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My hope in this time together right now

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is to give you some thoughts specifically from

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verse 13 on God's faithfulness to the Christian

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in the midst of their trials and their

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times of testing that you and I face.

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So, 1 Corinthians 9.

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Can you shut that door, David, right there

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by chance?

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Thanks, brother.

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1 Corinthians 9, verse 26.

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So, I do not run aimlessly.

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I do not beat box as one beats

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air, but in contrast to that, I discipline

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my body.

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I keep my body under control lest after

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preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

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And then again, you have a chapter break

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that is not necessary because he starts with

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a connecting word, for.

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For I do not want you to be

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unaware, brothers.

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So, we think of this whole topic of

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people being disqualified, people not making it, people

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being apostate and abandoning the Lord.

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For I do not want you to be

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unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under

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the cloud and all passed through the sea.

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So, there's these things they all had in

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common.

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All were baptized, immersed into Moses in the

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cloud and in the sea, and all ate

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the same spiritual food and all drank the

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same spiritual drink.

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So, they have a whole lot in common.

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That's what, five, six things they all were

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a part of.

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They all partook in that, yet we're going

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to see something.

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Nevertheless, with most of them, these people who

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partook of all these things, God was not

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pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

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And as you know, first Corinthians 10 is

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a massive church history chapter, you could say.

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It's giving history, biblical history, for our own

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hearts application right now in 2023.

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Verse six, now these things took place as

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an example for us, that we might not

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desire evil as they did.

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Do not be idolaters as some of them

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were.

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As it is written, the people sat down

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to eat and drink and rose up to

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play.

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We must not indulge in sexual immorality as

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some of them did.

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And 23,000 fell in a single day.

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And note here, that falling in a single

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day, what is that fall that they had

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happen?

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They were destroyed.

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All right, death.

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We must not put Christ to the test.

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And that's going to be something to think

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about this morning.

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Putting Christ to the test.

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Are you enduring in the test faithfully?

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Are you testing God?

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And the way they test God, it's right

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there.

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How did they put Christ to the test?

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And they were destroyed.

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Same thing, not just the sexually immoral people

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who were destroyed, but those who put Christ

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to the test.

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And how did they put Christ to the

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test?

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Nor grumble, as some of them did, and

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they were destroyed.

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So amazingly, grumbling and sexual morality both led

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to destruction.

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That's somewhat shocking for people.

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But these sins are both significant offenses against

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God.

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Verse 11, Now these things happened to them

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as an example, but they were written down

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for our instruction, on whom the end of

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the ages has come.

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So this is for us.

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Verse 12, Therefore, in view of this, let

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anyone who thinks that he stands take heed,

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lest he fall.

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We need to think about how to define

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that word fall in view of how it

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was just used, how the idea used above.

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And then we've got this verse interjected, verse

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13, which is really what I want to

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focus on in the second half of the

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message.

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No temptation has overtaken you that is not

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common to man.

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God is faithful, and he will not let

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you be tempted beyond your ability, but with

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the temptation he will also provide the way

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of escape that you may be able to

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endure it.

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Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

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And then he goes on, but we'll stop

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right there.

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So let me pray, and then we're going

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to consider some thoughts from God's Word right

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here.

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Father, Lord, I think about the biographies we've

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read.

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We think about the Old Testament that we've

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read again and again, and we think about

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these examples that are given to us, and

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even how Paul pulls them in right here,

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and he applies them for us.

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And so, Lord, I pray that we would

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learn from you, that we would learn from

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history.

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Lord, we don't want history to repeat itself

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in any way.

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We want to be those who really take

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heed to what has happened, and that we

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wouldn't live in ignorance, but we'd live in

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your wisdom.

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And, Lord, I just pray you would encourage

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the brethren today.

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I don't know what trials and tests that

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different brethren here are facing or have faced

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this week, but, Lord, I pray that if

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any are being even tempted to grumble in

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the midst of that trial, Lord, that you'd

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use this very sermon that highlights your faithfulness,

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as Paul highlights it here.

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Lord, that you'd use that to strengthen that

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dear brother or sister.

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And so, Lord, would you be with us

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right now at this time.

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Lord, help my stammering tongue and exhausted spirit.

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Lord, I ask for your grace, your power,

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your spirit.

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In Christ's name.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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Well, Paul's encouragement to the believers, I really

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believe, is verse 13.

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It highlights God's faithfulness for a believer in

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a time of testing and trials and temptation.

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So, I want to get there, but first

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let's consider the context, because verse 13 tends

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to be quoted a significant amount of time.

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In verse 12, but often maybe the context

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has not been considered as much as it

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should be.

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Now, according to chapter 9, which is where

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we started, because all this is connected, we

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must exercise self-control or we will be

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disqualified.

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And I think, Craig, or I forget who,

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someone dealt with that passage not too long

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ago, or referred to it, and that disqualified

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is not a ministry disqualification, because the very

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things he goes on to talk about make

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you realize this is really with apostasy, people

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abandoning the Lord completely.

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And so, right after stating what he does

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in verse 27, Paul decides to give an

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exhibit of those who failed to obtain the

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prize.

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He basically takes us into a museum, and

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he shows what all got dug up.

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And he says, look at this and hear

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what happened.

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And under one of those labels, you know,

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you've got these people right here who were

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bitten by serpents, and these people who perished

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over here, and it says they grumbled and

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tested Christ, right?

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And Paul's putting that before us.

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He's taking us on this tour to see

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these deceased people that have been uncovered who

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didn't cross the finish line, right?

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They were in the race, they didn't finish.

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That's pretty important for you and I, because

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that's kind of where we're at, right?

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We're in the midst of the race right

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now.

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And then we get to this point in

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verse 12, and I want to think about

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verse 12 for a moment.

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Paul reiterates his point by again referring to

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this category of professing believers who, to me,

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he's saying they thought they were above falling.

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They thought they were above falling.

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And it's important, I think, to realize here

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the falling in verse 12, let anyone who

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thinks that he stands take heed lest he

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fall.

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I really used to take that as a

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new Christian, this idea that, oh, if you're

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proud and self-confident, then you might go

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fall into sin.

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That's a true reality.

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But in the context, is that really what

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he's getting at here?

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Because he's already described people earlier on in

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the chapter who've had all these blessings, right?

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And what ends up happening?

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They have these blessings, they're testing Christ, and

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Christ destroys them.

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So their type of fall was being destroyed,

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right?

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This wasn't just a Christian who was proud

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and self-confident, and oh, you know, he

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fell in the lust because he was too

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self-confident in himself.

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I don't think that's what verse 12 is

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aiming at here in his context.

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I don't think this is about some fall

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into sin.

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I think it's about those who are currently

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in sin, and they think they're okay.

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And he says, you think you stand?

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You think you're okay, currently living in sin,

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practicing pagan idolatry?

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You better take heed, lest you be destroyed.

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I think is really what Paul is hitting

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at right there.

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And he connects it, you know, verse 12,

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therefore, so he's connecting it with what is

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previously stated in the chapter.

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And people often quote the fall here just

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being an individual fall into sin.

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Well, these people, they're already in they think

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they're okay.

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And Paul's, you know, conclusion to them in

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verse 14 is flee from idolatry, right?

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And you had a problem at Corinth where

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individuals were partaking of idolatry and of Christianity,

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and they think it's okay.

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They think they're okay in this type of

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situation.

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And we have a similar idea in the

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book of Jude, in Jude 1-5.

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Now, I want you to remind you, although

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you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who

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saved the people out of the land of

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Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn't believe.

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And so there, Jude kind of describes 1

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Corinthians 10, those who got destroyed, the real

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issue was they weren't really believing.

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They didn't really believe and continue on with

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the Lord, and the Lord destroyed them.

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Now, what would lead someone to think they're

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above falling, right?

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What would lead someone to think that?

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And if you look a little further, you

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kind of get a good definition in verse

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21.

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He says, right before verse 21, I do

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not want you to be participants of demons.

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You cannot drink the cup of the Lord

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and the cup of demons.

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You cannot partake of the table of the

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Lord and the table of demons.

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Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

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Are we stronger than he?

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You can see right there, Paul sees this

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is a mindset of those in the church,

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right?

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They've got this idea that we can partake

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00:11:00,300 --> 00:11:02,020
of the Lord's supper here on a Sunday,

275
00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,220
and then we can go over there to

276
00:11:04,220 --> 00:11:06,180
a temple, and we can partake of some

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manifestation of demon worship.

278
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But because we partook of the supper, because

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we were, as he says right at the

280
00:11:12,940 --> 00:11:15,340
start of the chapter, all baptized into Moses,

281
00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:17,900
all ate the same spiritual food, verse 4,

282
00:11:18,180 --> 00:11:20,060
all drank the same spiritual rock.

283
00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,560
It's like the Corinthians had this idea, because

284
00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:26,200
we've partaken in these rituals, because we've partaken

285
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,760
in these ordinances, we're okay, even though we're

286
00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,240
over here engaged in idolatry.

287
00:11:36,250 --> 00:11:37,350
I was baptized.

288
00:11:37,870 --> 00:11:39,810
I partake of the Lord's supper, right?

289
00:11:39,830 --> 00:11:41,010
I've done these activities.

290
00:11:41,370 --> 00:11:44,690
I've done these ordinances, thereby people wrongly reason

291
00:11:44,690 --> 00:11:48,090
that their attendance at an idle temple cannot

292
00:11:48,090 --> 00:11:49,890
affect or is not an indicator of their

293
00:11:49,890 --> 00:11:50,950
true standing with God.

294
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And Paul's whole point is, no, no, no,

295
00:11:53,270 --> 00:11:54,630
it's not it at all.

296
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If you say you're one of the people

297
00:11:56,730 --> 00:12:00,010
of gods, and you think that you're standing,

298
00:12:00,650 --> 00:12:02,490
look at these other people who had the

299
00:12:02,490 --> 00:12:03,050
same idea.

300
00:12:03,150 --> 00:12:04,350
They thought they could stand.

301
00:12:04,890 --> 00:12:06,550
They could go and make this golden calf.

302
00:12:06,630 --> 00:12:08,110
They could go do all of these things.

303
00:12:08,630 --> 00:12:11,390
But because they partook, because they were baptized

304
00:12:11,390 --> 00:12:12,950
into Moses, they're okay.

305
00:12:13,230 --> 00:12:15,950
And Paul is adamantly saying, you're not okay.

306
00:12:16,030 --> 00:12:18,370
So Paul's trying to tear down this wrong

307
00:12:18,370 --> 00:12:22,330
idea of security in sin and idolatry that

308
00:12:22,330 --> 00:12:26,130
these people were finding based upon the fact

309
00:12:26,130 --> 00:12:28,190
that they were part of the church, right?

310
00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:30,650
And so that's, is that some new idea?

311
00:12:30,970 --> 00:12:32,290
Or do we find that same thing happens

312
00:12:32,290 --> 00:12:32,790
in 2023?

313
00:12:33,910 --> 00:12:34,150
Right?

314
00:12:34,190 --> 00:12:37,470
The same idea happens all the time in

315
00:12:37,470 --> 00:12:39,730
this very year we live in right now.

316
00:12:39,810 --> 00:12:43,010
People will try to serve two masters and

317
00:12:43,010 --> 00:12:45,250
embrace some form of Christianity while at the

318
00:12:45,250 --> 00:12:48,050
same time embracing some form of paganism.

319
00:12:49,010 --> 00:12:50,290
And you know, it gets to the point

320
00:12:50,290 --> 00:12:53,690
where what's pagan is now actually being called

321
00:12:53,690 --> 00:12:55,510
Christian, right?

322
00:12:55,990 --> 00:12:58,610
Things, views on sexuality and all of this.

323
00:12:58,670 --> 00:13:00,250
It's like now it actually ends up being

324
00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:01,430
under the banner of Christian.

325
00:13:01,570 --> 00:13:03,870
They don't even call it pagan anymore.

326
00:13:05,170 --> 00:13:06,990
And so in the midst of this, Paul's

327
00:13:06,990 --> 00:13:09,710
reminding the Corinthians that they too are susceptible

328
00:13:09,710 --> 00:13:12,310
to falling away under the divine judgment of

329
00:13:12,310 --> 00:13:14,590
God, just like those Israelites did.

330
00:13:15,350 --> 00:13:17,190
He's showing them, you guys got something in

331
00:13:17,190 --> 00:13:18,350
common, right?

332
00:13:18,530 --> 00:13:20,170
Yeah, they were baptized into Moses.

333
00:13:20,570 --> 00:13:23,890
Yeah, you were baptized, not by Paul, but

334
00:13:23,890 --> 00:13:26,590
you were baptized by Cephas and these other

335
00:13:26,590 --> 00:13:26,970
people.

336
00:13:27,430 --> 00:13:27,830
Great.

337
00:13:28,210 --> 00:13:29,730
What happened to those people who were baptized?

