All Is Forgiven – Part 2 (Romans 5:1-5)

As our children grow, they come to the age of accountability and must make decisions based on facts rather than feelings and emotions and, most importantly, decide to follow Jesus for themselves.

So Church Family Romans chapter five, we started this chapter last week.
We’re in this new section of the book of Romans.
And I made announcement to you that Romans five all the way through to the end is doctrinal instruction to the believer.
And so we’ll read these verses again as we are in part two of our message titled All is forgiven.
When forgiveness is experienced as a believer, what do we do after that?
That’s what the book of Romans chapter five.
All the way out to the end is all about now that you’re forgiven people. What does that mean?
What does that look like? And we’ll see part of it today and we’ll see the conclusion of it next Sunday.
I’ll read verse one. If you’ll pick it up in the even numbered verses, nice and loud if you would.
Romans Chapter 5: verse one.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh and not only that, but we also glory in tribulation or difficulties knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.
Yeah. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us, Lord, we ask now in jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen, amen.
You can be seated church, all is forgiven.
Now, listen, this is a, this may sound odd by way of introduction to this portion of scripture.
But please hear me out on this.
I’ve hesitated in bringing you this introduction, but it is overwhelmingly accurate. It challenges our traditions.
But we want to ask ourselves as we get into the book of Romans chapter five, that what is the purpose of what is called the church, the ecclesia, the gathering, the gathering.
Now the word acacia was used in the Greek Roman world to describe any gathering.
And most often it was described as the gathering of the city fathers, for example, or the gathering of those that would come and make decisions for the direction of the state.
It was, it was often in the context of politics and what’s beautiful about the use of ecstasy of regarding the church found in the Bible is that you and I live and breathe and move in a different politik where we do not have a president or a prime minister.
We’ve got a king and I love somebody will often and I share this a lot, maybe too much with you.
But many times people will try to uh label me as, as being a fan of some particular political party.
I’m not a fan of either party.
But I’ll often insert this, that, um, I’m a monarchist and they’re always gonna freak somebody. You’re what?
I’m a monarchist, meaning I believe in a, in the kingdom. I believe in a king.
I believe that he’s coming back and the politics that you and I relate to hasn’t arrived yet. Exactly.
You and I live by that politik as Jesus being king.
But there’s a politic of his that’s coming And that’s why by the way you see the world, the demonic realm knows this.
That’s why you’re seeing the world right now that you’re living in, go off the rails.
It’s gone nuts out there in the world. Why?
Because the invisible forces that the Bible talks about speaks of two kingdoms in collision.
In fact, so much so that Jesus said that Satan is the God of this realm.
We don’t like to hear that that makes us a little unsettled because we don’t even want to entertain the idea that Satan’s got that kind of authority yet.
He does because mom and dad, Adam and Eve gave him that authority in the garden of Eden.
And when you look around at the pain and the sorrow and the suffering in this world, you and I even the world will often say, well, look what God’s doing.
This is horrible even in your insurance policy, doesn’t it say something dumb and unscripted all like, you know, if this happens, it’s an act of God.
God gets blamed for everything. Something happens, we stub our toe. God. Why?
Listen, we need to remember the Bible places, blame where blame is due.
And that is in the fact that we make the wrong decisions because we are fallen creatures.
And that Satan right now has great authority in this world.
But don’t worry Jesus is coming back and he’s gonna fix that. That’s why we love his return.
And in the meantime, he has given us his word.
But the church is something of the Iglesia whereby we come together and we are the community of God’s people and something in my opinion, my assessment, I might be a little off but not far.
Something happened in America In the last 50 to 60 years where the church began to go down a path whereby it began to be perceived as the place where maybe we would, you and I would bring someone from our neighborhood or from our work and we would bring them to church with hopes of getting them what saved.
Now, I want you to pause on this for a moment because you’re not gonna like me after I say this, but it’s gonna be 100% true.
We, for the last 50 to 60 years have thought I’m gonna bring my friend to the church so that they might get saved, meaning that they might get evangelized and make a decision for Christ.
You tracking with me. Okay. That’s great. Listen, nowhere in the Bible.
Can you find that as being a fact or true? Did you know that it’s not in the Bible?
So what do you mean the church is the place where the Echl Acea of God comes together?
Maybe twice a week, maybe more. Doesn’t matter as often as possible.
It is the church that comes together in what is called the Iglesia.
We are schooled, we are instructed, we are taught, we are given encouragement.
We are exhorted why to get ready to go back out into the world that we’ve been commissioned to evangelize.
But listen, somehow we lost this.
We made evangelists pastors when evangelists are to be on the streets and out of the world, the pastors are the ones and the church leaders are to be the ones that get those who are saved and instruct them in the ways of God.
