Steadfast in the Faith

We have been going through trying times in the church, but looking back at more than 50 years as a member of God's church, there have been many trying times. Old timers that go back to the 60s or the 70s will be able to remember that there were trying times back in those days as well. There were also trying times in the 80s and in the 90s. And in 1995, since 1995 when the United Church of God was formed, then we certainly have had trying times also. There have been changes in our human leadership. We've had different presidents that have served in United. And we have had different members of the Council of Elders, and we've had different members of the church's administrative team. You know, sir, when you think about it, trying times are nothing new for the people of God. In fact, when we study God's people down through history, then we see that they have always faced trying times.

For 6,000 years, you will discover a tried and tested people in the Bible. What could you go for just a brief summary of some of the things they suffered? Well, the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. We will not turn to it right now. But when you study the life of Abel, you study Enoch and Noah before the flood, they certainly went through their trying times.

In fact, Abel was murdered. And we don't know what happened to Enoch, but he died prematurely. Whether he was murdered or something else happened. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they had their trying times, their difficulties. Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, all of the prophets.

Same thing in the New Testament. It was no different for Jesus Christ. In his life, he faced many, many trying times. And of course, we know that he was ultimately murdered. We read about the apostles in the book of Acts and in Paul's letters and the New Testament Church. And we see that they also were tried and tested. You know, we also read about church history. The last 2,000 years of church history.

God's people often have had to flee into the wilderness. They've had to be very careful where they lived even and had to at times meet in secret. And it was not until about the 1600s that the church began to be able to come more out into the open. Many times before that, the church had to dwell in mountain valleys and recessed areas away from the mainstream of civilization in order to survive. But in England, we find the Church of God coming more out into the open in the 1600s. And it was the time of Joseph's blessing, of the birthright blessings being granted to Ephraim and Manasseh. And the stress upon human rights and personal freedoms that began to change things so that in our time today, we are able to worship in freedom. And we're able to be different. We're able to meet here with the law backing us up that we have the right of assembly for freedom of worship. So it's not always been that way for the people of God. It's good for us to realize that. So we read about church history right on down to our time. And what about our time? Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Maybe he had it easy. No. Mr. Armstrong had a constant battle. He had books written against him. And some of them, as I remember the title, Herbert Armstrong, a false prophet. There were articles along the same line. So Mr. Herbert Armstrong was continually being accused of being wrong, of being a false prophet. And he was suddenly tried and tested. He went through trying times. His whole ministry, in fact, he went through trying times. So maybe we should not be surprised today, 2010, that we are still going through trying times. I think the truth is that we can count on being tried and tested. It is going to happen to us. The question I would like for us to ask ourselves and really focus on this afternoon is, how can we be steadfast in faith in times of trial? How can we have a faith that will withstand the challenges and the problems which are bound to come our way? The trials are going to come. Our faith is going to be continually tested.

There are times when our faith will be more severely tested. There are times that we will go along and it won't be too bad, but then it can be severely tested. Are we strong enough to withstand? Are we strong in our faith? The trying of our faith will get more intense. Fire re-trials are going to come.

It is the end of this age, the Great Tribulation. We may be tried and tested just in areas of sustenance. How are we going to pay the bills? Where is the next meal going to come from? We don't know what may come our way at the end of this age. So we do know that a Great Tribulation is going to come. It is going to be a horrible time. Jesus said it would be a time like it never has been before.

So even the times we are living into are going to be trying and testing. Certainly they will be trying and testing directly toward the Church of God. Look at Revelation 12 and you will see that much of that chapter focuses on the time just ahead of us. Look at it. About two-thirds of Revelation 12 talks about the time just ahead of us when Satan is angry against the Church and he is going to attack the Church.

He is going to attack your faith and we have to be strong to stand the test. And God is going to allow it to happen. How can you be steadfast and able to handle every test and trial at the end of this age? Let's turn over to Luke chapter 18 and verse 8. Luke chapter 18 and verse 8. And the last part of this verse says, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? What do you make of that question that Jesus asked? When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? And what is the context of this statement that Jesus made?

