Deliverance and Endurance (Part C)

The Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, there is none like him on the earth. After the test, blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil and still the old fast to his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him without cause. Then Job 210 we read this in all this Job did not sin, he endured. He took the pain.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with the conclusion of this study called deliverance and endurance. Second Kings 13 then Elisha died and they buried him the great prophet Elisha, one of the prophets who was used in the Old Testament to raise the dead back to life to revive them and that yet with all that faith, they came when he had to go home because they will even have much faith in more faith than anybody would make such a silly statement like that about him.

So we may feel that empty God does not come along and rescue us, we may feel what's the use of faith.

This is the story of the end of the book of Malachi. We tried trusting you when you get anything from it. So ours is to be faithful to the end of the wise it's not faith is so so Satan has the understands that he can get people to leave the faith by attacking them story of Job yeah Joby Corsi doesn't curse you, because he's blameless you give him everything. Take that stuff away from him and I'll show you who curse you to his face, and of course he he attacked Job and it didn't happen. So, not accepting deliverance here.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. Matthew 1022 we Christians need to hear this. This is about persecution is about suffering in life we need to hear it.

It's in the Scripture and is not in there to be passed over or ignored.

Just as all the rest of Scripture is not to be passed over or ignored. Jesus said and you will be hated by all for my namesake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. The one who endures to the end and persecution is just that endurance not deliverance all the time.

We must be ready for that others can die for their suffer and die for their causes. We are not to be an exception. So at the cost of faith. The devil demands that believers renounce Christ so that they can gain temporary relief escape suffering. Denying Christ worsens death. That's what it does. Faith embraces God will not leave me in that he does not deliver me does not mean he hasn't delivered me because my relationship with him exceeds this life goes beyond this life. It is not defined or limited to this life does not mean that he will spare us because he is always with us from the things that come against us. The New Testament is more concerned with preaching the gospel under all situations as led by the Spirit, then protecting the righteous. As with the armies of the Old Testament, the New Testament is more concerned with the message being delivered at any cost to those delivering so again, our marriage vows. We being brides of Christ.

For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part thing is with the Christian death will not do us part from Christ. We are forever joined to him. Satan does not want pastors to preach these kind of messages and he likes to make Christians uncomfortable. Hearing them so that he can continue to fortify his causes, but we remain weak and not facing the facts concerning what we believe.

So we have to understand if God is glorified by something that happens to us and we receive it we don't we not supposed to belong to faith with talk is cheap. Yes, Lord, all serve you all my days anywhere you want me to, and then the pressures come on out. He didn't rescue me.

I'm done Bible doesn't work. The promises don't apply. Again, that's the story the end of book Malachi chapter 3 at the end of that chapter that they might obtain a better resurrection. Though there are two resurrections there is resurrection of the just and his resurrection of the unjust. Both will stand before God one to condemnation the other to address their service in this life. The rewards are not and so by faith. The church in Smyrna that is in the book of Revelation in chapter 2. That church was persecuted and the Lord said you you To my name in the face of persecution. Satan's throne was source of power. Satan's darkness was upon verse 36 of Hebrews 11.

Still others had trial of markings and scourging just of change and imprisonment.

There are others still others is more we encounter had trials of markings. Is it true that someone can be brave in the face of violence and danger, but can't stand being left. I mean there are, I think it is true I think that there are those that cannot bear it.

You better if you're Christian maybe you been in the workplace or school, and you've heard someone make take a shot at Christ are some of you are very bothered when you hear someone use the name of the Lord in vain. While they're not under the covenant as we are there lost that got more problems than that we can get to the source of the problem will no longer take the Lord's name in vain. But what I'm trying to say is that we feel the pressure of that Peter is writing again to persecuted Christians. He said yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian that him not be ashamed. Let him glorify God and in this matter. So there are those that suffer not as Christians. There are those that suffer as Christians, one will get the crown. The other gets nothing. And that makes all the difference whose king whose kingdom you belong to which king are you subject to because that King will be the victor and the other king will be vanquished so will his subjects along with him. He says here in verse 36 that they had received scourging's yes of chain and imprisonment. Jeremiah never back down from his message. All the junk that he had to endure from his family from his countrymen of the ridiculed being hunted physically attacked Jeremiah 30 860.

They took Jeremiah cast them into the dungeon and which was in the court of the prison and they let Jeremiah down with ropes and in the dungeon. There was no water. But Meyer so Jeremiah sank in the mire. You know you know how miserable that was for him. It was this not all.