And Paul is an expert at this in the book of Romans is incredible at this foundation.
That’s why we’re going through the book of Romans in a post COVID world because so many of you either a you got saved during that period of time or you came from churches that never got out of the evangelistic mode.
And you need to know what it is you believe and you need to know why you believe it and you need to know how to defend it or else you don’t really believe it.
How can you believe something you don’t know. That’s why we preach and teach over and over again.
Forget about religion. Do you have a relationship with God? And where does it begin? Evangelism?
The Bible says, go, ye therefore into all the world and preach this gospel? That’s evangelism.
And then the next thing you’re suppose to do is make disciples of them. That’s what we’re doing here.
Now, do people get saved here? Yes. Occasionally they do. Is this an evangelistic church?
It’s more of a discipleship making church, but it’ll be laced with evangelism, of course.
But do you understand the point?
The calling is that you and I leave this building today and go out and tell people every believer is compelled by the spirit of God to go out into the world and tell the world why they ought to be a believer.
And then you come back here on Wednesday or Sunday and you get refueled and you get re armored up and you go out again, But again, in these last 50-60 years, why have churches lost their edge?
Why is the church shrinking? Why are churches dying in the world, especially America? Why? What’s happened?
It’s because we didn’t hang on to the pillars of biblical doctrine.
And so what happens is you can go to a church one time and then go back six months later and you get the exact same message.
That’s the sign of a dead church.
You can take that message and go outside and preaching to the lost and it should stay the same message that works.
But now that we’re here, we should move on into greater things.
In fact, that verse I was referencing is Matthew chapter 28 verse 19 and 20 Jesus said right before he ascended back to heaven, he said, go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo or behold, I am with you.
Always, even to the end of the age or the end of the world, the church is the organic Echinacea of making disciples.
Acts chapter two verse 41 we see it actually happening. Acts chapter two verse 41.
Then those who gladly received his word, Peter was preaching and evangelistic message they were baptized, notice the order, they received the word of God.
When you become a believer, number two, you get baptized.
And that day about 3000 souls were added to them, added to the Echinacea to the church. Can you imagine?
I wanna, I wanna go to church small and nice and sweet Peter opens his mouth and preaches And 3000 people get saved and probably a 20 minute sermon.
It becomes a mega church in a minute.
And then here’s the, here’s the discipleship part, here’s, here’s uh the church part they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers right there is a little uh nucleus of what church and evangelism and discipleship is all about.
You preach the word publicly. Kind of excited about this.
Kirk Cameron and I have been talking, we’re gonna get together and we’re gonna start something.
I don’t know how we’re gonna ask God for a few more days and hours and, but uh we’re gonna, we’re gonna be coming together.
He and I, we got a little plan and it’s gonna be kind of cool.
We’ll tweet it out or not. Uh send it out to you guys when we do this.
But what we’re gonna do is that we are going to gather somewhere publicly somewhere.
We’re just gonna call it some mall, someplace, some beach, some, it just doesn’t matter where.
And he and I, we’re gonna, we’re gonna start this outdoor exchange battling with each other regarding what the Bible says.
So he’ll be 30 ft away from me and I’ll say he’ll say something like Jesus said, you must be born again and I’m gonna say back to him, what do you mean?
Born again? What could that possibly mean?
Well, that, that all of sin that comes short of the glory of God. Wait a minute.
Are you calling me a sinner? What are you saying?
And so we have, we’re gonna be far enough apart where we have to yell at each other, but we’re gonna be looking at each other.
So the world will gather around because they don’t realize if you look at the world, the world freaks out, they can’t handle it.
So we’re gonna banter back and forth and people will gather around, guarantee it, they’ll gather around.
And then when he calls me somebody that is lost and, and you can’t go to heaven without being born again.
I’m just gonna turn to some poor unsuspecting victim.
And I’m gonna say, did you hear what he just said to me?
He just said to me that I’m not gonna go to heaven on what do you base that Jesus?
You see what I’m talking about?
So I shared that with Kirk Cameron and he said, what time do you want to meet?
Where are you going to do it? So you guys be in prayer because it’s gonna be cool.
It’s gonna be fun and we think it’s gonna work because it takes the edge off of the person coming together around because they see two lunatics badly.
And then as the, once the crowd gathers, then we’ll pounce on them and, and, and do what?
Give them the truth. Give them the gospel.
Give them the evangel, the good news with hopes of what leading them to Christ and making disciples of them and listen even right then and there, if there’s water nearby or if we’re at the beach or at the you know, the Galleria, we’ll find a fountain and we’ll dip it.
We’ll just and right on the spot. So stay tuned. Be watching.
We’ll, we’ll make those announcements, but it’s thrilling. Hebrews chapter 12 tells us this is all introduction.