The context is steadfastness. The context is persistence. When you go back to verse 1, there was a parable here that Jesus was giving that men ought always to pray and not lose heart. Not to give up, you see, to be steadfast. The context of this parable is to be steadfast and strong in faith. And always to pray, then, and not to lose heart.

You know, when we have trials and difficulties to come our way, it could be discouraging to us. We could be discouraged by some of the things that happen in the church. We could lose heart. And Jesus spoke this parable so that we would not lose heart but remain steadfast. He said there wasn't a certain city, a judge, who did not fear God nor man. Now, there was a widow in that city, and she came to him saying, Avenge me of my adversary.

And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself, he thought to himself, Though I do not fear God or regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. He knew that apparently she was not going to give up. She just kept coming back. And so he said, Just to get her off my back, I'm going to avenge her. Verse 6, Jesus now brings home the lesson, and the lesson is steadfastness. That's what I'd like for us to speak about.

It is not losing heart. It is keeping our faith strong. Hear what the unjust judge said. Here's the lesson we are to learn. And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them. We all do cry out to God. We do pray for God's people. We pray for the work of the church. We pray that God will bring us through all the difficult times we are living in. We do pray that God will help us to be united.

He will. Of course, in the very end, he's going to bring all of those he is working with together, and they will reign with Christ. We know that. But sometimes he does bear long with us. Verse 8, I tell you, he will avenge them speedily. Sometimes speedily is not quite as fast as we would like. But then we have that question that is posed at the end of verse 8. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth? And this statement is in the context of steadfastness and of persistence and just having strong faith and not giving up.

The answer to that is one that we will each have to ask ourselves, and it's one that we each will have to answer for ourselves. You can't answer for me? Will Christ find faith in me? Only I can answer that. Will Christ find faith in you? Each of us. Only we individually can provide the answer to this question.

But you know, let me give you what the answer can be, I believe. The answer can be absolutely yes. That Christ will find in you and me faith. Really find it a steadfast faith. One that is enduring, one that does not lose heart, one that always prays and looks to God to work out whatever comes along our way. One that is steadfast. Let's turn to Mark 24. Yes, the answer can be yes.

Christ will find the faith in us. Unless each of us work hard to make it that way. Matthew 24, verse 10. And yet there are prophecies in the Bible that certainly we have to take note of that warn us, and that really should kind of frighten us when we think about it. In Matthew 24 and verse 10, then many will be offended. Always talking about the church. Verse 9, they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you.

People in God's church. We do believe there is coming a time of martyrdom at the end of this age. The fifth seal of Revelation 6 is a martyrdom of the saints of God just before the day of the Lord. Will that be the time when Satan is loosed? Not loosed, rather, when Satan comes down with great anger, I should say, in Revelation 12. He is going to come down with great anger, knowing that he has just a short time.

So that could be around the same time as when there will be a martyrdom, and God's people will be delivered up to tribulation and put to death. You will be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Then verse 10, many will be offended, many members, and will betray one another, and will hate one another. If that's one thing, let us never betray anyone. Let us pray for all. God wants us to do that. We will never turn on anyone, and we wish everyone to be in God's kingdom and in God's family.

So that is just the way we should be in order to follow the example of Jesus Christ and the instruction of many verses in the Bible. We should never betray anyone or hate anyone. But many will be offended. In verse 11, there will be many false prophets to rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. That he that endures to the end will be saved. But you know, I don't think that means at all that we have to be among that many whose love will grow cold, but that we can be strong.

This is a warning. We can endure. We can be steadfast. So we're talking about being steadfast, you know, each of us. And not giving up, not becoming discouraged. God will certainly allow our steadfastness to be tested. But he wants us to be faithful and steadfast.

