How to Have Patience in a Trial (Romans 12:13)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:05.200 If you're able to remain standing, would you please do so and turn with 2 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:09.990 me, or turn your attention at least to Romans chapter twelve. Going to 3 00:00:10.109 --> 00:00:18.149 read a few verses there. Here in this chapter, Paul is giving us 4 00:00:18.190 --> 00:00:23.379 instructions on how we ought to live our lives as those who have been brought 5 00:00:23.379 --> 00:00:30.140 to life in Jesus Christ. Romans Chapter Twelve. The verse I'm focusing on 6 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:43.729 today comes from this last half verse twelve, but I'm going to read beginning 7 00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:54.359 at verse nine. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil, hold 8 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:59.280 fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Out Do 9 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:03.670 one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent 10 00:01:03.829 --> 00:01:10.670 in spirit. Serve the Lord, rejoice and hope. Be Patient in tribulation, 11 00:01:11.510 --> 00:01:15.310 be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints and seek 12 00:01:15.349 --> 00:01:21.620 to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse 13 00:01:21.700 --> 00:01:26.019 them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live 14 00:01:26.180 --> 00:01:30.700 in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the 15 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:34.450 lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for 16 00:01:34.609 --> 00:01:38.890 evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 17 00:01:38.769 --> 00:01:42.730 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with 18 00:01:42.769 --> 00:01:48.680 all beloved. Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, 19 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:52.719 for it is written vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the 20 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:57.079 Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. 21 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.400 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for by doing so 22 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.950 you will heep burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, 23 00:02:05.469 --> 00:02:30.610 but overcome evil with good. Omen. Please be seated. Sorry, 24 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:38.689 Focus. Focus for this morning is verse twelve. Joe, rejoice in hope, 25 00:02:38.969 --> 00:02:46.800 be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Each of these phrases, 26 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:51.240 in the other phrases similar to it here in this passage, have a 27 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:57.560 way of speaking in this way. It's like Paul is saying in regards to 28 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.189 these is various things here. How here, is how you should act. 29 00:03:00.750 --> 00:03:06.830 So in verse twelve, in regards to hope, rejoice, in regards to 30 00:03:06.949 --> 00:03:12.150 tribulation, be patient and recard. In regard to prayer, be constant. 31 00:03:13.939 --> 00:03:17.419 I think that's an important point because it reminds us that what we have in 32 00:03:17.539 --> 00:03:23.139 this section are the marks of the Christian life. I mentioned this, I 33 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:27.610 think, last time to you. These are things that are true of a 34 00:03:27.729 --> 00:03:32.969 Christian. These are the things that happen when you are a Christian. You 35 00:03:34.050 --> 00:03:40.250 might consider us an animal. For example, there are things that for a 36 00:03:40.370 --> 00:03:46.599 Giraffe, that are the ways of a giraffe. Right when your neck reaches 37 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:50.120 a certain height, do this. When you eat the trees of this such 38 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:53.560 and such tree, you do this or that. There's just these things about 39 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:57.909 being a giraffe that are natural to being a giraffe. And the same is 40 00:03:57.949 --> 00:04:00.550 true for a Christian. Work a different kind of animal, however, a 41 00:04:01.150 --> 00:04:08.229 new one, one that is in resurrection life, one that is a truly 42 00:04:08.349 --> 00:04:15.939 great and reborn in Christ and as that, as those who have been reborn, 43 00:04:15.979 --> 00:04:17.899 who have been brought from death to life, we gin to take on 44 00:04:18.100 --> 00:04:24.569 certain characteristics, not the old characteristics of the flesh, but the new characteristics 45 00:04:24.649 --> 00:04:28.930 of the spirit. We take one and we begin to have in us, 46 00:04:29.490 --> 00:04:38.290 by the spirit working in us, a resemblance to Jesus. And so there 47 00:04:38.290 --> 00:04:42.800 are these things that we that we have, sometimes more, sometimes less, 48 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:47.040 like hope, for example. We may not always feel it like we have 49 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:53.110 great hope, but it is something that we have, we possess as Christians. 