Participants: Alvin Kibble
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000129
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00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:21 Hello and welcome to another Anchors Of Truth series. 00:26 This is hard to believe, but this is the fourth and final 00:30 program here of this series by Elder Alvin Kibble. 00:33 It's entitled, A Christian's View of Suffering and Heartache. 00:37 And I have to say, the four meetings have gone by fast. 00:40 They say, when you're having fun it goes by fast. 00:43 But I have to say, when you're being ministered and blessed to, 00:45 time can certainly go by fast as well. 00:48 And we have truly been blessed. 00:49 You know, Elder Kibble, he's a man with a lot of experience, 00:53 and he's a man that loves the Lord. 00:54 And that comes through, doesn't it, in his messages 00:57 and his love for humanity and how he's been portraying 01:00 Jesus Christ as someone who loves us in a very individual 01:03 personal way. 01:05 You know, before we came on, Jill and I ran home real quick 01:09 and we had a little... 01:10 I don't know what type of bird it was. 01:11 It hit our sliding glass door and was just laying there 01:14 on the back deck with his mouth open 01:17 and his wings all stretched out like that. 01:20 And as it just sat there, after a while it brought its wings in, 01:23 it closed its mouth, it blinked its eyes. 01:25 And then a few minutes later, it flew away. 01:28 But what struck me was about Elder Kibble, 01:31 he was talking about God's care for us as individuals. 01:34 And the Bible mentions about the sparrow, 01:36 doesn't it, that falls to the ground. 01:37 And as that bird was sitting there, I was thinking 01:40 the Lord took notice of that. 01:42 But how much more are we worth than a sparrow, Christ says. 01:45 So praise God for these messages. 01:47 Elder Kibble, as Danny mentioned earlier this morning, 01:51 he has spend 45 years in the ministry. 01:53 That's a lot of years, isn't it. 01:55 And as he was sitting behind us back stage, 01:58 he was kind of scrolling through his iPad. 02:01 And I just asked him, I said... 02:02 Oh man, I mean he was just scrolling... 02:05 And these were all folders. 02:06 And I said, "How many sermons do you have?" 02:08 "Oh," he said, "in this iPad I have about 600." 02:11 He said, "But I think I have maybe a thousand sermons or so. 02:14 I just haven't downloaded them into my iPad yet." 02:16 This is a man that loves the Lord, has a message to preach, 02:19 and we have truly been blessed. 02:20 We have, we've been so blessed the last four meetings. 02:23 This is the fourth and the final meeting. 02:26 The first night, he spoke on Jeremiah 18, 02:29 "Cannot I do with you as the potter?" 02:30 We are the clay in the Master's hand. 02:33 And he said, "Stay in the Master's hand." 02:36 The next night, he took his sermon from Mark 5, 02:39 "If I may just reach out and touch the hem of His garment." 02:43 And of course, this morning was from Revelation 2, 02:46 the church of Smyrna, "Be thou faithful unto death, 02:50 and I will give you a crown of life." 02:53 This afternoon will be, Seeing Trouble With Christian Eyes. 02:58 And the thing I like about when Elder Kibble preaches, 03:01 when he presents the Word of God, he's sharing from 03:04 his experience with Jesus, from his own walk 03:08 with the Lord Jesus Christ. 03:09 And that's a beautiful thing. 03:10 It truly is. 03:11 And before we get started, I know you're going to 03:13 introduce the music in just a moment. 03:15 Let's have a word of prayer as we invite 03:16 the Lord to be with us. 03:18 Father in heaven, Lord again, we're so blessed. 03:21 Lord, so blessed that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die. 03:26 Lord, if it were for just one person, 03:29 You would have sent Your Son. 03:30 We thank You for that love that You have for us 03:34 that You sent Your only Son to die for us 03:36 so we have the gift of eternal life. 03:38 Lord, I just pray again that You would bless Elder Kibble 03:41 as he brings us the message. 03:42 Lord, he has spent many years, Lord, in Your service; 45 years. 03:46 And Lord, just continue to bless him. 03:48 Pour Your Spirit through him to us. 03:51 And Lord, may we have open ears, Lord, to what You have 03:54 to say through him to us. 03:55 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 03:57 Before Elder Kibble presents the Word of God, 04:00 we're going to have a message in music. 04:02 Our very own Mike and Celestine Berry 04:05 will be with us again. 