I need to hurry up. I know Hebrews chapter 12 verse 22 says, but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable company of angels and to the General Assembly and church.
So that’s those that are in heaven, those that are on earth, the church of the firstborn Who are registered in heaven, to God, the judge of all, to the spirits of just men.
This is awesome. These are sinners lost in sin just like you and I, but they’ve been redeemed, they’ve been saved.
And the Bible tells us that because of Christ, righteousness, not yours, not mine.
We are declared just just men made perfect or complete verse 24 to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant.
One more. Hebrews six verse one, Hebrews 61.
So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again, let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.
Surely, we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting of evil deeds and placing our faith in God.
You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
And so God willing, we will. What’s the word exactly move forward to further understanding, deeper understanding.
How many times do we need to get saved once right now that you’re saying, what happens?
Your disciples, you move on to deeper understanding.
So this is what we’ve looked at versus 1 to 2 and you kind of put it in your notes together.
All is forgiven and we first of all saw the results of being forgiven three key results of being forgiven.
You can see them on the screens.
Number one, forgiveness creates a new atmosphere when you issue forgiveness to those that have sinned against you.
You the one who’s hurt is the one who issues forgiveness. Remember class? Why? That’s important?
It sets you free from the pain that they’ve inflicted on you.
No two, forgiveness puts us in a favored position when you and I issue forgiveness to people.
We do that because God has forgiven us. It’s not that we’re so big.
Well, that’s mighty big of you. Has nothing to do with me, Jesus forgave me of a whole whopper bunch.
And so I must forgive you of what you’ve done against me because I’ve done worse to Jesus.
Okay. Favorite position. And thirdly we saw that forgiveness brings us back to life.
If you don’t issue forgiveness and by the way, and if you do not receive forgiveness, you’ll grow up to be bitter, angry and ugly.
And I don’t mean ugly and face, I mean ugly and spirit, your body, your very physical structure will be eaten up.
The Bible says that it will be consuming you like rottenness of the bones.
And so forgiveness is provided to us by Jesus Christ. And it’s what sets us free.
And it’s a divine attribute that God has issued to us who have been created in the image of God.
Every true Christian must extend forgiveness to others who have harmed us or hurt us.
And in doing that, we’re Christ like that’s why you struggle with it, isn’t it?
That’s why it’s sorry. So it’s impossible. Yes, I agree. It is impossible. That guy drives me nuts.
Me too. But we have to forgive them. We have to forgive.
And so church, here we go. Number two is this that there’s a resilience. All is forgiven.
The second argument is verses 3 to 4 and that there’s a resilience from being forgiven when you think of the word resilience.
Uh The Webster’s dictionary gives you synonyms such as unyielding, stubborn, unbending, ble determined, unwavering, tenacious.
I like the word tenacious. It just sounds tough, unstoppable.
The results of your life after you’ve been forgiven.
That is you’ve come to Christ now that you’re a believer, I believe your life is unstoppable. Years ago.
Many years ago in the old building.
Pastor Chuck Smith came and taught on first John and he said in one of those messages there, he said, keep yourself under the spout where the glory comes out.
It’s an old saying and if you determine as a believer to walk with Jesus Christ, you’re going to experience a resilience that all of you need.
All of us need to enjoy this day and age in which we live.
The days are dark and difficult. Ladies and gentlemen, and listen, I’m gonna cheer you up right now.
They’re gonna get tougher. Come on. Let’s just be honest, it’s, it’s gonna get tougher. Okay.
I just heard on the news this week that if you are a home schooler, if you are a home schooler, you are a racist.
Did you see that? It’s crazy, is shooting its barrel, its guns and bullets at anything that moves and of course the church is crazy.
You know, people, people who believe in God or nuts, they need to be arrested or thrown away or I know what I tell you what we need.
We need to be raptured. That’s what we need. We don’t, we don’t want you people here anymore.
We don’t want to be here. We wish you would just go away.
So do we, you have no idea.
But listen, the resilience that you and I can have knowing that we have been forgiven causes us in life to be invincible.
You say, well, that’s, that’s positive talk. No, no.
Listen, it’s discipleship talk and we’ll prove it to you. The first thing that we see right here.
Is in verse three where it says and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations.
So the first thing I want you to write down regarding the resilience of being forgiven is the fact that we are resilient to difficulties.
I want you to mark it down because I want to make sure you hear me, we are resilient to difficulties.
I did not say that we are immune to difficulties.
You got that church resilient to difficulties is a big, big difference than being immune.
No one is immune in this.
If you’re breathing right now, you are not immune to difficulties, you can get a vaccine for a lot of stuff.
Okay. Some of it works.
Some of it doesn’t, you cannot get a vaccine to ward off difficulties.
You’re gonna have difficulties in life.
