The Truth About Trials

Welcome to this edition of Power Point with Jack Graham. A little later in the program we'll tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's book, Heaven. But first here's the message, the truth about trials.

Take your Bibles please and turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter 2. There is a price to pay for following Christ. There is a cost in becoming and being a Christian. It will cost you to live for Jesus.

It will cost you far more if you don't follow Christ, but be sure to know that it is costly to follow Jesus Christ. He said, if you want to follow me, take up your cross daily and come after me. And as the world is becoming more and more secular in our own generation, the world will become more and more hostile to those of us who name the name of Christ. Now this shouldn't surprise us because through the generations the true church has been persecuted through various kinds of trials and tribulations. And in the second chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus Himself is delivering messages to His churches, seven specific churches in Asia Minor. And as John the Revelator, exile on the Isle of Patmos, Himself a subject of persecution and suffering, He becomes the delivery boy, the postman of Patmos as these words of Christ come ringing through the generations. And what was true for the church in that day is increasingly true and will be increasingly true in the church of the last days. And so God gave a message to a suffering church, to Christians being crushed by persecution in Revelation chapter 2 and beginning at verse 8. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, these things says the first and the last who was dead and came to life. I know your works, tribulation and poverty but you are rich.

And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are of the synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days.

Watch this. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. As we think about trials, truth concerning trials, we need to realize today that suffering, trials, these are required and therefore we should expect them. These trials are revealing and therefore we should endure them and these trials are rewarding and therefore we should enjoy them. First of all suffering, trials, tribulations are required.

Expect it to come. The same world that crucified Jesus seeks to silence and crucify His church. The same world that crucified Jesus would do it again if they had the opportunity. And the Scripture says in 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 12, all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Now of course we don't want to suffer. We want to enjoy life.

We want to be comfortable in life. We certainly don't want persecution. And there are even some who tell us today at times in pulpits that if you live for Christ, if you are in the will of God then you are going to be happy, you are going to be healthy, you are going to be prosperous, you are never going to have a problem. You are going to live on easy street and God is just going to keep pouring out blessings. Well God indeed will bless you immeasurably in life. God is a good God who wants the best for His children. The Lord our God is a son and a shield. He gives grace and glory and no good thing will He withhold from them who walk uprightly.

God keeps pouring on His blessing after blessing. But did you know that one of the blessings for the Christian is the blessing of buffeting, the blessing of suffering? That's what Jesus said in the longest of the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5. He said, blessed are you, happy are you if men revile you, persecute you for righteousness sake, say all kinds of evil against you. You see there are different kinds of persecutions.

There is verbal persecution, physical persecution. But He said if this happens to you, rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. God may allow suffering. God may allow trials. God may put you in the furnace of affliction in order to prepare you for eternity, to deepen your faith and to give you great reward.

But I'm simply saying that these trials, these kinds of tribulations, they are raw, they are real and they are required. The church at Smyrna knew this quite well. One hundred years before the church of our Lord was established there in Smyrna, this city in Asia Minor was named.

It's still a functioning city today. But it was named Smyrna from the root word myrrh, Smyrna. And it was because myrrh was produced in this particular region from trees. And they were balsam type trees and they would take the flower, the fruit of this tree, the sap of this tree and they would crush it and they would make myrrh. And this fragrance was produced. In fact the sailors used to call the port of Smyrna the port of fragrance because apparently this myrrh, its fragrance just wafted over the waves. And the myrrh was produced which by the way became also an embalming agent in the ancient world and was a part of the funeral and the burial process where these spices and elements were placed in the grave and the bodies. And so this myrrh was a perfume. It was an ointment. And the fragrance was produced when the flower was crushed.

And the more you crushed and ground into powder, this process, the more the fragrance came. Well this fits the church at Smyrna. And Christians who have suffered in all ages there are times we are crushed. Jesus said, I know your works and I know your tribulation. And the word tribulation that Jesus uses, the lipsis in the language of the New Testament is a word which means deep anguish, crushing, crisis and pain.

He said, I know all about that. And indeed in the time of our Lord and the first generation or two of the church, six to eight million Christians, six to eight million believers in Jesus Christ suffered torture and death at the hands of Rome. Underneath the cruel dictators of Rome like Nero and Domitian. There was governmental persecution. There was religious persecution.

Believers were fed to beasts. They were burned. They were crucified. They were torn apart.

They were pitched with tar, placed on poles and lit like human candles. These believers understood quite well the crushing pain and agony of persecution. Yet the church was strengthened in its suffering. The church persecuted, became the church pure. And you could say that the church during its days of persecution was stronger than at any other time in its history. And that the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church. Contrast the day you look at the church particularly in the western world in America.

And we're not so strong, we're flabby and lazy and comfortable. The churches are filled with people who claim to be Christians but know nothing of standing for Christ and much less suffering for Christ. And I'm afraid when real persecution hits the church of our generation that many of us will melt like butter. We will melt down spiritually because we're not strong.