04:06 Celestine happens to be the secretary here at our church. 04:09 They're just a wonderful Christian couple. 04:11 We love their ministry in music. 04:13 And the song they're going to do is, Lift Up Your Hands. 04:17 After the music, the next thing you will hear is the 04:19 voice of Elder Alvin Kibble. 04:44 Life is not at all that bad, my friend, 04:56 if you believe in yourself. 05:00 If you believe there's Someone who walks through life with you, 05:08 you'll never be alone. 05:13 Just learn to reach out and open your heart. 05:20 Lift up hands to God and He'll show you the way. 05:32 And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me, 05:39 those who are heavily laden. 05:46 Come to Me, all of you who are tired 05:51 of carrying heavy loads. 05:57 For the yoke I will give you is easy 06:03 and My burden is light. 06:10 Come to Me and I will give you rest." 06:23 When you feel the world is tumbling down on you, 06:33 and you have no one that you can hold on to, 06:44 just face the rising sun and you'll see hope, 06:52 and there's no need to run. 06:56 Lift up your hands to God and He'll make you feel all right. 07:07 And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me, 07:14 those who are heavily laden. 07:20 Come to Me, all of you who are tired 07:25 of carrying heavy loads. 07:31 For the yoke I will give you is easy 07:37 and My burden is light. 07:43 Come to Me and I will give you rest." 07:53 And He said, "Cast your burdens upon Me, 08:00 those who are heavily laden. 08:06 Come to Me, all of you who are tired 08:11 of carrying heavy loads. 08:17 For the yoke I will give you is easy 08:22 and My burden is light. 08:28 Come to Me and I will give you rest. 08:41 Come to Me and I will give you rest." 09:09 That was beautiful. 09:12 That was beautiful. 09:15 And I want to thank all of the psalmists and the music 09:21 artists who have ministered to us during this series. 09:25 This has been a wonderful experience for me. 09:30 And I've come to know so many of the staff members of 3ABN. 09:37 And what a wonderful family they are. 09:40 God has truly blessed this ministry. 09:44 And I am sure that 3ABN has been a blessing to you as well. 09:51 And we want you to continue to tune in and to make 3ABN 09:56 your priority station so that you might be enriched 10:02 and inspired through the Word of God. 10:07 Our message this evening is a summary of what we have 10:12 been discussing over the past few nights. 10:16 We started out with that remarkable story out of the 10:22 book of Jeremiah on saints in construction. 10:29 And we learned that our lives, like the clay, 10:37 are in the Potter's hand. 10:42 And that we have the assurance that though we may be flawed, 10:48 and though there may be some impediments, 10:53 that as long as we stay in His hands, 10:58 that everything is going to be alright. 11:02 How grateful we are that God is the Potter. 11:09 And I know if you or I were in charge, 11:14 we're so prone to give up even on each other. 11:18 And sometimes on ourselves. 11:22 But God is patient. 11:25 And the Bible says He is not willing that any should perish, 11:31 but that all would come to repentance. 11:35 What a marvelous God. 11:38 And then on last night, we talked about the testimony 11:44 of a touch. 11:46 And I know that God intended that message to be presented, 11:50 because even though I had studied and prepared 11:54 that message for an earlier night, 11:58 He brought it back to me again. 12:00 And if that message was indeed for you, 12:05 know that it was God's way of letting you know 12:11 that He knows you in your undone condition. 12:18 That He cares for you. 12:21 He can find you in the crowd, 12:25 and He can even feel you in the crowd. 12:30 God can heal on contact. 12:37 And then again, we had an opportunity this morning 12:41 to uncover another anchor truth and that message on 12:49 being faithful unto death. 12:51 Because there are some times when our prayers are delayed, 12:57 but they're not denied. 13:01 God is fully able to fulfill every promise 13:05 that He has ever made. 13:06 He is not short, the Bible says, concerning His promises 13:10 as some men are. 13:14 But He is longsuffering. 13:16 And His timing is perfect. 