Tag: Preaching

Wait, There’s More 

Isaiah 41:21-29 

I want to highlight a thought this morning that is repeated a few times in this section of Isaiah. 

The overall theme here is the restoration of Israel, primarily from the Babylonian Captivity. 

There are also many elements where it sees beyond that to the End Times, when Christ returns and the Jews turn to trust in Him. 

Our text this morning is one of my favorite things to read about in the Bible. 

That is when God starts taunting the worthless, powerless, lifeless idols that men so vainly trusted in. 

This chapter deals with the rise of Cyrus the Great of the Medo-Persian empire. 

This is well over a century before he was even born! 

The brutal Assyrians had disrupted that part of the world. 

The mighty Babylonians had defeated them and upset everything again. 

Oh, but those were nothing compared to what the Persians would do. 

They would rule a greater territory than the empires that came before until Alexander the Great defeated them. 

None of this was an accident. 

God was working through it all. 

God set up the Assyrians to defeat the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. 

God set up the Babylonians to defeat the Assyrians and to defeat the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. 

God set up the Persians to defeat the Babylonians and all the Jews to return home and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. 

How big is God? 

Big enough that the most powerful empires this world has ever seen are nothing by pawns He moves at His will. 

In our text, God is taunting the worthless idols of the nations. 

They could not stop what was coming. 

In vs. 21 God issues a challenge, sort of like we talked about last week. 

He says, “Present your case, you deaf and dumb idols!” 

He challenges them to do two things in vs. 22: 

First, display their record. 

What great things have they ever done? 

Second, reveal the future. 

What prophecy have they made that was actually true? 

You know what they could present as evidence of their power? 

Nothing. 

Now look in chapter 42. 

God says, “Here, I will present my own case:  Here is my record and here are my prophecies.” 

Isa 42:8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. 

Isa 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. 

Now look at chapter 43. 

God calls us to judge the records that are presented: 

Isa 43:9  Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. 

God appeals specifically to Israel, calling them to testify: 

Isa 43:10  Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 

Now God starts presenting His case: 

Isa 43:11  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. 

Isa 43:12  I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. 

Isa 43:13  Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it? 

Isa 43:14  Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships. 

Isa 43:15  I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. 

Now pay attention starting in vs. 16. 

Here God enters into evidence His track record – the former things that keep getting mentioned. 

Isa 43:16  Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 

Isa 43:17  Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. [wick] 

That is the Red Sea Crossing: the way in the sea, the path in the mighty waters, the snuffing out of the Egyptian army. 

Now look at this: 

Isa 43:18  Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 

Isa 43:19  Behold, I will do a new thing; … 

He says, “Did you like what I did back in Exodus?  Just wait, there’s more coming:” 

…now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

Isa 43:20  The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 

I must stop there for brevity’s sake. 

What God is saying is that the future deliverance of Israel would be greater than the Exodus. 

He is speaking of two things here, I think both are in view: 

Restoration of the Jews to the Promised Land after the Babylonian Captivity. 

A future restoration of the Jews in the Millennial Kingdom. 

There are a handful more references I could use, but I think by now I have laid a sufficient foundation for what I want to say this morning. 

I want to speak to our church family this morning. 

I want to call you to testify, so to speak. 

Let’s stop and look at the works of our mighty God. 

First, I want us to see the past and future of God’s work in our salvation. 

I mention it from time to time, and it is worth putting to memory 

The three tenses of salvation. 

I was saved from the penalty of sin. 

I am being saved from the power of sin. 

I will be saved from the presence of sin. 

Salvation may be a one-time for all-time transaction, but its effects continue on. 

God has saved me through the redemption of Christ’s blood. 

I was doomed to an eternity in hell, now I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

I will never face condemnation before God for my sins. 

They are cleansed and forgotten. 

They will not come up again. 

A million years into living in Heaven, God will not say, “I just remember that time…” 

Friends, there is no greater work of God than in saving a soul. 

If you need more than that to get excited or to be thankful, you need to check your heart. 

The fact God has saved and will forever keep me saved is the ultimate work of God and we will praise Him forever because of it. 

Second, let’s look at the past and future of what God is doing in our lives. 

We all have things in our past that we regret or that wish we could purge from our histories. 

Praise God, those do not have to be my future, too! 

God has brought me through a lot, and I know you can say the same, too. 

Sometimes I look at some of these young preachers coming along and think to myself, “They would never make it if they had to go through what I did!” 

You know what I have learned through all of that? 

I have learned to trust in God rather than man. 

I have seen practices and plans be tested and found wanting. 

I learned to love because God so graciously loved me. 

Do you know how many times I wanted to quit the ministry? 

I am ashamed how many times I had convinced myself that I needed to resign from this church. 

That’s all in the past and I needed to go through it. 

I hate to bring the Bible into this, but that is what Romans 8:28 is there for. 

I feel like in many areas I have come a long way from what I was, or at least through I was, when I graduated Bible college. 

You would not like that Matthew Gage, I am afraid. 

He could not preach or pastor like I do now. 

Unless you are sitting there thinking, “It can’t get any worse than this!” 

I promise you, it can. 

How about you? 

I hope we all can look back and see the great things God has done. 

We may not understand it all, but by faith we can see His unseen hand guiding and molding us. 

Third, I want to look at the past and present of our church. 

As I was studying these passages in Isaiah, this is where it really hit home for me. 

This October will make nine years that I have been here. 