He's leading us toward that in the end, that we are very faithful and very steadfast. Let's read some verses on being steadfast. Turn, please, over to Psalm 78. Psalm 78. And let's see, beginning about verse 7. Psalm 78 and verse 7. So they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments, and they not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart alight, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

So the hearts, as talking about the ancient Israelites, they just simply were not steadfast or faithful in their spirit with God. In verse 36, they flattered Him with their mouth, they lied to Him with their tongue, for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant.

So, you know, it's important that we do have a heart that is steadfast with God. You know, steadfastness is one of the qualitiseral attributes of God. Let's go to Daniel 6 and verse 26. So this is an attribute of God, faithfulness and steadfastness, and we just are never going to change from living God's way of life. It's a character trait that God wants us to have, just as He has.

Daniel 6 and verse 26. You know, this is actually a Gentile king. This is Darius, emperor of the... or king of the Persian Empire. And, uh, Ecepter Daniel had been thrown into the lion's den and, uh, had been delivered. That King Darius wrote in verse 25, to all peoples, nations, languages that dwell on all the earth, peace be multiplied to you.

I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom, men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. And this king was, uh, as far as we know, not ever converted, but he certainly came to have respect for the God of Daniel. And he, uh, went on to say, he is the living God. And steadfast forever, he saw that God backed up Daniel, delivered Daniel. Steadfast forever. His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall endure to the end. So King Darius, uh, praised the steadfastness of the... of the God of Daniel. Let us come to the early New Testament church, Acts 2, and just reading several verses here on the importance of being steadfast. Steadfast in our faith.

In Acts 2, we know that this is the chapter where the New Testament church began. And 3,000 people believed, and they were baptized this day, and the church was off to a big start. The last part of verse 41, 3,000 souls were added to them. And notice in verse 42 that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. They were very happy and joyful, as you read on down. But there was a steadfastness that they followed with teachings. They listened carefully, and they looked to the leadership of the apostles. Let's go to Colossians chapter 2. We read another verse about steadfastness. Colossians chapter 2. God is going to allow our steadfastness to be tested. And we need to be able to be steadfast and faithful in the things that God has shown to us. In Colossians chapter 2 and verse 1, I want you to know that a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attain it to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. You know, the reason Paul was writing this is because there was a philosophy that came up there in Colossae that was not good. It actually was asceticism. Some of the people there did not believe it was right to eat and drink and have any enjoyment like at the feast days of God. We do enjoy food, we enjoy wine in moderation, and yet we do enjoy it. And there was an asceticism, a neglecting of the body. You can read about it later in this chapter. And Paul said that there is a certain show of wisdom. You know, it seems like these people are going to have such control that they just don't enjoy any physical pleasure, even like eating and drinking at a feast day. But he said that actually it is not God's way of life at all, in essence. Well, verse 4, Paul is warning in this chapter about this philosophy that had come upon the people in Colossae. He says, Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. And so there were people that would deceive the Colossian members. But notice what Paul admonished them in verse 5. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Rooted. Here's why we can be steadfast. We are rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught abounding in it with thanksgiving. And you can read on down how he was warning them not to let anyone come and uproot them or somehow cause them to lose their faith and their steadfastness. Notice a few more verses on being steadfast. And that's the quality that as we go through trials and difficulties in this life, we can develop this quality of steadfastness. Just keep right on going like God has called you into His church and placed you into where He wants you to be, that you keep right on going steadfastly. In Hebrews 3, verse 12.

We don't really have to waver when things happen. We don't have to be weakened in our faith. Things are going to happen. God's going to allow things to happen. But it doesn't change any of God's plan and God's purpose and how God is working in His church and in our lives at all. And so we can go on forward steadfast to the end. Notice also Hebrews 6, verse 18. So I'm in the Bible about being steadfast. And I think it's very important. It's an important quality that we all need to develop. And God lets us go through trying times to further develop this quality.

