Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU200013S
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00:11 And this is the record
00:13 that God hath given to us eternal life 00:16 and this life is in His Son. 00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:31 Rosemary, here we are already at the end of our program 3ABN 00:36 Australia Homecoming 2020, Preparing for Eternity. 00:41 Going through this book Steps to Christ. 00:43 That's right. 00:45 I'm John Malkiewycz. 00:46 And this is my wife Rosemary, 00:47 and we just want to thank all the speakers 00:50 who took part in presenting 13 chapters 00:53 from the book Steps to Christ. 00:55 It's been a very special journey 00:57 and I'm sure you've been blessed. 00:58 We want to do something special. 01:00 And I said this just before I came on, Rosemary, 01:03 we've got a 100 Steps to Christ books 01:06 and a 100 Great Controversy books 01:08 that we would like to give to anyone, 01:11 particularly in Australia, probably only in Australia. 01:15 If you buy the complete set of the DVD of this series, 01:19 Preparing for Eternity, 01:21 we're going to send you one of those, 01:22 or both of those for free. 01:24 Both books? 01:25 Both books. That's right. 01:26 Not the series, but the books? 01:28 But the books, that's right. 01:30 The books. 01:31 Well, today we've got Marty Thomson, 01:34 pastor of the Kempsey Seventh-day Adventist Church, 01:37 and he is going to be speaking to us on chapter 13 01:41 from the book Steps to Christ, 01:43 rejoicing in the Lord. 01:45 Now this is a topic for Marty. 01:47 I really think this fits him well. 01:50 And I also think its fits the closing of the series too. 01:53 It does. 01:54 It's a beautiful close, the last chapter in the book, 01:57 but last program, we had Blair Lemke 02:01 from the North New South Wales Conference 02:03 and he was doing Chapter 12, 02:06 talking to us on what to do with doubt. 02:09 What a huge topic that is. 02:10 And he has summarized his talk 02:15 with the following words. 02:17 One, God never asks us to believe 02:21 without giving sufficient evidence 02:23 for our faith. 02:24 How true? 02:26 Two, the real cause of doubt and skepticism, 02:29 in most cases, is the love of sin. 02:33 Three, God has never removed the possibility of doubt. 02:38 Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity. 02:42 Those who really desire the truth 02:44 will find abundant evidence for their faith. 02:48 Four, in order to overcome doubt 02:51 and arrive at truth, 02:52 we must have a sincere desire to know the truth 02:57 and a willingness of heart to obey it. 03:00 Number five, most people are in darkness and doubt 03:03 because they do not do what they know. 03:08 And number six, walk in the light 03:11 that has been revealed to you 03:13 and God will reveal more light to you. 03:17 And how true is that? 03:18 I think that's wonderful summary. 03:20 You know, we have a special item 03:21 by Kevin and Jennifer Petrie, 03:23 and I want to thank them for taking time 03:25 out of their busy life. 03:28 And they will be singing, This My Anchor. 03:31 So sit back and enjoy. 03:34 Before we listen to Marty. 03:35 Before we listened to Marty. 03:37 Thank you. 03:58 This my anchor 04:01 Firm, secure 04:04 My soul is fastened 04:08 Ever sure 04:11 I've found in 04:14 Waters deep 04:18 There's a hand 04:19 That safely keeps 04:24 We have this heart 04:26 That ties the soul 04:31 To the endless 04:34 Flowing well 04:37 From the waters 04:40 Of his side 04:43 There I find healing 04:46 And there I hide 04:59 He has promised 05:03 He'll be 05:06 A priest whose blood will 05:09 Cover me 05:13 In his promise 05:16 Strong and true 05:19 There is covenant 05:22 Renew 05:25 We have this heart 05:27 That ties the soul 05:32 To the endless 05:35 Flowing well 05:38 From the waters 05:42 Of his side 05:45 There I find healing 05:47 And there I hide 05:53 Through the well 05:54 There is a river wide 06:00 Where I see my Savior's 06:03 Wounded side 06:06 There our high priest 06:08 Who will lay for me 06:12 Sacrificed for me 06:18 This my anchor, 06:22 Firm, secure 06:25 My soul is fastened 06:29 Ever sure 06:32 I've found in 06:35 Waters deep 06:38 There is a hand 06:40 That safely keeps 06:45 There is a hand 06:47 That safely keeps 07:11 Well, thank you, Kevin and Jennifer, 07:13 for that beautiful song. 07:15 We have an amazing hope in Jesus, don't we? 07:18 An anchor firm and secure 07:21 that even the storms of life can't shake. 07:25 Well, this is our final message 07:28 in this series on Steps on Christ. 07:30 We're looking at rejoicing in the Lord. 07:33 Why don't we pray before we go into the message this morning? 07:37 Let's bow our heads and pray. 07:41 Our loving Father in heaven, we want to thank You so much. 07:44 We thank You so much for Your love for us. 07:47 And we thank You so much 07:49 for Your amazing word, this amazing truth. 07:52 Father, we have been studying this message 07:57 revealed in the book Steps to Christ. 08:00 And, Lord, as we come to the final message today, 08:02 we pray that once again, 08:04 that the Holy Spirit would guide our thoughts 08:07 and lead us to a closer relationship with Christ 08:11 is our prayer in Jesus' name. 08:13 Amen. 08:16 Well, a few years ago, 08:18 my friends and I were traveling to the Middle East 08:21 and we had a two day stopover in China. 08:25 Now, if you only had a couple of days in China, 08:28 what iconic structure would you want to see? 08:32 You'd want to see the Great Wall of China, right? 08:35 Well, that's what we did. 08:36 We went to see the Great Wall of China. 08:39 We arrived in Shanghai 08:41 to begin with and the temperature was a cool 08:43 minus five degrees Celsius. 08:45 Now keep in mind, 08:47 we were actually traveling to the Middle East. 08:49 So we didn't pack thinking 08:52 that we were going to need a lot of warm clothing. 08:55 As we were getting ready to go to Beijing, 08:58 where we would then go and see the Great Wall of China. 09:01 We looked and we discovered 09:02 that the temperature would drop to minus 15 in Beijing. 09:08 I was starting to feel a little bit concerned. 