338
00:13:29,910 --> 00:13:30,610
They didn't make it.

339
00:13:30,890 --> 00:13:32,170
What's going to happen to you all if

340
00:13:32,170 --> 00:13:35,090
you continue partaking of the demons and the

341
00:13:35,090 --> 00:13:36,810
fellowship and all of this and you're trying

342
00:13:36,810 --> 00:13:37,610
to serve two masters?

343
00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:40,490
Paul's telling them, if you think you stand,

344
00:13:40,630 --> 00:13:41,190
you're not.

345
00:13:41,250 --> 00:13:41,970
You're going to fall.

346
00:13:42,270 --> 00:13:45,710
The same thing is going to happen to

347
00:13:45,710 --> 00:13:45,990
you.

348
00:13:46,210 --> 00:13:50,670
You're basically putting Christ to the test.

349
00:13:50,910 --> 00:13:52,110
You're testing God.

350
00:13:52,710 --> 00:13:53,950
And he says that in verse 9, we

351
00:13:53,950 --> 00:13:56,670
must not put Christ to the test.

352
00:13:57,250 --> 00:14:00,270
And I think if someone says, what does

353
00:14:00,270 --> 00:14:01,450
it mean to put Christ to the test?

354
00:14:01,510 --> 00:14:04,050
I think verse 22 that we already read

355
00:14:04,050 --> 00:14:05,490
kind of helps you.

356
00:14:06,750 --> 00:14:08,230
When you put Christ to the test, what

357
00:14:08,230 --> 00:14:08,590
happens?

358
00:14:08,650 --> 00:14:13,170
Verse 22, you provoke the Lord to jealousy.

359
00:14:13,750 --> 00:14:15,590
And then look at Paul, he puts a

360
00:14:15,590 --> 00:14:17,650
question, are we stronger than he?

361
00:14:18,750 --> 00:14:19,850
I mean, what's the answer?

362
00:14:19,990 --> 00:14:20,730
No, you're not.

363
00:14:21,050 --> 00:14:23,130
And Paul's point is, why would you test

364
00:14:23,130 --> 00:14:26,030
him who you're not stronger than, and you

365
00:14:26,030 --> 00:14:28,670
can wipe 23,000 people out just like

366
00:14:28,670 --> 00:14:31,550
that, or you can send serpents and wipe

367
00:14:31,550 --> 00:14:35,990
all these individuals out.

368
00:14:35,990 --> 00:14:37,810
So this is almost a description of what

369
00:14:37,810 --> 00:14:38,690
it means to test the Lord.

370
00:14:38,770 --> 00:14:41,810
You conduct yourselves in a way that prompts

371
00:14:41,810 --> 00:14:45,210
and arouses God to jealousy.

372
00:14:46,050 --> 00:14:48,710
And remember, if you're new, new Christian, you

373
00:14:48,710 --> 00:14:50,770
might hear the word jealousy and always associated

374
00:14:50,770 --> 00:14:52,170
with some sinful response.

375
00:14:52,370 --> 00:14:54,450
That's not how the Bible uses the word.

376
00:14:54,970 --> 00:14:57,910
Often the Bible talks about a jealousy as

377
00:14:57,910 --> 00:14:59,390
a righteous response.

378
00:15:00,010 --> 00:15:02,110
And so clearly that's the type of response

379
00:15:02,110 --> 00:15:03,770
from God right here.

380
00:15:03,890 --> 00:15:04,770
It is righteous.

381
00:15:05,050 --> 00:15:06,650
God does not sin.

382
00:15:08,410 --> 00:15:11,530
And by doing so, provoking him, defying the

383
00:15:11,530 --> 00:15:13,290
one who is stronger than they are.

384
00:15:13,670 --> 00:15:16,010
Paul says, you know, are we stronger than

385
00:15:16,010 --> 00:15:16,170
he?

386
00:15:16,250 --> 00:15:17,690
In other words, is this a fight you

387
00:15:17,690 --> 00:15:18,550
really want to pick?

388
00:15:19,130 --> 00:15:20,910
And he's saying, look at the history of

389
00:15:20,910 --> 00:15:21,050
it.

390
00:15:21,410 --> 00:15:22,930
If you guys want to pick a fight

391
00:15:22,930 --> 00:15:25,910
at Corinth and say, it's okay to take

392
00:15:25,910 --> 00:15:27,150
the Lord's supper and be baptized.

393
00:15:27,470 --> 00:15:29,190
And it's okay to also have my hand

394
00:15:29,190 --> 00:15:29,750
over here.

395
00:15:30,310 --> 00:15:32,050
Paul's just saying, look guys, look at history.

396
00:15:32,330 --> 00:15:33,470
I mean, look at the fight you're picking.

397
00:15:33,550 --> 00:15:34,430
You're going to be destroyed.

398
00:15:34,550 --> 00:15:36,650
You guys have lost your minds if you

399
00:15:36,650 --> 00:15:37,810
continue on like this.

400
00:15:38,010 --> 00:15:39,510
And so then he calls them flee from

401
00:15:39,510 --> 00:15:41,130
idolatry in verse 14.

402
00:15:41,790 --> 00:15:42,090
Right?

403
00:15:42,170 --> 00:15:45,250
So that's, that's what's happening here around this

404
00:15:45,250 --> 00:15:48,570
verse, verse 13 that I really want to

405
00:15:48,570 --> 00:15:50,310
really want to look at.

406
00:15:51,170 --> 00:15:54,110
Um, but some, some here might need to

407
00:15:54,110 --> 00:15:57,490
take heed to verse 12 that we just

408
00:15:57,490 --> 00:15:57,990
considered.

409
00:15:58,830 --> 00:16:00,990
And in Psalm 78, it says they provoked

410
00:16:00,990 --> 00:16:03,150
him to anger with their high places.

411
00:16:03,570 --> 00:16:06,590
They moved him to jealousy with their idols.

412
00:16:07,270 --> 00:16:09,750
When God heard he was full of wrath

413
00:16:09,750 --> 00:16:12,650
and he utterly rejected Israel.

414
00:16:13,690 --> 00:16:13,790
Right?

415
00:16:13,890 --> 00:16:16,210
Paul is also showing here that God right

416
00:16:16,210 --> 00:16:18,710
there in Psalm 78, he's the same God

417
00:16:18,710 --> 00:16:19,110
today.

418
00:16:20,050 --> 00:16:22,290
If you're going to, you know, you hear

419
00:16:22,290 --> 00:16:23,810
people say, don't take God's name in vain.

420
00:16:24,770 --> 00:16:26,310
When we, how do you even define not

421
00:16:26,310 --> 00:16:27,470
taking God's name in vain?

422
00:16:27,950 --> 00:16:30,050
People tend to think it's don't say his

423
00:16:30,050 --> 00:16:32,270
name like verbally, you know, you can take

424
00:16:32,270 --> 00:16:33,930
God's name in vain by saying you're a

425
00:16:33,930 --> 00:16:35,470
Christian and then going and living in a

426
00:16:35,470 --> 00:16:36,270
contrary way.

427
00:16:36,550 --> 00:16:38,930
You're, you're bearing his name in vain.

428
00:16:39,070 --> 00:16:39,610
It's useless.

429
00:16:39,790 --> 00:16:41,110
It means absolutely nothing.

430
00:16:41,910 --> 00:16:44,730
And that's clearly what was happening here at

431
00:16:44,730 --> 00:16:45,530
this church.

432
00:16:46,070 --> 00:16:48,730
And Paul is strongly admonishing them.

433
00:16:48,830 --> 00:16:49,790
They think they're okay.

434
00:16:50,150 --> 00:16:51,150
Serving two masters.

435
00:16:51,430 --> 00:16:52,790
Paul says, no, you're going to fall just

436
00:16:52,790 --> 00:16:54,110
like those in Israel.

437
00:16:54,470 --> 00:16:56,270
Doesn't matter if you've been baptized, doesn't matter

438
00:16:56,270 --> 00:16:57,570
if you partook of the Lord's supper.

439
00:16:58,270 --> 00:17:00,350
So this is a really a strong warning

440
00:17:00,350 --> 00:17:01,490
from the apostle Paul.

441
00:17:03,109 --> 00:17:05,390
And, and again, you and I might say,

442
00:17:05,450 --> 00:17:07,089
well, I would never provoke the Lord to

443
00:17:07,089 --> 00:17:09,390
anger, but remember you might not do it

444
00:17:09,390 --> 00:17:11,910
with idolatry, but what was another way they

445
00:17:11,910 --> 00:17:15,030
provoke the Lord to anger grumbling, right?

446
00:17:15,730 --> 00:17:17,849
I think that could be more of a

447
00:17:17,849 --> 00:17:20,290
place you and I could fall nor grumble

448
00:17:20,290 --> 00:17:21,329
as some of them did.

449
00:17:22,390 --> 00:17:24,010
And what ultimately is grumbling?

450
00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:25,690
When you grumble against God, what are you

451
00:17:25,690 --> 00:17:26,410
saying to the Lord?

452
00:17:26,450 --> 00:17:29,730
You're challenging the Lord's authority, like a child

453
00:17:29,730 --> 00:17:31,310
who rejects the parent's command.

454
00:17:31,970 --> 00:17:33,130
And then they kind of look at the

455
00:17:33,130 --> 00:17:34,690
parent out of the corner of their eye.

456
00:17:34,830 --> 00:17:37,010
They're challenging, not only did they disobey the

457
00:17:37,010 --> 00:17:39,090
parent, but then give the parent the eye.

458
00:17:39,510 --> 00:17:41,410
And they're basically saying to the parent, I

459
00:17:41,410 --> 00:17:42,690
don't have to obey you anymore.

460
00:17:42,830 --> 00:17:45,230
And that's basically what those at Corinth are

461
00:17:45,230 --> 00:17:45,590
doing.

462
00:17:45,790 --> 00:17:49,790
They're expressing dissatisfaction, unhappiness towards God.

463
00:17:49,930 --> 00:17:54,070
And that rightly provokes God to jealousy based

464
00:17:54,070 --> 00:17:56,510
on their response because God has not failed

465
00:17:56,510 --> 00:17:58,030
them, right?

466
00:17:58,090 --> 00:18:00,490
And if God was not moved in righteous

467
00:18:00,490 --> 00:18:03,150
anger at their sinful response, that would be

468
00:18:03,150 --> 00:18:03,970
wrong of the Lord.

469
00:18:04,390 --> 00:18:07,230
The Lord has to respond in this way

470
00:18:07,230 --> 00:18:10,910
to be consistent with His divine character.

471
00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,640
So, if you look back at this grumbling

472
00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,720
and impatience in Numbers 21, don't turn there,

473
00:18:20,780 --> 00:18:22,740
but it says they became patient along the

474
00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:23,060
way.

475
00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,640
All right, you notice that phrase along the

476
00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:26,920
way?

477
00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,160
Not at the beginning, right?

478
00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:32,940
We tend to not fall into impatience and

479
00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:34,560
grumbling at the beginning of the trial.

480
00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,360
It says we're getting further along, that's when

481
00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:37,920
it enters in.

482
00:18:37,940 --> 00:18:39,340
And that's really going to matter because the

483
00:18:39,340 --> 00:18:40,320
verse we're going to look at in verse

484
00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,180
13, if you notice the end of verse

485
00:18:42,180 --> 00:18:44,460
13, he says the way of escape that

486
00:18:44,460 --> 00:18:46,240
you may be able to, to what?

487
00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,100
Endure, right?

488
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,200
So, this really, verse 13 is not some

489
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,200
promise that the trial vanishes in a moment.

490
00:18:55,340 --> 00:18:57,020
It's promise for grace in the midst of

491
00:18:57,020 --> 00:18:58,360
enduring in the trial.

492
00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,020
And if you notice in Numbers 21, that's

493
00:19:02,020 --> 00:19:03,980
where they started to mess up along the

494
00:19:03,980 --> 00:19:04,300
way.

495
00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:08,740
They weren't initially impatient, they became impatient in

496
00:19:08,740 --> 00:19:09,860
the midst of their present trial.

497
00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:10,660
When is it going to end?

498
00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,840
Let's go back to Egypt, the food, you

499
00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:13,620
know, all of that.

500
00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,360
And it led to them making this statement,

501
00:19:16,540 --> 00:19:18,560
which is evidence of grumbling at God.

502
00:19:18,860 --> 00:19:21,080
They said, why have you brought us out

503
00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:22,280
of Egypt to die?

504
00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:23,140
Right?

505
00:19:23,500 --> 00:19:26,080
Unbelief, we're going to die, questioning God, saying

506
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:26,520
why.

507
00:19:28,220 --> 00:19:29,780
So, when it comes to you and the

508
00:19:29,780 --> 00:19:32,780
Lord, we're kind of transitioning here.

