Hope When We Suffer - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ getting some Bible memory. If you just can remember another verses that major person attempt to attend see that proves my faith is another self joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world and all righteousness.

No matter what the calamity no matter what the disappointment or the depth of the pain. No matter what kind of destruction occurs in our bodies at the time of our death. Our souls are divinely protected by the power of God. James Moffitt said God stands between you and all that menaces your hope or threatens your eternal welfare. You see, he's trying to tell us I am protecting you somehow for many of us. We never have a way of appropriating that for ourselves what is it we need why think it's implied in this verse we need to accept our life the way it is. We need to accept that the mystery of hardship and suffering, and misfortune. One of the things we often do us Christians that I just don't quite understand, no matter how deep the suffering we always want to explain it, you know, sometimes the explanations are not readily available exceeds a matter whether I accepted any other thing is the second step would be do I trust God, see do I trust him in absentia to ultimately deliver me, and ultimately save me. Yes, we have a living hope we have an ironclad reservation. We have divine protection and we have but we all know in verses six and seven a developing faith, he says in this you greatly rejoice when a paradoxical thing to say. These people were suffering. They couldn't wait to hear a word from Peter and he says that in this suffering you greatly rejoice.

Seems like an oxymoron to us than the he said even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials. The implication is that joy is not circumstantial. You see, that's a different kind that's the kind everybody has.

Everybody is happy.

By the way when you're done suffering no matter what the event is in your life and that finally comes doing and you're just so happy the joy that he is talking about here on the left wall is only in the New Testament. This this word is never used other groups in their own secular writing because the this word means joy no matter what the circumstances are in the Greeks thought is not possible. You can have joy if the circumstances are horrible computers that I beg to differ. You can you see you can and he says in this you greatly rejoice, even though now I noticed the explanation for little while qualified if you were here today and you were explaining to him your suffering.

He would say yes I know my child but it's just for a little while, you might say why don't understand that I've been I've been suffering for 10 years. Yes, he said that's just a little while. See how many say such a thing he sees it in light of what eternity you see.

Eternity is the absence of time it is forever, but if I were using a number and I said how does 10 years compared to 10 trillion years.

See what percentage of 10 trillion years is 10 years is not even a millisecond. But see, that's the eternal perspective, the apostle Paul with his own suffering called momentary, light affliction seesaw from a different kind of perspective. He says in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while and then these words, if necessary. It's different for all of us have you noticed that your suffering is uniquely tailored to you every once in a while you'll be suffering and you think men no one around me is suffering like I am. But there are other times in your life when you hear about somebody suffering and you go. I have never suffered like that. Not ever.

You see it's if necessary God's hands all over this in this you greatly rejoice, even though now for little while, if necessary, you have been distressed that word is not good enough that idea for distressed that word literally means anguish, heavy. It has this idea of awake that's so great you can bear up under.

That's what he means.

In other words, what is God saying I know how painful suffering is. You see, I know how painful it is, you can't deny it. He said if necessary. You have been distressed and then he says by various trials point the loss is the word interesting word means variegated means multicolored. In other words, we all get our own trials are all unique to us by the way, put the losses. The root word for the English word polkadot the idea of it is it's just a variety of things happened to all of us trials we have a developing faith, he says in verse seven, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

While what's he implying he's implying something I think we all know suffering proves your faith is having some Al-Anon I got but I got Bible memory prove my faith. If you just can remember another verses that really means your person of great faith, church attendance is see that that that proves my faith. No cuts, as is another way to prove your faith. It's called suffering C5 suffering proves your faith.

You heard me say this, over all the years, but if you're in intensive care. You really can't figure faith you can't. The suffering is so great. And if that's the time you prove your faith and you prove your faith to yourself and you prove your faith.

Others you see that's what happens in that kind of suffering. There was a context there approving our faith and God says this is a big deal to me. He said being more precious than gold which is perishable, you prove your faith through suffering and God says, and my reward that for ever even gold one day will not be here there be a new heaven and a new earth. He said this is what proves your faith. This is what's precious to me that the proof of your faith be more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire. Everybody knows the anguish of fire speaks often of judgment in the word of God but everybody knows when you say fire and use a flash you say suffering and he said that's the way it sometimes feels tested by fire in the city.

You may be found to result in the praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ not only praise and glory and honor for Christ. But at the judgment seat of Christ, praise and glory and honor for you is so precious to God. How we handle suffering we have a living hope we have an ironclad REIT reservation. We have divine protection and we have a developing faith. All of this is to produce hope in our lives even when we suffer because without hope. Our suffering can overwhelm us and we can even let it the finest and then he says in verse eight, and though you have not seen him, you love him knees and and though you did not see him now, but believe in. Peter says that an almost an envious way, maybe even more so than you think. Peter uses the word there on the part of agape.

He says of these people even though you've never seen him you love him.

Remember, after Peter denied the Lord last time three times the Lord said to him, Peter, do you on the power may do you love me and Peter suggest Lord I feel I owe you.

You see, I brotherly love you. You're my friend. He's in on the Peter, do you just unconditionally hug Apollo love me yes Lord you know I follow you.

Finally, Jesus had Peter do you follow me. He said yes. Peter says that this group of people you've never seen Christ in you love him and that amazing thing you've never seen Christ, and yet you love him, he says, and though you do not see him now, you believe in him you trust him. He says you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full. He said of glory when amazing thing.

