Trials

A few years ago, the phone rang. It was my brother. He was telling me the story of Bill Marchant. Bill Marchant was on our college pitching staff in 1968 when we played for the College Division National Championship. He came to the last game of that series, double elimination, with a college pitching staff playing every day. We were down to Bill, our seventh man, and for three innings, Bill wasn't really a college-level pitcher, but because he had such a work ethic and such a heart and such a bright inspiration, we kept him on the traveling squad, and he started the game for the National Championship, and through three innings, he was practically untouchable. They had not seen that kind of slow-dazzling stuff in a long time. And so, about the fifth inning, line drives and line shots began to ring out, and I had to take him out. Then I came on over here to Big Sandy after the 69 season, and Boo Farris, who was my college baseball coach, rookie of the year with the Red Sox in 1946, led them to World Series. I don't think they won it. And then Bill succeeded him as the baseball coach. So Bill was riding on this loose gravel road down from the Mississippi levee, and he's riding one of these open kind of Jeep things, which you see all over the place. Recently, I saw a lot down Galveston Way. He hit loose gravel, and he was thrown out of the vehicle, not having on his seat belt, and the result was paralyzed from basically his waist down.

And I just gasped and said, I think I'd rather be dead. But then I remembered so many other inspiring stories about people who had overcome great trials and difficulties. And a few years later, I went back to Delta State, and here's Bill with the usual smile in a wheelchair. And he had a carrying on a job in the alumni office. Then just a couple or three years later, he lost his dear wife to cancer. So that's one story of Bill Marchant, who's still smiling and doing the best he can under trying circumstances.

It seems that everywhere you look today, there are trials. Of course, there are trials on the world scene, and we know about trials in the church. We had a long time minister, Bob Fay, to die during the feast. Now, this news about Mr. Holiday. During the feast, one of the men that some of you perhaps knew this area, he worked in flight ops back in the days of worldwide. Frank Sherrick was killed. His little dog ran out into the traffic, and he ran out trying to rescue the dog. He was hit and killed, and the dog only suffered an injured leg.

So there are trials most everywhere you want to look. And, of course, we have our trials here, many of us, and of course, we have a memorial service tomorrow. I received a letter some time ago, and here's what the person said. I was wondering what is the purpose or what the purpose would be of struggling to overcome the trials we're given if we will be given more and more. We're told that we are rewarded for doing God's will or ways, yet what is so rewarding about being allowed another trial? Not only another, but one that is harder to handle where we've grown and can take more. So, in essence, we're getting stronger so we can bear more trials. I don't understand. Thank you, and signed. So my purpose today is to try to answer some of those questions. The trial is not just so we can be given another trial.

Of course, through the years, how many sermons have you heard on trials? There would never be a sermon to end all sermons on trials. One of the difficulties of our view of trials and blessings centers around misunderstanding some of the differences between the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant. Old Covenant promises versus New Covenant promises. The Old Covenant was a national covenant. In other words, the nation of Israel, if they obeyed and did certain things, they would be blessed. Many of the scriptures that refer to blessings in the Old Testament are based on Old Covenant promises. The blessings are generally physical, rain-induced season, protection from your enemies, heal you when you're sick, and so it goes of physical blessings.

The religious worship under the Old Covenant would not and could not change the heart. The New Covenant is a spiritual covenant, and the promised blessings are spiritual. The heart can be changed. So let's notice a bit of the contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant from the scriptures. First of all, the Old Covenant, look at Leviticus 26, which essentially will be saying what I've just said with regard to physical blessings promised under the Old Covenant. In Leviticus 26, now there were some people that God worked with so closely that they did understand the difference between Old Covenant and New Covenant. I think of Abraham, as in Hebrews 11, it talks about that Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. In Leviticus 26, verse 2, you shall keep my Sabbath, reverence my sanctuary, God's dwelling place. Of course, they built a tabernacle in the wilderness that was later pitched at Shiloh, and eventually David built a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant on Mount Zion, and eventually the Ark of the Covenant went into the temple that Solomon made and then disappeared when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, burned it, sacked it, and destroyed the temple. If you walk in my statues, keep my commandments, and do them, then I will give you rain and dew season, and the land shall yield or increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall reach into the vintage. Verse 6, I will give you peace in the land. Verse 7, I will chase your enemies, and they shall fail before you. So on and on with the great physical blessings that they would enjoy for their obedience under the Old Covenant. Deuteronomy 28 continues. Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 are called the blessings and cursings chapters. So in Deuteronomy 28, we see somewhat similar there with regard to these promises. In Deuteronomy chapter 28, it shall come to pass if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord your God to observe and to do all his commandments, which I command you this day, that the Lord God will set you on high above all nations of the earth, and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you. If you shall hearken in the voice of the Lord your God, blessed shall you be in the city, blessed shall you be in the field. Wouldn't that be wonderful if that was the way it was in the nation today?

