Faith Under Fire

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham later in the program will tell you how you can get Dr. Graham's message don't first hears his message face under fire that your Bible and turn with me to first Peter chapter 4 verse 1211. Maybe you as a child of God.

I love nothing will separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ's.

So before we even talk about suffering before we deal with the issues of pain and persecution stop there and realize just think about it a moment.

You are love by God. You are below so beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange was happening to you, but rejoice insofar as you shareprice sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. And if you are insulted in the name of Christ.

You are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or is a meddler yet. If anyone suffers as a Christian by letting glorify God in that may, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God, begins with us. What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God, and if the righteous is scarcely saved what will become of the ungodly and the sinner and then verse nine wraps it up. Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will in trust their souls to a faithful Creator, while doing good. What happens when we suffer, we destroyed are we so beaten-down that we become angry, resentful, defeated, depressed, or can we learn some lessons in the fiery ordeals of life fiery test fiery trials of life that will strengthen our faith there some who even deny that God exists because they argue something like this. If, because of suffering and evil in the world. If God is good. How could he allow something like this to exist or else God is not all-powerful and has stepped away from the suffering of humanity. How could you believe in a God.

Some would say that would allow such human suffering and tragedy in an insufferable tragedy and incomprehensible tragedy. What is your explanation. While the explanation for the believer is that there is another conclusion that God is both powerful and God is loving and God has a purpose in our pain, and if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. He is working purposefully. He is working personally.

He is working constructively in our lives through the crosses that we bear through the experiences that we all share together when we suffer.

There is purpose in paying and in suffering and that's what were going to see in the past when were under fire. What should we do number one face the facts.

That's what he is saying in verse 12. Don't be surprised at the fiery trial that comes upon you, as though some strange thing is happening to you accepting the reality of tough times of trials is is key to our understanding what God is doing. He says don't be surprised by suffering. Expect trials to come. Jesus warned us of the besetting John chapter 60 in this world you will have tribulation, but then he added, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

We are facing spiritual battles.

We are under attack by Satan himself, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and rulers of the darkness. And so if we're not getting physical persecution, we certainly are under fire in the sense that all of us are facing a very real enemy who Peter tells us in the fifth chapter is like a roaring lion roaming about, seeking whom he may devour. And Christians, all of us will spend time in the furnace.

The fiery ordeals when he uses fiery trials here he speaking of severe trial.

This is that your basic backache or headache but severe fire ordeals. That's the furnace of affliction.

It's good to know, is worn where's B tells us in his writings that when we're in the furnace. God always has his eye on the clock in his hand on the thermostat. I like that because it reminds us that God knows how long were going to be in there and how much we can pay but we will be in the furnace and when we are in the fire. It is, it is extremely important to face the facts. The reality, because you see so many of us think. Why is this happening to me what we say things in the middle of some trial at the outset of some trial like I can't believe this is happening to me. I can't believe that I'm hurting like this. I'm suffering like this. Face the facts that we live in a fallen world a broken world.

This very planet is in pain. According to Romans eight that we live under the curse of the condemnation and the contamination of sin and therefore because we live in this fallen world and broken world.

We are subject we are subject to suffer pain persecution is all part of life and therefore should be an dissipated matter of fact, if you're a follower of Jesus the Christ follower. You are a target for the enemy. You are a target for evildoers, except that as reality. The list of the word of God. Isaiah 43 verse two when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. And when you are anchored on the rock solid were