Well, by now you know that Hebrews chapter 11 is the great hall of faith chapter in God's Word. And it explains the true nature of biblical faith. correcting many of the misunderstandings and false notions that people have regarding that subject. And part of that is by recording a long list of Old Testament saints. who accomplished great exploits by trusting God.
by exercising faith in God's Word. And, oh, there's quite a list, wasn't there? Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses. Joshua, Rahab. Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the profits.
And many of these had a description of their particular exercise of faith that is noteworthy. And then some of them were just lumped together, as you know. in a list of names and then followed by a list of exploits. And we marvel at these exploits of faith. We read, for example, of these exploits, beginning in verse 33.
who through faith Subdued kingdoms, worked righteousnesses, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life again. What a list. What great exploits? were achieved by believing God, by exercising faith in His Word.
And we marvel at these and we admire these. And we desire that we might do something similar. that is recorded of these But wait. Yeah. Don't forget the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say, But wait.
In the middle of verse 35, we take a rather remarkable turn. Finishing up that list of great exploits, women received their dead raised to life again, we read. Others. Others, an entirely different category of those who achieved great exploits. who instead endured severe trials and did not obtain victory in this world.
Others were tortured. not accepting deliverance that they might obtain A better resurrection. Still others. had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned.
They were sawn in two. were tempted. were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. of whom the world was not worthy.
It is those that we are going to consider today. who endured severe trials by faith and did not compromise in the midst of those trials. They were not delivered in this world, but they did not lapse in their faith toward God, even though in some cases the trials went on year after year, decade after decade, until finally death brought relief. And so, the last several messages, as I've been working through the list in verse 32. And following The last several messages were entitled Exploits of Faith.
Exploits of faith, part one, exploits of faith, part two, and so forth. We had four parts. to that particular section. But now we come to Faith under fire. Or How to persevere.
Through Faith. How to persevere Through trials. By faith. And that is many times more difficult than. exercising faith to achieve healing or many of the other things that are mentioned.
throughout this chapter. How? to persevere through trials. And this section suggests to us three things in answer to that question, how do we persevere in a God-honoring way through our trials? And it is by the following.
Number one, by believing God's promises. Number two, by expecting severe trials, And number three, by embracing Our identity. And we take these in the order in which they're listed. in verses 35 through 38.
So how do we honor God? in the midst of trials, even when God does not lift those trials from our lives. Number one. by believing God's promises. Verse 35.
Others were tortured not escaping deliverance. that they might obtain a better Resurrection. Described for us in that phrase is first of all a painful torture. Others were Tortured. It's possible that that word is used in a general sense of all different kinds of torture, but.
The Greek word actually has a very specific meaning. And that may be what the author of Hebrews has in mind here. The Greek word could probably best be anglicized as The tempranium. We get our word, tympani from that. You know what that is?
The big kettle drums and an orchestra, great big round drums, the timpani.
Well, that describes a particular instrument of torture, a large drum-like instrument over which people were stretched. There Hands would be chained at one end, their feet at the other end, and they were stretched over that round. Drum.
so that they would be fully exposed to the beating which they were going to take on all parts of their body while they were stretched over that drum. They were tortured. And in the midst of that kind of torture, or others that were even more severe in some cases. we read there was an uncompromising steadfastness. Others were tortured.
not accepting Deliverance.
Now that phrase, of course, assumes that they were offered deliverance if they would do something. which they refused to do. They were offered deliverance if they would recant. disavow their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Compromise their stand on truth and God's word.
If you'll just Disavow what you have proclaimed to believe. We will release you from this torture. But faith accepts the torture. rather than compromising on compromising truth. compromising our loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so we find described here an unwavering faith that pleases God. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. that they might obtain a better resurrection. And here we come. to the promise which they believed.
They endured these trials by believing the promises of God. That they might obtain a better resurrection. That's what they had in mind, the promise of a better resurrection. That phrase indicates that this torture described in verse 35. is a torture unto death.
If in fact it is describing those who are being beaten, stretched out over this kettle-like instrument. The beating continued and continued and continued until finally they were beaten to death. Why else would they be looking for a resurrection? Only Dead people are in hope of a resurrection. And they were looking for a better resurrection.
They were unwilling to compromise to be released from what had to be incredible pain that they knew was going to eventuate in their death. And yet they were looking forward to a better resurrection. Better than what?
Well, resurrection has already been mentioned in this very same verse. Verse 35 again. The first part. Women received their dead, raised to life again. And we related that to the two women.
