:32:19.500 endurance have its perfect result. that you may 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:23.779 be perfect or mature and complete, equipped, 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:28.000 lacking nothing. In other words, he says, let 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:32.279 these trials produce the perfect result in your 00:32:32.279 --> 00:32:37.779 life. How do you do that? How do you know how 00:32:37.779 --> 00:32:41.240 to respond to a trial so that the full purpose 00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:44.940 of it is accomplished? There's only one way. 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:51.500 That's knowing the wisdom of God. What is the 00:32:51.500 --> 00:32:54.359 wisdom of God? Well, he says in verse 5, if any 00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:59.740 of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who 00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:03.059 gives to all men generously and without reproach, 00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:06.519 and it will be given him. Let him ask in faith 00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:10.359 without any doubting, for the one who doubts 00:33:10.359 --> 00:33:12.759 is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed. 00:33:13.369 --> 00:33:16.089 by the wind. Let not that man expect that he 00:33:16.089 --> 00:33:18.990 will receive anything from the Lord, being a 00:33:18.990 --> 00:33:21.750 double -minded man and stable in all of his ways. 00:33:22.369 --> 00:33:26.130 What is he saying here? Well, he is saying simply 00:33:26.130 --> 00:33:29.210 that as you and I pass through the trials of 00:33:29.210 --> 00:33:33.650 life, we are to enjoy them. Not endure them. 00:33:34.569 --> 00:33:39.690 He says enjoy them. Count them joy. Count your 00:33:39.690 --> 00:33:43.880 trials a privilege. Because it is part of the 00:33:43.880 --> 00:33:45.799 blessing that comes with your justification. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:52.559 It means that God is working in you. He is teaching 00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:57.359 you patience. He wants to bring about a developed, 00:33:57.380 --> 00:34:04.140 equipped believer who is focusing on the hope 00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:07.640 to come and who is able to help others along 00:34:07.640 --> 00:34:11.559 through the process of life. That's God's purpose. 00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:15.320 He says if you don't know how to respond to your 00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:19.099 trials, then ask God for wisdom and he will show 00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:22.519 you how to respond so that God's purpose will 00:34:22.519 --> 00:34:24.440 be accomplished. That's a great promise, isn't 00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:28.920 it? That's a great purpose. I thank God for James' 00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:33.079 insight into this. My friend, God is working 00:34:33.079 --> 00:34:40.869 in your life so that every grace, of Jesus Christ 00:34:40.869 --> 00:34:46.309 may be in you and brought to maturity. We're 00:34:46.309 --> 00:34:49.170 close to Hebrews 12, so turn back a page or two 00:34:49.170 --> 00:34:55.550 and look at verses 10 and 11. These verses are 00:34:55.550 --> 00:34:59.550 about discipline. He compares the discipline 00:34:59.550 --> 00:35:03.949 of God to that of our earthly fathers. We earthly 00:35:03.949 --> 00:35:06.610 parents can learn a lot by reading these verses. 00:35:07.820 --> 00:35:10.880 But he says in verse 10, For they, our parents, 00:35:11.139 --> 00:35:17.480 our fathers, for they disciplined us for a short 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:24.559 time as seemed best to them. But he, God, disciplines 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:29.960 us for our good that we may share his holiness. 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:34.780 You see, God is perfecting us. God is maturing. 00:35:34.780 --> 00:35:38.989 He is purifying us. Verse 11, all discipline 00:35:38.989 --> 00:35:43.670 for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful. 00:35:44.510 --> 00:35:49.010 Yet to those who have been trained by it, there's 00:35:49.010 --> 00:35:55.250 the process, patience, approvedness. For those 00:35:55.250 --> 00:35:58.349 who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields 00:35:58.349 --> 00:36:05.030 the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Can you 00:36:05.030 --> 00:36:07.590 believe this morning that God is working through 00:36:07.590 --> 00:36:13.650 your troubles? Will you believe it? Will you 00:36:13.650 --> 00:36:18.570 count on that as a fact? Remember this basic 00:36:18.570 --> 00:36:23.489 principle, that power is produced through pressures. 