Sermon: The Continuous Testing of Our Faith

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Given 20-Jun-20; 64 minutes

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The constant tests to which God submits His people enable them to build character by responding in faith. The identity of the children of Light consists of the quality of responses they make. God perfected Abraham's faith by putting him through a series of increasingly difficult trials until his faith became unshakeable. The apostle James defines trials as blessings in that they prove the ability of God's people to resist temptation, developing patience and perseverance in the process (James 1:2-3). God permitted Satan to tempt Christ in all the ways He Himself tests His people; yet He successfully resisted compromise. Knowing that Satan plays upon human weaknesses, the children of Light must pre-set their minds to obedience, offering resistance just as Christ did, recognizing not only the force of temptation but also the consequences of compromise. Trials enable their deepening of faith in the same way that Jeremiah learned faith in the miry dungeon or that Job, watching his family and fortune vanish, grew in faith. God's people must walk by faith and not by sight in the same sense that Noah, knowing that his civilization would end, was unaware of specifically how or when that end would come. Noah, unlike Lot, did not become involved with worldly solutions to issues, but waited patiently for God's deliverance. God commissions His people to separate from the world, recognizing that He orders their steps. Christ fully experienced the human condition (Hebrews 4:14-23) and therefore qualified as a High Priest, mediating for all who abide in the faith.


transcript:

Especially for those of us in God's church, everything is a test. The physical world of nature and weather tests us. Specific people as well as the entire social environment test us, as we are being sorely tested today but not as bad as it could be. Personal relationships test our identities and loyalties, bringing out our character traits in the process.

The Bible is a collection of test stories, and the view of life that emerges is that life is a continuous testing where events at every point draw out responses from a person that, at the same time, define the person's character.

The specific vocabulary of testing occurs more than 200 times in the English translations of the Bible. In stories of testing, the link between action and character are very close. Action is character and character is action.

When God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his son Isaac, Abraham's prompt and decisive obedience demonstrated his character in which faith was the dominant ingredient. We remember Abraham for passing the test of loyalty and faith when he offered Isaac. Jesus Christ's sterling character and personality emerged from the gospels in the way He handled the continuous testing posed by people and circumstances during His public years.

Please turn with me to I Corinthians 10. The idea of testing in the Bible is so central to the stories themselves that it becomes virtually impossible to classify the things that do test a person. All of life tests our faith. Still, the comprehensive realism in the Scriptures helps us to understand that our essential identity consists of our responses to the events that make up our lives in the world.

The testing that transpires between God and people is unique. All events in a converted person's life are ultimately arranged or allowed by God and He tests His people along the way, and it is obvious that it is God who initiates the test of the moral and spiritual character of His people.

I Corinthians 10:1-13 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation [or desire] has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted [or tested] beyond what you are able, but with the temptation [or the test] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Verse 13 reveals to us two essential truths. First, the testing that each person undergoes is not unique but is common to man. Others have gone through it before. And the second, God will not allow us to be tested beyond our mental ability, but with the test will also provide the way of escape that we may be able to endure it, to persevere it, to survive it, to overcome it.

Now, temptation is an enticement or invitation to sin, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience. Our minds must be preset to have a predisposition toward obedience and goodness. We have to think life through ahead of time and think about scenarios or think about situations and what we would do in that case that would be worthy of God and according to His will.

Satan, the supreme tempter, plays upon our weaknesses. All temptations are tests of our conversion and of our faithfulness. Jesus Christ directs us to resist temptation no matter what the source may be. He promises purity and holiness to those who do. And He also directs us to pray for deliverance from exposure to temptation and from surrender to it. So God will not allow us to encounter temptation beyond our Spirit-given ability to resist.

II Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

Temptation is used as a form of testing or proving. The context is the covenant relationship of mutual love and faithfulness between God and His people. So God tested Israel to prove the true nature of her faithfulness to Him. His purpose is not to induce us to sin, but to confirm our faith. And when He tests us, He sees where we stand, which He already knows. But more importantly, or as importantly, where we stand in our own minds. It shows us where we are weak and where we are strong.

