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Speaker 1Alright. Good morning, everybody. Thank you all for just for waiting. My my clock actually quit. That clock never quits.
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It just keeps on going. But if y'all would stand, we're going to sing together. How about since Jesus came into my heart and I'm going to invite all at random. No, not really. Jake Humphrey.
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Is Jake in the, Jake in the room? There he is. Yeah. Jake, would you come sing with me? Scott Humphrey had a very sore throat, came to the first service this morning.
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So, you're on. You're on since Jesus came into my heart. Go for it. Filling That sound good this morning. How about now I belong to Jesus?
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Hymn number five zero one. There's the music if you Y'all can have a seat. Thank you. And I have a few announcements this morning. Monday nights at First B are happening tomorrow night, Monday night.
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It's happening at 06:00. We say 06:15. It's a soft start. If you show up anytime in between 05:45 and 06:15, you'll be fine. We start eating somewhere around 06:00.
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We have meal first then music. The band from the 09:00 service is also the Monday night band and then we'll have a message. It'll be from James one chapter one from Carl. Do you have anything else to add, Carl? Okay, the sermon is kinda kinda dovetailing perfectly.
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First Peter and James are they're very much alike. So, it's really good. Awana is also happening at the same time. So, 06:00 tomorrow, they're they're better with time than we are but 06:00 starting in this room right here, Awana Circle for game time. We have downstairs council time.
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We have different classes, Cubbies, Sparkies, and Truth and Trainers because kids matter to God and we're pouring scripture into the minds to reach the hearts of this younger generation that are coming up. So, Awana is a great Monday night activity for the whole community. Youth group happens Tuesday night, 06:30 to eight. That's with Mike Demetrius and if you have a teenager or if you know a teenager, take down that number. (307) 690-4090 is Mike's number.
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And if you need to get in touch with him about what's going on with the teens, you can. He he said put it out there. I want everybody to know. Everybody to call and everybody to text. If you have something, please do.
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So, there you go. 06:30 to eight youth group. On Tuesdays, men's fraternity. Every Wednesday at 6AM. Starts this Wednesday is the first Wednesday.
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So, if you get in on the on this, that's a man who works the night shift right there. 6AM is a little early for you, isn't it, Florine? But men's fraternities, every Wednesday starting this Wednesday at 6AM. There is a packing party coming up on November 8 for Operation Christmas Child. If you looked out in the foyer, there are some shoe boxes that are already ready.
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The boxes are due back here by November 18. So if you wanna take a box and stuff it yourself or make up your own box, that's fine. Bring them back by November 18. You can talk to either Casey McCooey or Nick Starran, and Nick is working in our office these days. So to call him, you can actually go on the website and see a link there to know more about what needs to happen with Operation Christmas Child.
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Do you all know what that is? Samaritan's Purse is a ministry. They take these things all over the world. So November 18 may seem like it's a little early for Christmas, but it's not. It's we're sending these things to the ends of the earth.
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So it's a good thing to have them back by that time. You can look in your paper bulletin for information about all the different Bible studies and we've gotten em going on at all different times and all different places all over this valley and the valley on the other side of the hill. So, check-in to that and that would be good. If there's any other announcements or prayer requests, you can check-in your bulletin and they'll be in there. Anybody have anything else to add?
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I said that this morning and a fellow got up and I think he was making fun of me but I'm not sure. So, I'm going to limit that next time. Alright. I think that's it. You all had enough.
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Speak now forever. Hold your peace. That's it. If you would, just stand up and greet one another and we'll bring you back together with the next song. Jake will join me up here.
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I think we have another one. I think I know a different version of this song than y'all know but y'all go ahead and sing it the way you know it, okay? Don't try to follow mine. Maybe I'll sing it the way you know it. How about that?
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And y'all follow me. Okay. It's going to take a minute. I know this. How about this?
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Let's try again. That was almost an amen right there. Thank you, Judy. We had half the song written down in front of us and when I found where we were, I missed it. Do y'all know this song this way though?