This is a Bible story and the some actor just carrying it out and afterward they are going to clean up and go to some restaurant and have a good time.

This really happen to some as and when worse has happened, but he sank in the mire.

How many times have I thought about that sinking in the mire of something God. Why is this nesting of the little things really get me anything more than the big things you expect the bogeyman the big ones those little fleas that just want to show unnecessary, but their unstoppable so you find yourself saying the least I find myself saying I have got to work on my response to these things. I have got to stop being so hurt by things that in the scheme of heaven really and nothing I'm right with Christ. That is the major thing I will keep that the major thing in the hits that I take well I have I have armor enough to survive, not to take the hit. You know if you've ever had a shield. Growing up I had a friend that had a shield and of course with boys do when you have a shield you get something to hit the shield with you behind the shield and if you've ever been hit that you feel that your teeth shape that the guy has been another knock you down yeah it does you didn't get hit with a direct blow what you get hit you feel that the impact that's Christianity the shield of faith will take its it's not about you know it's not enough force field activate the Christian force field that will happen. We get to heaven.

Hebrews chapter 13 the writer of this letter is writing at the time the Christians already being persecuted for being Christians, so he writes in the 13th chapter.

Remember the prisoners as if change with them. Those who are mistreated as a euphemism for you since you yourselves are in the body also part of your body is being persecuted being tortured.

Remember them in prayer. Verse 37. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword wandered about sheepskins and goat skins being destitute, afflicted torment. Now he's emphasizing of course the Old Testament believers at the New Testament will have this year also where he says they were stoned. Well that's Stephen and Paul accepter. Seven and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and sing Lord Jesus, receive my spirit even say Lord Jesus, if you don't save me from this I'm going elsewhere.

He allowed himself to be stoned to death in faith, knowing that there better things on the horizon when it comes to Christ, so the Christian martyr dies the death of meaning. The reject or Christ may suffer and die meaningless sleep. Just this life that it is nothing. After that's how we have to preach it because that's what were told to preach the mercy of God is the mercy of God. That's his department. I cannot exercise the mercy of God on that level on his level. I can exercise the mercy of God and the spear that he's given me to exercise it, but it will never reach the level that he hasn't dealing with those who have left this life without confessing Christ as Savior. That is his department. So while I am here. I have to preach it as he is given it to me.

He says they were sawn into a prevalent form of of the execution in the ancient world.

In Daniel chapter 2 we we read about Nebuchadnezzar's analyst will go to Soriano countrymen Joe now yeah I have to say there is outside of the Bible there is some history that says Isaiah the prophet was ultimately moderate great men of God we have the prophecy of Isaiah put in the hollow of a log and the log was sawn into with him in it that such a tradition of of the Jews weather is true or not is irrelevant because it is certainly is happened in other places now is a good time to read John Bunyan and Pilgrim's progress gets to a scene would Christian the character is in heated dialogue with Satan with Apollyon the enemy and is winning the argument, so the enemy gets infuriated and attacks him physically and but one of the things that led to that was with these words, and in the story about why God does not deliver his people from all sorts of things he says God's forbearing at present to deliver them is on purpose to try their love whether they will cleave to him to the end his another part of that there are spectators there are those watching the Christians how they face death and how we face life. Have you ever lost your temper in front of an unbeliever. What is left of your testimony without unbeliever after that they were tempted walk. We all Adam and Eve there with a garden minding their own business. And here comes the one to bother them. Satan targets people minding their own business with temptation to seduce two more again. We go back to Job minding his own business, praying for his children serving the Lord. Job chapter 1 then the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil so course, we don't want God boasting on us but don't know we give them the chance though. Well, this word test here were tempted is a test I ran so in the Greek. Another word that you are likely not be here later today. It needs to scrutinize it means to test to try. Let's put this thing under the microscope and or let's let's put it in the crucible and see if he can take the and that is the meaning others were tempted wearing this number. Of course, going back to Job chapter 1 Satan dialogue and dialogue with God over Joe. This is Satan's response. Have you not made a hedge around him around his household, and around all that he has on every side numbers. Even his kids. He says you have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. The point is, let's see you stop blessing what he is what he has. Let's see if you're still so quick to post on Job about being faithful, then one of the lessons in the story is that Satan gets it wrong is not omniscient is not he doesn't know everything is not perfect is a created being. And he's a fallen created being. The Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth. After the test, blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil and still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him without cause the Job to 10 we read this in all this Job did not sin with his lips. He endured, he took the pain Peter writing to the can. The persecuted church in first Peter he says that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes through, though it is tested by fire may be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, the genuineness of your faith.