50 00:04:53.670 --> 00:04:58.550 We have a solid hope, something God has given us himself and heaven 51 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:02.790 tribulation. You have it more, you have it less. Sometimes in your 52 00:05:02.829 --> 00:05:08.579 life you may have great tribulation, sometimes it may meet, may not seem 53 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:12.540 like you have much at all, but it's something that we're promised as Christians 54 00:05:12.579 --> 00:05:15.819 to always have in some way or another, and we'll think about that particularly 55 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:23.370 this morning. Or prayer. Prayer is something that Christians do. The spirit 56 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:29.529 is in us, interceding for us. The Jesus is at the hand of 57 00:05:29.610 --> 00:05:33.850 the right hand of the father, also interceding for us. Our spirit has 58 00:05:33.889 --> 00:05:39.199 been reborn and desires, as a child of God, to talk to God, 59 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:43.920 and so if you are a Christian, you're one who is communicating with 60 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:49.709 him, perhaps sometimes more, perhaps less, but it's a part of who 61 00:05:49.709 --> 00:05:53.310 you are, as much as a long neck, as a part of a 62 00:05:53.389 --> 00:05:58.269 giraffe. It's natural role in the sense that it has been born in us 63 00:05:58.470 --> 00:06:02.629 by God, working in us. Now this, of course, should cause 64 00:06:02.670 --> 00:06:06.620 us all to test our hearts a little bit, maybe even a lot. 65 00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:13.540 If you read through these sections of God's word, if you're reading through these 66 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:17.139 verses in Romans twelve and you say none of this describes me. I don't 67 00:06:17.180 --> 00:06:21.329 have hope, I don't have tribulation and I never pray. Well then you 68 00:06:21.370 --> 00:06:26.930 might not be a Christian. It's something to think about, think about very 69 00:06:26.970 --> 00:06:30.129 seriously. If these are the marks, if this is what makes a Christian, 70 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:35.000 or rather what ide how you identify a Christian. If none of the 71 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:40.279 identifying characteristics of a Christian or in your life will, then you may not 72 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:47.389 be a Christian. But if you are a Christian, then there's a call 73 00:06:47.870 --> 00:06:55.350 to exercise these particular qualities that you now have in a particular way. You 74 00:06:55.509 --> 00:06:58.430 have been given, for example, a great inheritance. This is something we 75 00:06:58.670 --> 00:07:01.899 talked about last time. With rejoicing in hope. God has given you this 76 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:08.060 great inheritance. Should you shove your hands in your pocket and be upset about 77 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:12.540 it to know that Jesus Christ has died for you and given you all things 78 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:17.490 for necessary for life in this world and for the next? Do rumph and 79 00:07:18.410 --> 00:07:23.889 be unthankful and do things that are according to the flesh and not according to 80 00:07:23.930 --> 00:07:29.490 the spirit? No, if we are Christians and we have this hope will, 81 00:07:29.529 --> 00:07:31.800 then how should we act? Well, we should rejoice, is what 82 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:38.079 Paul says. We should praise God, be thankful, we should celebrate the 83 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.439 things that he has given to us. If we are if we have been 84 00:07:42.519 --> 00:07:46.709 given access into the heavenly throne room to speak to the father, to speak 85 00:07:46.790 --> 00:07:50.870 to God who has created us, to speak to the king of Kings, 86 00:07:51.589 --> 00:07:58.509 if we have prayer, how should we act in it? Should we stand 87 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.259 on street corners and pray in such a way that everyone can hear us, 88 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:05.060 so that people can say, wow, what a great person, aren't they 89 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:11.060 