I cannot speak much about things before then, but I have talked to those who were here and have seen evidence that God was working then. 

It is hard to believe looking back at all that has happened. 

I think of those who God saw fit to take home. 

I miss them dearly. 

Sometimes that will get you down, looking back like that. 

Then I have to tell myself to look ahead. 

I don’t know who will be sitting these pews a month from now or a year from now. 

But for every person the Lord has removed from our church, He seems to send two or three more. 

We could go on and on about the memories and the victories we have seen. 

But as I reminiscence and survey all that God has done in this church family, I also get to feeling like our best days are ahead of us.  

It’s like God is saying, “Just wait, there’s more coming.” 

Or to put that in language everyone can understand: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” 

Adoniram Judson, that great pioneer missionary, said this: “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” 

I would say we as a church have a lot to look forward to. 

I think I have told you this before, but I have said such things in the past and may not have really felt it. 

I think you call it vision casting – I wanted to people to start having hope so then we could see the hope. 

Folks, I am convinced the best days of Faith Baptist Church are ahead. 

We have sown a lot of seed in the past and there will be a harvest in the future. 

I do not believe we will have until wait to heaven to see that. 

God takes notice of churches that give generously to mission. 

He takes notice of churches that try to encourage others. 

He takes notice of churches that try to help their communities. 

He takes notice of churches that try to do things above board. 

He takes notice of churches that encourage Bible reading and prayer. 

He takes notice of churches that love one another as Christ loved us. 

He takes notice of churches that are willing to jump out and try something big. 

Another great missionary of the past, William Carey, said, “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” 

I am excited about what is around the corner for us. 

I am not foolish enough to think it will all be smooth sailing. 

The devil hates churches that make a difference. 

But this I know, with our Captain the Lord Jesus Christ at the wheel our journey and our destination will be a grand adventure. 

CONCLUSION 

• Like I said last week, put God to the test. 

• There is no peace, joy, hope, or victory but in Him. 

• Look at His track record and look at His promises – nothing can compare! 

• Do not just rest on yesterday’s victories, keep pressing on! 

• Listening to Civil War audio books, there are so many cases where if the victorious army had just pressed their advantage they might could have ended the war. 

• Do you know God’s forgiveness. 

Let Us Reason Together 

Isaiah 1:1-20 

I struggled with what to preach this morning, mainly because of my own stubbornness. 

Sometimes I will have a sermon idea that I dismiss because it is something that appeals to me but I fear it will not make a good message. 

That happened with this sermon. 

Isaiah 1:18 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. 

It just seemed too easy that it would be my text. 

So finally, earlier this morning I finally submitted to God and went ahead with it. 

You should always submit to God’s will. 

I would caution though that you should make sure it is God’s leading and not your own. 

I said of a preacher I knew once that he did not know the difference between God’s voice and his stomach growling. 

A lot of people make that mistake I am afraid. 

We are in the middle of Isaiah right now with the daily Bible reading. 

Chapters 14-18 were today’s assignment. 

I have wanted to do a deep dive into Isaiah for a few years. 

I am very much enjoying it, but these early chapters about judgement are making me work. 

Sometimes it is hard to tell which prophecies have already been fulfilled in the distant past and which will occur in the End Times. 

The first 35 chapters of Isaiah deal primarily with judgment and then chapters 36-39 are historical records concerning it. 

In chapter 1, the children of Israel are called to give account of themselves before the thrice-holy God. 

I love Isaiah’s writing style. 

He compares the wayward Jews to rebellious children and to animals that do not recognize their master. 

Reese’s Chronological Bible says this was written shortly after King Uzziah attempted to intrude into the priestly office by forcing his way into the Temple in order to offer incense in the Holy Place for himself. 

The priests stood against him and God struck him with leprosy. 

II Chronicles 26:5 says of Uzziah that “as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.” 

As happens so many times, God’s goodness causes us to be distracted and forget the source of those blessings. 

You might say Uzziah got a little too big for his britches.   

He paid the price for pride. 

He was an outcast because of the leprosy. 

His son Joatham took over ruling in his stead. 

It looks like he died within a year. 

That is the background of what we are reading here. 

The nature of the times is that men so full of pride feel that they may approach God on their own merits and standing. 

It is part of our human nature that we think we know best. 

It is a principle found numerous times in the Bible. 

It is the characteristic of the confusion and anarchy of the time of the Judges. 

Twice the Scripture says in Judges 17:6 and 21:25 this: 

Jdg_17:6  In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 

Solomon writes of it multiple times in Proverbs: 

Pro_12:15  The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. 

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

Pro_21:2  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. 

So here in the first chapter of Isaiah, God has to make the case that Judah was guilty before Him. 

He has to convince them of their sin when they feel like they have done no wrong. 

They thought they were all right, Dr. Isaiah says they are sick head to toe.: 

Isa 1:5  Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 

Isa 1:6  From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 

He goes on to talk about how desolate the nation truly was though they thought they were prosperous. 

In vs. 9 he compares them to the nation to the proverbial worst nations that had ever existed: Sodom and Gomorrah.  

While it is no stated here, I can hear a response from the Jews here. 

“What do you mean we are so evil?  We have the Temple!  We are God’s chosen people!  We keep the Law!  We offer sacrifices!” 

Beginning in vs. 11, God gives His opinion of their religious piety. 

They may have offered burnt sacrifices without number, but God was not moved by these. 

He goes so far in vs. 14 to say that He hates their activities that were supposedly done in His honor. 