509
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:34,880
Are you, there's a helpful way to think

510
00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:35,200
about it.

511
00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,780
With whatever trial you're in, or burden you're

512
00:19:37,780 --> 00:19:40,700
bearing, are you testing the Lord or trusting

513
00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:41,240
the Lord?

514
00:19:41,820 --> 00:19:43,840
Are you trusting the Lord, or in the

515
00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:46,500
midst of the trust, is it transitioning into

516
00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:49,560
testing and challenging God through your grumbling?

517
00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,900
Or even in a greater way, and maybe

518
00:19:53,900 --> 00:19:55,480
it's wrong to say greater way, because those

519
00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:57,060
who grumbled got the same judgment in 1

520
00:19:57,060 --> 00:19:57,660
Corinthians 10.

521
00:19:57,820 --> 00:19:59,280
But you get to the point where you've

522
00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,760
been adding in some false religion to your

523
00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,420
Christianity and maintaining it's okay to group them

524
00:20:04,420 --> 00:20:05,060
both together.

525
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,460
Because we saw there in the chapter, Paul's

526
00:20:07,460 --> 00:20:08,800
saying you can't do that, you can't partake

527
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,140
of the demons and you can't partake of

528
00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:10,600
the Lord.

529
00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:13,420
You think you're going to stand while embracing

530
00:20:13,420 --> 00:20:13,760
that?

531
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:15,700
And Paul's like, no, you think you're going

532
00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:17,840
to stand, you're going to fall, flee from

533
00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:18,920
that idolatry.

534
00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,420
But am I testing or trusting?

535
00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,480
Paul's really warning us against this deliberate acts

536
00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:29,240
that a professing believer does.

537
00:20:29,980 --> 00:20:33,980
Deliberate, willful acts that happen because there's a

538
00:20:33,980 --> 00:20:37,540
false security from chapter 10 verses 1 to

539
00:20:37,540 --> 00:20:39,880
4 of all the things you could say

540
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,760
that they partook in, and they're putting God

541
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:44,300
to the test.

542
00:20:44,460 --> 00:20:45,820
They dare to judge God.

543
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,720
It's not going to do anything, and they're

544
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,920
okay because they were baptized and partake of

545
00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:51,500
the Lord's Supper.

546
00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:52,180
That's the idea.

547
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,880
And so that's a strong warning.

548
00:20:54,980 --> 00:20:56,720
We want to take heed to that, but

549
00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:57,900
that's not the main thing I want to

550
00:20:57,900 --> 00:20:59,040
look at in this message.

551
00:21:02,980 --> 00:21:04,220
So you and I don't want to be

552
00:21:04,220 --> 00:21:04,760
that person.

553
00:21:05,460 --> 00:21:07,000
Because you know what it implies if you're

554
00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:07,500
that person?

555
00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:09,840
Is Paul promising divine aid?

556
00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:12,100
This is really important here.

557
00:21:14,990 --> 00:21:17,250
Paul puts verse 13 that we're going to

558
00:21:17,250 --> 00:21:17,610
look at.

559
00:21:17,670 --> 00:21:18,750
He interjects it here.

560
00:21:20,310 --> 00:21:23,190
But is there a promise of divine aid

561
00:21:23,190 --> 00:21:25,530
for those who are partaking of the temple

562
00:21:25,530 --> 00:21:28,170
of demons and partaking of the Lord's Supper

563
00:21:28,170 --> 00:21:29,750
and saying that it's okay?

564
00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:32,770
Was there divine aid for Israel who he

565
00:21:32,770 --> 00:21:35,050
pulls in for this example when they were

566
00:21:35,050 --> 00:21:37,330
partaking of all of these things?

567
00:21:37,910 --> 00:21:39,970
No, there was judgment that came.

568
00:21:41,050 --> 00:21:44,230
We don't want to approach verse 13 in

569
00:21:44,230 --> 00:21:46,230
a wrong way, right?

570
00:21:46,410 --> 00:21:49,290
The judgment is very firm and strong that

571
00:21:49,290 --> 00:21:51,130
Paul's asserting is going to come upon people

572
00:21:51,130 --> 00:21:51,950
who are at this point.

573
00:21:51,990 --> 00:21:54,050
These people are beyond being tested and tempted.

574
00:21:54,570 --> 00:21:59,150
They're fully indulging willfully in rebellion against God,

575
00:21:59,350 --> 00:22:01,850
and there are pronouncements of judgment upon them

576
00:22:01,850 --> 00:22:04,390
for this treatment of the Lord.

577
00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,640
So then we have verse 13, which I

578
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:11,280
love this verse.

579
00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:12,880
I've loved this verse for 15 years.

580
00:22:12,940 --> 00:22:15,800
I've been a Christian, and I hope if

581
00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,700
you haven't had a relationship with this verse

582
00:22:17,700 --> 00:22:19,220
where it's one that you run to that

583
00:22:19,220 --> 00:22:21,460
maybe after this message you'll kind of be

584
00:22:21,460 --> 00:22:24,060
put in that repertoire for you to have

585
00:22:24,060 --> 00:22:25,520
as a friend, right?

586
00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:27,640
That's what Proverbs 7 says.

587
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:29,520
Call wisdom your intimate friend.

588
00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:31,380
And we want to have certain verses that

589
00:22:31,380 --> 00:22:33,200
are like close friends that we go to

590
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,940
when we're in the midst of a trial,

591
00:22:35,100 --> 00:22:37,120
and we remember those truths, and that encourages

592
00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,840
our faith to not quit in the midst

593
00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:40,480
of the trial.

594
00:22:42,580 --> 00:22:44,120
So verse 13.

595
00:22:45,580 --> 00:22:48,580
And I was surprised by this, and I

596
00:22:48,580 --> 00:22:50,260
guess it kind of showed how much I

597
00:22:50,260 --> 00:22:52,100
didn't understand the verse in this context.

598
00:22:52,780 --> 00:22:55,980
But many commentators, they start off by saying

599
00:22:55,980 --> 00:22:57,840
they don't know why Paul even put the

600
00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:58,280
verse here.

601
00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:00,980
They don't know why Paul even put it

602
00:23:00,980 --> 00:23:01,140
here.

603
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:02,960
Because if you, it's true, if you remove

604
00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,320
verse 13, verse 12 to 14 flows perfectly,

605
00:23:08,020 --> 00:23:08,780
right?

606
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,720
Therefore let anyone thinks he stands take heed

607
00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,720
lest he fall, therefore my beloved flee from

608
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:13,340
my valetry.

609
00:23:13,780 --> 00:23:14,020
Right?

610
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,460
That makes total sense in the context, right?

611
00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:20,880
And so many would say, commentators would make

612
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:21,440
this statement.

613
00:23:21,580 --> 00:23:24,640
They say in typical fashion, Paul cannot bring

614
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,020
himself to the end of all of this

615
00:23:27,020 --> 00:23:29,260
on such a strong word of threat.

616
00:23:30,060 --> 00:23:32,620
And I appreciate that thought there.

617
00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,960
If you do actually survey the apostle Paul,

618
00:23:36,580 --> 00:23:39,080
I mean, he makes really strong threats, right?

619
00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:39,880
Rightly so.

620
00:23:40,300 --> 00:23:42,580
But it's amazing how he will bring in

621
00:23:42,580 --> 00:23:43,520
their encouragement.

622
00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:47,220
And he's bringing in even this encouragement here

623
00:23:47,220 --> 00:23:49,140
about the faithfulness of God to these Christians

624
00:23:49,140 --> 00:23:50,860
in the midst of the church at Corinth.

625
00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,200
And so that, I think that is, if

626
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,740
that assertion is right, there's definitely encouragement there.

627
00:23:56,820 --> 00:23:57,760
That'd be something to think about.

628
00:23:57,900 --> 00:23:59,980
All the places Paul gives a warning and

629
00:23:59,980 --> 00:24:01,580
what does he follow it up with?

630
00:24:01,620 --> 00:24:03,280
That could be something we could learn, right?

631
00:24:03,620 --> 00:24:05,560
In your counseling, do you just warn people

632
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:06,140
all day?

633
00:24:06,540 --> 00:24:07,920
Or do you follow it up with some

634
00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,420
sort of encouragement in the midst of it?

635
00:24:13,020 --> 00:24:16,160
I'd also think there's something to consider, commentators

636
00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,840
who say that Paul here in verse 13

637
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:23,800
speaks to a different category of people than

638
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,360
he's thinking about above.

639
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,220
He's now speaking to those who are in

640
00:24:27,220 --> 00:24:30,740
the midst of true testing, not those who

641
00:24:30,740 --> 00:24:31,760
have tested God.

642
00:24:32,020 --> 00:24:33,960
He's already made it clear what's going to

643
00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:35,520
happen to them and that they've got to

644
00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:36,660
flee from idolatry.

645
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,080
And so some would say he's actually interjecting

646
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,680
verse 13 as an encouragement for those at

647
00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,560
Corinth who are in the midst of true

648
00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:44,060
testing.

649
00:24:44,180 --> 00:24:45,160
They've not given in.

650
00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:47,320
And he's encouraging them in the midst of

651
00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,440
all this giving in that people are doing.

652
00:24:49,500 --> 00:24:52,000
He's wanted to encourage those brethren, don't quit.

653
00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:53,240
Don't quit.

654
00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:53,880
God is able.

655
00:24:54,020 --> 00:24:56,720
God is faithful to you in the midst

656
00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,160
of what you're going through.

657
00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:03,540
Now either way, however you might take that,

658
00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:06,920
clearly it's a verse of encouragement to the

659
00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:07,280
believer.

660
00:25:08,380 --> 00:25:09,680
So let's consider verse 13.

661
00:25:13,300 --> 00:25:14,600
You know, if you think of it this

662
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,360
way, if the test is from God, right,

663
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,420
which he speaks about in verse 13, and

664
00:25:19,420 --> 00:25:22,960
it's not you testing God, what's verse 13,

665
00:25:23,060 --> 00:25:25,260
let's read it again, make you come away

666
00:25:25,260 --> 00:25:27,860
with no temptation has overtaken you that is

667
00:25:27,860 --> 00:25:28,800
not common to man.

668
00:25:28,940 --> 00:25:29,900
God is faithful.

669
00:25:30,340 --> 00:25:31,940
He will not let you be tempted beyond

670
00:25:31,940 --> 00:25:36,040
your ability, but with the temptation, the test,

671
00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,560
He will provide the way of escape that

672
00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,340
you may be able to endure it.

673
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,000
I mean, if you're right now in your

674
00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,720
life, you're not out there willfully testing God,

675
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:46,560
trying to partake of the demons in the

676
00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:48,900
Lord's Supper on Sunday, guess what?

677
00:25:49,220 --> 00:25:50,900
As you leave this building today, it doesn't

678
00:25:50,900 --> 00:25:54,820
matter whatever trial you face, because you're not

679
00:25:54,820 --> 00:25:56,880
trying to keep two feet one foot here

680
00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:58,080
and one foot over there.

681
00:25:58,500 --> 00:26:00,880
You can live this week with a sense

682
00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,020
of security that whatever you face is going

683
00:26:03,020 --> 00:26:03,540
to be okay.

684
00:26:03,740 --> 00:26:05,720
God will give you the grace for what

685
00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:07,860
you're going to face compared to the person

686
00:26:07,860 --> 00:26:10,860
who thinks they're okay while they're partaking of

687
00:26:10,860 --> 00:26:12,440
the table of demons and coming and being

688
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,100
baptized and partaking of the Lord's Supper.

689
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:15,260
And they think this is okay.

690
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:16,940
You know, I've done these rituals.

691
00:26:17,180 --> 00:26:18,520
I'm now safe.

692
00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:20,520
That person, they're not going to have a

693
00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:21,500
promise of divine aid.

694
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,460
They've actually got a promise of judgment from

695
00:26:24,460 --> 00:26:28,800
Numbers 21, hovering over them.

696
00:26:29,460 --> 00:26:30,620
And so we want to be in this

697
00:26:30,620 --> 00:26:33,420
camp, the people who are facing ordinary trials

698
00:26:33,420 --> 00:26:34,900
and temptations.

699
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,440
And we're finding that the Lord is helping

700
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,800
us to endure through those one by one.

701
00:26:40,860 --> 00:26:44,400
You can really say, if that's you, you're

702
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:46,580
not in danger of falling away.

703
00:26:48,060 --> 00:26:50,400
If you're not testing God, if you're not

704
00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:53,240
willfully rebelling against Him, and in that stage

705
00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,500
of moving in a negative direction, and you're

706
00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:58,220
just facing trials, there's a sense of security

707
00:26:58,220 --> 00:26:58,660
there.

708
00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:00,960
This verse should leave you with that type

709
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,320
of confidence in the Lord.

710
00:27:06,420 --> 00:27:07,080
All right.