amazing? Of course not. Instead, we pray to our father, who 90 00:08:11.139 --> 00:08:16.490 is in heaven, and we should be constant in it. Is Paul's instruction 91 00:08:16.649 --> 00:08:20.689 here, but of course makes sense when you consider what God has done. 92 00:08:20.769 --> 00:08:30.040 The responses to it fit perfectly hand in glove. And the same is true 93 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:35.039 for the middle of these instructions, in verse twelve, in Tribulation. Be 94 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:43.549 Patient. In tribulation, be patient. That's the one I want to focus 95 00:08:43.669 --> 00:08:46.990 on today, but I don't want to focus on it too exclusively, because 96 00:08:48.269 --> 00:08:52.789 this middle one is sort of links its arms with these brothers on either side. 97 00:08:54.389 --> 00:08:56.860 To be patient in tribulation is to rejoice in hope and is to be 98 00:08:56.980 --> 00:09:11.690 constant in prayer. Tribulation a mark of the Christian life? Absolutely. Why? 99 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:16.370 Why is tribulation a mark of the Christian life? First, remember what 100 00:09:16.529 --> 00:09:22.009 tribulation is. It's this kind of pressure. It's distress. You might think 101 00:09:22.049 --> 00:09:30.559 of a rag that's being twisted, squeezed, moved. It's the feels like 102 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:35.080 that when we are being tried, when we are under a tribulation. It's 103 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.950 a challenge, it's a difficulty, it's pressure from outside it. It's often 104 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:46.789 a hurtful it hurts us. I mean it brings pain, frustration, anguish. 105 00:09:48.509 --> 00:09:52.940 Why does that need to be a part of being a Christian? Why 106 00:09:54.019 --> 00:10:01.899 is that an essential mark of belonging to Christ? It's an essential mark of 107 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:05.940 being a Christian. It's an essential mark of belonging to Christ because there's something 108 00:10:05.019 --> 00:10:11.610 very large at play when we are a Christian, when, as Christians, 109 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:15.450 we have this relationship with God, and that's true, but it fits into 110 00:10:15.490 --> 00:10:22.639 this very big context, a large story in which God has sent his champion 111 00:10:22.840 --> 00:10:31.759 and his only son into the world to wage war. Jesus Christ came into 112 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:39.149 the world not to pick flowers and teach nice lessons and sit around on hillsides 113 00:10:39.269 --> 00:10:48.350 and just spend the days relaxing in nature. Jesus Christ came to defeat sin 114 00:10:48.509 --> 00:10:56.620 and death. That requires a war, not only because these are great and 115 00:10:56.779 --> 00:11:03.500 terrible things, but because there is a person, namely Satan, and many 116 00:11:03.580 --> 00:11:09.690 other fallen angels, evil spirits, unclean spirits, that do not want this 117 00:11:09.889 --> 00:11:15.730 to happen. Ever since the very, very beginning, when God placed man 118 00:11:15.889 --> 00:11:20.879 and woman in a garden and said this is my kingdom and I wanted to 119 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:24.840 be righteous and I wanted to be lovely and I want it to be united 120 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:30.200 and I wanted to be lived out under my authority. Satan squirmed his way 121 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:37.149 in and said, let's see if I can tear this apart, let's see 122 00:11:37.190 --> 00:11:39.350 if I can destroy this, and that's exactly what he did. He lied, 123 00:11:39.509 --> 00:11:43.429 he deceived, he said did God really say? He questioned the authority 124 00:11:43.470 --> 00:11:48.539 of God, he broke the relationship between God and his people and in so 125 00:11:48.740 --> 00:11:54.580 doing he brought sin and death and to the world. These people brought sin 126 00:11:54.659 --> 00:12:01.049 and death into the world through their fall. That battle is still going on 127 00:12:01.330 --> 00:12:07.850 and and God promises to wage that war immediately after the fall, when he 128 00:12:07.970 --> 00:12:11.929 promises to the woman, I will give you a son who will crush the 129 00:12:13.049 --> 00:12:20.200 head of the serpent. From then on it's game on. And now, 130 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.600 from that point on, Satan it's done everything he could possibly do, as 131 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:31.029 far as God will allow, done everything he can possibly do to make sure 132 00:12:31.190 --> 00:12:37.669 that that child was not born. He incited people to sin, even the 133 00:12:37.750 --> 00:12:41.789 very first two brothers. Here evil give you some children, and now all 134 00:12:41.830 --> 00:12:46.899 of a sudden they're killing one another. He's a murderer and a liar from 135 00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:52.059 the beginning. And he brings this into humanity. Not He tempts us to 136 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:56.500 it, he calls us to it. He loves IT AND INSPIRES IT, 137 00:12:56.059 --> 00:13:00.850 and of course we love it too. We go along for the ride. 138 00:13:00.889 --> 00:13:05.970 We serve him, so much so that Paul says that in our fallen nature 139 00:13:05.690 --> 00:13:13.600 we are children of Wrath, sons of the devil. This is our father, 140 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:22.039 this Satan. After the fall mankind finds our we put ourselves on his 141 00:13:22.360 --> 00:13:28.429 side instead of on God's side, from the moment we decided to believe him, 142 00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:33.070 from the moment Adam said and Eve said, yeah, we'll go with 143 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:39.389 that. And Satan continues this work through the all through human history he's been 144 00:13:39.470 --> 00:13:43.220 trying to destroy the seed, destroy the seed, destroy the seed and yet 145 00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:48.419 God keeps preserving the seed, preserving the seed, preserving the seed, through 146 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:54.980 the flood, through the Covenant with Abraham, through David on the throne, 147 00:13:54.059 --> 00:13:58.970 and even as that kingdom is falling apart, you have the prophets saying that's 148 00:14:00.049 --> 00:14:03.330 all over and God will judge you. And yet one will be born, 149 00:14:05.009 --> 00:14:09.529 a son will be born, a great king, the Promised One, the 150 00:14:09.649 --> 00:14:13.799 anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah, is coming and he will make 151 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.679 things right. The valleys will be lifted up, the hills will be brought 152 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:24.509 low, the paths will be made straight. This great and conquering king will 153 00:14:24.629 --> 00:14:31.669 come. And when he does come, what happens? When Jesus is born 154 00:14:31.789 --> 00:14:41.299 into the world? Satan and his troops go full throttle Herod. We see 155 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:48.019 him a trying to destroy all of these children, a genocide of of these 156 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:54.970 little boy is all throughout his kingdom, why to destroy the seed. Throughout 157 00:14:54.090 --> 00:15:00.649 Jesus Ministry, there are people constantly conspiring against him, to destroy him. 158 00:15:00.649 --> 00:15:03.490 And finally they're able to do this. They put him on a cross, 159 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:11.639 they crucify him and they bury him and it would seem that the victory is 160 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:22.590 one on the side of evil, but Satan is not God. Satan is 161 00:15:22.629 --> 00:15:26.710 a creature like we are, a powerful one, true, made by God 162 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:35.710 and one whom God rules over. And God would not permit this dog of 163 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:43.220 a spirit to overrule his plans for the world. And Jesus Christ was rose 164 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:52.009 again, was resurrected from the dead itself, putting death to death, having 165 00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:58.529 victory over the grave, God brings this a champion into the world. And 166 00:15:58.649 --> 00:16:03.970 in light of this big story, you can see, then, that there 167 00:16:03.129 --> 00:16:07.519 is a war that has been going on and in many ways there still is 168 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:12.679 a war. I want to read a few verses to you to highlight some 169 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:18.070 of this from the pages of scripture, beyond just suggesting it or finding you 170 00:16:18.149 --> 00:16:23.389 of it. Consider Psalm twenty four, for example, where ask this question 171 00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:29.110 who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy 172 00:16:29.269 --> 00:16:33.179 place? WHO shall in other words, who's going to be the one who 173 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:37.659 will go up to this holy, holy place and stand there with confidence and 174 00:16:38.059 --> 00:16:44.820 enthronement? The answer is he who has clean hands and a pure heart, 175 00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:48.090 who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear 176 00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:53.009 deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of 