In the temptation of Jesus, Satan tried to entice Jesus to forsake God's sovereignty and His commitment to God's way of life. Jesus, however, proved to be a loyal Son. He did not tempt God the Father, as did ancient Israel, because He lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Having resisted satanic temptation Himself, Jesus is able to comfort and aid us when we are tempted in similar ways. He knows what it is like; He has been there.

Please turn to James 1, if you will. An important aspect of our true and faithful witness of God's sovereignty and His way of life is how well we resist temptation, how well we control our desires, and how well we pass the tests that are put before us. Now, the testing of our faith produces patience and perseverance, whether it is God who is testing us or we ourselves who end up in a situation that we have caused to have to be tested in.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

So James explained that trials are reasons for rejoicing because of the wholesome effects they produce. The Greek word translated trials describes things that put a person to the test. They may be difficulties that come from without, such as persecution, or they may be inner moral tests, such as temptations to sin or neglect of our responsibilities to the church.

The outward trial, rather than being a reason for unhappiness, can be a catalyst for pure joy. The expression in verse 2 speaks of a full, complete joy. And it is not merely the coming of a single trial that is described, but James speaks of the experience of trials of many kinds.

Now, James used the term "fall into" as if one were to fall into the midst of people or objects or circumstances, such as trials. The picture being described is that of being surrounded with trials of many kinds or as the primary meaning of the original Greek has it, many-colored trials. In verse 3, the Greek word hypomonen is translated "patience" in many English translations. But it is a more active and forceful word than that. It implies tenacity and stick-to-it-iveness.

William Barclay, in his commentary, New Testament Words, explains that it is not the patience that passively endures. Instead, it is the quality that enables us to stand on our feet facing the storm. It is in struggling against difficulty and opposition that spiritual stamina is developed.

Now, the goal in focus in verse 4 is for us to become spiritually mature. The word "perfect" here refers to maturity because Scripture does not indicate that we reach perfection in this physical life. Patience and perseverance in facing trials develops maturity of character and a balance of all the refinement and strengths needed in our Christian lives.

An obvious reason that trials should be considered catalysts for joy is that they are capable of developing patience, or as in some translations, perseverance. They put our faith to the test and this experience produces the desired result. And whenever we have developed spiritual character—mature character—it is something to rejoice about. Verse 4 tells us that patience and perseverance have a work to do and this can be accomplished only by persistence and trials. If patience is to have its perfect work or perseverance is to finish its work, our faith must not falter or quit.

Please turn over to Romans 4, verse 16. Now, trials enable us to improve and prove our faith. Paul uses Abraham as an example of someone who grew strong in his faith as he went through the test of waiting 25 years for the birth of his promised son Isaac.

Romans 4:16-22 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall his descendants be." And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God [And that is another key in there. Glory to God. We should always give glory to God and glorify Him in all that we do.], and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness."

The essence of Abraham's faith in this case was that he believed that God could make the impossible possible. True faith in God always triumphs in trials.

Turn over to James 5, verse 7. Now, if we believe that everything depends on our efforts, we are bound to be pessimists because experience has taught the unforgiving lesson that our own efforts can achieve very little, if anything.

James 5:7-11 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! [obviously, this is a warning that the time is short] My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. And you heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

So no matter what the test is, no matter what the trial is, and no matter what the tribulation is, God is always very compassionate and merciful in His dealings with us.

Notice the three illustrations of patience James uses here. The first illustration of patience or perseverance is that of a farmer who waits patiently for the early and latter rains. In Palestine, the early rains came in October and November soon after the grain was sown through perseverance. And the latter rains came in April and May as the grain was maturing. So both rainy seasons were necessary for a successful crop. Knowing this, the farmer was willing to wait patiently until both rains came and provided the needed moisture.

The second illustration of patience and perseverance there is that of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. In their position as His representatives, they experienced affliction and responded to it with longsuffering patience. Although James refers to the prophets as a group, Jeremiah certainly stands out as one who endured mistreatment with patience. He was put in the stocks, thrown in prison, and lowered into the miry dungeon. Yet he persisted in his ministry without bitterness and recrimination.

The third illustration of patience and perseverance is Job himself that James gives. Those who have endured are considered blessed. In verses 7-10, James' plea is for patience. That is makrothumia in the Greek and the self-restraint that does not retaliate. That is what makrothumia means, the self-restraint that does not retaliate. But in verse 11, James' plea is for perseverance which is hypomone, and that is perseverance in difficult circumstances.

