God Is Reliable (Part B)

We look to eliminate the distractions because this is Paul is saying to us little blocks out everything else for an hour or so we can worship with as much attention as we can muster the one who is worth their those to get very upset when you do it this way. I think that the distractions should be promoted permitted, but through precepts.

I get understanding through rules.

I'm not gonna run from them going to run to them if they come from God. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching now cures Pastor Rick with part two of his study called God is reliable and today's teaching in Hebrews chapter 6 we define joys feeling good just feeling not feeling bad and a lot of preaching and writing about joy in Christ, which I think falls far short of reality in Christ cannot just drug ourselves with things that make us feel good, but all true and so had all of these book writers who tell us how to find joy been accurate. We would've only needed one book as we would've had the recipe. One book is how you find you okay we don't need anymore. We've got it so the fact that there are so many is to me a testimony that that's not how it works.

They lack the things that accompany our salvation and I just read a few verses that speak of those things that accompany our salvation such as taking up the cross sheep in the midst of wolves. These things accompany our salvation. I can grown and complained my life to God about how I wanted a Billy Graham type ministry. While Christians are being persecuted and other places of the world would you say that, say, not my will be done with your will be done as I don't know what is right to you. Tell me what is right. Things that accompany my salvation. A very deep and very broad. These books that talk about joy, not maybe every single one, but a great majority of them they have things that people want things that people want without fighting for. They just handed to me. He said you are like babes, getting me you need milk you that predigested food you can handle the hard stuff is what happens in a world that is contested by Satan. If you want joy. I could write a book on joy would be one. If you want joy you have to fight for it because it is contested that is what this world is about. If you going to get joy in Christ you want to have to have a sword, you need a breastplate and a helmet you going to have that cover your your legs a little bit you going to need more stuff than just a thrill. These books I think teachers how to be let down, how to ignore reality and become disillusioned with the Christian faith into you have people using Jesus name preaching things that just are true. Just find the Scripture.

Joy is Christ assurance that his will is what we're going to go after this should encourage every believer not frightened them how not to face facts, how not to face life, how not to face yourself how not to face Scripture. That's where we would land. If we want to live in the pretend world there are things we don't want to face as it says in Isaiah 33 verse 15 a righteous man stops his ears. The mention of bloodshed you want to heal this bad stuff. I get doing think about stopped drowning me in, it that is right within their other areas of life that we must face, we must face with courage. That is what he is saying to them is saying there are things that accompany our faith in you want to walk away from it and you should not be walking away but going towards it. We applaud firemen when they run into the burning building about our faith about face trusting God not expect a miracle I don't want to expect a miracle I want to expect obedience. I want to be faithful to the Lord.

That is miracle enough. How about faith no matter what comes into my life no matter what is contested is proof that life in Christ is contested, how many of you have been around Christ for a while and have not felt the urge to say Eloi Eli Lamas about my God, my God, why have you forsaken me why you letting me down.

Why did this happen why why why we all get there. It's important that we recover from and after that season of anguish and struggle and grief get up.

So what accompanies salvation is faith writer to this of this letter is going to have a whole section on by faith, by faith, by faith, and he's going to name names single out events faith in the face of the contest be harsh faith can be a harsh experience with faithlessness is worse.

Thus, we consider our persecuted brothers and sisters.

The writer of this letter will say. Towards the end of the letter.

Remember those who are in chains as though you are chained with them staying reality wake up to get nothing done for Christ by pretending that real things aren't so we get it done by looking at what is before us working with what we have financial solutions in Scripture.

So what is the solution of faith resolve to resolve within our hearts that we will serve unconditionally Christ because he is given us enough proof to do that and no one else has obedience. While Christians are afraid of obedience. The word all wanted, but we all discover we can produce it all the time. Somebody's going to come along and push those buttons whether they are of buttons to Morris into something that gives us a pleasure to react in a way that does not give God pleasure the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God put that on your dashboard.

Well, that was supposed be a little funnier than what it came out to be a break here obedience as best we can. It will be contested lifelong so that's okay. Jesus knows how to deal with that in us the solution again is perseverance.

Second Corinthians verse four chapter 4 verse 16 therefore do not lose heart even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. No part of preaching is slamming that which is wrong and encouraging that which is right in all of us.

The speaker included that keeps the balance is supposed to at least there is a good example. Christ says you want joy go after obedience do my will.