In vs. 15 He says He will not hear their prayers because of the blood on their hands. 

What are they to do? 

God tells them: 

Isa 1:16  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 

Isa 1:17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 

This is a great counter to those who think Old Testament saints were made righteous through their sacrifices and obedience to the Law. 

God did not want rigid, heartless performance – He wanted their hearts to be transformed through faith. 

We come now to the crux of the matter. 

God says, “Let’s reason together.” 

The commentaries say this is a legal term being used. 

God is saying, “Let’s put this on trial – My way vs. your way”. 

Which way is best? 

Let us see… 

First up, we have the people make their case. 

Isaiah has already given it. 

They do the right things. 

They say the right things. 

But this is a veneer – it is all show. 

While with one hand they praise God and offer sacrifices, with the other they commit the grossest of sins. 

Like a slight of hand magician, they think the good they do is distracting God from the evil that they do. 

But they cannot do anything about the blood stains. 

In vs. 18 these sins are compared to scarlet dye on white wool. 

The linguists say that the word used there has a root that means double-dipped. 

This type of dye was made by crushing an insect. 

It was not only known for its vividness, but also for its permanence 

Wash blue jeans and they will fade – the dye washes out. 

This dye stayed true unlike many other dyes of that time. 

I want to point out that they think all the good they do negates the evil they do. 

It is a vain pursuit. 

Isaiah writes later: 

Isa 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

Try as you may, the stain of sin cannot be removed by human means. 

Next up, we have God make His case. 

He offers forgiveness. 

He can take that sin-stained garment that we are clothed in and make it white as snow. 

What a deal! 

We cannot even fade the stains of sin but He can remove them completely! 

God says, “let’s reason this out”. 

This is the biggest no-brainer there has ever been! 

If I was selling gold bars for a dollar each, there would be a line from here to Ft. Worth to get some. 

This is infinitely better. 

We can do nothing about sins, but God can fully forgive them! 

What does He ask in return? 

It is there in vs. 16-17 

“cease to do evil;… Learn to do well;” 

That is repentance. 

We turn from our sin and turn to His righteousness. 

We turn from our good works to the finished work of Christ. 

We turn from trusting in sin to trusting in God. 

This is how we find salvation. 

Now, I want to make this a little more practical for Christians today. 

Sometimes we forget that  

By the way, that is a terrible excuse to make. 

I see that same one made today when Christians and ministries fall into sin. 

They say, “How can we be so bad?  Look at all the good we are doing!” 

As if all our good could even remove the slightest spot of sin from our record. 

Our good works do not save us, nor do they bring any forgiveness for the believers sins. 

Don’t try to atone for your sins in your own power. 

If you sin, confess it to God and repent of it 

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

If you hurt someone, make it right. 

Mat_5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 

Mat_5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 

Christian, we will mess up. 

When we do, deal with it right. 

Own up to it – don’t make excuses. 

Confess it before God and man – don’t hide it. 

Repent of it – try to turn you back on it and forsake it – don’t keep doing it, as hard as that is. 

Let God forgive you and cleanse you. 

Quit trying to get rid of the stains in your own power. 

You cannot wash them out. 

You cannot dye it a different color. 

Only God can truly forgive our sins. 

CONCLUSION 

• The Christian faith makes sense. 

• Put it to the test – “Let us reason together” 

• But it does take faith. 

• There is a point where we must choose to believe it and act on it. 

• Believers, do not try to cleanse your faults in your own power. 

• Sinners, seek God’s forgiveness. 

What Does It Mean to Fear God? 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

I was curious to know how many times I have preached this year from passages in that week’s daily Bible reading schedule. 

I believe it to be about 1/3 of the time. 

I looked it up and today is the 31^st Sunday of the year. 

Glancing through my sermon tracking spreadsheet – which I had to update with everything from this year because I haven’t been keeping up with it – I identified maybe 10 or 11 that would qualify. 

I spent way more time on that than I anticipated, and that was just to get an estimate and not a hard number. 

Today’s sermon is from tomorrow’s assigned reading. 

The Book of Ecclesiastes is a strange book. 

Solomon is trying to make sense out of life and human existence using his vast human understanding. 

The only way that life has meaning is with God in the equation. 

Take God out of life and it has not hope or peace or purpose. 

Our text is that grand conclusion – the light at the end of the tunnel. 

What should man do to find purpose in life? 

First, Fear God. 

Second, Keep His Commandments. 

Why? Because God is watching and everyone will stand before Him in judgment.  

That is what the wisest man who ever lived concluded after years of searching for purpose. 

He could have saved himself a lot of time and heart attack had he just accepted that same truth from God. 

It, after all, is no secret. 

God has clearly revealed to us that we should all fear and obey Him. 

Now, we toss about the phrase “Fear God” a lot, but I am afraid we do not grasp its meaning. 

We all fear things. 

I do not hide the fact that I am arachnophobia – I hate spiders. 

It is an irrational fear like all phobias. 

Are we to fear God like I fear spiders? 

No one in their right mind would say so! 

Now, I will tell you something else that I would say that I fear, but not irrationally. 

I have a very healthy respect for the power of a thunderstorm. 

I do not think I have astraphobia, but I do take notice of severe weather when it is around me. 

I think this gets a bit closer to the mark of comprehending what it is to fear the Lord. 