Sometimes I say Lord I set out to ministry with the bigger vision than what I managed to get in. The clock is ticking away. I'm not getting any younger and I look at the please, for your comments and I getting any younger. Is this it, and if you feel if you had any passion for something in life.

It is just that question is something you take lightly.

It is, it and everything else moves around that and you you you wanted to be this great big ball of of fire and flame and victory what you are doing is not see you tempted now to be disgruntled to be dissatisfied. All we have is this manner read that story in Numbers chapter 11 see how that worked out for those were bad mouthing the Lord's provisions, but view being tested I'm being tested all the time maybe never become so discouraged that we give up on our Savior that we give up on our faith as a matter of fact should go the other way, the more discouraged we feel the closer we draw to him and to his eternity.

Job 19. He says I know my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth and after my skin is destroyed, this I know that my flesh in my flesh I shall see God. When I am dead. I shall see him, because I will be alive. What a beautiful passage he paid for that verse says here in verse 37 were slain with the sword. Remember those early Christians that suffered persecution. They did not die for fictitious things when they said we saw the risen Lord mental die for such things.

If it's fake. They died because they could they could not lie about what they saw. They saw Christ crucified, they saw him risen. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins being destitute. That's not adults only this, you can find some of this in Judges chapter 6 they were afflicted. The Greek word there is squeezed they were tormented of this life inflicts torment on the saints as well as non-Saints with his father were going to get verse 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. I think this is an emotional and improperly so he inserts this, whom the world wasn't worthy, their suffering these things and he inserts that comment. The world wasn't worthy world wants us to stay on the reservation, we come off the reservation.

When we begin to preach Christ and their world. Satan fears the church. That's why he hates it so much. Here's it like nothing else on earth, this world really has very little to offer us is Christ that has what we want and is said to see churches loading up their sanctuaries with heretics and church brats demanding this demanding that never subjecting themselves to the demands of Christ, so Christianity goes on what we need to remember that this trying and testing of the world is very serious world is an infectious disease to the life of Christ is all about influence, luring us away. No, I mean there are certainly there are things that are harmless of the world does not sing in them. They're not our enemy, but their influences if their influence, which defines the world causes us to depart from Christ in any form, whether it is from following him was just simply obeying him. Verse 39. In all these, having obtained good testimony through faith did not receive the promise. Those who had been scrutinize. He's now summarizing everything is he's been saying they did not receive the Messiah. They never saw Jesus Christ did not see the fulfillment of the prophecies we have that this point he's writing to the Hebrews and saying to them, you cannot follow Judaism and Christianity.

At the same time they are irreconcilable. We now have the fulfillment of what the prophets spoke. It is now obsolete. The rituals that speak of salvation there just that they speak of salvation, but they do not offer it. Only the blood of Christ, so he says having obtained a good testimony through faith testimony is your story. What's your story.

All is my life in Christ.

Hopefully, faith makes possible the impossible. And that is to live the Christian life. The standards of Christ are always high and Christ says I want you to reach this. I'm not going to Lauren he does not say thou shall not murder but as a high standard for some of you so all lower it a little bit. You can murder sometimes doesn't do that standards are high, and he encourages us to go after them and what we where we fail he provides to grace, the mercy that says he did not receive the promise that is the Messiah. How does the prosperity movement handle such a verse that says you didn't receive the promise of they willing to say all these heroes of the faith are that did not exercise faith.

I hope not. Verse 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Well, the law did not save them.

Law took them to righteous living in the direction of the Messiah that would come, but we have the price. Now we have the fullness of the prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah Peter said whom having not seen you love. Now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. He said that right after he said that thing about the genuineness of your faith, being tested and persecution is that you haven't seen Christ, which is suffering for him. These Old Testament saints had not seen him, but they suffered under the righteous revelations of God.

Then he says that they should not be made perfect apart from us. That word made perfect in the Greek is actually made complete to better translators. Maybe your transom. Another translation does use complete with the new King James is perfect. This is not an error is just not I don't think is close to the meaning as if you look up the Greek word and examine it and you find out it means made complete, they were not complete. They were incomplete. When it came to Christ, we have before knowledge cycles. With this verse.

First John 17 the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We now know that is not the blood of goats, wolves in sheep's blood.

Jesus Christ, the son of God makes all the difference. You've been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick, you can subscribe cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio