Why Trials?

Well, brethren, I think I mentioned before that I have consistently tried to exercise throughout the years for quite a few years now. And one form of exercise I utilized a lot was running, jogging, and walking on the 7 tenths of a mile road that led to our home there in Oklahoma from the famous Route 66. We were just 7 tenths of a mile from 66, so our house was up the hill. Now, on this road was a very steep hill, and it was my practice to hike it or jog it, sometimes walk it nearly every day, except on the Sabbath, of course, but just about every other day. I've also done some hiking in various mountains out in the Teton Range, the Appalachian Mountains, the Allegheny Mountains, the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma.

And one of the most memorable and challenging trips for me was to the Wind River Range in Wyoming, and some of you may have gone on a trip, the Challenger Camp trip to Wyoming. It's a beautiful, beautiful area. Before leaving on that trip, just a couple of years ago, I decided that I needed us to start getting better prepared and in better shape, so I began to jog up that steep hill. Actually, I had a backpack. I put a backpack on and I did probably more walking than jogging.

But I was trying to get in shape because I knew I'd be hiking and climbing at altitudes around 10,000 feet above sea level, sometimes as much as 11,000. So I began to train for that trip. Now, this road that leads to our house in Oklahoma was dirt, gravel, and even some rocks. And again, it was quite steep, and I really didn't look forward to training on that hill. But I knew if I wanted to be physically ready, I needed to climb this mountain as much as possible.

I knew it would help some. Now, on more than one occasion, my wife and I both commented on how much we hate to run. Do any of you hate to run? Yeah, that's right. You don't have to raise your hand. But sometimes it can be painful getting out there. And the run on this hill was certainly full of ups and downs. There are potholes along the way. And I like to liken that run to life itself because there are a lot of parallels. There's some loose gravel, and sometimes we hit loose gravel in our lives. Sometimes we slip, we fall, we skin ourselves up.

Nineteen years ago, when I began walking and running up that mountain, there were times when I really didn't want to do it. I wanted to quit. Sometimes I would walk it instead of jogging. And as I've gotten older, I've done more walking. But just like our road, and especially the climb up the steep hill, life itself just seems to be full of trials and problems of one sort or another. Do you find that to be true in your life? Have you ever really stopped to ask, why? Why is life so hard at times? What is the purpose of trials in our lives?

Why does God allow trials to come upon us? Why are some trials so difficult? What can we all learn from trials in our lives and from trials in the lives of others? And what does it take to endure these trials from a physical standpoint? What does it take? And more importantly, what does it take to endure spiritually, to stay faithful to the end? It actually takes the same thing in one sense. It takes strength to climb the mountain of life.

It takes strength. It takes courage. Trials, in a sense, are our mountains. They are our Goliath, the trials that we face each day. So today I'd like to discuss seven types of trials and the key to overcoming them all. Today we're going to talk about trials and how to deal with them. Again, there are many trials in life. There are financial trials. Some of you may be going through some financial trials of your own right now. Certainly there are health trials, and I know some of you are going through some health trials. There are also relationship trials.

Sometimes in our families we have some trials. Sometimes with our friends we have some trials like that. There are a whole host of spiritual trials that we have to deal with. Now I'd like to consider the root cause of a number of trials today, seven to be exact, and the lessons that we can learn from each of these types of trials.

So the first type of trial that we'll discuss is trials that we bring upon ourselves because we are faithful to God. Actually, this is the best type of trial, one that we bring upon ourselves because we are faithful to God. Let's go to 1 Peter 3, and let's consider what the Bible says about suffering for righteousness' sake. If we're going to suffer, let us suffer for righteousness' sake.

That's certainly better than suffering because of other reasons. So in 1 Peter chapter 3, beginning in verse 13, And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. There is a blessing if you are suffering for righteousness' sake, and do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, why you believe what you do. And do so with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, and sometimes people will do that, they certainly did that to our Savior Jesus Christ, they called him an evildoer. Those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

So we are to be righteous as Christ was righteous, and if we suffer, let us suffer for righteousness' sake. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. So sometimes God will allow us to suffer for righteousness' sake. Sometimes people will be out to get us, because we are trying to do the right thing.

So that's a very important trial. Let's go to 1 Peter 4, just across the page in my Bible, beginning in verse 12. Peter says, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. This isn't something strange at all. You should expect trials. But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. When Christ returns, there will be a tremendous amount of joy from all the first fruits who will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at that last trumpet.