13:22 Years ago the elders in my church use to sing, 13:26 "He may not come when you want Him, 13:30 but He's always on time." 13:34 So tonight we're looking at the subject, 13:37 Seeing Trouble With Christian Eyes. 13:42 Seeing Trouble With Christian Eyes. 13:45 Before I speak with you, please join me as we talk with God. 13:53 Jesus, You're the center of my joy. 13:57 All that's good and perfect comes from You. 14:05 Through Your spoke word tonight, we would ask that 14:09 You might be lifted up. 14:13 Because You have said, "If I, if I be lifted up, 14:18 I will draw all men unto Me." 14:24 So it is my prayer tonight that through the 14:31 inspiration of this moment, and through the words 14:36 that You might place upon my lips, that You indeed 14:42 might be lifted up before this vast audience. 14:47 And that individuals might come to know you, 14:51 whom to know is lift eternal. 14:55 In the precious name of Jesus, amen. 15:00 There is a Christian lifestyle. 15:06 There is a Christian world view. 15:10 There is a Christian way of seeing practically everything. 15:20 There's a way that Christians ought to look upon 15:23 current events. 15:26 There's a way that, as Christians, we should 15:29 look upon wealth and money, or position and status, 15:38 or marriage and family, or fatherhood, or motherhood. 15:43 There's a Christian way that we should approach 15:47 the subject of wisdom or education. 15:52 There is a true education, and then there is a false education. 16:02 There's a Christian way that we should look upon 16:05 labor and management and fame and achievement. 16:11 And so this afternoon I'd like to talk to you about 16:14 how Christians should look at trouble; 16:20 seeing trouble with Christian eyes. 16:26 In all life there is a living and eternal hope. 16:31 People everywhere in all ages have longed and dreamed of 16:35 a time when trouble would no longer cast its shadow 16:40 across life's pathway. 16:43 And it doesn't matter of race or religion or culture, 16:47 or even region of the earth. 16:50 Wherever people have lived, they have hope for that. 16:55 And if your thoughts and your fancies 16:59 cause you to ponder and consider and hope for such a time 17:04 when no trouble will plague us, you are part and parcel 17:10 of the great human family. 17:13 For all people have wished for this. 17:18 John Lennon, the Beatles of Beatles fame, 17:24 in his cloudy troubled and desperate struggle and search 17:30 to imagine a world without the barriers of borders, 17:34 or the divisiveness of religion or nationalities, 17:38 a life unattached to material possessions, 17:42 penned these words, "Imagine there's no heaven. 17:48 It's easy if you try. 17:50 No hell below us, above us only sky. 17:54 Imagine all the people living for today. 18:00 Imagine there's no country. 18:04 It isn't hard to do. 18:05 Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too. 18:09 Imagine all the people living life in peace." 18:14 Now that's kind of an interesting take on things. 18:17 Would you not agree? 18:19 "You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. 18:24 I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one." 18:34 For some, religion is just a matter of confusion 18:41 with one denomination saying that they have it right 18:45 and another denomination declaring that 18:49 they have it right. 18:50 And then with the different faith groups 18:54 throughout the world. 18:56 And some have become tired of the debate. 19:02 If only they could get a clear word from the Lord. 19:08 If only they could come to know Him, who to know 19:13 is life eternal. 19:15 The Greeks had their notion of the Elysian Fields 19:22 somewhere located in southern Italy 19:26 where their peace would reign. 19:29 The Hindus who think of life as a bead on a necklace, 19:35 whose other beads represent past and future life, 19:40 strive to ascend the scale of merit through a 19:43 succession of reincarnations hoping to win liberation 19:49 from the worldly existence in order to achieve 19:52 union with Brahman. 19:56 The Buddhist have their nirvana; their state of bliss, 20:01 or emptiness attained by escaping the wheel 20:06 of life and rebirth. 20:09 Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, death is sorrow. 20:14 All the world is sorrow and suffering. 20:19 The Islamic world has its paradise where there are 20:23 no troubles and no conflicts. 20:28 And the Bible speaks of such an account 20:33 in the Garden of Eden. 20:36 It places man's perfect untroubled condition 20:40 in the childhood of our race. 20:44 All of man's hopes are assigned either to some lost paradise 20:50 that is behind us or to some future paradise 20:55 that is ahead. 