We live in a generation that takes and takes and takes rather than gives. Persecution you see separates us from the world and strengthens us in Christ. Now the pastor of the church at Smyrna was a man by the name of Polycarp. Polycarp was a faithful pastor and leader of this congregation. And on Saturday, February the 23rd, 155 AD, Polycarp gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life to Christ. It was the time of the public games in that area.

This city was also known for its public games. And the crowd was in a frenzy already and therefore excited. And they began to shout, away with the atheists. They called anyone who did not worship the Caesars or worship these pagan deities, certainly people who worship some invisible god, they called them atheists. They said, away with the atheists.

Let Polycarp be searched for. They cried out for the blood of this godly man. Polycarp could have easily escaped his fate that day. But interestingly enough he had already had a dream the night before. And in his dream his pillow was burning with fire. And he concluded as he told several of his friends that I must be burnt alive.

So his whereabouts were given away by a detractor. And yet not even the police captain wanted Polycarp to die. He said, sir, just say Caesar is Lord.

What harm is it? If you simply said to spare your own life, Caesar is Lord. It doesn't suggest that you really mean it.

Just say it. But Polycarp was adamant in saying only Jesus is Lord. And when he entered the arena the pro council gave him the opportunity to curse the name of Christ, to deny the name of Christ and to say Caesar is Lord or else to die. And here's what Polycarp said, 80 and 6 years have I served him.

And he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me? The pro council threatened him with burning and Polycarp replied, you threaten me with a fire that burns for a time and is quickly quenched for you do not know the fire that awaits the wicked and the judgment to come and an everlasting punishment.

Why are you waiting? Come, do what you will. In other words, Polycarp, that brave heart, he said, bring it on. But I'm not going to deny my Savior, my Lord. He died for me.

And I will live and die for him. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and his message, The Truth About Trials. Pastor, this month we have a special gift for our listeners who give a gift to PowerPoint. It's your book Heaven.

What can you tell us about this powerful resource? I wanted to encourage God's people for life today by providing a biblical glimpse from God's Word of the life that comes. Unfortunately there is so much misinformation in our culture about what Heaven is like and that many people don't even find it appealing.

But God's Word reveals a very different picture of Heaven. It's vibrant. It's exciting. It's a beautiful vision of a real place where you and I will have real experience in eternity with Christ forever. The biblical description of Heaven is far from boring.

It is thrilling and triumphant. More than that, it has the power to energize you as a believer to live every day filled with hope. That's why I believe my book Heaven would be such an encouragement to you in these challenging days. So please be sure to request your copy of Heaven when you give today. Call today and get Dr. Graham's book Heaven as our thank you for your gift. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627.

Or text the word PowerPoint to 59789. Now let's get back to today's message, the truth about trials. These are required and therefore we should expect them. But then suffering trials, these are revealing, so endure them. Jesus said Satan is going to and often trials come from Satan himself. He mentions the synagogue of Satan, a religious group claiming to be one thing when they really were just instruments and tools of Satan. It's interesting that through the generations so much persecution has often come at the hands of religious people. It was a religious crowd that crucified Christ. And so this synagogue of Satan was a problem and he said but really they weren't the problem. Satan was the source of this problem.

He said Satan is about to throw you into prison so that you may be tried, so that you may be tested. You see suffering is revealing. It reveals certain things about us. This is a test when you go through suffering for Christ. And how you pass the test is vital to your spiritual well-being. And when you go through trials, you ask why and you are suffering for Christ's sake. Number one, it is a confirmation that you're a child of God. If you're suffering for Jesus Christ, that's a confirmation, that's an affirmation. 1 Peter 4.14 says be happy when you're reviled or ridiculed for serving Christ because the Spirit of God will come upon you.

The Spirit of God will move in your life in ways previously unknown. So if you're not being persecuted for Christ's sake in some way, then you need to ask yourself am I a Christian? Am I truly a believer?

Can anybody tell? It's that old thing if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? You see suffering separates the men from the boys spiritually. Suffering for Christ's sake separates the wheat from the chaff, the real from the unreal, the phony from the authentic. So endure it as a hardened soldier of Jesus Christ. Endure it as a true believer in Christ, whatever you're going through. Because you see these trials, when we endure, we just run to Christ. We just run to him.

When we go through something in our lives, it just brings us to him if we're believers. And we can endure it. We can get stronger. So often we're soft. We're flabby.

We're lazy. And these trials, they strengthen us. And trials, you see, are only temporary. That's why Jesus said you're going to be thrown into prison for 10 days.

There's no discussion among Bible scholars. What is that 10 days? Does it mean the 10 persecutions of the Christian church? Well, you know what I think it means, 10 days?

I think it means 10 days. The point is, he said, you know, for 10 days you're going to be in prison. There is a beginning to a trial. There is a middle to the trial. And there's an end to the trial. Have you ever noticed that? It's brilliant, isn't it? A beginning, a middle and an end.

The only problem in trials, we don't know where we are most of the time. Lord, is this the start? Is this the middle? Is this the end? But God has promised that there are seasons of suffering. One fellow said, you know, my favorite verse in the Bible is, it came to pass. You know, it didn't come to stay.