00:36:26.170 --> 00:36:30.550 Consider the steam locomotive. As the pressure 00:36:30.550 --> 00:36:34.179 builds up in that boiler, power is produced so 00:36:34.179 --> 00:36:38.239 the train can move. The same is true of the hydroelectric 00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:44.280 dam. The pressure of millions of tons of water 00:36:44.280 --> 00:36:47.659 come against that dam and all that pressure is 00:36:47.659 --> 00:36:53.960 channeled through a few turbines resulting in 00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:59.360 electricity power. Dear friend, all of that... 00:36:59.639 --> 00:37:02.500 that God is bringing into your life. Maybe it's 00:37:02.500 --> 00:37:04.400 the pressure of going through some stretching 00:37:04.400 --> 00:37:07.199 right now as you take on some new responsibilities. 00:37:09.300 --> 00:37:13.039 Maybe it is the pressure of affliction or the 00:37:13.039 --> 00:37:16.619 pressure of physical uncertainty because of an 00:37:16.619 --> 00:37:20.159 illness. Whatever that pressure is, remember 00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:23.599 the more intense it becomes, the more powerful 00:37:23.599 --> 00:37:28.630 you potentially become in God's service. That's 00:37:28.630 --> 00:37:33.030 why we need to rejoice, rejoice in our troubles. 00:37:34.469 --> 00:37:36.989 Oh, we would much rather have a lot of power 00:37:36.989 --> 00:37:40.230 without going through troubles, but such is not 00:37:40.230 --> 00:37:49.489 the case. Pressure produces results. The result 00:37:49.489 --> 00:37:56.809 is power. The brook would lose its song if the 00:37:56.809 --> 00:38:01.059 rocks removed from it. So thank God for the rocks 00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:03.840 that you're brushing up against this morning 00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:07.019 as you go down the stream of life. And listen 00:38:07.019 --> 00:38:10.739 to the music of it because what it is saying 00:38:10.739 --> 00:38:16.639 is you are a child of God because you've trusted 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:21.239 his son. And these troubles, these tribulations 00:38:21.239 --> 00:38:25.960 that you're brushing and bumping against are 00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:30.300 simply proof that you're his child. God is working 00:38:30.300 --> 00:38:38.099 in you. Rejoice. Is your attitude today one of 00:38:38.099 --> 00:38:43.199 resistance or rebellion, griping and complaining 00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:45.599 at God because of what he's allowed to come and 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:52.090 stop it? Realize that is a sinful response. And 00:38:52.090 --> 00:38:54.150 thank God for the blessing of justification, 00:38:54.269 --> 00:38:58.170 which is God working in you through your tribulations. 00:39:00.630 --> 00:39:10.670 Let's pray. With our heads bowed and our eyes 00:39:10.670 --> 00:39:16.730 closed, and as the Spirit of God brings to the 00:39:16.730 --> 00:39:19.070 point His working in our hearts this morning, 00:39:21.039 --> 00:39:23.340 I wonder how many Christians there are here who 00:39:23.340 --> 00:39:27.579 by an uplifted hand would say, Pastor, I am going 00:39:27.579 --> 00:39:36.500 through troubles. I am facing tribulations. Perhaps 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:41.519 these are such severe tribulations that you never 00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:43.380 thought you would have to go through them. Maybe 00:39:43.380 --> 00:39:45.280 it's more pressure than you've ever faced in 00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:48.829 all of your life. Dear child of God, will you 00:39:48.829 --> 00:39:50.969 understand that God is working through them? 00:39:51.989 --> 00:39:56.050 Will you believe that? Will you allow him to 00:39:56.050 --> 00:40:00.789 produce power in your life? You say you're weak? 00:40:01.630 --> 00:40:04.090 Well, it's in weakness that his strength is made 00:40:04.090 --> 00:40:08.429 perfect. By an uplifted hand, will you say, Pastor, 00:40:08.550 --> 00:40:10.230 I'm going through those troubles, and by the 00:40:10.230 --> 00:40:14.210 grace of God, my uplifted hand means that I am 00:40:14.210 --> 00:40:18.179 trusting the Lord? to accomplish his purpose 00:40:18.179 --> 00:40:21.900 in my life. This uplifted hand means that I am 00:40:21.900 --> 00:40:24.780 believing him to be working in my life this minute. 