20:58 There is no way of escaping our need to hope. 21:04 And those of us who are Christians have to view our 21:08 troubles, not only in terms of what we hope, 21:12 but what we are going to be loyal to 21:16 in terms of our God. 21:20 We have to look at things that happen to us 21:23 that we would normally call bad with the eyes of believers. 21:30 If we don't do that, then we're really not Christians. 21:35 The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 27, 21:40 "Moses, by faith, forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath 21:46 of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible." 21:55 Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, 21:58 "For we walk by faith and not by sight." 22:06 And he said again over in Romans chapter 8 and verse 28, 22:10 "For all things work together for good..." 22:15 He didn't say, "All things are good." 22:17 He said, "All things work together for good 22:22 for them that love the Lord." 22:26 And just as in the matter of our professional calling 22:34 or work, or in our stewardship and money, 22:38 or in our blessing and good fortune, 22:42 we have to have the eyes of faith when we look upon 22:47 the things that happen to us. 22:51 Now while talking about the hopes of people, 22:55 there are those who consider themselves to be very modern 22:58 and up to date who sneer at our rather innocent 23:04 approach to living. 23:07 And they call such feelings and such faith, primitive. 23:13 Sometimes they even suggest that that's childish or 23:16 even immature. 23:19 But those same people who speak in such derogatory terms 23:24 toward the faith of the Bible immediately have a snare 23:30 or a trap or a pitfall of their own making. 23:36 So that by and large Hollywood, aka Tinseltown, 23:43 whose values are characterized by decadence and narcissism 23:48 and drug use and extra-marital sex, 23:53 when they try to represent the great liberal mind of America 23:57 and insisted that they were on the cutting edge of 24:00 societal beliefs and actions, 24:06 implied that everyone should live the lifestyle of Hollywood. 24:13 "Welcome to Hollywood. 24:15 What are your dreams? 24:17 Everybody comes here. 24:19 This is Hollywood. 24:21 Land of dreams. 24:23 Some dreams come true, some don't. 24:26 But keep on dreaming, this is Hollywood. 24:30 Always time to dream. 24:32 So keep on dreaming." 24:39 The cocky presumptuous and supposedly sophisticated 24:43 Carl Marx, who called himself a realist, 24:48 and all these dreams and hopes, primitive ideas, 24:54 constructed his own idea of time when there would be no troubles. 24:59 Beyond the logic of Hegel, beyond thesis and antithesis, 25:05 he called it a classless society where there was no conflict. 25:12 And our democracy follows in a similar path. 25:23 Each of our groups, our political families, as it were, 25:30 believes that all of our troubles will be over 25:34 as soon as we elect a new President. 25:38 And I'm not talking about the President. 25:42 But it is an illusion of democracy to assume 25:46 that as soon as we throw the rascals out 25:52 and get a new crowd in, that all of our troubles 25:56 will be over. 25:59 I want you to know that our Lord knew nothing 26:01 of that kind of thinking. 26:04 It wasn't His kind of logic. 26:08 With all of His optimism and comfort and encouragement 26:12 while trying desperately to get people to follow Him, 26:19 He, at the same time, seemed to go out of His way 26:23 to shoo them away. 26:26 For He does not talk about any quiet comfortable times. 26:32 If you're trying to recruit somebody, 26:35 His was the strangest way I know of 26:39 to get someone to follow you. 26:42 "If you elect me," the political candidate says, 26:46 "I will fix your problems." 26:50 But Jesus didn't say that. 26:53 He said, "Follow Me." 26:56 But not to some calm untroubled waters. 27:01 What a strange way to disciple others. 27:07 "Follow Me," but He does not promise a perpetual spring time 27:12 untouched by frost. 27:15 He, in fact, seems to go out of His way to dissuade 27:20 anyone who is just a well-wisher, a tag-a-long. 27:26 He says there will be signs in the sun, moon, and the stars. 27:33 He talks about an awful cosmic warfare, 27:38 a great pushing and shoving in the universe. 27:41 You read it. It's there. 27:45 He says there will be earthquakes and famine 27:48 and pestilence and terrible sights. 27:51 Nation shall rise up against nation. 27:53 He says that the people who are following Him 27:57 will not be exempt. 28:01 They will not simply be spectators. 28:04 They won't have on Teflon suits. 28:09 He says, "Before all of this, they shall lay hands on you. 28:16 And they shall persecute you. 28:20 And they shall deliver you up to the citadels 28:23 and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and rulers. 