09:10 I'm not very good with the cold, 09:12 but my friends assured me. 09:14 They said, look, 09:16 once the temperature drops below zero, 09:18 it's pretty much all the same from there. 09:21 Well, that statement soon proved to be very false. 09:27 And when we arrived in Beijing 09:29 and we were, here we were standing 09:31 on the Great Wall of China finally. 09:33 It should have been an amazing experience 09:37 and yet I couldn't help, 09:39 but just feel very sorry for myself, 09:41 because all I could think about was how cold it was. 09:45 And you know, it's interesting, 09:46 the more I thought about how cold it was, 09:48 the more I expressed and said, oh, it's so cold. 09:51 The colder I felt. 09:54 Friends when the cold winds of life, 09:56 blow through, how do we cope? 10:02 Where can we find warmth in our hearts, 10:04 joy in our souls, and peace in our minds amidst 10:09 the cold negativity 10:12 around which is so prevalent in our world today? 10:15 With our Bible study this morning, 10:17 looking at rejoicing in the Lord 10:18 is going to highlight five points for us. 10:20 We're going to find out where is our source of joy 10:23 to begin with. 10:24 We secondly going to look at 10:26 how our focus actually 10:27 influences and determines our feelings. 10:30 Thirdly, we're going to look at the importance of remembering 10:32 how God has worked in the past. 10:34 Fourth, we're going to look at the fact that we can rejoice 10:39 when we trust that I patiently trust 10:43 that God is working things together for our good. 10:46 And finally, we look at the eternal rewards 10:48 of praising God in the midst of trial. 10:50 Take your Bible and let's turn to the Book of John. 10:54 The Book of John Chapter 15, 10:57 and we're going to look at verse 9. 11:01 This is on the night of Jesus betrayal. 11:05 John 15:9. 11:09 And Jesus speaks these words in the night of His betrayal. 11:14 To the disciples He says, as the Father has loved Me, 11:18 I also have loved you. 11:23 Abide in My love. 11:25 On that very night, that Judas is about to betray Jesus, 11:29 on the very night that Jesus 11:31 knows that His disciples are about to fail him. 11:34 He knows that His disciples are about to forsake Him. 11:38 He speaks to them of His love. 11:40 He says abide in My love. 11:43 And what is going to happen when you abide in Jesus' love. 11:46 Let's notice verse 11, just two verses later. 11:50 "These things I have spoken to you, Jesus says, 11:53 that My joy may remain in you 11:57 and that your joy may be full." 12:00 Wow. 12:02 Doesn't that sound awesome, 12:03 having the full joy of Jesus in your heart? 12:06 Here is the source of joy for the Christian, 12:08 it's found in Jesus. 12:10 When you abide in Jesus, when you remain in His love 12:15 then, and when you dwell in His presence, you have joy. 12:19 That's why the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 16:11, 12:22 "In your presence is fullness of joy." 12:26 Seeking joy and peace outside of Jesus is like 12:29 seeking for a destination that doesn't even exist. 12:33 Our world today seems flooded in a sea of sadness. 12:36 Would you agree? 12:38 Millions upon millions of people 12:40 suffer from depression and anxiety. 12:43 Others are weighed down by very heavy burdens of grief. 12:48 Each of them long to have peace of mind, 12:53 mindfulness, 12:55 which is the practice of being present 12:59 is being increasingly popular in our world today 13:02 as an approach to alleviating stress. 13:06 However, for the Christian, 13:08 we know that experiencing joy and contentment 13:13 goes beyond just noticing what's around us 13:15 and what's within us. 13:16 We have to look above us to Christ 13:19 to find true joy and true happiness. 13:22 I'm reminded of the words of Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon. 13:25 He said these very fascinating words. 13:27 He said, "When I looked at Jesus, 13:29 the dove of peace flew into my heart. 13:32 But when I looked at the dove it flew away." 13:35 Many today want peace without Christ. 13:40 Have you ever tried that? 13:42 Have you ever tried 13:44 to find peace in something else other than, 13:46 I'm just glad that some of us are honest. 13:48 We've tried to find peace in other things, 13:51 but we find ourselves still lacking. 13:54 There are so many ways 13:56 that we may try to obtain peace and fulfillment 13:59 and joy in our lives, but they're all dead end roads. 14:02 True peace, true contentment, 14:05 true fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ. 14:08 So what's happening in your life at the moment? 14:11 Are you facing financial hardship? 14:13 Are you facing troubles in your family? 14:17 Do you feel lonely 14:18 with all this COVID-19 that's happening? 14:22 What about stress? 14:25 What are your stress levels like? 14:27 Are you feeling burnt out and overwhelmed? 14:30 Well, there are so many things in life that can threaten 14:33 to take away our joy and our peace. 14:37 And when you face these trials, what do you do to cope? 14:41 Well, the Australian Psychological Association 14:44 in their stress and wellbeing report 14:47 showed that the vast majority of us, 14:49 actually, 85% of Australians, 14:52 what do we do with stress to cope? 14:54 We actually go to the TV. 14:56 We go to some form of entertainment or media 15:00 in order to cope. 15:02 And yet with all the media that we have at our fingertips, 15:07 our stress levels continue to climb. 15:10 Could it be that all of these things around us 15:14 are actually distracting us and diverting our attention 15:17 from the one who can in indeed revive true peace, 15:21 deep within our hearts? 15:24 And so Jesus is our source of peace. 15:29 There are times in life 15:30 when our circumstances will appear bleak. 15:33 And Jesus doesn't paint an unrealistic picture for us. 15:37 In John 16:33, 15:41 the final verse in John Chapter 16, 15:43 Jesus says these words. 15:45 He says, "These things, 15:46 I have spoken to you that in Me," 15:47 there it is again, "in Me, you may have peace." 15:52 In the world you'll have what? 15:54 "You'll have tribulation, but be of good cheer 15:56 because I have overcome the world." 16:00 Jesus tells us. 16:01 Jesus states very plainly that we will face trouble 16:05 in this world. 16:07 But if you believe in Christ, 16:09 even though you endure trouble, 16:15 you can still rejoice and have peace in Jesus. 16:17 We're prone to discouragement. 16:20 You know, one of the stories that stands out to me 16:23 is that of John the Baptist, 16:24 the elder cousin of Jesus, 16:26 this mighty man of faith, 16:29 a prophetic voice that heralded the way for Jesus. 16:34 This man whom Jesus said 16:36 was the greatest of all prophets. 16:39 This man even experienced incredible moments 16:43 in his life of doubt and discouragement. 16:46 In fact, he even came to question 16:48 the very identity of Jesus Himself. 16:51 Notice with me in Matthew Chapter 11, 16:53 what the Bible tells us in verse 2 and 3. 16:56 "And when John had heard in prison 16:58 about the works of Christ, 17:00 he sent two of his disciples and said to him, 17:04 'Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" 17:09 When we are in the midst of doubt and discouragement, 17:13 one thing that I noticed from John's experiences 17:15 that he asks a question, he doesn't make a statement. 17:18 He asks a question, he doesn't make a statement. 17:21 Because in that question, 17:23 there is still the element of faith, isn't there? 17:24 Are you the Coming One? 17:25 I'm sure that you were, but I just need some, 17:29 something to strengthen my faith right now. 17:32 John did, his faith, 17:34 his joy revived as the words and the story 17:39 and the works of Jesus were reported back to him. 17:41 But I don't want to skip over this story too quickly. 17:44 We need to see two very important points 17:47 that emerge from John the Baptist experience. 17:50 A man of courage, a man of great faith 17:53 who experienced doubt and discouragement in his life. 17:56 Firstly, if someone like John 18:00 the Baptist could experience discouragement, 18:04 all of us can. 18:07 We're all prone to discouragement and doubt, 18:10 and it shows us how much we need Jesus, doesn't it? 18:14 We need Him so much to strengthen us day by day 18:18 and to keep our faith firm and strong. 18:21 Secondly, in the book, Desire of Ages, 18:24 Ellen White makes it very crystal clear 18:27 that those doubts in the mind of John the Baptist 18:30 did not originate in his own thinking. 18:33 It was in fact, his own disciples 18:36 that actually expressed those doubts to John. 18:40 Are you sure that Jesus is the Messiah, John? 18:42 And those seeds of doubt sown by his own disciples, 18:46 those who were closest to him bore the fruit, 18:50 the bitter fruit of discouragement 18:53 in John's life. 18:54 How careful we must be 18:57 to only speak words of encouragement and faith, 19:01 even if we may recover 19:03 from the words of discouragement 19:05 that we may have spoken someone else 19:06 who has heard those words may not recover. 19:09 They may not recover. 19:11 Notice this incredible statement 19:14 found in this book that's being promoted 19:17 and that you must absolutely read, 19:19 Steps to Christ. 19:21 We find this statement in the final chapter. 19:23 "Make it a rule never 19:27 to utter one word of doubt and discouragement." 19:31 Wow. How about that? 19:33 "You can do much to brighten the lives of others 19:36 and strengthen their efforts by words of hope 19:38 and holy cheer." 19:40 Even if you don't feel like it, 19:42 speak words of hope and holy cheer. 19:44 And that leads us to our second point, 19:45 that our focus determines our feelings. 19:49 In this same book, Ellen White in the final chapter describes 19:53 a very interesting experience. 19:55 She begins by saying these words. 19:58 She says, "Many walking upon, 20:02 along the path of life, do this. 20:04 They dwell upon their mistakes 20:07 and failures and disappointments, 20:09 and their hearts are filled with grief and discouragement 20:13 because they're dwelling upon those negative aspects." 20:15 She says that many people do this. 20:17 And then she describes an experience where a lady, 20:20 she was in Europe, 20:21 and a lady wrote to her seeking some word of encouragement 20:24 from Ellen White. 20:26 That very night 20:27 after Ellen White had read the letter. 20:29 She had an incredible dream. 20:31 In the dream she was in a beautiful garden 20:34 and a guide was conducting her through this beautiful garden. 20:37 She was amazed at the beautiful flowers, 20:40 the colors and the sweet smelling fragrances. 20:44 Then suddenly this other lady who had written to her 20:48 also appeared in the dream. 20:50 But instead of noticing all the beauty of the garden, 20:52 you can see where this is going, can't you? 20:54 Instead of noticing all the beauty of the garden, 20:56 she goes like, look at these awful thorns and thistles. 21:00 Isn't it terrible that they're ruining this beautiful garden? 21:05 The dream tells us a very powerful lesson. 21:09 What we choose to focus on is going to determine 21:13 our emotions, our feelings, how we feel. 21:17 If we choose to focus 21:20 on the beauty that surrounds us, 21:21 our hearts will be filled with joy. 21:22 But if we focus on the negative aspects of life, 21:25 our hearts will be filled with discouragement and grief. 21:28 The Apostle Paul wrote these words 21:31 in Philippians Chapter 4. 21:33 These are incredible words written by the Apostle Paul. 21:37 Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for," how much? 21:41 "For nothing, but in," how much? 21:44 "Everything by prayer and supplication 21:48 with thanksgiving, 21:50 let your requests be made known to God." 21:53 Rather than dwelling upon the problems and the trials 21:57 and the discouragements and the failures, 21:59 we had to take those things to God in prayer. 22:03 We have to take those things to God in prayer. 22:05 And when we take our worries to God in prayer, 22:07 with thankful hearts, what's the result? 22:10 Verse 7, and the peace of God, isn't that what you want? 22:13 "The peace of God is what I want, 22:15 which surpasses all understanding 22:17 will guard your hearts and minds 22:19 through Christ Jesus.? 22:20 Amen. 22:22 Isn't this good news? 22:24 And so we take these things to God in prayer, 22:28 but our prayer must be more than requests. 22:31 It must also include thanksgiving. 