As Christ returns, and those who have died who will be raised first, we will all rejoice together at the return of Christ. Verse 14, if you are reproach for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer.

Again, if you are going to suffer for righteousness sake, not for unrighteousness sake. As a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody, or a gossip in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, as a follower of Christ, as a disciple, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.

And if it begins with us first, with those of us who are true Christians, who are converted, who have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, if it first begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? God is with His people. God will look after us. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. So don't think it strange when fiery trials come along. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul also addresses this question, or this issue, in 2 Timothy. He says that all who desire to live a godly life will suffer persecution.

So we should expect some persecution. Frankly, those of us in America have had tremendous freedom, and we've been greatly blessed. And we really haven't had to suffer a lot of persecution in most ways. I mean, there's so much more that could happen in other parts of the world because we are true Christians. In 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 10, But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra.

When you read Paul's writings, you see that Paul was indeed persecuted greatly. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. There was even a time when he was left for dead. They were out to kill him. They thought they had killed him. Maybe he was dead, but he was stoned, and they thought he was dead.

But he got up and walked away because God wasn't done with him yet. Verse 12, Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. That's what's going to happen as we draw nearer to the return of Christ. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.

Of course, this is Paul talking to Timothy, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So God gives us what we need to endure, to survive, whatever persecutions come our way, and even if we were killed, God could even resurrect us if He chose to do so.

And we don't know if Paul was actually dead or not. I've wondered whether he was dead. I know there was a group of people that promised they made a vow that they would fast until Paul was dead, until they killed him. I have a feeling they broke that vow because he lived a long time after that.

Persecution in the form of discrimination on the job sometimes happens. Some people have lost jobs because of keeping the Sabbath. In fact, probably many of you have lost a job or didn't get a job because you were a Sabbath keeper. Sometimes people shun us because we are striving to obey God and live by every word of God. I remember when we were homeschooling our children years ago, there was one homeschooled group who would not let us be a part of their group because we wouldn't sign something saying we believed in the Holy Trinity.

So God did provide another group, and it probably worked out a lot better for us anyway. But sometimes there's some persecution in this life if we strive to do the right thing. So let us all be faithful to God and let us again counter all joy when we fall into a trial like this if God allows us to suffer for righteousness' sake. Now there's a second trial that is just the opposite of the one we just talked about.

Sometimes we bring trials upon ourselves because of our sins and our unwise decisions. These are trials that will come upon us, frankly, because we are all human beings. Every one of us has brought a trial upon ourselves because we're not perfect. We do sin. We do fall short of God's glory. Sometimes we're careless. Sometimes we're foolish. Sometimes we're weak. Of course, we must learn wisdom. We must learn humility. We don't automatically have it.

We're here to build character. And in the process of life, we bring upon ourselves various trials. We reap what we've sown. So we need to learn to turn from sin so that we'll have fewer trials like this one. We have an opportunity to set an example for others when we turn from sin and we change our lives for the better. In Numbers 32-23, there's a principle given. It says, Be sure your sins will find you out. When we sin, we do pay some consequences for our sins.

Now, God is certainly merciful, and He's very, very gracious. We know that the wages of sin is death, and He certainly doesn't always require death immediately, for sure. He's very gracious and merciful. But believe this principle. Be sure your sins will find you out in one way or another.

They often find us out by bringing trials upon us. Let's go to Hebrews 12, where it talks about how God chastens those He loves so that they might learn to be righteous. Hebrews 12, verse 6, it's talking about a loving Father who will chasten His children, because He does love them, and He wants them to grow up and to prosper.

In Hebrews 12, verse 6, For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, He scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a Father does not chasten? But if you are without chasing, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate. You are not sons.

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seen best to them.

Now, hopefully we as parents chase our children when they disobey us or when they do something that might harm them. And so we chase in them so that they will learn not to do those things so that they will prosper, so that they will do better. But sometimes we make mistake as parents. We make mistakes. We don't always correct in the best possible way. Sometimes we do it in anger. Sometimes we mistakenly think something has taken place when it hasn't. So sometimes we make mistakes. But God never makes mistakes. Verse 11, Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful.

Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So God trains us when we sin against Him. He allows the natural consequences of our sins to take place. And so sometimes we suffer because of those choices and decisions. And hopefully we learn the lesson. And we turn from our sins, and so we don't have to suffer in the same way again. In Romans 2, it talks about God's righteous judgment. And God again is perfect. He judges us righteously.