More and more of the mass murders, two or three, in recent times. Oregon, Arizona, one lesser one in Florida. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the fruit of the ground, the fruit of the cattle, the increase of your kind, and the flocks of the sheep. And on and on, it goes with great physical blessings and great physical abundance. These scriptures clearly state there will be national blessings for national obedience. The nation who fears and obeys God will be blessed. Israel, under the Old Covenant, was not given the promise of a new heart. Now, you look back in Deuteronomy 5, verse 29. Then I stated again, under the Old Covenant, Israel was not given the promise of a new heart. In Deuteronomy 5, verse 29, sometimes we quote this sort of briefly and go on.

In Deuteronomy 5, 29, oh, that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever.

So that promise of a new heart was not given to Israel under the Old Covenant. Now we go to Hebrews, chapter 7, and on the way I shall say what this is going to say when we get there. Hebrews 7, verse 19. Remember Hebrews? Comparison contrasts the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. The Law Covenant could never change their heart and bring them to perfection.

In Hebrews, chapter 7, verse 19, For the law made nothing perfect, for the law made nothing perfect, even though the law itself is spiritual, that is the spiritual law. Now there were the laws of ceremony, of worship, under the Old Covenant, of how to approach unto God the washings and the oblations and animal sacrifices. Those things call the law of Moses. Now what happened with some, what happened with worldwide and the great heresy was they lumped the Ten Commandments in the spiritual law of God with the ceremonial law and tried to make it one package. Psalm 19.7 says that the law of God is perfect, converting the soul. The law was given to sustain life. The law does not give life, but it was given to sustain life. That is the spiritual law. So we see here in Hebrews 7.19, For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. See, it was a type, a figure of that which was to come with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Now you look at Hebrews 9, Hebrews 9, and verse 7. Now I want to go back to, let's go back to Hebrews 8 for a moment, verse 7.

Hebrews 8 and verse 7. For if the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he said, Behold, the days come, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, and the day when I took them by the hand led them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not. So verse 10, I will put my laws in their hearts and in their minds I will write them, and we'll talk more about that. Now the promise of a new covenant. Now Hebrews 8,6 is one of the most important verses to remember in the Bible, and hardly any translation translates it correctly, because it shows that the law of God is not done away with under the new covenant, but the sacrificial offerings and the ceremonial offerings were done away with by the new covenant. This understanding has to do with trials and what we go through under the new covenant, as opposed to the old covenant. You look at Hebrews 8,6, but now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, that is, Christ, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established, and why the King James translators chose established. I do not know.

The correct translation is furnished with law, furnished with law, nomotheiteo. The word that is translated, established, is nomotheiteo, which is furnished with law. Nomos is the Greek word for law, which was furnished with law upon better promises. Now, you look at Hebrews 9 across there.

Starts off with the Day of Atonement, how the high priest under the old covenant went into the Holy of Holies once a year to offer for every person. We'll read verse 7, Hebrews 9,7, but into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs of the people. The Holy Spirit thus signifying that the way in the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time, it was symbolic of, then present in which were offered the gifts and sacrifices that could not make him, that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, the conscience, the seed of knowing within the heart.

The conscience we talked about in a sermon recently, how that we can have a new knowing within, a new mind, and be led by the Spirit. Some of that will be in this message today, which stood only in meats and drinks and different washings and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of Reformation. Now that briefly is a summary of what was done away, the ceremonial law. But Christ being come and high priest, of good things to come by greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. By contrast to the Old Covenant, the New Covenant is personal and individual. It is personal and individual. At baptism, we made a covenant to obey whether we perceive what is happening to us is a blessing or not. Say that again. At baptism, we made a covenant to obey whether we perceive what is happening to us is a blessing or not a blessing. You know, in Romans 8, 28, says, all things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to His purpose. Now look at 1 Peter 4. We made a covenant to obey, to surrender, submit, to serve. We made a covenant that we would be clay in the Master Potter's hand. To do with us whatsoever God saw fit, we are to be His workmanship, to be molded and made into the image of His dear Son.

In 1 Peter 4, verse 12, so we see here that once you enter into this new covenant, there will be trials, there will be difficulties.

1 Peter 4, 12, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice in as much as your partakers of Christ's sufferings. None of us will ever suffer in the way that Christ did who counted it all joy. We had a sermon on joy two or three weeks ago or more, for the joy that was set before Him endured the shame of the cross and crucifixion, death on the stake, that when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy, Canada joy, because you're entered into His sufferings. But if you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or as an evildoer or as a busybody in other men's matters. In other words, you don't bring it on yourself. I mean, God is going to chase in every son that He loves. He's going to prune the vine even when you are going the right way. You may have a great trial, a great difficult. It says that He prunes the vine so it shall, so you can bring forth more fruit. That's in John 15. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glory, phi God, on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And it isn't personal, it is individual, it is specific. That's not to say that your sin does not affect somebody else. Now, there were sins during the time of the Old Covenant. You remember the sin of Achan during the time that Israel was going into the Promised Land, and they were to wipe out everything in this particular city. And Achan partook of one of the idols things there, apparently very costly because of the precious stones or whatever in it, and all Israel suffered. David numbered Israel and 70,000 died as a result. It's not to say that under the Old Covenant nobody suffered because of the sin of one person, but notice it was a whole nation that suffered. Today there is so much suffering in the church, out of the church, and a lot of times it's just that family, they're bearing that alone. And of course, your service, many of you, to your brethren here is known far and wide for what you do, and God, I'm sure, is making a record of it.

And if any first began at us what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Well, if they've not committed the unpardonable sin in the second resurrection. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. Now, the young man, who is a man of faith, now the young man that I mentioned, now he's much older, he's well into his 60s, I guess, Bill Marchant, he had all of those things paralyzed from the waist down, in the midst of a budding, prosperous career.

Then he lost his wife to cancer, and he's still going on. I think of my mother, all the suffering that she had, multiple operations, three times hip replaced, heart attack, all kinds of troubles, cancer at a time in which cancer usually killed people, but yet she lived to be 87.

And she was not in the church, but yet there was this indomitable spirit to keep on, to keep on keeping on. And here we are with God's spirit. I don't think Bill Marchant has God's spirit. I don't think my mother was converted either, but her heart, as far as she knew, was right.

And so, you see, once you enter into this covenant of sacrifice, you have made a commitment that whatever God sees fit to do with us, that we understand. Not like Job. Job came to the point that he was accusing God of dealing with him unfairly. But finally, Job got the message that God must be justified, and man must be judged.

In 1 Peter, the next chapter there, chapter 5, verse 10, "...but the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after they you have suffered a while, make you perfect." So one of the purposes of suffering and trials is to prune the vine, to humble us so that we might bear more fruit, to bring us on to perfection, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Now, coming to that point that Christ came to when he was facing that great trial in which he prayed three times with, nevertheless, your will be done.

I am in your hands. Now back to Hebrews, chapter 9. We left off there with what was done away with, and so how do we get this new mind? Through the Holy Spirit, the very essence of God in Christ working in you permits us, enables us, empowers us to have a new knowing within, a new conscience that allows us to be led by the Spirit of God, by a new mind, by the mind of the Spirit.

So here we are in Hebrews 9 again, and we left off with verse 10, so we'll pick it up in verse 11, Hebrews 9, 11. But Christ being come and high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building.

The church of God is a building not made by hands, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place, whereas the high priest went in there every year on the day of atonement. And see what he does, and we won't pursue this, but chapter 10 tells us we can live in the Holy of Holies, have instant access to God the Father continually to come before his throne boldly, as in Hebrews 4, once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling, the unclean, sanctifies the purifying of the flesh, see, if that could take place, they would be ceremonially clean. They would be ceremonially clean through that ceremonial law. How much more then, verse 14. Of course, the Jews more and more are talking about building a temple. Some are saying now maybe there'll be a Jewish temple and those two mosques on the Temple Mount, some kind of agreement may be reached, and the Temple Institute has basically made all of the accoutrements of necessary for temple worship and identified the the cohen priesthood, the inheritors of the Zadok line.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? So you can have a new mind, a new knowing within. With this new mind, you can put away grudges. You can have no desire really to seek revenge. You can become a living sacrifice. 15. Now look at 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17.