Hebrews 6, verse 18. That my two immutable things, what are those two immutable things? Well, we'll go back to verse 13 for that. When God made a promise to Abraham. So number one is a promise that God made. God just promised He would do something. And then God did something on top of that, the second immutable thing. Because He could swear by no other. He swore by Himself. God entered an oath. He promised, and then He entered an oath of what He would do. And we know that ultimately His purpose is that we enter His family.

So in verse 18, by two immutable things, the promise and the oath, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul. We do have something that anchors us down. I tell you, since the late 1950s, I have been around God's church for over 50 years now.

And we've been through many things, but guess what? God has brought us through them all. I have a trust in faith. Whatever comes up in the church, that God is going to be with us. And, you know, we don't need to worry unduly. We are concerned about things that happen, of course. But we don't need to worry. Mr. Armstrong once said, in talking about the finances of the church, he said, we do have financial problems from time to time. But he said, we don't have financial worries. You see, there's a difference. So we do have things we're concerned about, but we don't worry.

Because we have this anchor of the soul. And I hope that each and every one of us has a strong and big anchor for our spiritual life. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, our spiritual life, our hope of immortality in God's family. We've got a huge anchor that keeps us right on course and keeps us right where we are.

Both sure and steadfast. Notice. It is sure and it is steadfast. So we can depend upon it. It's going to happen because God has promised and He's also even entered into an oath. Two immutable things of God. Let's go to also Hebrews 12 and verse 26. So I guess what I'm saying today is, let's keep our faith strong.

Will Jesus find faith in us when He returns? He can, and I hope that He will. I hope He'll find you to me. But I've got my struggle. I've got to keep, you know, do it. I'm going to bring out a few things in a few minutes.

How we can be steadfast and go through whatever trials and difficulties come our way. But I have to keep myself in line, just as we all do. Keep myself on track. In Hebrews 12 and verse 26, Hebrews 12 and verse 26, whose voice then shook the earth. But now He has promised saying, yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. Maybe that's referring to when Christ returns and events yet to happen in the future.

And verse 27, now this, yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken as of things that are made. That the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Those who are steadfast, those who have that anchor of the soul will remain. They cannot be shaken. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

And so, you know, let us do that. And let us be among those things that cannot be shaken. When you think about 1995, what happened then, many people were shaken. Of course, many people went away from the basic doctrines and teachings of the Bible, including the Sabbath and the Holy Days. But then there were those things that cannot be shaken in 1995. And all the other difficulties and trying times the Church has been through.

Once in my life, I can think of our President and many others who have... I was in college with them 50 years ago, and you know, whether the storms, you know, the ups and the downs, the good times and the bad times and difficulties all along the way. There's a steadfastness that is there, and it is very encouraging to see.

You know, brethren, it's important that we realize that we could lose our steadfastness. We could begin to waver in our faith. We could begin to allow doubts to begin to come in. And we must not let that happen. Notice in 2 Peter, Chapter 3, we must not lose our steadfastness. Let that anchor of the soul, let it remain strong and anchor us down in God's Church. Go on forward all the way to the end, the end of our life or the end of this age, whichever...2 Peter, Chapter 3, and verse 14, wherefore, or therefore beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace.

We need to be diligent then about our calling, to be found in peace, without spot and blameless. Just asking God if there's any spot or any wrinkle in me, anything where I'm not right, then show it to me so that I can change. Mr. Herbert Armstrong often said, if there's something we're doing wrong, he said this to the ministry, time and again I heard it, if there's something we're doing wrong, let me know. He said, please write it down and get it to me, because He said, we don't want to be wrong, we want to be right. You know, that should be the approach we have in our personal lives as well.

If there's any spot or any wrinkle or anything, then God will show it to us so that we can get rid of it. Verse 15, account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. It does take some long suffering on our parts and persevering. As also our beloved Brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written, as in all of his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand.

The Bible admits that some of the Scriptures are hard to be understood, which those who are untaught and unstable twisted their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So yeah, in the middle of verse 17, let's beware that we don't ever fall from our own steadfastness. Wouldn't it be a shame if many of us here have been in the Church of God many long years, many of us for decades, wouldn't it be a shame to fall from our steadfastness? It really would, so let's just not let that happen. Let's stay close to God and be steadfast and true to God's way of life right to the very end.