Now, it is significant that James does not speak of Job's patience since, despite the popular phrase, "the patience of Job," he hardly ever exemplified the quality of patience. However, he was an outstanding example of perseverance in the most trying situations. Yes, he did have some patience, but he did not have as much as he did perseverance. His experience was also proof that God is full of compassion and mercy, as we see in what God finally brought about for him. Because Job persevered, God gave him twice as much as he had before. In fact, a comparison of the number of Job's livestock at the end of the story with the number at the beginning, verifies the number doubled for him.

So this is a story of the passing of a test being rewarded and prosperity not only restored but magnified. Out of the sorrow and tragedy, God chose to bring increase and blessing. Job's perseverance was developed through testing and his character strengthened, something he could be rejoicing over.

To sum up in James 5:7-11, James urges us not to fight back but to exercise longsuffering patience toward those who oppress us. And he is calling for stouthearted perseverance in the trying circumstances that confront us.

Although Jesus did not sin, we must not infer that life was easy for Him. His sinlessness was, at least in part, an earned sinlessness as He gained victory after victory in the constant battle with temptations that challenged Him. The sinless Christ knows the force of temptation in a way that we who sin do not. Often we give in before the temptation has fully spent itself. Only he who does not yield knows its full force because a person giving in to temptation is blind to the consequences, or the full consequences.

Now, the goal of life itself is linked to the test idea found in,

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Please turn over to Romans 5, if you will. Romans 5 catalogs in ladder-like sequence, the specific virtues produced by suffering through trials.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Trouble produces perseverance. And the word Paul uses for "tribulation" in verse 3, literally means pressure. So when we are going through tests, trials, tribulations, we are under a great deal of pressure. Obviously, all kinds of things weigh heavily upon us: desire, sorrow, persecution, unpopularity, and loneliness. All that pressure produces fortitude.

Now, the word Paul uses for "perseverance" is the same word used in James 1:3 and also James 5:11 that we read earlier. It means more than endurance. It means the spirit that can overcome the world. It means the spirit that does not passively endure, but that actively overcomes the trials and tribulations of life.

One 17th century Englishman had it right. His name was Lord Chesterfield. And he is quoted as saying,

Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things, it is unattainable; however, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.

Perseverance, Paul goes on, produces character. And the word he uses for "character" is used to describe metal that has been passed through the fire so that everything base has been purged out of it. It is used to describe coinage, as the word sterling suggests. And when affliction is met with perseverance, out of the battle we emerge stronger, purer, better, and nearer to God.

Character, Paul continues, produces hope. So two people can meet the same situation. It can drive one of them to despair and it can spur the other to triumphant action. To the one it can be the end of hope, to the other it can be a challenge to greatness. That is why the proper character in doing the will of God is so important.

Henry Miller, author of The Books in My Life, relates the following wisdom,

In this age, which believes that there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is, in the long run, the easiest.

So the character that has endured the test always emerges in hope. Our hope never proves to be an illusion when it is founded on the love of God.

I would like to quote from the book, Man of Steel and Velvet by Aubrey Andelin. It is a book I have read several times over and suggest it for every father, and especially since Father's Day is going to be tomorrow; and also for every son and daughter. It is an older book, but it has been reprinted over and over again because it is such a valuable one and it regards the rewards of a worthy character.

The special reward to those who attain a worthy character is peace of mind or inner happiness. A most fundamental principle of truth is the good life promises the happy life. This is not necessarily a life free of problems nor one of ease and comfort, but it is a life free of inner turmoil and emotional disturbances.

Spiritual growth means mental health. These two parallel one another only as we overcome, only as we lose self-centeredness and self-indulgence and grow in the grace of a noble character can we gain peace of mind. This truth is supported in the most advanced knowledge of mental health.

I would like to refer to the statement by Dr. Max Levine, a psychiatrist.

There cannot be mental health in the absence of high moral standards and a sense of social responsibility.

So we have to realize that everything we do affects other people and we have a responsibility to others, as well as overcoming our own self-centeredness and self indulgence.

There are times when we feel all alone and that we are not developing a worthy character. We may feel like we are alone, but we are not alone if we have faith in God. If we do not have faith in God, we are the loneliest people on earth.

The apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Therefore, this hearing is necessary. God does not condemn people for not believing what they have not heard, but He does get disappointed in those who do not believe a message actually delivered to them.

Turn over to Hebrews 11, if you would. Since this is true, in order for Abel and Enoch to have been faithful, God must have spoken to them, though the fact of His making known His will to them is not actually recorded.

Hebrews 11:4-6 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

But in the case of Noah, the fact is distinctly stated; the word used to inform us of this is somewhat unusual.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

So Noah was told by God what had not happened yet but was going to happen. Do we not all wish that would happen to us, at least in some areas?

In verse 7, the apostle Paul uses the Greek word chematizo, meaning to be divinely instructed. Its meaning is best arrived at by its usage in the ancient Greek. The King James renders it "warned of God." The ESV renders it "warned by God." And the New King James version renders it "divinely warned" here.

It is first used in the New Testament of the wise men being divinely warned to return another way; then of Joseph being warned by God to turn aside to Galilee; of Cornelius being divinely instructed to send for Peter; and in the Old Testament of Moses's divine instruction as to the making of the Tabernacle.

So we learn from this how the report which Noah believed was heard. Noah's faith came by hearing this report and the report came to him by the Word of God because he was divinely instructed. There was no other way by which he could have heard of the coming of the judgment of the Flood. There is no way by which he could have known he was to be delivered out of it or how he was to be saved through it. There was nothing in what he saw to give him any indication of what is coming.

And we can apply that to our lives today. All this that we see in the world and all that is happening around the world and in our nation, we still only know what is coming by what God has told us so far, which is somewhat vague in a sense. We have not heard the details. We do not know who is who and what is going to do what other than in generalities, just like Noah. There was nothing that he saw to give him any indication of what was coming. The indication we are getting is a generalization. We have no idea how long things will take.

Luke 17:26-27 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all."

If he had considered it from an outward appearance, he would never have concluded what would be the end of things by what he saw. But he was divinely instructed concerning them and these he considered according to the fundamental definition of faith as laid down here in Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped, for the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understood that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

So Noah heard the divine instruction. He believed it! He knew what others did not know because what he knew was not yet seen. If he looked at things as they appeared, he would have seen building, planting, marriage, and giving in marriage going on, and he would have seen outward progress and advancement. Others thought the progress was upward and the advancement was onward, but no one knew that it was downward to destruction and onward to judgment. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

The world views life strictly from a physical perspective. Even mainstream Christianity claims to have faith in Jesus Christ, but does not see but what is on the surface. They have some generalities but they do not know how to put it together. For one, they reject the holy days which lays out the plan of God.

Those who are divinely instructed by the Word of God do not judge all these things that are seen. So we know what is to be the end of it all. We are divinely instructed that it will end, not of water but of fire. What a privilege to be divinely instructed concerning the things not seen as of yet. A tremendous blessing comes from believing God and it results in being well pleasing to Him.

If like Enoch, we walk with God and we walk by faith and not by sight. We must not judge the course of events as they appear outwardly in the eyes of the natural man. We must not let ourselves be deceived by the things that people call progress and improvement because they look at technology and they look at financial situations to determine how well they are doing. They totally ignore morality, ethics, and those types of things.

And we must not allow ourselves to be misled by the "good works" of the world. The only things that are truly good works are those things that we do that are according to the will of God. If it is not according to the will of God, can it be truly good works?

God's instruction prepares us for the things not as yet seen. And if we believe what He teaches us concerning them, we will be moved with godly fear, as Noah was, and will obey him as Noah did. His faith led to obedience. Therefore, true obedience is the obedience of faith. He prepared an ark and saved his household by which he condemned the world.

In II Peter 2:5, Noah is especially singled out and called a preacher of righteousness. And he warned the world by the Word and his lifestyle. He lived God's way of life, but it was what Noah did that condemned the world, not what he said. Even the world understands the principle, "Actions speak louder than words."

Consider Lot. He preached to his sons and their wives and was disregarded by them because his deeds contradicted his words. When he proclaimed the news concerning the coming judgment of Sodom, he appeared to be talking nonsense. Why? Because he had first lifted up his own eyes and chose all the plain of Jordan. And then he pitched his tent near Sodom, and then he dwelt in Sodom, and then he sat in the gate of Sodom, which means that he took part in the government of Sodom and fulfilled the duties of human citizenship.