In the lives of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah, who raised the son of that widow of Zarephath, the Gentile woman widow whom God had appointed to feed him during a time of famine, And when her son died, Elijah appealed to God, and God restored him to life again, gave him back to his mother. The mother was Who had been plunged into the deepest sorrow was now raised to the height of rejoicing. My son, who was dead, is alive. He's been restored to life again.
I have him again. I can embrace him again. Finish rearing him to manhood and enjoying this relationship that God has given to me. and seeing him married, seeing children, grandchildren brought to him. He's been restored to life.
by a miraculous resurrection. And the other one, in the life of Elisha, was the woman of Shunim. Age A Jewish woman, godly woman. Who's who fed Elisha during the time of famine and housed him when he was passing through that area. And her son died.
a son that had been miraculously granted to her who had no child, And it was it appeared to be beyond the realm of normal human possibility that she could have a child. But God gave her a child, and then the child died. At the age of three or four, maybe five. And she cried out, to the prophet who cried out to God And God heard that prayer. And that believing faith raised that child back to life, back to his mother, back to the prospects that.
we often and normally have for our children.
So here are two women who received their sons, their dead sons, back to life again. But what did they receive them back to? Back to life. On Earth Again With its pain. It's suffering.
It's sin. and eventual death. They weren't They weren't shielded from death. They were. Raised from the dead.
only at some point to die again. But these He refused. to compromise The truth of God, in order to be released from painful torture and eventual death. We're looking for not that kind of resurrection. but a better resurrection.
What kind would that be?
Well, the kind that is promised to us in God's Word for all of God's children. At the last day, The only example we have of that is Jesus himself. who came out of the grave, A glorious resurrection.
Now not to be returned to earthly life. but rather came out with a We could call it a resurrection body. a glorified body, a heavenly body, an eternal body. A different body. It was the same body in one sense, but something had changed it.
Dramatically, so that now. That body cannot suffer pain, cannot suffer, cannot die, will live forever. Is not only able to live upon the earth, as Jesus did for a few days before he. He ascended back to heaven. but will live in heaven.
Forever and ever and ever and ever and ever, unending, undying, no pain, no suffering, no sorrow, no tears, forever. in a body, a physical body. but a glorified body. a better resurrection. And that's what they're looking for, these saints who trusted God.
They believed the promise of God regarding a future resurrection of the kind I just described. It's a better resurrection because it is an eternal. Resurrection, not a temporary one, like all of those that are recorded in the Bible, except Jesus, who were resurrected. Lazarus, raised from the dead, returned to his family. And then at some point They had another funeral.
For Lazarus. He died again. But not Jesus. He died once. Rose from the dead, never to die again.
That's what they were counting on. That's what they were looking for. That's what they believed. That's what they were holding on to. That's what they considered far more valuable than being released from torture.
and from earthly death. A better resurrection because it is eternal. a better resurrection because it involves a glorified body. And if you have any question or doubt as to whether Old Testament saints. knew about and believed in the final resurrection, this should erase all doubt.
These who were tortured in this way Who were before Christ, before the coming of Christ, and before the New Testament scriptures. They clung to this promise. I know, like Job of old, that my Redeemer lives, and I will stand with him in that last day. A better resurrection. There's a lot of evidence for that.
What did Paul champion even before he was a Christian, but when he was a Pharisee? What doctrine did he and the Pharisees champion? Champion Opposed to the skepticism of the Sadducees who didn't believe in. A final resurrection. But the Pharisees did.
Paul did. He said that's what caused a lot of problems between him and the Sadducees. He believed in the resurrection. He, who was. Before he was saved, we might say an Old Testament I can't even call him an Old Testament saint because he wasn't even saved.
But an Old Testament Jewish religious person. He believed in the resurrection. These people believed in the resurrection. And how do they know about this resurrection? Through faith.
What is faith?
Now it brings us right back. to our definition again, faith is believing. The revelation of God and acting upon it. You can't find a better example of that than this. in our text for today.
They believe the revelation of God that there is a better resurrection awaiting those who trust God and who do not. Renounce their faith. Hold on to their faith to the end. He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. They held on to it to the very end.
And they're looking forward to that glorious, better resurrection. You say, well, when I read the Old Testament scriptures, I only see teeny little glimpses, sometimes we might call it hints. of this future resurrection. Yeah, but that's enough. The Old Testament saints didn't have 1 Corinthians 15.