22:35 It must also include thanksgiving 22:37 because it's, as we express gratitude and thankfulness 22:39 for what God has done in our lives, 22:41 then that actually more than half solves the problem. 22:44 It actually more than half solves the problem. 22:47 Being gracious and thankful has incredible power 22:50 to increase our joy and to decrease our sorrow 22:54 because it's putting our focus in the right place. 22:57 You know, a study was conducted where participants were asked 23:02 to write down three things they were grateful 23:04 for every night before they went to bed 23:06 and why they are grateful for those things. 23:08 After just one week, 23:10 those participants experienced, you know, they were happier. 23:16 They felt better. 23:19 They continued the same practice for six months 23:22 and their levels of happiness and joy continued 23:25 to grow exponentially. 23:28 This was not just some sort of, 23:29 you know, that was a fun exercise, 23:32 but it kept getting better the longer 23:35 that they practiced being thankful. 23:36 Friends, if that can work 23:38 for a group of randomly selected people, 23:41 how much more can it work for you as a Christian? 23:45 You know, there's no one on earth 23:47 who has more to be thankful for than a Christian. 23:50 We can be thankful for what Jesus has done for us. 23:54 When we look away from ourselves and to Christ, 23:57 we find amazing strength, 24:00 but perhaps just maybe 24:03 we're like those Israelites of old, 24:06 who in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, 24:09 they heard the law of God, 24:11 they'd been kept in captivity for decades. 24:15 They'd seen God now working powerfully in their midst. 24:19 They'd seen Nehemiah lead the team 24:21 and the walls of the city had been rebuilt, 24:25 and now thousands were returning 24:27 to the homeland to Jerusalem 24:29 and they were coming together to praise God. 24:32 And to hear the words of the Lord, 24:36 and yet in this day that should have been a day of rejoicing. 24:40 It's very interesting, 24:42 as they hear the words of God's law being read, 24:46 instead of discerning in that amazing truth 24:49 and amazing, the amazing goodness of God, 24:52 what they saw 24:54 was it more clearly revealed their own defects, 24:57 it more clearly revealed their own shortcomings. 24:59 And that's where their focus, 25:01 that's what they began to focus on. 25:04 On a day of rejoicing, they began to mourn. 25:07 And so what did Ezra have to say to the people? 25:10 He said, do not sorrow, Nehemiah 8:10. 25:13 He said, "Do not sorry for the joy of the Lord 25:16 is your strength." 25:18 The joy of the Lord is your strength. 25:21 Friends, listening today, do not sorrow, 25:23 for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 25:25 Though you may be sinful, God's grace covers you. 25:29 The joy of the Lord is your strength. 25:32 Though you may feel weak, Jesus can strengthen you. 25:35 The joy of the Lord is your strength. 25:37 Though you may feel alone, 25:39 do not fear for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 25:42 He is with you to strengthen you 25:44 through whatever trial you may face. 25:47 You know, when my wife and I were preparing 25:48 to have our first child, 25:50 we've got two by the way. 25:52 Two and counting, we went to the prenatal classes 25:57 at our local Kempsey hospital 26:00 and the midwife gave us a very important insight. 26:05 She said that a woman who is very anxious 26:08 and very stressed and very fearful in labor 26:11 will actually experience more pain 26:13 than if she is calm and happy and at peace. 26:19 It's an incredible insight. 26:21 Though we may go through immense sores and heartaches, 26:25 we can still be happy in Jesus. 26:28 And when we are, it will help to soothe 26:30 the pain that we go through. 26:33 You know the promise about praying with thanksgiving 26:35 and experiencing God's peace is followed by this verse 26:39 back in Philippians Chapter 4, it's followed by this verse, 26:43 Philippians 4:8. 26:45 And I'm sure you know, it. 26:46 It says, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, 26:50 whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, 26:54 whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, 26:57 whatever things are of good report. 26:58 If there is any praiser, if there's any virtue, 27:02 if there is anything praiseworthy, 27:03 meditate on these things, 27:07 make that your focus." 27:09 What we choose to think about directly impacts 27:12 how we feel. 27:14 Dr. William James regarded by some as the father 27:17 of American psychology once said that 27:19 our greatest weapon 27:21 against stress is our ability 27:25 to choose one thought over another. 27:28 The same principle applies to all unwanted feelings. 27:32 Your greatest defense is your ability through Christ 27:35 to shift your focus, 27:38 to choose to focus on the things that are good, 27:42 that are true, and that are found 27:45 in the Word of God. 27:47 The world around us is absorbed in worldly pursuits, 27:51 in worldly thoughts. 27:54 And Jesus said this in Matthew Chapter 6, 27:56 he told us this in Matthew 6:32. 28:00 He says, "But after all these thingsâ |" 28:02 What are all these things? 28:04 Things like food, things like clothing, 28:06 material things, things like houses and cars and money. 28:11 All of these possessions, 28:12 they absorb the minds of secular people. 28:16 And that's where a lot of grief and discouragement comes 28:20 from when we focus on those things 28:22 that are so temporary, and that can be 28:23 taken away from us so quickly. 28:26 But Jesus assures us. 28:28 He assures us that your heavenly Father 28:31 knows that you need all these things. 28:35 God is your Father. 28:37 He loves you as His child. 28:38 He's not going to leave you without. 28:41 He is going to provide for you, 28:43 even in the face of a time of trouble 28:46 in which every earthly support will be cut off. 28:48 The Bible tells us your bread and your water will be sure. 28:52 God is an amazing God. 28:54 He is our Father 28:55 and He will provide for our needs. 