28:28 Why? 28:30 Why? 28:33 For My name's sake." 28:38 Some years ago I watched a movie entitled, Dragon Seed. 28:45 And it portrayed how Japanese soldiers came into a 28:49 Chinese village and terrorized the aged 28:53 and assaulted and violated the women. 28:56 And when the men tried to defend them, 28:58 they were shot down in the streets. 29:04 Jesus says that the moment we bargain to 29:12 invite Him into our lives, 29:17 when we come to that point where we choose to throw our lot 29:22 in with Him, that there is going to be trouble. 29:30 Not in spite of, but because of. 29:36 "Because of My name's sake." 29:40 "They," He says. "They." 29:42 Well who are "they?" 29:47 And He doesn't describe them so carefully. 29:54 But I think it's clear enough for us to understand 30:00 that there are those who are for Christ, 30:04 and there are those who are against Christ. 30:10 Jesus said, "You're either for Me or you're against Me." 30:14 There is no spiritual Switzerland. 30:19 There is no neutrality. 30:22 He says they will malign and they will scandalize. 30:26 And they will attempt to do so under the veneer 30:36 of right doing. 30:40 They will accuse you when you seek to serve the Lord. 30:44 Your very attempt to be loyal to Jesus 30:48 will get you in trouble. 30:51 Because people will label you a fanatic, 30:55 an enemy of the state, 30:59 a jolly do-gooder, a holy Joe or Jane. 31:04 "You come here with all this talk about 31:07 no sex out of marriage, abstinence, temperance, 31:11 clean healthful living, Sabbath observance. 31:17 You're a trouble maker." 31:22 A trouble maker? 31:26 You feel that the family is a sacred institution. 31:33 You feel that those who have been marginalized 31:37 and who are less fortunate should have a voice. 31:43 That they should be included and not excluded. 31:50 God said that it would happen. 31:53 And He said that some of them would even be found 31:58 in our own families. 32:02 Such unpleasant talk that the Lord gives. 32:06 You shall be betrayed. 32:10 Relatives, kin people, kin folk. 32:13 What do you do? 32:20 They shall persecute you. 32:23 "Who do you think you are? 32:26 Do you think you're better than everybody else?" 32:29 Now let me identify this "they" as people who are misguided. 32:38 Jesus does not identify them too closely here, 32:41 but He does in other places. 32:43 And He said once to Simon, 32:47 when he was about to be shaken and tested, 32:50 He said, "Satan has desired to sift you as wheat, 32:55 but I have prayed for you." 32:58 Luke 22 and verse 31. 33:02 Over in Matthew 13 and verse 24, He talked about 33:06 how someone planted a field, and later tares were found 33:10 in the field. 33:14 And He said it wasn't an accident. 33:16 He said, "An enemy has done this." 33:21 I don't want to describe the enemy too carefully, 33:24 but there is an anti-God. 33:27 An anti-Christ, an anti-authority, 33:30 an anti moral responsibility, an era of rebelliousness. 33:37 And He told us to pray. 33:40 "Deliver me not into temptation." 33:48 Deliver us not. 33:52 But put this down... 33:54 There is a great warfare that is taking place. 34:01 Make no mistake about it. 34:04 We are in a fight, a real fight. 34:09 The great hymn that we use to sing, 34:11 "My soul, be on thy guard, ten thousand foes arise; 34:16 the hosts of sin are pressing hard 34:18 to draw thee from the skies. 34:20 O watch and fight and pray; the battle ne'er give o'er. 34:27 Renew it boldly every day, and help divine implore. 34:32 Never think the victory won, nor lay thine armor down; 34:36 the arduous work will not be done 34:39 till thou obtain the crown." 34:44 Do you feel the fight? 34:47 Do you sometimes sense yourself shaken? 34:51 "They," Jesus said, "are responsible." 34:55 And what are we to do when seized upon 34:59 and trouble comes our way? 35:03 I read somewhere, "Let those who are perplexed with temptation 35:08 go to God in prayer. 35:11 Persevere in prayer and watch there unto without doubting. 35:16 And the Holy Spirit will work in the human agent 35:20 bringing heart and mind into subjection 35:24 to right principles. 35:26 All heaven is watching with intense interest to see whether 35:31 we will look unto Jesus and submit ourselves to His will, 35:36 or whether, in temptation, we will follow the inclinations 35:40 of the natural heart and the solicitations of the evil one. 35:48 Those who, through faith, are kept by the power of God 35:52 learn good and precious things. 