(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.) You You You You All right good morning welcome to church Grab your hymnals find your seats, and let's begin singing some praises to God, so let's start with him number 244 244 when you have found it. Can you please stand let's start by singing amazing grace 244 amazing grace And let's sing unto the Lord 244 And let's sing unto the Lord And let's sing unto the Lord And let's sing unto the Lord Oh Oh Heavenly Father Lord we want to thank you so much for our salvation for making us your children Lord and as we sang Now Lord the excitement to be there in heaven for with you Lord 10,000 years and still Singing your praises Lord our praise that pray Lord that you put that song in our hearts a new song and Lord We will delight in you We will delight in your grace and and your love toward us and so Lord we're in church this morning Lord we do want to praise you we do want to love you Lord We want you to have the preeminence in it in our in our lives Lord, and we invite you to the church service Lord We it's not church without you Lord. We need your presence We need your guiding and Lord I pray that your Holy Spirit will work in our hearts this morning Lord I thank you so much once again for Jesus Christ and eternal life. We pray these things in Jesus name amen May be seated All right well I just want to say thank you for allowing us to go on our Mini holiday for two and a half weeks roughly it was it didn't start that well because on the last Sunday that we're here Our van broke down so they had to get repaired So I like three days that we've had the van so we couldn't do anything but we still had some family time the kids still did a bit of schoolwork to prepare for a little holiday and We got to yeah, we got to travel as a family We haven't been able to do that in some time you know all together and just to get out there and spend some quality time together have good laughs and fun and We went as north as Bundaberg the Harvey Bay and Rainbow Beach brother didn't see up. It was such a small place. I said surely we'll find Jordan somewhere But they were all beautiful places, and then we went to South South we went to Brisbane. We're sorry. You know we spent a day in Brisbane there We visited church brother Sam's church there as well, which was a blessing I went to a church as well in Bundaberg on Sunday and What else did we do? Bribie Island we checked out Bribie Island became one of our favorite places, so we went there like three times and What else Oh, Toowoomba went to Toowoomba as well, which was kind of surprising I was expecting a smaller town, but it's quite a large place well. It's really developing that that area it was amazing how big that was and And then of course noosa and just the Sunshine Coast and enjoyed places here So thank you for allowing us to do that Thank you for the men brother Jason really was one that was preaching on Sundays pastor Stevenson that preached on Wednesdays as well And you know everyone else that got involved of course running church. I really appreciate each one of you. Thank you for that all right I'm Refreshed you know I'm excited to get back into church, so I just thought just pray that Yeah, that you know the whole they worked its treat You know that it's served this purpose, and thank you for all being in church this morning to praise our Lord God So let's turn to him number 227 now 227 the things saved by the blood him number 227 saved by the blood Oh Oh Oh Hey Oh Oh I'm All right great singing our last here before the bar breathing 201 please 201 great singing by the way I'll tell you now our singing as much as I enjoyed being another church our singing is pretty up there Pretty loud let me put it that way And I know the Lord loves loud singing okay, let's lift it up to the heavens And I got the wrong number. I'm after Jesus. Oh that is the one I Jesus. I am resting 201 Jesus I am resting 201 Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Wonderful singing please take your Bibles and turn to Romans chapter 8 Romans chapter 8 and brother M is coming up for the reading Romans chapter 8 So That's Romans chapter 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh But after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for seen condemned seen in the flesh That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh But they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally minded is death But to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God But they are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his and If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you Therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh For if you live after the flesh he shall die But if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God there are the sons of God For he have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear But he have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the spirit itself beareth Witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and Joined heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together For I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God For the creature was made subject to vanity Not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope Because the creature itself also Shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God For we know that the whole creation growneth and travaileth in pain together until now and not only they but ourselves also Which have the first fruits of the spirit even we ourselves grown within ourselves Waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption with the redemption of our body For we are saved by hope but hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth Why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought But the spirit itself maketh in the session for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and He that searcheth the heart's knoweth What is the mind of the spirit because he maketh in the session for the Saints according to the will of God? And we know that all things work together For good to them that love God to them who are called according to his purpose for whom he did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son That he might be the firstborn among many brethren Moreover whom he did predestinate Then he also called and whom he called then he also justified and whom he justified Then he also glorified What shall we say? What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything? To the charge of God's elect it is God that justified Who is he that condemn condemned? It is Christ that died. Yea rather that is risen again Who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercessions intercession for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation or distress or Persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword as it is written for thy sake We are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us for I am persuaded That neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor Paris nor things present Nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord The loving Father in heaven we praise you for these beautiful words that you've given to us We praise you father in heaven for our pastor that is able to be back with us. That's refreshed and hopefully Recuperated and just ready to serve you even more Please speak through him help us to be ready help us to be more like Jesus And please help