711
00:27:07,740 --> 00:27:09,780
So first, we need to consider a specific

712
00:27:09,780 --> 00:27:12,000
word in this verse.

713
00:27:12,140 --> 00:27:13,140
And it's the word temptation.

714
00:27:15,180 --> 00:27:17,540
No temptation has overtaken you.

715
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,060
Does anyone have a version that doesn't have

716
00:27:20,060 --> 00:27:20,840
the word temptation?

717
00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,060
Just shout out what word it has there.

718
00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:28,220
Maybe everyone has an ESV here, right?

719
00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,040
What's the NESB say?

720
00:27:31,660 --> 00:27:32,140
Okay.

721
00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:33,020
Yeah.

722
00:27:33,060 --> 00:27:34,540
If you search that word in the Greek,

723
00:27:35,020 --> 00:27:37,060
and when we say Greek from the pulpit,

724
00:27:37,260 --> 00:27:38,760
the majority of the New Testament is written

725
00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:39,540
in that language.

726
00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:41,660
The original language is what we're referring to.

727
00:27:43,340 --> 00:27:45,920
The Greek word, it's the same word as

728
00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:46,400
trial.

729
00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,320
And all these other places it's rendered, you've

730
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,480
got the word trial, test.

731
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,600
And so you find temptation, trial, test.

732
00:27:54,660 --> 00:27:56,660
So multiple versions don't even use the word

733
00:27:56,660 --> 00:27:58,100
temptation in verse 13.

734
00:27:58,580 --> 00:28:01,480
They use the word no trial has overtaken

735
00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,040
you that is not common to man.

736
00:28:03,740 --> 00:28:05,740
And so it can depend on the context

737
00:28:05,740 --> 00:28:07,500
of where it's used, on how it should

738
00:28:07,500 --> 00:28:07,960
be rendered.

739
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,180
And obviously those in the ESV committee in

740
00:28:10,180 --> 00:28:13,320
this chapter felt like the word temptation would

741
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:14,200
convey it more.

742
00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:16,460
And there's, you could do a whole sermon

743
00:28:16,460 --> 00:28:18,380
on this, but we do need to remember

744
00:28:18,380 --> 00:28:19,580
a few things about temptation.

745
00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,080
Temptation is a test in that you might,

746
00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:25,160
you know how we say, I felt tempted.

747
00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:29,660
Well, if you're actually using that language appropriately,

748
00:28:29,900 --> 00:28:31,740
is that you admitting to sin?

749
00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:33,140
No.

750
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:35,920
If you're saying you felt tempted, it meant

751
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,160
that there was a, is temptation sin?

752
00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:39,960
In and of itself.

753
00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:42,060
And we could, we could go to what

754
00:28:42,060 --> 00:28:44,460
Hebrews four, where it talks about the Lord

755
00:28:44,460 --> 00:28:45,180
Jesus Christ.

756
00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:46,600
And it says he was tempted in every

757
00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:48,140
way as we are yet without sin.

758
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:50,140
So clearly you can be tempted and it

759
00:28:50,140 --> 00:28:51,540
not be sin.

760
00:28:51,660 --> 00:28:54,300
It says in Matthew four, that Jesus was

761
00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:56,580
led into the wilderness by the Holy spirit

762
00:28:56,580 --> 00:28:57,940
to be tempted by the devil.

763
00:28:58,480 --> 00:28:59,940
Well, I think a better word there is

764
00:28:59,940 --> 00:29:02,440
tried, but in the midst of trials, there

765
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,140
are temptations, which we read in first Corinthians

766
00:29:05,140 --> 00:29:07,180
10, you could describe the temptation.

767
00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:09,960
Something is coming upon you that your desire

768
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,840
is wanting to, to give in and go

769
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,180
and do something or believe something about God

770
00:29:14,180 --> 00:29:15,060
that is not right.

771
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,760
That is a sinful response in the midst

772
00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:18,460
of your trial.

773
00:29:19,860 --> 00:29:21,500
And so there's different nuances.

774
00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,440
Some, some right when they hear temptation, they

775
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,440
don't, it's this point before you've been seduced

776
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:28,740
to sin, right?

777
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,120
You're being tested to be seduced into sin,

778
00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,920
but it hasn't, hasn't actually yet, um, happened.

779
00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:39,540
And so the point of trial, I'm in

780
00:29:39,540 --> 00:29:42,480
a trial and then temptations are coming in

781
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:43,120
the trial.

782
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,000
And if I give into the temptation, I'm

783
00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,860
being seduced to sin and to not bear

784
00:29:48,860 --> 00:29:50,180
up under it.

785
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,160
And, and I think I mentioned this years

786
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:53,540
ago, but you could almost look at it

787
00:29:53,540 --> 00:29:54,100
in this way.

788
00:29:54,220 --> 00:29:56,300
When you're being tested, it's like being given

789
00:29:56,300 --> 00:29:57,740
the test by a teacher.

790
00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:01,320
And if you, if you give into temptation,

791
00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,380
you're basically cheating on the test, right?

792
00:30:03,380 --> 00:30:05,560
You're no longer trusting the Lord to help

793
00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:06,960
you to pass the test.

794
00:30:07,100 --> 00:30:09,740
You're going outside of those given means and

795
00:30:09,740 --> 00:30:10,560
you're cheating.

796
00:30:11,060 --> 00:30:12,120
Well, that's a sin.

797
00:30:12,220 --> 00:30:14,920
You're sinning against God right there.

798
00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,520
And so when you, when you look at

799
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,980
this verse, don't just think, oh, temptation, you

800
00:30:20,980 --> 00:30:23,580
know, and have some narrow view about, oh,

801
00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,340
I was tempted to be impatient or I

802
00:30:26,340 --> 00:30:28,740
was tempted with fill in the blank.

803
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:29,520
No, no.

804
00:30:29,580 --> 00:30:32,900
This is just trials and tests in the

805
00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:33,700
Christian life.

806
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,740
It's not just something that fits with one

807
00:30:35,740 --> 00:30:38,180
specific test or trial as a Christian.

808
00:30:40,690 --> 00:30:41,090
Uh, yes.

809
00:30:41,150 --> 00:30:42,670
It's one of those that you're in the

810
00:30:42,670 --> 00:30:46,330
wilderness as a Jew and you're, you're being

811
00:30:46,330 --> 00:30:49,450
tempted to grumble and complain about the treatment

812
00:30:49,450 --> 00:30:50,870
that you feel like God has failed.

813
00:30:51,610 --> 00:30:52,610
You feel like God's failed.

814
00:30:52,850 --> 00:30:55,750
If you gratify that you're sinning by giving

815
00:30:55,750 --> 00:30:56,790
into that thought, right?

816
00:30:58,490 --> 00:31:06,010
So, but here's a promise to not, to

817
00:31:06,010 --> 00:31:08,770
be in a trial and not ever be

818
00:31:08,770 --> 00:31:12,650
seduced into any type of sin, which will

819
00:31:12,650 --> 00:31:14,330
keep you from being in the place they

820
00:31:14,330 --> 00:31:15,730
were at in the earlier part of first

821
00:31:15,730 --> 00:31:18,350
Corinthians 10, where they're now willfully in rebellion

822
00:31:18,350 --> 00:31:21,270
against the Lord, justifying it because they have

823
00:31:21,270 --> 00:31:23,070
religion, right?

824
00:31:23,310 --> 00:31:24,510
That's, we don't want to get to that

825
00:31:24,510 --> 00:31:24,930
point.

826
00:31:25,210 --> 00:31:27,950
And so here is an encouragement to us

827
00:31:27,950 --> 00:31:31,110
as we face ordinary tests and trials and

828
00:31:31,110 --> 00:31:34,870
temptations, uh, that there is the grace from

829
00:31:34,870 --> 00:31:36,770
a faithful God for you and I to

830
00:31:36,770 --> 00:31:38,950
endure and you and I do not have

831
00:31:38,950 --> 00:31:41,490
to give in to whatever it might be

832
00:31:41,490 --> 00:31:44,430
that is trying us to grumble, to self

833
00:31:44,430 --> 00:31:47,270
pity, to sin, to be unfaithful in some

834
00:31:47,270 --> 00:31:47,650
way.

835
00:31:49,270 --> 00:31:51,910
So let me give a few observations from

836
00:31:51,910 --> 00:31:53,470
verse 13 for your encouragement.

837
00:31:54,530 --> 00:31:56,150
And this is, this is really under the

838
00:31:56,150 --> 00:31:58,050
heading, God is faithful.

839
00:31:58,190 --> 00:32:00,510
If you look at verse 13, right after

840
00:32:00,510 --> 00:32:02,390
he says, no temptation is overtaking you, there's

841
00:32:02,390 --> 00:32:05,250
not common demand, meaning there's nothing out of

842
00:32:05,250 --> 00:32:06,770
the ordinary, which is incredible.

843
00:32:06,870 --> 00:32:08,930
That's an incredible statement in and of itself

844
00:32:08,930 --> 00:32:10,990
because how many of us you're in a

845
00:32:10,990 --> 00:32:12,810
trial and you feel like this is really

846
00:32:12,810 --> 00:32:13,410
unique.

847
00:32:14,150 --> 00:32:15,950
You know, no one, no one can relate

848
00:32:15,950 --> 00:32:16,270
to me.

849
00:32:16,330 --> 00:32:18,270
This is so such a unique situation.

850
00:32:18,630 --> 00:32:21,490
Paul's just like, you know, can't think that

851
00:32:21,490 --> 00:32:21,730
way.

852
00:32:22,770 --> 00:32:23,090
Right.

853
00:32:23,250 --> 00:32:26,730
Well, it's interesting if you don't agree with

854
00:32:26,730 --> 00:32:28,750
Paul here and you do paint yourself in

855
00:32:28,750 --> 00:32:31,890
a unique situation, guess what that could now

856
00:32:31,890 --> 00:32:34,650
make you more vulnerable to do to question

857
00:32:34,650 --> 00:32:35,910
God's love for you.

858
00:32:36,410 --> 00:32:37,710
Why would he put me in this situation?

859
00:32:38,470 --> 00:32:39,470
No, I mean, no one else is in

860
00:32:39,470 --> 00:32:40,130
that situation.

861
00:32:40,710 --> 00:32:41,110
Right.

862
00:32:41,230 --> 00:32:42,730
And so same thing with appealing to the

863
00:32:42,730 --> 00:32:45,430
Lord Jesus in Hebrews four, we get this

864
00:32:45,430 --> 00:32:47,670
sense of God's able to relate with us

865
00:32:47,670 --> 00:32:49,690
in our trial and we don't have to

866
00:32:49,690 --> 00:32:50,190
be discouraged.

867
00:32:50,470 --> 00:32:52,490
We don't have to think that this, you

868
00:32:52,490 --> 00:32:54,950
know, this is such an uncommon thing.

869
00:32:56,190 --> 00:32:58,550
Um, but that statement, God is faithful.

870
00:32:59,530 --> 00:33:00,990
What does it mean to be faithful?

871
00:33:01,970 --> 00:33:03,870
It's to be completely dependable.

872
00:33:04,070 --> 00:33:06,730
It's to be true to their word, right?

873
00:33:06,810 --> 00:33:08,590
That God swears to his own word and

874
00:33:08,590 --> 00:33:09,410
you better believe it.

875
00:33:09,470 --> 00:33:10,230
He doesn't change.

876
00:33:10,410 --> 00:33:11,950
He doesn't change his word.

877
00:33:12,850 --> 00:33:14,230
Uh, he's not a shifting shadow.

878
00:33:14,510 --> 00:33:16,290
He remains constant in his love.

879
00:33:17,010 --> 00:33:19,330
Uh, you know, we see his, his exemplified

880
00:33:19,330 --> 00:33:21,550
faithfulness and the Lord Jesus Christ and what

881
00:33:21,550 --> 00:33:22,590
he's done on the cross.

882
00:33:22,870 --> 00:33:24,350
He's faithful to his promises.

883
00:33:24,570 --> 00:33:24,890
Isn't it?

884
00:33:24,930 --> 00:33:25,330
Well, who is it?

885
00:33:25,370 --> 00:33:27,390
Joshua, who said in the old Testament, not

886
00:33:27,390 --> 00:33:30,170
one word of all of the Lord's promises

887
00:33:30,170 --> 00:33:32,650
fell to the ground in return void.

888
00:33:33,710 --> 00:33:37,450
I mean, that's, that's incredible about the Lord.

889
00:33:37,930 --> 00:33:39,550
And this goes hand in hand with you

890
00:33:39,550 --> 00:33:40,870
and me enduring as Christians.

891
00:33:41,770 --> 00:33:42,970
Um, listen to these verses.

892
00:33:43,130 --> 00:33:46,030
First Corinthians one, he says, the Lord will

893
00:33:46,030 --> 00:33:48,130
sustain you to the end, guiltless in the

894
00:33:48,130 --> 00:33:49,510
day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

895
00:33:49,950 --> 00:33:53,570
God is faithful by whom you were called.