35:56 And they experience a peace in Christ 35:59 which passes all understanding. 36:03 In resisting temptation, you refuse to be confederate 36:09 with the adversary, and you place yourself 36:12 under the banner of Jesus Christ." 36:14 That's like being in the hands of the Potter. 36:18 "In the sight of heavenly agencies and intelligences, 36:23 you develop as a conqueror. 36:28 And it is manifested that you are indeed a son 36:33 and a daughter of God." 36:36 And then I read somewhere else what we're not to do 36:40 as Christians. 36:42 We're not to talk of discouragement and gloom. 36:48 When we do, Satan listens with fiendish joy. 36:52 For it pleases him to know that he has brought us 36:56 into bondage. 36:57 Now Satan, we know, can't read our thoughts. 37:00 But he is a student of human life. 37:05 And he can observe our actions and our words. 37:12 And from his long knowledge of the human family, 37:15 he can shape his temptation to take advantages 37:20 of our weakest point of character. 37:24 How often we give him the secret of how he can 37:27 obtain victory over us. 37:32 So we must not talk discouragement. 37:37 There are some people who are just a testimony of gloom. 37:47 Number two, we must not think that the anger of the Lord 37:51 is upon us. 37:53 God brings us into trial in order that we might 37:56 be drawn to Him. 37:59 The psalmist says, "Many are the affliction of the righteous, 38:03 but the Lord delivereth them all," Psalm 34:19. 38:09 So affliction will come in the providence of God 38:14 in order that we might see that Christ is our Helper, 38:18 and that in His love and constellation 38:22 that we should abide. 38:25 We must have such an experience with God 38:28 that when affliction comes we will not depart from the faith. 38:37 Then number three, we are not to become weary in well doing. 38:42 Can't afford it. 38:43 You can't quit when the going gets rough. 38:46 If you are a Christian, when it looks like everybody is 38:50 against you, that is the very time you've got to press on. 38:58 "Weeping," the Bible says, "may endure for a night, 39:01 but joy cometh in the morning." 39:05 So you've got to hold on. 39:08 And as we said last night, if you can hold on, 39:12 you can hold out. 39:15 It is in these times that we are able to see 39:19 more clearly than ever the hand of God upon our lives. 39:25 When people or circumstances seem to be laying a trap for us, 39:30 it is then that we take the things that were meant for evil 39:35 and God uses them for good. 39:40 He says, "I will turn your stumbling blocks 39:44 into stepping stones." 39:47 When we look back upon the events on the surface 39:51 that appear to have been the work of Satan, 39:54 we discover that all of these things resulted 40:00 in strengthening our walk with the Lord. 40:03 So hold on. 40:05 And then, we can't fight in the enemies armor 40:12 or with the devil's weapons. 40:16 It doesn't work. 40:19 Vengeance, the Bible says, is God's. 40:25 Hebrews 10:30. 40:27 "I will repay," Jesus says. 40:30 You can't take up the world's weapons. 40:34 You can't return the same spirit upon which 40:42 you have been the recipient. 40:45 A friend of mine was robbed on two occasions. 40:50 And I heard from another friend that he had asked someone 40:52 how he could buy a gun. 40:55 You can't do that. 40:58 It doesn't work. 41:01 But you can be sure of this... 41:04 That God comes most powerfully at the terminus 41:09 where trouble occurs. 41:12 Now that's the way I see it. 41:15 And you've got to see it that way too. 41:18 And even though in the face of the world 41:21 you might seem helpless; never fear, but that God will win. 41:28 How did James Russell Lowell put it? 41:31 "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne; 41:35 yet the scaffold sways the future, 41:37 and behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadows, 41:43 keeping watch upon His own." 41:46 There is a God. 41:48 Make no mistake about it. 41:51 And our elders spoke of it in many ways. 41:54 There is a God who rules above with hand of power 41:59 and heart of love. 42:01 And if I am right, He'll fight my battles. 42:06 I shall be free some day. 42:10 Trouble is the terminus where God arrives 42:13 to relieve most powerfully His people. 42:17 Trouble, Christian, is the sticky soil out of which the 42:21 rose of faith will blossom. 