Lights In A Dark World II - Part 2 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, The worries of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

This is LeSary Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word. What more can he say than to you he has said, You, unto Jesus, for refuge have fled. Fear not, I am with thee, O being on dismay, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Of hell by thy righteous omnipotent hand. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My graceful sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design, Thy drops to consume, and thy gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus still leaves for repose, I will not, I will not, deserve to his pose. That soul, though all hell, Shouldn't ever to shake.

I'll never, no never, no never forsake. I want to thank each of you who have written this recently to help with the support of this program. I'm thankful for the number of comments we get from people who say that the messages have been a real source of encouragement to them.

We want to stay on all of these stations now carrying the broadcast, and so we would appreciate any help that can be given, even if it's a small amount, it all goes to help keep the program on the air. Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. We continue now with the message, Lights in a Dark World. The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold he wrought a work on the wheels, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter. So he made again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. There's a key to this whole issue, it seemed good to the potter.

If it seems good in his sight, that's all that matters. The God of heaven will do right, he will do that which is to his glory. Then the word of the Lord came into me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Here comes then the word of the Lord to Israel, if the potter had the right to do what he was pleased to do with the clay, cannot I as your God do with you what I please?

Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. Friends, that's where we all are, in the hands of a sovereign God, unable to make any demands for us to complain and murmur, would be sinful in itself, so we have to bow before him. But is it not good to learn that the gospel of the grace of God informs us that salvation is for those who have been humbled with broken hearts, with a sense of sin, who flee to Jesus Christ for refuge, and know that he is the only hope of salvation? If that's your condition, if you're in the place where you say, I have to declare with the hymn writer, if thou my soul should send to hell, thy righteous law proves it well, I deserve nothing, God's not obligated to me, God wouldn't have to save me, could pass me by, and I would certainly understand the matter. Have to be by grace, and I see that God's grace is given only through his Son, Jesus Christ, and so it's to Jesus, the friend of sinners, that I look. It's upon him that I rely. I want to tell you, there never has been a sinner perish who truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The one that believes on him has everlasting life. In the book of Matthew, Jesus gave a lesson about some that became murmurers. Matthew chapter 20, talking about the kingdom of heaven, by being like unto a man that is a householder, went out early in the morning, began to hire laborers to the vineyard, said in the second verse, when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard, and he went out about the third hour, and he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, go ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you, and they went their way.

And this continues throughout the day as he sends other laborers out into the vineyard. Now the time comes for the compensation. Says, and when they came that were hired about the 11th hour, they received every man a penny. And the ones that started early in the morning agreed to work for a penny, and he gave them that. And others came at various times throughout the day. Some didn't come until the 11th hour, but they were given a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more, and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house.

They murmured. Now you can imagine people reacting that way. Don't you think you'd have that kind of problem today?

Found people on the same job, doing the same work, and some worked one hour, and some worked the whole day, and they all got paid the same. Whoa, my, wait a minute here. Can't tolerate that.

Not gonna have that a minute. That's not fair. What's he saying? Saying, these last have wrought but one hour, and thou has made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them and said, friend, I do thee no wrong, didst thou not agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is and go thy way, and I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

Now here's the point. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good?

Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? I haven't harmed you. I agreed to pay you a penny. I paid you a penny, but now you're complaining. Now you're murmuring.

Now some of you children listen to me on this point. You ever find a time that you get a little upset because somebody got a bigger portion than you did? Somebody got some recognition that you didn't get, and you get upset. You murmur and complain. Learn early in life that fretting and complaining and becoming critical of others because of what they have and what's been done for them is not pleasing to God. And parents that tolerate that with their children are helping them to establish a terrible pattern of activity. If you allow your children to continue to murmur and complain and harass you because they didn't get their way and they didn't get what they wanted, you're just really saying to them, that's all right. And after a while when you've worn me down, I will give in because I want a little peace and quiet. I'll just let you have your way to get rid of you.

Worst possible thing parents can do for their children. May all of us learn not to complain, certainly not to complain, against the sovereignty of God. Furthermore, we ought not to complain against the providence of God. God sometimes puts us in a place where we do not like to be.