896
00:33:54,350 --> 00:33:57,850
First Thessalonians five, you'll be kept blameless at

897
00:33:57,850 --> 00:33:59,630
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

898
00:34:00,030 --> 00:34:02,850
He who calls you is faithful.

899
00:34:03,410 --> 00:34:04,750
He will surely do it.

900
00:34:04,750 --> 00:34:08,750
Second Thessalonians three, but the Lord is faithful.

901
00:34:09,170 --> 00:34:11,110
He will establish you and guard you against

902
00:34:11,110 --> 00:34:11,909
the evil one.

903
00:34:12,510 --> 00:34:15,270
Hebrews 10, let us hold fast the confession

904
00:34:15,270 --> 00:34:18,030
of our hope without wavering for he who

905
00:34:18,030 --> 00:34:20,010
promised is faithful.

906
00:34:20,730 --> 00:34:22,530
What, what did almost all of those verses

907
00:34:22,530 --> 00:34:24,770
deal with when thinking about the faithfulness of

908
00:34:24,770 --> 00:34:29,830
God, say again, promises, not just, but promises

909
00:34:29,830 --> 00:34:32,290
of enduring to the end, to the returning

910
00:34:32,290 --> 00:34:33,710
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

911
00:34:34,350 --> 00:34:36,070
I mean, Paul knew we needed that as

912
00:34:36,070 --> 00:34:36,489
Christians.

913
00:34:37,050 --> 00:34:40,210
We needed encouragement and hope to get from

914
00:34:40,210 --> 00:34:42,710
here to the end, especially as you see

915
00:34:42,710 --> 00:34:44,870
others not getting from here to the end.

916
00:34:45,489 --> 00:34:47,190
Paul recognized that reality.

917
00:34:47,370 --> 00:34:49,170
And so, so many of these places where

918
00:34:49,170 --> 00:34:51,449
Paul appeals to the faithfulness of God, it's

919
00:34:51,449 --> 00:34:53,230
in the end of, it's in the context

920
00:34:53,230 --> 00:34:57,950
of being sustained to the end and enduring.

921
00:34:59,510 --> 00:35:01,430
So we see from verse 13, God is

922
00:35:01,430 --> 00:35:02,530
faithful in our trials.

923
00:35:04,090 --> 00:35:06,390
And that first, I already made a comment

924
00:35:06,390 --> 00:35:07,730
on that first part of the verse, but

925
00:35:07,730 --> 00:35:08,830
listen to the NET.

926
00:35:09,010 --> 00:35:10,430
I like the NET has some good ways

927
00:35:10,430 --> 00:35:12,590
of translating it that helped the English reader

928
00:35:13,290 --> 00:35:15,370
comprehend in a clearer way some of what's

929
00:35:15,370 --> 00:35:16,070
being communicated.

930
00:35:16,690 --> 00:35:19,510
No trial has overtaken you that is not

931
00:35:19,510 --> 00:35:20,730
faced by others.

932
00:35:21,410 --> 00:35:21,790
Right?

933
00:35:21,830 --> 00:35:23,470
That's the idea of the first statement Paul

934
00:35:23,470 --> 00:35:24,270
is making there.

935
00:35:26,510 --> 00:35:29,230
He tears down this idea that I mentioned

936
00:35:29,230 --> 00:35:30,810
that we're in some unique situation.

937
00:35:31,410 --> 00:35:32,870
Well, let's think God is faithful.

938
00:35:33,090 --> 00:35:35,690
Number, I think I have three reasons here,

939
00:35:36,090 --> 00:35:37,130
not 20.

940
00:35:37,250 --> 00:35:39,050
Someone mentioned I had like some sermon where

941
00:35:39,050 --> 00:35:40,490
I had 20 points and they said, don't

942
00:35:40,490 --> 00:35:41,610
even say the number, James.

943
00:35:41,730 --> 00:35:43,070
I just kind of discouraged me at the

944
00:35:43,070 --> 00:35:43,390
outset.

945
00:35:44,370 --> 00:35:46,970
I think I have three, 30 or three.

946
00:35:47,090 --> 00:35:47,510
I don't know.

947
00:35:50,190 --> 00:35:52,030
Um, time is okay.

948
00:35:53,610 --> 00:35:54,970
God is faithful.

949
00:35:55,690 --> 00:35:56,530
Now get this.

950
00:35:56,850 --> 00:35:58,410
You know what hit me with this passage?

951
00:35:59,250 --> 00:36:02,090
God is faithful and yet a trial has

952
00:36:02,090 --> 00:36:02,870
overtaken you.

953
00:36:03,610 --> 00:36:04,690
Look at the verse.

954
00:36:05,350 --> 00:36:06,870
No is overtaken you.

955
00:36:06,990 --> 00:36:07,630
That is not common.

956
00:36:07,830 --> 00:36:08,550
Wait, what?

957
00:36:09,670 --> 00:36:13,450
You're saying God's faithful and yet a trial

958
00:36:13,450 --> 00:36:14,850
has come upon me.

959
00:36:16,430 --> 00:36:17,710
Isn't that a contradiction?

960
00:36:17,830 --> 00:36:18,370
No, it's not.

961
00:36:18,510 --> 00:36:19,370
I mean, I know we know that as

962
00:36:19,370 --> 00:36:21,410
Christian, but here another reminder is this morning

963
00:36:21,410 --> 00:36:24,910
when something comes upon you, it overtakes you.

964
00:36:25,370 --> 00:36:27,830
It's there at your front door, a test,

965
00:36:27,930 --> 00:36:29,770
a trial, a temptation.

966
00:36:31,110 --> 00:36:33,750
Uh, the faithful God knew that was going

967
00:36:33,750 --> 00:36:34,170
to happen.

968
00:36:35,010 --> 00:36:38,370
You see, God can be truly faithful and

969
00:36:38,370 --> 00:36:39,450
let you be tried.

970
00:36:40,510 --> 00:36:41,370
I mean, that's incredible.

971
00:36:41,890 --> 00:36:43,990
And if you heard the, if you heard

972
00:36:43,990 --> 00:36:45,690
what I quoted earlier from Matthew four about

973
00:36:45,690 --> 00:36:49,030
Jesus, Jesus is led into the wilderness by

974
00:36:49,030 --> 00:36:52,710
who, by the Holy spirit for what happened

975
00:36:53,490 --> 00:36:54,990
to be tempted by the devil.

976
00:36:55,490 --> 00:36:57,690
The spirit of God was not doing the

977
00:36:57,690 --> 00:36:59,470
tempting, but just like in the book of

978
00:36:59,470 --> 00:37:02,150
Joe, the permissions for the event to take

979
00:37:02,150 --> 00:37:05,630
place and allowing it to be happen is

980
00:37:05,630 --> 00:37:07,890
under the umbrella of the sovereignty of God.

981
00:37:08,750 --> 00:37:10,610
And so when you view that about your

982
00:37:10,610 --> 00:37:12,450
trials, like in Job, where God is giving

983
00:37:12,450 --> 00:37:15,570
the devil permission without which Job can affect

984
00:37:15,570 --> 00:37:17,790
or the devil can affect Job.

985
00:37:18,530 --> 00:37:21,790
See, so this is big theology about who

986
00:37:21,790 --> 00:37:22,530
God is.

987
00:37:23,650 --> 00:37:25,350
And we, we need to get it because

988
00:37:25,350 --> 00:37:27,430
it's really going to help us when something

989
00:37:27,430 --> 00:37:29,630
overtakes you and comes upon you in your

990
00:37:29,630 --> 00:37:30,270
own life.

991
00:37:31,770 --> 00:37:34,130
God lets you get tried and he controls

992
00:37:34,130 --> 00:37:37,810
the permissions of those trials, right?

993
00:37:37,890 --> 00:37:39,330
There's, there's not one thing of this.

994
00:37:39,370 --> 00:37:42,030
There's not, there's not a trial where if

995
00:37:42,030 --> 00:37:44,030
you're, if you're walking with the Lord and

996
00:37:44,030 --> 00:37:47,450
a trial comes, God had some involvement in

997
00:37:47,450 --> 00:37:49,090
allowing this to be brought about.

998
00:37:49,230 --> 00:37:50,530
That's where you can say all things work

999
00:37:50,530 --> 00:37:51,310
together for good.

1000
00:37:51,670 --> 00:37:53,270
If you're, if you're trying to partake of

1001
00:37:53,270 --> 00:37:54,770
the demons and you're trying to partake of

1002
00:37:54,770 --> 00:37:56,810
the Lord, like we looked at earlier, you're

1003
00:37:56,810 --> 00:37:57,930
not going to find comfort here.

1004
00:37:58,050 --> 00:37:59,010
You're finding judgment.

1005
00:37:59,230 --> 00:38:00,410
You need to flee from that.

1006
00:38:00,890 --> 00:38:02,210
But for you and I, if we're not

1007
00:38:02,210 --> 00:38:04,830
testing God and we're just facing the ordinary

1008
00:38:04,830 --> 00:38:07,110
test and the trials as severe as they

1009
00:38:07,110 --> 00:38:09,950
might be as Christians, we've got great confidence

1010
00:38:09,950 --> 00:38:10,850
here.

1011
00:38:13,110 --> 00:38:15,310
And so if God will not let me

1012
00:38:15,310 --> 00:38:18,030
be tried beyond what I'm able, well then

1013
00:38:18,030 --> 00:38:21,570
that implies he has control over what trials

1014
00:38:21,570 --> 00:38:22,450
that I get.

1015
00:38:22,670 --> 00:38:25,370
And we're called to endure trials of various

1016
00:38:25,370 --> 00:38:25,890
kinds.

1017
00:38:26,050 --> 00:38:27,610
And so trials coming into your life should

1018
00:38:27,610 --> 00:38:31,730
not make you question God's faithfulness.

1019
00:38:31,970 --> 00:38:33,830
It should encourage you to be faithful to

1020
00:38:33,830 --> 00:38:36,370
God because God in some way you might

1021
00:38:36,370 --> 00:38:38,770
not see at the moment is being faithful

1022
00:38:38,770 --> 00:38:42,130
to you and to me by allowing that

1023
00:38:42,130 --> 00:38:45,050
trial into our life.

1024
00:38:45,930 --> 00:38:47,890
That's the first thought here.

1025
00:38:47,990 --> 00:38:50,490
The second one, God is faithful.

1026
00:38:50,990 --> 00:38:53,430
He will not let you be tried or

1027
00:38:53,430 --> 00:38:57,950
tempted beyond your ability, tried beyond what you're

1028
00:38:57,950 --> 00:38:58,910
able to bear.

1029
00:38:59,770 --> 00:39:02,290
So how do we take encouragement from this?

1030
00:39:02,990 --> 00:39:04,570
I mean, it's basically the Lord is telling

1031
00:39:04,570 --> 00:39:06,350
you and me that there is a cap,

1032
00:39:06,690 --> 00:39:10,730
there is a cap on your trials that

1033
00:39:10,730 --> 00:39:12,290
it won't go beyond a certain point.

1034
00:39:12,830 --> 00:39:15,030
Now, if anyone knows where that meter is

1035
00:39:15,030 --> 00:39:17,010
at in the Bible for you to look

1036
00:39:17,010 --> 00:39:18,390
at, where I can see what that cap

1037
00:39:18,390 --> 00:39:18,830
is, let me know.

1038
00:39:21,310 --> 00:39:23,310
I think it just tells us, number one,

1039
00:39:24,390 --> 00:39:26,130
for the Lord to not give you beyond

1040
00:39:26,130 --> 00:39:27,910
what you can bear means he knows what

1041
00:39:27,910 --> 00:39:28,570
you can bear.

1042
00:39:29,770 --> 00:39:30,330
You hear that?

1043
00:39:30,350 --> 00:39:31,710
The Lord knows what you can bear.

1044
00:39:32,530 --> 00:39:33,910
Who knows what you can bear more?

1045
00:39:33,990 --> 00:39:34,670
You or the Lord?

1046
00:39:35,930 --> 00:39:36,790
The Lord, right?

1047
00:39:36,830 --> 00:39:38,430
The Lord knows more what you can bear

1048
00:39:38,430 --> 00:39:40,250
than you know what you can bear.

1049
00:39:40,370 --> 00:39:41,550
I mean, if you sit around thinking, well,

1050
00:39:41,570 --> 00:39:42,290
what can I bear?

1051
00:39:42,450 --> 00:39:43,690
That's a really, you don't want to, you

1052
00:39:43,690 --> 00:39:44,450
don't even want to go there.

1053
00:39:45,310 --> 00:39:45,630
Right?

1054
00:39:45,710 --> 00:39:47,210
If he, if he allows it, you're going

1055
00:39:47,210 --> 00:39:48,450
to find his grace is sufficient.