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary gives this definition for Biblical fear: 

In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear 

Here are a couple of things I pulled from Vine’s Expository Dictionary : 

“to be afraid, stand in awe, fear” 

“’reverential fear’ of God as a controlling movie of the life, in matters spiritual and moral, not a mere ‘fear’ of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” 

I find it very difficult to fully grasp what it means to fear the Lord. 

I think that is in large part because that idea of fear as respect and obedience is not promoted in our culture. 

I’ll give you a great example. 

I have a healthy respect for the office of the President of the United States. 

In recent decades, our culture has taught us to not respect that office or the man that holds it. 

It used to be that be invited to visit the White House was a tremendous honor. 

Now, it is nothing to not only decline such an offer but also use it as a chance to attack the person in office. 

This is nothing new – I have personally noted it happening since George W. Bush was in office. 

Listen, I do not care who the president is – as an American citizen I would count it as one of the greatest honors of my life to invited to the White House. 

Let me give you another example. 

Have you ever watched footage from courtrooms? 

It used to be that if you were to appear in court in any capacity you dressed in the best clothes you had. 

You addressed the judge as “Your honor” and you put on your best behavior. 

Today, especially in the lower courts, there is no fear or respect for law or the people who represent it. 

They are constantly having to reprimand people for what they wear and how they act. 

I think the same goes for how people treat law enforcement today. 

I have a healthy respect and fear of law and order. 

The police represent that. 

I know they are not perfect, but that is what due process is for, to help ensure that justice is rightly served. 

I have a hard time respecting anyone or anything that casts aspersions on law enforcement and the laws they uphold. 

Like I said, we are a few generations into a mindset of rebellion and cynicism that say we should not fear anything. 

Look how well that is working out! 

By the way, the reason that shift happened in our culture is simple. 

In fact, it is in the Bible. 

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

There is no wisdom or truth without the foundation of fearing God. 

Our country has turned into a nation of fools because we have in our society lost our fear of the Lord. 

I want to go a step further. 

I am afraid that modern Christianity has lost its fear of God. 

What most people practice in their worship has little resemblance to fear, holiness, or reverence. 

It is not just the liberals or charismatics either. 

I am convinced it is everywhere, and it starts at the top. 

I do not think many high-profile Christians have much fear of God in them. 

Just this week, another preacher was charged that I once would have counted among the good guys. 

I am sick of it – some of it is hitting close to home with people I know or are at least familiar with. 

As I have been trying to process all this, I had this thought: 

Did these men have a proper fear of God in their lives and ministry? 

If they ever did, they lost it somewhere to do the things they have done. 

Psa 36:1  The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 

Let’s examine what it means to fear the Lord this morning and do a little check up on ourselves. 

I. The Fear of the Lord recognizes the difference between God and man. 

There is a principle that many Bible teachers use to understand the meaning of a word or phrase. 

It is often called the Law of First Mention, and that is exactly what it is. 

It looks at the first time a word or phrase is used and sets a definition from it. 

I have not found this technique to be universal, but it is often helpful. 

The first time any variation of the word for fear is used in the Bible is in Genesis 3:10 when Adam answers the Lord as he was hiding after he ate the forbidden fruit. 

Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

Adam knew what he had done. 

Adam knew the holiness of God. 

Fear made him hide. 

Now, I do not think this is the best example of fearing God that we can find, but there is truth in it. 

To fear the Lord is to recognize our sinfulness and weakness 

It is also to recognize God’s holiness and greatness. 

We thus recognize how infinite He is and how insignificant we are. 

The more we understand that the more we will develop a true fear of God. 

I think this is why when God appears to people in the Bible He has to tell them not to be afraid. 

When you get a good look at Who He is, you will fear Him. 

My favorite examples of this are in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 1. 

Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up”. 

His reaction – “Woe is me!” 

John saw Christ in His glory – remember that they had been close while He was on earth. 

His reaction – “I fell at his feet as dead.” – Jesus had to tell Him “fear not” 

II.  The fear of the Lord is to properly honor Him. 

The proper fear of God is not to be scared of Him. 

The proper fear of God is to respect and honor Him. 

The Book of Hebrews describes this: 

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire. 

Reverence – supposedly the Greek word used here is based on the idea of having downcast eyes. 

Strong’s defines it as “bashfulness, i.e. (towards men), modesty or (towards God) awe:—reverence, shamefacedness.” 

Thus, to fear the Lord is to reverence Him in awe and humility. 

Godly fear –  

Strong’s defines it as “properly, caution, i.e. (religiously) reverence (piety); by implication, dread (concretely):—fear(-ed).” 

Adam Clarke wrote that this is: “Religious fear. We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, but let that boldness be ever tempered with modesty and religious fear; for we should never forget that we have sinned, and that God is a consuming fire.” 

III.  The fear of the Lord is to obey Him 

What we properly fear affects how we live. 

Again, I am not talking about irrational fears. 

I had, and still have, a healthy respect for my parents. 

I do not cower in fright from them. 

But what they say, I am going to do my best to do. 

This is what I have tried to instill in my kids. 

I don’t want to them be scared of me like I was some monster, but I do what them to respect me in love. 

These simple illustrations reflect what it is to obey God through fear. 

As a proof text for this idea, let’s look at Deuteronomy 10: 

Deu 10:12  And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, 

Deu 10:13  To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? 

To fear the Lord is to obey Him, knowing Who He and what He can do. 

Again, this is not because we are scared of judgment. 

We recognize His greatness and HIs grace toward us. 

We recognize that He know and wants what is best for us. 

We then respond in thankful, joyful service. 