If you love me, keep my commandments, do you love me Peter not like you want me Lord, do you love me Peter yes but not like I want you three times, Peter had to go through that Peter was not fired for giving the lesser answer each time Peter said that Peter said you know I love you Peter do you agape me Lord life I Leo you I do love you like you, I thought I did but just don't have it. Christ did tend my sheep feed my sheep. Watch out for the flock. Use them anyway. Even though Peter did not rise to that high standard that God calls us all to rise to. We should be strengthened by this. Encouraged by this each and every one of us truth. You want joy you want things that belong to our salvation is better things truth without additives without supplements modifications. That's where Christians get in trouble want to add to the truth want to sprocket up and improve it. What is the solution to this hate lies. That is the solution to loving truth that which is false and fake and phony.

Don't embrace it. David in one place. In Psalm 119 says through your precepts. I get understanding. Therefore I hate every False Way, God doesn't apologize for that verse is the author of any does all things well that worked. Precepts rules through your rules. Now, many Christians think that they should not be held any rules when they come into the house of God do whatever they want to find people up at rules of the get very upset when rules govern us. This should be no reason why we are offended by in this particular church.

For instance, in the sanctuary.

We believe the word of God is high and lifted up God says if you blaspheme my name penalty according to the law of Moses his death by stoning.

But I will honor my word above my name that's pretty high.

Is it not a death sentence for blasphemy blaspheming the name of God would get the word is even higher than that is, the word is the expressed will of God is his route that the outcome of who he is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. And so we give special attention to the word, and there's a distraction.

We look to eliminate the distractions because this is called the sanctuary sort of locks out everything else for an hour or so so we can worship with as much attention as we can muster to the one who is wordy. There are those to get very upset when you do it this way. They think that the distractions should be promoted permitted, but to precepts. I get understanding the rules. I'm not gonna run from them going to run to them if they come from God. I'm not going to find ways to weasel around them because I'm weak. I'm going to find ways to get stronger to line up with them. Love well when you don't have love. You can leave this one. Love belong to everything we do, no matter how many times we hear it is so difficult to love.

Some people all the time. That's life that's facing the fact but I still have to love like a person. Maybe the culture maybe I just don't like him have to love there is a great difference. Love is not motivated by mood, choice except the choice of obedience to Christ is submitted will to him as we know what happens when love is not there. All of us have at some point have been a victim of loveless nests.

We raise our children. We we admire how much you love they have in the home and we are concerned about how much love the going of loveless Mr. going to find outside the home sin, your children, you know when when I got on the bus to go to Boot Camp.

My mom drove me to the Army base to get on the bus fly off to Paris Island.

My mom starts crying. Bad move. I outcry her. I never saw it coming. I seldom do, but she is on her and saying he's leaving the home of love and is going to those monster drill instructors and all that's out there in my and my mom loves me but I gotta do this and such is life was hard to get back. As of now living the moment they can, but that is life. You gotta have love whenever we can't leave it out because we hear it all the time, our moods, and other people will put roadblocks in our way and we are to break through them Christianity solution to not having love us to understanding there are no alternatives to it. So try not to get don't bother even trying to get away, go for it. So again, what were talking about are the things that belong to Christianity, faith, obedience, truth, love, and lastly and without this the others won't count endurance.

I have finished the race that kept the faith. Endurance means you take the pain you wait. I like it either. Psalm 119 verse 67 before I was afflicted, I want to stray but now I keep your word. Now I stay in their Christian joy. It is not something to write about whole books. It is something to fight for all the time and it is something to be guarded as cautiously as possible.

I will add this to Christian joy. There is joy in attacking the work of the enemy.

There is a joy in beating down the world and its temptations and and saying no to yourself when you know that's the right answer to obstructing the work of the devil in the lost soul. There is joy in that. You know David Livingstone that great man of God that went through Africa with the gospel and succeeded in doing so, so many of those Africans love that man is minute died on his knees in prayer, they found him dead on his knees is talking to God and then he's talking the card you know his favorite verse that shows up in his journals whenever he meets with something that is huge in meteorites things about a slip of the tree that night because the Lions when stuff was mad. His favorite verse is low. I am with you always. Very simple promise from God will get back to that is remove the promises, but Matthew chapter 4. This is some sticky stuff that messes up our approach to Christianity. G this is Jesus in the wilderness Satan. These are the words of Satan, the voice of the devil. If you are the son of God doubt he starts out with doubt command these stones to become bread. Then Matthew 46. If you are the son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written, he shall give his angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up. SU – your foot against a stone. Name may not of been using that tone with that was in there. Matthew 2740 you will destroy the temple and build it in three days. This is that the Pharisees merges the murders of Christ what he saying on the cross is what they're saying them, save yourself. If you are the son of God, come down from the cross. What is all that have to do with me. Just this Satan's tactics are not new because the old ones work just fine and he comes to us and he says God is God and he'll deal with this for you will take this pain away to give you what you want, expect a miracle is not accurate is not the whole story. That's not the whole word of God.