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Y'all come on forward for the the offering team. Come on.
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Speaker 3For the frontline team but do y'all know the precious lord take my hand lead me on and let me stand for I am tired I am weak and I'm worn through the storm through the night lead me on to your light take my hand precious lord and lead me home
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Speaker 1Lord God, would you bless this morning? I pray that you'd bless others through us, that you would spread your good gospel through the people that are gathered here in your name this morning. Lord, I pray that we would absorb, we would absorb, absorb your truth and your word and that we would ring ourselves out this week and spread that kind of joy and that kind of truth and that kind of love that would set people free. I pray lord that you would take us by the hand. You would draw us to your light that we would be able to rejoice lord through the difficulty.
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I pray that you would take our lives and consecrate them for your service and lord that other would others would be blessed. May you reflect your love and your light through your people onto those around us who are struggling, lost, and don't even know. Jesus name, amen. Phone not on? It is now.
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Okay. Thank you. Sorry. If I had to list what this is about, this comes straight from the text. And I think that this is more encouragement from Peter for us to entrust our souls to a faithful creator.
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Entrusting your soul to a faithful creator in doing what is right. This is the way this closes out. The end of chapter four is an encouragement to do that. Now, I've listened this week after I got through with my own study. I listened about three or four other pastors about what they thought and one of them had six points from the text of why we can continue in suffering and I thought that was really really good.
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That's John Piper. If you want to hear him, he's got six points there. Francis Chan, I'll listen to one from him and it is so so good and so personal. There are a lot of good sermons on this passage. You can look them up.
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I just wanna read it to you because I think the passage itself is amazing. It starts off like this. Beloved. Oh, isn't that comfortable That Peter, the great apostle. Peter, the leader of the band, leader of the disciples, right?
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The the first one, the impetuous one, the one that bid me come. If it's you and he jumps out of the boat, then he starts sink and then Jesus lifts him up. There are a lot of stories about Peter. The one that wants to protect Christ and says, he'll never deny him and he draws out the sword and lops off a guy's ear in the garden. Night Jesus was betrayed, right?
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After the whole upper room discourse. The guy who denied Christ three times the last time with a curse around the coal burning fire but Jesus restored Peter and he told him, you know, Satan before this, he told us, told him, don't say that, Peter. You don't need to say that, that you'll never, that everyone will turn back, but I never will. Three times, Peter, you're gonna do it before the rooster crows. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.
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Satan has asked to test you. Satan has asked to tempt you. But I've prayed for you and after it's all over, you're going be useful to me and this guy, soft and restored. Jesus restores him on the beach and he says, feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my lambs, right? And he's calling y'all beloved.
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Oh, that is so beautiful. You you expect it from John, right? The beloved disciple. You expect it from John. But Peter, he's such a soft, soft turn.
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Now we we went through this last week. I'm going to ramp up to this week's text by going over last week's. The end of all things is near. There was a great persecution that was going on in the Roman Empire, especially in Rome, but it was getting further and further out, and this letter was written to Christians in the furtherest points of the Asian part of the Roman Empire. The end of all things is near.
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It's looking pretty cataclysmic. Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober for the purpose of prayer. He's saying much along the same lines that James does. He says, look at yourself intently and see where you stand. See who you are.
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See how you are. Be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another because love covers a multitude of sins and be hospitable. That word hospitable, loving strangers, be hospitable to one another. At this time, Christians were being put out of their homes, and so other Christians were receiving them.
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Some of those who are being driven from Rome probably would end up in some of these Asian province as he's writing to and he's saying, be hospitable, a lover of outsiders to and be hospitable towards one another believers without any rumbling. Don't get snooze. Rumbling. Just as each one of you has received a special gift, be employing it and serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. The word manifold right there is variegated.
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Variegated meaning that I don't know much about plants. I'm in fact, I'm I'm better with manifolds. I'm really good with automotive stuff. It goes in in one place and then it is spread out in a manifold, but variegated plants are ones that have a very dark and a very light leaf usually, and there are variations between there. So it's a spectrum.