Listen, there are thing that I disagree with the government about being illegal. 

However, I fear the government and the prospect of being in jail therefore I follow the laws that I do not agree with. 

I want to be a good citizen. 

Respect brings obedience. 

To fear God is not to simply fear His judgment, but also His displeasure. 

CONLUSION 

• The fear of God begins with understanding two things. 

• Know these well! 

• The Greatness of God 

• The Unworthiness of Man 

• The fear of God should affect how we worship Him. 

• The fear of God should affect how we live. 

• The fear of God should bring us to repentance 

The Cry of Wisdom 

Proverbs 8 

In our daily Bible reading we are now in the book of Proverbs. 

This book is a collection of wise sayinågs and observations. 

It is the most practical book in the Bible. 

By way of introduction I have a few things I want to establish. 

First, I do believe Solomon wrote the entire book, though some say a few of the later chapters were not. 

When we get to Heaven, they will find out I am right about that. 

Regardless, there is little to no debate that the about Solomon writing the first 9 chapters. 

These are addressed to his son. 

Historically, that would be Rehoboam, his heir whose pride divided the kingdom. 

He did not listen to his father’s advice. 

I think that could be because He saw Solomon drift from the wisdom he was trying to pass on. 

Solomon started well but lost his way. 

In the end, he came back to his senses and acknowledged his error – see the book of Ecclesiastes. 

Second,  the theme of Proverbs is wisdom. 

Someone said that wisdom is knowledge applied practically. 

That is partially true. 

But in this book is more than that. 

We note Proverbs 1:7 

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

Here we see that true wisdom is based on proper respect for God. 

Why is that important? 

Because true wisdom is only found through His character and His truth. 

It amazes me when I read or hear things where someone claims some great practical discovery. 

So many times, they just stumbled across Biblical truth. 

For instance, there is a writer named Joshua Becker that I enjoy following. 

He is a proponent of the Minimalist lifestyle that promotes simplifying your life and owning fewer things. 

He is a Christian, too. 

I cannot say that I follow much of what he teaches, but it is amazing how many times he teaches Bible truth. 

How about being content with our possession and not constantly seeking gratification with accumulating junk? 

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 

1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

How about living life purposefully? 

Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

Third, I think Proverbs is a continuation of the thoughts from Psalm 1 that there are two paths that man may choose. 

• The Path of Righteousness – loving God, serving Him, living a holy life, and a final destination in Heaven. 

• The Path of Wickedness – denying God, serving self, living a sinful life, and a final destination in Hell. 

Proverbs constantly contrasts the two paths. 

It is like each verse is a waypoint by which we can both guide our hearts and measure our direction. 

Fourth, I do remind you that the book of Proverbs, though thoroughly, is written in artistic styling. 

It is Hebrew poetry. 

Not built on rhyming words, but rather rhyming ideas. 

Almost all verses in proverbs have two parts, an A and a B, that are compared and contrasted to each other. 

We also have another literary device that Solomon uses called personification. 

You learned about it in English class but probably have forgotten about it.  

It is when the writer takes something non-human and non-living but applies human attributes and traits to it. 

For example, I could say that the wind whispers, or the wind screams, or the wind howls, or the wind kisses. 

Now, it does not actually do any of those – it just moves. 

We personify it by describing it as having some agency and identity. 

Solomon does with Wisdom. 

We see it first in 1:20-33. 

Pro 1:20  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 

Pro 1:21  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 

Pro 1:22  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 

Pro 1:23  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 

He returns to this device in our text. 

Pro 8:1  Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 

Pro 8:2  She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 

Pro 8:3  She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 

Wisdom does not literally have a voice or is even a person, but Solomon’s description so much more vivid because he personifies it. 

With these introductory remarks in our minds, let us dig into this chapter. 

I. The universal appeal of Godly wisdom – vs. 1-21 

In the opening verses, Wisdom cries out from the mountain top and the intersections of roads. 

Her voice is heard when in the public square of the city. 

Everywhere you go you cannot escape the cry of wisdom, begging us to follow her. 

Friends, you have to blind your eyes and stop your ears to miss the two greatest truths in this world. 

First, that there is a God. 

Psa 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

Drew just got back from his big trip with Mimi and Pawpaw. 

He was showing us the pictures he took of Yellowstone, the Tetons, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, and more. 

If that cannot see the fingerprints of a Divine Creator in such places, you need your eyes examine. 

You have to be willfully blind to not look upon the universe and see that there is a God. 

Second, that sin has broken this world. 

Go read Romans chapters 1-3. 

We are all sinners. 

We are corrupted and imperfect, fallen from the purity of God’s original design because of Adam’s sin. 

Why is there evil in this world?  Sin. 

Why is there death in this world?  Sin. 

Philosopher have wrestled with human depravity and Politicians have tried to suppress it  for millennia – ALL TO NO AVAIL. 

These are universal truths. 

Beyond that, everyday life proves the wisdom of the word of God is true. 

Want to know how to do business? 

What the experts tell you matches what the Bible says. 

Work hard, be fair, and give more than is deserved. 

Want to know how to make friends? 

You can read Dale Carnegie, but you can read it in the Bible. 

Be friendly, be genuine, and be caring. 

If humanity would just open their eyes, if they would just look at the evidence, if they would just compare it to the pages of God’s Word – then would be no debate about. 

The cry of Godly wisdom is everywhere. 

By the way, let me say this. 