I want to give us five things to consider in how to remain steadfast. How can we be rock solid? How can we endure the trials and the tests that surely will come our way? How can we endure trying times? Number one is to certainly keep your faith strong.

Keep your personal faith strong. Because, you know, if we lose our faith, what happens? We begin to doubt. We don't have anything else left to build on. And it's impossible to do God's will. It's impossible to obey God and serve Him and let Him work in our lives through His Spirit. If we begin to doubt, we have to have a strong faith. Keep your faith strong. Look at Hebrews 11 and 6. In Hebrews 11 and 6. Without faith, it is impossible. It's just not possible without faith to please God. For He that comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. So we must then keep our faith strong.

Don't begin to wonder and waver. You know, have complete faith that God is in charge. I received a card recently from one of my members that was very encouraging. It was a short little card, but this lady said, We know that God is in charge. Just a very short statement. That's always, I think, going to stick in my mind. Because it's a very positive way of looking at all the trying times that we go through. We know, I don't have any doubt about it, we know that God is in charge. You best kind of kept, that has kept me going in the church through the years. Because I do believe that deeply. I believe that God is in charge.

He's well in control of everything that happens. We need to keep our faith strong and not ever get into doubting or beginning to hold back. Let's go to 1 Timothy 1. 1 Timothy 1 and verse 18. One more verse on keeping our faith strong and the importance of doing that. 1 Timothy 1 and verse 18. This charge I commit to you, Son Timothy. Paul considered Timothy his son in a spiritual sense. According to the prophecies previously made concerning you.

That by them you may wage the good warfare. Having faith and a good conscience. See, that's very important. Having faith and a good conscience. Which some having rejected concerning the faith. Have suffered shipwreck of whom are I meanest and Alexander. Whom I delivered to Satan. That they may learn not to blaspheme. So, you know, don't let your faith ever weaken.

Don't let it wash up on the shore and on the rocky shore and be shipwrecked. Keep your faith strong, your conviction, your deep belief. All the things that you believed in at the time of baptism. Nothing has changed. All the basic doctrines. God that he does exist. The Bible is God's Word.

God has a kingdom, a family he is creating. He wants us to be a part of. His laws, His commandments. Nothing has changed. So let us not change. Keep your faith strong. Number two, and these play upon each other. They really work together with each other. Number two is to keep up your regular worship practices. What does that mean by that? Keep up your regular worship practices. You know, there are things that we do every day that are important.

What is that? Prayer? David said, evening, morning, and noon, I will pray and cry out to you. Psalm 55 verse 17. Three times a day, David would cry out to God. Pray. Daniel, when it was against the law, still got down three times a day. Daniel 6 verse 10. It was against the law to pray. And Daniel got down and prayed to God. He kept up his regular daily worship of God. Brethren, we need to do that too, and we need to keep up our prayers every day.

I have to admit, there have been some days that have sneaked by and I didn't pray. Not many, but there have been some. I don't like that. I know that I'm not rolling, I'm not close to God if I don't pray every day. And really, it would be ideal to pray more than just once a day. At least two, if not three times, as David and Daniel did. What about Bible study? You know, it is so good to read God's Word, the comfort of the Scriptures, the instruction, the correction that is there.

We do encourage Bible study, Bible reading, even every day as much as possible. I know some days may go by, but don't let that be very many, that we don't open our Bible and read God's Word. That's part of our daily worship of God. Daily meditation, less to see that meditates upon God's way constantly.

And then, of course, what about our weekly worship? Keep that up as well. The Sabbath, each Friday night, a special day of worship of God. Let it be a special day, a day of joy and prayer and meditation and good food and resting, just savoring the Sabbath each week. And then, this service, the Sabbath service, to have God's Word read and expounded. Very important. Keep that up week by week by week. I'm so glad there's so many today. You weathered the weather outside. You came, and here you are, to hear God's Word read and expounded and fellowship with one another.