But the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest thing of all is that we’ve been forgiven by God in Christ, Jesus.
When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he died for your sins.
And you can’t better that it’s Jesus Christ and what he’s done alone that has set us free and listen, you could go like this and say Jesus died on the cross for your sins.
So shape up, you need to pull your weight and get your act together.
There’s a lot of people who go to ministries like that or there’s ministry like that.
If you want to call it ministry, that’s not how God rolls.
God says this, this is what my son did at the cross for you.
It cost God everything to pay for your sin. And He did it out of sheer love.
Those nails didn’t hold him on the cross.
His love for you held him on the cross and I’m inviting you to walk with me.
And eventually, as you live, your life will wind up in heaven together. Let’s just walk on this path.
Will you come? He invite you?
He doesn’t beat you up and he doesn’t tie you up and pull you along. He invites you.
There’s a big difference in that in this life though.
You and I will be because of life the way it is experiencing difficulties.
Does God love me when I’m going through a difficulty?
What do you think God is not like us?
You might live love somebody on Monday but you don’t on Tuesday, which isn’t love.
Is it resilient? Two difficulties?
The Bible says in Romans uh well, chapter look at chapter five which you’re in, but scoot back a little bit to verse two through whom also we have access by faith.
We talked about that last week into this grace.
It’s God’s grace that gets us through each day in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Okay. That foundation laid. So verse three says, and not only that I love that, but we also glory and tribulation.
So that. Not only that, you know, we’ve all seen those commercials.
If you, if you call now, You can have this flashlight for 1999.
But wait, there’s more if you call now, Right?
You get five of them for three bucks.
Paul is saying these awesome things and versus one and two and then he says, but wait, there’s more, there’s even more to strengthen you against the difficulties of life when it’s as though the world takes out its fist and punches you in the gut and you can’t seem to catch your breath.
God tells us I’m with you in tribulations. Difficulty.
This is the word in the Greek and it’s a powerful word.
It appears in many different, listen, everybody that word, tribulations or tribulation appears in many, many different chapters and verses of the scriptures.
But the context of where the verse, the word applies or is revealed, determines its meaning.
It’s a very, very technical word.
You have to read the context to see what it’s talking about because uh you and I can have Phipps sis regarding today today right now today, an issue, you may not have an issue at all, but you can’t go home today and you find out that you have a tip, sis, you have this Greek word that means you have troubles.
Okay. Then there’s reference to the troubles that God allows in people’s lives and then there’s the trouble that Satan brings against people.
So the context determines its meaning. You want to be careful about that.
In Second Corinthians chapter four verse 16, write this down in your notes that we are now resilient to difficulties.
Resilient. 1st, 2nd Corinthians four says, therefore, we do not lose heart.
Look at that verse you guys, you guys are weak. Don’t lose heart right now.
A lot of people are losing heart, don’t give up, don’t quit, don’t lose heart even though our outward man is perishing.
Okay. So the world is tough. We’re constantly being reminded of our mortality.
The older you get, listen, if you listen, if you’re an older person and you’re not a Christian man, you need to change that today.
I mean, it, the older I get, the more I talk about heaven, the more I’m studying heaven, my outward man is perishing.
So is yours? Don’t look at me like that. So is yours? Somebody goes.
So why you have cologne or perfume on right now?
And you listen, that’s why you used mouthwash this morning. You don’t have baby breath anymore.
Remember baby breath or puppy breath. Now you wake up, you can’t even stand yourself.
What’s going on. You’re dying. Your outward man is perishing.
We all, we all understand that the outward man is perishing yet.
And I hope this is true for all of us.
The inward man, the spiritual man is being renewed day by day.
So you think about this, by the way, your inward man is being renewed. Day by day.
There comes a moment where you and I as a believer have to die. We have to physically die. Why?
Because the inside grows so much that it can’t be contained by the outside anymore.
You gotta go, you’ve got to go.
Well, they didn’t look very good when I saw them last they were, they’ve lost all this weight.
That’s the outward man perishing. But the inward man is saying, I want to get out of here eventually.
Look. The Christian outgrows his body. Verse 17. For our light affliction.
This is Paul talking the guy that was beat up and stoned and left for dead for our light affliction, which is, but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
Wow, that’s what you can look forward to having a rough day. Grab that verse. See, my day is fine.
Grab this verse because tomorrow you might need it. God has made you and I resilient against difficulties.
It’s a good thing to know afflictions of the body, afflictions of the soul, afflictions of the spirit, anguish, distress.
The word means persecution troubles. Every Christian must my friend experience tribulations in this life.
We have to, it’s ordained by God but never confuse the truth that God says to every believer that we must experience tribulation with, with a, with a Christian experiencing the tribulation.
There’s a big difference when we talk about eschatology, don’t be fooled.