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As good stewards of the variegated graces of God. There may be a grace that you have that someone else does not have. He's saying be employing all of these in order for God to be... God's purposes to be furthered. Whoever speaks, they're to do so as one who is speaking the very utterances of God, and whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies.
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And here's the so that. So that in all things, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. I just went through a discovery class. Actually, that's why I was late. I was going through a discovery class in my office and we're having amen moments one after another and we just went on into your time.
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The chief end of man is to love God, to glorify him forever. Glorify God. Through in all things through Jesus Christ whom belongs to glory and dominion forever and ever and then right in the middle of a chapter, Peter goes, amen. He just it's just an exclamation. Amen.
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And then we get to our passage today. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fire fiery ordeal among you. So, you're followers of Jesus, right? And you're receiving this letter. You're receiving it this morning.
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You're a follower of Jesus. Don't be surprised if you're going through it. If you're going through hard times, they crucified the guy you're following. Do you understand that? They mocked him and scorned him and beat him and ran him out of town.
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The religious folk did it. The government had a hand in it. So don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing. Now tomorrow night, Carl's gonna be in James, and he's gonna hit this same word for testing. It's either testing, trial, or temptation.
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That's the way that it's translated in the Bible. It's testing, trial, or temptation. And it depends on context as to which way you go. I'm gonna let Carl have his... We talked about it.
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He was standing outside of my window yesterday in my office, and we talked about it for thirty minutes because it's amazing how this word works. And he says, it comes upon you for your testing. Now in James, he says, don't let any of you say that you're tempted by God because you're not tempted by God but just like, just like Jesus said to Peter, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. It's a test. It's a filter.
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It's a trial. It's a temptation. But when it is past, when it is over, I will... You'll be useful too. So, your fiery ordeals, whether you come through them with flying colors or you failed them, God's at work.
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They come upon you for your testing. Now the fiery trial and the testing, this this alludes to a lot of different places in scripture, and some of the places that it goes are about refiner's fire, the refiner's fire. I have never done jewelry work before where you deal with gold or silver. I was an art major. That comes up from time to time.
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But I was a sculpture major. I have a couple of pieces in my office that I did when I was making sculpture. And when you're making stuff out of bronze, that's the medium that we use with silicon bronze. It pours really, really nice. Nicely.
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It's smooth. It's pretty easy, kinda creamy and buttery. I've done several different metals, and that's the one that I like the best. But since you're throwing all the metal into the pot, it goes into the crucible and you're testing it. Extreme heat and metal will do what they do.
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Metal is going to melt under extreme heat, and then the impurities, all the junk, will rise to the top. When you put it to the fire, it'll rise to the top. Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing. Are you with me? So the refiner's fire.
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Tomorrow night, Carl actually, there he is right there. James, Monday nights at first be another little commercial. He's in James 1 and he's going to share the testing and trial from a different perspective, think. But it's right here you see he did this last week. Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
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The testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing. Now when we're pouring that bronze, it needs to be pure. Does that make sense? Needs to be pure.
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So all that junk that comes up is testing and it's not bronze. Okay? It's junk. It can be anything. I had a spark plug show up one time.
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It came to the top. How that got in the middle of a lump of old bronze, I don't know. But things will float to the top, and when they float to the top, they have to be dealt with. And sin in our life, if you're under extreme pressure and extreme heat, it will come to the top and you'll see it. And it has to be dealt with.
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I'm gonna keep on going forward here. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing. It's a process that you're in. It's a refiner's fire that you're in. Knowing that it is a refiner's fire helps a little bit.
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Do you agree? It helps to know that it's not forever. We've got an incorruptible hope that we're looking forward to, but in this process of the refiner's fire, stuff rises to the top, and it's stuff that we don't want in here. God doesn't want it in here either, and so he's bringing it to the top, bringing it to the surface. So pouring bronze, let's say we're gonna pour a bell.