1056
00:39:50,470 --> 00:39:52,610
So, and, you know, in a way you

1057
00:39:52,610 --> 00:39:53,710
could think of it this way, the Lord's

1058
00:39:53,710 --> 00:39:56,370
not giving my 10-year-old's math test

1059
00:39:56,370 --> 00:39:58,730
to my one-year-old because my one

1060
00:39:58,730 --> 00:40:00,290
-year-old doesn't have the ability to bear

1061
00:40:00,290 --> 00:40:01,190
that math test.

1062
00:40:01,350 --> 00:40:03,030
The Lord isn't going to give that trial

1063
00:40:03,030 --> 00:40:04,730
to that one-year-old.

1064
00:40:05,470 --> 00:40:07,630
And so God is faithful to have designed

1065
00:40:07,630 --> 00:40:10,390
you to have a bearing limit, and he

1066
00:40:10,390 --> 00:40:12,950
knows what that limit is, and that should

1067
00:40:12,950 --> 00:40:14,270
make you trust him.

1068
00:40:14,310 --> 00:40:16,510
As it says in Psalm 90, you know,

1069
00:40:16,590 --> 00:40:18,350
remember our frame, we are but dust.

1070
00:40:19,010 --> 00:40:20,890
I mean, if anyone knows the, the, you

1071
00:40:20,890 --> 00:40:22,710
know, if anyone is the engineer and the

1072
00:40:22,710 --> 00:40:24,510
designer of you and how you are as

1073
00:40:24,510 --> 00:40:26,170
a Christian and where you're at and however

1074
00:40:26,170 --> 00:40:28,450
long you've been saved, and they're trying to

1075
00:40:28,450 --> 00:40:30,250
judge, well, if we put this much weight

1076
00:40:30,250 --> 00:40:32,710
on, on James, is that going to crush

1077
00:40:32,710 --> 00:40:33,950
and destroy his faith?

1078
00:40:34,470 --> 00:40:35,410
You know what it is?

1079
00:40:35,450 --> 00:40:37,050
We actually need to put some lesser weights

1080
00:40:37,050 --> 00:40:38,290
on at first to get him to a

1081
00:40:38,290 --> 00:40:39,830
better point where he can take that later

1082
00:40:39,830 --> 00:40:40,290
on.

1083
00:40:40,850 --> 00:40:42,610
I mean, the Lord's, he's the designer.

1084
00:40:43,150 --> 00:40:44,150
He knows what he's doing.

1085
00:40:46,550 --> 00:40:48,850
Secondly, under this second thought of God is

1086
00:40:48,850 --> 00:40:50,670
faithfully not let you be tempted beyond your

1087
00:40:50,670 --> 00:40:54,450
ability, it also speaks to me that there

1088
00:40:54,450 --> 00:40:57,190
are certain trials some do not have the

1089
00:40:57,190 --> 00:40:59,490
ability to bear up under, at least not

1090
00:40:59,490 --> 00:40:59,790
yet.

1091
00:41:01,070 --> 00:41:03,030
And therefore, the Lord does not put them

1092
00:41:03,030 --> 00:41:03,590
through that.

1093
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:04,990
Now, this is really important for you to

1094
00:41:04,990 --> 00:41:07,190
get, Christian, because you, you know, you know

1095
00:41:07,190 --> 00:41:09,370
what one of the dangers Christians fall into?

1096
00:41:09,490 --> 00:41:10,990
They fall into thinking about the what-ifs.

1097
00:41:11,870 --> 00:41:13,230
Well, what if that happened to me?

1098
00:41:13,290 --> 00:41:14,210
How would I handle it?

1099
00:41:15,270 --> 00:41:18,310
That often does not prove to be beneficial.

1100
00:41:18,670 --> 00:41:20,510
If you sit there looking at the trial,

1101
00:41:20,590 --> 00:41:21,770
you think I would never make it through,

1102
00:41:21,870 --> 00:41:22,510
well, guess what?

1103
00:41:23,350 --> 00:41:24,730
You might actually be right.

1104
00:41:25,150 --> 00:41:26,830
At this point in your life, you might

1105
00:41:26,830 --> 00:41:28,510
not make it through that, and that's why

1106
00:41:28,510 --> 00:41:30,350
the Lord hasn't put that test and trial

1107
00:41:30,350 --> 00:41:32,330
in your life, because it's beyond what you

1108
00:41:32,330 --> 00:41:32,830
can bear.

1109
00:41:33,270 --> 00:41:34,570
And so either way, you gotta, you gotta

1110
00:41:34,570 --> 00:41:37,210
trust the Lord rather than think about what's

1111
00:41:37,210 --> 00:41:38,070
off in the horizon.

1112
00:41:38,210 --> 00:41:39,030
What am I going to face?

1113
00:41:39,090 --> 00:41:39,970
Is this going to happen?

1114
00:41:40,090 --> 00:41:43,390
If you face it, God's allowing it, and

1115
00:41:43,390 --> 00:41:45,350
He's promised to give the grace to bear

1116
00:41:45,350 --> 00:41:46,630
you up in the midst of it.

1117
00:41:47,090 --> 00:41:48,530
You've got to trust the Lord.

1118
00:41:51,730 --> 00:41:54,810
A third point under the second heading, uh,

1119
00:41:54,810 --> 00:41:57,530
thirdly, this means whatever trial it is that

1120
00:41:57,530 --> 00:41:59,770
I'm about to face, the Lord is allowing

1121
00:41:59,770 --> 00:42:00,810
it to come about.

1122
00:42:00,930 --> 00:42:03,750
He's giving permission because He knows I can

1123
00:42:03,750 --> 00:42:04,170
bear it.

1124
00:42:04,530 --> 00:42:06,530
He knows by His power I can bear

1125
00:42:06,530 --> 00:42:08,870
under it, and it's not beyond my ability,

1126
00:42:09,050 --> 00:42:10,930
and so that should give me great confidence

1127
00:42:10,930 --> 00:42:13,410
with whatever trial that I face.

1128
00:42:13,570 --> 00:42:15,790
If it's at my door because God's allowed

1129
00:42:15,790 --> 00:42:17,510
it to be there, and this God has

1130
00:42:17,510 --> 00:42:19,770
allowed it to be there, He knows that

1131
00:42:19,770 --> 00:42:21,570
He, what I can bear, and He's promised

1132
00:42:21,570 --> 00:42:23,030
to not give me more than I can

1133
00:42:23,030 --> 00:42:25,450
bear, then this thing that's right before me,

1134
00:42:25,550 --> 00:42:26,210
oh, you know what?

1135
00:42:26,250 --> 00:42:27,950
I can actually have confidence in God that

1136
00:42:27,950 --> 00:42:28,550
I'm going to endure.

1137
00:42:29,830 --> 00:42:32,230
I mean, He's already going to help me

1138
00:42:32,230 --> 00:42:34,890
in this because of these other truths.

1139
00:42:36,070 --> 00:42:37,410
So imagine that.

1140
00:42:37,790 --> 00:42:40,510
Imagine going into your trial at the beginning

1141
00:42:40,510 --> 00:42:43,190
already believing that God will give you the

1142
00:42:43,190 --> 00:42:45,010
grace to endure in it because He's brought

1143
00:42:45,010 --> 00:42:45,590
the trial about.

1144
00:42:45,930 --> 00:42:47,250
Wouldn't that, I mean, doesn't that all the

1145
00:42:47,250 --> 00:42:49,210
more stir your faith up if you start

1146
00:42:49,210 --> 00:42:50,630
out with the trial like that?

1147
00:42:51,310 --> 00:42:52,870
That, oh, this is from my Father, and

1148
00:42:52,870 --> 00:42:54,830
He's given me this trial, and He said

1149
00:42:54,830 --> 00:42:56,090
He won't give me anything more than I

1150
00:42:56,090 --> 00:42:56,550
can bear.

1151
00:42:56,850 --> 00:42:58,710
Therefore, He knows that I can bear this

1152
00:42:58,710 --> 00:43:00,410
even though I don't know that myself, so

1153
00:43:00,410 --> 00:43:01,610
I'm going to look to Him by faith,

1154
00:43:01,630 --> 00:43:03,050
and He's going to help me, and I'm

1155
00:43:03,050 --> 00:43:04,530
going to endure in the midst of this.

1156
00:43:04,850 --> 00:43:05,510
I mean, remarkable.

1157
00:43:05,670 --> 00:43:07,730
Your faith is now stirred.

1158
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,380
Another thing, some people have a problem with

1159
00:43:14,380 --> 00:43:17,360
verse 13 because they think it's a contradiction

1160
00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:20,420
in 2 Corinthians 1.8, and since we

1161
00:43:20,420 --> 00:43:23,180
are just a couple pages away, you could

1162
00:43:23,180 --> 00:43:25,220
look at that verse if you want, 2

1163
00:43:25,220 --> 00:43:31,010
Corinthians 1.8. Some versions render it, well,

1164
00:43:31,090 --> 00:43:32,530
let me read the ESVs.

1165
00:43:34,090 --> 00:43:37,890
We'll see this isn't, this doesn't undo our,

1166
00:43:38,130 --> 00:43:39,390
this promise here.

1167
00:43:40,290 --> 00:43:42,270
For we want you not to be unaware,

1168
00:43:42,550 --> 00:43:44,590
brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia,

1169
00:43:44,730 --> 00:43:46,610
for we were so utterly burdened beyond our

1170
00:43:46,610 --> 00:43:49,670
strength that we despaired of life itself.

1171
00:43:50,970 --> 00:43:53,850
And other versions render it this way, and

1172
00:43:53,850 --> 00:43:54,750
this creates questions.

1173
00:43:55,210 --> 00:43:57,850
We were under great pressure far beyond our

1174
00:43:57,850 --> 00:43:58,950
ability to endure.

1175
00:43:59,990 --> 00:44:02,230
You hear, so you're reading your Bible, you're

1176
00:44:02,230 --> 00:44:03,930
not going to put anything beyond your ability

1177
00:44:03,930 --> 00:44:06,050
to endure, to bear, and then another verse,

1178
00:44:06,370 --> 00:44:08,090
Paul's saying he faced something where he couldn't

1179
00:44:08,090 --> 00:44:09,310
endure, right?

1180
00:44:09,390 --> 00:44:11,230
So people say, well, that's a contradiction there.

1181
00:44:11,310 --> 00:44:13,330
I mean, it's not really true because look

1182
00:44:13,330 --> 00:44:15,110
at, look at what happened to Paul.

1183
00:44:15,450 --> 00:44:17,630
They think it really contradicts.

1184
00:44:18,410 --> 00:44:21,950
Well, the problem with that is, what happened

1185
00:44:21,950 --> 00:44:23,330
to Paul in the midst of his trial?

1186
00:44:23,630 --> 00:44:24,270
Did he endure?

1187
00:44:26,330 --> 00:44:27,190
Did he endure?

1188
00:44:27,930 --> 00:44:28,410
Yeah, here.

1189
00:44:29,490 --> 00:44:32,090
So 1 Corinthians 10.13 is true, and

1190
00:44:32,090 --> 00:44:32,670
how did he endure?

1191
00:44:32,670 --> 00:44:33,830
What happened to Paul?

1192
00:44:33,930 --> 00:44:34,850
What was the next verse?

1193
00:44:35,010 --> 00:44:35,570
What did it say?

1194
00:44:36,630 --> 00:44:39,050
This happened to make us rely not on

1195
00:44:39,050 --> 00:44:40,110
ourselves but on God.

1196
00:44:41,910 --> 00:44:42,990
Ah, that's interesting.

1197
00:44:43,150 --> 00:44:43,390
You know what?

1198
00:44:43,530 --> 00:44:45,950
This creates another category in all of this,

1199
00:44:46,510 --> 00:44:47,290
okay?

1200
00:44:47,970 --> 00:44:51,630
You might go into a trial and you

1201
00:44:51,630 --> 00:44:53,990
can't bear it at the beginning, right?

1202
00:44:54,290 --> 00:44:55,950
And God grows you in the midst of

1203
00:44:55,950 --> 00:44:57,770
it to allow you to bear it.

1204
00:44:57,910 --> 00:44:59,390
So then you do get to the end

1205
00:44:59,390 --> 00:44:59,650
of it.

1206
00:44:59,690 --> 00:45:02,510
You do endure through it, but he brings

1207
00:45:02,510 --> 00:45:05,610
you into it knowing that that isn't something

1208
00:45:05,610 --> 00:45:07,070
you can take initially, but I'm going to

1209
00:45:07,070 --> 00:45:08,130
help you in the midst of it so

1210
00:45:08,130 --> 00:45:09,770
you will make it through and you won't

1211
00:45:09,770 --> 00:45:10,290
abandon me.