That great chapter on faith. I mean, that is the. That is the Summation of all passages on the doctrine of the resurrection. I'm not sure if I can do it. Mark Wedd comes for the Bible conference.
Starting on Easter, that he's going to be referring much to 1 Corinthians 15. He may spend the whole conference in 1 Corinthians 15. I couldn't think of a better place for him to go. A wonderful explanation. Many of the details.
about the doctrine of the resurrection are found in that chapter. The Old Testament saints didn't have that. But they had enough. I just referred to A Statement in the book of Job that refers to a future final resurrection that Job believed in, that had been revealed to him. And there are other such.
Such Revelations brief as they may be. Revelations in the Old Testament scriptures. And here is an example of faith. People who believed the revelation of God. They believed what God revealed, how small it may have been, but it doesn't take a lot.
Someone will say, well, there's only one verse that talks about this or that or the other. How many do you need before you believe it's true? Do you have to have 10? Do you have to have 20? Do you have to have?
Several chapters on some particular subject before you're going to be willing to believe it, then you don't believe the Bible, do you? But these people did. They believed the revelation of God regarding that future resurrection, and they proved that they believed it by acting in accordance with what they believed. If there is the promise of a better future resurrection, I am willing to die. and be tortured and die.
In order to gain that future resurrection, I believe the promises of God, and my actions show that I believe them. That's what they demonstrated for us in this great chapter on faith. Believing the promises of God. How do we or anyone persevere? through trials the same way.
By faith. believing the promises of God. We believe Romans 8.28. And we No, the Bible says, do you? And we know that That all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
That's the statement of the Bible. Do you believe it? And we know. We who are believers. that all things The to us bad things as well as To us, the wonderful good things.
All things Work together for good. They may be anything but enjoyable while we're enduring them, but they are working together for our good. That is, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. That verse, by the way, is not legitimately applied to an unbeliever. You can't toss that out anywhere and everywhere and try to comfort someone who's going through a trial who gives no evidence of being a Christian and saying, Don't forget, all things work together for good.
Yeah, but not for you, unless you will. Believe In Christ, All things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are the called according to his purpose. All things. the promises in God's word of His promised presence and comfort in times of trial. The promise of eternal reward to those who cling to Jesus Christ to the end.
Those promises are what enable God's people to persevere. in trials. That's number one. How do God's people persevere in trials? Number one, by believing the promises of God.
Number two. by expecting severe trials.
Now, logically, I might have put that first, but in the passage, it comes second.
So we will take it second. By expecting severe treatment. trials because the Bible tells us to expect them. Yes, some women received their dead raised to life again, but others were tortured. Scourgings.
chains and imprisonment. stoned Sawn in two. slain with the sword and so forth. Trials. Trials.
And the Bible tells us to expect them. All you have to do is turn a page or two, and you come to James chapter 1. And verse 2 says, my brethren, Count it all joy. Wow, this is this is a high and high standard but it is attainable. By God's help and grace, my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
Not if. When? It's coming to all of us. At some time or another, the Bible says so. Do you remember what Paul said in Philippians 1?
Twenty-nine. Mm-hmm. For to you, writing to the Philippian believers, he says, For to you it has been granted to believe on Christ. or granted rather, on behalf of Christ. not only to believe in him, That's been given to you, been granted to you.
They Ability. to believe in Christ. That's been given to you, but something else has been given to you as well. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him. but also to suffer.
For his sake. If you are a Christian, I can tell two things about you: that God has. purposed for you. God has determined for you. God has Designed for you.
Number one, that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you're a Christian, you've already experienced that gift of God. and number two, that you suffer. That you suffer. for his sake.
That's been given to you as well. How are you doing with that second one? Ooh. Uh The first one I like, the second one not so much. One is as much the gift of God as the other.
One as much the plan of God as the other. One is as much the determination of God for his children. as the other. What did Jesus Tell us in Matthew 22, I'll just skip around a bit. Matthew 10 rather verse 22.
And you, speaking to his disciples, will be hated. By all For my name's sake. A disciple is not above his teacher. nor a servant above his master. If they have called The master of the house, Beelzebub, How much more?
will they call those who are of his household? How much more? That indicates Greater. suffering for the followers of Christ, that even Christ himself. Appointed for those who follow him.
To follow him, we must be willing to what? Take up our cross. instrument of torture and death. Take up our cross Daily.