No wonder he seemed like a hypocrite when he warned the men to whom he had given his daughters in marriage and told them of the imminent judgment of Sodom. Lot's own words and actions exposed his unstable character and condemned himself.

What Noah did condemned the world, because he lived in it, but was not of it. He did not spend his time trying to improve its political system because he knew it was going to be destroyed. His citizenship was not on earth because he believed his Sovereign who was in heaven.

The days of Lot are coupled by Jesus Christ with the days of Noah and also with the coming of the Son of Man in His day. So the reference to those days is therefore relevant to us today.

Luke 17:28-30 "Likewise as it was in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot was went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."

Lot was a righteous man. He believed God in some things, but evidently not all. He was judicially acquitted before God and his sin was not imputed to him, nor was righteousness imputed to him to the degree that it was with Abraham. And that is why, though forensically righteous, Lot is not included in the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11.

But Noah's faith was evident by his obedience. And that is why his preaching is mentioned as being very special. He is the only one of all these elders who is singled out as a preacher of righteousness. The word translated "preacher" is significant. It is not the word for an evangelist or a preacher of good news. It means herald. A herald is one who makes a proclamation, a bearer of news.

Turn over to Romans 1, verse 17, please. Noah was a herald of the coming judgment of God. The righteous Noah was a herald of God's righteous judgment. By faith Noah acted on God's warning of the things not yet seen.

Romans 1:17-18 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." [And I will add "not by sight."] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

So Noah was proclaiming God's wrath against the ungodly and against all ungodliness. But it was what he did that condemned the world. What he proclaimed was only the guarantee of that impending judgment. Noah and Abraham were tried and persecuted, but they were also forewarned and encouraged. Abel believed God, as I mentioned earlier, and did His will and received divine acceptance with God. Enoch believed God and he believed that God would deliver him from his enemies prior to executing judgment.

One thing common to all these great faithful witnesses was that each one stood alone with God, and for God. Nothing short of believing what God has said will enable us to successfully stand alone in the face of persecution, trial, and testing.

Abel, Enoch, and Noah suffered loss of all things but were all delivered. They stood alone, but God was with them to instruct them as to things not yet seen. And that is why these faithful men were not in darkness about their future. They were not to judge eternal realities by the outward appearance.

There is an application of this for us here. Remember, Noah was the only one in all the Old Testament who was called preacher. But if he is judged by outward results and appearances, his preaching was a failure because from an outward perspective, all except eight people perished in the Flood. This means that without faithfulness, we cannot be spiritually acceptable to God.

In our witness for God, faithfulness is the one great essential quality, and the one great measure of success. Faithfulness requires obedience to and reverence of God. And we are commanded to be faithful in our testimony and witness in the way we live our lives. As the church, we are commissioned to preach the Word, whether people hear it or endure it or reject it. And if people will not endure or hear, we must not try to provide some other entertainment to entice them to the truth. We must not provide something else that they will endure, but simply to accurately preach the Word.

We must give a true and faithful witness at all times. The mainstream Christian churches are just marketing and sales organizations, sad to say, providing what people will endure and enjoy. All false religions work from this philosophy. Give people what they want. Do not make it too hard for them, entice them with anything you can. People today expect visible results, they expect to see something outwardly.

I think I have mentioned it before, but there was a church in Charlotte that offered popcorn. "We're not like any church at all" is what their slogan was, I think, on the radio, over and over again for years. I wonder how that panned out for them. A lot of people with a lot of kernels in their teeth.

If we walk by sight and judge by our appearance, we will certainly fail; even as Moses and Elijah and Jeremiah and other faithful servants of God failed sometimes. For this reason, it is God who produces spiritual results! We are responsible for being faithful, from which good works come. The results are in God's hands. Since we are witnessing and working for God, it is for Him to decide and know what His purpose and plans are for us individually and for the church as a whole.

Please turn over to Zechariah 14 as we shift gears here. Let us look at something God has revealed to us about what we witness every year to the world. It is regarding God's future judgment on the nations and the Feast of Tabernacles. On the one hand, there is the blessing of God upon Israel, but on the other hand, there is the condition of those who resist God's rule. Here, we find a strange description of God's judgment. On the one hand, God will bring a particularly grim plague on the nations that fought against Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:12-15 And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. [That is going to be a bad day to say the very least!] It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.