1212
00:45:10,350 --> 00:45:11,370
And this is what happened to Paul.

1213
00:45:11,590 --> 00:45:12,830
Paul doesn't abandon the Lord.

1214
00:45:13,110 --> 00:45:15,030
He makes it through and he gets to

1215
00:45:15,030 --> 00:45:17,070
the very end of his life, 2 Timothy

1216
00:45:17,070 --> 00:45:19,790
3, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to

1217
00:45:19,790 --> 00:45:23,770
me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, which persecutions

1218
00:45:23,770 --> 00:45:24,850
I endured.

1219
00:45:25,390 --> 00:45:27,890
So he did endure, he didn't quit, yet

1220
00:45:27,890 --> 00:45:31,130
from them all the Lord rescued me.

1221
00:45:31,890 --> 00:45:34,250
And so no, that's, this does not contradict

1222
00:45:34,250 --> 00:45:37,850
what we have in 1 Corinthians 10, 13.

1223
00:45:38,170 --> 00:45:41,210
It just makes it more human in the

1224
00:45:41,210 --> 00:45:43,330
way you express yourself because you and I

1225
00:45:43,330 --> 00:45:45,530
might be in a trial and we feel

1226
00:45:45,530 --> 00:45:47,530
like we can't bear it any longer, and

1227
00:45:47,530 --> 00:45:49,430
the Lord's allowed the trial and allowed us

1228
00:45:49,430 --> 00:45:50,010
to feel that.

1229
00:45:50,110 --> 00:45:51,350
So we go to him, we get his

1230
00:45:51,350 --> 00:45:53,450
strength, we don't rely on ourselves, and then

1231
00:45:53,450 --> 00:45:54,250
we do make it through.

1232
00:45:55,010 --> 00:45:56,230
You see, so that might happen in the

1233
00:45:56,230 --> 00:45:57,870
midst of it, and that you could, you

1234
00:45:57,870 --> 00:46:01,750
could subjectively feel I can't bear it any

1235
00:46:01,750 --> 00:46:04,330
longer, and the devil makes you doubt 1

1236
00:46:04,330 --> 00:46:05,210
Corinthians 10, 13.

1237
00:46:06,250 --> 00:46:07,330
See, it's not real.

1238
00:46:07,990 --> 00:46:09,670
Look, you feel like you can't bear it.

1239
00:46:10,130 --> 00:46:11,650
1 Corinthians 10, 13 is not real.

1240
00:46:11,730 --> 00:46:14,330
No, no, don't, don't give into that, that

1241
00:46:14,330 --> 00:46:14,630
lie.

1242
00:46:16,330 --> 00:46:18,850
Well, a third thing here about God's faithfulness

1243
00:46:18,850 --> 00:46:20,790
that we get from 1 Corinthians 10, 13,

1244
00:46:22,390 --> 00:46:24,770
God is faithful to you while in the

1245
00:46:24,770 --> 00:46:28,450
trial to provide help for you to endure

1246
00:46:28,450 --> 00:46:30,690
in the trial.

1247
00:46:30,810 --> 00:46:32,230
If you look at the text, God is

1248
00:46:32,230 --> 00:46:32,630
faithful.

1249
00:46:32,750 --> 00:46:33,870
He will not let you be tempted beyond

1250
00:46:33,870 --> 00:46:35,810
your ability, but with the temptation, with the

1251
00:46:35,810 --> 00:46:38,770
trial, with the test, he will also provide.

1252
00:46:39,070 --> 00:46:41,530
I mean, we love people who provide for

1253
00:46:41,530 --> 00:46:43,470
us and help, and here our God does.

1254
00:46:43,850 --> 00:46:46,810
He provides the way of escape, and you

1255
00:46:46,810 --> 00:46:48,950
know, you almost get your heart all set,

1256
00:46:49,110 --> 00:46:50,830
like, oh, yes, escape, I can get out

1257
00:46:50,830 --> 00:46:52,170
of it, and then Paul says something that's

1258
00:46:52,170 --> 00:46:53,070
kind of like, I don't know, why'd you

1259
00:46:53,070 --> 00:46:53,770
have to say that, Paul?

1260
00:46:56,450 --> 00:46:58,770
Provide the way of escape that you may

1261
00:46:58,770 --> 00:46:59,830
be able to endure it.

1262
00:46:59,850 --> 00:47:01,490
Wait, I thought I was going to escape,

1263
00:47:01,790 --> 00:47:02,930
and you're saying I got to endure.

1264
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:08,720
Don't think of this promise as some idea

1265
00:47:08,720 --> 00:47:11,420
that the trial dissolves in a moment.

1266
00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:15,580
No, rather grace is given, and you escape

1267
00:47:15,580 --> 00:47:19,180
from grumbling, and you endure in the trial,

1268
00:47:19,180 --> 00:47:23,440
and at some point, the trial might come

1269
00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:23,860
to a close.

1270
00:47:23,940 --> 00:47:24,540
It might never.

1271
00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:27,140
I mean, do I have a promise that

1272
00:47:27,140 --> 00:47:28,840
every trial I face as a Christian, and

1273
00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:30,660
in my Christian life, by the time I

1274
00:47:30,660 --> 00:47:32,300
get to eternity, is going to have been

1275
00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:32,740
resolved?

1276
00:47:33,100 --> 00:47:34,920
No, there might be trials you've got to

1277
00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:38,200
endure for 50 years, but God will give

1278
00:47:38,200 --> 00:47:39,820
you the grace in the midst of that

1279
00:47:39,820 --> 00:47:43,240
to do so, and so I tend to

1280
00:47:43,240 --> 00:47:44,580
like, I think, I tend to think it's

1281
00:47:44,580 --> 00:47:46,820
right to think about when he says providing

1282
00:47:46,820 --> 00:47:48,760
the way of escape, he's talking about you

1283
00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:50,600
don't enter into testing the Lord, you don't

1284
00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:53,000
enter into grumbling, you don't enter into what

1285
00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:54,480
all those people earlier did.

1286
00:47:54,660 --> 00:47:57,000
He's trying to keep people out of being

1287
00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,480
categorized with those in the first half of

1288
00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:00,380
1 Corinthians 10.

1289
00:48:00,700 --> 00:48:01,960
He doesn't want you to get to that

1290
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:05,460
place, but as far as when the trial

1291
00:48:05,460 --> 00:48:07,500
ends, Paul doesn't say, and we can't see

1292
00:48:07,500 --> 00:48:09,980
it, only the divine perspective, only God, only

1293
00:48:09,980 --> 00:48:12,600
God knows, and so you and I might

1294
00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:14,620
need to endure more before the end is

1295
00:48:14,620 --> 00:48:14,980
realized.

1296
00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:19,500
So whatever test God allowed, he will pull

1297
00:48:19,500 --> 00:48:21,020
the curtains to a close at the right

1298
00:48:21,020 --> 00:48:21,380
time.

1299
00:48:21,860 --> 00:48:23,520
He'll write the end of the chapter when

1300
00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:25,320
enough has happened to move on from that

1301
00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:26,360
volume in your life.

1302
00:48:30,020 --> 00:48:31,440
So what this means is that as a

1303
00:48:31,440 --> 00:48:34,480
believer, the nature of trials are such that

1304
00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:36,880
you must not give in to them, and

1305
00:48:36,880 --> 00:48:37,700
you don't have to.

1306
00:48:39,610 --> 00:48:45,650
Believe that whatever temptation, whatever trial, whatever test

1307
00:48:45,650 --> 00:48:49,130
you face this week, if you already go

1308
00:48:49,130 --> 00:48:51,130
into the week believing, I don't have to

1309
00:48:51,130 --> 00:48:51,530
give in.

1310
00:48:52,490 --> 00:48:53,450
I don't have to.

1311
00:48:54,190 --> 00:48:55,730
The Lord will give me the grace to

1312
00:48:55,730 --> 00:48:57,770
endure facing this.

1313
00:48:58,630 --> 00:49:00,430
Did he not do that for Joseph?

1314
00:49:01,350 --> 00:49:03,410
Potiphar's wife came to him every day, so

1315
00:49:03,410 --> 00:49:06,990
she came to him day after day, and

1316
00:49:06,990 --> 00:49:09,770
then bam, when the temptation is all the

1317
00:49:09,770 --> 00:49:11,370
more fierce, he says, how can I do

1318
00:49:11,370 --> 00:49:13,130
this great wickedness and sin against God?

1319
00:49:13,610 --> 00:49:14,810
But God gave him the grace.

1320
00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:21,660
God it, the commentator, God it, I think

1321
00:49:21,660 --> 00:49:23,620
I'm saying his name right, he wisely said

1322
00:49:23,620 --> 00:49:25,960
this, the Corinthians must be made to understand

1323
00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:29,380
that they run no risk of sinning and

1324
00:49:29,380 --> 00:49:32,240
falling away from the faith if they have

1325
00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:36,300
only to encounter the temptations God allots to

1326
00:49:36,300 --> 00:49:40,790
them, but that they have no pledge of

1327
00:49:40,790 --> 00:49:43,550
victory whatever in the case of temptations into

1328
00:49:43,550 --> 00:49:46,070
which they throw themselves with lightheartedness.

1329
00:49:46,650 --> 00:49:48,850
You understand, again, that's an important distinction we

1330
00:49:48,850 --> 00:49:49,470
can miss.

1331
00:49:50,090 --> 00:49:52,230
The first, let's just restate it again, the

1332
00:49:52,230 --> 00:49:54,430
first part of this chapter, you've got people

1333
00:49:54,430 --> 00:49:56,630
who are willfully sinning and rebelling against the

1334
00:49:56,630 --> 00:49:58,690
Lord, and they're holding on to their, the

1335
00:49:58,690 --> 00:50:00,810
fact that they've been baptized and taken to

1336
00:50:00,810 --> 00:50:02,390
the Lord's supper, and a church member, that's

1337
00:50:02,390 --> 00:50:03,190
basically the idea.

1338
00:50:03,250 --> 00:50:04,890
They said the sinner's prayer, whatever, fill in

1339
00:50:04,890 --> 00:50:07,170
the blank, whatever people rely on, and they're

1340
00:50:07,170 --> 00:50:08,930
able to partake of demons, and it's okay.

1341
00:50:09,370 --> 00:50:12,070
You find threats of judgment for them, but

1342
00:50:12,070 --> 00:50:13,850
then you got another group who they're facing

1343
00:50:13,850 --> 00:50:16,350
ordinary trials allotted to by God.

1344
00:50:16,430 --> 00:50:18,170
They're not in willful rebellion of the Lord.

1345
00:50:18,590 --> 00:50:20,810
Those people live life with a sense of

1346
00:50:20,810 --> 00:50:24,370
confidence and expectation that whatever I face, whatever

1347
00:50:24,370 --> 00:50:27,210
comes, God's grace is sufficient for me to

1348
00:50:27,210 --> 00:50:27,530
endure.

1349
00:50:27,870 --> 00:50:29,590
If that's not where you're at, and you're

1350
00:50:29,590 --> 00:50:30,930
in the other place where there's all manner

1351
00:50:30,930 --> 00:50:33,590
of compromises, Paul's words to you is flee

1352
00:50:33,590 --> 00:50:37,210
immorality, or his words to those in numbers

1353
00:50:37,210 --> 00:50:39,870
who are bitten by the serpents is that

1354
00:50:39,870 --> 00:50:41,690
a serpent was being raised, right?

1355
00:50:41,730 --> 00:50:42,870
And you look to the serpent, and you

1356
00:50:42,870 --> 00:50:43,170
will live.

1357
00:50:43,190 --> 00:50:44,370
Well, that was looking to the Lord Jesus

1358
00:50:44,370 --> 00:50:44,950
Christ.

1359
00:50:46,790 --> 00:50:48,810
No doubt, many of these people Paul just

1360
00:50:48,810 --> 00:50:50,690
said in chapter 6 are deceived, and so

1361
00:50:50,690 --> 00:50:53,490
clearly their hope, what they need is not

1362
00:50:53,490 --> 00:50:54,170
self-reformation.

1363
00:50:54,470 --> 00:50:56,410
They need transformation that is only found in

1364
00:50:56,410 --> 00:50:56,810
Christ.

1365
00:51:00,700 --> 00:51:03,040
So if you think, wait, I thought what

1366
00:51:03,040 --> 00:51:05,300
I'm facing in my life, God has no

1367
00:51:05,300 --> 00:51:06,260
involvement in it.

1368
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:07,980
Change your mind.

1369
00:51:08,420 --> 00:51:10,860
If you see the hand of God, it's

1370
00:51:10,860 --> 00:51:12,580
going to give you great confidence whatever you

1371
00:51:12,580 --> 00:51:12,980
face.

1372
00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:24,920
Do you rejoice in your trials?

1373
00:51:25,860 --> 00:51:27,340
In the way you're being tested?

