4 Reasons God Allows Prolonged Testing, Part 3

Greetings friends and new listeners and welcomed at the sound of faith. I'm not thanking you for being with us today because we now faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If you've ever been in a time of prolonged testing.

Today's message is perfect for you. For reasons God allows prolonged testing. God has promised that he is faithful and will not allow us to be tested above what we are able to endure. Find out why he sometimes allows our test to become protracted and for reasons God allows prolonged testing so all of these angels have seen this. They have seen that the plan of redemption has prevailed over the plot of Satan to derail it were told in revelations 118. He took the keys mean authority whenever you see keys in the Bible it means authority. He took the keys of death and hell off of Satan when he went to unlock that door. He said come on, you're coming with me. Amen. He'd already told the thief on the cross, when he said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Jesus said today. Today you're going with me. You're going to be in paradise.

Amen. So that was number two. Let's go to number three why God allows us to go sometimes to extended trials. We learn here. It's too shows both good and bad angels. The plan of God. Now three to reveal his plan of man's redemption to his good Angels and to show them God's power to keep us, let's turn to first Corinthians chapter 4 let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. So where ministers I would tell you about this Greek word in it first, you're probably not going to like it very much. When we think of minister think of someone who has a title and a position they might even have a particular way they dress, let everybody know I'm a minister, but I would tell you what this Greek word here means now and other places in your English Bible you will see the word minister that is actually from the word Dia con, which we bring it over Deacon, but that's not the word here. The word here is hopeful Ray case hoopoe rate case two words help, though means under under and address so which is what Ray case comes from means to row and I'm literally talking about. You have yours on the boat and your rowing but not just anyone rowing on the boat. Don't think of a little canoe or something.

Think of those ships back in that time. In the Roman times that would've had at Dowling below the deck. There was the galley and they would have had up to 110 sitting on a little hard bench like this and on each side and their rowing and that is what kept the ship moving and these guys were not treated always in the best way they were overworked work too long and sometimes I hate to tell you this, they would let somebody wrote to the point of exhaustion and sometimes they would keel over that now God doesn't do that because he's not like the devil.

But I want to show you that this particular word what it meant. It was the lowest Greek word for servant, the lowest one. There's another one Purdue loss which means servant, but this servant even though he was, not free to come and go. He was still treated a lot better by the master, but this is the lowest of the low, and he says that's what we are. We are the ministers of Christ, and he said were stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it seems like a dichotomy here because one the one hand we got this lowest form of servant, and now we've got Stewart and you know what a steward was a manager, a superintendent, someone to whom the owner or the proprietor entrusted to manage and oversee his affairs. His house even his finances. We could say he was the Masters Deputy so another words he did not own the house. He didn't own any of the treasures in the house he did know many of the money in the bank account not but he was given this trust, the master had so much trust in him. I can turn over to you.

The running of my house. The overseeing of my finances. I trust you the number one you are competent and capable to do a good job so that you know it's not destroyed, and I lose everything I can trust you that you are not going to be dishonest. See that's what the word steward is, and Paul was saying that we were given the stewardship over God's mysteries. Another words over the revelation of the gospel, the word of God. Both the Gospels of Jesus and then the epistles to the church. Paul said it was his main concern that he had to preserve and protect these revelations and dispense them.

He had to get him out. He had to get the truth out to God, it entrusted to him to do and sometimes he was beaten for and jailed for many things that he suffered. You can read the catalog of the things that he suffered beat with Ron and many stripes. He said sometimes with many stripes. He was in shipwrecks. One time he spent a whole day and 1/2 in the sea, but he says God is entrusted me to get this truth out in this word of God out and whatever the cost is I'm going to do it because he said the first requirement is that we be found faithful now. Keeping that in mind, keeping in mind that our first requirement, no matter if God called you to stay if he is called you to be a soloist acquired director choir member and instrumentalist teach Sunday school.