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Alright? We're trying to make a bell out of bronze. And we have our mold over here and it has an interior void that looks like a bell, and that's great. That's wonderful. All we have to do is pour into it this pure metal, but when we start heating up, we see that all this crud, dross, rises to the top, and as it rises to the top, it has to be dealt with.
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When it gets up here, what we have is like a ladle that looks kinda like a soup spoon. It's about this big around, has holes all in it. It's kind of something you would dip green beans with, You know, something that the juice would come out of, but it's a lot better built, lot heavier built. It's about this big and you take that and you scoop the top and you sling it. Over here, what we do is just sling it on a concrete floor.
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There's a mechanism that God has made, and it's Jesus Christ, his precious death of his precious son on Calvary. And he says in first John one nine that if you'll confess your sins, I'm faithful and just to be forgiving your sins and cleansing you from all unrighteousness. He's made a way for dealing with the stuff that comes up. When you realize that you have sinned in your life and it's surfaced, then go to it and say, God, forgive me and you know what he says? When you ask for forgiveness, he says, I will throw it into the sea of forgetfulness and remember it no more.
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He didn't even have to sweep up the shop the next day, okay? We had to sweep the dross off the floor the next day after it was cold. He'll throw it in the sea of forgetfulness, remember it no more. He will throw it as far as the east is from the West and remember it no more. God has made a way for dealing with past sins, and he's given us the Holy Spirit in our lives for those who have trusted in him.
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He's given the Holy Spirit in our lives to go forward with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to be able to resist even under suffering, even under temper, even under testing, we can keep on rejoicing so that also at the revealing of his glory, the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation. Humble yourselves now and let God exalt you later. So first Peter one six, he has already told us this. In this, you greatly rejoice even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. That sounds almost exactly like the first couple of verses of James, first four verses of James.
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These books are fifteen years apart. James was writing from Jerusalem to brothers who had been sent out from Jerusalem, and it's a diaspora letter. Fifteen years later, Peter is writing from Rome to people who have been flung out from Rome under persecution. In this, you greatly rejoice. Even now, for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various variegated trials of different stripes.
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So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, here's that reference again about the refiner's fire. Even though tested by fire, it may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revealing of Jesus Christ. We just saw that. Keep on rejoicing, so that at the revealing of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation at the revelation of Jesus Christ. There is a time coming when God will make all things right.
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If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Have been people... Have people been rejecting and mocking God forever? Yeah. They have.
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It is the general bent of the human heart to do so and people will bring up the problem of evil and think that they can argue a Christian into a corner. If God's all powerful and he's all caring and all loving, then, why don't he do something? They bring that up and they mock and they scorn him still and if they're mocking and scorning you, if you're reviled for the name of Christ, then you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Does that sound like anybody else that we know? In Matthew five, Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, blessed are you when people insult you and they persecute you and they falsely say all kind of evil against you because of me.
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That's almost exactly what Peter just said. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you're blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rest on you. Make sure that none of you suffers. This whole letter has been about suffering. It's come up like nine times, 10 times probably already.
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Almost every sermon has been about suffering. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief or an evildoer or a troublesome meddler. What he's saying here is, don't let it be on you. Okay? If you're gonna suffer, let it be because you have allied yourself so strongly with Christ, and you have followed him in word and deed so much so that they treat you like they treated him.
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Let it be because of doing good and not because of doing bad. If you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer, or even as a gossip, a troublesome meddler, then you get what you deserve. Does that make sense? If you are gonna speak out of both sides of your mouth and be two faced, it's going to come back and bite you. Okay?
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Are are you with me there? I could probably hammer murder and thief, and it wouldn't bother, but evildoer is vague, and it's possible for all of us to do evil. And you know what? Jesus expanded definition of murderer and adulterer, which is evildoer, by the way, someone who hates his brother in his heart, someone who has already lusted after a woman, has committed adultery in his heart, Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a troublesome meddler. Sorry.