28:57 And so Jesus points out where our focus ought to be. 29:01 In verse 33 He says this, "But seek first, 29:05 the kingdom of God and His righteousness 29:08 and all these things will be added to you." 29:10 One of my favorite promises in all Scripture, by faith, 29:14 we had to seek first, focus wholeheartedly 29:18 and invest ourselves entirely in Christ and in His work. 29:24 Don't waste another moment, letting your mind be absorbed 29:27 in the things of this world. 29:30 Jesus says, put Me first, 29:31 make Me the unmatched priority of your life 29:35 and watch Me bring joy to your heart 29:37 and to your soul. 29:39 Jesus promises that. 29:41 And so then it's essential as we come to our third point. 29:45 To recognize the importance of remembering 29:47 how God has blessed us in the past, 29:51 how God has blessed us in the past. 29:53 How have you seen God working in your life? 29:56 How did you come to know Christ 29:58 and His love for you? 30:00 What have been some of your mountaintop experiences? 30:04 You know when we recount God's blessings 30:06 in our life and praise Him for them, 30:09 our faith is strengthened 30:10 and so is the faith of those around us. 30:12 What is the Psalmist write in Psalms 77, 30:15 in Psalms 77:11, a beautiful verse. 30:20 Psalms 77:11. 30:22 I'm just, let's just turn there. 30:24 The Psalmist writes, 30:26 "I will remember the works of the Lord. 30:30 Surely I will remember your wonders of old." 30:34 God calls us to remember because we're prone to forget. 30:40 You know, the history of the Israelite nation 30:43 is one of constant forgetfulness 30:44 of how God blessed them in the past, is it not? 30:47 And failing to do so they often repeated the same errors, 30:50 the same mistakes of previous generations 30:53 that had gone before them. 30:55 One of the most profound inspired quotations 30:57 reads like this. 30:59 We have nothing to fear for the future, 31:02 except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us. 31:08 And so how crucial it is for us to remember 31:10 what God has done in our lives. 31:13 Well, friends, it takes time to pause and reflect 31:17 in order to remember what God has done in the past. 31:19 If we're so busy that 31:21 we don't have time to stop and reflect, 31:23 we won't remember, but as God provided us 31:28 a sanctuary in time for us to pause and reflect 31:31 and remember His blessings. 31:32 Absolutely, He has. 31:35 The fourth commandment says these words. 31:37 Remember the Sabbath day. 31:39 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, 31:41 six days you shall labor and do all your work. 31:43 But the seventh day, the blessed day 31:46 is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 31:47 In it you shall do no work. 31:49 Take a full 24 hour break. 31:52 And remember what God has done in your life 31:56 far from a legalistic requirement, 31:57 the Sabbath calls us to pause and remember Jesus. 32:01 Remember His works in creation 32:04 that you are not some accident 32:05 that you are molded and shaped by God who loves you. 32:08 Remember His work in redemption. 32:11 Remember how His grace has worked in your life. 32:14 How at times when you've been so broken 32:16 and feeling so helplessly lost, 32:18 you've been reminded of God's unconditional love for you. 32:21 Remember His promise to come soon 32:25 and to take us home, as you remember, 32:28 joy will fill your heart. 32:30 But, of course, it's not enough to simply remember, 32:33 we must express our faith. 32:36 The Psalmist goes on to say in verse 12, Psalm 77:12, 32:40 "I will also meditate on all your work 32:42 and talk of your deeds." 32:45 Talk of your deeds. 32:46 We've got to put expression to our faith. 32:49 When you remember God's amazing blessings 32:52 in your life, tell others. 32:53 There's a thousand ways to do this. 32:56 A mentor of mine, what he does is every morning 32:59 he does a Facebook post of what he read 33:02 in the Bible that morning. 33:04 Thousands of people can access that post 33:07 and can see it and be encouraged. 33:09 And I know it gives him a faith lift as well. 33:13 Something I like to do is write TP 33:18 next to certain Bible verses. 33:20 Just in the margin TP 33:23 and it simply means tested and proven. 33:27 And what it means is that that verse 33:28 was tested and proven in my life. 33:30 I saw how God's Word was fulfilled faithfully. 33:33 And I write the date and I write a short description 33:36 of what was happening in my life at that time. 33:38 So whenever I come across that verse again in Scripture, 33:41 it takes me back to that time when I remember God working 33:45 powerfully in my life. 33:47 And as you can imagine, that gives me a significant 33:49 bout of joy. 33:52 Friends, let's come to the fourth point. 33:54 Remembering that God is working for our good. 33:58 Remembering that God is working for our good. 34:01 God is so compassionate, isn't He? 34:02 He's so loving. 34:04 He is so kind. 34:05 The Bible tells us in Lamentations 3:33, 34:08 "For He does not afflict willingly," 34:12 that means it's not from His heart. 34:13 It's not in His heart to reflect, 34:15 "nor grieve the children of men." 34:17 It is not in the heart of the compassionate Savior 34:20 to inflict pain and to grieve our souls. 34:25 And yet God is still able to work through the pain, 34:29 to work things out for good, 34:31 even when we can't see how that was possible. 34:36 Most often it requires patient trust 34:39 on our part because that good doesn't often, 34:44 it's not often apparent to us straight away. 34:46 Usually we have to wait quite a while in order to see it. 34:49 And I recently heard a story. 34:51 It was actually just last night. 34:52 I heard story of a lady in Albania 34:56 who had come to know Christ. 34:58 There was a Seventh-day Adventist 34:59 working there in Albania. 35:01 And he had shown this, this lady the scriptures, 35:04 and she had fallen in love with Jesus 35:06 and she wanted to get baptized. 35:08 But then communism took a hold of Albania. 35:11 As the Soviet Union was growing 35:15 and it became impossible for her to be baptized. 35:18 More than this, her spiritual mental 35:20 was imprisoned and he actually died. 35:22 And so here she was, she felt alone. 