I think one of the characteristics that divide conservatism and liberalism, in any arena – politics, religion, social sciences – is how it processes information. 

Conservatism I believe looks are real life, real stats, and real observations and tries to build order on these. 

Liberalism filters its view to try to force order through shifting lenses. 

It denies reality, trying to instead force some system or lens on it. 

I think this is why so many times you will hear liberal pundits try to understand the world through fiction, like books and movies. 

They force a fanciful system onto a real world scenario and wonder why it doesn’t work. 

They do it with the Bible – not letting its light shine for itself without forcing a filter on it. 

Moving on…. 

II.  The ultimate archetype of Wisdom is Christ – vs. 22-31 

This is an intriguing portion of Scripture. 

It applies wisdom beyond the present and the practical. 

Wisdom is seen as being with God before the beginning in Creation. 

Now, I cannot help but read these verses without thinking of the opening of the Gospel of John. 

Jhn 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Jhn 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Jhn 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Now, I am not saying that this section is Proverbs is about Christ, merely that this a grand parallel here between Wisdom and the Word. 

Christ, the Word of John 1, is the ultimate expression of God. 

He is the ultimate expression of wisdom. 

There is no truth, no wisdom, no reality without knowing Christ. 

III.  The Alluring Undoing of the Wicked Woman 

If you continue reading, the personified Wisdom continues in the next chapter. 

Now, what is interesting to be is what surround Wisdom. 

In chapter 7, the seductive strange woman appears. 

Those that are ensnared and destroyed by her are called foolish as they lack wisdom. 

Personified wisdom is the answer to personified folly. 

In the final verses of chapter 9, the strange woman returns. 

She too calls out to passersby. 

Pro 9:13  A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. 

Pro 9:14  For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, 

Pro 9:15  To call passengers who go right on their ways: 

Pro 9:16  Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, 

Pro 9:17  Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. 

Pro 9:18  But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell. 

I do not just want to speak about sexual morality here. 

That is forefront but I think there is a deeper meaning here. 

Just as Wisdom calls out all around us, so does folly. 

It is a siren’s call to the simple. 

Just like the mythical siren, it entrances men to their doom. 

Wisdom shows us the evil and the danger of folly. 

All around us, live and homes are being destroyed because they embrace folly and reject Godly wisdom. 

Let it be a warning to us. – Not every appeal is safe – Not every call is sincere. 

Do not the let offer of free cheese make you overlook the trap it is set on. 

CONCLUSION 

• There is no true wisdom without God. 

• To reject God is to reject the truth. 

• It is like trying to bake a cake without flour. 

• Be wise and discerning about the voices that call to you. 

• Filter them through the truth of God’s word. 

• God has already made the judgement on what is good or what is evil. 

• We only must apply His criteria in our discernment. 

• Which path are you on? 

• There are only two ways for man. 

• The path of righteousness. 

• You get on this road, not by works, but by faith in Christ. 

• The path of wickedness. 

• This road is cursed by God. 

• Its destination is Hell. 

• If you do not know Christ, you are the crossroads today – literally, the CROSS roads 

• It is time to choose – which path will you take?  What will you destination be? 

Ryan Vaughan

Thy Kingdom Come 

Matthew 6:5-15 

Yesterday, we celebrated a tremendous milestone – 250 years of the American experiment. 

250 years of self-rule. 

No monarch. 

No dictator. 

Government by the people and for the people. 

A nation built by God-fearing men for God-fearing people. 

I love America. 

I love our ideals, our heritage, and our aspirations. 

I thank God than men like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and so many others risked their lives and fortunes so that we could håçave the freedoms we have today.   

As much as I love America and celebrate her, there is a greater nation that we owe our allegiance to. 

No, it is not Texas. 

Well, at least not in this case. 

My Bible tells me that there will come a day when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will return to this earth. 

His name: The Lord Jesus Christ. 

He has many titles: 

The only begotten of the Father 

The Second Person of the Trinity 

Isaiah said: 

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.  

He has already been here before. 

Technically He has always been here. 

He was here before there was a here. 

John said: 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  

He created all that we see by the power of His word. 

He molded man from the dust of the earth and breathed supernatural life into him. 

I personally believe, and I think I can back this up, that when God appears before man in Scripture it is Christ.. 

He walked in the Garden with Adam. 

He talked with Abraham. 

He met Hagar by the fountain in the wilderness. 

He wrestled with Jacob. 

He answered Job out of the whirlwind. 

He called Moses from the burning bush. 

He carved the commandments in stone on Mt. Sinai. 

He led Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. 

He met Joshua outside of Jericho with the plan to defeat that city. 

He called Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites. 

He appeared to Solomon in a dream and granted his request for wisdom. 

He appeared to Daniel in His glory. 

He was in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

There are more in Scripture, and I think more still that were not recorded. 

Then, He did the most miraculous thing. 

He left the throne of heaven, laid aside His glory and majesty, and came to dwell among us. 

Paul wrote about Him: 

Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  

Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  

He took up residence in a virgin’s womb. 

He was born in Bethlehem. 

He was circumcised under the Jewish ordinance when eight days old.   

He fled to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. 

He grew up in Nazareth in Galilee, working as an apprentice under Joseph. 

He is suddenly identified by John the Baptist – “ Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” 

He submitted to the New Testament ordinance of baptism. 

With great grace and great power He came to minister to us. 

He turned the water into wine at Cana. 

He healed the leper, the blind, the crippled, and the possessed. 

He walked on the water. 

He raised the dead. 