The nations who come up against Jerusalem look on her in arrogant contempt; consequently, the judgment affecting the soldier's eyes. They speak against God like the field commander of Sennacherib before the armies of Hezekiah; consequently, the judgment of their tongues. God is striking them with things that relate to what sins they have committed.

The mention of a plague recalls the judgments of God against Egypt at the start of Israel's history as a nation. On the other hand, in contrast, after the nations have suffered a gruesome defeat and are humbled and brought into submission, they will dedicate themselves to worshipping the true God in Jerusalem. That is, those who survive. And here is a description of blessing for those nations that learn righteousness and revere and obey God.

Zechariah 14:16-17 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them will there will be no rain.

Rain was the most essential of God's temporal gifts for the temporal well being of the people. That is what He struck.

Zechariah 14:18-19 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Is the Feast of Tabernacles important to keep? Not all will want to do this. Apparently, the hearts of many will remain unchanged. The nations that do not send their representatives to Jerusalem to worship will be disciplined by having rain withheld from their land. This is the way God disciplined ancient Israel when she refused to obey Him. No rain means no food as well. In fact, everything dies without rain. A person can live without food but not without water. A person can live without food for a time but not very long without water.

If there is a curse for the nations who do not keep the Feast, how much worse is it for anyone in the church who does not keep it? Those who obey will participate with Israel in the material and spiritual blessings of that day.

Now remember, although the Millennium is a time of peace and blessing, it is also a time when Jesus will reign over all the earth with a rod of iron and will judge disobedience.

Revelation 19:15-16 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Not to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles would be tantamount to despising the blessings of the Lord, and this is a very serious sin. And remember, part of keeping the Feast of Tabernacles is also keeping the second tithe from which we are to finance our way to the Feast of Tabernacles.

The prophecy ends with an emphasis on holiness.

Zechariah 14:20-21 In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bulls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.

What is Zechariah talking about here? Pots and things of that sort, and horses bells and such? The point is that the people and city will be so holy that even these insignificant things will be fully dedicated to the Lord. All of life will have the glory and enjoyment of God as its object. We find this determination four times in Leviticus; two times in Leviticus 11:44-45. It says, "Be holy, because I am holy." In Leviticus 19:2, it says, "Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." And in Leviticus 20:7, "Be holy, for I am the Lord your God."

Peter writes in I Peter 1:15-16, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." Also in Hebrews 12:14, the author speaks of holiness, "Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."

The holiness in the highest sense belongs to God, and to Christians as sanctified to God's service, and in so far as we are conformed in all things to the will of God.

Christ's people are regularly called saints or holy persons, and holiness in the high ethical spiritual meaning of the word is used to signify the appropriate quality of our life and conduct.

First, no doubt, as applied to believers, the term "saints" first conveys the concept of a separation from the world and a consecration to God. And just as physical Israel under the Old Testament was a chosen people, so too, the Christian church, in succeeding to Israel's privileges, becomes a holy spiritual nation, and the Christian individual, as one of the elect people, becomes a holy and beloved person.

Second, but though the use of the name does not imply high ethical character as a realized fact, it always assumes it as an ideal and an obligation, and a goal. The Holy Spirit is in the heart of every converted person ensuring that a work of positive sanctification is going on there.

Turn with me to Psalms 37, verse 25. Throughout the Bible, God expresses a special compassion and care for individuals who are abandoned and in need. And the psalmist expresses God's enduring faithfulness to those who love Him.

Psalm 37:25-28 I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell forevermore. For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

So God does not forsake His saints. He is faithful to His promise to us as we should be to others. The saints must never abandon the Body of Christ. The church, that is, saints should never abandon other saints. In the Bible the word "forsake" and its synonym "abandon" are used in two ways: in one meaning, forsake is a verb that means to forget or discontinue performing a specific action. In the other meaning, forsake conveys the abandonment of individuals who had no one else to care for their distresses.

On the one hand, God establishes His own character as a faithful God who would never forsake His people. So Moses gives Israel numerous promises of this from God in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the Lord your God is a merciful God, He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers with which He swore to them."