Now, we may not be called upon daily to suffer great trials. But we better be prepared to. Take up our cross. Daily. and follow him.
And so by expecting severe trials, we are able to persevere through those trials. In a God-honoring way. We're talking about how to persevere through trials. Number one, by believing the promises of God. Number two, by expecting trials to come.
So many Christians act as if they shouldn't come. That if you're a Christian, you shouldn't experience trials. But the Bible says the opposite. We expect them to come. And there are seven different categories of trials that are listed.
Some of them just one thing, some of them several examples in that category. Let's work through them quickly. We should expect ridicule. That's what Jesus just said. If they call the master beals above, that's a term of great ridicule.
Great blasphemy. If they call the master Beelzebub, how much more? Those who belong to his household. Markings. common to all of God's people.
but very difficult. to undergo. and for some almost impossible. But dear friends, if you can't conquer this, How are you going to do when really severe trials come? If simply, ridicule, mocking.
Calling you names, misrepresenting you. Just words of ridicule because you're a Christian. If you Wither under that, and can't stand up to that, and can't hold on to a public Christian testimony in the face of that. then how are you going to stand up when real painful Scourgings and trials of the kind that are described here, Ridicules number one. Pain is number two, physical pain.
indicated by the word scourgings. We read about many of God's people in the Bible who were beaten, who were scourged. Paul, several times, Christ himself. terribly scourged. before his crucifixion, many throughout history.
Many in the Bible Many even In that Intertestamental period between the Old and the New Testament, about 400 silent years they're called, because no scripture was given during that time. But what up? painful time. Several of the commentators on this passage made reference to that. saying they thought the writer of Hebrews had at least some of that in mind.
And that caused me to go looking for An Apocrypha. It's not scripture, but it's history. An Apocrypha. And turning to 2 Maccabees, You ought to know something about the period of the Maccabees in this intertestamental time. And reading in chapters 6 and 7, and I'll tell you.
As I thought about it, I decided I would not bring that and read it from the pulpit. It's too gory, it's too gruesome. I could hardly stand to read it myself. The torture that some of these Jewish people went through, some of them in the family called the Maccabees and some others in that same period, the kinds of torture they went through without renouncing their faith. I'll just give you a brief description, slight description.
of one of the passages. It talks about a mother who had seven sons, and they brought in the mother and all the sons. And they started berating them one by one. And then they took the first one and killed him and said, now how about the rest of you renouncing? And the second one and killed him.
And tortured him. And I don't remember exactly which son this was, but somewhere down the line, the torture consisted of. Cutting out his tongue, he's still living, cutting out his tongue. throwing it in a frying pan so that it's sizzling there. in his presence, in the presence of his brothers and mother.
And then starting to cut off other limbs and throwing them in the frying pan, one by one, cutting off these limbs and throwing them in the fire pan. And then finally throwing whatever was left of him in this big frying pan until he died. I think, who thought that one up? You'd have to think a long time to come up with anything more gruesome, more painful, more torturous than that. Who thought that one up?
The enemies of God. who are also the enemies of God's people. And I'm trying to remember, I think the issue there was just. Stop. upholding the Sabbath day.
As Jews in that day we're required to do. Let that go, and we'll let you go. All seven of them died and the mother urged them to be true to their faith. even as she watched them die one by one. Incredible.
But that's real faith. And that's what this passage is talking about. Ridicule. Pain Confinement, chains and imprisonment Paul, Peter, Many others. John Bunyan.
who spent 12 years in prison. While he has Wife and blind daughter. were living in poverty. In prison, he was The only thing he could do to help them financially was to make shoelaces. And sell them to try to help out his family in their poverty.
Watching them in this. Terrible poverty. He loved them, watching them in this terrible poverty. All he had to do was say, I will no longer preach. without a license.
And they'd let him go. He wouldn't do it. You stayed in prison. Because being true to Christ and to His word. was more important to him Then release.
from prison. Execution.
Some were stoned, some were sawn in two, some were slain by the sword. Tradition tells us that Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah, Was killed by being sawed in two by a Wooden saw. What of what good is a wooden saw? A wooden saw won't cut wood. No, but it sure does make sawing a person more.
more terribly torturous and painful than if it were with a sharp. Sharp instrument that could do the job more quickly. I can't imagine what a wooden saw could be used for except for torture. What? Incredible tortures men devise to vent their hatred against God and his people.
And we are his people. Execution.
Temptation, enticements to do what? To compromise. to seek an easier path. The little compromise that'll release you from this suffering. Easily justified.
compromises. I mean after all If I die, what good can I do for the cause of Christ? But if I make this little concession and live, then I can go on and preach the gospel and win people to Christ and blah, blah, blah. Wait a minute. God expects you to be faithful to Him in every circumstance.
God isn't saying it's more important for you to preach the gospel and perhaps. Win people to Christ than it is to be faithful to Him in this particular trial. He puts you in this trial. What does He require of you here and now? Be faithful, be true, be uncompromising.
Don't justify. Your compromise at a time like that. And so, ridicule, pain, confinement, execution, enticements. They were ostracized. There's a couple of verses here that talk about being banished from society, driven from home, exiled.
not considered fit to live in normal society. Out into the wilderness. out to the Isle of Patinamus and so forth. Ostracized. and in many cases deprivations.
Deprived of food, deprived of shelter, deprived of clothing, deprived of the normal comforts of life. And again, what most of these could have done is said, all right, all right, I'll concede what you are requiring of me. Just let me come home to my family again. That's Surely that's more important. than living out here in the wilderness separated from my wife and children.
No, it's not. What's most important Is being true, being faithful to God and to His Word, to continue to exercise faith in the midst of the greatest. and most difficult trials. Many of God's choicest servants. experienced severe trials.
We should be prepared for the same. The fact that we've had so little of that in our country is a great mercy of God, but it has made Christians in America soft. You say, Pastor Barkman. Are you Inviting these things? Do you want them to happen?
No. Do you expect them to happen? Eventually, I don't know if I'll be alive or not.
Some of you will be. Be prepared. Be prepared. Don't pray for God. to remove the trial Pray for God to give you grace to endure the trial, no matter how strong it is, no matter how long it endures.
That's the prayer that pleases God. Increase. My faith. Remember what Jesus said to Peter on one occasion, Simon? Simon?
Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you. Oh, goody. Thank you, Lord. You prayed that Satan won't be able to bring severe trials.
No, that's not what I prayed. I prayed for you that your faith fails not. I didn't pray for you. to be released from the trial. Expected you to face the trial and to go through it.
I prayed that your faith will not. Failure in that day. as it did when Christ was on trial. in Herod's praetorium. And the Enemies of Christ were warming themselves around the fire, and Peter denied his Lord.
I prayed for you that the next time something like that comes up, your faith will not fail as it did then. Is Jesus expecting Peter to face trials? He certainly is. But there's a third way. How do we experience successfully?
How do we persevere? Through the trials that God tells us we will have. Number one, by believing the promises of God. Number two, by expecting trials to come, not acting as if there's some.
some uh abnormality. And number three. By embracing your identity, let me show you this. I think that's implied in verse 38. It says of these who endured these trials, of whom The world was not Worthy.
What is that saying? That's saying that there is a clear distinction between saved people and lost people, that our identity is distinctly different. As Jesus put it in John chapter 17, we are, for the time being, in the world, but we're not of the world. Unbelievers are in the world and of the world. And so they act a certain way.
Believers are in the world but not of the world. Believers, evidently, are sufficiently different to be identified as different. The world is not worthy of people like this that are described in this chapter. God's people have different Delights. Than the people in the world.
God's people have different desires than the people of the world. God's people are different. Not because we make ourselves odd on purpose, but because we've been changed. We just have a different. a different orientation, a different A different goal, a different future.
Everything's different. We've been changed by the power of God, and our lives are now different. If yours is not, then what makes you think you've been born again? And so there is a clear distinction. And evidently, this distinction is.
According to our text, A superior distinction. The world's not worthy. These people are... elevated above the normal, they're more They're more valuable. They're more worthy.
of life. They're more worthy. of honor. than those in the world. The world is not worthy of people like this.
In other words, trying to make yourself normal and acceptable to those in the world is not honoring to the Lord, because this is a fallen world. Normal in this fallen world is. abnormal with the Holy God. And his desire is to make his people different. His determination is to make his people different.
from this fallen world. Believers are rescued out of the world system. Believers are created into a superior status. We are children of God. They are, in the words of Jesus, Children of the devil.
That's a pretty big distinction, isn't it? Children of God? Children of the devil. Going to heaven? Going to hell.
Having Nothing but sinful desires and passions. On the one hand, in having holy And God honoring desires and passions on the other hand. There's a clear distinction here. It tells me that true believers are the best people on earth.