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After the first service, somebody came forward and said, you need to hit that troublesome meddler thing harder. Okay. I just did. Alright? Take that to heart.
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Gossip is not good. It's in all the list with all the things that we know are bad and we fight out against society. We don't have gossip riot parades. Okay? Amen.
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Don't
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Speaker 3be
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Speaker 1a troublesome meddler. If you do, then expect to suffer. Expect to suffer not just from man but from God. Oh my goodness. If you watch anything on television, any movies, any sitcoms, anything, there's a whole lot of troublesome meddling going on all the time, ain't it?
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An evil doing, it seems to be glorified. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer or a thief or an evil doer or a troublesome meddler. Jesus covered this in one word. He said, blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Now these original guys in the first century, they were under a charge of cannibalism because they ate Jesus' flesh.
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They were under a charge of atheism because they wouldn't worship the emperor or because they weren't worship the gods of Rome and they were blamed for all the pestilence and all of the plagues and anything that bad that happened, they blamed. The Christians down to Nero setting Rome on fire and then blaming the Christians for it. Jesus is blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great. Peter goes on, but if anyone suffers as a Christian, so not for murder and thieving, evil doing, or meddling.
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If anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. That is our purpose. We are to glorify God. We're to lift him up. We're to make his name great.
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Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great. For in the same way that they persecuted the prophets who were before you. I've got a list here from Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, such a great thing. I'm not gonna read it all, but I'm gonna read a little bit of it.
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Just the by faith part. Because we believe, we walk by faith and not by sight. Right? So we're not always gonna see the end from the beginning. There is an incorruptible hope.
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He described it somewhat, but in the middle, we're gonna see ourselves in suffering and difficulty. Eleven one says, now faith is the assurance of things that are hoped for, the conviction of things that are not yet seen, and by it, by faith, the men of old gained approval. By faith, we understand that worlds were prepared by the word of God. By faith, Abraham, verse eight, I think. By faith, even Sarah, verse 11, verse 13, all of these died in faith without receiving the promises but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles.
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This book, as well as James, were written to strangers and exiles, aliens. By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, set two again, translation, same word, for testing or trial or temptation. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. By faith, Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph. By faith, Moses, when he was born and was hidden by faith.
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When he had grown up, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. By faith, he left Egypt. By faith, he kept the Passover. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down.
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By faith, Rahab, the harlot, did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies in peace. This the main part of what I wanted to say is, and what more shall I say for time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of the fire, escaped the edge of the sword. From weakness, they were made strong. They became mighty in war. They put foreign armies to flight.
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Women received back their dead by resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting their release. They were suffering. Does that make sense? Suffering unrighteously. Not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection and others experienced mockings and scourgings.
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Yes, also chains and imprisonments and these were the prophets who were before you. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with a sword, they were went about in sheep's skins, goat's skins, and being destitute and afflicted and ill treated, men of whom the world was not worthy, wandering in the deserts, the mountains, the caves, and the holes in the ground, and all of these having gained approval through their faith. They did not receive what was promised here on earth. That makes sense? He's saying there's a a history and a tradition of this.
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That those who have been true and faithful to God have suffered throughout history and you're part of that land. If anyone of you suffers as a Christian, don't be ashamed of that But to glorify God in this name for it is time for judgement to begin with the household of God. Now, at the beginning of this in verse 12, he says, alright, above that even up six seven, it says, for us to be of sober judgment or of sound mind and be sober. It's time for judgement to begin within the household of God. When I was talking about the refiner's fire and that junk that comes to the top.
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If you put yourself in the heat of applying God's word to your life, the dross will rise. It will. The truth of God will convict of sin. That's what it does. It will convince of God's righteousness and it will surface a lot of junk And as you scoop or as God scoops would be even better put because he's the one throwing it into the sea of forgetfulness and remembering it no more, as he scoops off that dross, there will be a greater and greater purity.