Romans 12, and again He's very, very merciful. He's loving. He's a loving Father who truly does love us and want the best for us. In Romans 2, verse 1, Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge or condemn. For in whatever you judge another, you condemn yourself. If you have a condemning spirit, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. You're guilty of the same things.

But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? You know, God hates hypocrisy. And one of the things that Christ spoke out against the most was hypocrisy. The Pharisees, Matthew 23, I think it is, time after time, He calls them hypocrites.

He mentions no words. Verse 4, Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance. God wants all of us to repent. But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart, a heart that is not repentant, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Because we know that God will not be mocked. And be sure your sins will find you out and know that there is a day of reckoning that is coming in the future. Verse 6, And who will render to each one according to his deeds? We will pay a price for our deeds, whether they be good or bad. There will be blessings or cursings, depending on the choices that we make. Verse 7, Eternal life to those who by patience, continuance, and doing good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality. But to those who are self-seeking, who are selfish, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be indignation and wrath upon them. There will be tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek, or the Gentile.

But glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. We are all children of God, no matter the color of our skins, no matter whether we are male or female. God loves every one of us, and God will judge us in the same manner. There is no partiality with God. He is not a respecter of persons. And again, we reap what we sow. So we need to learn to turn from our sins, and if we are suffering because of our own sins, our own unwise decisions, God is sending us a wake-up call that is saying, Go and sin no more.

Stop bringing these trials upon yourself. That's the second type of trial that we are going to talk about today, that we've talked about today. I've got five more to cover, so we need to move on. Number three, there are trials that others bring upon us because of their sins. Sometimes we suffer because of the sins of others. And it is especially true for families. Now let's go to Numbers 14, where we will see an example of this. Numbers 14. Can anyone tell me the ten unfaithful spies? Do you know their names right offhand? You can't even name a single one of them, probably.

I can because I've used them in sermons before. Gadiel, and there's a bunch of them. But you remember the two faithful spies, right? Their names, Joshua and Caleb. But the ten unfaithful spies, we don't remember their names. And shame on them because of it. But we do remember Joshua and Caleb. Now in Numbers 14, verse 30, by the way, if you want to know, chapter 13 does give the names of the spies that were unfaithful.

But in Numbers 14, beginning in verse 30, let's notice something here. Except for Caleb, the son of Jafuna, and Joshua, the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones whom you said would be victims, they claimed that they would be victims, that they would die if they tried to go into the Canaanites, the Promised Land that God said would flow with milk and honey.

They said there were giants over there, and we were like grasshoppers to them, and we dare not go in. They said that the children would be victims of those giants. God says something different. He says, your little ones whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. God was going to bring them in, but first they would wander in the wilderness for forty years, and the older people would all die in the wilderness because of their unfaithfulness.

But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness, and your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and they will bear the brunt of your infidelity. When we sin, oftentimes there are others who pay the consequence for our sins, and it's especially true in our families. Those we love the most, they're the ones who suffer the most. So that's a very important lesson that we need to learn, brethren, that yes, your sins will find you out, but your sins will also affect others.

We are all affected by those near to us, and the closer they are, the more we're affected. When someone near to us sins, we often also suffer dire consequences. My father was an alcoholic. He also gambled and got into some trouble doing that. Our family suffered as a result of, frankly, his foolishness. And I mean no disrespect to my dad. I'm just telling you the truth. These are the facts.

His drunkenness, his sin, affected our family in negative ways. My parents ended up divorcing when I was in college. It was a trial for us. We learned to avoid contact, brethren, hopefully with blatant sinners that we see out there that are going to affect us if we make them our friends. Now, sometimes we can't get away from our family, of course.

And sometimes we try to help others, but we need to be careful and realize that bad company does corrupt good habits, so we have to be careful who we make our friends. Because we will sometimes be brought into their sins. You've probably heard of people who have gone to prison because they hung out with a certain group of people who decided they would steal something, knock off a gas station one night, and someone didn't really want to be there, but he was there.

And he got caught along with them. He really didn't want to do this, but it's guilt by association, and sometimes people even go to prison because of the bad company they choose. Trials sometimes are brought upon us because of the sins of others. We have an opportunity to set an example for others when we take this type of trial patiently. Now, when someone sins against us and it affects us, that is indeed a big trial.