Now the world doesn't necessarily recognize that. They deny that. And are so incensed by who we are. And how How distasteful they find us in our different condition, that they'd like to banish us out of their presence. But the world is not worthy of God's people.
True believers are the best people in the world. Who knows what a mess this world would be in if all the believers were taken out? We think it's in a mess now, and it is. What a mess it would be in if all true believers were taken out. If all people who have a real heart's desire to be honest were taken out, if all the people who had a real heart's desire to be nothing but truthful were taken out.
If all the people who have no murderous thoughts, no covetousness, no jealousy, no anger were taken out of this world. What kind of a world would this be? You see how bad it is now. And yet, there's salt sprinkled into this world. That's believers holding back.
the full extent of the corruption. We're different. There's a welcome separation between believers and unbelievers. And we should be grateful for that distinction that God has made. And Getting to my main point here.
unashamed. of that distinction that God has made. It's a great privilege. to have been Granted, To believe On the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a great privilege to have been constituted by the work of God's Spirit a child of the living God, a son or a daughter of the living God.
It's a great privilege to be on our way to heaven instead of on our way to hell. It's a great privilege to have a purpose in life, to live for. The God, the supreme God of all glory and power who made all things and who is deserving of our worship. That's a distinct privilege. Ask God to give us the courage not to be ashamed of who we have been made.
It is a great privilege. The world isn't worthy of people like us. And that shouldn't make us proud, but it should make us unashamed to be identified as a Christian. Do you understand your great privilege? Your God-created distinction?
Embrace that. Joyfully. Humbly. openly. If you can't.
Stand up. and be identified as a Christian. In this world, then what will you do when the kind of persecutions described in this passage come? All right, and the next. Three minutes.
I wrap this up. with a few statements. This passage teaches us to reject the false prosperity gospel. Television? and radio are filled with people.
Who are telling you that God doesn't want you to suffer, God doesn't want you to. Fight, wrestle with poverty or any difficulty or pain. If you'll just have enough faith, God will relieve you of all these things. It's not God's will for any of that to happen to you. What Bible are these people reading from?
Not the one that I have. And you know as well as I do. They're deliberately ignoring. passages like the ones I called to your attention this morning. and distorting and taking out of context other passages to teach that which is eminently popular.
Isn't it amazing how many people will flock to preachers who will tell them lies because they like the lies that are being told? This is the kind of message that is propagated in. Probably the majority of what we would call megachurches, not all of them, I don't want to be misunderstood. There are some large churches that are true to the Bible. But If a church is large, it's not because Necessarily because God has blessed the truth that is being proclaimed there.
In many cases, if not the majority of cases, it's because Unconverted people who want to be thought of as Christians are flocking to a message that requires no sacrifice. No pain, no suffering. No difficulty. And they love to hear a message like that. And it's a lie.
Reject the false prosperity gospel. Reject the comfortable Christian philosophy. that says sacrifice is neither necessary nor desirable. The Bible says Otherwise. Be prepared for suffering.
Value Christ in future promises more. than earthly pleasures, comforts, or worldly approval. Cultivate a godly distinction from the world. Not odd for the sake of being odd.
Some people think the way Christians demonstrate manifest to the world that they're different. Is they wear odd styles of clothing and odd hairstyles, and so everybody can look at them and say, boy, they're weird. Uh that's not the idea. But Christians do. Not follow all the styles of the world.
Christians do understand. The need for modesty. And for propriety. But we don't just deliberately try to make ourselves stand out by weird dress and weird hairstyles were different because We have a different goal in life. different standards of conduct.
Different different ones that we are endeavoring to please. Everything about us is different that has to do with the way we act and behave. that's different, not the way that we dress and look necessarily. Be godly for the sake of being effective and fruitful in the work of God. Be prepared.
to exercise your faith to achieve great exploits by all means or Just as honoring to God, be prepared to exercise your faith. to persevere. in great trials Forever how long? God ordains for those trials. to last.
Let's pray. Father, help us. This passage challenges us. It shows us our weakness. It shows us how easy it is.
for us to compromise The faith. that has been delivered to us. by your Holy Spirit. Oh Lord. Strengthen our faith.
Inform our understanding. Dispel those lies that have deceived us. about what Christianity is and how we are to be in this world. and help us to honor you in all aspects of life. By faith.
By believing the revelation you have given. and acting in accordance with it. We pray in Jesus' name. I'm out.