00:40:26.980 --> 00:40:30.920 I am thanking him. I purpose, I determine to 00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:35.960 enjoy my trials so that God can equip me and 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:40.300 perfect me and mature me. I see a number of hands. 00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:46.429 Will you join them? Yes. It's a great testimony. 00:40:47.789 --> 00:40:52.269 Thank God for that. Perhaps as a Christian here, 00:40:52.329 --> 00:40:54.650 I would say quite honestly, you know, I'm going 00:40:54.650 --> 00:40:56.889 through it too, but I am not at the point yet 00:40:56.889 --> 00:41:01.789 where I can say, thank you, Father. There is 00:41:01.789 --> 00:41:05.670 in me anger and bitterness at God. I'm not proud 00:41:05.670 --> 00:41:11.530 of it. I don't like it, but it's there. And I'm 00:41:11.530 --> 00:41:14.070 not yet ready to deal with that, but I want prayer. 00:41:17.219 --> 00:41:20.079 Would you, by uplifted hands, say, Pastor, pray 00:41:20.079 --> 00:41:24.300 for me? I'm not ready to deal with it yet, but 00:41:24.300 --> 00:41:27.219 I sense the Spirit of God is working, and I need 00:41:27.219 --> 00:41:30.460 prayer today. Will you lift your hand honestly? 00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:33.440 I'm not going to point you out or embarrass you, 00:41:33.460 --> 00:41:36.159 but I would like to know for whom I'm praying. 00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:44.570 Could I pray with you? It may be that you're 00:41:44.570 --> 00:41:47.150 not a child of God at all. Dear friend, the tribulations 00:41:47.150 --> 00:41:50.309 and troubles you're going through may well be 00:41:50.309 --> 00:41:52.489 the working of God to try to get you to focus 00:41:52.489 --> 00:41:57.170 on your soul's needs. The greatest need that 00:41:57.170 --> 00:42:01.210 any of us has in this world is to be justified 00:42:01.210 --> 00:42:05.090 in the sight of God, to be right with God. The 00:42:05.090 --> 00:42:07.030 only way we can be right with God is through 00:42:07.030 --> 00:42:12.280 faith in his Son. Will you receive Jesus Christ 00:42:12.280 --> 00:42:16.980 as your Savior today? Will you trust him alone 00:42:16.980 --> 00:42:21.860 for your salvation, Father? Lord, I pray that 00:42:21.860 --> 00:42:24.980 you will bring to fruition your working in our 00:42:24.980 --> 00:42:28.420 lives. For those who need to be saved, may they 00:42:28.420 --> 00:42:31.019 trust the Savior today. For the children of God 00:42:31.019 --> 00:42:34.960 who are desiring to step out by faith and to 00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:38.420 conquer, to be an over -conqueror in this time 00:42:38.420 --> 00:42:41.760 of tribulation, The child of God who is determined 00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:45.719 today to rejoice in the tribulation, give strength 00:42:45.719 --> 00:42:50.420 and victory, we pray. For those children of yours 00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:54.219 who are struggling and inside are unwilling to 00:42:54.219 --> 00:42:57.900 yield to your lordship, oh, I pray that today 00:42:57.900 --> 00:43:01.900 they will nonetheless give over all that they 00:43:01.900 --> 00:43:07.599 are to you. Work in our lives and bring us to 00:43:07.599 --> 00:43:10.510 those decisions we need to make. that we may 00:43:10.510 --> 00:43:13.030 walk obediently and faithfully in Jesus' name. 00:43:13.150 --> 00:43:20.110 Amen. I'd like for us to close by singing number 00:43:20.110 --> 00:43:27.929 326. And if today there is a spiritual decision 00:43:27.929 --> 00:43:31.130 that you would like to make public, perhaps a 00:43:31.130 --> 00:43:34.329 decision for membership or baptism, perhaps you 00:43:34.329 --> 00:43:36.530 want to come today to trust the Lord Jesus Christ 00:43:36.530 --> 00:43:38.750 as your Savior and openly confess that before 00:43:38.750 --> 00:43:41.880 men. Maybe as a child of God you want to come 00:43:41.880 --> 00:43:45.340 and say, I've been out of God's will and today 00:43:45.340 --> 00:43:47.539 I'm repenting of where I've been and I'm turning 00:43:47.539 --> 00:43:51.099 to the Lord and I want to confess it and let 00:43:51.099 --> 00:43:53.179 God's people know that I'm in business with the 00:43:53.179 --> 00:43:57.300 Lord. I'm going to walk with Him. The Spirit 00:43:57.300 --> 00:44:00.440 of God is urging you within and we know when 00:44:00.440 --> 00:44:05.019 He is that we urge you and invite you to come 00:44:05.019 --> 00:44:10.679 as we sing this great hymn, 327. Children of 00:44:10.679 --> 00:44:14.199 the Heavenly Father, safely in his bosom gather. 00:44:14.440 --> 00:44:17.860 A great hymn of comfort. Let's stand and sing 00:44:17.860 --> 00:44:18.800 it as we close.