177 00:16:53.090 --> 00:16:57.490 his salvation, such as the generation of those who seek him, who seek 178 00:16:57.529 --> 00:17:02.879 the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, oh gates, 179 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:06.200 and be lifted up, oh ancient doors, that the king of glory 180 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:10.960 may come in. Who is this King of glory, The Lord Strong and 181 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.440 mighty, the Lord of Mighty in battle? Lift up your heads, oh 182 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.069 gate, so lift them up, oh ancient doors, that the king of 183 00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:21.869 glory may come in. Who is this king of the glory, The Lord 184 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:26.869 of hosts? He is the King of glory. When God sent his champion, 185 00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:33.420 he did not send a mere human, he didn't send just another creature 186 00:17:33.619 --> 00:17:40.180 to do this work. Instead, God himself became man, so that the 187 00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:42.660 one who would ascend the hill, who on, who would go up on 188 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:48.569 Mountain Zion, and who would rule and be in communion with God and a 189 00:17:48.730 --> 00:17:55.130 mediator for his people, would be God himself. The Gates would open for 190 00:17:55.250 --> 00:18:02.839 the Lord of hosts, the King of glory. This, we read in 191 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:07.079 the New Testament, is, of course, Jesus himself. Listen to Ephesians 192 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:14.869 one, Ephesians One, Chapter Twenty. When he raised Jesus from the dead 193 00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:19.349 and seated him at the at his right hand in the heavenly places, far 194 00:18:19.509 --> 00:18:25.430 above all rule and authority and power and a dominion, and above every name 195 00:18:25.589 --> 00:18:29.940 that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to 196 00:18:30.099 --> 00:18:33.660 come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him his head 197 00:18:33.819 --> 00:18:37.819 over all things, to the church, which is his body, the fullness 198 00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:45.130 of him who fills all in all. This is the great rise, the 199 00:18:45.250 --> 00:18:49.930 great enthronement of Jesus, and it makes him powerful over the world and it 200 00:18:51.049 --> 00:18:59.960 makes us Christians who are in him, to rise with him, to be 201 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:07.799 enthroned with him and to be at war with him, of victorious war. 202 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:14.309 Listen to how Paul goes on in Ephesians. He says in Ephesians two, 203 00:19:14.349 --> 00:19:19.670 verse eleven. Therefore remember that at one time you gentiles in the flesh called 204 00:19:19.789 --> 00:19:26.180 the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision the remember that you were at that 205 00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:33.660 time separated from Christ, alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the 206 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:38.890 covenant of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. So 207 00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:42.690 you see what he's saying. He's saying the rejoice and hope part that he 208 00:19:42.849 --> 00:19:49.130 Paul Mentions in Romans Twelve Nix, that no hope apart from Christ, no 209 00:19:49.410 --> 00:19:53.640 hope apart from Christ, a follower and of the flesh, doing the things 210 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:59.279 of the flesh, in the flesh, alienated from the Kingdom of God, 211 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:03.440 the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers to all the gracious promises of the Covenant. 212 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:10.069 He goes on to add, though, that God has done something, he 213 00:20:10.190 --> 00:20:12.269 says, but now in Christ, Jesus, you, who are once far 214 00:20:12.390 --> 00:20:18.789 off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. You have been 215 00:20:18.869 --> 00:20:23.579 brought near by the blood of Christ. Or, if you go back to 216 00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:27.180 the beginning of Ephesians, chapter two, he says you were dead in your 217 00:20:27.259 --> 00:20:33.339 trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, 218 00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:38.089 following the Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is 219 00:20:38.210 --> 00:20:44.329 now at work and the sons of disobedience. That's the mark of those who 220 00:20:44.329 --> 00:20:48.769 aren't Christians, following the great serpent, following the Prince of the power of 221 00:20:48.849 --> 00:20:53.720 the air, the one who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. 222 00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:59.519 This is how we used to be. But God, in verse four, 223 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:03.640 being rich in mercy because of the great love with the which he loved 224 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:07.349 us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins made us alive. 225 00:21:08.029 --> 00:21:12.589 Together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved and raised us 226 00:21:12.589 --> 00:21:18.269 up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. In Christ, 227 00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:22.380 Jesus, you see what he's saying. He's saying you used to be 228 00:21:22.660 --> 00:21:26.059 on the wrong side of this battle. You used to follow the Prince of 229 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:30.900 the power of the air, you used to be a son of disobedience, 230 00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:36.930 you used to belong to all the fleshly sinful things of this age, in 231 00:21:37.049 --> 00:21:42.369 this world. But in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have been raised 232 00:21:42.410 --> 00:21:48.279 up to the heavenly places and are no longer down here in that world, 233 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:57.039 but are up here with Jesus in this world. This is the great these 234 00:21:57.079 --> 00:22:00.359 are the great things that we are told about, the great battle that is 235 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:07.549 going on. This is why there is tribulation, because Satan and all those 236 00:22:07.630 --> 00:22:12.710 who are aligned on his side are fighting against God and all those who belong 237 00:22:12.829 --> 00:22:18.500 to him, all those who are seated in the heavenly places through Jesus Christ. 238 00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:26.740 This relationship between us and Jesus and the Resurrection, in this battle and 239 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:32.769 all of these things comes to a very practical point in Ephesians a chapter ten 240 00:22:33.650 --> 00:22:37.009 in a Feesi. I'm sorry if the chapter aren't senten chapters. In chapter 241 00:22:37.210 --> 00:22:44.920 six, verse ten, where he says finally, be strong in the Lord 242 00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:49.119 and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God 243 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:55.599 that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, for 244 00:22:55.759 --> 00:23:00.589 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers and against authorities, 245 00:23:00.630 --> 00:23:07.269 against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of 246 00:23:07.509 --> 00:23:12.259 evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God 247 00:23:12.700 --> 00:23:17.539 that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and, having done 248 00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:26.059 all, to stand firm. Stand firm. That's another way of saying be 249 00:23:26.339 --> 00:23:33.849 patient, isn't it? Be Patient? In tribulation, things are there is 250 00:23:33.849 --> 00:23:38.970 a battle going on, there is fighting going on, but you aren't caught 251 00:23:40.130 --> 00:23:44.720 in the middle of it. That's the thing you've got to remember. It's 252 00:23:44.759 --> 00:23:48.880 not like you have the the old cartoon of a you know one angel on 253 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:52.640 this shoulder and another angel on this shoulder and you just don't know. As 254 00:23:52.759 --> 00:24:00.829 Christians, you are belonging to the resurrection. You are not caught in the 255 00:24:00.950 --> 00:24:04.950 middle, you are on the side of Christ. That's why he can say 256 00:24:06.670 --> 00:24:11.700 one there's going to be tribulation because there's fighting ongoing, but he can also 257 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:18.140 say be patient, trust in the Lord who is your strength, because the 258 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:23.809 battle is one, the war is one. There is fighting that US ongoing 259 00:24:23.849 --> 00:24:30.089 until all things are brought into subjection, till unto Christ. But until that 260 00:24:30.369 --> 00:24:37.369 time all you have to do is be strong in him, be patient in 261 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:48.440 him, rejoice in him, pray to him and in him. This is 262 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:56.950 why we face tribulation. It's why Peter says in First Peter for don't be 263 00:24:57.190 --> 00:25:04.150 