The tribulation period of seven years that’s coming to this world is God’s judgment upon this earth.
You will never receive the wrath or judgment of God because Jesus took that for you at the cross.
When it talks about tribulations of life for the believer, it’s what you and I are going through in life every day.
There’s a big difference in that you can be excited about that.
Um So the Bible tells us that you and I should work out spiritually.
The Bible says, Paul wrote to Timothy and said physical exercise profits a little bit.
It’s kind of nice to say I can’t see Paul working out, but Paul says physical working out, okay, but spiritual working out is better because it’s eternal.
So we’re gonna do a little workout right now. Okay.
So here you go, you won’t even have to break a sweat. This is great.
Get ready to write this down.
This is a little power workout for us regarding becoming strengthened against and resilient against difficulties.
John 1633 says these things I have spoken to you. Jesus said that in me, you may have peace.
So put yourself inside Jesus just think of that in the world, you will have tribulation difficulties, but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. Notice he doesn’t say but be of good cheer. You’ve overcome the world.
I love this basically like this. If I would. If I’d had a robot right now.
If I had a big robe, Jesus would be saying something like this. Alright.
Come in here, get inside.
He wraps us up in this robe and he says in this world you’re gonna have all kinds of difficulties but we’re gonna get through this together cause I’m gonna see to it that you’re resilient against the difficulties of life because you’re inside my robe and we’re gonna walk through this and we’re gonna make it all the way through.
Just know this, that I’m gonna get you through this.
You just hide inside here, you just hiding me.
And Jesus says, I’ve overcome the world.
It’s a smart person who says, you know what, I’m not gonna take this world on anymore.
It’s beating me to death. I’m gonna go run and get inside Jesus’s robe of righteousness and I’m gonna walk with him because he’s the one that’s overcome the world.
You need that right now. You and I need that and we’re gonna need it more and more.
But it brings us great hope. Next verse first John 44, we all know this verse.
First John 44, you are of God little Children and have overcome them because this is how he who is in you is greater than he that is in the world.
That’s awesome. Remember how we’re talking about Satan messing things up in this world, Jesus or the scripture counters and says, hey, greater is He, that’s in you.
The spirit of God that dwells in your life is greater than whatever he the enemy can throw at you in this life.
All of a sudden, I’m waking up to the realization, no matter what hits me, it’s got to be market down church.
It’s got to be father filtered. Nothing can come against my life according to the Bible.
Unless God approves of it. Nothing. Suppose you have no idea what I’m going through.
I don’t need to know God knows and you’re going through it right now. And what are you?
What are you feeling like you’re stretched to the point of breaking?
Then you’re near, listen, then you’re near the end of your trial. God is in this.
Are you his child? Yep. Well, then listen.
He doesn’t put you out there and say Satan, there he is.
Get him if you are his child. Maybe that’s the big question.
Are you, do you know for sure?
The Bible says these things have been written that you might know you have eternal life.
And the Bible says that He that is in you. That’s the Holy Spirit.
We talked a few weeks ago that the believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.
God will never leave you. He’ll never abandon you.
And so when you go through this life, the Bible is saying, you can cheer up, you can be strong, you can be resilient because I’ll be your strength.
You just hide inside of me. It’s beautiful.
John 15, 18, John 15, 18, boy, this is, this is for us today.
If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before, it hated you.
I think we need to memorize that one.
If you were of the world, the world would love its own yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world.
Therefore, the world hates you. Does the world hate you? Listen, think about it. Does the world hate you?
If it hate, if the world hates you for being like Jesus, that’s an awesome thing.
If the world hates you because you’re a weirdo. That’s your problem.
This last week, I was on Fox News and they pitted me up against Gloria Allred.
I don’t know if you saw that and she said, well, there’s a separation of church and state and, uh, I said that is in no federal document anywhere.
And the, the Fox News guy said it’s in the first amendment and that’s when I thought the producer should have said, let’s let this go.
Let’s, let’s see what happens. And I said, no, it’s not, it’s not in the first amendment whatsoever.
And by the way, go search and see. Have you ever heard that term before?
Separation of church and state that it’s in the first amendment? Doesn’t say that in the first amendment.
And I said no, the first amendment says that congress shall not pass any law restricting or inhibiting the exercise of religion.
That’s what it says. It cannot pass a law restricting religion or the exercise thereof.
And they said we got to go to a commercial.
Yeah. Well, it’s not in there.
So the, the anchor said we respect all views presented on this program.
And that’s okay. That’s, I get it. I get it.
But listen, and that was, that was a fun time. It was, it was fun.
But there are people who just hate you if you say I believe in Jesus.
But the moment you say something like I believe that if a baby is living in a womb, it should be able to go out of that womb and into its own room down the hallway.