2 Corinthians 5, verse 17 shows that in Christ we are a new creation, a new mind, a new knowing within. Now that doesn't do away with your mind. You must still make the decision. The mind is convicted. The knowing is there. 16. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

Now note further with regard to the new mind, look at Ephesians 4.24. Ephesians 4.24.

Ephesians 4.24.

Romans and Ephesians are two of the great doctrinal epistles in the whole Bible. Ephesians 4.24. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. In verse 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, which is created in righteousness and true holiness. It is a new mind, a new conscience, a new knowing within. Now look at Colossians 3.10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. So you can have this new mind, this new knowing within, which then can result in, and look at Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, we've already alluded to this from chapter 8.

Under the old covenant there was not such a heart in them, but under the new covenant there is. It's a new creation. It's a new mind. It's a new man. It's a new knowing within. In Hebrews 10, verse 15, whereby the Holy Spirit also has witnessed to us, for after that he had said before, this is the covenant that will make with you after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws, obviously if you put your laws, it shows not done away with, into their hearts and in their minds will I write them.

And their sins and iniquities I will remember no more. So the actual, instead of on tablets of stone in the Ark of the Covenant, above the Ark of the Covenant in the mercy seat sitting on top, in the presence of God above, we have the law of God written on our inward parts. We have obtained mercy and the presence of God is in us under the new covenant. To really understand this, to really grasp this, is really an amazing thing. So what are the most important things in life? The issues of life and death. Now at funerals we often say, and was more in the old days, in the old funeral ceremony, that oftentimes we don't really consider the matters of life and death, except times like these. Well, I hope that we consider what life is about on a daily basis. What is life about? Why am I here? Why do I draw breath? What is the greatest thing that can happen to me in this life? Look at Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 9. If anybody wants to make a boast, if anybody wants to say this or that, notice what this says. It's Jeremiah 9.

Jeremiah 9 verse 23. Jeremiah 9 verse 23.

I am the Eternal. I mean, to know that you know who God is.

That I am the Eternal, who exercises loving, kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, says the Lord, to know God, to understand the great questions of life. Look at Hebrews chapter 2, and Paul is quoting here from Psalm 8 in Hebrews chapter 2. This great question, and I'm back to, and yes, I shall always be, hopefully, as long as God gives me breath to focus on the purpose of being. That's what the world has forgotten, and even forgotten that there is a God. And of course, Satan the devil would love to obliterate the knowledge of God, the memory of God, and his import in our lives, and what life is all about.

In Hebrews chapter 2 verse 6, Paul hears quoting from Psalm 8, but one in a certain place, and that one is David, testified saying, What is man that you're mindful of him, or the son of man, that you visit him? I mean, what is man, what is life all about? Why are we here?

Describes that he was made a little lower than the angels, and so on. But then we come to the answer in verse 10, for it became him, whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

And sometimes we enter into the sufferings of Christ, as we read from 1 Peter chapter 4, verses 10, 12, 13, long in there. For both he that sanctifies, and they that are sanctified, are all of one. There is one Spirit. We're all joined to God and Christ through members one of another through that Spirit. For which cause? He's not ashamed to call them brethren. He calls us brethren because we have that same essence in us that is in God and Christ. So to understand, yes, we know God. There is a God. God exists. God is our Father. He's our Creator. God is Spirit. And His purpose is to bring sons and daughters to glory in His family. And the corollary is man is made in the image of God. Man is made of the dust to the ground. The only way He can have eternal life is through the Spirit of God. And that man's ultimate purpose is to be into God's family, to have a relationship with God. I mean to think about it. You can have a relationship with the greatest being in the universe. People talk about, well, I know so and so.

I have met the President. Or I have done this or I've done that.

We read Jeremiah 9, 20, 30, 24. If you want to boast, let him say, you know God. You know what His purpose is. You know what your purpose is. Look at Hebrews again, Hebrews 13.

Having this relationship requires, of course, time. And the time, and to really have a relationship, there has to be two-way communication. Both parties talk and each other, and God speaks to us. We sing that hymn, God speaks to us, speaks to us by His mighty hand we're led. He speaks to us through His Word. We teach, we preach this Word every Sabbath. And then, on the other hand, we talk to Him in prayer. You can carry on sort of a, I call it a running conversation with God. In Hebrews 11, I said 13, I want 13. Hebrews 13 and verse 15. Hebrews 13, 15, by Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But to do good and communicate, for yet not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Here we are having a relationship with the greatest being in the universe, being heard by Him and Him answering, communication with Him.

And the important things in life, to understand that the first great priority is clearly spelled out in Matthew 6.33, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Now let's go to Psalm 103. Psalm 103. To understand about this life, with so many people in the celebrity world, you regularly see people who are who are dying and people dying at an early age from various things, drug overdoses, people killing one another. It goes on and on, accidents, various sorts, and realizing that we are only here in the flesh on this earth for a very short period of time. Why wouldn't a person take stock? Why wouldn't a person stop and think? Is this all there is to it? In Psalm 103 verse 11, For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far as He removed our transgressions from us. For as the Father pities His children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, His days are as grass as the flower of the field, so He flourishes. For the wind passes over it, it is gone. And the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him. Man is temporal, lasting only a short period of time. But with the hope and promise of eternal life, God's mercy and His promises are everlasting in His righteousness and to children to such as keep His covenant and to those who are remember His commandments to do them.

So the things of God are eternal. To understand that we must be willing to forsake all in our pursuit of eternal life.

Now, what does this world have to offer that you want to take with you into the grave? Well, in the grave there is no consciousness, so what good would it do anyhow?

You wouldn't be aware of it if you had a billion dollars or if you had the largest diamond on earth, you had the hope diamond or any other diamond because there's no consciousness in the grave. And you're not going to live again unless God resurrects you. So I just, it's just hard to understand how human beings come to think the way they do. And there's great understanding, which I covered twice during the feast and I covered here several times and will continue 1 Corinthians 13. In 1 Corinthians 13, to understand that we are to become love as God is love. In 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels have not charity. See, God is love. It says that in 1 John 4.8. It says that in 1 John 4.16. Matthew 5.48 says, become you therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity. If I'm not in the process of becoming as God is, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries and all knowledge. And though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor. And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, becoming as God is, it profits me nothing. To understand that, what is it worth? What are these things worth? To know God, to understand the great questions of life, to have a relationship with God, to know what the greatest and first priority is, to understand that apart from God, we're not going to live very long. To understand that you have to be willing to forsake everything. Who would be my disciple? Must be willing to love, last, father, mother, yea, even his own life, to take up his cross and follow me. We're accounted, as it says in Romans 8, 36, we're counted all the day long as sheep for the slaughter. Anything I get above death is a gift, because all of us have earned death. The wages of sin is death.

So I think we can see that the new covenant is a covenant of sacrifice. What is a sacrifice? You. Me.

Look at Psalm 50. Psalm 50 speaks of this covenant of sacrifice. We've already mentioned it in the sense of at baptism we enter into this covenant that is symbolized by baptism of putting the old man to death, going into the watery grave of baptism, coming up the newness of life.

But this passage here, the first part of this is like a Feast of Trumpets theme.

In Psalm 50, verse 1, the mighty God, even the Eternal has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun and the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined. Our God shall come, he shall not keep silence. A fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous around about him. And shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And we have made that covenant with God by sacrifice. Now we look at Romans 12. In Romans 12, we'll see that we are to be living sacrifices. Now, in being a living sacrifice, you might say sometimes you might wind up dead. Of course, all are going to die.

In Romans 12, in view of all the things that are gone before in the first 11 chapters of Romans, just to give you a brief little thing about Romans, we covered this here about 2012, Mastering the Book of Romans. In the first 11 chapters of Romans, it basically focuses on the first six doctrines of Hebrew 6 of repentance toward God, faith toward God, baptism, laying out of hands, resurrection, judgment. Now Romans 12 to the end of the epistle basically focuses on going on to perfection and how you do that. And Romans 12 is a great summary of it. Like, for example, pray for the enemies, do good that despise you, persecute you, and all that. Now, when you go on to perfection, we probably all have some work there to do. Romans 12.1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. We read from Psalm 50 verse 5, to those who have entered into a covenant with me by sacrifice. Call my saints together.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, under God, which is your reasonable service. And it goes on basically the rest of this chapter, and to the end of the epistle is taken up with this, what you would do and how you would behave as you go on to perfection. What would be necessary to do that?

So we have entered into this sacrifice, and one of the greatest misunderstandings of our time revolves around what is a true blessing, what is true happiness, and we can ask ourselves, are we physically minded or spiritually minded? The spiritual mind versus the physical mind, where is our focus? So turn back there to Romans 8. We also covered parts of this in recent times.

In Romans 8, Romans 8 and verse 5, For they that are in the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, they are physically minded.

But they that are the spirit, the things of the spirit, they are spiritually minded.

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So those that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. There so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Then verse 13 says, If you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live. So we have now under the new covenant this new mind. We can be spiritually minded. So in view of that, where is the focus to be? Paul addresses that in Colossians 3, where the focus is to be. It's sort of like the Matthew 6.33 of seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Worded a bit differently. Colossians 3. Once again, we are the physical mind versus the spiritual mind.

In Colossians 3, If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. See, He's sitting there, Hebrews 7.25, ever lives to make intercession for us. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory. Therefore, mortify your members, the members of the flesh.

The spiritual laws of God are to a large degree axiomatic. What do I mean by that? It's inherent within the action. There is an axiomatic return, more blessed to give than to receive.

And we must be willing to ask and not ask amiss in order to receive. We must lose our life in order to gain life. We love God by loving others. In loving and serving others, there are intrinsic awards that cannot be realized any other way. And basically, once again, the only last and good we get out of life is what we do for others. Rewards such as a sense of fulfillment, sense of satisfaction, sense of inner peace that cannot be attained any other way.

So how do trials enter into the equation?

Trials provide others with opportunities to serve you.

Now, a lot of people want to try to shoulder their trials alone. I know I have done that myself.

Tried to shoulder everything alone, but it better off when others are with you, helping you to shoulder the trial.

So trials do provide others with an opportunity to serve. We'll see more about that in a moment. You look at Deuteronomy 8, Israel under the Old Covenant, their march toward the promised land. And by the time they had come to late summer and they sent out the twelve spies who brought back an evil report, they had tempted, tested, tried God 10 times. And so, as a result of that, their trial was 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. And, along with that, everybody except Joshua and Caleb, that were over 20 years of age, died in the wilderness, including Moses and Aaron.

In Deuteronomy 8, too, He humbled you, and you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these 40 years in the wilderness, to humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or no. And He humbled you and permitted you to hunger and feed you with manna, which you knew not. Neither did your fathers know that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone. See, even Christ quoted this in Matthew 4, and this points toward the spiritual aspect more important than the physical. But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, the Lord of the Lord does man live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

So we must be willing to receive. You look at Galatians, some of the closest relationships that are ever built are those that are built in very trying times.

Galatians 6, verse 1, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual restorest such a one in the spirit of meekness. Now, more often we look at it from the physical point of view, and it's necessary and good as well. But here's a person that is sick, here's a person who's in need, minister to their physical needs. But what about ministering to those who have spiritual needs in which perhaps they have sinned, some great sin, and they are in search of and need of restoration? Now, the Ezekiel 34 talks about the shepherds who have not sought those that are lost, those that are in need of spiritual restoration. When all is said and done, spiritual restoration is very important. Restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted or tried. And I've seen so many times in which people have acted in various ways in which sooner or later almost the same trial that they had perpetrated on someone else came upon them. Bear you one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But every man prove his own work, then shall you have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

And now look at verse 8. Well, verse 7, Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, he shall also reap. For he that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, he that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap. If we faint not, for as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto men, especially those or them that are of the household of God.

So trials do permit others to serve. It permits us to have a relationship that we would not have otherwise. Paul confirms the humbling nature of trials. 2 Corinthians 12 I have seen so many people suffer in so many different ways. From the time I was a little boy, all the way through my life.

When I was four or five years old, my great-grandmother was down the way about a hundred yards, and she had breast cancer. This was somewhere around 1942-43. Not much you could do for cancer in those days. They would change the dressing and try to keep them comfortable, give them some kind of pain medicine. And as a boy, I hear her screams. As my grandmother changed the dressing on her breast. And so many people have suffered so much through time. In some cases, of course, these people had not entered into the covenant of sacrifice. But many of them were, quote, religious, considered themselves to be Christians, cried out to God for help.

And I believe they will, of course, be resurrected as second resurrection.