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the one who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."

The idea of forsaking is closely connected with God's commands, some of which warn against forgetting or forsaking a duty. Above all, God's people are repeatedly commanded not to forsake or neglect obeying Him.

The book of Proverbs often gives warnings not to forsake good behavior. And one of the virtues praised in Proverbs is never to forsake a friend, and by friend it also means fellow church members.

Proverbs 27:10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend.

There are benefits in remaining close to family, but a person should not hesitate to turn to a true friend when in need.

Turn with me, if you will please, to Hebrews 10, verse 32. Holding fast, persevering, and patience are qualities required for passing the test of Christian life. With regard to the church, we are tested in our faithfulness, loyalty, resisting temptation, church attendance, keeping God's Feasts, not forsaking our obligations to God and the saints. The book of Hebrews is addressed to Christians enduring persecution. It stresses endurance or holding fast as the virtue required to pass a test.

Hebrews 10:32-37 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away [that is, forsake or abandon] your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet for a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry."

In verse 35, the word "confidence" is literally boldness in the Greek, "your boldness" referring to their confident hope in God. We are not to throw it away and to become timid, disheartened, or discouraged. We are to bear up persistently under all our trials and to maintain a steadfast faithfulness to God's will.

Hebrews 3:6 But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Turn over to Hebrews 4, verse 14. Now Christ knows our human condition. It is not merely something He has heard about, so to speak, but something He knows since He too was a man in the flesh. We may approach Him confidently because He knows and understands our weaknesses, as I said several times in this sermon.

Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted [or tested] as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So we are called to faith and endurance. Faith endures through hope in God. Christ's truth and work leads to encouragement to draw near to God and cautions against shrinking back from faith. We are guaranteed the full assurance of faith. And we see some of this mentioned in Hebrews.

Now back to Hebrews 10 and we are going to read verses 19 to 25. Verse 19 is about holding fast to your confession.

Hebrews 10:19-25 Therefore, brethren, have boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil; that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Fellowship with God must never become selfish. We must also fellowship with other Christians by formally assembling together to worship God. We must consider one another in doing this. At the time Hebrews was written apparently some of the wavering believers had been neglecting fellowship with their church group.

It is interesting to note that the emphasis here is not on what a believer gets from the assembly, but rather on what he can contribute to the assembly. Faithfulness in church attendance encourages others and motivates others to love and good works. First and foremost, the priority is to worship God and glorify Him. Second of all, is to take care of the needs of the brethren.

One of the strong motives for faithfulness is the coming of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. In fact, the only other place the word translated "assembling" here in verse 25, is used in the New Testament is in II Thessalonians 2:1 where it's translated "gathering," and deals with the coming of Christ.

II Thessalonians 2:1-2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

These verses, then, function as a means used by God to call genuine Christians to faith, obedience, and perseverance, and, if there is no evidence of fruit in one's life to challenge him or her to give fearful consideration as to whether they are, in fact, genuinely saints.

Since the priestly work of Christ has established the privilege of access to God, we must approach God faithfully to firmly maintain our commitment and to find ways to encourage others. We are told to draw near to God, hold fast are confident hope, and consider one another.

In the first of these three exhortations in Hebrews 10:22-25, "let us draw near," refers to our calling to act faithfully upon our confidence to enter by the blood of Christ into God's presence. A true heart, in this context, is a cleansed and believing heart that is submissive to God.

The second exhortation, "let us hold fast," calls forth a faithful and unwavering embrace of the confession of our hope. That is, the church's covenant to the teachings concerning Christ and His work, teachings that produce hope because "He who promised is faithful." Confident hope in God's promises stems from God's trustworthy character.

The third and final exhortation, "let us consider," calls for serious thinking about other Christians with the purpose of stirring them to action and inspiring them in their love and service to God and His church.

Now back seven chapters to Hebrews 3, verse 12. Christian perseverance is also a group effort. We must meet! Group encouragement toward perseverance and strong faith requires being together physically. And if that is not possible, by conference call and streaming, or any way we possibly can.

I am going to end by reading just two passages.

Hebrews 3:12-14 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

And then for a final passage,

Revelation 3:10-11 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown."

MGC/aws/drm





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