35:25 She felt, no doubt she would have felt 35:27 very discouraged by all of this, 35:29 but she held on to her faith 35:32 and you know what she did? 35:34 She actually took the Bible 35:35 and she read it from cover to cover, 35:37 not something that maybe everyone will do, 35:39 but she actually did it every year. 35:42 Every single year, she took the Bible 35:44 and read it from cover to cover every single year. 35:47 She also tithed. 35:49 She tithed even though she didn't have a place 35:51 to send her tithes, she just kept it 35:53 in a safe place at her home. 35:55 Well, as you can imagine, 35:57 as her relatives who didn't share her convictions 36:00 found out about this, they started to ridicule her, 36:02 use the money for something else. 36:04 You could get this, you could get that. 36:07 And the years went by and the decades went by 36:10 and she kept reading, kept reading her Bible 36:12 and she kept doing a faithful tithe. 36:14 And she kept looking forward to the day 36:16 when she would finally be able to get baptized. 36:21 And you know what? 36:22 She almost gave in. 36:23 She almost decided to just use the tithe 36:27 to buy something else. 36:28 But she went and she prayed. 36:30 And then she came back to her family members 36:32 who were putting the pressure on her. 36:33 And she said, look, God hasn't given me permission. 36:35 I'm sorry. 36:38 In the early 1990s, 36:40 when communism in Albania fell, 36:44 this lady was the first to be baptized 36:46 as a Seventh-day Adventist 36:47 after the fall of communism in Albania. 36:50 She had waited, get this, 36:52 50 years to be baptized. 36:56 She'd read the Bible through 50 times 36:58 in those 50 years. 37:00 She had tithed faithfully for 50 years 37:04 and this time of great disappointment 37:08 as she had held on to faith, 37:09 it just made the victory all the more sweet. 37:12 It just made the victory all the more sweet 37:14 as she had held on to faith. 37:15 Others heard about her story and they matched 37:18 the tithe that she had saved up. 37:20 And a huge sum of money was able to be put towards the work 37:25 in Albania as many others came to know Christ. 37:28 Yes, you know, 37:29 the Bible is also full of stories 37:32 of God working things out for good 37:34 when it seemed impossible. 37:35 It seemed impossible. 37:37 Think of the story of Job. 37:39 It didn't happen straight away, 37:41 but he patiently trusted to the place where he said, 37:44 even though he slay me, I'll still trust him. 37:47 Think of Daniel in Babylon, 37:49 a captive taken away from his home land 37:52 and stripped of his parents, of his place of worship. 37:57 And yet he trusted in the Lord and God used him to reveal 38:00 some of the most mighty truths 38:02 that are important for us in our day, 38:04 which we're living in today. 38:06 Think of Esther 38:07 and think particularly the story of Joseph. 38:10 His brothers sold him into slavery, and yet, 38:12 eventually it worked out for good, didn't it? 38:14 Then Potiphar's wife falsely accused him 38:16 and yet eventually worked out for good. 38:19 Then he gets thrown into prison. 38:20 Things seem to be getting worse, not better, 38:22 but eventually it worked out for good. 38:26 And Joseph certainly recognized this 38:29 as he came to the end of his, as Jacob, 38:32 his father died at the end of the Book of Genesis., 38:36 His brothers were afraid of him 38:37 because of what they had done to him. 38:39 They thought Joseph's a powerful man, 38:40 he's going to take revenge on us. 38:43 But Joseph speaks to them these remarkable words 38:46 found in Genesis 50:20. 38:49 "But as for you," speaking to his brothers, 38:51 "you meant evil against me, 38:54 but God meant it for good, 38:57 in order to bring it as it is this day 38:59 to save many people alive." 39:00 Joseph rose above the pitfall of bitterness and revenge 39:04 that many fall into today. 39:09 In fact, he could not only, 39:11 he not only went and didn't go into the pitfall. 39:13 He could actually give glory to God 39:15 and love those who had mistreated him. 39:19 Why? 39:20 Because he recognized that God had been able to work 39:22 through that situation for a good purpose. 39:25 There is a truly powerful lesson right here 39:28 in Joseph's experience that we cannot afford to miss. 39:32 Think about it, 39:34 whatever trials come our way and by whomever they come. 39:39 If we see in that difficulty 39:41 an opportunity to grow in Christ, 39:45 then it completely changes the way that we respond. 39:48 In Christ's Object Lessons, page 61, 39:51 we read this remarkable statement. 39:55 Through conflict this spiritual life 39:59 is strengthened. 40:00 Trials well born will develop steadfastness of character 40:05 and precious spiritual graces. 40:09 Some say that the difference between coal and diamond 40:11 is time and pressure, 40:13 but that's not always true of people, is it? 40:15 Trials in and of themselves don't make us a better people. 40:19 It's what we do with them that matters. 40:21 Trials can make us bitter or they can make us better. 40:25 But it depends on how we respond. 40:27 If Joseph had cherished vengeful, 40:29 bitter thoughts towards his brothers, 40:31 for what they had done to him, 40:32 he would have become spiritually dwarfed. 40:37 If he had allowed the devil's doubts, 40:39 God's forgotten about you. 40:40 God doesn't love you to dominate his thinking, 40:42 he would have declined in spirituality. 40:47 If Joseph had vented his story 40:49 criticizing and condemning his brothers 40:51 for their wrongs, his character would have 40:53 become critical and hostile itself. 40:56 Friends, you cannot have the joy of Jesus in your heart 40:58 and the same time cherish a critical bitter thoughts 41:01 for someone for whom Christ died. 41:03 It's impossible. 41:05 You may not condone their behavior, 41:07 but if you have experienced the grace of Christ 41:08 in your own life, you will not allow any place 41:11 for malice and envy in your heart. 41:14 Can somebody say amen to that? 41:16 In fact, it is in these very trials that we can come 41:19 to understand more of the love of Christ. 41:21 You see, when I'm struggling to forgive someone, 41:24 I look to Jesus and I see that He freely forgives me 41:26 and I'm humbled. 