42:23 Trouble is the crisis that God employs to dramatize 42:27 the issue so that they; our co-workers, our neighbors, 42:31 our extended family, can no longer ignore 42:35 the source of our strength or the center of our joy. 42:39 We all know that we need to talk to the Lord, 42:42 but we seldom get around to it. 42:44 Trouble is the instrument that God uses to change our lives 42:49 from a tragic effort to live in monologue 42:52 rather than in dialogue. 42:54 Trouble is the dark terrible sky out of which the 42:58 bright and morning star shines most clearly. 43:01 Trouble is the way by which God manifests Himself to His people. 43:08 As the song writer has said, "If I never had a problem, 43:14 I wouldn't know that God could solve them. 43:17 I wouldn't know what faith in God could do." 43:21 When our souls are sore distressed, 43:24 when we are up against the wall, we discover then 43:29 as at no other time that there is a balm in Gilead 43:35 which makes the wounded whole. 43:38 You look through the Bible, when Israel of old 43:41 came to that place with the thunder of the chariots 43:45 of Pharaoh behind them, and those turbulent waters 43:50 before them, they stood there like a deer in the headlights, 43:55 trapped. 43:57 Do you get it? 43:59 No way out. 44:01 No means of protection, no hope. 44:04 They were in trouble. 44:07 And right then and right there, Moses, speaking under the 44:12 inspiration of God, said, "Stand still and see the salvation 44:18 of the Lord. 44:19 For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today 44:23 ye shall see them no more again." 44:30 Look well, for that which you see today, 44:34 you will see no more forever. 44:38 It was when Mary and Martha's brother had been gripped 44:41 by a fatal sickness that they saw Jesus as the 44:46 resurrection and the life. 44:47 It was not until Paul despaired of ever being able 44:51 to carry on that he discovered that God's way 44:56 and His grace is sufficient. 44:58 Three times he said, "I sought the Lord and word came back, 45:02 'Paul, Paul, My grace is sufficient. 45:08 For My strength is made perfect in weakness.'" 45:15 And I'd like to close this afternoon on the record 45:24 of the 91st psalm. 45:29 For God does not say, "Maybe." 45:34 He says, "I will." 45:37 The first part of the 91st psalm... 45:40 And you can read it after the service or when you get home. 45:46 ...it deals with what I call, 45:49 the imperfect, affective, auxiliary verb. 45:54 Here, the psalmist David is expressing his faith. 45:59 "Surely he shall deliver thee. 46:03 Surely he shall cover thee with his feathers, 46:07 under his wings shalt thou trust. 46:10 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night." 46:17 And on and on. 46:19 But when God starts talking, it changes from "shall" to "will." 46:26 Read it, oh it will give you inspiration. 46:32 The psalmist cries out now. 46:34 And God is the one, is the voice that is speaking. 46:38 He says, "Therefore shall no evil befall thee." 46:43 Not "will." "Shall." 46:45 "Shall" is stronger than "will." 46:49 "He shall give his angels charge over thee." 46:58 And the psalmist, he says, "Because he hath set 47:01 his love upon me, I will deliver him. 47:06 I will set him on high. 47:08 I will be with him in trouble. 47:10 I will deliver him and honor him. 47:13 And with long life I will satisfy him." 47:22 Are you troubled? 47:25 It is God's opportunity. 47:28 And He will never be so real to you as He is when it seems 47:33 that your soul is in despair. 47:36 Jesus Christ suffered, not to save us from suffering, 47:41 but that our suffering might be like His suffering 47:48 and have meaning. 47:51 It takes us from the pain of suffering 47:54 and from the agony of suffering to the victory of suffering. 48:00 If we can bear persecution for His dear name's sake, 48:05 His love becomes the ruling power in our hearts. 48:09 And we have the assurance that nothing can separate us 48:14 from the love of God. 48:15 Never is the tempest-tried so more dearly loved by his Savior 48:20 than when he is suffering reproach for the truth's sake. 48:25 When, for the truth's sake, the believer stands at the bar 48:29 of the unrighteous tribunal, Christ stands by his side. 48:33 All the reproaches that fall upon the human believer 48:37 fall upon Christ in the person of that saint. 48:44 "I will love him," saith Christ. 48:48 "I will manifest Myself to him." 48:52 And when, for the truth's sake, the believer is incarcerated 48:56 in prison walls, Christ will manifest Himself 49:01 and ravish his heart with love. 49:05 When, as believers, we suffer for Christ's sake, 49:09 as some of our brothers and sisters are now suffering 49:12 in various parts of the world, Christ says to us, 49:16 "They may kill the body, but they cannot hurt the soul. 49:21 Be of good cheer, pilgrim, I have overcome the world." 