The imagery that I would use for this is from the Old Testament, the book of Daniel.

If you remember Shadrach me shack and Abednego would not bow to the great image of Nebuchadnezzar and so he said he's going to put them into the fiery furnace any heated up seven times hotter than ever been before minutes for the men and he said when I looked in the could see you know there was 1/4 image with them and they came out unscathed and image was a son of God, the image that I see is whenever I'm in the crucible fire and suffering, and for you. You will never suffer along.

Never once he's always in their you see, he's always in there with you.

I'll never leave you all never forsake you. I'm right here. See that's why 11. That's why trust him and that's what he Peter says we have an unseen Savior. Verse nine he says we have a guaranteed deliverance. He said, obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the deliverance of your souls are the salvation of your souls. He said that's what you have. He said you always arrive home safely. Always the never be an incident when you want. That's the hope of Christianity. You see, that's what we have. That's why, in the song that we saying we never can think of it this way, but we can think of from God's point of view, if we think of Ms. point of view that last day of your life is by far the best day of your life.

We often think of it as the worst day know it's the worst day for those who love you, but for you is the best day you arrived safely home. Christ has coming to receive you is arms are open. The place is secure. The reservation has been made and he said because of all this we can have hope even in the midst of suffering, we will not allow hope suffering to overwhelm us or even define us. That's not going to be what's going to happen.

He says we have a living hope we have an ironclad reservation. We have divine protection. We have a developing faith, we have an unseen Savior and we have a guaranteed deliverance see suffering is universal. If you're not suffering now. I can tell you something you will every single one of you will suffer.

It's coming every single time you suffer. You're going to be faced with a choice.

You can either resent or you can rejoice.

That's up to you. You see, every time you suffer every time your overwhelm with pain.

You can either resent or you can rejoice and I can tell you this, the choice is totally dependent on how much hope you have see how much of the living hope of you acquiring your own life, because if you haven't acquired much. I guarantee you when suffering comes your way. You've been resented to point fingers, you're going to blame you to be angry and you will be angry at God, but you won't admit it because the Christians don't admit those things Ray Johnston writes this when people lose hope they lose their ability to dream for the future disparate. This replaces joy, fear replaces faith.

Anxiety replaces prayer insecurity replaces confidence. Tomorrow's dreams are replaced by tonight's nightmares is a lousy way to live. When spouses lose hope they give up on their marriages. Parents give up on their team's leaders give up on their people healthy emotions like contentment and peace are replaced with toxic emotions like confusion and shame and worry and disappointment.

In short, isn't it is impossible to be spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and relationally healthy when you are in the grip of discouragement. Some wise person once said that we commit 40 days without food three days without water.

Eight minutes without air.

Not a single second with out hope he lingers on a says that's why the greatest gift leaders can give their people's hope. The greatest gift.

Parents can give their children hope the greatest give a teacher can give a student is hope the greatest gift the coasting of an athlete is hope. It's also why the greatest gift you can give your family is hope the greatest give you can give your friends is hope the greatest gift you can give your neighbors is hope the greatest gift you can give your coworkers is hope this past Thursday Monty Williams gave me that gift, and he gave everybody there that gift and millions now on the Internet and TV gave that gift to. He gave the cliff of hope in a context that seems unimaginable to you and me. One of the things that he said over and over again is this is gonna work out a paraphrase of Romans 828 this is going to work out a 44-year-old wife lost her life. Five children remaining and he stood up there before the winners of this is going to work. How can you say that I have hope. You see, I have hope. Near the end of the time the money spoken. He only spoke for seven minutes. He said this, we didn't lose her when you lose something you can't find it. I know exactly where my wife is how do you say that hope. You see, that's the context. The context is hope you know what's amazing, not just people in the media. But even people I've talked to from our own church you want to keep hearing. I don't think I could've ever said that you know why because you don't have enough hope that's what Peter is talking about this and it's not about denying the despair of the hole in his heart. The deep sorrow in his life. It's there, it's overwhelming, it's a burden too heavy for him to bear, but he has hope. Don't let disappointment and suffering.

Don't let it destroy you. Don't let it define you. Peter is telling us that there's a difference between us and all those out there and what we have to offer is hope.

One of the thoughts that I had was simply this.

All of these people, most of them secular. Many of them and never heard of Christ they don't know them at all and he keeps saying how that happened. How could he say that, but shouldn't that be what all your friends and neighbors and family members should be saying when you suffer. Just think of the impact we were not of us may make that impact individually, but just think collectively the impact we would make all where did you get that from how can you do that, hope you have a living hope in the end makes all the difference. You end up with peace. They end up with a witness in Christ ends up with glory. The spring father. First of all, I pray for those in this room this very day were suffering. I just pray that Peter's words reach them of all of the reasons that they could have hope in the midst of their pain in the midst of the raggedy that if they know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. If they recognize that his death on the cross was for their sins and they have put their trust in his finished work on the cross. They are born again into your family. They are your children forever. The place is reserved for them by Jesus Christ himself and no matter what this world throws at us in the end we have victory through Christ and because of that father through this whole process we have hope that hope benefits us immeasurably. It makes us such effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. Later in this very epistle, the apostle Peter will say that all of us need to give an account for the hope that is in us. I challenge you to persevere ask themselves the question how much because it certainly is Monday greatest bathroom never on the radio ministry of fellowship. If you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just think of a smoother message one more time.

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