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Let's say we're going back to our bell illustration. That bell is gonna ring a gong for God's glory. If you did not scoop the dross off the top of your crucible, it's hot and all that stuff has come to the surface and it's all there floating around junky, junky yuck. And you go to fill up that bell, which needs a purity of material, a nobility of material in order to sound that gong purely. If you fill that bell with all that junky nonsense, what happens?
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The sound is going to be terrible. It's not going to ring true. It's not going to ring the same. And eventually, actually, it will break. The reason that you want the purity is also so that it has it goes on and on.
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So it's time for judgment to begin within the household of God. Do you all know that accountability groups and small groups are really, really, really helpful for helping you allow God to take the dross off the top of the crucible that is your life? Does that make sense? When you get together with other people who struggle, specifically people who struggle in the same area as you, it helps. It really helps for you to be able to allow God to do what he does.
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You know, the 12 steps, the first four are like this. I can't, God can, I'm going to let him and here is all the junk. Okay, that's that's abbreviated but that's what it is. I can't, God can, I'm going to let him and here's the junk. And he will take care of it.
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It's time for judgment to begin within the household of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? So Peter is, every time he says obeying the gospel of God is accepting the gospel for what it is, the only way out. The only way to have an incorruptible hope and be bound for heaven above is to renounce the world's way, whatever way that is. There's only one way out, and that's the blood of Christ.
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So for those who obey the gospel of God, the message of the cross. They're saved, but what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Well, they're eternally separated from God. I mean, choosing throughout your whole life to reject him, reject him, reject him, and then finding that you have rejected him and you spend the rest of eternity without him, that is eternal punishment, torment, hell. When there is a offer, an offer of heaven, there's an offer of sanctification, there's an offer of consecration and help.
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If it is with difficulty that the righteous one is saved, then what will become of the godless man and the sinner? So first of all, was it difficult? Was it with difficulty that you were saved? The Bible describes it as being great difficulty. I mean, God, man, Jesus Christ came and he lived a perfect life.
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That's no small feat. He was tempted in every way just as we are tempted yet he was without sin. And then, when he started his ministry, he was blasted from the opening sermon. He had to sneak out from amongst their midst. They were trying to kill him and throw him off a Nazareth his ridge after his first sermon.
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And then it escalated for three years. And then they crucified him. Don't be surprised about the fiery trial in your own life if you're following a guy who was crucified. It was incredibly difficult. I think sometimes we lessen that.
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We go, well, he was God. No big deal. He just got through it. No. He held full humanity and he had the choice the whole way through.
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And he was without sin. He humbled himself and because he humbled himself to death, even death on the cross, therefore, God exalted him. So, suffering and vindication is shown in Jesus' life. The suffering that we shouldn't skip over. He suffered so that we would not have to suffer.
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If it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved. And then he goes on to say, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Well, they will be eternally separated from God. I think that this is a call for greater evangelism and greater purpose in our own lives to say, you know what? God still...
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People matter to God. Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God, Health and wealth pastors and the prosperity gospel has to just blot this verse out because they say it's not God's will that you would suffer. Well, it most certainly is. There is a suffering that is God's will. Peter covers it over and over and over.
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He says it. For those also who suffer according to the will of God. He said in 02/21 through 23. Listen to this, for you have been called for this purpose and since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. He expects that there will be suffering in your life.
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He who committed no sin nor was any deceit found in his mouth, and while being reviled, he did not revile in return, and while suffering, he uttered no threats, but he kept on entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. There is one that we have to answer to. You may be unpopular because of what you say or because of what you believe, but there's one that you have to answer to ultimately. Keep entrusting yourself to him. Those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right.
48:22
I've got a couple of things. Old Testament example. I don't always do an Old Testament example. I I used to have a pastor that he he gave a New Testament message with an Old Testament example every single week, which is good, and I like it. I'm gonna read an Old Testament one.