Let the baby live. How can you say that?
It’s easy to say it, it’s truth, it’s true and truth is under attack today.
We just did a program this morning out of New York and Elon Musk is very, very committed to truth.
Okay. He’s saying we’re gonna, we’re gonna, we’re gonna fix this regarding Twitter.
He said I bought it because it’s gonna be truth.
And so the whole thing was, well, Jesus, listen, the whole thing is what is truth. Yeah.
And listen, censorship is something that should be self moderated by the individual, not by some government or some politic or some platform being listen, part of being created the image of God is having to be responsible.
We are humans and listen, we need to be careful about the words we use.
It doesn’t mean we are fearful about the words we use. We need to be kind and gentle and loving.
And by the way, when something is wrong, we need to say that’s wrong.
But in this world that if somebody disagrees with what you just said now it’s World War Three.
Why you want to know why?
Because what man believes is veneer thick and all of a sudden it’s as though the world has taken stupid pills.
Have you noticed? And if you’re going to stand for truth, if you’re gonna say two plus two equals four, you’re gonna get someone’s going to debate you on that amazing time.
Second, Timothy chapter three verse 10.
But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, love, perseverance.
What a witness Paul had right to Timothy verse 11.
Persecutions, afflictions which happened to me in Antioch’s Meconium, Aunt Lastra with persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Yes and all who desire to live Godly. You guys desire to live Godly. Absolutely.
In Christ, Jesus will suffer persecution.
Sign me up but evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of. Doesn’t that? Listen?
Am I alone? On this? Does that galvanize you? Doesn’t that strengthen you? That makes me resilient.
When I read that it makes me resilient against difficulties gets me through them. Acts Chapter 14: verse 21.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city that is evangelism and made many disciples that’s becoming a church, they returned to list, try Connie um and anti Ock, strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations, enter the Kingdom of God that’s encouraging.
Second Corinthians four verse seven, talking to the believer.
These are all verses that belong to the church. You understand that this is important.
This is how we’re disciples Sunday mornings in the word of God learning how to be Christians, experiencing the word of God active in our lives, trusting the Holy Spirit to use the word of God in and out of us.
When we leave Second Corinthians chapter four verse seven, but we have this treasure that is the gospel, most specifically the Holy Spirit, but referenced the gospel in earth and vessels which is cool.
If any of you are scientists, the Bible says that we hold the gospel inside of us and oh by the way, the outside of us is earth and vessel, did you know we are exactly made of earth?
I find that very cool little physicist Paul had that right that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us, we are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed.
We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.
Isn’t that great? First Peter chapter four, first Peter chapter four, verse 12, we’re almost through this workout. Beloved.
Do not think of a strange thing concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange things happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you are part acres of Christ’s sufferings that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Wow, that means my difficulties in this world are one of the Hallmark indicators that I’m part of his family.
Verse 14. If you are reproached or insulted for my name, for the name of Christ.
Blessed are you for the spirit of the glory of our God? Rest upon you on their part.
He is blasphemed, but on your part, he is glorified. This is real stuff.
Listen, I hope you’re getting this. This is stuff that you’re gonna use tomorrow. This is real.
Not all of your family loves you.
You know, they were okay with you before, but then you became a Christian and now you’re off, you’re off the list.
That’s exactly what these passages are for. You know, Winston Churchill said, this is awesome quote.
Leave it to him. He says, if you’re going through hell, keep going.
I love that. What’s the matter just going through hell.
And Churchill would say okay, then just keep going. Eventually we’ll get out of it.
Just keep going. Don’t stay there. That’s what complaining does by the way for us. Oh, no.
What’s happened? I’m in hell. Everything around me and you stop and when we do that everything gets gigantic.
Lord of the Rings. You ever seen that movie? Not everybody can handle it. I understand that.
But if you know anything about Tolkien and that’s anyway, it’s amazing.
But it’s terrifying if you can’t handle it.
The funny thing about it is I’ve watched the making of the movie and these hideous orcs and stuff from Hades, right?
That are going against the sons of earth.
Those sculptures, they’re this big, they’re this big when you see them on the screen, I’m hiding behind Lisa with And then I watched how they made the movie and the thing is 18″ tall and Satan does that to us.
He spooks us. You’ll never make it through.
This is the end of the world for you and I will jump off the cliff.
But the Bible says Satan is like a lion roaming about.
He’s not a lion roaming about. If I told you, listen, you keep looking at your watch. I am too.
I’m watching the clock. You’re going, come on, Pastor, I’m watching the clock.
We’ve got another service so I can’t go too long. But here’s the deal. Here’s the deal.
If I were to tell you what’s that? We just got a note. What’s that? What do you say?
Oh, the police, the fire department has announced that there’s three lions loose in the parking lot.
