first hymn of the evening, hymn number 100, day by day, hymn number 100100, day by day.
hymn number 100, we'll sing there starting on the 1st.
Amen we'll open with the word of prayer, heavenly father we just thank you again for the same
opportunity today to continue to gather together to sing praises to hear preaching on your
word.
Lord I pray that you would just be with those that received everlasting salvation this afternoon
that you would stir up their spirits to get into good church and to do works for you lord
now that they've been given that free gift of eternal life we pray that you would just
be with brother dylan for the service this evening that you'd fill in with your spirit
and open our ears once again to the message this evening these things we pray in jesus
name amen.
Alright for our next hymn, turn if you would to hymn number 110, 110 hymn number 110, all
the way my savior leads me.
Hymn 110.
Let's sing, all that is under mercy through life has been my guide, and we please divinest
in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Lord of the Rings.
This evening, if you need a bulletin, raise your hand, we'll come around and get that
to you.
We do have a verse for the week there on the front, 2 Timothy chapter number 2, starting
a brand new chapter this week, and so I encourage you to keep up the hard work in memorization.
As Brother Cameron finishes passing those around, also if you were able to quote the
last chapter, Exodus chapter number 20, if you wouldn't mind making your way back to
the back table, there is the gift cards that I've left there, and he can help you get those.
So if you were able to accomplish that and you have not gotten your prize for Exodus
chapter number 20, please find your way back there.
And if I happen to run out, just let me know and I can go grab some more as well.
So we do have our service times there and are so many times listed on the inside, along
with our nursing home ministry schedule as well.
Also, if I could get a count of the salvations from this afternoon, just one person from
your team raise your hand so I can get a count there.
So we have a total of five to add for this afternoon.
Thank you for that, and we'll keep up the hard work in soul winning.
Those numbers are a little bit out of date as well.
We had several numbers to report from this past week, and I just got those updated today,
so we'll have that for you on Thursday.
We want to continue to be in prayer for our expecting ladies, each one of the ladies there,
and also our next Fifth Sunday Fellowship, March 10th, and we'll get a theme for that
fellowship as the weeks approach.
February 11th is today, you made it, Brother Oz, he's going to be preaching for us this
evening again.
Great to have him and his family here with us.
And then February 24th is the ladies' event, which is going to be at the House of Clay.
You're going to be not making ceramic vessels, if you will, but rather painting them.
So that's totally a ladies' event there.
I'm glad you guys are going to be able to have that time of fellowship.
And that is nursing's only preferred.
There is a sign up sheet on the back table.
If you haven't done so already, make sure you get signed up for that.
March 18th will be a homeschool field trip that we're going to do to the Cowboy Hall
of Fame.
And you may check your calendar.
I know we have some public school.
We also have some homeschool children.
That should be the week of spring break.
So check with your calendar and hopefully that lines up.
That'll be on a Monday and it'll be from 10 to 2 p.m.
And it's kind of a special event that they're doing there at the Cowboy Hall of Fame.
So I encourage you to participate in that.
March 30th will be our next Soul Winning Marathon in the Oklahoma City Metro.
Of course that's Easter weekend.
And I'm going to get some Easter handouts ready for everyone.
Probably ready to hand out the beginning of March.
So we'll just spend the whole month of March handing those out promoting Easter Sunday.
And we'll go sowing that weekend all day in the morning and the evening.
And it'll be a local one here in the Metro.
And then of course we have our giving statements for the previous year available.
If you need those, just let me know and I can get that to you if you haven't already
gotten yours.
And also if you did not get your picture taken this morning, please stick around for after
the service to get your picture taken.
We still have everything set up where the Alex is doing that for us.
And if any of the pictures don't necessarily come out right or depending on the format
of the potential yearbook that we're going to do, we will have a secondary time to do
those pictures and we'll get that scheduled as well about a month in advance, just that
way everyone knows.
So just be aware of that.
That's all the announcements this evening.
So we'll go right to our next song in your hymnal.
Hymn number 120, Jesus Savior, Pilot Me.
Hymn number 120, we'll sing there, starting on the Ferb.
Hymn number 120, Jesus Savior, Pilot Me.
As the offering plates are being passed around, turn, if you would, to Psalm 119.
It will be the Teth portion, so verse 65 of Psalm 119.
The Bible reads, "Thou hast dwelt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments.
Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept thy word.
Thou art good, and thus good, teach me thy statutes.
The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in thy law.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.
The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver."
Heavenly Father, Lord, we just thank you so much for this day.
Lord, at this time, we just ask you to be with Brother Oz, and just fill him with your
spirit and give him the words to speak.
Just help this congregation to focus on what you'd have for us, in Jesus' precious time,
we pray.
Amen.
We are in Psalm 119, and we spared you this time from reading the whole thing.
One of these days will be cool, though.
Take like 15 minutes for a really fast reader, so we'll see if that ever happens someday.
We're here in Psalm 119, and I want to read verse number 71.
The Bible says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy
statutes."
So notice here the psalmist's attitude towards affliction, kind of paradox from our human
understanding where he's being afflicted, but the psalmist actually says, "It's good
for me that I'm being afflicted."
Now this is in complete contrast to our American way of thinking, where the average American,
they want to spend their life seeking to be as comfortable as possible.