surprised when the fiery trials come upon you. Don't be surprised at these things, 264 00:25:04.190 --> 00:25:10.180 because that's the reality in which we live. We shouldn't be people that 265 00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:12.500 sort of stand back and say, why the all is happening to me? 266 00:25:14.339 --> 00:25:18.180 Of course it's happening to you. You are caught up in the grandest story, 267 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:26.009 the story you belong to the great history of the world as it's being 268 00:25:26.210 --> 00:25:30.009 played out, and God is the play right, God is the will director, 269 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:37.599 God is the hero and God is the victor, and you belong to 270 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:42.279 him. Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you 271 00:25:42.440 --> 00:25:48.559 to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice. 272 00:25:49.509 --> 00:25:55.349 Here the apostles speak with one voice. This is Peter. Rejoice in so 273 00:25:55.509 --> 00:26:00.349 far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad 274 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:10.819 when he is glory is revealed. You struggle and you have tribulations because you 275 00:26:10.940 --> 00:26:17.579 are in Christ, and that is a great thing. If you are suffering 276 00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:22.849 because you've done bad things, well, that's not so good. That's means 277 00:26:22.890 --> 00:26:26.930 you've been foolish and you need to learn better. But if you are suffering 278 00:26:27.049 --> 00:26:30.650 because of who you are in Christ, well that's a whole different story. 279 00:26:32.410 --> 00:26:36.200 Peter goes on to make this point. If you're insulted for Christ's name, 280 00:26:36.759 --> 00:26:44.880 you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 281 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:49.349 But let none of you sufferer as a murderer or a thief or an evil 282 00:26:49.549 --> 00:26:53.390 doer, as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let 283 00:26:53.430 --> 00:27:00.029 him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. You 284 00:27:00.109 --> 00:27:03.940 see what he's saying? He's saying to be caught up with Christ in the 285 00:27:03.019 --> 00:27:07.500 heavenly places, to be a part of that resurrection life, to be waiting 286 00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:12.539 for the glory that is to be revealed. That's all blessing. To be 287 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:18.609 on the winning side of the battle, even though you're still facing some tribulation. 288 00:27:18.849 --> 00:27:23.650 That's a blessing. To be on the side that not only has won 289 00:27:23.769 --> 00:27:32.839 that victory but is guaranteed to crush every single aspect of that rebellion. That's 290 00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:37.240 a blessing. And this is true when tribulation comes from outside of us, 291 00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:41.240 which is largely what I've been talking about, but also when it comes from 292 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:47.150 inside of us, when that flesh that's still a part of us is waging 293 00:27:47.309 --> 00:27:55.910 war against the spirit. The Apostle tells us be patient, stand firm, 294 00:27:56.589 --> 00:28:02.259 don't give up. Why? Because the tribulation is not a sort of neutral 295 00:28:02.339 --> 00:28:07.579 tribulation, like I was saying earlier, being caught in between. The tribulation 296 00:28:07.859 --> 00:28:12.410 is because you are in Christ and because you are in him, because the 297 00:28:12.569 --> 00:28:18.490 flesh and the spirit are waging war and in your soul and because the the 298 00:28:18.450 --> 00:28:22.130 devil, is waging war against the Kingdom of God in this world and this 299 00:28:22.289 --> 00:28:30.119 age. Because that's the tribulation that we're talking about. You can be patient 300 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:40.839 because Jesus is the winner Jesus is the victor. Jesus is the unfailing champion, 301 00:28:41.029 --> 00:28:48.150 promised since the very beginning, who is now come and promises to come 302 00:28:48.230 --> 00:29:00.460 again and bring all things into consummation. This is why we take these two 303 00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:04.619 other things on either side of our arms. When we are patient in tribulation, 304 00:29:07.339 --> 00:29:15.769 we don't just stand around stoically waiting for fate and Karma or whatever else 305 00:29:15.890 --> 00:29:22.730 to do its thing. We're not patient in tribulation because, well, what 306 00:29:22.849 --> 00:29:29.079 else can you do? We're patient in tribulation because of what God has done. 307 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:36.640 