And we do need to learn to take these trials patiently. We need to learn to take these trials in love and try to make the best of a trial like this and try to help a person, especially a family member, come out of their sins and turn their lives around. So, I am saying that if we are affected, I remember praying for my Father when I came into God's church.

Before that, I hated my dad as a teenager. I came to hate him because of his actions. But when God opened my mind to his truth and his way of love, I prayed for my Father because he was headed for the cesspool at the time. I visited him in an old trailer and it was filthy and this is where he was headed. So, I fervently prayed that God would be merciful and God was. And I am grateful for that. And God turned my heart to my Father. He is 87 years old and he lives in Carrollton, Texas.

So, I get to see him every now and then now. I am grateful that I have a relationship with him and we get along well. My son and I saw him this week. So, God can turn things around, but you have to have faith in God and trust him and strive to do the right thing. That is a long story. I can't get into all that right now. But that is the third trial that sometimes comes upon us.

It is trials that others bring upon us because of their sins. Now, there is a fourth trial. Oh, by the way, we do need to stop the cycle of sin in our families. My dad's father was an alcoholic. My dad was an alcoholic. None of his seven children are sick. My mother was a wonderful example. She was in God's church. She helped us break that cycle. God helped us break that cycle. I am very grateful for that. Now, a fourth trial is a trial that we bring upon others because of our sins. Sometimes we bring trials upon others because of our actions, because of our sins, whether it is our infidelity, whether it is our anger, whether it is our gossiping, our drunkenness, our covetousness, our lying, our stealing, whatever it is, it all brings trials and sufferings upon those who love us.

So now is the time to repent of any sins that you may be committing that are hurting others. Whatever it is, now is the time to repent of that.

Be good to those you love. We learn that our sins will also affect others, and so we are more careful to obey and follow God because we don't want to hurt those we love. So let's take that to heart and remember that sometimes our sins can affect other people. Our wives could be suffering because of our decisions. Our children could be suffering because of our decisions. So men, we need to take the leadership role here and get ourselves right with God and set the right example for our families. We don't want to bring trials upon our family because of our sins. Now there's a fifth trial, and this is a trial that Satan brings upon us because Satan really does want to hurt us. Satan is our adversary. We learn that Satan really is our adversary and that God will protect us and fight our battles for us when we draw near to God. We learn to stand up and to be counted. Now Satan brought big trials upon Adam and Eve. Did he not? When Satan was there in the garden, he lied to them and he deceived Eve into following him and basically rejecting God. As a consequence, they were cast out of that beautiful garden. And you know the rest of the story, and we're all paying a price for their sins. Of course, we followed them as well in our own sins.

Let's go to James 4, where it shows us very clearly that we do have to resist Satan. Satan is alive. He is real. He does exist and he does affect us and he also infects us. So we need to be careful that we're not allowing Satan to infect us. In James 4, verse 7, James says, therefore submit to God. All of us submit to God, surrender to God, and resist the devil, resist Satan, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your heart. You double-minded. We need to learn to become single-minded in our faithfulness to God. Lament and mourn and weep and let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Again, we need to draw near to God and we need to resist Satan by seeking forgiveness for our sins and asking God to grant us repentance and to forgive us, to help us change our lives. Because Satan surely wants to bring trials upon you. He is your adversary. He is your enemy. We have to resist him.

