I Don’t Belong Here, Part 3

Life talks about the source of showing simultaneously great. Yes baby. It includes joy, knowing him. Can you believe in a God that's doing that right now in your life that in the payment of the disappointment support group by Newport himself and do you sense the glory of that God.

Feel the weight of his love so much that it feels you now even in the midst of the deepest darkest thing Katie Greer called. I am an alien and were discovering what really means to follow Jesus in a world that rejects the today pastor JD is concluding a message about the biblical response to persecution and suffering will see trusting God doesn't mean you just smiled or the pain and put on a happy face. There's a much deeper and more foundational response to be found for when life is hard when first Peter chapter 1 and Katie titled this message. I don't belong here, Jesus went to the cross and the father reveals the dog across Jesus as well. Praise the Lord is overwhelmed with sorrow. He wept, he cried out to God Christian's heart heart to see your heart can only go so deep because their ultimate hope was in a God who brings back light from the dead, the God return tragedy in the trial daughter takes us through the cross to bring us to the resurrection so they can simultaneously be filled with intense joy and deep pain that will be showing you as a thermostat, your thermostat, it's the cold that ticks on the thermostat to see come on right cold suffering is what ticks on the heat of your faith.

There is a kind of joy inexpressible joy. Some of you have never really felt because you've never been through the pain of despair. You go through the pain of despair. That's when God uses the cold of despair to kick on and intensity of faith and intensity of joy that will become you inexpressible because you will simultaneously be filled with deep sorrow and unspeakable joy so he goes on for seven so that watch the tested genuineness of your faith faith that is more precious than gold that Paris is though it is tested by fire piercing God's purpose in this is allowing these trials to purify faith in you is like gold I do not believe your goldsmith, but what they say is that when you want to purify gold you heated up because what will happen is as you develop gold is one of the last things that would evaporate. So all the impurities, what they call the draw float to the top of the gold they scrape them all the remaining gold is much more pure. As a result of it having both of the furnace is that's what these trials are like they are heating up your life so that the impurities of your faith, places where it looks like you have faith that you don't really have faith will be burned away. I know what it's like to go through this, but don't resist it because God is actually producing something in you that is more valuable to you than gold and is something that can give you more joy than any blessing of God could ever give to you too. Can you believe that. Can you believe that in your dark moment God might be doing it because he loves you and teaching you to trust him and I would join him that you probably could get any other way. See joy inexpressible doesn't come from any of God's blessings. Happiness comes from some of God's blessings, joy inexpressible comes from God himself for seven so that your faith, he says may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Here's a question is that praise and glory and honor that we give to Jesus or that praise and glory and honor the Jesus gives us every commentary that I consulted said this. This is praise and glory and honor that come from. Peter looks forward to that and says I am willing to be exile, a stranger, I want to be nobody here because showing that is so intense that I don't care about anybody else's opinion any longer. Then a guy who depended like many of us on the opinions of others that I haven't talk to the store in a while, but I'll talk to you is version of some of you have been running alone. If you have heard me tell the story what one of the greatest moments of my life happened when I was 22 years old and it was the first or sooner Lester because you can remember, but I was coaching a soccer team so I purchased wardrobe or Socrates. I can't remember what Leah was but I remember that they were awesome and they were awesome, probably because are great athletes but partly because those records and we made it all the way through the season undefeated, undefeated. We made it to the hornet County semi finals. They walk on that field so cocky they got to the other team dominated the day and they really didn't as well as ones were we just hardly got any shots on goal. They must've gotten tons of and so they had this one player there to listen close to this biggest one player on your team and she was also a little chauvinist, had no category for this.

They had no way the process that the most awesome player they had dealt with all season was a girl I've no idea who this girl was about the time Mia Hamm would've been 12 years old I went back and look it up.

She played her were neurotic down, but she was like she was like Michael Jordan with a soccer ball.

If they're going to do. She could do just about where we encounter all season. She must've gotten 50 shots on goal to mess up the second half allusion to the one I pulled out one of her fullbacks. A kid named David I'm sick and tired of that girl getting shots on goal is to coach. I hate that girl David Julie to hate her, but but we need to stop her like David Deborah cannot get another shot. I know you're still your circuit you got one assignment for the remaining 10 minutes of this day disregards David she is your assignment anytime that girl steps foot in the penalty box with the ball.

I want that girl on her really you understand me, David.

Yes sir coach is a David that's only a sub burst into flames. That's not your responsibility seizures.

What yes sir coach.

They returned directly from the field is not to be from like David do it legally as we worked on. This was called a slide tackle. That's right. And so, so you feel two minutes passed by. I honestly forgot about what I'd said to him because I'm noticing this. This genius come down the left side of the field. She goes through to sell the course. He goes to the rightful back like what you when she's done using the pedal position drivers Bob.

She comes back out to the middle David plate stopper. It was the sweeper and the goalie going to people that were there and she does something with her I should pump fake or something, but they just disappeared. Only where the guys went in search of her wide-open goal.

About that time the thought crossed my mind… She is done against you wide-open goal. This is yet the end of the game. The left side of my peripheral vision comes. This is tractor beam on he hits her from behind.

I mean full spread Eagle attack just beautiful. It's like a swan.he hits her big cloud of dust is one of those moments. Everybody was like did not just happen that just happen and so the dust settles for minute and it was like everybody on the field. Everybody in the field gets angry at once right because it is was what happened there to offer different reasons.

Their team is angry because they think you would try to take another star player the referees angry because he's like you give to a red card means 12 years old going out for the rest of the season. RT was angry because they knew they handed the other team apparently kicked the penalty box.

RTR parents are angry do they think psycho coach that just get in the girl out and I think the lawsuit that's all you saw. As I pulled the game and run over and it's about 10 feet from me and I'm like David somewhat like I'm doing this for parents because I want them to hear me say this is what we were is your brain put your brain points out, David. What what what what was that it was me with this indignant and innocent little €12 face. He says coach you told me to take her out illegally. The lack of thinking that I'd said that everyone on the field was thought that I said David do it mastic just take her out. Now here's the thing he knew he was a good enough player, but he knew the rules. He knew that he probably got a red card and probably ground and he probably could jump on the playground after this is over, but none of that. Can you wonder why is it is little work 12-year-old mind the praise and the honor and the glory that came from the coach was worth anything else that he would go through essentially conversion to Jesus.

Conversion to Jesus is when you come to a place where the approval and the delight of a God that you can't see right now but his facial no will stare into eternity become so weighty to you but you willing to endure anything to be despised by everyone because his approval. His presence is such a delight to your soul that makes you speak with joy inexpressible, even in the midst of everything else going wrong. That's conversion to Christ. Conversion to Christ is not using God as a better means to a better family is not a means to finding purpose not mean to find balance conversion crisis when he become survival to you that everything else seems like nothing because how much weight he has in your life. That's what Peter goes on to say that you not really seen and you love him what you love him, that's Christianity love him. They do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with joy that's inexpressible and filled with glory obtaining the outcome of your faith, the outcome of your faith, a great marriage which outcome of your faith a new BMW health and prosperity, know some of the many side effects of your faith, but he is the outcome of your faith.

Here's what you love and see the salvation of your souls salvage your souls is when you understand that you get to be in the presence of God for eternity and you realize that God has been working all things for good in your life to get you to the place where you can understand and believe and delight in God simultaneously gravy is paid in intense joy come from knowing him. That's the question. Can you believe in a God.

It's doing that right now in your life that in the payment of the disappointment you're going through that he's purifying you for himself that he's preparing you for an inheritance is beyond your comprehension and do you sense the glory of that God and feel the weight of his love so much that it feels you now even in the midst of the deepest and darkest pain with inexpressible joy about valuable use. You say was it was a caliphate come from above the counter faith, we tells you to different places others really quickly be on which I will leave you with this desire to have faith but not the ability to have its replacement first for his as it comes to the resurrection of the resurrection. You will you understand how important resurrection was to Peter because without the resurrection of this makes any sense, which is significant because I hear a lot of people say well you know Jesus was a great moral teacher in years ahead of his time. Also big.

The whole idea about him in Doddridge that that was something that later. Chris is made up like three or 400 years later, that would bar the original apostles baloney. You can see in first Peter that everything that Peter what caused this transformation and Peter was the belief that Jesus actually got out of the grave. That's the only thing the cost in him without the resurrection. All this is baseless to him for me and the guy that did not Christ in the space of an hour three times to be in a guy would literally give up everything for him. No church history tells John 21,000 Peter was crucified upside down. Eusebius, the church historian says that before Peter was crucified the day before he watched his wife crucified his last words to her. She's dried out and nailed to a cross was a member Christ, my beloved member Christ. What kind of joint where does that transformation come from come from the fact that Peter believe that Jesus rose from the dead. He says he believes it is all his own eyes. One thing is absolutely for certain Peter believe Jesus rose from the dead, you might say well he was deluded he actually wasn't with Jesus or somebody else that he saw his mother did what Rogers and fought with Jesus resurrection you can believe that. What you can't believe that Peter didn't really believe Jesus first. But there because everything you say. This transformation grows out of the resurrection. The reason was the reason that I follow Jesus and send us reason I follow Jesus because I believe that what Jesus revealed was true and that is verified by nifty to I don't follow Jesus because he give me a better moral system. I will follow Jesus because he answers all my questions because you know what he hasn't answered all my questions. I have a long list of questions I can explain to you. I don't follow Jesus because that's what my parents followed. I follow Jesus because he revealed was true, and is verified by an empty two.

That's why follow Jesus. You gotta decide that you got us on not telling you about Christianity because that's not just my preferred religion. Is it true is it true is the empty tomb. Is it really did think because according to Peter if it's not, it's all useless. It's all useless, but Jesus Christ really raised from the dead, that changes everything all appreciated more work for me. I don't care if it works for you. My question is, is it true that it's truly been then we'll figure out if it works for you are not the resurrection is where the faith comes from another place of maturity required for stem bring. This is all of these verses is a lot more for something to skip over subtle stress making sense to take on plaintiff deserted the salvation of prophets who prophesied of the grace it was to be your search and acquire carefully inquired what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories shall be 12 it was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you and the things that have now been announced to you the gospel through those who preach the good news gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven things in the which watches even the Angels want to look there is a reality that even the Angels who stare into the face of God long that would warm it is another very intense bird that means Seth's obsessed looking to behold that's I translate that work there is reality that the Angels want to look into that as the gospel. The other places, faith comes from is the mystery and the magnificence and the glory of the gospel. The gospel to me always so mysterious because here I'm looking at a God who apparently apparently love me so much that not even death itself could stand in his way, who took upon himself the penalty of my sin into himself so that he could rescue me that's on the cross shows me within the same time.

Over the years and had so many questions about faith, why do innocent people suffer. Why do so few people seem to know about Jesus.

Why is there how about getting same heresy. Today was one of the new atheist just go off about 10 minutes on an invective against Christianity only for 10 minutes. All these questions and that white boy about 10 minutes. Unlike my questions you have said questions but I look at the cross and I see them across the that's what I deserve in my mouth to stop because I know that's what I deserve.

I understand my sinfulness against God, and I understand the rules under a curse because of sin, but the whole race of us all of us rebelled against God. The cross to see God's tenderness. I see a cross that I know should've been mine and assumed a lot of questions, but in my mouth to stop versus the run 2929 which says the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are available to us and our children forever and what that means is this, there are some secret things that I probably will never understand the side of eternity because I just don't know God's thoughts and even of God explained to me I probably couldn't understand them not smart enough as a 55 verse eight.

My thoughts are not your thoughts in my ways are not your ways my ways are higher than your ways. About as high as the heavens are above the earth. You need to quit, demanding that I explain everything to you because you are the mental capacity to understand it all in my power, my love, what they say they are. Imagine how much greater.

My wisdom is than yours. So I look at this stop and look at the mystery of the gospel to blows my mind and I say okay I'm always demanding that God give me explanation but gotta give me a revelation when I want answers what God gives me is the gospel and he says looking at this new spirit this and you base your understanding of me on what I revealed about myself and the cross see my magnificence of my ministry. And yet there might be some things that you just don't understand God, but if you love me, how come I'm suffering the way that I am.

Would you be willing to believe that there is a God who is tender to use the cross as he is, even if you can understand what his wisdom is doing in your life right now God, why did the innocent children suffer.

Could you believe that there is a God that is so holy that the world is under a rightful curse because of that everybody suffers because of that curse you, say what about the kids didn't do anything wrong to grow up when they grow up, they'll do the things wrong that all the dogs, all people choose to rebel against God by the way, God says that it eternity. He gives an inheritance to those right innocent ones that would make up for all the suffering in the world could you believe in a God that was saying that those things were true. My faith grows in one place.

The cross please see like Paul and John never had a Bible writer, Peter leaves you gazing at the cross, he tells you stare deeply into the cross. Is there mysteries there that not even the angels understand and they long to look into it is not often that I have the chance to quote from both Tim Keller and myself at the same time.

Okay with this one the most startling passages in the Bible to me connects the magnificence of angels with the mystery of the gospel.

Angels are incredibly majestic and powerful beings living in God's eternal presence, yet there is something that is happened on earth which is so stupendous that even these immortal beings experience the persistent longing to look into these things.

What are these things that could possibly and consistently consume the attention of God fixated creatures.

The answer is the gospel. The Angels never get tired of looking in the gospel. That means there is no in the gospel exploration. There are gaps in the gospel that are always there to be discovered and applied not only to our ministry in daily Christian life.

But above all to the worship of the God of the gospel with renewed vision and humility. The underlying conviction in my preaching, pastoring in writing. Keller is the gospel. This eternally fascinating message craved by the Angels can change your heart, a community in the world when it is recovered and applied across the mystery of the cross and the resurrection and the cross by faith has found this to him. Writer resting place, not in device or create. I trust the ever living one is wounds they plea for me. I need no other argument on the new other pleadings enough that Jesus died and that he got the cross and the resurrection is the place for your faith. So, I invite you gaze into the gospel well on the gospel and let it ravage your soul for you have inexpressible joy marginally during holy Jesus you're listening to Summit life Jeannie Greer to get his message again or to catch up on previous messages in this series called I'm an alien good to Jeannie Greer.com living as a Christian, following Christ, letting the gospel transform our response to things like suffering that makes it seem pretty unusual to the world around us and every religion is trying to figure out how to get that means they're all asking the question what my idea to be saying you Molly.

That really is the question that every world religion gives answer that the minute uses words that I want to go to heaven when I die, I know that I'm on the good side out on her that God accepts me the gospel is a unique Christian message and that it says it's not what you do. It's what Jesus is done for you that you receive as a gift. I think a lot of Christians still wrestle with knowing how to understand this, but it's how to explain it to others. Specifically, a lot of Christians will will wonder sometimes, like hey I might have believed enough that I repented enough do I have enough spiritual feelings of my heart really thought of as a Christian and I was true for me.

I pray the sinners prayer and this is not an exaggeration or joke operator Robbie 5000 times between the ages of 13 and 20 because I just wanted to know for sure. I got baptized four different times… Okay, now I'm saved and I'm I'm I'm delighted in this series Molly to be able to help people walk the path in the Bible and how to find an absolute rock solid assurance you belong to Jesus by going through first John promises in the Gospels, the book of Romans. This devotional that were were offering called assured will show you how to come to back kind of assurance and how to lead others around you to it. Would love to put that in your hands is as a free gift. When you become a partner here with our ministry. Yours get a JD Greer.com you can get all go more in depth with this concept of assurance. When you get a copy of this devotional study when you get a suggested level of $25 or more to support this ministry and your copy of sincere gratitude for the insured devotional 866-335-5220 868-3352 23 can give online dating Greer.com spiritual warfare and passing Katie will you? And more Wednesday night prayer ministry