48:37
I listened to a sermon again yesterday that I have listened to probably 20 times, maybe 21 times. I'm gonna read the first part of it. Try not to go to sleep. Okay. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was 60 cubits and the width was six cubits, and he set it up on the plan on the Plain Of Dura in the province of Babylon.
49:03
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of that image which the king had set up. It says, by this point it's already said Nebuchadnezzar like three or four times. Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the province were assembled for the dedication of that image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, and they stood before the image of Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And then the herald loudly proclaimed, to you the command is given, o peoples, nations of men of every language, that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.
50:05
Therefore, at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the psaltery, the bagpipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations of men of every language fell down, and they worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. For this reason, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews. They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live forever. You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, tragons, psaltery, and bagpipes, and all kinds of music is to fall down and worship the golden image. But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a fiery ordeal.
50:46
Okay. Blazing fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This is Daniel three. These men, oh king, have disregarded you.
51:00
They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, is it true Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the psaltery, and the backpipe, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made very well, but if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire, a fiery ordeal. And what small g God is there who can deliver you out of my hands?
51:50
And then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, actually, Blake, would you play the clip from the sermon I listened to yesterday? It was Martin Luther King.
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Speaker 2To the king, O Nebuchadnezzar. Yeah. We are not careful to answer thee in this manner. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy God.
52:50
Now, worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
53:00
Speaker 1Thank you, Blake.
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Speaker 2Now, I want you to
53:04
Speaker 1The sermon's great. It's called But If Not. You can Google it, But If Not, and it's actually a really, really good sermon. He's talking about civil disobedience. Little...
53:12
Going by what God says rather than what man has said. I'm gonna go ahead and read on down in the story. Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath and his facial expression, his countenance was altered towards Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and he answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. Now these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps, and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.
53:52
For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace has been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, fell into the midst of the furnace, a blazing fire still tied up. Nebuchadnezzar was astounded and stood up in haste, and he said to his high officials, was it not three men that we cast and bound into the midst of the fire? And their reply to the king, well, certainly, oh king. And he said, look, I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
54:32
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace ablazing fire, and he responded and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come out, you servants of the most high, capital g, God. So their obedience in the face of extreme suffering and persecution, martyred them even, possibly, he said, did you hear Martin Luther King say, our God will deliver us? They knew he would deliver them either through life or through death, but they would be delivered. They were delivered from his hand either way. So Nebuchadnezzar, this pagan, just said, servants of the most high capital g God, and come here.
55:10
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire. The satraps, prefects, and governors, and high kings, officials gathered around and saw it in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on their bodies, and nor was the hair of their hair head even singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of smoke even come upon them. And Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. What you do in your time of trial makes a difference for the people looking on. He sent his angel and delivered his servants who put their trust in him, violating the king's command and yielding up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own, capital g, God.
55:54
Therefore, I make a decree that any people or nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive about the God, capital g, of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to rubbish Inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way, then the king called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to prosper in the province of Babylon. But you know what? But if not, they would have still held their ground. That's what I'm praying for you. That's what I'm praying for me.
56:23
That's what I want for us to be able to do is to reflect God's truth, reflect his light, and do so in a way that is welcoming to the people who are looking for God. It will be offensive to those who just don't care. Would you all stand with me and Judy, would you come forward? Jake, if you want to come on up. We'll sing the closing song.
56:44
The altar is always open for prayer. Today, the theme of the invitation song is take my life and lead me, Lord. Would you direct me and I'll walk the way you direct? You've given me the power to walk in it. So the altar is open.
56:58
If you want to come and just pray, make a walk down here, you're welcome to do that. If you want to ask me to pray for you for something specific, I'll stop singing and let Jake lead but we're specifically singing out loud, the Lord, take my life and lead you. Altar is open. Amen. For our benediction today, these these books are very similar.
59:03
It's a great one two punch to hear this on Sunday morning and that tomorrow night. James one twelve says this, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. He equates loving him with standing fast. In Jesus name, lord, may we stand fast this week. Amen.