If it were Saul would not have gone to the axman for Christ.

Peter would not have been martyred for Christ. Jesus told him Peter when you get older going to take you and you go to stretch out your arms and that's going to be it for you for my namesake. So all these verses Satan is saying to the individual. Make sure you prove God make sure he does it your way. If you're on the cross get him to get you off the cross. If you're hungry get him to make bread for you.

If you're falling get him insulate you see it's only some of the truth. That's what Elias some of the truth has to have an element of truth in it to work. Fact is we serve Christ unconditionally. Once we've met him and nobody else deserves that. But him.

That's what makes him worthy unconditional because he will never do wrong and the devil will stir us to demand God repeatedly prove himself to us over and over and over again. If you are the son of God and get me off this cross.

Jesus said, take up your cross I put you there.

So may it be lined up with Scripture, and he says these things verse 10. Now we've gotten to the second verse for God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward his name and that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

So he says God is fair even though it's called you to be sheep among wolves with certain services and seem favorite in the spiritual world is very fair is this God calls you to function in an unfair life. That's where the contest is that's the arena that's where the fight is to becomes a test of loyalties of who we will serve in this life. Hebrews 11 six. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. This, by faith you have enough information. Faith is never a jump in the dark. It is a leap in the light, you have enough light enough information to make a move on it and say to been doing it since there've been saints. Do you ever feel that you put more into your Christian service, especially those of user and you get back. I do all I have. I don't think I'm right when I feel that where normal. I know how to handle that have to work through it in my head. On one hand but all the time you see the difference is I will say to God, I haven't gotten this, that and that and I put this in and I've done that the Lord understand.

I know because you've taught me these are my feelings, but here is my faith, whatever you want here I am when I wake up tomorrow. May you find me that man that says whatever you want here I am a Christian perspective, there is nothing wrong with that. First John 314 we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.

He who does not love his brother abides in death sale port. Love is love pretty important in Christianity. That's a scary verse. If you been harboring loveless nests towards the brethren.

Christians can be the most difficult to love one reason. In all fairness is because we expect more from each other. Maybe sometimes less from ourselves. In this sense, we expect others to forgive us. Do we forgive them we really forgive them and cut deep.

It's not as easy as 1-2-3, but it is doable. Nonetheless, all we ask God to help us believe. The thing that we claim to believe and help us to believe nothing but the truth. Verse 11 and we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope here comes until the end says that endurance this is not high rhetoric is no good talking, and I'd all but is not reality, it is reality there's no other way but to finish it except try to hundred times. Well, you got 100 more times, maybe to try. That's what separates you from the unbeliever the unbeliever is not trying to please Christ. The unbeliever is not trying to take it for Christ. The unbeliever not trying to love people for Christ sake we are that you fail secondary that you go at it as primary. Satan knows that's wise trying to knock you out of the race get you to start living in a fantasy world about your faith make you comfortable with things that aren't true. You know what happens when Christians become comfortable with things are true, they turn off unbelievers. He can't save them now because they know it's a lie is not preaching things that just the world knows is not true and you want people to come to Christ.

I have found when you give them the truth nothing but the truth so help you God. They listen, they might not like you. That's not for you as you just being unlikable, but you will find people come to come to Christ that way people can come to Christ without us. But how much better that were part of the process. How much better when people come into the church and they find genuine people, and not a bunch of fake not a bunch of people just smile in your face because it's expected of them with people who are smiling because they serve the Lord. They know what they're supposed to do. They understand the benefit of it. They know what they like to receive and they know that it is in fact do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Presence of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians 9 do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain it means run hard that Greek word for diligence there meets haste or effort or diligence or work, or eagerness all those things are, and that one Greek word diligence, he says, until the end. What if I get tired take a little break out of any of you ever been on a forced march or me just a hard job have a hard job you get a break. You want to break to not end you don't want to go back to work. You don't want to go back to the to the March list again how life is work hard serve right the blessed hope to the end. Verse 12 that you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

So there is a gold there is a goal and there is a finish line reward. It happens. Galatians 69. Let us not grow weary while doing good pause there. I have gotten weary while doing good, but I see it happening and I don't agree with, and I find it before Jesus Christ. I didn't do that if I got tired of something I stop doing but not now. Now I know my duty. I know where I belong and I go do it.

Sometimes I don't do it as well as other times you all of never seen that you just see a perfect sermon every single Sunday. Never misspeak the word never get a Scripture were strong never confuse Moses for know something like that.

I can't tell you, you know what a little mistake in the pulpit last all week you've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast.

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