It came to pass. And Jesus was saying, these trials, they toughen you up. These trials are temporary. And what's going to last will be your faith and your future with Christ. The scripture says the world is passing away and the lust of it.

But he who does the will of God abides forever. Now the fact is, you're going to die. I hate to break the news to you, but if Christ tarries, you're going to die. You might as well die for something spectacular and glorious. If you're going to die, die serving Jesus. Die sacrificing and giving your life to Christ.

One final thing. Suffering. It's real.

It's raw. It's required. Expect it. Suffering is revealing.

It reveals whether or not we belong to Christ and how strong we are in Christ. And then suffering is rewarding. Don't cry. Celebrate it.

Don't cry. Celebrate it. Because what does Jesus say? Look down in verse 10 again. He says at the close of that verse, be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. The Stephanos crown.

Stephanos. The victor's crown. Jesus said great is your reward in heaven. He said lay up treasures in heaven. These Christians at Smyrna, they didn't have anything, but they did have treasures in heaven. They were laying them up and he promised a great reward. The scripture says in Romans 8 17, if we suffer with him, we will share in his glory.

There's going to be a huge celebration. That's why we're to remain fearless in the face of trials and struggles and sufferings. We're to be faithful.

I like the way the message puts it. Don't quit even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing.

I have a life crown sized and ready for you. Be fearless. Be faithful. First Peter 4 19, so if you're suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to God who made you and he will never fail you. Be fearless. Be faithful.

Nothing can stop a child of God. Say what does it take to stop you? A look? A laugh? A disappointment? Discouragement?

Somebody making fun of you? What does it take to stop you? What is it costing you to be a Christian?

At what cost will you be faithful to Christ no matter what? I mean, how many know, how many truly know that you are a Christian? I didn't say how many people know that you go to church. The number one reason that people don't speak up and speak out for Christ and share their faith is fear. What would people think?

What would people say? And we're more interested in people liking us than we are in sharing our faith and yet nearly 200,000 people in this world die every single day. Every second three people die on this planet.

One after another. Every second three people step out into eternity and the consequences are severe. That's why Jesus spoke of the second death. He said, you will overcome the second death. The first death is physical. Everybody dies the first death. But the second death is eternal and millions of people need Christ.

Why would we allow someone to sit us down or to shut us up or to keep us quiet or to tell us we can't talk about Jesus at our school and our jobs? We won't be in heaven five minutes before we'll be saying, why didn't I share him more? Why didn't I serve him more? Why didn't I love him more?

Why didn't I give him more? Suffering trials, tribulations. They will be rewarded. So experience them.

Enjoy them. The Stephanos. There was a man by the name of Stephanos in the Bible. His name was Stephen. He was a godly man, a deacon. He stood one day and proclaimed Christ and Christ alone is Lord.

And as a result he felt the bitter hatred of those who despised Christ and ultimately he was stoned for his faith. This godly man Stephanos, Stephen, as he was dying looked up into heaven and his face was shining like the glory of an angel. The Scripture says as he looked into heaven there was Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. Now every time in the Bible you see Jesus at the right hand of the Father described as being at the right hand of the Father, he's seated. But here he's standing as though he is welcoming his faithful warrior home.

He stands up for Stephen, says welcome home my child. Well done good and faithful servant. Be faithful. Be fervent. Be fearless as you serve Jesus Christ because one of these days you're going to stand before God and what you've done with your life in Christ that's all that's going to matter. He died for you when you live for him.

You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message The Truth About Trials. No matter what struggles you're facing today, you have hope in the promises awaiting you in heaven and God calls you to share that hope with others today. That's why we want to encourage and inspire you today by sending you Pastor Graham's book, Heaven. This exciting book takes you straight to Scripture to help you see all that awaits you in the life to come and how it impacts your life today. You'll find hope for today and courage to share that hope with others so don't wait to request your copy.

Heaven is our special thanks for your gift to help boldly proclaim God's word through PowerPoint. So request your copy when you call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional.

Our website again is Jack Graham.org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Each of us must face the fact as believers that we will suffer and at times because of our faith, not just in spite of our faith but because of our faith. As John 16 33 says, In the world you will have tribulation, but Jesus said, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And if you've never faced the fire or been abused for your faith, then chances are you're not living a distinctively Christian life. You must be willing to stand up for Christ at all costs, but when you do, you will inevitably face opposition and maybe even suffer hardships. It's important to remember that in the midst of trials, God continues to pour blessings out on those who believe and trust Him. Here's what 1 Peter 4 19 says, Therefore let us who suffer according to the will of God commit our souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful Creator. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can harm you as a child of God if you are fearless and faithful to Him.

Things may hurt you, but they can never harm you. So today I want to challenge you. The next time you face a trial in your life, remember that Christ went through trials just like you and came out victorious.

As a follower of Jesus, you can have that same victory in Christ today. And that is today's power point. Remember when you give a gift to power point, we'll send you Dr. Graham's book heaven as our thanks. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word power point to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how Jesus showed you that forgiveness is always possible. That's next time on Power Point with Jack Graham. Power Point with Jack Graham is sponsored by Power Point Ministries.