His enemies said, “Never man spake like this man.” 

Matthew said, 

Mat 7:28  …the people were astonished at his doctrine:  

Mat 7:29  For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  

Peter said that only He had the words of eternal life.   

It was He that revealed the heart of the Father to mankind. 

Then, He was betrayed by one of His disciples. 

He was arrested and convicted in a series of trials that are the greatest mockery to justice this world has ever seen. 

He was pure and innocent, and sinful man could not bear His light. 

He was beaten, whipped, and scorned. 

He was crucified – one the most agonizing deaths mankind has ever devised. 

The crowds mocked Him. 

The soldiers gambled for His clothes. 

He did not respond in anger nor did He try to free Himself. 

He looked upward and said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” 

No, they did not. 

They thought they were getting rid of a nuisance. 

They thought they were executing an upstart Messianic wannabe. 

Little did they know that they were the one that killed the sacrifice for the sins of mankind. 

Isaiah said: 

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  

Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  

He laid down His life after the victor’s cry, “It is finished!” 

Friends had to beg for Him body. 

They hurriedly prepared Him for burial in a borrowed tomb. 

His enemies did want any rumors of a resurrection going around, so they placed guards at the tomb. 

When the women went to the tomb, the angels told them, “HE IS NOT HERE, FOR HE IS RISEN.” 

Luke said in Acts 1:3 that, “he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs” 

He ascended to Heaven, leaving His followers to spread the Good News to the World. 

But He did not leave for good! 

He had told them, “I WILL COME AGAIN” 

Mark it down, my friends. 

The world may mock it. 

Satan may try to stop it. 

But it is as sure a fact as anything in this world – HE IS COMING AGAIN! 

He came the first time as God’s perfect lamb. 

Next time, He is coming as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 

The first time, He reveal the grace of God to man. 

The next time, He will reveal the judgment of God against the powers of this world. 

It starts, I believe, with the rapture of believers. 

Then the Tribulation period starts – 7 years of literal hell on earth. 

The Antichrist will move to exterminate the Jews, gathering the armies of the world at Armageddon. 

The Jews will repent and accept Christ as their Messiah. 

John tells us what happens next: 

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.  

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.  

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.  

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.  

No quarter, no mercy will be given in that day to the enemies of God and the Jews. 

Absolute victory will be His. 

He will descend on the Mt. Olives and establish His capital in Jerusalem. 

The surviving nations will submit to Him 

He will rule and reign for a thousand years. 

The saints of this age will be there with him. 

John said: 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  

This is what the theologians call THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. 

Christ ruling and reigning on earth for 1,000 years. 

It is the fulfillment of promises to the Jews and to David. 

It is the fulfillment of prophecy. 

It will be the greatest time of peace and prosperity this world has known. 

Friends, we talk vaguely about a kingdom to come. 

Yes, you can say that all the universe is ruled by God and is thus His kingdom. 

But when you are dealing with the Bible, there is ONE kingdom that really matters. 

It is the kingdom of the Messiah with the heir of David on the throne. 

It is coming. 

It is not the church. 

The church is but a portion of God’s kingdom in my opinion. 

We are witnesses of the coming kingdom and herald its arrival. 

We cry out in the immortal words of Isaac Watts: 

1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun 
does its successive journeys run, 
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
till moons shall wax and wane no more. 

2 To him shall endless prayer be made, 
and praises throng to crown his head. 
His name like sweet perfume shall rise 
with every morning sacrifice. 

3 People and realms of every tongue 
dwell on his love with sweetest song, 
and infant voices shall proclaim 
their early blessings on his name. 

4 Blessings abound where’er he reigns: 
the prisoners leap to lose their chains, 
the weary find eternal rest, 
and all who suffer want are blest. 

5 Let every creature rise and bring 
the highest honors to our King, 
angels descend with songs again, 
and earth repeat the loud amen.  

So, what does this mean for us today? 

I close with two questions. 

First to the Christian – what are you doing for that coming kingdom? 

What souls will be there because of you? 

Is your heart set on the realization of the promises that Christ will be glorified on earth? 

Second, the unbeliever – are you ready for king’s arrival? 

He is coming – be ready to meet Him. 

The Price of Gold 

Job 23 

If you have been keeping up with your daily Bible reading, we are in the Book of Job right now. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed digging into it, but also looking forward to finishing it in a couple of days. 

It is a difficult book to go through. 

I do not pretend to completely understand it. 

I am not even sure that is the point of it. 

In my humble opinion, I think the Book of Job is more about the journey than the destination. 

You meet Job, a righteous man who has enjoyed God’s bountiful hand of blessing on his life. 

He does not know it, but he becomes a pawn in the battle between light and darkness. 

Satan is seeking a new target in his war against God. 

You will note that it is God that points him to Job: 

Job 1:8  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eschewethevil?  

Satan would love to get at this man. 

I do believe some people have bigger targets on their back than others. 

There are few things that our enemy enjoys more than seeing notable believers fall. 

It is an old, old battle tactic to take out your opponent’s leader in order to demoralize them. 

Satan say, “Well, if you would just let me, I would love to have a shot at breaking that man.” 

He could not do it without God’s permission. 

That is a very important point. 

Nothing happens to you that God does not sign off on. 

Satan cannot lift a finger without God’s approval. 

So, Satan let loose his fury on Job. 

The only restriction was that he could not touch Job himself. 

In those days wealth was measured in the stock market. 