The American way of thinking is, "I want the easiest job I can get that pays me the most
amount of money.
I want to live in the nicest house I could possibly live in, drive the nicest car I could
possibly afford, get the best health care."
Americans were all about comfort, right?
We don't like affliction.
We don't want to feel afflicted, but the Bible says here that it is good for us to have been
afflicted.
The title of my sermon this evening is "Affliction is Good".
Affliction is good.
Even think about this physically speaking.
Our bodies were meant to move.
Our bodies are meant to work and to experience exertion and to push ourselves and to fight
and to work.
It wouldn't be healthy for us just to sit down in a pod and never move and never use
our bodies.
We would start feeling a lot of pain.
What's funny is I used to work a very, very physical job and I noticed that once I moved
towards more of an office job, my hips hurt more, back hurts more and I have to like put
in more of an effort to get exercise outside of work and hit the gym and stuff like that
because if you just sit down, your body's not meant for that, right?
We're made for affliction.
We need to have affliction in our life, even physically, but the same thing is true spiritually.
Affliction is good for us spiritually.
Now this evening I want to give you four reasons why affliction is good and we'll make some
application at the end of this sermon.
Affliction is good because it helps you learn the Bible.
Look at Psalm 119, again look at verse 71, it says, "It is good for me that I have been
afflicted.
Why?
That I might learn thy statutes."
Notice pain teaches, affliction teaches.
It's good that I've been afflicted.
Why?
That I might learn, specifically learn what?
Thy statutes.
And so when we go through affliction, it causes us to learn the Bible.
Now this is true physically as well.
Think about, you know, when we're kids and we touch a hot stove, hey, pain teaches, right?
That pain teaches us, hey, I don't want to touch that hot stove again, or have you ever
messed with electrical equipment and got hurt from it and stuff like that?
That physical pain teaches you great valuable lessons in life.
It keeps you alive.
Okay.
But when we go through affliction, that pain teaches us the Bible spiritually.
And you know, I'm going to tell you several life experiences that I've had that have been
affliction that have taught me the Bible.
You know what?
I know every single person in here has gone through affliction of some portion.
And I'm sure you've learned things from the Bible too.
But you know, there's some things that I've been through that have taught me the Scriptures.
One of them is a pretty serious injury I had when I was 16.
I grew up and my whole life, this isn't a good thing, I'm just telling you the truth
about my life.
My whole life was centered around playing baseball.
From a young child, I played baseball in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, and during
the winter, we would do winter workouts.
Like that was my life as a child growing up, is just playing baseball, that's what I put
my focus and energy into, that's what my parents put their money into and everything like that.
But when I was 16, I got a really bad injury, I tore my rotator cuff, my labrum and my bicep
on my left shoulder and had a serious surgery that just destroyed my baseball career.
I did end up playing baseball again, but I was never the same and I knew that I wouldn't
be able to progress any further in my baseball endeavor.
And that was afflicting to me at the time, and I thought it was negative at the time,
but looking back, I know that that was a positive thing that actually happened in my life.
And you know what?
It taught me that the spiritual is what's important in life.
I would not have gotten that lesson if I would have just played baseball my whole life.
I would not have gotten that because all I cared about was baseball.
That's what I wanted to do with my life and I wouldn't have tried to have served Christ
because I was too busy playing baseball.
So I think that God gave me that affliction to teach me a lesson and I'm thankful for
it.
But go to Colossians chapter 3 if you would, Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3,
look at verse number 1 it says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which
are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth.
Remember that verse in Psalm 119, hey it's good for us to be afflicted.
Why?
That we might learn the Bible.
We might learn by precepts.
And this is something that I learned, hey God actually doesn't want me to put my affection
on things below.
God doesn't want me to spend my whole life playing a sport and caring only about baseball,
rather He wants me to put my affection on things above.
And so by me getting that injury, it caused me to be able to shift my focus from the carnal
to the spiritual.
That's something that I learned through affliction.
Look at verse 3, it says, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
In Christ, I love this phrase, "Who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory."
And you know, I mentioned this this morning, but outside of serving God and outside of
church, nothing else matters in life.
There's nothing in life that really means anything, or that is really going to have
any type of eternal value, except what we do for Christ.
And so if you have that knowledge, what should it cause you to do?
It should cause you to seek those things which are above, not the things on the earth.
To put our affection on things above.
What does that look like?
That looks like going to church three times a week.
That looks like reading the Bible every day.
That looks like praying to the Lord.
That looks like spending your time instead of practicing for a sport, out preaching the
gospel, getting people saved.
That's what God wants us to do with our time.
And you know, if you are just putting something above God, like I was baseball, you know,
God's probably going to come after that in your life.
And so you need to be careful about what you decide to place above the Lord because that
could be a target of the Lord's wrath, right?
And for me, thank God, it was only something silly like baseball.
But you know, I would hate it if people put their children above the Lord, their spouse
above their Lord, you know, that kind of stuff.
Just don't put anything above the Lord, rather, hey, just seek the Lord and seek those things
which are above.
First Corinthians chapter number three, go to first Corinthians chapter three, first
Corinthians chapter number three, talking about the judgment seat of Christ.
And notice what it says in first Corinthians three, thirteen, it says, every man's work
shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire,
and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so
as by fire.
You know, it's good every once in a while to remind yourself that there is a very real
day coming in your life, where you will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, and your life
will be judged according to your work.
And there's nothing else you can do, you can't go back in time and change how you live your
life, you can't go put in more hours, soul winning, you can't go read your Bible more
at that time, your work is done, your life is over, and guess what, we don't know when
our life is going to be over physically either.
I mean, we could die tonight, there's someone that could die on the road tomorrow, you never
know.
So every single day, you need to be seeking those things that are above.
Why?
Because, hey, there's coming a day where you can't work anymore, and you're gonna be judged
according to your works, hey, all of the wood and the hay and the stubble, all of the baseball,
you know, today's the Super Bowl, and I bet you a lot of Christians decided to skip out
on going to church for the wood, hay, and stubble of watching the Super Bowl.
But honestly, wood, hay, and stubble is just kind of meaningless.
That's probably worse, because you're probably just staring at the great whore of Babylon,
Taylor Swift, the whole time anyways, right, probably just even worse than just wood, hay,
and stubble.
You know what?
God doesn't want you to waste your life on wood, hay, and stubble.
He wants that gold, that silver, that precious stone.
What is that?
That's things that have eternal value.
Let me tell you this.
We read Deuteronomy chapter 32 this morning, and one of the verses in that book talks about
how, you know, we should memorize scripture and live according to the Word of God, and
it says, "It is not a vain thing for you, for it is your life."
Going to church is never vain.
Preaching gospel's never in vain.
Reading your Bible's never vain.
Memorizing scripture's never vain.
Everything that you do that's spiritual, hey, it's going to last forever.
It's going to build rewards in heaven.
It's going to touch people's lives.
It's going to affect people's eternities.
And so every time you're going to church, that's the right decision.
It's always the right decision to go to church.
Always the right decision to preach the gospel.
You know what?
Don't spend your life on the carnal.
Go to 2nd Corinthians chapter number 4, 2nd Corinthians chapter number 4, and you know,
I don't think, I doubt that I was good enough to have played professional baseball.
Statistically speaking, there's probably a very, very slim chance that that would have
ever happened.
But let's just say theoretically, I was somehow able to play pro baseball like my childhood
dream.
What would that have mattered?
Zero.
Nothing.
But you know what?
The person that gets just one person saved in their life has done more than the best
baseball player that's ever lived.
The person with the most home runs, very bonds, most home runs ever in baseball, you get one
person saved, you've accomplished way more than he has.
You get one person saved, you've done more than Tom Brady's done.
And so, you know, the world wants you to look up to these sport athletes and every young
man it's put in their heart that that's what they should do to become a professional athlete.
You know what?
It's vain, worthless.
And so I thank God that I went through that affliction through the physical pain of having
my shoulder jacked up.
I feel that every day of my life, my shoulder hurts all the time and I thank God that it
hurts all the time.
Because who knows, I could have been chasing baseball still to this day and I'm thankful
that I'm here instead.
Here's another affliction that taught me the word of God, losing an unsaved loved one.
Man, who's gone through that before?
Man, that's one of the most painful things ever, right?
When you know that this person you loved and cared for died and went to hell.
But you know what?
You can look at that affliction as an opportunity to learn the Bible.
You know what it taught me?
Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3, it says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid
to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which
believe not.
Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them."
Are you into the affliction of losing a loved one and someone you care about is in hell?
Well, instead of just getting mad at God or quitting on serving God, why don't you let
that pain teach you to love souls more in the future?
Why don't you let that teach you to say, "Hey, I've got some loved ones that are alive right
now that are still here, that can still get saved.
Maybe I should realize that if my gospel is hid, it's hid to those people."
And realize, "Hey, I need to take preaching the gospel seriously and not drop that opportunity
to let more of my loved ones."
What a shame that would be.
Go to 2 Corinthians 6, flip the page there, 2 Corinthians 6 verse 2 says, "For he sayeth
I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I suckered thee.
Behold, now is the accepted time.
Behold, now is the day of salvation."
Man, losing an unsaved loved one puts some urgency into my soul and realizing that when
I'm talking to someone at the door, this could be their last chance.
You know, we don't get to see what happens to the people that we preach to.
We knock on their door, we present to them the Gospel, and we may never see them again.
But I wonder, I wonder, you know, of all the soul winners in the new IFB, I wonder if one
of our soul winners has ever just knocked on someone's door, gotten them saved, and that
person died that night.
I bet you it's happened.
I bet you it's happened where someone's gotten someone saved and they died the next week,
or they died the next month.
But hey, us as soul winners realize that now is the day of salvation.
Don't wait to preach your loved ones the Gospel.
You know that you have someone in your family that's unsaved, get that fixed now.
Get that fixed today.
Preach them the Gospel.
Don't wait on that so you don't have to experience the pain and the affliction of losing a loved
one like that because there is no remedy.
How do you comfort someone who's loved one goes to hell?
It's eternal.
There's no fixing it ever.
They're lost for eternity.
That's sad, but that's reality.
And so if you go through that affliction, hey, I'm sorry I've been there, but let that
teach you to not make that mistake again and let that teach you to care about souls more
in the future.
Go to 2 Samuel chapter number 12, 2 Samuel chapter number 12.
That taught me, you know, another affliction that I've been through and many people have
been through this affliction is miscarriage.
Miscarriage is a pretty common thing, losing a child.
That's an affliction that hurts, that's painful, and I don't want anyone to have to go through
that.
It's not fun, but you know what?
That affliction taught me the Bible as well.
Go to 2 Samuel chapter 12 verse 19, notice it says we have a situation here where David's
son is very sick and on the brink of death, verse 19 it says, but when David saw that
his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead, so David's child died.
Therefore David said unto his servants, is the child dead, and they said he is dead.
Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel
and came into the house of the Lord and worshiped, then he came to his own house and when he
required they set bread before him and he did eat.
Then said his servants unto him, what thing is this that thou hast done, thou didst fast
and weep for the child while it was alive, but when the child was dead thou didst rise
and eat bread.
He said, while the child was yet alive I fasted and wept, for I said, who can tell whether
God will be gracious to me if my child may live.
Now he is dead, wherefore should I fast?
Can I bring him back again?
Notice that it says, I shall go to him, but he shall not.
Hey, you know the affliction of losing a child taught me to love the promise of heaven even
more.
And hey, I'm looking forward to being able to meet my child someday in heaven and lots
of people have gone through this before.
And that should draw you to the scriptures and say, hey, David lost one.
David lost a son and he said, I shall go to him.
Praise the Lord for that.
Praise the Lord that when you lose a child, hey, that child's innocent, that child's not
going to go to hell, that child's completely safe and secure in the Lord.
And that when you die someday, your child's going to be waiting for it.
Praise God for that.
Thank God for that.
I'm very thankful that even though I went through that affliction, it's not fun.
Hey, it could at least teach me to love God's word even more.
Go to Ecclesiastes chapter six, Ecclesiastes chapter number six.
Here's another affliction I've been through that's taught me the Bible that's being stabbed
in the back by my friends.
The new IFB has had splits over the years and usually it was involving people I didn't
really know that well, but a few years back there was a split at the church I was going
to at the time and someone that I thought was a great friend of mine just completely
turned on the church now thinks that pastor Aaron Thompson is a spiritual abuser and Sure
Foundation Baptist Church is a cult and just completely changed it would be like someone
in here who you love and know that is your friend that you think is your fellow laborer
and just boom you're part of a cult you're a terrible person you're spiritual abusers
I mean that's crazy but you go through it once and it doesn't really surprise you anymore
but the first time man it hurts but you know what that affliction teaches you the Bible
what did it teach me Ecclesiastes 6 16 it says a faithful friend is the medicine of life
and they that fear the Lord shall find him you know what getting backstabbed has taught
me before it teaches me to appreciate my real friends it teaches me to love and appreciate
the people in my life that are really faithful friends and draw even closer to them because
a faithful friend is the medicine of life and isn't it just refreshing to have a real
true friend not just someone that is with you in the times are good but when the times
are bad too not just someone who likes you when you're at your best but who likes you
even when you make mistakes even when you're do something foolish or say something foolish
that type of friend really can encourage you in life and if you find a friend like that
man that is a blessing and they that fear the Lord shall find him yeah fear the Lord
and you'll find a friend like put God first and he'll give you some great friends like
that go to second Corinthians chapter number 12 second Corinthians chapter number 12 what
about some other afflictions how about just the afflictions that our church has gone through
I mean said fast Baptist Church has been through a lot of afflictions protests lawsuits threats
stalking doxing I mean just name it said fast has been through it said fast has been through
a lot but you know one of the things that all of our afflictions has taught me is that
the sodomites and the reprobates are truly exactly what the Bible describes in life I
don't have to just read the Bible and be like well you know I've never really experienced
them but I'm just gonna trust what the Bible says no no no everything that the Bible says
about sodomites I know for a fact is true because I've literally lived it I've literally
seen it with my own eyes I don't even have to take it by faith anymore I just know that
it's reality and so yeah that's affliction at the time dealing with all these freaks
but hey the benefit is I got to learn God's law the benefit is that the kids growing up
in our church they got to see oh what mom and dad say about them is exactly true look
at the nasty things they're saying about the Lord look at the disgusting comments they're
saying about mom look at you know what I mean the kids see that stuff and they learn the
Bible too through affliction hey it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might
learn by statues here's another reason why affliction is good is that affliction humble
second Corinthians 12 verse 7 says unless I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of
Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure so notice the apostle Paul and
he was a really special person he was given a lot of scripture he wrote a huge portion
of the New Testament and it would have been really easy for him in the flesh to have been
exalted like oh I'm the apostle Paul I'm writing a bunch of the New Testament I'm such a great
guy and you would say well what's wrong with that necessarily well pride goeth before destruction
that's the problem with it is that if Paul would have been pumped up he would have been
destroyed and so God in his love in his care for the apostle Paul gave him a thorn in the
flesh you say well that doesn't sound loving that doesn't sound nice no actually affliction
was good for Paul because it kept him humble because if Paul wasn't humble his life would
have been destroyed that's the truth and you know a lot of people like to question about
what is Paul's thorn in the flesh I mean I'm open to hearing different theories about it
I think it's probably a problem with his eyes because I think it's the book of Galatians
which is a pretty short epistle Paul says you see how large a letter I've written unto
you with my own hand I think because he had problems seeing he wrote really large letters
because it wasn't really that long of an epistle and also I think in the book of second Corinthians
he talks about how they loved Paul so much that they were willing to impart their own
eyes unto him and you think about a guy that's been beaten with rods and and stoned and almost
killed like it's very possible that he had messed up eyes right from just trauma to the
brain or even direct trauma to the eyes and that's what I think his thorn in the flesh
was but notice in verse number eight it says for this thing I besought the Lord Christ
that it might depart from me you know Paul at the time even though affliction is good
even though it's good for us to be afflicted he's not necessarily understanding that at
the time right and we've all been there we've all had issues in our life where we're praying
Lord please take this away from me please help me with this issue and then looking back
at our lives we say oh actually it was good that the Lord didn't answer that prayer oh
I actually see how that trial that affliction made me better and that God was actually helping
me by not answering that prayer that's where Paul was at you know and he was he was beseeching
the Lord three times that's probably not just three quick prayers before bed that's probably
three really long intense seasons of prayer where Paul is saying like hey this is at the
top of my prayer list God I'm gonna continually come to you with this this issue every single
day I'm gonna beseech you to take this thorn in the flesh away from you from me but God
didn't see fit to do so why that he wouldn't be exalted above measure why because that
would have actually destroyed him not the thorn in the flesh wasn't destroying you Paul it
was if you would have gotten rid of that thorn of the flesh that actually is what would have
destroyed you and sometimes that's hard for us to take we're like no we want our afflictions
to go away no we want we want the comfort right but man that's not always what's best
for us and think about the things that people desire in life people desire a lot of money
you know what maybe God doesn't want you to have a lot of money maybe you will struggle
with money until the day that you die and maybe that's God actually being merciful to
you because maybe if God just gave you all the money maybe you would get prideful and
lift it up and stop serving God and you'd show up at the judgment seat of Christ for
you know that wouldn't be good you know people want like we talked about sports accolades
you know oh lord just please help me get into the major league baseball help me to get into
NFL right people pray for these type of things but doesn't necessarily want to give you that
because it wouldn't even be good for you or you know every lady wants to look like a super
model but what if being looking like a super model made you a crappy person because let
me tell you something a lot of these women that are just extremely attractive are just
terrible people you know I wouldn't know but I would imagine that all these people on OnlyFans
probably aren't ugly that's how they're making money but guess what by you being attractive
you're literally selling your soul being a whore you're devaluing yourself you're being
wicked in the sight of God and it's like oh great you're pretty yeah but that's vain that's
pointless that's meaningless maybe it's good that us men aren't all 235 pounds 6 foot 5
strapping square drawed guys okay maybe that wouldn't be good for us maybe we'd get prideful
you know hey it's good that we got issues right maybe it's good for me that if I spend
five minutes in the sun I burn like maybe God just wants to keep me humble right don't
forget to put on your sunscreen Dylan right put on your big hat that's me that's an affliction
for me trust me it's an affliction but maybe it's good for me so whatever your afflictions
are just embrace them hey it's nothing wrong with praying to the Lord and at times he does
take away our afflictions but there's gonna be some things in your life that he never
takes away are you gonna be okay with that verse 9 he said unto me my grace is sufficient
for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather
glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me and what are you willing
to take in your life that the power of Christ they rest upon if you can get to that place
with your attitude you're going places as a Christian you could say hey Lord you know
I'll be poor if I have to be poor if the power of Christ will rest upon hey Lord I'll have
health problems if you need me to have health problems if the power of Christ will rest
upon me hey Lord I'll have marriage problems if you want me to have marriage problems have
the power of Christ and they rest upon whatever the issue whatever the affliction God is number
one and if you have that attitude you'll go places in Christianity look at verse 10 therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities what I mean that's super counterintuitive to the way we
think Paul saying I literally take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities
in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I and this
is what separates elite Christians from everyone else Paul is an absolutely elite level Christian
right here why because his attitude that he literally is willing pleasure in infirmities
he says oh in reproaches I take pleasure in that oh in necessities I've got a bill that
I don't know how I'm gonna pay I take pleasure in that because I know that the Lord's gonna
be glorified through him providing for me somehow but you know the person that's super
rich they don't feel that way they don't need the Lord in their own eyes they think I've
got everything all figured out I'm Superman I've built all this well look at how cool
my house is look at how cool my car is I've done this all myself and you know what those
people don't have the power of Christ resting upon they're relying on their own strength
and you know what the arm of flesh will fail you may think you're strong today but eventually
your flesh will fail you relying on yourself will fail you but you know what just being
going through afflictions that'll actually make you strong that'll actually keep you
humble that'll actually be a blessing to your life but Exodus chapter number one Exodus
chapter number one here's another benefit of affliction affliction causes growth affliction
causes growth Exodus chapter one verse seven and the children of Israel were fruitful and
increased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceeding mighty and the land was filled with
them now there arose up a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph he said unto his people
behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we come on let
us deal wisely with them less they multiply and it come to pass that when they're fall
without any war they join also unto our enemies and fight against us so get them up out of
the land therefore they did set over them task masters notice to afflict them with their
burdens and they built for Pharaoh treasure cities Python and Ramsey so notice what the
king of Egypt's mindset is he says I see that these people are strong that they're mighty
that they're plenious and I'm worried that they're going to be so strong that if there
was a war they would team up with our enemies and overthrow us so he goes so I have an idea
let's afflict them this is a really bad move if you want to weaken someone because affliction
brings growth affliction doesn't weaken you affliction actually makes you stronger look
at verse number 12 but the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew and
they were grieved because of the children of Israel you see affliction causes growth
bad move by Pharaoh again think about this physically if you have a personal trainer take
you into the gym he's going to afflict you he's going to cause you pain and suffering
and he's going to make you hate your life you know what's going to happen growth you're
going to become stronger and just like that's true physically that is true spiritually as
well go to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 I'm sorry go to Romans 5 I'll just read for you think
about this how are some ways that we can be afflicted spiritually well the main way the
number one thing I think of is persecution that's the way we can be afflicted spiritually
while you're turning to Romans 5 I'll read for you 2nd Timothy 3 10 Paul said but thou
has fully known my doctrine manner of life purpose faith long-suffering charity patients
persecutions afflictions which came unto me at Antioch at Iconium at Lystra what manner
of persecutions I endured but out of them all the Lord delivered yea and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution so notice Paul was a person who was greatly
afflicted not only did he have the thorn of the flesh but he was just greatly afflicted
from every area of life he was talking about how he was having afflictions of brethren
false brethren and he's constantly being shipwrecked and attacked and physically beaten and being
stoned I mean this guy was constantly being persecuted and afflicted but notice what he
says he says but out of them all the Lord delivered and all of that affliction that
he endured all that pain what did it do it turned Paul into one of the strongest Christians
ever arguably the greatest Christian ever and what was he he was someone that went through
a ton of affliction and think about the great men of the Bible that we all look up to as
great heroes of the faith they're all people that went through affliction read Hebrews
chapter 11 these people didn't have easy lives the reason why they're in the hall of faith
is because all of their lives were extremely difficult and extremely full of persecution
and affliction that's what made them strong that's what gave them strength in the Christian
life and think about all the great Christians that you know personally I think about some
of the pastors that I know that I look up to as great men of God they're people that
have been persecuted pastor Stephen Anderson and from like half half of the globe right
pastor Shelley probably has more protests on his church services than any other pastor
living right now probably he's probably the most protested person in the pastorate of
anyone that I know right pastor Jimenez didn't have as many protesters or as many protests
but he had more protesters I mean he had thousands of protesters outside of his literally thousands
in the accumulation of just a couple months where as we had protesters that lasted for
years and years but it was a handful sometimes we'd have big protests but pastor Jimenez
had huge crowds of protests right going worldwide viral all the men that I look up to a pastor
Aaron Thompson has had protesters pastor Joe Jones has had protesters with rifles outside
of his church right just a bunch of weirdos all of these guys that I know that I look
up to as as heroes of the faith the spiritual giants that I know are men that have been
afflicted heavily so it's not a coincidence affliction brings growth look at Romans chapter
5 Romans chapter 5 look at verse 3 Genesis Paul he said not only so but we glory in tribulation
knowing that tribulation work patience he's saying hey we're gonna we're gonna glory we're
gonna be excited about the fact that we're having tribulations troubles afflictions why
because it's gonna work patience what's he saying we're gonna grow as people we're gonna
grow as Christians by going through persecutions it's gonna cause us to grow in our patience
what is patience patience is the bearing of provocation annoyance misfortune or pain
without complaints loss of temper irritation or the like I mean that is what is that that's
maturity that's really what that is patience is a mature person person that's able to go
through persecutions and temptations and annoyances without complaining about it with or even being
like the Apostle Paul not only are you not complaining about it he's saying I glory into
the world I get excited when this stuff happens why because he's gonna grow from it he knows
he's gonna grow from it look at verse 4 and patience experience and experience hope and
think about it patience and experience are both markers of a mature Christian like we
think about a mature Christian it's someone that's very patient in the faith and it's
someone with a lot of experience but how do you get there as a Christian tribulation how
do you get there affliction you cannot be a spiritual person a mature spiritual Christian
without having gone through hardship it's not gonna happen so when it happens you're
like hey this is awesome this is an opportunity to grow hey cool this is an opportunity for
me to learn the word of god more hey cool this is an opportunity for god to keep me
humble hey cool this is an opportunity for me to grow spiritually that's how you should
look at it and not just see every little temptation in your life as the end of the world you know
sure pray to the lord pour out your complaint unto the lord but at the same time trust him
and expect to see growth go to second corinthians chapter number four second corinthians chapter
number four second corinthians chapter number four i'm gonna read for you again i love this
verse proverbs three five it says trust in the lord with all thine heart lean not unto
thine own understanding i just love that verse because it just applies in so many different
areas of life right you're trusting in the lord and you're not leaning on your own understanding
you know you could read something in the bible and it may not make sense to you but you can
trust the lord that it's true do it anyway or when we're talking about affliction you
could be going through something in life that you're like i don't see how this is making
i don't see how this is i don't see how this is causing me to grow but i know that's the
truth so i'm just going to trust the lord anyway make this one of your life verses proverbs
three five second corinthians 417 says for our light affliction which is but for a moment
worketh for us a far more exceeding an eternal weight of glory think about this in the context
of how affliction makes you grow affliction also makes your spiritual bank account he's
saying look when we go through these afflictions it works for us a far more exceeding an eternal
weight of glory that's some other growth you're going to get spiritually by going through
affliction is hey your rewards in heaven are growing that's another way you could just
keep things in the right perspective when you're going through hardship okay go to second
Corinthians chapter number one second Corinthians chapter number one and another great benefit
of affliction is that affliction enables you to help other people and man this is one of
the most important things because what really makes someone a disciple of Christ what makes
you a good Christian is not just that you are doing all the right things but it's that
you're actually helping other people and that's real Christianity right there is that we're
helping our brothers and sisters in Christ we're helping other people to grow right well
look at second Corinthians one three it says blessed be God even the father of our Lord
Jesus Christ the father of mercies and the God of all comfort notice who comforted us
in all our tribulation Paul's saying hey God has comforted me why that we may be able to
comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God notice how Paul went through all those persecutions all those troubles and he's saying
like yeah I glory in those things yeah I've gotten patience and hope and experience by
all those things and God has comforted me in those why so that I can comfort other people
when they're going through that by the same comfort that I received from God and so that's
another thing you should keep in mind when you're going through something hard maybe
you're going through a medical problem but you know what while that sucks what that you're
going through that you continuing to be steadfast and you continuing to serve the Lord you're
setting the example for the next guy that has that same problem or the next girl that
has that same problem and you could want to just quit and just wallow in self-pity woe
is me that I'm going through this but you know what you could look at it as an opportunity
to minister to the next person you lost a child you had a miscarriage man that sucks
I know I've been there hard but you know what maybe God is allowing you to go through that
so you could comfort the next person that goes through that because while we would like
to think that everyone is just so spiritual that when they're going through hardships
they're just going to flee to the Bible and flee to their knees and prayer to God that's
not the reality sometimes people just need their brothers and sisters in Christ to help
them and so you need to be that person for other people when you go through afflictions
you know maybe you're going through financial issues maybe you've been there your whole
life and you always will be but hey you can comfort people that are going through the same
thing right you know hey man i'm in the same boat too yeah biden screwed both of us isn't
it awesome haha inflation you know laugh it off you want to go to cosco and get a dollar
fifty hot dog for dinner because i mean we're gonna beat inflation that way right hey console
your brethren when you're going through hardships go to uh or in the same chapter as far as
the sufferings of christ abound in us so our consolation also abounded by christ notice
the more we suffer the more god gets to comfort us the more god gets to console us and the
more our brothers and sisters suffer the more opportunities there are for us to minister
to those people as well verse six and whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation
and salvation it was paul saying when i look at my own problems when i look at my own affliction
you know what i'm thinking about in my own problems other people that's why i say paul
is an elite christian because he even looks at his own problems as an opportunity to serve
other people is that how you and i are and we need to be like that we want to strive
to be like that that's amazing that he's like that whether we be afflicted it is for
your consolation and salvation which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which
we also suffer or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation salvation and our
hope of you is steadfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye
be also of the consolation notice paul is looking forward to the fact he's saying yeah
i know that you guys are going through suffering but i'm looking forward to the fact that just
like i got to be a partaker of god's comfort of god's consolation that you guys are going
to be as well and how does he do that obviously he does that by preaching them the word of
god by teaching them the bible and of course i'm sure he was a friend of these people too
paul when he's listing names in various places in the new testament talks about his fellow
helper fellow laborer his fellow soldier calls out people by name that helped him personally
now i'm sure paul was a close friend of people and that he was a good comforter and uh consoler
of people go to hebrews chapter number four hebrews chapter number four hebrews four verse
fourteen says seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens
jesus the son of god let us hold fast our profession for we have not in high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted
like as we are yet without sin notice jesus christ humbled himself so much that he went
from his eternal state in heaven to become a little baby in a manger and why did he do
all that why did he go through the whole experiences of being man which is full of sorrows and
temptation hardships jesus christ was called man of sorrow i mean he did not have an easy
life you remember he was tortured and killed at the end of it why did he do all that well
look at verse number 16 says let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace why that
we may obtain mercy and find grace help in time notice what affliction did for the lord
himself it enabled him to help us because he was afflicted like we are afflicted he
was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin we don't have in high priest which
can't be touched with the feeling of our infirmities meaning jesus christ knows what it's like when
you're sad jesus christ knows what it's like when you're hungry jesus christ knows what
it's like when you're betrayed by your friends jesus christ knows what it's like when you're
mocked he was mocked he was spit on he was forsaken he was hated of the world he knows
what all these things are like why so that he can help us be a great succorer to us to
be a great consoler to us and so when you go through your trials when i go through my
trials let us look at it as an opportunity to say hey i can help console someone i can
help my brothers and sisters in christ if they ever go through what i've gone through
i can help them as well that's the attitude that god wants us to have hey flixion's good
flixion it's good for me that i have been afflicted the bible says hey when i'm afflicted
i love turning to the bible and seeing great stories of men of god in the bible that were
afflicted and seeing god deliver them out of it i love the story of daniel being thrown
in the lion's den him living through that surviving and not being touched by those lions
right because it's like what are our trials in comparison of that when when was i ever
thrown in a lion's den right i mean that's crazy or or you know shadrach meshach and
abednego you know standing up to king nebuchadnezzar refusing to bow the knee saying even if you
throw us in the fiery furnace we're still not going to bow the knee to you isn't it comforting
to see their fake and see how god delivered them out of it hey isn't it comforting to
see the apostle paul and peter and the apostles saying hey we ought to obey god rather than
men and refuse to stop preaching the gospel of jesus christ get thrown into prison and
god delivers them out of it you know paul saying that hey i don't know what's going
to happen to me when i leave ephesus but here's one thing i know that sufferings abide me in
every city that i go to but yet the lord still deliver him out of every temptation and that
just fires me up that just realizes hey whatever temptation whatever affliction i'm going through
i know god can deliver me that brings me comfort that brings me growth in my life now how do
we apply these truths to our life we learn tonight what do we learn hey affliction is
good for us affliction is good for us why it teaches us the bible it keeps us humble
causes us to grow spiritually causes us to be able to help our brother and sister in
christ so what should we do about that okay let me show you what we should do about that
this right here can everyone read that you know this says it says embrace the suck okay
this is a pass that i keep on my backpack and you know what this means this means be
steadfast that's what this means what this means is when things are hard when there when
things suck in your life when you have affliction when something bad is happening on just embrace
it say bring it on affliction yeah let's do it let's grow spiritually let's get better
let's serve our brothers and sisters in christ let's learn the bible more embrace the suck
when it comes in your life just embrace it embrace the problems be steadfast go to james
chapter number four first grand theans 1555 therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast
unmovable always abounding in the work of the lord for as much as you know that your
labor is not in vain in the lord it's not in vain any work that you do any affliction
you suffer for christ the problems in your life man when you look at things through a
spiritual lens you realize affliction is good so what should we do as a result of that be
steadfast that that doesn't mean serving god when it's easy i mean what if you just said
like man i had the easiest week of my life this week but i'm just trying to be steadfast
it's like i just man just everything is going great for me my health is great i'm making
so much money my marriage is awesome everything in my life is so easy but i'm just trying
to stay steadfast that doesn't make sense right no being steadfast means things are
hard there's challenges there's things trying to stop me there's things trying to move me
from my course and you know what i'm gonna do i'm gonna be steadfast anyway i'm just
gonna embrace the suck and just overcome it anyway through god's power through god's grace
james chapter four verse eight says draw an eye to god and he will draw an eye to you
cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts be double-minded notice this command
in the bible be afflicted hey just embrace it and mourn and weep let your laughter be
turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the lord
he shall live again some of the best things you could ever do in your life is just to
humble yourself before god so he doesn't have to and just say like lord i accept these afflictions
help me to get through it by your power help me to get through it by your grace help me
to learn your word help me to grow spiritually help me to become patient help me to be humble
help me to help my brothers and sisters in christ i'm just gonna be afflicted lord tell
me to be afflicted ok that's what jesus christ did that's what our savior did i'm just gonna
be afflicted too i'm just gonna accept it i'm just gonna embrace the suck go to second
timothy chapter one this will be the last verse second timothy chapter one second timothy
chapter one verse eight it says be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our
lord nor of me his prisoner notice this but be thou partaker the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power hey let's not run away from affliction in our life let's not just
take this modern american view where we just want to make our lives as easy as possible
and avoid pain and avoid affliction you know what let's just embrace the affliction let
us be partakers of the afflictions of christ and say hey our savior was afflicted if that's
good enough for him it's good enough for us too let's just embrace it let's not run away
from it let's say hey you know what affliction is good let's have that attitude affliction
is good why it'll help you learn the bible more why it'll make you humble why it'll cause
you to grow why it'll allow you to help your brothers and sisters in christ more sounds
to me like affliction is good so what should we do hey thank you so much for this day thank
you for the word of god and uh thank you lord for the afflictions that we go through sure
you're not thanked enough for our afflictions lord we're always trying to get rid of our
afflictions but thank you for our afflictions lord and i just pray that you would help us
to humble ourselves and to rely on you to get through them and that you help us to learn
the lessons that you have us to learn from our afflictions thank you for this church
and i pray that you bless everyone here you sing the cry amen alright for our last hymn
this evening if you would grab your hymnals turn to hymn number 130 yesterday today forever
hymn number 130 130 yesterday today forever starting there on the verse
the glorious message simple faith may claim yesterday today for us is the same
we'll heal the sick and lame cheer the mourners fill the tempest glory to his name
yesterday today forever jesus is the same
holy change but jesus ever glory to his name
to our jesus never deadly to faithless comets
humbled on his books never leaves us is the same
but jesus never glory to his name but jesus never longed upon the sea
can hush our wildest tempest baths on Galilee
pray to send us each cup of trembling in our aid
for at jesus is the same but jesus never glory to his name
for to his never this jesus has he when jesus is same
but jesus never glory to his name for to his never
Amen with that you are dismissed please do stick around and get your pictures done for
the yearbook if you did not