us to walk in your parts in the beautiful name of Jesus. We pray Amen Once again, just thank you for allowing us to go in that little break As much as I wanted to be in church, yeah, I just know we're going I want to think about work And by the way, if you've missed I've got a lot of messages I've got to catch up on a lot of messages a lot of missed phone calls So if you've messaged me, and I'm not gonna back to you You know why okay, I'll get back to you eventually. Maybe it doesn't matter anymore Maybe you don't even need to hear back from me anymore. I think during that period two and a half weeks I think I only took three calls One was kind of an emergency like I'm talking about church related issues, you know And then just some two other things to organize a soul-willing event Thank you brother so again, thank you for that as I did mention the first Sunday we drove To Bundaberg for church and their service. Well, we I looked online the service. Apparently. I thought it started at 930 and So we're up early. What time we're up like 4 a.m Or something to get ready to make it to Bundaberg to church and then the church that was actually at 1030 Okay, so we could have slept in an extra hour. It was So anyway, I mean we enjoyed the company there and and then obviously we went to church to Brisbane so in Bundaberg that was um That was gospel like gospel like Baptist Church and then in Sydney, sorry in Brisbane, we went to Springwood Baptist Church and we know more people there at Springwood Not just brother Sam brother Jason a church was a ten I was visiting as well just so we could catch up a little bit together The deacon and his family that are there. I've known them from Sydney So there's a few people that we knew and I was it was a great time you know the past was very accommodating toward us and Yeah, but you know driving to Bundaberg and driving to let's say driving to Brisbane is probably you know and now it's looking at because it was it was actually Logan it was about an hour and a half, you know, south of Brisbane and I was just thinking how much I appreciate you guys that travel Like the ones that travel far the ones that travel over half an hour an hour You know an hour and a half two hours to get to church I was like, wow, I don't know how you guys do this week in week out because Son Christina, how would you travel this far to get to church? It's like I wouldn't Like half an hour was like my max. All right, and if I don't have a good church within half an hour I'm just better off picking up, you know, my family moving closest to church. That's kind of how I am And so again, I appreciate each one of you guys for making the effort Which then encourages me to try to prepare a sermon that will be beneficial And if you're going to travel that long You better be you better be worth it better be worth being in the house of the Lord and and hearing some great Preaching so thank you once again for all thank you for the locals, of course But also thank you for those that travel far, you know, it's a real blessing through encouragement alright, so we're there in Romans chapter 8 and Let's look at one of the most famous Bible verses there in verse number 28 Romans 8 28 and we know that all things Work together for good the title for the sermon this morning is all things work together for good You believe that Now, I'm sure some of you guys go through troubles right now some type of difficulties whatever it is You know, it could be a sickness could be financial, you know, it could be relationships, you know, it could be, you know Distress and worries that you go through life. There's some type of trouble Something because this is life right life has troubles You cannot go through life and just you know, it's just gonna be smooth sailing. That's not life It's that's not really how it is and we see that all things work together for good. This is the Word of God This is the truth of God's Word and and you know regardless of what trouble you're going through I want to just remind you this morning that it is for your good. It is for your good and Really when we go through troubles, we don't like it You know, in fact, usually when we go through troubles One of our first things is to go to God and say God deliver me from this difficulty Lord help me out of this trouble, but sometimes God wants you gonna go for that trouble Because it's for your good. It's for your profit You know, there's something that's gonna benefit you going through that and you know when we look at this verse, you know I don't want you to think that you know, all things work together for good for everybody because that's not the case You know us, you know if you're unsaved I tell you now you're going through some difficulty If you're an unsaved person going through hardships and troubles That there might not be any good that comes out of that for them Okay But what we see here there is a condition for all things to work together for good because it continues there to them that love God Brevin do you love God this morning? Do you love God this morning? So, how do I know if I love God we'll talk about that in a moment Then it says to them who are called according to his purpose So you see that it's not that everything works together for good for everybody on this worth No, there's a condition. You've got to be called according to his purpose and you have to be someone that loves God And So this is the challenge this morning. I'm sure some of you going through difficulties okay, so I want to help you for these difficulties they going through and It's not just our church. As I said, we visit other churches. Guess what other people are going through in other churches difficulties hardships sadness depression loneliness Every church is full of people going through these things and you know again when I hear these things It kind of breaks my heart because I just think man my life is just okay I'm not saying that everyone goes through difficulties. We all do about When I compare myself to other people, I just I just don't know what I would do if I was in their shoes I just would I You know, I don't know like, you know and so when I think about these I'm just reminded once again that you are all going through some difficulty some stress some Trial and if you wanted to make sure that this is something for your good and for your profit Well, let me encourage you to love the Lord You're meant to love the Lord, right? How well do I love him? We'll talk about that in a moment, but let's talk about the one that is a chord according to his purpose Who are these people? Well, look, let's continue that in verse number 29. He tells us who these people are He says for whom he did for know He also did predestinate us or predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son That he might be the firstborn among many brethren You see the one that is called according to his purpose is someone that is saved You must be someone that is saved. You must be born amongst many brethren. You must be a child of God to be someone To ensure that all things work together for your good Now this verse that we just read there in verse number 29 is often taken out of context Especially those that believe in Calvinism Predestination in the sense they'll teach that God has chosen those who would be saved You know that not everybody has been chosen to receive salvation I'll teach Kind of sounds okay for a brief period of time. Oh, man I must be special then but that also means on the flip that God has chosen some to be damned forever Before they've done anything to deserve that before they've even committed sin before they've even been born into this world Calvinism teaches well God predestinated that would be damned and go to hell No Okay, again, what is salvation? Salvation is our faith placed on the death bear resurrection of Jesus Christ Salvation is by believing on what Christ has done for us right look at this passage once again What are those that are predestined? What are they predestined to do? Again, then verse number 29 for whom he did for know he did also predestinate So there is a predestiny What is this predestination to be conformed to the image of his son to be conformed to Jesus Christ? Let me ask you a question is this the gospel is the gospel be Conformed to Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved be like Jesus and thou shalt be saved is that the gospel Because if that's the gospel then you're all damned because none of you are like Jesus Christ Which of you are prideful enough to say yep, I've made it to the level of Jesus That's not salvation This is not teaching that God has predestined some to be saved because then the standard or the gospel is be like Jesus That's how you make it well that requires a lot of work that requires perfection Okay, no those that can be conformed to the image of his son are those that are already saved You see with the moment that you've trusted Christ is your Savior you are now predestined you have a destiny to be like Jesus and we know the full realization of that will come when we receive our New resurrected bodies and we're made like unto Jesus Christ Okay, so if that's you if you're already saved this morning then praise God step number one you can say yes I know that whatever trial and difficulty or situation. I'm going through is going to be for my good But don't forget there's the other part. Do you love God say of course? I love God pastor Asia You know sometimes I hear of people who are out of church You know let's say a family's in church, and they're they're teenagers out of church or whatever right? Let's say well. You know he's not interested in church anymore, and you know I'm sad He's not really picking up his Bible And you know he doesn't talk about God and he's living like the world and he's been influenced by some bad friends that he's met But he still loves God I've heard that so many times he still loves God So you know let's cut him some slack because he still loves God now What did Jesus Christ saying John 14 15 you guys know this he says if you love me? Keep my commandments if you love me Jesus Christ says keep my commandments If someone is not keeping the commandments of God, they're not doing the most basic things of being in church Preaching of Jesus Christ sharing the gospel Reading the Bible going to God in prayer Don't do the most basic things brethren you can't turn around and say well. He loves God He doesn't love God because it's not keeping the commandments of God You see you can judge you can be yourself you can make a self-assessment To determine how much you love Jesus How much you love Jesus or how well are you keeping his commandments? How much are you living a holy life how much are you living a clean life that pleases God? And I don't know maybe some of you guys are doing great right now some of you guys are going I've not been keeping those Commandments. Well don't tell me you love God And here's the thing we all sin we all make mistakes in life. Don't we you know and so we're not perfect We're not perfect in our works. We're not perfect in obedience this then again Just tells us we're not perfect in love toward God Okay, and that's just how it is right now unfortunately, but we have been conformed We are being changed God willing into the image of his son. We are becoming with ideally. That's the situation It ought to be that as Christians were becoming a little bit more like Jesus as time goes on. I hope that's the case and You know I And I know I've mentioned this many times, but yeah, I just I love When I was in church, and I'd see people that are more mature in me than in Jesus Christ they've been saved longer in life and Just sometimes some people just seem like they're always got it together All right like they're in church, and they just praise the Lord and they're humble about their lives and themselves But you know there's always a smile on their face. They're always encouraging You know if you ever need an encouragement You know I can go and talk to brother so-and-so sister so-and-so they're gonna lift me up they're not gonna be a negative influence on me, and you know they're just praising the Lord and Sometimes you get this mindset of thinking well there must be no problems in their life But that's not true They're going through problems as much as anybody else they go through hardships and sadness as much as anybody else But why do they have a smile on their face? Why is it they in their life they they portray Jesus Christ can say man? I can see within them just the Lord Jesus Christ within them I Can see the light of Jesus shine out of them why? Because they love the Lord because they keep his commandments Because they know this truth that whatever they go through is to is coming together for their good And they're able to praise the Lord even in hardships And I tell you brethren I don't think I've reached that level that I've seen some Christians I know sometimes when I go through hardships. I'm just like Lord why? What now? Well take it away, please when he's probably given it to me for a purpose. Yes for a purpose well good and So I just want to remind you guys that and I don't know you I don't know your troubles I don't know you difficulties I don't know really do I know what I want to trade my problems with your problems probably not And I don't think you want to trade your problems for my problems. Okay. We all have and please never take this attitude Well, I just I suffer the most you know nobody else knows what trouble and problems are like because I look listen We've all gone through problems That's life That's life we all go through difficulties and I want you to just be reminded this morning that it's all working together for your good But once again you must be saved and you must be someone that loves God And it's easy to love God because he first loved us. He gave his son to die in our place He gave his life for us. He shed his blood for us and So thank the Lord that he loved us first so we can have some measure of love back toward him Now the context of this passage is Sicknesses primarily, but it's not just that if you backtrack a little bit to verse number 26 Romans 8 26 The Bible says Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities You can see what leads up to the famous verse of number 28 is speaking about infirmities in fact the Apostle Paul starts speaking about his own infirmities and And So are you struggling with infirmities this morning? I know I know many of you are some of you guys have chronic issues in your bodies You know in fact I'm not feeling all that great this morning feel like I've got a bit of a cold coming or I don't know if it's Just allergies or something I don't know But these bodies break down right in fact my knees are really my knees hurt me a lot right now Because they're just sunburnt If I showed you my knees just read like a lobster all right, but you know like this pain our body is right Whatever it is sickness Verse 126 likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities now say well Yes, Lord. Help me in this difficulty. Help me with this infirmity Yes, he will okay, but if we keep going there It says for we know not what we should pray for as we ought You know sometimes when we have infirmities And let's just substitute all kinds of problems that we go through there because you soon see later this applies to any problems Sometimes we go to and we ought to go to God in prayer in fact many times that God gives us problems It's so we can be driven back to the Lord Because you know as well as I do when things are going too. Well, and there are no problems in life That's the easiest time to drift away from the Lord Because why do we need the Lord things are going so well? It's often when the difficulty comes that we say Lord Coming back to you Lord. I need your help. I'm sorry that I've been so far away from you But a way to notice that yes the natural response of a believer when you're going through a difficulty or infirmity is to pray But this passage says that we don't know what we're praying about Cuz it like think about Wednesday night, and look I'm not trying to have a go at pretty good We ought to pray for one another we know that's a commandment right, but usually on a Wednesday night when we have prayer requests It's some difficulty that we're going through right or some difficulty that we know our brother system going for let's pray for brother So-and-so that God will deliver them out of that difficulty and look that's all good and proper I'm not trying to say stop that but the truth of the matter is that we know know not what we should pray as we ought Because our first response is God delivered me from this sickness God delivered me out of this problem and So the Holy Spirit is there helping us, but then it continues Because we're not praying the way we ought to also explain to me how or why it says But the Spirit itself make of intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Intercession When we go to God in prayer And we say Lord. I've got a sickness. I've got this illness. I've got this difficulty. I've got this problem. I've got this conflict Lord take it away Or heal me right now Lord. Please heal me as soon as you can The Lord might be going hold on I've given you that for your good You're praying for it to be taken away today, but you might need to hold on to that difficulty for a whole month Because I'm teaching you something through that difficulty the Holy Spirit's gonna help you for that difficulty So we're going in prayer Lord, please deliver brother so-and-so Right from let's say brother Callum. Let's sorry brother Callum. We like to pick on you, right? But we know he had some surgery on his nose, right and he's still got some swellings He's been improving praise God for that. So we pray Lord. Can you please help brother Callum recover as soon as possible? But the Lord might be saying the Holy Spirit might be saying hold on No, brother Callum needs to recover for a good solid month or two for his good Okay, and so the whole spirit steps in and intercedes that prayer and we're praying about something We don't know what we have to be praying for. We're just doing the best we can right We were trying to lift up our brothers sisters in the Lord and the Holy Spirit takes that prayer before it reaches the ears Of the Father and he says no. No, we want this for their good Lord this suffering needs to extend a little bit longer so they can learn the lesson that need they need to learn That the good will come out of it that we've given that Allow them to go for that difficulty. The good will come out of that. So let's continue this suffering for a period of time And I want you to remember that if your suffering continues and you love the Lord and you're saved if your suffering continues It's for your good Please don't turn around and say well the Lord does not answer my prayers Words because the Holy Spirit interceded in that prayer and he knows what's best for you You need to you need that difficulty we need difficulties we need it to stay humble In fact, that's the very thing that Paul is speaking about as we keep going for this is that he needs to stay humble Okay, let's get going there in verse number 27 I'm sorry. I'm looking at the wrong pass. But anyway verse number 27 say that it says and He that search of the hearts Know if what is the mind of the Spirit so, you know the Spirit intercedes that prayer So the Father knows our hearts Okay But it says here he know what is in the mind of the Spirit the Holy Spirit because he maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God You see sometimes we go in prayer. We don't know. We're human beings We don't know what the point of this suffering is or this hardship is Right and we pray according to our will many times But the Holy Spirit makes sure that the prayer reaches the Father and it meets the will of God So what I'm saying to you brethren is you're something that you're going through It's God's will for you. It might not be your will. I'm sure it's not your will actually But it's God's will that you go through this hardship and it's for your good Thank God that it's for your good Man can you really live life according to your will? If everything just went according to your will I'll tell you now you won't be in church this morning You won't care about the things of God you'll be a spoiled selfish brat if everything in life went according to your will and God knows that's not good for you God knows you need to learn and grow and mature and he's trying to conform you remember to the image of Jesus Christ So if he wants you to be more like Christ you're gonna go for some difficulties you need it it's important you need it You know sometimes people even Christians can go through such difficulties Such hardships, and they say you know I just want to end my life It's better if I just died and committed suicide or something like that sad Sad when someone takes their life Okay, but you know if you've ever had those thoughts in your life Please remind yourself that God is doing this for your good Say pastor. I don't get it in fact. I had a past a brother once reach out to me He explained to me how his marriage is falling apart, and you know his church life is just not happening and his workplace just You know I can't get along and and every part of his life is just just a disaster And he says how can I believe the promise there in Romans 828 that we know that all things work together for good Everything around me is falling apart Sometimes we take that attitude don't we how is it? I'm doing the best I can and nothing seems to be working out for me You see as human beings were short-sighted We just see the problem now. We want it taken away immediately because it's uncomfortable But the Lord knows what we need the Lord knows what we can handle Please don't allow suicide to be something that enters your mind say look I've gone through this difficulty It could even be your own fault Right say Lord I'm sorry Lord I love you. You gave your life to me Lord I'm saved man, and I know that somehow this is gonna work for my good Please Remind me of this truth, and please allow the Holy Spirit to work in my infirmity or my sickness or my difficulty or my problem Just remind yourself it's for your best As much as humanly speaking we don't like it But it's according to God's will That you go through such difficulty come with me