41:28 You know, when I'm struggling to be kind to someone 41:30 who's hurt me, I look to Jesus 41:32 and His loving-kindness to me 41:33 is so unconditional that it just humbles me again. 41:37 And you know, 41:38 when the conflict reveals more of my faults and defects, 41:42 and then I look to Jesus, I just bow. 41:44 And I say, oh, Lord, how great thou art 41:46 for loving a sinner like me. 41:49 Friends, it's so important that we praise God, 41:51 even in an, especially in the midst of trials, 41:55 because there's an eternal reward. 41:57 And this might surprise you as we come to the final point. 42:01 In one of my all-time favorite stories of Scripture, 42:04 Paul and Silas go to Philippi, 42:07 they're preaching the gospel. 42:09 And after some initial success, 42:11 they then find themselves in very deep water. 42:14 They're seized by an angry mob, 42:15 dragged through the marketplace, 42:18 falsely condemned by the magistrates 42:20 and they're beaten with a scourge 42:23 and then they're thrown into the inner prison. 42:26 You know, the scourge 42:28 that they were beaten with was a Roman scourge, 42:30 typically is made of three level lashings. 42:33 But the Romans used to insert bits of bone 42:35 and metal into that lashing 42:37 to inflict incredible suffering. 42:39 It would literally rip open the backs, 42:42 the skin of the person being beaten. 42:45 The Roman prisons typically had an outer prison 42:47 and an inner prison. 42:49 The outer prison allowed light and air to flow through. 42:54 However, the inner prison was cold, dark, and like a dungeon, 42:58 virtually no natural light penetrated 43:00 into those gloomy prison cells. 43:02 And so here's the picture. 43:04 Paul and Silas, they've been dragged through the marketplace 43:07 falsely accused beaten so that their backs 43:11 are literally just ripped open and bleeding. 43:14 They're in the inner prison where there is cold, 43:17 it is dark, it is gloomy. 43:20 Friends, after going through all of that, 43:24 you wouldn't blame them for feeling discouraged, 43:25 would you? 43:28 You wouldn't blame them for expressing some concerns 43:33 and some doubts and some discouragement. 43:35 Notice what the Bible tells us that they do in Acts 16:25, 43:41 "But at midnight Paul and Silas were doing" what? 43:44 "Praying and singing hymns to God 43:49 and the prisoners were listening to them." 43:51 That is incredible. 43:53 That is inspiring. 43:57 That is awesome. 43:58 And do you notice 44:00 what the final part of that verse says. 44:01 The prisoners were listening to them. 44:04 They were not used to hearing 44:06 this kind of thing from that cell. 44:07 They were used to hearing people shrieking 44:10 and swearing and cursing, 44:13 and yet we see here 44:15 that they are actually singing hymns and praising 44:19 God and these prisoners were listening to them. 44:21 And guess what? So was the jailer. 44:24 And he drifts off into this sleep. 44:26 And as the story goes on, 44:28 an earthquake strikes the prison cell, 44:29 the doors fling open, 44:31 the jailer suddenly wakes up. 44:34 He sees the prison doors open. 44:35 He thinks all the prisoners have escaped 44:39 and anticipating his fate from his superiors, 44:43 he takes out his sword and he is about to kill himself 44:46 when a kind but urgent voice calls out to him 44:49 from the darkness. 44:50 Do yourself no harm, for we're all here. 44:55 Trembling this man calls for a light. 44:58 He wants to see the faces of these men 45:01 who cold, tortured and imprisoned 45:05 could still rejoice. 45:08 And when he comes before them 45:10 and he sees in their faces a peace 45:12 and a joy that he's never known. 45:14 He asks them that question says, 45:16 what must I do to be saved? 45:20 Something different about you. 45:22 The way that you went through that. 45:24 I want what you've got. 45:26 I want to know Jesus. 45:27 What greater joy could there be 45:30 than seeing a soul come to know Christ. 45:33 Jesus tells us that heaven erupts into joyful chorus 45:38 when one sinner turns to know Jesus, 45:40 he tells us that. 45:42 There is joy and salvation. 45:44 Now here's a question for you. 45:46 What was it that drew the jailer's, 45:48 that drew that jailer to know Christ? 45:51 Was it Paul's incredible preaching? 45:54 Was it his vast intellect 45:56 and knowledge of the scriptures? 45:58 Was it a miracle that he had performed? 46:01 It was none of those things. No. 46:03 It was simply the fact that he was willing to praise God 46:07 in the midst of his trial. 46:10 Friends, the greatest witness that you and I can give 46:12 is to praise God in the midst of our trials. 46:15 It's the greatest witness that you and I can give. 46:18 We read this incredible statement in the book, 46:21 actually, The Apostles written by Ellen White. 46:23 She says that Paul's, zeal and devotion, 46:27 and above all, his willingness to suffer for Christ's sake, 46:31 exerted a deep and lasting influence upon the converts. 46:34 Friends, it's not our zeal. 46:36 It's not our devotion. 46:37 It's not our knowledge 46:39 or our influence or our talents or our education 46:41 that has the greatest impact on reaching souls for Christ. 46:45 It's our willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ. 46:48 It's our willingness 46:50 to praise God in the midst of trials. 46:53 And so here's another thought. 46:55 The degree of suffering you endure for Christ on earth 46:59 will be proportional to the blessing 47:01 that you receive with Christ in heaven. 47:04 And what is that heavenly blessing? 47:07 That heavenly blessing, 47:09 the significant part of that is that 47:11 there are people there who have been won to Christ. 47:15 And they were won to Christ significantly 47:18 because they saw you praising God 47:21 in the midst of a trial. 47:22 They saw your faith 47:24 and they said I want what you've got. 47:26 I can see that you've got joy in the midst of this pain. 47:28 How do you do that? 47:30 I need Jesus too. 47:32 And so they're drawn to know Jesus. 47:34 Notice these words of Jesus from the Sermon 47:38 on the Mount in 5:11. 