Notice what Paul says here about trials that he went through, and God didn't answer his request. This is 2 Corinthians 12-6. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool, for I will say the truth, but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which seems that sees me to be, or that he hears of me, unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. So just because you're doing the work of God, just because you might have great knowledge and understanding that others don't, which Paul did, he had great knowledge, he had great understanding. It doesn't mean you won't suffer doing the work of God. It doesn't mean that God's going to heal you, whereas he let somebody else suffer. God is working out a great plan in our lives, and Paul came to understand that. Unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, or was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Now, there's a debate among some whether it was a physical malady, some kind of disease, or affliction, or a person. I can't settle that. I don't know if anybody can. For this thing I sought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Paul catalogs some of the great things he went through in chapter 11 before this. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and necessities and persecutions in distresses. For Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. And of course, one of the things that happens in a trial usually draws us closer to God and to one another. And if there was never any hurdles or obstacles, what would life be? I have become a fool in glorying. You have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended of you, for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles. The Corinthians really gave Paul a hard time, and he suffered a lot, mainly in mental anguish toward them the way they treated him. Though I be nothing, truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Well, what is wherein you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you, forgive me this wrong. So they even criticized him for not collecting tithes.

You know, many times I've given a forum, a Bible study, a sermon, wrote a paper, made a visit, attended a meeting, counseled people in the face and midst of great trials, and it seems that God always gives you the strength. On Wednesday night, as I was going to bed, I said, I will be calling somebody to give the sermon here this Sabbath. I will not be able to make it.

And by yesterday morning, I was much better. I'm a bit hoarse today. I had a dental appointment Tuesday, no, it was Wednesday morning, in which they were getting a mole for this tooth, a tooth that broke off, and a lot of water and whatever else, chemicals and junk, went down, some into my lungs, and I'm trying to recover from that. David confirms the benefit of affliction. Look at Psalm 119. In Psalm 119, so I woke up like Friday morning, and I thought, man, I am pretty much well, and compared to what it was Wednesday night, I was. In Psalm 119 verse 65, Psalm 119 verse 65, I was with my whole heart.

Their heart is fat as grease, but I delight in your law.

Then Paul, look at verse 92.

Unless the law had been my delight, I should have perished in mine affliction. For I will never forget your precepts, for with them you will quicken me.

Trials can result in God's character being formed in you. If you look at Romans chapter 5, this is one of the great understandings of all times of Romans chapter 5 of how character is created within us. We talk about developing character. I'm not going to eat the chocolate cake. I am developing character.

Well, I had a big hunk of brownies. The corner piece is missing. You'll see it out there. My wife made this wonderful brownies, and I had a piece this morning. And so after services, you can develop character, not eat any of that. And I can take it home with me.

But as that will worship, Paul talks about in Colossians 2, about will worship. That people, that human beings, some even starve themselves to death. But see, holy righteous character, can you create, develop, holy righteous character on your own efforts? See, there is a process, and it's covered right here. It's not like an absolute assembly line kind of thing that you put in trials and out comes holy righteous character, per se, but it is somewhat similar to that. You'll notice this. Romans 5, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations. We glory in tribulations. Why on earth would you? Well, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience works experience. A better translation is dokime, the great word here, proof testing. See, the tribulation, the trial works patience, in which you're looking to God and trusting Him, believing that He will deliver you, and experience should be proof testing, showing that you will remain faithful regardless, and hope makes us not ashamed, because, see, we have the big picture burning brightly of eternal life, and hope makes us not ashamed, because the love of God, agape, spiritual love, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. In other words, if we go through this as God has given commandment, the result will be becoming as God is, holy righteous character developed in us. Look at 1 Timothy, quick, before you lose the thought. 1 Timothy, I'm turning there to 1 Timothy 1, verse 5. What is the result, the outcome of the commandment?

Verse Timothy 1, 5. Now the telos, T-E-L-O-S, which should be translated result outcome of the commandment, is agape, love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.

For brethren, trials can result in the character of God being formed in us. There's never, we can never say all there is to say about trials, but I hope you understand now, there's a great difference between the promises under the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the New Covenant, we have entered into a covenant of sacrifice. We have said, I surrender, I submit, I'll serve you. I am going to crucify the flesh. I'm going to bury the old man. I'm going to live the newness of life. And whatever happens comes my way. I am going to accept it, and I am going to remain faithful to you, and I'm going to justify you and not blame you, as Job did. And I'm going to keep my focus on the kingdom of God, knowing that in the end, God who is promised, God who cannot lie, will give you eternal life.