Have you ever been in such a situation? I realize sometimes we put ourselves in those places. We have been careless, negligent, disobedient, self-willed, and we put ourselves in a predicament where we don't really want to be. Classic example of that is Jonah. Jonah's on a ship that's in the midst of a great storm. Now he did want to get on the ship initially, but he didn't want to be in a storm. He was there because he was trying to run away from God. But sometimes God in His providence puts us in some places we don't really care to be. I'm sure that when Paul the apostle was on that ship that was in such a terrible storm where they didn't even see daylight for days, he would really rather have been somewhere else. I can't imagine anything much worse than being on a ship just tossed to and fro in blackness, a storm that was beyond anything that any of those sailors ever encountered before wouldn't want to be there. Obviously those disciples that were out on the sea that night when they had rolled hard trying to get to land and they made no progress and then they look out across the waters and see this figure coming at them and did not recognize it was Jesus and crying out in horror, what is this that's coming to us?

He'd rather have been somewhere else. But you know God took that event and turned it to a marvelous experience for those disciples. When Jesus got on board the ship immediately they were at the land.

They'd been trying all night and had made no progress. But when Jesus got on board they arrived safe at their destination. The interesting thing about that lesson to me is that Jesus had put them on that ship and he obviously knew the storm was coming. So they were where God wanted them to be. And Jesus was back on the land and it said he saw them. Now no ordinary man could have seen them out in the sea but Jesus saw them.

And you know what he was doing? He was praying for them. Let me tell you, you might be in the midst of a great storm but if the Lord is praying for you you're in great shape.

So what do you mean? Does the Lord pray? Jesus is our intercessor. He intercedes for us. So if he's interceding for you you're wonderfully blessed and favored.

And that which was a terrible storm turned out to be a blessing as they saw the power of their savior Jesus Christ to bring them safely to land. Sometimes the Lord puts us in unpleasant places because we tend to be a little indifferent. We become complacent.

We try hard to maintain the status quo. Most of us are adverse to many kinds of changes and we just assume everything stays the same. So we read God's word and he's calling for us to move forward in a positive way to grow in grace and the knowledge of our savior Jesus Christ. We hear that preach from the pulpit but we either totally reject it or gradually ignore it and so everything remains the same. And the Lord says I'm going to correct you.

I love you enough that I'm going to make a change in your life and since I haven't gotten your attention otherwise I'm going to put you on a boat that's getting ready to go in a storm. And when the storm comes you've got a different attitude about things. You're not just reading the bible because you say well I know that's my daily duty. You're reading the bible because you say I've got to have help. I'm hungry.

I've got to be fed. I've got to have a closer walk with God. You're praying not just because it's the time of day to pray.

You're praying because you can't do anything else. Lord I'm at my wit's end. I can't make it. I have no strength. I have no wisdom. I'm discouraged. I'm heart sick.

I can't deal with all these troubles. Lord I must have you. And when you're at that point you begin to learn and when you go through those experiences some of those attractions of the world that seem so important to you. I just had to pursue these things. They lose their glitter.

They really don't mean anything anymore. Maybe it wasn't something that was terribly wrong in itself but you were just putting your affection on the wrong things and through affliction the Lord called you back. It's in your mind. Yes someday in the resurrection I will perfectly glorify you and conform you to the image of Jesus Christ but I'm starting the process now. I'm going to work in you in such a way that you will shine as a light in this dark world and you can't shine as a brilliant light in the darkness when you're indifferent and complacent about spiritual things. You can put on all the outward show. You can sell the right things.

You can perform all the duties but if it's not an inward affection for Jesus Christ a daily walk in communion with him it becomes empty and vain and becomes a burden to those who are involved in the process. Afflictions come. Enemies confront us and sometimes as much as we try to avoid it the question arises in our mind Lord why? Why this? Why now? This seems to be such an inappropriate time for me to be distracted having to deal with this kind of an issue this kind of a problem. Lord why?

And if we're not careful we'll turn that question of why into grumbling and murmuring. Turn it around say Lord I thought if you really love me you would have protected me from this kind of a situation. I thought if you were really at work you would have intervened and wouldn't have let things go this route. I thought Lord that my life was going to move in a different direction. I thought that I was going to be used in some special way and it looks like that door is closed.

I thought this is the way I was going with my life and that that opportunity has has been shut down. Lord why? And after a while you can become resentful and you murmur and grumble against God. That's a sin. Any of us can have the thought cross our mind momentarily Lord why?

Lord this is a difficult situation and I wonder but even as it crosses our mind may we say with Job the Lord giveth the Lord take it away blessing be the name of the Lord. I'm going to worship him though he slay me yet when I trust him whatever comes whatever goes whatever's taken away from me whatever I encounter if things don't turn out according to my plans if my life is going to honor God that's that's all that really counts in the long run. James chapter 1 verse 1 James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad my brethren counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations. It's obviously not saying be happy about temptation to sin that's not what he's talking about here. In the 13th verse he talks about temptation there he's talking about sin here he's talking about adversity trial tribulations that come counted all joy when you fall into diverse temptations knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience and let patience have her perfect work. Patience is endurance it's perseverance it's holding on it's continuing in the right direction so he says counted all joy doesn't mean you're going to feel elated say oh I'm thrilled that I got all this trouble I'm happy I hurt I'm glad I'm sick yes I love being down that's not what's been talked about at all I've had people reply like that so you know that's just unrealistic that's not what it's talking about. When you are sick you're going to feel sick when you have pain it hurts when you've got trouble you feel distressed over it but rather than giving up in despair and saying everything's against me lord I don't understand it right now I can't see what all is being done but I'm going to put this over here on the positive side of the register I'm going to count it joy because I know thou has promised thou will never leave us nor forsake us that we may boldly say the lord is our helper I'm going to put it over here on the positive side because I understand lord that the trying of my faith worketh patience this is how I'm going to learn to endure and to hold on my way but let patience have her perfect work that she may be perfect or that is mature complete entire wanting nothing if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of god that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him let patience have her perfect work don't try to cut short whatever god is doing in your life somebody gets to a place that the burdens are particularly heavy and they want to resort to some worldly source of relief there's a place for medication at the right time the right place but sometimes when people allow themselves to become heavily medicated just to escape reality so that they are not feeling the pain of the trouble james is saying don't kick out of the traces don't don't punch the eject button but patience have her perfect work the lord never intended for us to be on top of the mountain every day he did intend for us to rejoice but we can rejoice even in the depth of the valley we can rejoice when it appears everything's falling apart because we can say in spite of the fact that my world seems to be disintegrating right now i know the sovereign god of heaven is still on the throne he's still at work he's working his will the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth works all things together for good to them that love god to them who are the called according to his purpose god is orchestrating that god is working that what a marvelous thing let us then never murmur about the providence of god if you just understand god is on the throne god is good god is merciful if you're one of his god loves you and the promises specifically to those that love god and are the called according to his purpose he's working even those heartaches and those disappointments and those upheavals and those daily frustrations and those things that are so hard to bear he's working them together for your good if nothing else he's teaching you he's training you he's bringing you to greater dependence upon him you've known what to say for a long time you know to say i'm weak he's strong i have great need he's my supply everybody can say that but it's difficult to live it out because we get to the places that we think i can make it myself and when we're there we're ready for a downfall and the lord says it's time to go back into the furnace and he is the refiner of silver and he turns up the heat so that the dross is consumed but you see he does all that in love what shape would you be in today if god's grace had not rescued you where would you be if god had not begun a good work in you and promised to perform it to the day of jesus christ you've been through a lot of ups and downs a lot of ramblings and wanderings why are you here on a sunday afternoon when many people have no thought of being in the house of god but you've come here to hear his word because god is at work in you you're working out your salvation which god worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure do all things without murmurings and disputings we'll continue there the next time the lord willing may we learn in our daily life to bow in submission to our heavenly father not grudgingly not apprehensively not fearfully as though god does not design what is for our best and our good but joyfully to know that it is our heavenly father before whom we bow and he who has given us the greatest gift his son jesus christ will give us such lesser gifts as we have need of as we travel here in this journey today we have brought to the concluding portion of a message entitled lights in a dark world i hope it's been an encouragement to you and impress us upon all of our minds the importance of continuing to shine as a light holding forth the word of life even when the world around us becomes darker i will appreciate it if you'll take time to write and let us know that you have listened and if you can help us with the support of the program our address is the baptist bible hour box 17 037 cincinnati ohio four five two one seven now to greet you next time this is lacerre bradley junior bidding you goodbye and may god bless you oh This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all my day long. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Perfect submission, all is at rest, I am my Savior and happy and blessed, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with this goodness, lost in His love. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior, praising my Savior, Praising my Savior all the day long.