49:29 One of my favorite illustrations is the story of an old 49:34 Norwegian fisherman who took his two sons 49:38 and went out on a daily fishing run. 49:41 The catch was good. 49:44 But by mid afternoon a sudden storm blotted out the shoreline, 49:51 leaving them groping for the direction home. 49:58 Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the kitchen of their cottage. 50:03 And before it could be extinguished, the fire 50:06 had destroyed the families earthly possessions. 50:12 Finally, the father and the sons were able to row 50:16 their boat ashore. 50:18 The man's wife was waiting to tell him of the tragic incident. 50:23 "Carl, Carl," she cried out, "fire has destroyed everything. 50:31 We have nothing left." 50:34 But Carl was unmoved by the report 50:39 that his wife was sharing. 50:42 "Didn't you hear me, Carl? 50:45 The house is gone. 50:47 Everything we own, everything we possess is gone, Carl. 50:52 It's gone." 50:56 "Yes I heard you," replied Carl. 51:00 "I heard you. 51:02 But a few hours ago, we were lost at sea. 51:09 And for hours, we thought that we would perish. 51:15 But something happened. 51:18 I saw a dim yellow glow in the distance. 51:23 It grew larger and larger. 51:26 And so we decided to turn our boat toward the light. 51:32 Sweetheart, the same blaze which destroyed our home 51:36 is the light that saved our lives." 51:40 Trouble. 51:42 Trouble is so often triumph when seen from a 51:48 different point of view. 51:53 My dear friend and former preacher and director 52:00 of the Breath of Life television ministries 52:04 said to me one day when he was going through 52:08 a very dark valley, 52:12 he said, "Alvin... 52:19 ...God sends us blessings every day. 52:29 They just get filed under, 'ordinary.'" 52:35 God sends us blessings every day. 52:42 They just get filed under, "ordinary." 52:47 And as we close out this series, 52:53 I can only tell you that I once thought I knew 52:59 how to define a blessing. 53:02 I sincerely felt when things were going well, 53:08 and when I was receiving these peace offerings, 53:19 that that was a blessing. 53:22 If I had a bonus or if I was able to buy a favorite 53:31 appliance, or replace my car, or someone got a promotion, 53:39 I thought that that was a blessing. 53:44 If the family was doing well, God is blessing us. 53:51 But I have sincerely come to the place where I cannot 53:56 properly define a blessing, because the God we serve 53:59 is so incredibly wonderful that He can turn anything 54:06 into a blessing. 54:11 Stay in love with Jesus. 54:16 Stay in love with Jesus. 54:20 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. 54:24 Because if anyone is so captivated by the world, 54:30 the love of the Father cannot be in them. 54:34 Stay in love with Jesus. 54:38 And He will keep you in perfect peace 54:43 whose mind is stayed upon Him, because you trust in Him. 54:57 Let us bow our heads as we pray. 55:01 And now, our Father, as we bring this series to a close, 55:07 we would pray that You would fortify our faith 55:12 and that You would determine that You would help us 55:15 to determine to let nothing separate us from Your love. 55:21 We know who You are. 55:26 You are the one who made us, and You are the one who bought us 55:32 at an eternal price. 55:36 Thank You, Savior. 55:40 Thank You for considering us in our undone condition. 55:49 Please be with those who are struggling to know You, 55:57 who have all but given up, 56:01 who are about to lose faith. 56:05 And with that, any hope of the future. 56:10 Let them know that nothing will keep You 56:16 from loving them with the tenderest of love. 56:22 Help them to feel Your presence and to sense Your love for them. 56:32 Give them the gift of faith, that they might believe. 56:38 And then begin to order their steps, 56:43 that they might fulfill Your purpose, run this race, 56:52 complete this journey, and arrive in Your precious kingdom. 57:02 In the worthy precious name of Jesus, amen. 57:13 Thank you very much, Elder Kibble. 57:14 May the Lord bless you in your ministry. 57:16 Thank you for coming to 3ABN. 57:18 I know that we've been blessed. 57:19 And I know you at home have been blessed. 57:21 There's a lot of heartache and sorrow in this world, 57:23 but this world is not our home. 57:25 Jesus is coming soon. 57:27 Be faithful to that end. 57:28 - God bless you. - God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17