You would be content to stay here all day long, right? Why?
The Bible says Satan is like a lion seeking whom he may devour. Okay.
Here’s the cool thing he can bite when he bites. He puts a bruise on you.
Satan’s bruising all of us. You wanna, you want, listen, you know, he bruises us with his bite.
His teeth have been pulled out.
He’s like a lion but the old gum because Christ has taken his ability to destroy your life.
Listen, God will use the attacks of Satan against your life to make you stronger and for him to lose ground.
It’s absolutely awesome. Final one here in our workout, Philippians chapter one verse 20 says now according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing, I shall be ashamed.
Wow. But with all boldness as always.
So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. This is Paul speaking.
Can you imagine how do you stop this guy? By the way?
He wrote this, he’s under, he’s a, he’s in prison at the time.
He doesn’t know what’s going to befall him. Is he gonna die? He’s gonna be beheaded.
He doesn’t know he’s chained to a Roman guard As always.
So now also Christ will be magnified in my body, body, whether by life or death.
Verse 21 for to me to live is Christ. To die, is gain.
But if I live on in the Flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor. That what I shall choose.
I cannot tell I love this. So Paul, what do you wanna do? You wanna go to heaven?
You want to stay here? I can’t tell I can’t make up my mind for I am hard pressed Between two, having a desire to depart to be with Christ, which is far better.
He goes on in that statement to say or to stick around for you to help you guys grow in your grace and knowledge of Jesus.
He’s torn between two worlds. Isn’t that amazing?
So are you so am I and that being true in my life causes me causes you, causes us to be resilient regarding difficulties and we all have troubles.
Second argument to this is found verse three where it says we’re now resilient to apathy.
I put apathy, I also put apostasy on there. Empathy church, listen up.
I thought in my notes, this is the I should have put this one first because it’s the most important before people fall asleep.
I should have put this on the front and then the other one at the second point, empathy, empathy is like a drug.
Listen, if there, if there can be spiritual viruses that float around.
Apathy is a spiritual virus and it’s terrifying. Apathy is apathy and apostasy.
They go hand in hand, apathy. You know, apathy, apathy said I don’t, whatever, I don’t care.
It’s almost doesn’t matter if you stay like that and a few or a believer or you claim to be a believer, you’re gonna slip into apostasy.
Apostasy is when you drift away. Listen, apostasy doesn’t mean you run away. Watch this.
This is apostasy is when, you know, you used to be so excited about God and, and then, you know.
Yeah. Kinda. Yeah, it’s right. You know, too.
Well, I kinda, I’ve been going to church for so long every Sunday I just start going every other Sunday And then, you know what?
And then maybe one Sunday and then I don’t, you know, I read so much in my Bible.
I don’t even know where to read anymore. So I’m gonna start reading some other books.
You see where I’m going here, you know, listen, it’s summer and you have a barbecue and all the coals are white hot but you take one of those coals with the tongs, you take one of those coals and move it over to the side, Come back in 20 minutes and that, that thing is ice cold while all the other ones are red hot.
You wanna know why it moved? Wow. Apostasy does that. It’s very subtle.
It’s a virus of the soul. Start to get sloppy.
With your love for God says there in verse three, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.
Listen, you and I need difficulties. You gotta have them, call them trials if you’d like.
But you gotta know this. It means that you need to perceive it. That’s a good thing.
The moment you find the temptation saying to you, how can God be in?
This is the moment you stop that thought and say, wait a minute, God’s word says this in Romans five.
I don’t see it. I don’t understand it, but God knows me.
He knows the situation and I’m gonna stand still because somehow he’s gonna work this out. I’m not moving.
I’m gonna stand here and let the world rage against me.
God, I’m gonna hang on to you and then that I’m gonna persevere.
You gotta the system that’s attacking your Children.
Speak up, persevere. Say the right thing.
Go to the classroom, audit the class, find out what’s going on companies now again, surging again with these ridiculous, almost said the word stupid.
But my granddaughter doesn’t like me to use the word stupid.
Changing the rules now all the time. No. Have you noticed? Now?
There’s so many whack nuts that are in charge that there are no rules anymore.
This rule for this thing, then you drive across the county, you can have somebody in that county and then this county, this person boosted mask, mask this and that this person not and they’re doing business.
How does the virus stuff right there like that?
Are you hearing me, if stuff was really happening?
It would be so obvious and universally accurate things like this.
Well, I can’t say anything about that. My family, they don’t want to hear it.
Just stay in the truth, whatever the truth is, stay in the truth. Don’t compromise. Tell your family.
Look, I have a completely different view.
Mine is based on science, real science, love you guys, but truth is truth can’t change it.
And if I try to change it, then I’m, then I’m lying in front of you and you’re not gonna appreciate that.