in fact keep a finger there in Romans come with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 2nd Corinthians chapter 12, please 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 And look all these verses that I have for you this morning, they're all common verses you know most churches are going to be preaching verses like this and And the reason these verses get preached on a lot is because they're so encouraging We need to be encouraged don't we we need to look as much as I love to preach a deep doctrinal sermon You guys know like I love to do that stuff sometimes. We just need to be brought back to basics And say Lord the difficulty that I'm going through is for my good. Thank you Lord Thank you Lord for allowing me to go through such difficulty. Can you say those words? It's hard. I can't always say those words, but 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verse number 7 And these are the words of Paul he says and lest I should be exalted above measure He goes just in case I start to exalt myself above measure Just in case I start becoming prideful in my flesh He says through the abundance of the revelations You see Jesus Christ revealed much to Paul Paul was taught by God, and then Paul was used to write most of the New Testament books I Mean that can make a man pretty prideful That God has chosen me to preach these great truths and to write a great portion of the Bible And Paul was of course a godly man, but Paul was someone that struggled the flesh just like you and I You know sometimes when we do great things even great things for God the flesh can go oh well done and Start lifting a man above measure Yourself above measure so Paul goes look. I have the tendency of becoming prideful I have the tendency of starting to lift myself and thinking that my great achievements are because of me So in light of that all right a lot of that he says There was given to me a thorn in the flesh The Messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure Paul says God has allowed Satan to enter my life to buffet me to beat me up God has allowed this thought in my flesh. God has allowed Satan a small measure in my life to cause difficulties within me But he goes so I won't become prideful so I won't be lifted up It's amazing well even if God allows Satan to have a go at you So you know what this is for my good God's allowed Satan to attack me for my profits That's what Paul's able to do right and look I'm sure because we're the same flesh and blood as Paul that many of the difficulties we go through in life is because of our pride God knows that if there are just nothing that causes us any difficulties and problems that this individual become full of pride Above measure and so God allows us to go for some difficulty just to give us humility This is the apostle Paul that we're talking about Okay, so don't tell me you don't have a problem with pride. I have a problem with pride we all do It's a stupid flesh It doesn't like to get offended always thinks it's right. It's pride Verse number eight for this thing I besought the Lord for us. He goes. I went to God three times in prayer three times Remember we don't know how to pray the things that we ought to We don't know the will of God in our lives There's nothing wrong with going to God three times to pray about something because I've done this three times That it might depart from me because that's that's not that's natural that's what we normally do Go through our difficulty. We go to the Lord. We might go three times. You know Lord. Why haven't you answered my prayer supposedly? Verse number nine, and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee Wow Reverend whatever difficulty you're going through right now God's grace is sufficient for you to get through that to go through that But you need God you need the Lord He says for my strength is made perfect in weakness God's strength is made perfect in your weakness This is the concept of prayer and fasting you know when we fast we don't give the flesh what it desires right food You know we're making that flesh weak so God can be strong in us You know God allows difficulties and sicknesses in our body to Make his strength perfect in our weakness He goes most gladly therefore Because then I'm just gonna be glad about this then Will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me? He goes Paul says it's worth it You know if I get the strength and the power of God Then I'm just gonna glory in my infirmities. I'm gonna glory in the fall in my flesh I'm gonna say thank you Lord for the difficulty. Thank you Lord for allowing the devil to come and buff at me Because then I can be stronger than I've ever been before I can have the strength of God in my life So God is trying to make you stronger Then why do you want that trouble taken away too quickly In fact it wasn't taken away for Paul It was a thorn he asked for it three times, and no God says it's for your best. You need it You need it for your profit Number one to humble Paul, but number two to make him stronger to make him spiritually stronger than he's ever been So you need the Lord in your difficulties, please don't desert God don't go well God. I'm having this trouble I've gone three times in prayer. I've gone over and over. I've asked the church to pray for it It's not happening Lord. I just don't think you answer prayers. I'm not gonna talk to you anymore Lord I'm just gonna go live my life then wrong attitude wrong attitude Hey Lord you haven't taken this away I Guess you want to make me stronger Alright, I guess you love me enough. You're good enough to me You know to realize that I'm weak in my flesh because I need your strength to get through this So strength helps you grow develop mature Have greater knowledge of the things of God You know, I thank God that we have a God that looks out for our best And again, we don't see the end of it We don't see the end of the product right like when you're going for a difficulty right now. You don't see What God is trying to do in your life? But I tell you now if you've been saved for many years Just Remind yourself of the times in the past where you've had difficulties and God has come through and you can say wow Something good came out of this Well, I went for this difficulty and This helped you know me to develop thicker skin This helped me to understand the love of God this helped me understand the scriptures in a greater way Well God you utilize this problem to bring someone into my life where I was able to give them the gospel and they got saved It's for your good Now as Christians are qualities that we should desire because you know, we're trying to be conformed unto Christ And I'm gonna read some qualities to you if you can go back to Romans I told you keep a right finger Romans go to Romans chapter 5 for me Romans chapter 5 and Again, all these verses, you know them all okay, you know these verses But some qualities that we should desire as Christians and I'm sure you desire is number one to be more patient Do you want to be more patient? I? Need more patience I'm sure we all want more experience You know the greater experience we have in life You know, we it gives us wisdom doesn't it experience gives wisdom gives learning, you know The more experience we have in life the the greater the ability to make the right decisions in life I'm sure we want to be more hopeful Right, I haven't had a more positive outlook being hopeful about things instead of being negative all the time You know looking at the glass as half full rather than half empty in life When you start to see the technologies and the media and the governor the government's Bringing about laws that you single. Wow, this is plumbing. You know, this is bringing us to the end times instead of becoming fearful And and worried about these things you take the attitude. Well, praise God. It's coming a day earlier then He's gone. I'm gonna see my Jesus Christ soon We more hopeful these are things that we should design our lives What about not to be ashamed to speak of Christ not ashamed to stand in God's Word? You know one of the great things about being on holiday Well, I don't know if it yeah is that because I wasn't preaching for two-and-a-half weeks that Because you know if I was preaching last two-and-a-half weeks, I wouldn't done a sermon on the sodomites because of world pride. I Would not have been able to help myself and look I actually hate preaching on that topic Because I just don't like thinking about it. Well, I don't like thinking about what these people do How filthy it is? So it's kind of like I didn't mean to time it this way just it's like oh Cuz I don't like I don't like to think about it that's why I don't like preaching about it I like I love to preach everything about the vibe in Bible But I don't like thinking about what's going on in this such a wicked perverted world Why did I say that don't even know I said that oh Yeah, not ashamed right if we're gonna stand on God's Word. We ought not to be ashamed the word God has to say of what God calls wickedness. We ought to call out wickedness These are all qualities that I'm sure we you know I remember being a young child and and knowing what the Bible said and being out you know going to school and and seeing my friends and like seeing the wickedest they get up to and and being too ashamed to Say hey, you know guys that's wrong I'm just a child thinking Lord. I just want to be one day where I can just say look This is just the Bible says this and that's it Love me or hate me, right You know, in fact, I love my friends. I want them to look after them, you know, not to get you know Get into grave sins Well, just give me the boldness to be able to just say what is true I don't want to be ashamed of Jesus Christ Just thinking Lord if the opportunity arises where I can give someone the gospel Lord. I don't want to be shy I don't wanna be afraid. I don't want to be timid Lord. Can you develop that in my life? These are all great great qualities to have all great qualities that we should aspire to But you're there Romans 5 and verse number 3 verse of chapter 5 verse number 3 Romans 5 free Here's something you need to understand In order to develop these qualities. It says in verse number 3 and not only so But we glory in tribulations also Tribulations is just the word trouble We glory in trouble in tribulations. Also, do you glory in your troubles? What trouble are you going through this morning? What trouble have you gone through the past week? Did you glory in it? Did you say praise God whoo-hoo? Yes Probably not Probably not Okay, but that's how we ought to be. Okay. Why should we glory in tribulations? Also, it says here knowing that tribulation work of patience You won't be more patient. You need tribulations. You need trouble Be careful what you pray for God make me a more patient man. I know what's coming your way then Now you prayed for it it's coming your way and you need it it's for your good it's going to develop patience not just patience verse number four and patience experience and experience hope Hey that positive mindset looking forward to eternity verse number five and hope maketh not ashamed You want to stop being ashamed of the things of God You want to have a greater hope more experience more patience then brethren you need the tribulations You need the hardships. You need the difficulties. It's for your profit. It's for your good So as much as you've won this week about your problems You know what after church when you're quite alone you say to God. Thank you Lord for my troubles Thank you for my tribulations. Thank you Lord for my infirmities Lord. Thank you for my hardships Because you're developing patience experience hope Boldness in my life. I need it. I want it. I want to be more like Jesus Christ Because we love him knowing keep his commandments if you love me keep my commandments So yeah tribulations You Come with me to John chapter 15 John chapter 15 John chapter 15 Now troubles tribulations they can come by many ways right you can see the Lord allows you it will give you that tribulation to work in you We can see that sometimes those tribulations come from the devil, but don't forget the Lord is allowing the devil Okay, it's certain measure to afflict you in life if that's needed Tribulations come through this world. All right, and Something I want you guys to Something I've had to learn and I want you guys to learn if you haven't learned this already But when you're going through some type of difficulty Don't always look for what to blame Don't be the person that is like Adam right Adam took of the fruit and he says well Lord The reason I did this is because the woman you gave me It was a woman Lord and you gave her to me. That's your fault Lord and Then Eve was Satan Lord your Satan that deceived me Look, we need to learn that when we make mistakes because some of your tribulation guess what's gonna come from your mistakes your own sinful mistakes a lot of it So you don't take the attitude and go well, it's because of the world because of there was nice because of you Take some blame for yourself Okay, you need the humility. So you know what? Yeah, I messed up again. I Am going for this difficulty because I did it. Yeah, it was my fault Right and Before I read that I just want to just because all things work together right all things work together for good So if you're going for a tribulation because of your own mistake All right, I went up to it and then just remind yourself well the experience that I've gone through What Lord the chastisement you're putting me through Lord. It's also for my good. It's also for my profits Lord, please help me not to make that mistake again. I've seen the consequences. I've experienced the guilt and and the You know the filthiness Of doing such a thing and Lord, I don't want to feel this way anymore. I don't want to go through this anymore Lord Please use it for my good so I don't make that same stupid mistake again. I Think you know when you understand this truth it really Helps in life it I think it I think it gives joy to know that whatever it is. Whatever hardship. Oh, it's good It's good. I'm going for this Even if it's your own mistake that caused that difficulty well, it's good that God's allowing me to go for this difficulty It's good that I'm going for this chastisement of the Lord You're in John 15, I'll just read one passage to you you guys know this passage again all passages you know but Proverbs 2416 Proverbs 24 16 says for a just man a just man is a safe man For a just man fall off seven times You see even the just man is gonna fall Even the just man is gonna make mistakes in life Just man fall of seven times, but then it says and rise up up again For even if you're in a state of fallenness right now You're far from the Lord You've made mistakes And you just seem seemingly can't get out of it rise up again Again and again and again and again The verse continues, but the wicked shall fall into mischief You see when the wicked falls into mischief they stay in mischief But the just man when you fall you get back up again seven times Again and again look seven times and then tomorrow seven times again and on Tuesday seven times again Next week seven times again next month seven times again They passed like you don't understand this morning. I've messed up six times Okay, you still got another one to go get up again, then serve the Lord of your life. Do what's right? We're all going for difficulties we all make mistakes Stop beating yourself up just own up to a Lord yes pick yourself up And I've used the illustration even little babies When they start to walk they start taking those first steps they fall all the time And when they fall what they do They just stay there on ground They get up again They bang the head you are Taking me to the hospital, and she tries back up again bounces up. They got these soft bones a Little baby knows how to do it come on. You're a mature adults. You know when you're down your dumps you pick yourself up again Say Lord, just teach me Give me the experience give me the patience. Give me the hope give me the lesson. It's for my good And it's going to happen again tomorrow. You just keep picking yourself up You Know in the world of the same that goes if at first you don't succeed try try again That's basically problems 24 16 We're not going to succeed the first time we're not going to We've been conformed Like the moment you got saved you didn't become like Christ immediately I Mean the new man is new man's without sin new man needs no improvement But you know as you walk for this life. You're not like all right now. I'm saved now I just don't I no longer you know I've heard people's testimonies. I no longer You know have a desire for alcohol. I no longer look upon a woman We've lost her I no longer I've never told a lie, and then when they do make him a say oh that was just and I'm saying now That's what people do When they commit sin, I didn't mean I just fell into sin. It was the devil made me do it No, you did it you did it you failed you fell Stop blaming other people you feel you're going for the hardship now pick yourself up again and keep serving the Lord Conforming we're being transformed as time goes on are you more like Christ today than you were last year? Why not You know as we keep going for our Christian life. We ought to be more like Christ. God is doing our work in us You Can stop the work of God You can say Lord. I want to work in my flesh. I just want to do my what my flesh desire It's your decision. I can't force you. I hope this sermon encourages you But the Lord is doing things for your profit for your good You stop God's hand and just leave your own life. What's gonna. What are you gonna benefit in life? This life is a vapor. It's here today gone tomorrow Give it to the Lord and when you give your life to the Lord now everything matters for eternity everything you do matters Every service you do for God has a reward John 15 verse 1 John 15 verse 1 the Bible says the words of Jesus Christ I am the true vine and my father is the husband men So Jesus Christ uses this illustration and the file got the file there is the garden knife you want to use that word all right? Jesus Christ is that vine That the Father has put in place there Then it says in verse number two every branch in me, and this is you by the way You're a branch in Christ if you're saved during Christ Jesus So think of this illustration. You're that branch. You're in Jesus How healthy is that branch right now Every branch in me that beareth not fruits he take up away You know as Christians we can lose our effectiveness You can't lose your salvation, but you can lose your effectiveness to bring full fruits Jesus Christ says that if salt has lost its savour Can't remember how it goes, but it's better to be trodden under the foot of man Once you lose your savour you can't be used by God. How you're saved you're going to heaven Don't lose your savour If you're a branch you need to be fruitful Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he take up away, but look at this and every branch that beareth fruit He purges it that it might bring forth more fruit You see not every difficulty we go through is just because of sin and being a sin curse world etc etc Sometimes God is going to put you through purging Even when you've been fruitful for the Lord Even that as a branch you're plugged into Christ You know you're doing great things for him. You're becoming fruitful and when God sees that fruit He's delighted, and he says you know what this branch can bring forth even more fruits But in order for it to bring forth more fruits the father has to purge it To Purge is to get rid of something undesirable You know we've been asked there are things that are undesirable to God You say I'm serving the Lord you don't understand pastor. I'm just doing everything right. I'm faithful in church I'm going I'm reading the Bible. I'm I'm preaching the gospel. I'm going soul winning I'm doing everything that I believe I ought to do why am I still difficulties? I'm being fruitful I Praise God for you, then if you've been fruitful and God says you can be even more fruitful So it's got to put you through some purging He's got to remove some things that are not quite right some things that are not desirable in his eyes and That purging can hurt I Mean I'm not a gardener But I've seen people you know cut off little branches here and there because that one's not profitable Right well sometimes the same people take out a branch and plugged into something else I mean, I don't think it feels that great to be purged and cut But it's for your profit. It's for your good. It's so you can bring forth more fruits So you can be more effective for God so you can see more souls saved This is life Troubles and problems is part of life You know what I'd rather go through problems and trials and hardship because it's a pruning process Rather than just going through hardships and trials because I keep messing up Let's not show you you can't get away from difficulties So instead of trying to run away from your problems Start to glory in your difficulties starts to glory in your tribulations It may very well be that God is doing some pruning It may be very it may very well be that God wants you to be more fruitful and Prudence gonna hurt a little bit you're gonna go through some difficulties Come with me to Genesis chapter 50 please Genesis chapter 50 All right Genesis chapter 50 is the story well we have the story of Joseph And when I feel bit discouraged, I love thinking about Joseph Joseph is one of my favorite characters in the Bible When I think about him now of course Joseph's not a perfect man right he's a sinner just like all of us But Joseph went for some really difficult times in his life you guys know that he was hated by his brothers No photo of his own He's just trying to be obedient to dad trying to be a good son and by being a good son His brothers envied him they hated him to the points that they initially wanted to kill him you recall that then They decided to sell him into slavery. I mean it's still pretty bad I Mean if you had a decision between being killed or being thrown into slavery. I mean it's not all that different, right I mean take your whole your all your liberties being taken away And you haven't been sold into slavery See Joseph went for some really hard times again. No fault of himself All right, and then eventually he found a great job right serving Potiphar he became the steward of his household and Then he was accused of attempted rape which was not true. He was lied about and By that accusation then he was thrown into prison Joseph didn't do anything wrong Just as just trying to please the Lord in everything in whatever situation he finds himself in Man and And he has such an attitude. You know I mean Joseph can truly say he's innocent of these things He didn't deserve to be right front slavery didn't deserve to be thrown into prison and This is what happens in Genesis 50 verse 17 Fast forward into the future you guys know the story Joseph ended up bringing his whole family into Egypt Joseph right I became the second person You know just below Pharaoh He had the most power in Egypt that the second most powerful in the most powerful nation on the planet And he brings his family Into Egypt because it was time of famine so he sought to look after the Benefits of his own family his own brethren the same brethren that sold him into slavery it says in verse number 17 actually I'll bring up to speed very quickly then their father passes away and The brothers of Joseph they're worried man. We're in Egypt dad has passed away Now surely Joseph is going to get his revenge Now surely is going to get you know back at us for selling him into slavery and So they're afraid of Joseph So they send a servant to go and apologize and say sorry and hey please be merciful to us verse number 17 So shall you say unto Joseph the brother saying this to the servant? Forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin For they did unto the evil and now we pray thee forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father and Joseph wept when they spake unto him Like Joseph, please forgive us We're servants of God and of your father Please be merciful to us You know Joseph don't take your revenge on us Surely you must be so angry at us for selling you into slavery Joseph starts to weep Listen I'm 18 and His brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said behold we be thy servants Look at Joseph responds with some 19 and Joseph said unto them fear not For am I in the place of God? Because look I'm not gonna take revenge Vengeance is the Lord's I'm not gonna take God's place All right, don't be afraid. I'm not going to attack you guys I'm not seeking revenge Look how he responds in verse 120, but as for you Ye thought evil against me But God meant it unto good To bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive You sawed me into slavery I went to prison I suffered hardships God meant it all for good to save much people alive Joseph was influential in saving the lives of People of Egypt and surrounding areas because God gave him the wisdom to save up the grain So people could have food in a time of famine to save his own family and bring him into Egypt Joseph is able to look at it many many many years later I Think when he's being sold into slavery. I don't I don't think he is at that point thinking all right Yeah, I'm gonna save many people alive And he's thrown into prison. Oh, yes, I'm gonna know obviously he doesn't know what's around the corner But late in his life is able to look at those difficulties and go God meant it for good And brethren, you know, I hate to I get sick of bring it around I want to bring it up because it's such a big event in our lives but the COVID restrictions Not being able to travel being stuck at home Having whatever limit kilometers limits that you had how many of you wine How many of you complained I know I did But you didn't get sold into slavery you just have to stay in your house longer with the family you're supposed to love Longer you can still order a pizza. You still order a ice cream dessert or something some milkshake Right and we complain And yet Joseph slavery Joseph in prison for nothing that is nothing wrong that is done Is there a turn around at these things and say well, praise God God meant it for good Look we need to stop whining every time something doesn't go according to out the way we want our will Well, it's God's will You know what? Maybe Christians across this world will becoming too comfortable Too prideful not thinking about things of eternity and God says all right go for COVID I Let you know pastor covers not real disease. All right, we'll go for the restrictions because you need to be humbled You need to be reminded of what is important You need to be reminded of the good that God can do in your life regardless of what difficulty you're going through Look if you get so into slavery, all right complain, but even then David Joseph did not complain Even then he's realizing this is the hand of God But as for you you thought evil against me but God meant it unto good You see Joseph knew this doctrine he knew whatever it is that I'm going through through it is for my good Imagine it really happened you got taken out of your family sold into another country We Will be praying Lord release him release him release him and Lord be say no we need to save many people alive My will is greater than what we can see ourselves many times So appreciate a God that loves you Appreciated God that allows you to go for difficulties pains and turmoils Regardless of how hurtful they can be the correct attitude. Is that God meant this for good God means this for good. Good is going to come out of this whatever difficulty I'm going through I'll just read one passage to you Philippians 1 6 which reads being confident of this very thing Hey be confident about this thing Being confident of this very thing That he which have begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ God is working in you. God is doing a good work in you. Let him do his work if It means bringing tribulations your attitude is woohoo. Yes, Lord bring it on Teach me the lessons that I need to learn as I go for these difficulties. All right, bro. Let's pray Heavenly Father Lord God we just want to thank you for your word Lord we thank you that that's we can find encouragement Lord even when we're going through difficulties and problems and Lord thank you that you're a God that cares about us that you look at our life and Lord You know how we need to be pruned Lord, you know what difficulties we need to go through so we can be conformed to more like Jesus Christ Lord I know deep down each one of us that are saved our desires to be more like Christ The Lord the fear is that well in order to become more like Christ We're gonna have to go for those tribulations We're gonna have to share a little bit in his suffering And so Lord if that's the case Please bring it on but Lord also prepare us spiritually that we would not whine and complain and murmur That we would be people that rejoice and just say thank you Lord for whatever it is Lord We thank you for the restrictions that came our way through COVID Lord We thank you for the difficulties that we're going through Lord We thank you for the infirmities the sicknesses the pains in our body Lord the hardships the conflicts the problems the financial hardships Lord We thank you for everything you've given us and Lord. We believe the promise that it is for our good So, please teach us and guide us. We pray these things in Jesus name. Amen All right hymn number 216 216 2 1 6 Surely goodness and mercy Surely goodness and mercy 216 In the cold night of sin, I did Surely goodness and mercy Surely goodness and mercy Oh Oh Oh Oh You