We don't need to turn to 1 Chronicles 21, but you can look it up later if you'd like. In this chapter, it talks about how Satan stood up against Israel, the children of Israel, and he moved David to number Israel. David lacked faith. David did not have faith that God would deliver him and the children of Israel. God didn't take that lightly. He did not appreciate the fact that David did not put his faith in him. David was looking to numbers. He was looking to how many people he had in his armies. God will fight our battles for us, but we have to have faith in him to do so. We should not rely on our own strength because our strength is puny. God wants you to be strong, and you must learn to rely upon him. Then you will be strong. Then you will have the strength that you need. And, brethren, that is the key to overcoming all of our trials. Every last one of them is to rely on God, to seek him with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our might, to learn to love him, to cherish him. And then God will give us strength to overcome any trial that comes our way. Let's go to Luke chapter 13, where we will see very clearly that Satan does bring trials upon us, even health trials. Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13. We'll read here about a woman who Satan had afflicted for 18 long years. Luke chapter 13 verse 10. Luke chapter 13 verse 10. Now Christ, he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, and behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years. She was bent over. She could in no way raise herself up. Now I've seen a few people like this that were crippled in this way, but when Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said to her, woman, you are loosed from your infirmity, from this trial that you've had for 18 years. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight. And she glorified God, because she felt the power of God firsthand.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation. Now this shows the pettiness of sometimes our leaders, religious leaders, who are supposed to guide us and lead us in righteousness, but in some cases they do just the opposite. And that was exactly what was happening here. The ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. And he said to the crowd, there are six days on which men ought to work. Therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day. Of course, they accused Christ of breaking the Sabbath. But Christ was Lord of the Sabbath. He was master of the Sabbath. He was the one who rested on that seventh day and sanctified and made holy the Sabbath day. And the Lord then answered him and said, hypocrite. Again, Christ was very powerful. He was strong. He was faithful. He said, hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath lose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, a child of God, a child of Abraham, whom Satan has bound? Think of it! Think of it! Eighteen years this poor woman suffered with this trial. Eighteen years he loosed, I'm sorry, eighteen years be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath. You're making an issue out of this, and you'll take care of your donkeys on the Sabbath, but you don't want me to heal a woman who suffered for eighteen years and has been crippled and could not even see the light of day, basically. She couldn't lift up her head! And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. Christ is indeed the Messiah. He is the Savior. He's your Savior. Look to him for deliverance from every trial. He will give you strength. He will deliver you. He is the God who delivers, and you can trust in Him and have faith in Him. On the other hand, Satan is a roaring lion, and he is seeking whom he may devour. He is our adversary. We must resist him. In Acts 19, we see that Christ had power over demons. He had power over evil spirits, and His disciples had the power of Christ. Along for that day, when this power will be poured out in greater measure on His church. I believe that day is coming. In Acts 19, let's look at verse 11. Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, a fleshly man, a frail man, a weak man, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from His body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We exercise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. There were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest who did so.

The evil spirit answered and said, Jesus, I know, and Paul, I know, but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. You better have God on your side, of course. But when you have the power of God working in you, then sometimes God will do miraculous things. We have to have more faith and believe in God. Christ said, When I come back, will I find faith on the earth? He says, O you of little faith!

We do need more faith, brethren. Let us pray for more faith, pray for greater strength and power. A little anointed cloth was sent out, and evil spirits had to leave because of God's power. Satan does buffet us at times. He does persecute us. He does bring trials upon us, even health trials. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. I'm not going to take the time to go there, but there was a thorn in the flesh, and he prayed three times that God would take it from him. God said, My grace is not a thorn in the flesh. He prayed three times that God would take it from him. God said, My grace is sufficient for you. There were other reasons why Paul was allowed to suffer, and we'll talk about some of those as we continue in the sermon. Let us go to Ephesians 6, though, and realize that we do wrestle against Satan the devil. Satan is the God of this world, and we do wrestle against him. Satan is not yet bound. Satan will be bound for a thousand years. He's not yet bound.

In Ephesians 6, verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age. Against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore having girded your waist with God's truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, of Satan the devil. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Yes, we need to read God's Word, we need to study it and we need to believe it and live by it. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Yes, we should love each other, we should pray for each other, we should give ourselves for each other, as Christ set that example for us, laying Himself down for each and every one of us. This is a high and a holy calling. God is gracious to have called us at this time to give us the words of life. Yes, we wrestle against Satan. Sometimes it takes great faith to wait on God if we're not healed right away. Paul continued, even though he wasn't healed, he continued in faith believing in God's power to deliver, and that God would one day deliver him from this trial, and indeed God has delivered him. And there is a crown of righteousness that is laid up for him. He'll be in the first resurrection when Christ returns. He has been faithful. He fought the good fight. We need to fight the good fight. And in Romans 13, it gives us a principle that we should follow each and every day of our lives. Romans chapter 13, we are all fleshly human beings. We are weak, but we can be made strong in Christ. Notice Romans 13 verse 12, the night of the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, the works of Satan the devil, and let us put on the armor of light. Christ is the light of this world. And let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in revelry, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Allow Christ to live in you. He's promised to live in you. And make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust, because the flesh is lustful. It's prideful.