1374
00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:30,280
Listen, Paul might not say rejoice right here,

1375
00:51:30,720 --> 00:51:33,100
but listen to Peter chapter 1.

1376
00:51:33,140 --> 00:51:35,220
In this you rejoice, though now for a

1377
00:51:35,220 --> 00:51:35,840
little while.

1378
00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:38,800
A little while, right?

1379
00:51:38,880 --> 00:51:40,060
Oh good, it's a little while.

1380
00:51:40,300 --> 00:51:42,400
Well, what does that mean, Peter?

1381
00:51:42,980 --> 00:51:45,960
If necessary, you have been grieved by various

1382
00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:46,460
trials.

1383
00:51:46,700 --> 00:51:49,040
It's the same Greek word as it is

1384
00:51:49,040 --> 00:51:49,320
right there in chapter 1.

1385
00:51:50,220 --> 00:51:51,140
That's the idea.

1386
00:51:51,680 --> 00:51:53,420
You've been grieved by various trials.

1387
00:51:53,540 --> 00:51:54,580
They grieve you.

1388
00:51:55,180 --> 00:51:57,160
It's not like we're creatures with no emotion.

1389
00:51:57,980 --> 00:52:01,080
So that the tested genuineness of your faith.

1390
00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:02,420
You see that?

1391
00:52:02,520 --> 00:52:03,360
God has a purpose.

1392
00:52:04,100 --> 00:52:06,060
I mean, I don't want to make the

1393
00:52:06,060 --> 00:52:08,840
Lord like an engineer, but just for the

1394
00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:10,160
sake of the illustration, kind of like I

1395
00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:12,860
mentioned earlier, the Lord is building you up,

1396
00:52:12,960 --> 00:52:15,280
Christian, and He knows how much you can

1397
00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:17,300
bear, and it's different than what others can

1398
00:52:17,300 --> 00:52:19,280
bear, and the Lord is careful to not

1399
00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,100
put too much weight to make the whole

1400
00:52:21,100 --> 00:52:23,660
thing fall down, but He's also careful to

1401
00:52:23,660 --> 00:52:26,240
give enough weight to keep the building process

1402
00:52:26,240 --> 00:52:29,360
going, and He's using various trials in your

1403
00:52:29,360 --> 00:52:31,120
life, in my life, to get us to

1404
00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:35,970
that point, and so if you realize that,

1405
00:52:35,990 --> 00:52:38,450
it should help you as you approach these

1406
00:52:38,450 --> 00:52:38,850
trials.

1407
00:52:39,030 --> 00:52:42,030
I was reading some of the original Robert

1408
00:52:42,030 --> 00:52:44,510
Chapman biography the other day, and if some

1409
00:52:44,510 --> 00:52:46,250
don't know, Robert Chapman lived to be, I

1410
00:52:46,250 --> 00:52:46,910
think, 98.

1411
00:52:47,570 --> 00:52:49,570
Spurgeon said he was the most saintliest man

1412
00:52:49,570 --> 00:52:50,230
he ever met.

1413
00:52:50,750 --> 00:52:51,630
He never got married.

1414
00:52:51,830 --> 00:52:53,930
He open-air preached into his 90s, Papa.

1415
00:52:54,070 --> 00:52:54,970
I think he was like 95.

1416
00:52:55,250 --> 00:52:56,030
He'd be street preaching.

1417
00:52:57,110 --> 00:52:58,910
I'm not trying to burden you that you

1418
00:52:58,910 --> 00:53:00,930
need to do that, though, but listen to

1419
00:53:00,930 --> 00:53:01,090
this.

1420
00:53:01,130 --> 00:53:04,390
He said, those are my best circumstances that

1421
00:53:04,390 --> 00:53:09,270
best serve to try faith, help humility, and

1422
00:53:09,270 --> 00:53:10,610
check my self-will.

1423
00:53:11,910 --> 00:53:14,170
He goes on to say, it's the greatest

1424
00:53:14,170 --> 00:53:16,910
misfortune that can happen to a child of

1425
00:53:16,910 --> 00:53:18,810
God to have no trials.

1426
00:53:20,170 --> 00:53:22,950
Oh, yes, I don't want to say that.

1427
00:53:23,610 --> 00:53:24,790
I mean, how many are sitting here, that's

1428
00:53:24,790 --> 00:53:25,890
the greatest misfortune.

1429
00:53:27,670 --> 00:53:29,750
I'm just so misfortunate this week.

1430
00:53:30,030 --> 00:53:31,410
I'm a child of God, and I have

1431
00:53:31,410 --> 00:53:31,950
no trials.

1432
00:53:32,430 --> 00:53:34,430
Who's the, you know, is that saying people

1433
00:53:34,430 --> 00:53:36,130
say you're either in a trial, going out

1434
00:53:36,130 --> 00:53:37,490
of a trial, or about to enter into

1435
00:53:37,490 --> 00:53:39,970
a trial, or well, that tends to be

1436
00:53:39,970 --> 00:53:41,530
true when you look back in the big

1437
00:53:41,530 --> 00:53:43,910
perspective, but Chapman goes on to say trials

1438
00:53:43,910 --> 00:53:45,570
are sent to lead to the Word of

1439
00:53:45,570 --> 00:53:48,090
God, an entire dependence upon Him.

1440
00:53:48,350 --> 00:53:49,950
That's what 2 Corinthians 1 did to Paul.

1441
00:53:51,090 --> 00:53:53,110
If you have no trials, how can you

1442
00:53:53,110 --> 00:53:56,050
comfort others with the comfort wherein you yourself

1443
00:53:56,050 --> 00:53:57,650
are comforted by God?

1444
00:53:59,540 --> 00:54:01,600
And another time in regards to trials, he

1445
00:54:01,600 --> 00:54:03,720
said, which do you most think of, getting

1446
00:54:03,720 --> 00:54:06,320
out of the furnace or pleasing God in

1447
00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:06,760
the furnace?

1448
00:54:07,520 --> 00:54:08,680
I mean, that's a good question.

1449
00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:13,560
Whatever trial you're in, look, there's been trials

1450
00:54:13,560 --> 00:54:14,200
in my life.

1451
00:54:14,360 --> 00:54:14,920
I know it.

1452
00:54:15,020 --> 00:54:15,760
I just went out.

1453
00:54:16,820 --> 00:54:18,360
I went out, and I'm looking for an

1454
00:54:18,360 --> 00:54:19,140
easy way out.

1455
00:54:20,540 --> 00:54:23,080
And the way out isn't like you go

1456
00:54:23,080 --> 00:54:25,760
and do some grievous sin, but it's sin

1457
00:54:25,760 --> 00:54:27,080
of unbelief, right?

1458
00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:31,140
You remove yourself from some trying responsibility, for

1459
00:54:31,140 --> 00:54:31,600
example.

1460
00:54:32,820 --> 00:54:34,780
So yeah, what, you know, are you thinking

1461
00:54:34,780 --> 00:54:37,260
about pleasing God in the trial, or just

1462
00:54:37,260 --> 00:54:38,040
getting out of the furnace?

1463
00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:41,920
Chapman said, in any trial, I always cut

1464
00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:45,700
matters short if I only say, thou didst

1465
00:54:45,700 --> 00:54:45,920
it.

1466
00:54:47,240 --> 00:54:49,700
If after being provoked a little, we're ready

1467
00:54:49,700 --> 00:54:51,960
to say, Lord, you did it, we'll never

1468
00:54:51,960 --> 00:54:52,500
be ruffled.

1469
00:54:53,400 --> 00:54:54,300
I mean, what a thought.

1470
00:54:55,760 --> 00:54:58,060
Maybe that's all I'll share, but brethren, I

1471
00:54:58,060 --> 00:55:00,300
hope you can look at 1 Corinthians 10,

1472
00:55:00,360 --> 00:55:00,740
13.

1473
00:55:02,420 --> 00:55:05,560
Christian, if you're here today, and you're walking

1474
00:55:05,560 --> 00:55:08,180
with the Lord, no, not in perfection, but

1475
00:55:08,180 --> 00:55:09,700
you're following the Lord, you're going to face

1476
00:55:09,700 --> 00:55:11,400
temptations, you're going to face trials, you're going

1477
00:55:11,400 --> 00:55:12,060
to face tests.

1478
00:55:12,380 --> 00:55:13,800
Guess what you should also recognize?

1479
00:55:14,100 --> 00:55:16,360
You're facing that which your Father has allowed

1480
00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:18,320
and given permission to happen.

1481
00:55:18,820 --> 00:55:21,200
No, He's not the one tempting you, but

1482
00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:23,120
He will allow trials in your life.

1483
00:55:23,860 --> 00:55:26,200
He'll give permission, even like we read in

1484
00:55:26,200 --> 00:55:28,140
Job, for things to be brought about.

1485
00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:30,200
It's for your good, and there is a

1486
00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:31,460
sufficient grace there.

1487
00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:33,680
And be worried about pleasing God in the

1488
00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:34,560
midst of the trial.

1489
00:55:36,180 --> 00:55:40,680
Ada Lee, 1936, 37 years after six children

1490
00:55:40,680 --> 00:55:43,060
died while on the mission field, she said

1491
00:55:43,060 --> 00:55:45,480
the furnace of trials has been, and this

1492
00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:47,420
is 37 years after six of her kids

1493
00:55:47,420 --> 00:55:49,380
died, you know, you think, where does someone

1494
00:55:49,380 --> 00:55:50,240
end up like that?

1495
00:55:50,600 --> 00:55:53,360
The furnace of trials has been necessary many

1496
00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:56,780
times, heated often seven times more than it

1497
00:55:56,780 --> 00:55:59,000
was intended to heat, but the form of

1498
00:55:59,000 --> 00:56:00,640
the fourth like the Son of God was

1499
00:56:00,640 --> 00:56:01,460
always present.

1500
00:56:02,000 --> 00:56:04,820
Fear not, thou worm, Jacob, as often sounded

1501
00:56:04,820 --> 00:56:05,600
in my ear.

1502
00:56:06,000 --> 00:56:09,320
Once when the life companion, her husband, went

1503
00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:11,940
for his coronation, all too soon we thought,

1504
00:56:12,200 --> 00:56:14,240
but the refiner has been the one present

1505
00:56:14,240 --> 00:56:15,720
in every furnace of affliction.

1506
00:56:16,220 --> 00:56:18,460
So I come forth as pure gold, that

1507
00:56:18,460 --> 00:56:21,320
he may see his likeness in me here

1508
00:56:21,320 --> 00:56:23,260
and now, and at last that he may

1509
00:56:23,260 --> 00:56:25,500
be able to present me faultless before the

1510
00:56:25,500 --> 00:56:28,740
presence of his glory with exceeding joy that

1511
00:56:28,740 --> 00:56:30,820
will be glory for me.

1512
00:56:31,720 --> 00:56:33,400
And then Evan sent me a quote from

1513
00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:36,000
Prem Pradhan, a Nepali evangelist who kept getting

1514
00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:36,680
put in prison.

1515
00:56:37,200 --> 00:56:38,920
There's a mini biography written on him, but

1516
00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:41,400
he referred to this verse, Prem did, in

1517
00:56:41,400 --> 00:56:41,820
the book.

1518
00:56:42,500 --> 00:56:44,220
He said, the Word of God would show

1519
00:56:44,220 --> 00:56:46,280
me that God would not put me in

1520
00:56:46,280 --> 00:56:48,360
situations beyond what I could bear.

1521
00:56:48,360 --> 00:56:51,120
This is an evangelist in Nepal, 60 years

1522
00:56:51,120 --> 00:56:52,740
ago, being put in prison again and again.

1523
00:56:53,660 --> 00:56:56,140
So when discouragements came to me, my heart,

1524
00:56:56,260 --> 00:56:58,940
I simply prayed, Lord, you know my mind,

1525
00:56:59,220 --> 00:57:01,620
you know the discouraging thoughts that come, but

1526
00:57:01,620 --> 00:57:03,380
your Word says that you will not put

1527
00:57:03,380 --> 00:57:05,260
me in a situation beyond what I can

1528
00:57:05,260 --> 00:57:05,540
bear.

1529
00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:08,360
I thank you that you know I can

1530
00:57:08,360 --> 00:57:08,960
bear it.

1531
00:57:09,440 --> 00:57:11,200
If God knows you can bear it because

1532
00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:12,780
God's put you in it, why don't you

1533
00:57:12,780 --> 00:57:13,460
believe so too?

1534
00:57:14,540 --> 00:57:15,580
That sounds like a good idea.

1535
00:57:16,500 --> 00:57:18,320
If God's saying this is true, I'm going

1536
00:57:18,320 --> 00:57:20,480
to believe it, no matter what I feel.

1537
00:57:21,580 --> 00:57:21,960
Amen?

1538
00:57:24,400 --> 00:57:26,600
Well, let's pray.