These are the days that we live in and knowing all this produces this perseverance that causes us to hang in there.
And the third and final point is this church will see it in verse four.
We’ll leave verse five for next week and that is we’re resilient. This is fun. We are resilient to death.
Say what all is forgiven my friend.
And here’s one of the reasons why you and I are resilient to death, resilient to death. Perseverance.
Look at verse for perseverance, character, character. Hope, see the word hope circle, the word hope.
The word hope here proves that there’s a life after death.
For those of you who don’t believe in life after death, listen very, very carefully because you will someday believe uh in the afterlife.
It just might be too late. But you’ll believe in it fully.
But the word hope right here means a guaranteed fulfillment, a firm anticipated reality.
The word means that which can be relied upon this is the biblical definition of hope, not today’s worldly view of hope, expectation, excitement, that which produces eagerness or to be eagerly hoping.
The believer. Listen, the reason why you and I are resilient to death is because death itself is only something physical.
Jesus went after the real death and the real death is spiritual death.
If you’re joining us on Wednesday nights, we’ve been talking about the suicide of unbelief, physical death.
We focus on and we’re, we are fixated on it because we think that’s all there is and that’s not it.
You are housed inside this body and God does first things first.
He goes to the cross so that you and I can be made resurrected alive in the spirit.
You’ve got to be born again. Jesus said to enter the kingdom of heaven. The word means born twice.
You were born once into this world, you need to be born a second time into God’s kingdom.
Jesus said in John three question, do you know what it means to be born again?
Number two, have you been born again? Jesus said number three, you’re not going to heaven without being born again.
So all of a sudden if I’m in a car accident or if I choke on a banana, according to God’s word, he has promised and he cannot lie, that my hope is secured in him.
And I don’t hope that I go to heaven. I know I’m going to heaven. Why?
Because of what he did, that’s why I’m gonna go to heaven. He’s guaranteed it.
And by doing this, he brings us absolute hope.
And that hope that you and I are assured of affects our character.
And I don’t understand this.
I told you before Church, that word character in the Greek, the word means the process of heating up, listen, heating up and cooling off, heating up and cooling off.
Refining. It’s a term used for metal.
Next week, we’ll use a different word that means galvanized where you treat metal in a different way for the world.
In this word. It is the refining where that’s heated up and all the yucky stuff in the metal floats to the top and the guy he’s called it and the sehr he scrapes off the gunk that comes to the top and guess what?
The Sayer doesn’t stop the process. Are you listening?
He doesn’t stop the process until he looks into the metal, gold silver.
He looks into it and sees the exact reflection of his face in the molten metal.
And when he sees his face, that’s when he turns off the heat, there’s a picture in that our hope is so secure in Jesus Christ that what you’re going through right now, he’s heating up and he’s cooling down.
He’s heating up and he can’t, he just leave it cool.
No, because listen, he’s making you ready for heaven.
I don’t understand how that works except that he works his character into you. How does that matter in eternity?
I honestly don’t know. Nobody knows. But it does, it matters somehow it’s gonna matter.
But right now in your life with all the stuff that’s going on, the challenges and difficulties heat up, man.
It’s smooth sailing right now. We just came out of that heat down.
How many times did that go on in your life? Long time? Huh?
There’s gonna be a day when the maker looks in when it’s hot and all, there’s no more stuff coming to the top.
There’s no more stuff at the top.
It’s all clear and he looks, and he sees a perfect mirror image of himself.
And what is you?
And that’s called heaven church.
You’re not gonna be good enough. You’re not gonna get good enough to get into heaven.
But I will tell you this, this has hot days in some cool days.
Last Sunday we had jackets on today right after a service.
We’re going to the beach, aren’t we?
That happens to our souls to who only the believers see what I just shared with you today.
Has nothing to do with evangelism. It’s post evangelistic activity. You know what it’s called church, father.
We thank you for your word. We thank you for the cross.
We thank you for the empty tomb and we thank you that you have called us to be your Children.
Your bible tells us that if we repent of our sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved.
So Lord, right now in the hearing of this message right now, we pray that there will be those right now saying Jesus forgive me of my sins.
I, I’ve been going my life alone and I’m tired and I’m done.
Maybe you’re young and you’re saying Jesus, I want this. This is exactly what I want.
I want you in my life. I don’t want you to be outside. I want you inside.
Lord speak to every heart.
My dear friend, open up your heart and mind and say, yes, Lord, come on in and save me, cleanse me, wash me, make me your own and dear Christian to all of us.
We would say, Lord, we’re grateful that you’ve moved in.
But now we go in our lives from room to room, closet to closet.
Will you just take over our lives completely? Father?
And Lord help me to stand still as things heat up and cool down until the reflection of Jesus is seen in my life.