Keep it up. Keep up the weekly worship of God at His Sabbath. What about the annual worship, the Holy Days? Keep that up as well. Be faithful in keeping the Holy Days. If we begin to let down in any of these, we will lose faith and we will begin to lose steadfastness. So, keep up your regular worship practices. Number three is, we are in a spiritual warfare. Keep up your spiritual warfare. Yes, Christianity is a warfare.

And there's no day that we wake up in which there are not spiritual battles taking place. Every day is a brand-new day of fighting spiritual battles. And we must then be fully committed to this warfare. Let's go to 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. In verse 3. You, therefore, 2 Timothy 2. In verse 3.

You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And, brethren, we then are a soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life. We don't get all involved in the world's society, its customs, and its way of life, its politics, its religion. We don't get involved in all the affairs of this world, but to please the one that's enlisted us as a soldier.

And so, we are in a spiritual warfare. And a part of that warfare is certainly fighting against this evil world, this evil society. Part of it is fighting against our own human nature, our own inward, fleshly nature. And part of it is fighting against Satan the Devil. We are told to put on the whole armor of God. I won't read that, but that's in Ephesians 6.

Put on the whole armor of God so we can fight and win this spiritual warfare. Let's do reading as far as fighting against Satan and being a part of the spiritual warfare. Let's read 1 Peter 5 and verses 8 and 9. 1 Peter 5 and verses 8 and 9. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Well, let's be strong. Satan is...we don't see him, but we can see his working. And he would like to devour us if we would let him. Let's be aware of that. Be sober, be vigilant. And what does verse 9 instruct us to do? Resist him. Steadfast in the faith. That's what we're talking about this afternoon. Steadfast in the faith. Knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

So, yes, let us keep up our spiritual warfare. Steadfast in the faith. Okay, we've had three of the five things in being steadfast. Keep your faith strong. Number one, keep up your regular worship practices. Number three, keep up your spiritual warfare. Number four is to keep your heart in the work of God. Keep your heart in the work of God. Mr. Herbert Armstrong often said, We're only as converted as our hearts are in the work of God. Let's go to Matthew 24.

And notice that it is what the wise and the faithful servant will be doing. Matthew 24, verse 45. Who then is a faithful and wise servant? Who is a faithful and wise servant? Who is master made ruler over his household to give them food in due season? So who is it? The answer is, blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. And that means steadfastly doing the work of God, steadfastly growing and overcoming. So just being steadfast and faithful in our calling. Verse 47, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

So, brethren, it's important that we keep our hearts doing the work of God. So doing, we can pray for God to open doors. Part of the work of God is preaching the Gospel, that first part of our commission. We can pray the gospel to open doors. Notice Colossians 4. We are happy about WGN. Maybe God has other doors he would like to open to us.

That would be wonderful. The Internet itself is a big door. We preach the Gospel powerfully around the world on the Internet. So in our literature. But maybe there are other doors on television. There are many, many doors that God has set before us. Pray that God will bless these doors.

Pray He will bless the response to all these doors that we are preaching the Gospel. Colossians 4, verse 2, Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, praying also for us that God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains. That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. Pray for our presenters on the television program.

Pray for the writers of our magazine articles. Pray for the Internet itself to be effective. Pray for these open doors that God has set before us. So, yes, number four is to keep your heart in the work of God. Number five, in remaining steadfast, is to keep your heart right in God's sight. And what kind of heart is it that is right in God's sight? I think, really, number five in many ways is the most important one of all, that we keep our heart right before God. The kind of person that God is going to look to is described in a few verses.

Let's read them. Psalm 34 and verse 18. This is the one that God is going to really take note of. That's what God is looking for. Psalm 34 and verse 18. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. You know, God is near to those who have a broken heart.