Not our stock market, the literal stock market – how many sheep, goats, and cattle you owned. 

You can read about Black Thursday and Black Tuesday when the Stock Market crashed in 1929 and plunged the nation into economic chaos and led to the Great Depression. 

That was nothing to the personal loss Job experienced. 

His wealth, his family all wiped out at once. 

Yet Job’s faith did not break. 

This is how he responded: 

Job 1:20  Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  

Job 1:21  And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  

Job 1:22  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.  

I don’t know if I have that kind of faith! 

I hope I don’t have to find out!   

Anyway, Satan’s plot is foiled. 

He is pouting when he appears before God again. 

What does God do? 

Why he points to Job again! 

Job 2:3  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and eschewethevil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.  

It is like He is taunting the Devil with his failure. 

Satan say, “Well, if you let me attack his body then he’ll break.” 

God says, “Go ahead, you just can’t kill him.” 

Job is robbed of his health, covered in boils and sores from head to toe. 

His wife turns on him – “why don’t you curse God and die?” 

Spouses are so helpful sometimes. 

Still Job will not break. 

Then what I think may be the worst thing to happen to Job occurs – his friends show up. 

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are there, and little Elihu hiding in the back until the end. 

They sit there for a week, speechless. 

I think they may have been waiting for Job to break. 

Then they speak to “comfort” him. 

For the next 36 chapters, they attack Job and Job defends himself. 

Most of it is based on a false assumption. 

They believe that sin leads to suffering. 

Because Job is suffering, he must have sinned. 

Suffering must be punishment. 

That may be true, but it is not a universal truth. 

That is one of the main themes developed through the journey through Job. 

Our text is Job’s response to one of his friend’s oh so helpful speeches. 

Eliphaz just knows that Job is a wicked sinner under the punishing had of God. 

The solution, he believes, is for Job to repent. 

He actually has a pretty good description of the blessings of repentance and restoration. 

Sometimes, in spite of themselves, these guys stumble on some truth. 

I am reminded of the old saying that even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. 

Job 22:21  Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.  

Job 22:22  Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.  

Job 22:23  If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.  

Job 22:24  Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.  

Job 22:25  Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.  

Job 22:26  For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.  

Job 22:27  Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.  

Job 22:28  Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.  

Job 22:29  When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.  

Job 22:30  He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.  

Those are beautiful and moving words! 

But they do not apply to Job. 

So Job responds. 

He wishes he could stand before God and argue his case. 

He wants to trust in Him, but he has some doubts. 

I don’t think any of us would blame him! 

That was all introduction. 

Now look at verses 9 and 10 

Job 23:9  On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:  

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  

Job compares his ordeal to the refining of gold. 

God must first be acquired in its raw form. 

You can pan for flakes in a river. 

You can mine veins of ore in mountainsides. 

But what you come up is not in the form of rings, watches, broaches, spoons, or anything else. 

Raw ore is broken down. 

It is smelted under intense head. 

It is heated and purified. 

The melting point by the way is 1,947 degrees Fahrenheit. 

When in its liquid form, the impurities separate from the pure gold where they can be removed. 

That is just to get the gold to the point that it can be crafted into something beautiful. 

Job’s faith says that his trial was like that refining of gold. 

He was crushed, melted, and the impurities removed from him. 

That was his hope to get him through his suffering – that God was making something beautiful through it all. 

By the way, he is right. 

I can show you the exact same thought using the exact same illustration in other parts of the Bible. 

The first is prophetic, the purging of Israel in the Tribulation: 

Zec_13:9  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. 

The second is more applicable to us: 

1Pe_1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Here is my point this morning. 

What you are going through may not always be enjoyable. 

Sometimes it may seem that there is no reason for it. 

But here is the promise of Scripture: 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

God is working in us and on us. 

He is molding us like clay to be more and more into His image and less of our own. 

Sometimes that means being crushed. 

Sometimes that means being melted down. 

Sometimes that means painful purifying. 

But when the Master Creator is finished – oh, what a masterpiece he leaves behind! 

I know some of the burdens our church family is carrying. 

I am not foolish enough to think there are not countless others that are endured privately. 

Here is the hope I want to give you: 

Nothing that you are going through is a surprise to God. 

God works for His glory and your good even in suffering. 

By the way, the book of Job bears witness to this. 

After all of the back and forth between Job and his friends, God finally speaks. 

He basically says, “I am God, I don’t have to explain myself, it is your duty to just trust in me.” 

Job gives up accusing God of mistreating him and repents. 

God restores His hand of blessing. 

He did not have to do that – material wealth is not always a sign of His blessing. 

But He did to prove a lesson. 

Job had twice as much as he had before. 

Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:… 

Job was renewed spiritually and physically. 

Why? 

Because he had been purified through the fire. 

When things get rough, when the way is dark, do not lose faith. 

Hold to God’s guiding hand. 

He knows where He is taking you. 

You will get through it, and you will come forth as a priceless masterpiece. 

CONCLUSION 

1. Run away from anyone that teaches that God only blesses and does not chasten. 

1. Health and Wealth – prosperity Gospel. 

2. Life stinks sometimes and only through God is there hope. 

1. Without God, there is no reason for suffering. 

2. With God, we can have hope that the darkness will lead to a brighter day. 

3. Even if our suffering leads to death, that is a BLESSING! 

1. We graduate from this life to the next. 

2. We move to that land of no tears or sorrows. 

4. There is no hope without Christ. 

1. In this life. 

2. For eternity.