Whatever God gives you to do, and sit in this house of God pay your time whatever God you do not want be faithful and dropping down to verse nine, you're going to see another good reason why because first of all let me just interject that Jesus said one day he's going to say well done, thou good and faithful servant. You been faithful in the lease now make you ruler over most so that's self-serving. That's for your benefit in my benefit, but let's look at verse nine for I think that God is set forth at us. The apostles last, as it were appointed to death and that's most all the apostles did die a martyr's death, for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and two men. So what is Paul saying.

First of all let me tell you the work spectacle. The Greek word is the apps Ron Fiat run we bring it into the English as theater, how many know what happens at the theater, especially don't think of now movies think of Broadway when you go to see a play in the theater. Amen. Then the actors or on stage and they each have their role to play. They had individual roles to play, but all of those roles dovetail with the other actors in that play.

Amen. So Paul is saying in where on stage where on this great stage that God has given us and were being observed were being studied to see where our roles in the scenes that were put in in our life and in the body of Christ were being watched for our character for our faithfulness and our obedience in this great play if you will of God's redemption plan and were being watched by three groups. Number one, the world the word cosmos refers to the universe and the global system, the governments of men are watching the church and watching Christians number two angels and we've already been talking extensively about angels and number three man orc humans, you're being watched by your family by your friends by your coworkers and your neighbors. You're even being watched by others in the body of Christ. Amen.

But let me zoom in on what were talking about angels are watching us.

So when we are persecuted for our faith and we endured for Christ. They observed the power of God to keep us see it's one thing for God to save you and cleanse you of your sins, but now he doesn't take you straight to heaven he leaves you down here and now you've got to continue.

You got to strive. Amen. You got the press your way and we now we come against large obstacles and persecutions and so now the Angels are watching us.

Are we going to be faithful are we gonna press our way strive to enter information shall try and not be able amen.

So there watching us. If were going to indoor when we remain faithful to our Lord.

In spite of the trials and the sufferings and the afflictions. And yes, that awful, awful, demonic warfare that sometimes we have to face the Angels are seeing us stand and be true, and they see that even though we were born slaves under the mastery of Satan. We were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And now we can do something that that was angels could not do. They were created perfect, amen. They were created perfect and they were in a perfect place to paradise and they rebelled against God. Pride came into Lucifer's heart and he rebelled and then Macias fallen man Dale observed when Adam and Eve stood at that tree and ate the forbidden fruit, they observed when they ran and hid and were afraid and when God came and said what if you done they were made they knew all that went down with them and that serpent and they knew that we were born, falling, and slaves to sin and then they watched somebody wrote a song and said the Angels wept when Jesus hung on the cross. They saw Jesus paid that awful death to redeem us and don't you know how curious they are. Don't you know how invested they are to see it succeed. To see the plan of God succeed when they know they awful price that the word of God who became flesh to pay.

They want us to succeed. The plan succeed. They want us to make it there watching us watching us. They say that were faithful we stand true share us on the plan is successful and Satan is defeated.

Amen. They see the power of that cross did not only save us back to keep us that we are the door by the power of God to be revealed in these last time. Amen. So it's extremely relevant to because if you look at chapter 6 verse three Paul says no you not, that we shall judge angels how much more things that pertain to this life. So were going to judge angels. The Angels are watching us.

Somebody said you better watch out you better not pout standard is coming to town.

No one tell you the Angels are watching us and here's the good thing. Jude tells us in verses 14 and 15, the Lord is coming with 10,000s of his saints to execute judgment upon all that are ungodly already told you about those angels are down there and Tartar room and the Scripture says, the ring change waiting for judgment.

Now, if you caught what I just read from Jude that you caught the fact that we are going to have a part in judging them.

I don't know about you but I will be amongst those 10,000s of saints when he comes back like on Whitehorse I'm going to be. Amen. Number 10 so do you get what how we are going to judge the wicked angels that rebelled against God. We are going to be a part of the judgment panel that's going to judge them. Amen.

And I'm not talking about the good angels I'm talking about the bad angels. So Paul is going to have such an awesome responsibility. How much more shall we be able to judge matters in this life and make the right decisions.

Amen. Because the angels in heaven are observing our contact and they see that God allows us to face difficult trials he doesn't always kiss out as soon as he gets hard.

He doesn't always rescue us when things get tough.

He let us go through it because it is not so much pot that is going to give us the grace and when it's too much he's going to bring us out one time. Amen.

So the Angels are able.

The good angels are able to observe the comparison between the redeemed Church of God and the fallen Angels that rebelled, how many got that point.

I know it's a little different, but did you get it all right were on our last point quickly. The fourth reason why God allows us to go through extended trials is to teach us to never give up. Second Corinthians chapter 4 my two favorite verses in the Bible for 17 and 18. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So he's talking about our light afflictions. Now to me that sounds like an oxymoron. Light afflictions, but this word light is only found one other place in your Greek New Testament and that Scripture is where Jesus said in Matthew 11 chapter he said come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. Verse 30 for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. God the word light same one we just read here so he saying that the things that he allows to come to us, relatively speaking, which will see in one second are light. The word affliction… Is found 45 times in your Greek New Testament and every time it's hard it means pressure, distress, tribulation.

Jesus said, John 1633 in this world you shall… You shall have tribulation, but being good for I have overcome the world.

So we sat our light affliction works for us.

It's not worthy to be compared because it's working for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

The word wait there actually means that it means something that weighs a lot. Something that's very very handy. The five times it's in your Greek New Testament. It always means in every other place very heavy. Now let's take it. What Paul is saying here he saying that the glory that shall be revealed in us is head of the extremely head. The we may have once or twice in our Christian life been in a service where the glory of God was so heavy you almost felt like you couldn't stand up.

I don't think we see it very much. Unfortunately, but we know that when the temple of God, that Solomon built when it was dedicated and the priest were getting ready to go when there to offer up what happened. They couldn't even get in the door, the glory of God was so heavy and fats on earth. Now what do you think about the glory that shall be revealed the glory that shall be revealed that here's a look at it like heavy glory which you may not seem like to you but when you compare it to the jewelry. When you look at that rate that's been that's eternal that in that perspective you are affliction seems like because remember he said there not only light but he said there temporary somebody said trouble don't last always. Amen there temporary but the glory that shall be revealed is heavy and the companion verse two that is Romans 817, Paul said, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.

So it's another way of saying these sufferings they don't have the same weight as the glory that's coming.

They don't have the same value as the glory that's common present sufferings. Do not wait as much as future glory.

Amen we put it in that perspective, and their only temporary, but the glory that's coming is eternal. So when the Saints go marching in, you know that song will win the Saints go marching in well when they go marching in all the angels going to have to step on the sidelines bigamy angels here and angels, they hair get ready the Saints to come marching to him retry every time every day to solve some 10 angels to waive bedridden way and they can say the plan of God has been well executed. The devil lost. Amen. And the Saints of God had prevailed. So the song says all I want to be in that number when the Saints go marching in, requested for you when you number I the amen. What an insightful word of the Lord, for reasons God allows prolonged testing God is on record that he is faithful and that he won't allow us to be tested above that which we are able. When we feel that we are at our breaking point. He will make a way of escape and exit plan or give us the commensurate grace to stand. I have found for reasons in scripture that explain why sometimes test are harder and longer to teach us spiritual warfare to manifest to angels, Satan's utter defeat to revealed to the faithful angels.

His plan of redemption and to teach us to never give up. We will look back to the pre-creation account at the fall of Lucifer to the coming of the Redeemer and his delegated big victorious authority to his church to the coming Sikh will of Satan's fall and the believers eternal glory for reasons God allows prolonged testing can be ordered on CD for love gift of $10 or more for the radio ministry and please consider adding extra to help us with mounting postal costs request SK 218. That's SK 218 and send your love gift of $10 or more to sound of faith PO Box 1744, Baltimore, MD 21203 or you can order online@thesoundoffaith.org where MP3s are available, but to order by mail center minimum love gift of $10 request SK 2182, PO Box 1744, Baltimore, MD 21203 and we would appreciate your letting us know the call letters of this radio station till next time. This is Sharon not saying that are not