The works of the flesh are many. So we must make no provision for the flesh. We make provision for the flesh when we cozy up to those things that tempt us, when we don't say no emphatically, when we dabble in things that we know can tempt us. Certainly pornography is one thing that tempts many people. In fact, billions and billions and billions of dollars are spent every year on pornography. Because the flesh is weak, and people will go there. But the clear Bible instruction is to make no provision for the flesh. So don't go there, because you are providing for the flesh when you make that choice to get anywhere near that sort of thing. So be strong in the Lord. He will give you strength to overcome. Sometimes Satan will bring these temptations and trials upon us, and we have to learn to resist him. That is a trial that will come your way if you don't learn to say no to Satan. A sixth trial is a trial that time and chance will bring upon us. Time and chance will allow some trials to come our way. We learn to have faith in God and to long for a better world as we go through life, but we must realize that time and chance will sometimes be a part of the equation. In Ecclesiastes chapter 9, Solomon talks about time and chance. He says it happens to all of us. And that is so true. Time and chance will happen to every one of us. Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse 11. I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift. Now usually the race should be to the swift, but not always. Nor the battle to the strong. It doesn't always happen that way. Nor bread to the wise. Nor riches to men of understanding. Nor favor to men of skill. But time and chance happens to them all. Sometimes we're in the wrong place at the wrong time. For man also does not know his time. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. Like fish taken in a cruel net. You know, a fish is swimming along its merry-o-way. It's enjoying the stream.

And all of a sudden, boom! It's in a net. It's caught and it's in someone's boat. And the next thing you know, it's dead. It's no longer. It's being eaten. Like birds caught in a snare. You know, a bird flies along. It's again having a good old day. But the next thing you know, it's in a snare. So the sons of men are snared in an evil time. When it falls suddenly upon them. We don't know what's going to happen next. Sometimes if we're out on the road and we're in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a semi comes along and blows us off the road, and we end up colliding with someone else, and we end up in the hospital, sometimes these trials come our way. It's just by time and chance.

We learn that there are some trials that we have very little control over. We learn to accept them. We learn to make the best of them. And we always have faith in God. We know that God loves us, and God will never leave us. And God will never forsake us, and He will see us through any trial. But we have to have faith in Him. That's the sixth type of trial, time and chance. And then the last one is the trial that God Himself brings upon us. We do need to take notice and realize that God tests us to prove us. He corrects us again because He loves us. We went to Hebrews chapter 6 and talked about that earlier today.

He does correct us because He loves us. Sometimes we sin against Him. We reap what we sow. He allows those consequences to come upon us because of our sin. But there are other times when we haven't sinned, and God still tests us. John chapter 15. Let's go to John chapter 15 where Christ talks about a branch that bears fruit. What happens to a branch that bears fruit? John chapter 15. John chapter 15. John chapter 15. John chapter 15. John verse 1. Christ says, I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. God expects us to bear fruit. God really does expect us to humble ourselves and learn to live by every word of God. He wants us to. He's called us to be like Him. He wants us to be a true child of God. So every branch We have to again look to Christ. Neither can you unless you abide in me. Christ is the one who abides in you.

Christ must live in us if we are to make progress, if we are to change and to grow and overcome. Every branch that bears fruit, He prunes that it may bear more fruit. God wants us to continue to grow. And it takes faith to grow when trials are upon us. It takes faith to believe in God and trust in Him. When things are going always well for us, it's not so hard, is it? To have faith in God and to trust in Him and to believe in Him when everything goes our way.

But when things aren't going our way, it tests our mettle. It tests whether or not we truly love God and believe in Him. And know that He is a loving God that never leaves us, that never forsakes us, even in our trials, especially in our trials. In 2 Corinthians 1, we see that God will comfort us in our trials, and that God will always be with us in our trials. And I know that some of you have had grievous trials.

You've lost loved ones. You've lost children who have died prematurely. You've had children that have suffered and had ailments. And that's difficult on any parent. It takes faith to know that God is there on your side throughout a trial like this. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again, this is Paul who was shipwrecked and left out in the sea to drown or to die there.

And yet God always delivered him out of those shipwrecks. And he was stoned and beaten many times. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so are consolation, so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

Now, if we are afflicted, and at times we will be afflicted, it is for your consolation or comfort and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast. Paul knew that God's people would suffer from time to time. I know that you're going to suffer, and that I'm going to suffer from time to time because of all these trials that do come upon us.