What does that mean? A broken heart is one that seeks to do God's will. It doesn't have a problem doing whatever God wants it to do. It's broken to do the will of God. It just wants to do what is pleasing in God's sight. What is a contrite spirit? The word contrite means crushed. It's the opposite of ego. It's humble, meek, teachable, and childlike spirit and attitude.

That's really what God wants in us, this type of broken heart and contrite spirit. Also notice Psalm 51, verses 16 and 17. This kind of heart is going to help us to be steadfast because we're going to look to God to guide us with His spirit.

We're going to seek to do His will in our lives. Psalm 51 and verse 16. For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. God's not looking for something like that. Verse 17, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise. So I think that is very important as we go through life, and that is to have a broken spirit and contrite heart before God. One that seeks to do God's will and not our own.

Let's read one final verse on this very important one. Isaiah 66 and verse 2. For all those things my hand has made, and all those things exist, says the Lord. But on this one will I look, on Him who is poor. And that's just not talking physically either. It's talking about someone who doesn't look upon himself as being all that great, all that righteous.

But one that needs God's forgiveness, one that needs God's mercy, is one that realizes He needs God's help. He's not self-sufficient or rich unto Himself. On Him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. So you know, this type of heart is going to help us to be steadfast. So, brethren, to go over those five points real quickly, keep your faith strong. Don't allow doubts and wavering to creep in. Keep up your daily worship of God, daily, weekly, annually.

Number three, keep up your spiritual warfare. We are in a spiritual battle every day. Number four, keep your heart in the work of God. And pray for God to bless His work. Of course, we are the work of God.

We pray for that. God will continue working on us and all of His people. Keep your heart in the work and the things of God. Number five, keep your heart right in God's sight. A broken heart, contrite spirit. A spirit that is crushed and broken to do God's will. I'd like to say, above all things, let's keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. He is the head of the church, and He actively guides and directs the church daily. I believe fully He is guiding and directing and trying and testing that we go through in His church.

Jesus is actively guiding and directing. He guides our human leadership. They're not perfect by any means. Mr. Luca has said a number of times he makes mistakes. Mr. Armstrong said, I remember very well him saying a number of times, I have made many mistakes. But he added something.

God has never allowed me to make a mistake fatal to His work. He was very happy that that had not happened, that God had not allowed Him to make a mistake fatal to the work. But He made mistakes. All human leaders in the Bible, Moses made mistakes. Abraham made mistakes. The Apostles, Peter made mistakes. David, all the leaders of God, all the human leadership makes mistakes. The pastors of congregations make many mistakes. So they were not perfect. But still, Christ is guiding and directing the imperfect human leadership. It is less important for us to realize and ask God to guide His imperfect human leadership.

And He will. The good news is that Jesus said the gates of Hades will not prevail. So it is going to work out well in the end. Jesus also said that He would be with us to the end of the world. So we can count on that. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church. He is guiding and He is directing.

For sure, He will allow us to go through some trying times. Not just here and now, but in the future as well. Let's go for one final scripture to 1 Corinthians 15. We've been talking about being steadfast in the faith this afternoon. So let's read one final verse that summarizes it very well. 1 Corinthians 15, that's the resurrection chapter. And verse 58, this chapter earlier in verse 50, talks about that flesh and blood will not inherit God's kingdom. And it talks about the time of change that will come.

For the dead will be resurrected incorruptible and we, the living, will also be changed. And there will be the victory that will be given to us. Verse 57, thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So we're going to be victorious. That's not everything we're going to fail. If we let God continue to work with us, we are going to be victorious. God's going to give us that victory.

Verse 58, therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast. There's that word. Yes, be steadfast in your faith. Immovable. Just planted, anchored down, anchored. Your soul has that anchor. Immovable. Always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain.

God will continue, though, trying and testing and purging His church. He is finding out what is deep in our hearts.

And the question we have to ask ourselves, what is He finding in us?

God is searching what is deep in our hearts. What is He finding in you and me?

And the answer I hope we can give is, let Him find us steadfast in the faith.