47:41 Matthew 5:11, Jesus says 47:43 "Blessed are you, blessed are you 47:46 when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil 47:50 against you falsely for My name's sake." 47:52 Jesus, what are You saying? 47:53 Blessed. Yes. Rejoice. 47:55 He says, and be exceedingly glad, 47:57 for great is your reward in heaven. 48:01 If you're faithful through that trial, 48:03 it is going to touch someone's life. 48:06 It's going to draw them to know Jesus, 48:08 whatever trial you're facing right now, 48:10 or that you will face in the future. 48:12 Christ longs for each of us to be encouraged 48:16 by the truth that your suffering is not in vain. 48:19 Your heartache is not without hope 48:23 through Jesus and with Jesus, 48:24 you can rejoice through the trial encouraged 48:27 by the thought that someone somewhere 48:29 is going to be drawn to Jesus through all of this. 48:32 Friends, the greatest example of this is Jesus Himself. 48:35 As He hung there on that cross, 48:38 as His heart was being crushed 48:40 under the weight of the world's sin upon Him. 48:43 The Bible tells us these amazing words, 48:45 recorded in Hebrews 12:2 48:48 says that "Jesus, 48:50 for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross." 48:55 That joy and that hope 48:58 that uplifting thought that enabled Jesus 49:00 to suffer the cruelty of the cross 49:02 was that one day you and I could be saved. 49:05 That joy that strengthened the heart of Jesus 49:08 in the midst of the greatest trial 49:12 was that one day that we would be with Him 49:14 safe and secure, 49:16 free from sorrow and pain for all of eternity. 49:21 That joy that's so deeply encouraged Christ on Calvary 49:25 was that although His people would also go through 49:28 heartaches, troubles and trials, 49:30 that we could look to Jesus and find faith and courage 49:35 and hope in Jesus to not only cope, 49:39 but to actually emerge through that trial 49:41 with our faith in Christ stronger than ever before. 49:45 So let's highlight the key points in this message. 49:47 Firstly, Jesus is the source of our joy. 49:52 Any other attempt to find joy that's out of Jesus 49:57 is a dead end road. 50:00 When we focus on that, 50:01 which is true and that is good, 50:03 it lifts our hearts. 50:05 And when we make Jesus our primary focus, 50:08 He promises to bless us 50:11 and to provide all of our needs. 50:13 And that would include joy in our hearts. 50:16 When we remember God's blessings in the past, 50:19 and we remember those mountaintop experiences, 50:22 it gives us significant bout of joy to us, 50:24 especially when we're facing difficult times. 50:28 Also, when we patiently endure, 50:30 we patiently trust and believe 50:34 that God is actually working things out 50:35 for our ultimate good. 50:38 And finally, when we realize 50:40 that there is an eternal reward for praising God 50:42 in the midst of trials, the eternal reward 50:44 is that someone's going to know Jesus through this. 50:46 Someone's hearts is going to be touched through this. 50:50 And I just want to highlight, again, this quote 50:53 from the book Steps to Christ, this very challenging quote, 50:56 but very powerful quote, which says what. 50:58 Make it a rule never to utter 51:02 one word of doubt or discouragement. 51:05 Who's willing to give that a go? 51:07 You can do much to brighten the lives of others 51:11 and strengthen their efforts by words 51:12 of hope and holy cheer. 51:14 I urge you to do that, friends. 51:16 Ask Jesus to enable you to do that. 51:21 And so I'd like to finish this message with a story. 51:24 The story is told of a young man 51:26 who established a very successful legal practice. 51:29 He was also a devout Christian. 51:31 He began to invest in real estate. 51:33 He bought prime real estate along a beautiful shoreline. 51:37 Things were looking so-so good 51:40 when tragedy struck and his son, his boy 51:42 perished and died. 51:44 It wasn't long after that this incredible fire 51:48 ripped through that beautiful shoreline, 51:50 where he had just invested all of this money 51:52 and his fortune evaporated overnight. 51:57 But, friends, the worst was yet to come. 52:00 He, him and his wife and his four daughters, 52:03 they decided to travel overseas to help a Christian effort, 52:07 a Christian mission, 52:08 which was taking place overseas. 52:10 His last minute business developments 52:12 meant that he couldn't travel with his wife 52:15 and four daughters. 52:16 So they went ahead of him. 52:17 He was going to come a few days later. 52:21 And so his wife and four daughters 52:22 boarded the ship 52:23 and they're traveling over their way 52:25 overseas to help with this Christian mission effort. 52:28 When a freak accident took place 52:31 and the ship struck another ship 52:34 and it sank in just 12 minutes time. 52:40 Finally, when the survivors, there was a few survivors, 52:43 when they made it overseas, a message was sent back 52:47 to the father, to the husband. 52:49 This message from his wife saved alone. 52:55 This heartbroken father immediately left to join 52:58 his wife. 52:59 And it is said that as he approached that area of ocean 53:02 where a ship sank and his four daughters perished 53:06 that Horatio's Spafford penned these words, 53:09 I'm sure you know them, 53:10 when peace like a river attendeth my way. 53:14 When sorrows like sea billows roll, 53:17 whatever my lot thou has taught me to say 53:21 it is well, it is well 53:24 with my soul. 53:26 Friends, the only way 53:29 that we can say that it is well with our soul 53:34 is to have Jesus in our hearts. 53:36 Won't you reach out to Him right now? 53:39 Let's pray as we close this message. 53:42 Our loving Father, 53:44 You were the one who can fill our hearts with joy 53:47 and with peace and with hope. 53:51 Father, we thank You 53:53 for all that You've done for our lives. 53:54 Most of all, for what You have done by sending Jesus. 53:59 We thank You for His life and His love. 54:02 And so, Father, it's our prayer today, 54:05 our sincere prayer that Jesus 54:07 would take full hold of our hearts 54:09 and full hold of our lives 54:11 that we'll be safe and secure in His love. 54:14 We pray all this in Jesus' precious name. 54:17 Amen. |
Revised 2021-06-10