But our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will be partakers of the consolation of the comfort that comes in Christ. And salvation is the ultimate comfort to live forever with God, to be comforted for all eternity in the presence of God. What a blessing! That is your destiny as God's child, as a child of God. So no matter what happens in this life, realize that God, it is His good pleasure to give you His kingdom. That is what God wants for each and every one of us here, and frankly for all people who have ever lived. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but should have everlasting life.

For God set not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. God is in the process of saving each and every one of us who truly wants to be saved, who is willing to repent and to turn from their sinful ways, and to call God my God, because God will truly call you His Son and His daughter.

God wants to be your Father, but you have to turn your heart to Him. Otherwise you won't change, and you will continue to struggle. You won't have the faith, and life will be more difficult. God has given me strength over the years because He lives in me. And those of you who have God's Spirit know that you sensed it, you know it, you feel it, you believe it. God gives you power, He gives you strength, He comforts you at all times.

So is God in all these trials that we've talked about today, these seven types of trials, is God in all of these? Sure, God is there, no matter what the trial. God is there, even if you bring them upon yourself, because of your sins, know that God is there. God allows all of these trials for a very, very important reason. God is indeed perfecting us. He wants us to become like Him.

God is great, God is good, God is perfect, and He wants you to become like Him. And that is your destiny, to become exactly like Him. We also need to see that there is a much, much better world to come. And so God allows these trials so that we will not put our faith in this life. Brethren, we need to see that there's a much, much better world to come. We all suffer because of the trials that we go through and the trials that others go through. And sometimes we are overwhelmed by all the prayer requests and by all the suffering that goes on in this life and even in God's Church, maybe especially in God's Church.

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by that. But in all this, let us realize that God wants us to see that it's His kingdom that we need to look to. It's His salvation that we need to look to and not get bogged down in this world. Because Satan is the God of this world.

And Satan wants you to get bogged down and to lack faith and to be like those 10 men you can't remember their names. He doesn't want you to be a Joshua. He doesn't want you to be a Caleb. He wants you to be an unknown, someone that will not live forever, someone who will be forgotten. Now those 10 spies, I pray that they will repent. I think they probably will one day. God will resurrect them and they will see the error of their ways and they will be ashamed of that awful choice they made to put their faith in the God of this world rather than the God of the universe and the God of all creation and the God of eternity.

Brother, let's go to Isaiah 48 for a moment. Isaiah 48. And let's see that we are being refined for God's glory. We are put here on this earth to glorify God. That is our destiny as well. God is creating sons and daughters who will reflect His character. So in Isaiah 48, Isaiah 48, verse 10, Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

That's right. God will test you in the furnace of affliction. God will allow these trials, all these seven types of trials, to come your way from time to time because you are being tested and you are being refined and realize that God is the Master Potter.

And He knows how to form the clay. For my own sake, for my own sake, I will do it for my sake.

God is refining us. He's shaping and molding us to become like Him. For how should my name be profaned, and I will not give my glory to another? You know, God is a jealous God in the right sense. He knows that He will last forever. And His ways are righteousness and truth, and they are good, and they are beautiful. And God wants to give us every good gift. Remember that God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were thrown into that fiery furnace, who was there with them? Christ Himself was there with them. God was with them. He did not leave them. He did not forsake them. He delivered them out of that fiery furnace. And He will deliver you out of the furnace of affliction, out of all trials that come your way. Brethren, with God's help, we can overcome all these trials that do come upon us. One of God's names means God provides. God is indeed our provider. He does provide the strength. He provides the courage. He provides the faith for all of life's challenges and trials. He is our source of strength, and He will help you climb every trial. He will help you climb every mountain. But you do have to rely upon Him, and you do have to surrender yourself to Him. Yes, life has its trials. Let us thank God for trials. Let us rejoice. When trials come upon us, we don't like them, just like I don't like to run up mountains. I don't like to run up steep hills. Sometimes they're painful. They hurt. But just like running up that hill, trials are good for us. They get us in shape spiritually.

So, brethren, let us learn from our trials and let us draw closer to God through every trial. We are to learn more faith through our trials. Again, there is one trial that we don't want to bring upon ourselves, and that's the trial that comes because of our sins. We want to put sin out. We want to put it away from us.

But we're human, and we're weak, and we're fleshly, and sometimes we'll even suffer because of our own sins. Regardless, let us learn from our trials. We will learn more faith as we endure our trials. We will learn more courage in our trials as we stay faithful. And God will surely give us strength to climb every mountain.

God will give us strength to overcome. Brethren, let us learn from our trials.