You understand that. And that's also why we grasp an arm with rejoicing, 308 00:29:36.720 --> 00:29:41.549 in hope, because of what God has done. And it's why we're 309 00:29:41.589 --> 00:29:47.549 constant in prayer in the middle of our tribulations, because we're not standing by 310 00:29:47.589 --> 00:29:52.339 ourselves waiting for faith to just sort of grind us through the machine. We 311 00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:59.579 stand in Christ and the arms of the father who promises to never let you 312 00:29:59.660 --> 00:30:07.130 go, and so we talked to him. Our patients has this quality of 313 00:30:07.970 --> 00:30:17.009 rejoicing and of prayer. Sometimes it's weeping, sometimes it's calling out, sometimes 314 00:30:17.049 --> 00:30:21.599 it's saying how long, but it's a call of faith, isn't it? 315 00:30:22.440 --> 00:30:29.079 That's a Christian call anyway, a call of faith, is trusting in Jesus 316 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:33.559 and what he has done. It's looking at the Cross and saying that victory 317 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:41.430 is mine, given to me freely. I want to close by reading to 318 00:30:41.509 --> 00:30:48.549 you a few verses from Hebrews that brings some of these various ideas together. 319 00:30:49.619 --> 00:30:56.180 In Hebrews chapter ten, versus thirty two through thirty nine, he talks about 320 00:30:56.420 --> 00:31:02.500 the author talks about suffering. He reminds us and the people he's writing to 321 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:11.009 that these tribulations that we face as Christians sometimes are not abstract at all or 322 00:31:11.089 --> 00:31:18.009 hypothetical. He tells them Verse Thirty Two of Chapter Ten. Recall the former 323 00:31:18.049 --> 00:31:26.160 days when, after you were enlightened, you endured, speaking of after the 324 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:30.720 knowledge of Christ and faith in him came into you. After that happen, 325 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:38.990 you endured hard, a hard struggle with sufferings. What did these believers have 326 00:31:40.190 --> 00:31:45.470 to go through after becoming a Christian or becoming Christians? He explains a little 327 00:31:45.470 --> 00:31:51.059 bit in verse Thirty Three. Let me start again, but recall the former 328 00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:55.539 days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 329 00:31:56.420 --> 00:32:02.490 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with 330 00:32:02.650 --> 00:32:07.490 those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully 331 00:32:07.529 --> 00:32:13.089 accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a 332 00:32:13.210 --> 00:32:17.799 better possession and in buy and an a and an abiding one. Therefore, 333 00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:22.720 do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward, for you 334 00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:28.039 have need of endurance so that, when you have done the will of God, 335 00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:36.069 you may receive what is promised. You see what he's saying. He's 336 00:32:36.069 --> 00:32:39.309 saying when you became in Christians, the people he's writing to. He says, 337 00:32:39.309 --> 00:32:44.299 when you became Christian, do you remember? It was hard. It 338 00:32:44.420 --> 00:32:47.579 was hard because some of you were ashamed, some of you were afflicted in 339 00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:52.299 various ways. And if that didn't happen to you, well, then you 340 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:57.299 joined arms with someone who was. You visited those people in jail, you 341 00:32:57.460 --> 00:33:02.410 went to them and you said, these people that society is despising, I'm 342 00:33:02.490 --> 00:33:14.000 with them because we are in Christ you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property. 343 00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:20.799 That'd be a hard thing to do, but they did it because they 344 00:33:20.839 --> 00:33:25.880 knew they had a better possession, and abiding one. Not Things that can 345 00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:31.990 destroy or be lost, but things that would last forever. This word that 346 00:33:32.309 --> 00:33:36.990 the author rights to the Hebrews is the word that Paul speaks to us today. 347 00:33:37.029 --> 00:33:39.789 It's the word God is speaking to you today, and he says to 348 00:33:39.910 --> 00:33:47.420 you, beloved, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant 349 00:33:47.539 --> 00:33:52.539 in prayer, not because these are just nice things to do, but because 350 00:33:52.579 --> 00:34:00.289 of what God has done for you. Trust in him, endure and you 351 00:34:00.410 --> 00:34:04.650 will be saved. Let's pray.